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I am most likely not the best person to actually start this thread, since I have only lived here for a month, but I am surprised it does not already exist. Anyways, I like the way that the New York dining thread is laid out, so I am going to steal that to an extent. I could write some sort of in depth paragraph explaining why Chicago's food culture is so amazing, but I am going to avoid that because you all should already know that. Instead, here are a few of my favorite go to places at this moment in time... Name: Franks 'n Dawgs Website http://franksndawgs.com/ Style: Hot dogs Price Range: $10-$15 Location: 1863 N Clybourn Ave. General Info: Franks 'n Dawgs is a really good and eclectic hot dog place. They are made from anything from lamb to goat to scallops and everything in between. They tend to ape other classic dishes. For example, there is a bahn-mi hot dog, a kimchi style hot dog, and a reuben style hot dog. My personal favorites, thus far, are the Lamb-orghini and the Reuben Pulaski. My only complaint is they can be difficult to eat with the amount of stuff they put on some of them.   Name: Longman & Eagle Website http://www.longmanandeagle.com/ Style: Gastropub Price Range: $20-$40 Location: 2657 N. Kedzie Ave General Info: I know that everyone and their uncle knows about this place, but frankly it is completely worth mentioning. The food here is fantastic and completely worth the cost. Also, if you get the chance get the chicken and waffles on the brunch menu. It is fantastic. Be warned though, they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. That being said, they own the bar next door, so the wait is not normally terrible because you still get to sit and drink some of their 148 different types of whiskey. I would really recommend hitting it up for brunch being that you should be able to keep it to about $20-$25 a head and the wait is pretty minimal.    Name: Boiler Room Website http://www.boilerroomlogansquare.com/ Style: Pizza bar Price Range: $10-$20 Location: 2210 N. California Ave. General Info: Let's get the most important thing out of the way, the best thing about this place is the Purist PB&J combo. A slice of purist pizza(mozzarella, basil, and balsamic reduction) with a tallboy of PBR and a shot of Jameson for $8.50. Outside of that, they do thin crust pizza and they do a drat fine job at it. You can get whole custom pizzas or you can get their standard pizzas by the slice. I have never bothered to get a custom pizza, mainly because their standard pizzas are so drat good.  code:Fat Lou fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Oct 29, 2013 |
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Oct 29, 2013 23:05
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What a great thread, those are some very cool places. I recently moved to Chicago 6 months ago and love it here. I will definitely check out the Boiler Room. Also, there needs to be a Chicago Goon there, I've heard great things about that place from multiple sources.
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Oct 30, 2013 01:11
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Name:Tufano's Vernon Park Tap Website:http://www.tufanosrestaurant.com/ Style: Italian Price Range: ~$7-$20 Location:1073 W Vernon Park Pl. General Info: Probably the best Italian restaurant I've ever visited and I've been going there for decades. The food is fantastic and the prices are very reasonable. Everything I've ever had has been great, but the fried calamari is probably the best thing on the menu and might even beat my grandmother's. It's also a very popular restaurant with celebrities, as seen in the various autographed photos around the establishment. Take note that it is a cash and/or check only establishment, no credit or debit available.  Name: Mario's Italian Lemonade Website: NONE Style: Italian Ice Price Range: $1-$10 Location: 1068 W Taylor St General Info:No trip to Tufano's would be complete for my family without dessert at Mario's Italian Lemonade. It's just a wooden shack nestled between two buildings, but it's been serving the best Italian ice in the world for over half a century. It's this delicious, delicate, flavored ice that's like eating freshly fallen snow with myriad fruit flavorings, ranging from lemon to watermelon to pomegranate to mango, all made with real fruit. The only disappointing thing about this place is that it's only open from May through September. 
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Oct 31, 2013 00:27
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This thread better not die, because I'm moving to Chicago next summer and I need the goon-inside track to good eating. Also someone tell me about how awesome Little Goat is, I want to eat all of their food so badly.
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Nov 2, 2013 02:30
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If you haven't seen it yet, I was very amused by Real Kitchen's Halloween video spoofing Alinea. http://chicagoist.com/2013/10/31/real_kitchen_hilariously_dresses_up.php Chicago-spoon-goons will understand. 
