Welcome to Chicago, food industry types! The National Restaurant Association Show is the granddaddy convention for restaurateurs and foodservice professionals from all over the globe. It starts tomorrow, May 17, and runs through Tuesday. The show features the latest innovations in food and food preparation, along with book signings from celebrity chefs such as Art Smith, Mario Batali and Rick Bayless. The show this year also inexplicably has Senator John McCain addressing the crowd. The convention is only open to industry folks.

• What: NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show
• Where: McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
• When: May 17 - 20, 2008, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All you foodies in town may want to check out this list of some of Chicago's best restaurants.

A number of chefs from fantastic restaurants around the city are convening at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers on May 30, 2008 for the Great Chefs Tasting Party, a benefit for United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago. The list of participating restaurants includes Atwood Cafe, Carnavale, Osteria Via Stato, Chalkboard, Mike Ditka's, and 30 others. Given that last year's menu included a wide range of food like Smoked Duck Breast Crostini and Grilled Wagyu Skirt Steak, this year's offering is sure to be just as diverse and delicious. The dinner will also feature a silent auction. Learn more about this event and make reservations here.

Navy Pier, one of the top tourist attractions in Chicago, doesn't just reserve its fireworks for the 4th of July, they have regular fireworks shows throughout the summer -- generally on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. It's all accompanied by a music soundtrack, which varies from Top 40 to Patriotic to Country. So if a trip to Navy Pier is on your itinerary during your visit to Chicago, you might want to time it so you can catch the show. Here's the Navy Pier fireworks schedule for 2008.

One of Chicago's best features is most certainly it's proximity to Lake Michigan. There's certainly not to many other places you can find a sandy beach and a large expanse of fresh water right next to a thriving downtown. While Chicago's beaches are open all year round for a stroll along the lake, they officially open for swimming at the start of Memorial Day weekend -- which for 2008 is May 23. Here's a list of some of my favorite Chicago beaches.

In related news, the city is making some efforts to help get rid of Chicago beach pollution. They've installed a more efficient method of trash removal, as well as eradicating as many as 5,000 sea gull eggs -- the birds are considered the primary source for E. coli outbreaks.

A few weeks ago, the city teased us with a partial entertainment line up for Taste of Chicago. Now they've finally announced the full Taste of Chicago schedule for the Petrillo Music Shell. Joining acts like Stevie Wonder and the Plain White T's will be country music powerhouse Bonnie Raitt and tween/teen sensations Aly & AJ (my 5-year-old is looking forward to that one). You can check out this Taste of Chicago schedule for the full line up.

Still no word on what will be going on at the Dominick's Cooking Corner stage, the Family Village stage or the Taste Stage, but as soon as I find out you'll be the first to know -- seriously, I'll even tell you before my own mother. You can also sign up for my newsletter to receive further updates on Taste of Chicago and other events happening throughout the year.

If you were planning to come to Chicago in October to participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and have not already registered, you're going to have to settle for being an observer. As of today, the limit of 45,000 entrants has been reached and no more registrations will be accepted. You can't say I didn't warn you.

You do still have one slim chance of entering -- if you want to throw a little cash at a worthwhile cause, you may be able to obtain a spot through the marathon's Official Charity Program.

The Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago is one of the most prestigious theater companies in town. Not surprising given that it was founded by respected actors Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney, and Jeff Perry. It's also been home to a number of actors who have gone on to massive critical acclaim including one of my favorites, John Malkovich. So if you want to catch some live theater while traveling to Chicago and aren't really into the big Broadway-style productions, tickets to the Steppenwolf are definitely in order. Read more details in my Steppenwolf Theatre profile.

What do you get when you combine one of the world's greatest film directors, one of the world's greatest rock bands, and one of the world's largest movie screens? Shine a Light: The IMAX Experience, that's what. Shine a Light is a Rolling Stones concert film filmed at New York's Beacon Theater and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese, digitally remastered for the gigantic IMAX screen at Navy Pier. According to About's own Jurgen Fauth's review, the film is chock full of the Rolling Stones' greatest hits, so it is definitely for the die hard fan and not someone sick of hearing "Brown Sugar" for the 500th time.

• What: Shine a Light: The IMAX Experience
• Where: Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue
• Admission: Adults, $15; Seniors, $14; Children ages 3-12, $13

American Airlines has grounded hundreds of flights for more inspections on their MD-80 aircraft. The airline is again making safety checks on the plane's wiring, which caused about 400 cancellations just a couple weeks ago. Over 150 flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport are affected, so be sure to check your flight status before heading out.

And even if your flight hasn't been canceled, as you can imagine this huge flight cancellation is causing incredibly long lines at ticket agents and check in counters, so be sure to arrive at the airport several hours before your departure time. And bring a good book. A long, long book.

A partial list of the entertainment at this year's Taste of Chicago has been released, and the act I'm most excited about is Stevie Wonder performing on June 28. Come on, the fresh air, a BBQ turkey leg, a cold beer, and the funk groove of "Superstition"? What could be better?

Other acts announced are Chaka Kahn, June 27; Chicago's own Plain White T's, June 29; Broadway in Chicago, June 30; Joss Stone, July 1; and American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, July 2.

I'll be updating my Taste of Chicago calendar when more info becomes available. You can also sign up for my newsletter to receive further updates on Taste of Chicago and other events happening throughout the year.