Things to Do in Chicago: Food, Museums and More

Lacey Irby and her business partner, Ryan Brosseau, a chef, were planning to open a restaurant when the pandemic hit. It delayed them, but eventually, in early 2021, they opened Dear Margaret, a homey tribute to Mr. Brosseau’s Canadian grandmother in the Lakeview neighborhood, with takeout only, gradually adding patio dining and finally, last June, the snug dining room. It recently earned a Bib Gourmand award from Michelin — signaling quality and value — and reservations are scarce.

“For those of us left standing, it’s a testament to that willpower that’s inherently part of this city,” Ms. Irby said.

Resilience is a point of pride in Chicago, which was nearly erased by the Great Fire in 1871. In 2020, the pandemic chased residents out of the downtown Loop and into their homes, and though many offices remain dark, locals are now returning to reopened clubs, theaters, restaurants and cultural attractions.

For those making the art, the food and the entertainment, introspection mingles with celebration.

“During the pandemic, artists couldn’t help but create and we’re seeing new, exciting shows,” said Katie Tuten, a co-owner of the eclectic performance space Hideout, fresh from a weekend of back-to-back sellout shows. “Plus, who wants to come out of the pandemic and not have a place to dance?”

Back on stage

Watching a performance, let alone dancing, was of course forbidden indoors for at least a year at independent music clubs that form the backbone of the Chicago music scene. Thanks to $16 billion in federal Covid relief distributed to venues nationwide, no local clubs closed permanently, according to the Chicago Independent Venue League, an industry group of nearly 50 performance spaces.

Members of the league represent the spectrum of Chicago-made music, from the Promontory in Hyde Park, with everything from jazz concerts to soca dance parties; to Martyrs’ on the North Side, welcoming emerging garage bands, arty collectives like the marching band Mucca Pazza and free Sunday afternoon country shows.

“Each are anchors to neighborhoods with restaurants and bars and experiences,” said Chris Bauman, a C.I.V.L. board member and the owner of two North Side venues, Avondale Music Hall and the Patio Theater, who credits locally owned clubs as economic engines and talent incubators. “In Chicago, we do it for the love of art and music and creating and retaining this culture,” he added.

In Lincoln Park, Steppenwolf has recently opened its…