Chicago 2026

Last week was the NPKUA 2026 conference in Chicago. Leading up to the conference, I was debating on whether or not to add an extra night so that I could visit downtown Chicago while I was there. I’m going to be honest, it was the Harry Potter store that just opened last year that really made me want to stay that extra night. And that thought won, I did wind up adding an extra night so I could spend time visiting the downtown Chicago area. 

For those who didn’t attend, the conference was technically held in Lombard, IL which was about an hour train ride from the downtown area. Fortunately, the Westin hotel that the conference was being held at offered a free shuttle to the Lombard train station. I was able to get a $7 day pass for the Metra train using the Ventra app. Definitely the cheaper option for getting into and out of the downtown area. 

The train took me straight downtown to the Ogilvie Transportation Center Station, and from there I was able to walk to the places I wanted to go to. I definitely did a ton of walking while I was there, but there are also water taxis along the river, the cta bus, and the “L” (their subway system) to help get around and give your feet a break. 

My first stop was obviously the Harry Potter shop. It was a good 20 minute walk from the train station, but well worth it. I was able to walk along the river for part of the way. I genuinely prefer walking through cities, I feel like I see more that way and I’m more likely to wander and find new spots. The outside of the store didn’t seem like it was super busy, but when you walk in, there were people everywhere! It was definitely packed, but I absolutely loved being able to go around and see all the different Harry Potter collections and decorations around the store. They also had the sorting hat set up where you could get your video taken of being sorted into your Harry Potter house. I kind of wanted to do it, but the line was really long so I passed on it this time. After purchasing all my new goodies, I popped over to the other side of the store where the cafe was located. I ordered a butterbeer soda, which was delicious! And I was able to snag a table as a family was getting up. Definitely have to move quickly if you want to get a table. Also, the butterbeer came in a novelty collectors cup. The cafe has stations where you can wash your cup out so you can either use it to get a refill or take it home with you.

After my glorious time in the Harry Potter shop, I made my way towards Millenium Park to see “the bean”. I made an obligatory pit stop on the way to pick up my tourist-y magnet and sweatshirt. I arrived at the park and was pleasantly surprised at how 1) large the park is and 2) how beautiful it is. I really did love the greenery of it at this time of year. As you would expect on a Sunday afternoon, Cloud Gate was very busy so there were a ton of people. And of course, I got my selfie in the bean.

My next stop was lunch. I ate at a little panini shop called Lizzano’s on Michigan Ave. It was very small, and very cute, but this is definitely a lunch option for those with higher phe tolerance. The menu is pretty much all paninis plus drinks and some sides, like chips. But they do make it fresh in front of you, so you would probably be able to make some easy swaps with whatever ingredients they have on hand. It was a small restaurant, but I sat down and ate near the doorway, which they left open to let the fresh air in. But they also had a big TV set up that was playing the World Cup, and I just happened to come in during the halftime show, so I watched those performances while I ate. 

The last “must-see” item on my list for my very short visit to Chicago was to go see the lake. I know that the Navy Pier is a popular location to visit, however I didn’t really feel the need to specifically go there on this visit. I basically walked straight from where I had lunch on Michigan Ave to the Lake. I walked through some quieter residential areas, and saw other pretty parks during this walk. Definitely something I would not have seen had I walked along a main road or gotten transportation there another way. I walked along the lake for a little bit and then decided my feet were starting to hurt and made my way back towards the train station to head home. I walked through Millenium Park again, paid another visit to the bean, and decided to get dinner at Pizano’s before taking the train. 

I was able to order a gluten-free pizza crust and my toppings to that. I don’t remember seeing any vegan cheese options, but I was happy to see the gluten-free option. I had also ordered a side salad that came with croutons, and after ordering the gluten-free crust my waiter did ask if I have any allergies, so shout out to them for checking! I always like when places have options for other dietary needs, but also when waiters ask questions to check for allergies or other medical needs. Another restaurant you should check out if you are in Chicago is a place called Planta. My table at dinner the night before (at the conference) was talking about it, and for some reason I didn’t even think to look it up when I was walking around. But it’s a plant-based restaurant that has more low-protein meals that “seafood” options that I feel are not typically available in our PKU diet. I definitely want to check it out, and I saw that they have 2 locations where I’m from in Washington, D.C. so I'll definitely have to check it out at some point. 

Overall, I had an amazing time in Chicago! I think it’s a beautiful city. Unfortunately, with my limited time I had to pick and choose which things I wanted to prioritize seeing. Walking around the city definitely let me see a lot of the city, but there is definitely so much more I would like to do the next time I can get back to Chicago. 

And of course, the best part of going to Chicago were all the lovely, amazing PKU people I met at the conference!