For everyone suggesting a Chicago meet-up around Xmas I will make a note to start a thread when it gets close.
There is the original Gino's downtown and two in the suburbs (one close to my house in Schaumburg). I imagine it would be easier for people to travel downtown rather than travel to the burbs.
Just to make Chicagoans and ex-Chicagoans salivate more and to give others information about some Chicago favorites foods see the links below for Chicago-Style Hot Dog and Italian Beef. The best Italian Beef can be found at Portillo's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_beef
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_hot_dog