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I'm going to be in Chicago for five days next week, and I was wondering if TL could recommend me some good restaurants to try (I don't care too much about price) and cools things to do.
I've compiled a list of restaurants and dishes based on previous recommendations, Yelp research and various shows seen on Food Network, Travel Channel and Cooking Channel below. I would love to hear some feedback so that I could augment or attenuate the list accordingly. I won't be going to Alinea this time as it's a tad expensive and I have nothing to wear =.=
Hot Doug’s
- Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel... $9.00
- DUCK FAT FRIES ... $3.50 (Friday & Saturday only)
Kuma’s Corner
- “OUR FAMOUS KUMA BURGER”: Bacon, Cheddar, Fried Egg - $10
- Iron Maiden: Avocado, Cherry Peppers, Pepper Jack, Chipotle Mayo - $12
- High On Fire: Siracha Hot Chili Sauce, Prosciutto, Roasted Red Pepper, Grilled Pineapple, Sweet Chili Paste - $12
m.henry
- out of this world breakfast bread pudding 5.25 half 6.75 full a bowl of our creamy vanilla and egg custard brioche bread pudding, topped w/warm peaches & blackberries. a meal on its own or a great starter to share.
- blackberry bliss cakes 8.95 our fluffy hotcakes layered w/warm blackberries and vanilla mascarpone cream, & topped w/ a brown sugar & oat crust. bliss such as this, needs to be shared!
- fannie's killer fried egg sandwich 8.95 toasted sour boule layered w/ two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, gorgonzola, & fresh thyme and served with house potatoes.
- house potatoes 2.25 roasted russets, onions, red peppers and fresh rosemary with our own blend of spices.
Milk & Honey Cafe
- Orange Brioche French Toast with Toasted Almonds and Pure Maple Syrup - $ 7.00
- House-made Granola, Vanilla Yogurt and Fresh Fruit - $5.25
- Huevos Rancheros - "Casserole-Style" Scrambled Eggs, Black Beans, Salsa Picante, Tortillas, Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese (Sat & Sun Only) - $6.75
- Crabcake with Chipotle Mayo and Shredded Lettuce on Baguette - $8.95
Lula Cafe
- stuffed brioche french toast with poached pears, vanilla pudding, and caramel, 12
- spicy peanut butter ‘tineka’ with tomato, cucumber, red onion, and indonesian sweet soy sauce on toasted multigrain sourdough bread, 8
- marinated beet bruschetta with arugula, whipped goat cheese, shaved red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette, 8
- smoked salmon scramble with arugula, dill, and cream cheese; with home fries and toast, 11
- organic tofu scramble with ginger miso sauce, fruit, home fries, and toast, 11
XOCO
- Ahogada: Golden pork carnitas, black beans, tomato broth, spicy arbol chile sauce, pickled onions. (Dine-in Only) 9.50
- Guacamole & Chips: Frontera guacamole, tomatillo salsa 3-chile salsa, just-made chips. 4.75
- Churros: $1.50 Each/ $3.75 for 3
- Bean-To-Cup Chocolate - Aztec: fresh-ground chocolate + water + chile + allspice
Pizzeria Uno
NUMERO UNO® - THE ONE. THE BEST.
A 'works' pizza with sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms and our unique chunky tomato sauce. Topped with mozzarella and grated Romano.