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Nov 3, 2013 04:02
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Iron Lung posted:This thread better not die, because I'm moving to Chicago next summer and I need the goon-inside track to good eating. Also someone tell me about how awesome Little Goat is, I want to eat all of their food so badly. Don't get too excited about Little Goat. I had a mediocre brunch (at best) there this summer, and those of my friends who I trust on food issues all agree that it's not that great a place. Their Bloody Mary was decent, but with all the other amazing Chicago options I don't feel there's a reason to go back.
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Nov 4, 2013 02:08
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Iron Lung posted:This thread better not die, because I'm moving to Chicago next summer and I need the goon-inside track to good eating. Also someone tell me about how awesome Little Goat is, I want to eat all of their food so badly. I've had one good and one bad meal at little goat. The tonkatsu sandwich was great, the burger I had was a tall-stacked gimmicky Applebees-grade PoS. Smaller plates and sides have been good.  Just go to Girl and the Goat if you want to eat her food, it's consistently very good.Everyone should go to Trencherman, it's really great. The berkshire pork shoulder was perfect.
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Nov 6, 2013 06:07
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Name: Smith & Wollensky Website: smithandwollensky.com Style: Upscale Steakhouse Price Range: $70.- and up Location: 318 N State St (by the river) General Info: This is the kind of place you take your date to if you want to impress her. The Food was delicious and expertly cooked. The service was impeccable and only my jovial nature made me not give a poo poo that I was wearing cheap slacks I bought from the Salvation Army. All in all a very nice evening. Expensive but well worth it. Name: Signature Room Lounge Website: signatureroom.com/TheSignatureLounge Style: Cocktail Bar with a view Price Range: ~$15.- a drink Location: 875 N. Michigan Ave (on top of the John Hancock Center) General Info: The drinks were excellent, but the waiter was confused. I ordered a Singapore Sling and ended up with a Long Island Ice Tea. Then ordered another LIIT and was served an Old Fashioned. At this point we moved on to the restaurant. The view was impressive. Name: Signature Room Website: signatureroom.com Style: Fine Dining Price Range: $70.- and up Location: 875 N. Michigan Ave (on top of the John Hancock Center) General Info: I listed this separate because they are different experiences. Make sure you give the maître d' a twenty (weekdays) to get a table by the window .... it's kind of the whole point of going here. The Food was good, but the staff didn't give a poo poo. So our plates came separate and mine was cold and had to be sent back for .. re-heat I guess. The whole evening left me with a 'meh' type of feeling about it. Name: Lillie's Q Website: lilliesq.com Style: BBQ , Southern Cookin' , Moonshine Price Range: $8.- to $20.- Location: 1856 W North Ave (Wicker Park) General Info: Well, they have a really nice selection of very tasty Moonshine available. So by the time the food came I was pretty much primed. The ribs were fantastic and hit the spot. Be there early, the place gets crazy crowded. This is the place I look forward to the most to go there again.
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Nov 6, 2013 11:33
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My friend from high school (chicago burbs) has made this amazingly detailed steak spreadsheet for Chicago steakhouses. http://chicagosteak.blogspot.com/ This is completely done by him. I can't imagine how much he much spend on these meals (probably as much as anyone else). 
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Nov 6, 2013 12:50
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Hello Chicago. My new favorite treat in my area is Oiistar on Milwaukee just south of Wood. Decent ramen, but very, very good spicy garlic fried chicken. Name:Oiistar Websiteoiistar.com Style:idunno, pan asian or poo poo Price Range:15 bucks a person Location:Milwaukee and Wood General Info:Ramen, stuffed buns, and chicken. I have had the Pozolmen, a spicy ramen which I think is pretty good, but I'm not like a ramen expert. The spicy fried chicken though is amazing. It's served for 2-3 in a sticky glaze, but still retains a proper crunchiness, and is perfectly cooked and juicy inside. For 2 people, I recommend getting 1 order of the chicken and splitting a ramen; they will gladly give you individual bowls. 2 bowls of ramen + the chicken is way too much food.
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Nov 9, 2013 09:42
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Fat Lou posted:Name: Longman & Eagle These are two of my favorite spots in the city! But there are a few things that need to be highlighted about both of them. Longman & Eagle not only has a huge selection of whiskeys, they have a list of about 30 different ones that are $3 a shot! Boiler Room has a Jameson tap; they are the #1 consumer of Jameson in the USA. Where does all of this Jameson go? Into their 14% ABV Jameson soft-serve ice cream of course! A purist PB&J + a cone of soft-serve is the best way I can possibly think of to start a night off right.
