It was a Chicago tourist rite of passage: waiting in the frigid cold (or sweltering heat) to get into Gino's, a warren of tiny rooms and dark wood booths covered with a few generations' worth of carved graffiti. Now that the restaurant has moved into the vast space formerly occupied by Planet Hollywood, there are no more lines out front (but the graffiti-covered booths were brought along to keep the "authentic" flavor). Gino's does a ton of business with families, but it might be best for older kids since they don't have highchairs or booster seats.

Many Chicagoans consider Gino's the quintessential deep-dish Chicago-style pizza (I know transplanted Midwesterners who come here for their cheesy fix whenever they're back in town). True to its reputation, the pizza is heavy (a small cheese pizza is enough for two), so work up an appetite before chowing down. Specialty pizzas include the supreme, with layers of cheese, sausage, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms; and the vegetarian, with cheese, onions, peppers, asparagus, summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant. Gino's also offers salads, sandwiches, and pastas -- but I've never seen anyone order them. If you want to take a pizza home on the plane, call a day in advance and Gino's will pack a special frozen pie for the trip.