Celebrity Picks: Peter Sagal

4859 W Roosevelt Rd, Cicero, IL 60804 (map)

"Astonishingly good, inexpensive, authentic Oaxacan-style Mexican food. Try the cactus!"

615 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661 (map)

"A recent discovery: the best late night dining in Chicago. Communal tables, small plates of food that makes you say, "Woo!" great and inexpensive (for a nice restaurant) wine list. Open till midnight."

1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 (map)

"Alinea is to a standard fine dining establishment what Wagner's Die Ring der Neibilungen is to a high-school talent show. Simultaneously operatic and minimalist; every single thing, from the lighting to the custom made plates to, of course, the elaborate, inventive, almost science-fiction level cuisine, is a distinctive work of art. Everybody should eat here once before they die, and at those prices, once might be all you can afford."

1960 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 (map)

"An honest to gosh, old-school ice cream shop and soda fountain. Calories don't count in a place this authentic."

1534 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 (map)

"A new favorite of my wife and myself, almost the platonic ideal of a great neighborhood foodie haven. We went there first for the $17 foie gras burger, which is more than worth the price, but was tragically and stupidly outlawed by the Chicago City Council. See if you can get them to risk fines and imprisonment for your sake."

1338 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 (map)

"Novelties, gags, 70s era lunchboxes, refrigerator magnets, etc. etc. etc. Physically impossible to visit without squealing with delight and buying something. Try. You can't."

445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60610 (map)

"If they passed a law saying I could only go to one restaurant for the rest of my life, this (or, technically, these) would be it. Depending on my mood, I'd go from tacos, enchiladas, sopas, etc. at Frontera over to remarkable gourmet creations at Topolobampo and then back again, drinking the world's finest margarita at both. Plus, chef/owners Rick and Deann Bayless are two of the sweetest people on earth."

7500 W North Ave, Elmwood Park, IL 60707 (map)

"Forget deep dish pizza, which is only eaten by tourists: Chicago's real contribution to world cuisine is a spiced, juicy roast beef sandwich called "Italian Beef," and this is the best there is. Get in line, have your order memorized, and have a lot of napkins ready at whatever place you've staked out to eat it."

8401 31st St, Brookfield, IL 60513 (map)

"The Lincoln Park Zoo gets all the press because it's downtown, and free, but in the meantime, Brookfield Zoo in the Western Suburbs is one of the best zoos in the world. My kids go there so often the giraffes greet them by name."