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Nov 9, 2013 22:51
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Sorry to bump this, but my mother and I are having kind of a co-birthday weekend in Chi next month and the plan was for the family to go out for a really good dinner, I was thinking some place with a tasting menu that's in the ballpark of 200/head. I think I remember reading good things about Moto on here before, but if anyone has any other suggestions of places to go that'd be great. I'm not 100% sure how excited the rest of the group is about the science food thing so I need some back up ideas.
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Feb 12, 2014 21:08
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I would suggest EL Ideas, but you might not be able to get in. Maybe give it a try anyway.
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Feb 13, 2014 19:30
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The best tasting menus right now are probably Grace, Elizabeth, Goosefoot and Blackbird. Or Alinea, if you're into that sort of thing.
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Feb 13, 2014 22:04
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I am not a fancy, high-falutin diner. I love me some lowbrow foods. I guess that is what makes Chicago, Chicago! Name: Crisp Website http://www.crisponline.com/crisp.aspx Style: korean fried chicken thing Price Range: 7-20$ Location: 2940 N. Broadway General Info: They sell bowls or whatever, but hot drat, their fried chicken is making my mouth water. Its, like, doused in delish sauce and is ooooh sooo crispy. Nice informal place to eat if you are in the neighborhood. Not pretentious, you will need plenty of paper towels (which are supplied at your table). In theory, you should order a half chicken, but I always end up getting (and finishing) a whole chicken because I am a human shame. Good kimchi too. Fat Lou posted:Name: Boiler Room I highly recommend this place. An excellent spot to blackout. Also, right down the street, for the hazy, hungover morning Name: BangBang Pie Shop Website http://www.bangbangpie.com/ Style: uh... pies and biscuits Price Range: $5-10$ Location: 2051 N. California General Info: I like to eat a biscuit and a gravy. The shop of bangbang make a the GRAVY AND BISCUIT OH SO GOOD. Also, they have ice coffee on tap, delicious butter mixtures, and, of course, pie. But i'm not into sweet stuff, i just need me some biscuits and gravy.
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Feb 14, 2014 17:18
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BaconCopter posted:These are two of my favorite spots in the city! But there are a few things that need to be highlighted about both of them. Another thing to highlight about Longman and Eagle is that they're also a hotel with dirt cheap rooms. And have the best stocked mini bar I've ever seen.
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Feb 15, 2014 16:17
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I am lucky enough to live a few blocks from crisp, and I honestly won't go anywhere else for chicken.
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Feb 16, 2014 04:53
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I will be visiting Chicago this summer, along with my wife and my father-in-law. I'm sure we'll go out to eat several times, but I've ALWAYS wanted to visit one of Rick Bayless' restaurants. Can anyone recommend Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, and possibly describe the specialties of both and what the main differences are between them? Are they worth the price and what might be a pricey cab ride?
Big Bad Voodoo Lou fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 05:07
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Leaf Coneybear posted:I am lucky enough to live a few blocks from crisp, and I honestly won't go anywhere else for chicken. i always tell myself not to eat a whole chicken but it never works  yo, frontera grill is the poo poo. I felt it was mighty tasty, but its been a long while since i was there. I had some dish with an acorn mole... i asked for an extra helping of the sauce, cause it was deeeeeecaaaaaadeeeeeeent. Its more casual than topo, which i like ( i am trashy) also, xoco is his daytime sandwich place with AMAZING chocolate milk. but why eat rick bayless when mcdonalds is just down the street (kill me)
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Feb 16, 2014 17:24
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:I will be visiting Chicago this summer, along with my wife and my father-in-law. I'm sure we'll go out to eat several times, but I've ALWAYS wanted to visit one of Rick Bayless' restaurants. Can anyone recommend Frontera Grill or Topolobampo, and possibly describe the specialties of both and what the main differences are between them? Are they worth the price and what might be a pricey cab ride? Skip Topo unless you have an infinite budget. If you go to Frontera, book your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates because weekend reservations are gone months in advance.
