What a wonderful town

Whether this is your first time in Chicago, you’ve been many times or you even hail from the Windy City, you might want to check out the local intel we’ve gathered about what to see, do and eat while you’re here.

First, pizza. Chicago’s known for the deep dish, and our local friends say there’s none better than Pequod’s at 2207 N. Clyburn Ave. There’s a long wait, but we hear it’s worth it. Two other top picks: Lou Malnati’s and Gino’s East.

And maybe it’s blasphemy to suggest anything other than deep dish, but some of our local friends swear their absolute favorite pizza joint serves the most delicious thin crust pies. That would be Beggars Pizza.

In between the pizza and all the fantastic public health goings-on at the Annual Meeting, consider these other Chicago delights:

• Head over to The Field Museum at 1400 South Lake Shore Dr. and get your picture taken with Sue the T-Rex. Fun fact: Sue’s actual skull is too heavy to sit atop her skeleton. You can see the replica and the real thing amid such exhibits as Inside Ancient Egypt and the Grainger Hall of Gems.
•  Have a friend from Illinois? The Shedd Aquarium has discount days on Nov. 2 and 3, plus a fascinating exhibit on animals native to the Great Lakes.
• We’re expecting clear skies for the rest of our time here in Chicago. So it’ll be perfect weather for posing with the Millennium Park sculpture officially named Cloud Gate but that everyone calls The Bean. So shiny.
• Get your steps in for the competition by climbing America’s tallest building at 233 S. Wacker Dr., all the way to the skydeck.
• You can take boat tours of Chicago’s architecture, but walking works, too.
• Our local friends tell us to give a nod to one of Chicago’s biggest immigrant communities by eating some Polish food. Yesterday, our Polish cab driver said you won’t find better eats anywhere else.
• Speaking of eating, this town is food heaven. From Frontera Grill to Girl and the Goat to Eataly, yum yum.

Anybody have some favorite Chicago spots to share? Let us know in the comments.

— D.C.

APHA Conventions Department staff get the ultimate
Sue the T-Rex photobomb at Chicago's Field Museum.