Purple Pig
- Butternut Squash Arancini & Sage Pesto
- Deviled Egg with Arugula & Caper Berries
- Pig’s Ear with Crispy Kale, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg
- Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs
- Pork Neck Bone Gravy with Calabro Ricotta
- Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes
- Pig’s Tails Braised in Balsamic
- Sicilian Iris {Ricotta & Chocolate Chip filled Fried Brioche}
Girl and the Goat
- sauteed green beans . fish sauce vinaigrette
- roasted cauliflower . pickled peppers . pine nuts . mint
- wood oven roasted pig face . sunny side egg . tamarind . cilantro . potato stix
- goat, pork and veal sugo . pappardelle . rosemary . cape goose berries
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
- chorizo wrapped medjool date & manchego | catil con chorizo y manchego... $1.50
- goat cheese croqueta | croqueta de queso de cabra... $1.50
- mushroom empanada with porcini alioli | empanada de championes... $4.95
- seared scallops, raisins, couscous & pine nuts | vieras salteadas... $8.95
- escargot, garlic croutons, sherry alioli | caracoles con alioli... $6.95
- coconut | coconut flan
Frontera Grill
- Guacamole: fresh and chunky, served with tortilla chips. 9.00
- Sopes Rancheros: crispy corn masa boats with savory shredded beef, roasted tomatoes, avocado and homemade fresh cheese. 8.00
- Pollo en Mole Verde Oaxaqueno: poblano-marinated Gunthorp chicken breast in herby Oaxacan green mole (parsley, cilantro, hoja santa). Serrano mashed potatoes, Snug Haven spinach. 23.00
- Frothy Mexican Hot Chocolate: rustic Oaxacan dark-roas chocolate, steamed with hot milk 4.00
Russian Tea Time
- House-Flavored Flight: Coriander, Black Currant Tea, Lime
- Ukrainian Borscht: World Classic! Sweet and sour soup of beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Served hot with sour cream. Cup…4.00 Big Hearty Bowl…8.00
- Uzbek Vegetarian "Layer" Stew ‑ Domlama: A vegetarian must! A delightful stew of potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, tomatoes, garlic, red peppers and onions with a touch of cumin. The secret to this dish is that we slowly cook the layered vegetables, allowing the flavors to compliment each other. Accompanied by carrot salad and marinated beets…18.95
- Classic Beef Stroganoff: Our most popular entrée! Lean sirloin beef pieces sautéed and simmered in sour cream, Madeira wine, mushrooms and onions dill. Served over noodles, with carrot salad and beets… 22.95
- Napoleon Torte: Five delicate layers of puff pastry and Frangelico pastry cream... 7.95
Please join us for a fantastic afternoon tea service, yes, with scones, homemade crème fresh, jam, tea sandwiches, and homemade mini sweets. Daily, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy office. Take tea, enjoy life!
Meli Cafe
- Meli's Omelet: Pork pancetta, shallots, parsley, chives and Herbed Boursin cheese... 13.45
- Crab Cake: Crab cakes, poached eggs and Dill Hollandaise on an English muffin... 14.95
- Cloud "9": An original Meli café creation, chocolate infused crepes with a strawberry mascarpone. Accented with fresh strawberries, and a drizzle of chocolate... 10.45
- Celery/Apple/Carrot Juice... 4.95
Ina’s
- Heavenly Hots light, thin pancakes served with a compote of peaches, raspberries and blueberries... 8.79
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake... 2.99
- Veal Chive mild german style... 4.59
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m.henry is fantastic but it's soooo busy :-\ That fried egg sandwich, though, mm... especially good after a night of drinking dirty martini's!
Pizzaria Uno is very meh. Go to Lou Malnati's instead: http://www.loumalnatis.com/
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On February 11 2011 23:45 ShadowWolf wrote:m.henry is fantastic but it's soooo busy :-\ That fried egg sandwich, though, mm... especially good after a night of drinking dirty martini's! [b]Pizzaria Uno is very meh. Go to Lou Malnati's instead: http://www.loumalnatis.com/
Thanks, this is exactly the kind of thing I want to learn!
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Is Malnati's is better than Giordano's? I haven't been to Malnati's but I thoroughly enjoyed Giordano's when I visited.
It's very touristy but the Willis tower is pretty fun. I'd go at night though when you can see the city and the lights. The skyboxes on the skydeck are insane, they're basically clear enclosures that jut out from the side of the building and you can stand in them. Looking down through a clear pane 100+ stories is pretty intense. I think it was $14.. not sure if I remember that right though.
Also, if you want to you could rent a car just to drive around the Chicago area and enjoy the shitty roads while fucking up your car's suspension.
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Portillo's is a pretty good conglomerate of restaurants. It's next to the giant McDonald's in downtown, and it has various stations for Italian, ribs, hot dogs, and other stuff.
I ate there a few years ago, and the ribs they have there are the absolute best ribs I've ever eaten in my life. Seriously, they are the epitome of my experience with American BBQ. The meat came off the bone quite nicely, and the sauce was rich and tangy. I think the price was pretty cheap too.
Other than that, I unfortunately don't know many restaurants downtown since even though I go to university close to Chicago, I rarely travel downtown since I'm too lazy to get off Team Liquid and get out of my dorm.
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Chicago auto show will be going on, worthwhile if you're in to cars at all. (Only know because my company is doing some of the displays and tracks.)
There is good Ethiopian food in Chicago, no idea which place is best though.
Second the Lou Malnati's recommendation too.