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Feb 16, 2014 17:58
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Hardly a restaurant, but one of my favorites that needs more publicity is: Name: Bad Wolf Coffee Website http://badwolfcoffee.com/ Style: Coffee and pastries Price Range: $3/item Location: 3422 N. Lincoln (Roscoe Village at Paulina Brown Line stop) General Info: This place bills itself as a "straight" coffee shop with well-made coffee and espresso drinks. There are no fancy syrups or frappuccinos here, but it's really good stuff. The cortado is my favorite. The real stars here are the pastries. The owner Jonathan makes them all from scratch and most the pastries I've tried are the best I've had in the city (and usually anywhere). And I've tried a lot. Favorites: the kougin amann (kind of a sweet croissant), divine caneles which come out every day at 10, his scones, and the paris brest, a creme-filled French pastry. They come out of the oven at various times in the day and tend to go fast. Caneles: 
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Feb 17, 2014 04:26
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crazyfish posted:Skip Topo unless you have an infinite budget. If you go to Frontera, book your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates because weekend reservations are gone months in advance. Well, once we got our dates finalized, there were NO reservations available for any of the days we'll be in town. If we get to Frontera when it first opens, will we have a chance to get in? As for other recommendations, it would be nice to get some authentic deep-dish Chicago pizza relatively close to our O'Hare area hotel. Is there a Lou Malnati's location nearby, either a short cab ride away or within delivery distance? I see they opened Eataly in Chicago, and I'd really love to make a special trip to it. I know it'll probably be expensive and busy, but the very concept really appeals to me. Beyond that, we love authentic Mexican, not-too-upscale Italian, and awesome burgers and gastropub-type food. I am a huge fan of cured meats/delis/sub shops/charcuterie/salume, and my wife is a connoisseur of ice cream and desserts in general. Where should we go, keeping in mind we're staying near O'Hare and won't have a car?
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Apr 19, 2014 20:44
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:Well, once we got our dates finalized, there were NO reservations available for any of the days we'll be in town. If we get to Frontera when it first opens, will we have a chance to get in?
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Apr 19, 2014 21:55
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Are we allowing for mentions in the near 'burbs? Someone ought to go the pizza route and bring up Burt's and Pequods in Morton Grove.
Plural fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Apr 20, 2014 |
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Apr 20, 2014 00:05
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:Beyond that, we love authentic Mexican, not-too-upscale Italian, and awesome burgers and gastropub-type food. I am a huge fan of cured meats/delis/sub shops/charcuterie/salume, and my wife is a connoisseur of ice cream and desserts in general. Where should we go, keeping in mind we're staying near O'Hare and won't have a car? You should check out Lincoln Square. There is Los Nopales, a Michelin-recommended Mexican joint that has never let me down, Bad Apple for loving awesome burgers and even better beer, and Gene's Sausage Shop for your cured meat needs. All three spots are within a five minute walk of the Western Brown line stop and ten minutes of each other. I miss my old neighborhood
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Apr 20, 2014 01:05
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confonnit posted:You should check out Lincoln Square. There is Los Nopales, a Michelin-recommended Mexican joint that has never let me down, Bad Apple for loving awesome burgers and even better beer, and Gene's Sausage Shop for your cured meat needs. All three spots are within a five minute walk of the Western Brown line stop and ten minutes of each other. My money is on Garcia's for authentic Mexican. I'm not great with Italian places, but Filippo's was enjoyable the few times I've been. As for ice cream/dessert, get your wife to Jeni's or Lutz.
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Apr 20, 2014 05:09
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Yesss I've been needing this thread. Not sure if this is kosher or not, but LTHforum is another great Chicago eating resource. Name: Maude's Liquor Bar Website http://www.maudesliquorbar.com/ Style: French-ish Price Range: $30+ Location: 840 W Randolph St (Fulton Market) General Info: They do good French dishes at reasonable prices and without the fancy white tablecloths. I loved their beef tartare and their cocktails. It's a great date spot or a fun dinner outing with friends. Name: Chi Cafe Website http://www.chicafeonline.com/ Style: Chinese Price Range: $10 Location: 2160-A S. Archer Avenue (Chinatown Square) General Info: This place is one of my go-to eats in Chinatown, especially for late night meals (open til 5 on the weekends!). They have a variety of street foods, Chinese "breakfast" stuff, more traditional entree plates- it's basically like a Chinese diner. I also freaking love the 24-hour Maxwell's polish sausage spot near UIC, but for the life of me I can't find a website or an address. It's just south of Roosevelt on Union, next to Jim's.
