I can't go to Chicago without a visit to Heartland Cafe for music & food, as listed above, and Walker Bros. Pancakes up in Wilmette for the best pancakes anywhere (don't go on a Sunday morning unless you don't mind lines!), and check out the Green Mill Inn on Broadway for Jazz (poetry on Sunday nights, live music every other night, & a good pint of Guiness), and the best jazz jukebox anywhere! There are too many other good food places to mention.

Go to Val's Halla Records over in Oak Park for a good selection of lps, and talk to Val who knows everybody. Olde Town School is worth checking out, though summertime is kind of quiet for concerts, and they have little or no recorded music for sale, surprisingly, the concerts are listed on the web site. There is a chain of Second Hand Music Stores that have decent Folk sections all over town. Stay away from Evanston LP stores unless you don't mind spending $20-50 per record. You can find them elsewhere for less, but you have to do some legwork.