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Malnati's is, in my opinion, a strong step above Giordano's. The major thing is that their crust is higher quality and their ingredients are pretty darn top notch. Of course, you pay the price in the time it takes to get food ( good luck getting it in less than 45 minutes ). Geno's East is pretty decent too, but I'd take Lou Malnati's above that.
Other things to check out are museums. The Shedd Aquarium is pretty wild and both the Field Museum and the Museum of Science & Industry are really interesting to check out.
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/
http://www.msichicago.org/
http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
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I've been to Kuma's and my brother has been to Purple Pig. Both are excellent.
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Please watch the Chicago episode of No Reservatioions. Here's the episode guide: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain/Episodes_Travel_Guides/ci.Episode_Chicago.map
Basically fits what your OP asked for exactly, and holy shit its a good episode.
I would skip frontera grill from your OP. My friends in Chicago like Giordanos a lot but most american-born people like Malnatis. I think Giordanos is slightly better but I've literally had pizza all over the world including lots from Associazone verace pizza napoletana and Italy [ google I guess if you don't know what this is ] and its just a nice place to eat after having good pizza all over the world. Giordanos take on deep dish rules. After having so much in so many different styles in places I'm kinda over planning an entire trip or dinner around a pizza place but if you gotta go to one then Malnati's or giordanos both are fine.
If you are a true foodie and must only go to one place please please please hit up L20. Michelin star cook in Chicago making fish even Eric Ripert had nothing but compliments for. Then hit up doug's... the fucking duck sausage with foie gras basically made me wanna commit suicide when I realized I didn't live in Chicago.
Edit: FUCKKKK
Apparently Laurent Gras left L20 late last year.... It is still however a 3 star michelin place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Gras_(chef)
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One day, I want to travel the world trying to best restaurants out there, when I saw Man vs. Food when they were in New York, I died ):
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On February 12 2011 02:24 ShadowWolf wrote:Malnati's is, in my opinion, a strong step above Giordano's. The major thing is that their crust is higher quality and their ingredients are pretty darn top notch. Of course, you pay the price in the time it takes to get food ( good luck getting it in less than 45 minutes ). Geno's East is pretty decent too, but I'd take Lou Malnati's above that. Other things to check out are museums. The Shedd Aquarium is pretty wild and both the Field Museum and the Museum of Science & Industry are really interesting to check out. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/http://www.msichicago.org/http://www.sheddaquarium.org/
There are quite a few Lou Malnati's, this one has the most review:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-chicago
Is there one that's better than the others?
Thanks for the museums, I'll have a closer look later.
On February 12 2011 02:40 Ack1027 wrote:Please watch the Chicago episode of No Reservatioions. Here's the episode guide: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain/Episodes_Travel_Guides/ci.Episode_Chicago.mapBasically fits what your OP asked for exactly, and holy shit its a good episode. I would skip frontera grill from your OP. My friends in Chicago like Giordanos a lot but most american-born people like Malnatis. I think Giordanos is slightly better but I've literally had pizza all over the world including lots from Associazone verace pizza napoletana and Italy [ google I guess if you don't know what this is ] and its just a nice place to eat after having good pizza all over the world. Giordanos take on deep dish rules. After having so much in so many different styles in places I'm kinda over planning an entire trip or dinner around a pizza place but if you gotta go to one then Malnati's or giordanos both are fine.
Wow thanks for that link, and that was a really descriptive outline of the joint!
If you are a true foodie and must only go to one place please please please hit up L20. Michelin star cook in Chicago making fish even Eric Ripert had nothing but compliments for. Then hit up doug's... the fucking duck sausage with foie gras basically made me wanna commit suicide when I realized I didn't live in Chicago. Edit: FUCKKKK Apparently Laurent Gras left L20 late last year.... It is still however a 3 star michelin place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Gras_(chef)
I've basically decided to skip the super fancy restaurants this time because I have nothing to wear. And also, I think Alinea was recently voted the best restaurant in the world, so I'd probably go there first. Thanks for the recommendation though, I'll keep that in mind. I AM buying a Michelin book however (the bib gourmad section is really neat).
On February 12 2011 01:41 eviltomahawk wrote:
Portillo's is a pretty good conglomerate of restaurants. It's next to the giant McDonald's in downtown, and it has various stations for Italian, ribs, hot dogs, and other stuff.
I ate there a few years ago, and the ribs they have there are the absolute best ribs I've ever eaten in my life. Seriously, they are the epitome of my experience with American BBQ. The meat came off the bone quite nicely, and the sauce was rich and tangy. I think the price was pretty cheap too.
