—Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower (TheSkydeck.com): The famed Skydeck Chicago, 103 stories up at Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) has reopened—complete with the ledges (that separate people from the city by a mere 1.5") that have launched a thousand selfies. However, now there's a whole new aspect of the visit to the tower for visitors to appreciate: an expansive Chicago-themed museum on the lower level that has everything from a nine-foot-long Chicago-style hot dog bench to an interactive experience on the "L" to a performance opportunity on the Second City stage.

—Red Sauce Sundays at The Smith ( Website Link Here ;: The Smith—a casual American brasserie located in Chicago's River North area—distinguishes itself by, among other things, hosting "Red Sauce Sundays." Starting at 5 p.m. each week, this ultimate comfort meal features a chicken parm dinner for two (Caesar salad, chicken parm, rigatoni "a la vodka," parmesan garlic flatbread and rainbow cookies) for only $45. Plus, enjoy half-priced Chianti by the glass, carafe or big carafe.

And my review? The dinner—from beginning to end—was quite fulfilling, in more ways than one. The salad was delicious (and there are no anchovies in it, for those who might have been concerned); the rigatoni had the right amount of creaminess; the chicken parm was simultaneously tender and crispy—and a little spicy; and the rainbow "cookies" (which seem more like mini-cakes) exhibited a nice combination of flavors.

—Prince & Knight: Tale of the Shadow King ( Website Link Here ;: Written by Daniel Haack and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, Tale of the Shadow King (which continues the Prince & Knight series)—the latest work from GLAAD's partnership with Little Bee Books—focuses on the happily married title characters as they confront the villainous Shadow King.

—Frankly Organic Vodka ( Website Link Here ;: Don't let the phrase "organic vodka" scare you. Frankly, an award-winning brand, offers several smooth, delicious varieties—original, grapefruit, strawberry, apple and pomegranate—that liven cocktails quite well. You can have it over ice by itself as well, but there are 21 recipes (like apple sangria) at Website Link Here .

—PATHWater ( Website Link Here ;: Enjoy bottled water, but hate the waste that plastic bottles create? Well, take a look at PATHWater, which offers different varieties of water (purified, sparkling and the very trendy alkaline) in recyclable and reusable aluminum bottles.

—Andrew Davis