Four Days in Chicago: The Inspired Home Show, Nobu, Beatrix and Shaw's Crab House
Updated: Oct 15
Trade shows are a marathon. Dinners are the reward.
In early March 2025, I spent four nights in Chicago for the Inspired Home Show, the big annual housewares show at McCormick Place. Days were for the show floor. Evenings were for some of the city's best restaurants. Here's how I'd do it again.
Where to stay: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
If you're in town for a show at McCormick Place, stay at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. It connects directly to the convention center, so there's no early-morning cab line in March weather and no commute at the end of a long day. I booked a Deluxe King, larger than standard, with a bigger bathroom, which matters when you're on your feet all day.
Experience tip: show-week rooms near McCormick Place sell out months ahead. Book as soon as the show dates are announced; I booked in December for early March.
The Inspired Home Show
The Inspired Home Show is where the housewares industry shows what's coming next, from cookware to storage to tabletop. It's enormous, so pick your halls and priorities before you go, and wear the shoes you'd walk a city in.
Dinner one: Nobu Chicago
I landed on Friday afternoon, two days before the show opened, and went straight to Nobu Chicago in the West Loop for an early dinner for one. Dining solo at Nobu is a pleasure: order a few signatures and let the evening be quiet before a busy week.
Experience tip: an early reservation is easy to get, even on the same day. I booked mine that afternoon.
Dinner two: Beatrix, Fulton Market
Beatrix is a Chicago favorite for good reason: relaxed, consistent and good for conversation after a long day. A friend calls it her favorite Chicago restaurant, and after one dinner I understood why. There are several locations; I went to Fulton Market, which is close to the West Loop restaurant scene.
Dinner three: king crab at Shaw's Crab House
And then there's the dinner I'd plan a trip around. Shaw's Crab House has been a River North institution since 1984, and ordering the whole king crab is pure theater: it arrives whole on a silver tray of ice, and then the server cracks it right at the table and arranges it for everyone. If you love seafood, this is the Chicago dinner to plan around.
Experience tip: ask about the king crab when you sit down; it's priced by weight. It's a dish for sharing.
In between
On Saturday, before the show opened, I walked the Magnificent Mile and did a little shopping on Michigan Avenue. Then on the last morning I flew straight on to New York instead of going home. Chicago is an easy hub for chaining trips together, so think about where you're going next before you book the flight home.
Chicago show-week checklist
Book the hotel early. Show weeks fill the city.
Reserve dinners before you fly. Weekend and show nights fill fast at the top restaurants.
Pack for March. It can be windy and cold, so bring a real coat, even if it's 60°F at home.
Fly into O'Hare, out to wherever's next. Open-jaw tickets often cost the same as a round trip.
Headed to Chicago for a show or a long weekend? Touchpoint Travel can book the hotel, the dinners and the onward flight. Start planning with Touchpoint Travel.
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