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Apr 22, 2014 02:26
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Plural posted:My money is on Garcia's for authentic Mexican. I'm not great with Italian places, but Filippo's was enjoyable the few times I've been. Eesh! I'd suggest passing on BARFcia's for "authentic" Mexican food. I never really had a good experience there, and agree with confonnit that Los Nopales is much better and more authentic. It's a little pricier, but way worth it. I agree on the Lutz suggestion. Try all of the cakes. All of them.
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Apr 22, 2014 02:53
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Big Bad Voodoo Lou posted:As for other recommendations, it would be nice to get some authentic deep-dish Chicago pizza relatively close to our O'Hare area hotel. Is there a Lou Malnati's location nearby, either a short cab ride away or within delivery distance? Yup, there is a Lou's in Elk Grove Village which is quite close to ORD. There's also a Pequod's in Morton Grove, as someone above mentioned, and that place is all sorts of awesome!
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May 5, 2014 01:30
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Hot Doug's will be closing for good on October 3rd. I will miss this place a lot, going to have to plan on going more often before closing. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-hot-dougs-closing-20140506,0,7406836.story
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May 6, 2014 20:24
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dimeat posted:Hot Doug's will be closing for good on October 3rd. Noooo! It is a sad day. We always made a point to visit whenever we were in Chicago, awesome place with a great atmosphere.
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May 6, 2014 21:42
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Chicago restaurants! Hooray! I live about 200 yards away from Longman & Eagle and am definitely a fan. Their chix&waffs are top notch, and their biscuits & gravy are my second favorite in the whole city. Though, biscuits&gravy are only available on weekend brunch. A note about their rooms for rent: they are good quality, great price, and allow you to make reservations to the restaurant. So good all around. I should note that none of these places take reservations, afaik; it's a nice trend that's happening. For you from outside the city that doesn't like that idea, in the early 2000's, apparently the trend was Wallstreet fatcat-type people would make multiple reservations all over town just in case that's where the evening lead them. Places would end up having a ton of their seating go unfilled because it was all reserved by people would weren't gonna show up anyways. This way you can actually get tables. You may, of course, bribe the host/maitre'd at your discretion. With no further ado and in no particular order: LuLa Cafe http://lulacafe.com/ American Modern/Contemporary Cafe $$-$$$ 2537 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 Right next door to Longman General Info: Phenomenal food, menu changes somewhat frequently. I recommend “THE ROYALE” for brunch or STUFFED RABBIT LOIN for dinner. Wait time is exceptionally long on summer Sundays, (90-120min) however, you can give the host your cell# and go off to a nearby bar, or shopping, or browsing the farmers market that is immediately next door (Sunday only). They will text you when your table is ready and you have 10 minutes to get there. Note, you have to do this in person; no calling up. Aberdeen Tap http://theaberdeentap.com/ American Modern/Contemporary Cafe $$ 440 N Aberdeen St, Chicago, IL 60642 General Info: Great little hole in the wall place; their main claim is a great sausages section, similar to Hot Dougs et.al. Definitely get the Rabbit Banger. Comes with a cherry-balsamic reduction and seared slices of brie on it. Only downside is that even with a side of (sweet potato) tots or fries, it is still only like 80% of a meal. I usually just make up the difference with their great beer selection. SmallBar – Division www.smallbardivision.com/ Bar $$ 2049 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622 General Info: One of my 'regular' bars that I frequent. Don't be fooled by the 'bar' category, though, as their brunch menu (only available Sundays) is top notch. As I mentioned Longman is my #2 favorite biscuits & gravy, this is my #1. The biscuit is large and wonderfully crispy, and the gravy is as generous with the sausage as it is unbelievably flavorful. Scotch egg is superb, comes with a rosemary maple syrup. Should also note that this is a very ad-hoc up-and-coming Euro-league soccer/football/futbol/footie bar. (don't quote me, but I think they do English, Spainish, and Italian leagues) All the time the place will be open and jumpin at 6am just to catch all the live games. And finally, this is also a huge hangout for brewers. At any given time in this bar, rest assured that there is at least one, if not more, head master brewers and vinters of the various Chicago breweries getting their fill of beer. Which should tell you something about the quality and price of their selection. Ask for Andy and his recommendations. Fat Willy's www.fatwillys.com/ BBQ $$ 2416 W Schubert Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 General Info: Ribs. Sweet sweet ribs. And smoke. Definitely categorized as 'hole in wall' spot, as the place is about 100ft wide and maybe 20ft deep. Odd shape, but the best ribs in the city. Cornbread & vinegar cukes quality sides. Not much to say otherwise, as you're either dead-set sold by 'ribs' or not. They also deliver, which is nice. