| Welcome Michelle! You are living in a "food mecca" in Chicago. My favorite "past city"! I loved eating in all the restaurants...but had to follow a "3 bite" rule in some cases...just too much food in ChicagoLand!
Try enjoying your favorites...just really watch the quantity. Joining Weight Watchers really helps whether you need to lose a few or not...they are great about reminding me about serving sizes...especially pasta.
One WW trick I learned (in Chicago actually) was to use a coffee cup to measure the pasta...or ask the chef to serve 1/2 cup of pasta only...or a cup...whatever you wish. | 
