Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

There's nothing wrong with planning a trip around food, frankly I think that's the prefect way to explore Chicago. Chicago is, as they say, a city of neighborhoods and offers all sorts of little ethnic enclaves. That said, if you want the best ethnic eats you'll probably have to venture out of the River North/Streeterville/Loop area.
For Indian, Devon Avenue in Roger's Park is the place to go. My personal favorite is Uru-Swati, a vegetarian BYO, but Udipi Palace and Tiffin are also good options. Roger's Park is a bit of a hike though.
For Thai, there isn't really one specific neighborhood for it,and unfortunately Chicago is littered with mediocre Thai places. I like Joy's/Noodles in the Pot, but other than than I haven't had that much spectacular in the city.
If you're looking for more Mexican after XOCO (or if the insane lines get the best of you), I'd highly recommend checking out Pilsen, which is the cultural heart of Mexican Chicago and only a quick EL ride from downtown. I like Nuevo Leon and El Milargro. For more upscale try Mundial Cocina, Mestiza.
Also, Lawrence Avenue, from Kimball east to the river is an adventurous eaters paradise, with everything from Korean to Middle Eastern to Cuban. It's not the most glamorous street, but it is definitely worth a visit if you want to see what Chicago is all about!
For breakfast, I second Ann Sather (although I'd say stick to the cinnamon rolls) and Lucky Platter. I also like Toast, Cafe Selmarie, and Orange (very eclectic).
Enjoy your trip to the Windy City; hopefully you will judge us by the food and not the weather!

I gave up meat for lent five years ago and haven't looked back.

This year I'm giving up pizza, which is going to be difficult since my overworked grad student lifestyle makes the convenience of the frozen variety hard to resist.

As a grazer who rarely finishes a meal, I have never subscribed to the clean plate philosophy. I simply can't eat the same quantity of food in one sitting as most people. I'm not a wasteful person, that's simply how my body functions and I don't really appreciate being told to 'man up' or 'just eat it'.

I adore Sarah Haskins, all of her videos are absolutely hilarious. She has a great one about preparing family meals called Feeding Your F---ing Family
http://current.com/items/89113716/sarah_haskins_in_target_women_feeding_your_f_ing_family.htm