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba www.cafebabareeba.com Tapas $$$ 2024 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614 General Info: Spanish tapas cafe. Elegant and light, works equally well as a brunch as it does a dinner. A pitcher of red sangria and you won't even question yourself once getting classy-drunk at 11am. Fantastic first date place, since tapas is small and family style, you get to talk and share your food, rather than your dull lives. Only downside to the place is the portions are a bit 'trendy'. i.e. small. However, as good as BaBa is, the better choice for tapas is... Cafe Iberico www.cafeiberico.com/ Tapas $$$ 737 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654 General Info: Gun to my head, if I had to say unconditionally my favorite place to eat, this is it. Sangria is better, portions are bigger, valet parking is only $10, which is almost cheaper than taking the bus. I can't think of a single thing on their menu, both hot and cold tapas that isn't outstanding. Estimate about 2 dishes per diner. Word of note, though: only get an entree or the paella unless you are in a group of at least 4. Otherwise you will be robbing yourself of so many fantastic options due to their size. But with a good group, their paella is a thing of beauty. The crust from the bottom center of it is truly a delicacy. And chances are, unless you have astute gourmands with you, no one will make a peep about you taking the best thing they've never had. They also have a bit of a deli in the upper corner where you can buy all your Spanish meats and cheese, and they have a wine/cordial cellar that would make a viscount cry. Do not attempt to go Friday or Saturday nights. Lockdown www.lockdownbar.com/ BURGERS!! $$ 1024 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60622 General Info: Perennial #2 rated burger place in the city. Burgers are crazy good and they do some pretty wild experiments with them. One you wouldn't expect to be awesome: banana-peanut-butter burger. They do have price Tuesdays fairly regularly, outdoor seating, and a solid booze selection. They also do most of their burgers as sliders, so you can do a sampler meal if you are uncertain of their adventurousness or just simply want to eat all the burgers. Kuma's Corner www.kumascorner.com/ BURGERS!!! $$ 2900 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 General Info: Perennial #1 rated burger place. Heavy metal themed place and heavy metal burgers. Be prepared for a mountain of a meal (so big that they charge a fee if you want to split it with someone). I always recommend the Mastodon, but as with burger places, you get what you wanna get, and they've got it in spades. The place is tiny, and the exposed kitchen is even tinier. DO NOT say anything to the waitstaff about them getting a bigger kitchen, sincere or ironic. They even have signs posted about the bar to this effect. Before, they used just call you an rear end in a top hat and you'd get slow service. Now, they'll probably just kick you out and tell you to go to their brand new second location (666 W. Belmont  ) I sat next to adult entertainer Joanna Angel there a year or so ago, which gives it a big thumbs up from me. MingHin Cuisine www.minghincuisine.com/ DimSum/Chinese Seafood $$ 2168 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616 General Info: Classy DimSum place right in the heart of New Chinatown. If you don't know what DimSum is, think of it as Chinese tapas. Estimate 2-4 dishes per person, as some are super tiny whereas some are fairly sizable. The menu will (should) state their approximate size. Char Siu Bao is really the only thing I make sure to get every time, but otherwise, just go nuts. The only complaints I have ever heard about this place is usually about that it is somewhat western-ized; as you order by checking off a sheet then handing it to your waitstaff. If you really want the authentic DimSum that the population of Chinatown goes to, you go to... Furama furamarestaurant.com DimSum $-$$ 2828 S Wentworth Ave Chicago, IL 60616 General Info: ...Furama! I went to college right across the street from this place, and man have I been there a lot. It's by no means divey, but I bet they only spent about $500 to decorate the whole interior. And a big interior it is. The place is basically a banquet hall, replete with church-basement chairs around plastic-tablecloth clad tables. Sunday afternoons will see it filled with people waiting for the casino shuttle to show up, local debutante/quinceanera/bar mitzvah type parties in one corner, and hungover college kids. Pretty diverse crowd. The little old ladies carting around trolleys with all the food on them are non-stop. You just grab whatever you want as they roll by and they just put a mark on your 'scorecard'. Parking is a nightmare on weekends and public transpo doesn't go very close. But it's still a crazy morning to catch brunch there. Always worth the journey for the adventurous types. Gyu-Kaku