Other than that, I unfortunately don't know many restaurants downtown since even though I go to university close to Chicago, I rarely travel downtown since I'm too lazy to get off Team Liquid and get out of my dorm.
I do love ribs, I'll try to fit this in somehow...
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It seems like the consensus is that Uno sucks, I'll skip it then.
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I've been to four of them in the Chicagoland area and all of them taste pretty much exactly the same, so I don't think you need to worry about location.
I don't think Barnelli's ribs are anywhere near the best I've ever eaten ( Kansas City ftw here ), but they're on the top of the list. Plus the price isn't that bad considering how much you get. Definitely worth your time & effort:
http://www.portillos.com/barnellis/
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Go to Twin Anchors if you want really good ribs in the Chicago area.
Bongo Room is great if you like brunch-ish sweet food.
Also Lawrence Fish Market for incredibly cheap but so good sushi.
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If you don't care about price I suggest Spiaggia. It's an amazing Italian restaurant and the chef has been on Top Chef Masters, he is very good and the food is delicious as all hell. Another one is this Indian + Latin American fusion thing at Vermilion, the food there is pretty amazing and has some spice if you're into that. I think the chef on that has been on Iron Chef. Not sure, but anyway she's great. Lastly I fucking LOVE cheeseburgers and my goto's in the city are always Epic Burger on State and the DMK Burger Bar because they have some damn delicious ass burgers. Oh and Sixteen in the Trump tower is expensive but so so good especially for lunch.
For Chinese I would go to Chinatown and ask around (I like Dragon Court, fresh seafood and traditional) which is the cheaper option and after you should go to Tea Leaf Cafe for some bubble tea, or Ten Ren if you're snooty. The more expensive option is Shanghai Terrace in the Peninsula. The bonus is that it's going to be cleaner, classier, quieter, and they have absolutely knockout delicious food and service.
Bonus: I've been to all the places I've mentioned and can attest to them, but one place I haven't gone to is Hot Chocolate on Damen, but my friends seriously SWEAR by this place. I will try it one day but I'm not much of a sweet tooth so the concept may be lost on me, but like I said everyone raves about it.
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On February 12 2011 01:01 Milkis wrote:I just went to the Purple Pig last Sunday. I thought it was definitely worth my time going -- I really liked the Milk Braised Pork Shoulder  Unos is indeed "meh" -- I would much rather go to Gino's east than go to Unos. The Publican is also a very good place to go to -- Excellent bacon  EDIT: OH and "cool things to do in Chicago"..... uhh.......... I can't think of any and I have lived here for four years. Chicago sucks :D
That's ridiculous! There are sooo many cool things to do in Chicago! The problem is most of them require the advent of summer: Navy Pier, the Taste/Air show, fireworks every week during summer, so many great tours (including ghost tours), the museums and zoos (Field is world renowned, and the Museum of Contemporary art + Art Institute are amazingly good compared to other cities I've been to), the Lake and all the activities there including boat rides and jet skiing, so many theaters, comedy shows, SECOND CITY which is hilarious (a LOT of members of SNL came from there, and famous comedians in general, Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Bill Murray the list goes on and on), and that's not even mentioning the night life/bars/nightclubs on Rush etc... You really really need to get out more.
Edit: I forgot all the sports we have! Right now it's mainly the Bulls, and Bulls games are ALWAYS packed (we lead the league in attendance) and super fun. Watching Derrick Rose in person is seriously a unique experience, he is just so fucking fast it's crazy.
Edit 2: I forgot to even mention the touristy stuff like Millennium Park and Michigan Ave, Sears (Willis) Tower and there's a lot I'll keep on remembering for the next few hours probably.
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Oh shit I forgot about Lollapalooza which is also so good. Yes I said most great activities require summer but there's still PLENTY to do. And yes it's offseason for a lot of sports but the Bulls are still playing and to me they're by far the most fun to watch. And finally YES you need to get out more!
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Lunch is really nice there. Dinner made me think ' this isn't worth it ' when I was there. The line+the atmosphere. But I was in Chicago for an entire week and I basically tried out every pizza place and then some. The sauce was my biggest complaint, very plain. Not that I don't like my pomodoro to just be plain, but I'm really big on garlic and like to taste herbs as well. I like their take on the crusts and allowing the cheese to hit the carmelized area.
They are again worth visiting but if you are looking to pick places to eat I would just go to malnati's or giordanos and then visit the vast amount of other great cuisines/restaurants.
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EPT