www.gyu-kaku.com/il/ Japanese/Korean BBQ $$$ 210 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611 General Info: As someone who grew up way in the northern reaches of Minnesota, I know nothing but families who think every food that comes from  Asia is either Sweet and Sour Pork or Chicken Tikka Masala. This is a phenomenal introduction to simple, western-friendly Japanese/Korean style foods. You get a grill right in the center of your table and you order a few meat and a few vegetable dishes and you cook them right up in the middle! It's a great activity and shows us sheltered Scandinavians that Korean food isn't all just smooshed squids and Japanese food isn't all seaweed. All the foods and meats are extremely high quality and well seasoned, but as the cooking is up to you, I would only recommend this place if someone in your group knows how to handle a grill. The waitstaff can do it for you if you are too scared/incompetent to do it on your own, but expect their inability to abandon their other tables to handhold your food for 30-50 minutes to be readily apparent in your food quality. Avoid hot sake. Pizzeria Serio www.pizzeriaserio.com Brick-oven pizza $$ 1708 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60634 General Info: Even though it is impossible to recommend any pizza place in Chicago that isn't a deepdish place, I think that makes it so they deserve even more of a mention. But, they do great pizza (margherita is tip top) and generously host our monthly 'Woohoo Simpsons Classic Trivia' Seasons 1 thru 11, every 3rd Monday of the month. 10$ all you can eat! [/shameless plug]
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May 19, 2014 20:16
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Looking for an anniversary dinner rec for Saturday, Oct 4th. I know getting a reservation this close might be a no-go at anything super-fancy, but I'm willing to call around. We've got tickets for Matisyahu at the Concord Music Hall (doors at 8), and we're staying at the Hyatt Regency Mccormick Place, so I think we're looking for something in that area-ish. We'll be driving, so no worries about public transportation. Budget is around $200-$250 for the two of us. Neither of us are big drinkers, so no big deal if we can't/don't do a wine pairing. We're both omnivores, only dietary restriction is that the wife doesn't do spicy. I'm not a *huge* fan of italian, but am amenable to whatever. If they weren't outside our current budget, it would be Alinea, Next, or Moto for sure.
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Sep 24, 2014 20:06
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Ruxbin, not near your hotel, but no resos, and it's BYO. Amazing
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Sep 24, 2014 20:53
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Ruxbin actually takes reservations now. Started a few months ago.
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Oct 3, 2014 17:35
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Good to know.
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Oct 3, 2014 22:40
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Happy to see this thread. My wife and I recently moved back home to the Chicago suburbs after living in New York for a couple years, and we have vowed to spend more time downtown. As we love dining out, I am bookmarking the hell out of this. Emelio's Tapas http://www.emiliostapas.com/sol-y-nieve/index.html Tapas $$ (Tapas, usually ranging between 5 and 9 a plate) 215 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611 One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, and easily my favorite Tapas place. My wife and I have been there twice, getting a completely different set of dishes each time, and we have loved everything. Modestly priced for great food, and we typically spend more on wine than the meal itself.
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Oct 4, 2014 00:46
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BoredByThis posted:Ruxbin, not near your hotel, but no resos, and it's BYO. Amazing And if you like the neighborhood you can go back and hit up Mexique, Yuzu, Arami, Bow and Stern or any of the other fantastic places all with in a block or so of each other.
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Oct 5, 2014 09:34
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Lt. Chips posted:Happy to see this thread. My wife and I recently moved back home to the Chicago suburbs after living in New York for a couple years, and we have vowed to spend more time downtown. As we love dining out, I am bookmarking the hell out of this. Really? I went there once, and was terribly disappointed. The dishes we had were not the flavorful tapas we were expecting, and they used potato to make every dish look bigger. The Purple Pig, while more expensive, is much better and is only a few blocks away.
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Oct 6, 2014 17:21
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Purple Pig is unbelievably awesome, though I don't know if I'd categorize it as Tapas. Though that may just be splitting hairs. I've been there three times and every single dish I've had there I have just loved.
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Oct 6, 2014 18:58
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