Chicago Restaurants

I really don't get to a very wide variety of restaurants these days, so I have no idea what's actually good and will be checking this thread religiously for suggestions. But I like Privata and Matsuya and Le Creperie (I know, I know), and whatever else is wrong with the Bongo Room they still have great eggs benedict (the lox and asparagus ones).

I saw Lou Malnati's on some Food Channel pizza special. Way overrated IMO. They put a whole freakin' layer of meat on their pies...TOO MUCH

Oddly enough, some of my favorite restaurants in Chicago tend to be veggie places with a religious aspect to them. Especially the Buddhist joints, like Victory's Banner (for breakfast), Amitabul, and the new, delicious Alice & Friends.

I'll also third Andie's -- it is a shade better than Reza's, methinks.

Topalobampo
Blackbird
NoMi
Spring
Crofton on Wells

would be tops in the next tier for me.

After much research and deliberation I've decided Chicago Chop House has the best steak, with Gibsons running close behind.

Mirai for sushi.

I'm not much of a Pizza fan, and I really don't like stuffed all that much, so I'll bow out of naming a winner there.

Gioco has great food but is overpriced. Rosebud on Taylor probably still the king for Italian. Favorite place for cheap Italian: Bertucci's, a nice little family owned restaurant in the grey area between Chinatown and Bridgeport. It's like dining in someone's converted basement, but the food is fantastic.

I think we already did Italian Beef on some other thread, but Carm's on Polk roolz (for Italian Ice too). Ricobene's on 26th has a great one too, and don't miss their signature breaded Steak Sandwich.

Portillo's for Hot Dogs.

Chinatown I like Hong Min or Emporer's Choice best.

I've been to Turkish Bakery twice -- it seems a little overpriced to me, though.

So the "Mr. Diamond" name really does refer to your wealth!

THe Middle Eastern place is only a bakery. They have Jordan Almonds and 50 different shapes of fillo/pistachio/honey desserts. It is not "baclava." Can't you see it's shaped like a bird's nest?

I've been to maybe 20 of the 50-odd Indian restaurants on Devon, but damned if I can remember the names of the better ones. One of the Moti Mahals is really good. Also all of the video/music stores owned by the Patel Bros are great!

Avoid the weird Mongol-Indian restaurant on that one corner, though.

They jet in fresh fish and seafood from all over the world to O'Hare. It is cheap and casual and large and they know what the hell they are doing.

Mr. Diamond you should inflate your itemized deductions and then splash out at Le Francais!

nabisco, was Spring the one we were standing directly in front of when the 2 Lincoln Park Trixies asked us for directions to it on our way to Mod?

Yes. I don't know if I told you the story about how Spring made me cross the street every day. But there was a period the summer after it opened where (a) the sidewalk was crowded with valet-parked people who, when you tried to get past, acted like you were the out-of-place one, and (b) their fish-filled dumpsters reeked up that side of the street pretty unbearably.

That said: Felicity, you liked Mod, right? Dear everyone: Mod looks terrible -- it looks like a Lego hair salon, which is sort of cool but not someplace you'd want to eat. But it's very good.

I'm really enjoying this thread for the recommendations, especially some of the north side places that I just don't get too that often.
Yeah, they actually opened a Bob Chinn's near the loop. I've been meaning to get over there for a while now...

Oops, where is Carso's? Do you mean like south loop, or way far south? Anyway, it sounds great!

Chicago Dog at Devil Dogs is A+. Should have ordered two and skipped the fries.

How did the rest of it all go?

Sorry, meant to post an update. The Publican was my kind of restaurant. Beer selection was really great - I had an English Bitter and Flemish Red beers from two local brewers I can't remember. My wife had a beer that was a blend of a lambic and a Hefeweizen, also delicious (perfect amount of sour for me).

Food was maximalist and everything was really strong. For a meat-centric place, the vegetable dishes were standouts: bbq carrots with tahini sauce and a fried brussels sprout dish that had avocado and bunch of other stuff in it. Just perfect. We also had the big rib with apple butter, chicken and summer sausage, porchetta with grits, mussels, big charcuterie plate, mussels - my one complaint was they kind of upsold us by telling us we needed 6-7 dishes when their portions were huge so we had way too much food but got to try a bunch of stuff but it was kind of gluttonous. If this place was in NYC, I would eat there all the time - it reminded me of Resto a little, which was an NYC restaurant I loved back in the day.

Chicago is a great city - love the physical layout with the bridges going in all directions downtown. My wife had a pretty successful marathon. We also got to go see the Remedios Varo exhibit at the Art Institute, which was one of the best exhibits I've ever seen.

As gluttonous as we were, we did not order the mussels twice.

Sorry, trying to type this too quickly and my grammar is terrible.

the Publican is great. one of my most memorable twofers was going there followed by a visit to the Aviary. fortunately we were staying at a hotel downtown vs staying out in the far NW sticks, as we frequently do when visiting.

I think I have had that carrot dish! My wife and I went there for an anniversary dinner and they tried to kill us with food.

Yeah, it's hard to go wrong with Publican. It's kind of amazing how even the dishes that seem boring on paper - chicken and sausage, carrots - are pretty incredible in execution. They also have a *great* Negroni with barrel aged gin.

We are going to be back in Chicago for a few days this week. We're staying at the JW Marriot downtown. I've never had a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich. Any recommendations on a place downtown? I see there is a Portillo's in River North I could walk to.

I can't make a personal recommendation bc I don't think I've had an Italian beef since I was a kid, but FYI: Mr. Beef on Orleans is where they film The Bear, if that's something you care about.

There's also an Al's #1 Italian Beef on Wells, a local chain that claims to have invented the sandwich. (There are competing claims.) According to my copy of Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites, Al's and Johnnie's (in suburban Elmwood Park) "head up most lists of the best Italian beef sandwiches in the Chicago area."

Both Mr. Beef and Al's are also in River North btw.

Johnnie's (near me) is "the best," but all, even Portillo's, are fine.

Downtown, I dunno. Pretty much all my beef experience is in the neighborhoods.

The original Al's Beef is on Taylor near UIC. I haven't been there for a while but I remember it being good. The other Al's locations are franchises iirc.

Portillo's and the franchise Al's are gonna be fine, but I'd pick Al's over Portillo's if all other things are equal.

portillos is an unpleasantly overwhelming experience imo, especially the one in river north. very big and loud and crowded with a confusing ordering system.

^^^why I would pick Al's (also I think the sandwiches are better, Portillo's try to do everything and end up doing nothing very well… I suppose you can get beer there which is a plus)

You can also get a cake shake!

All right, maybe I'll venture a little further afield. Thanks everyone.

From the JW Mariott downtown, the River North Al's would be a pretty easy walk.

That was what I was thinking, rather than figuring out CTA (which I have used before). Might venture out to some record stores as well, so might try to combine those to get me out of downtown.

If you’re near Navy Pier, there’s a spot there called Chef Ciccio — the guy who runs it (who literally makes the sandwiches most days) is in his 80s, and his family has been selling Italian beef since the 30s, and it’s fantastic.

Chicago magazine just did their top 10, and it’s a good list:
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/november-2024/italian-beefs-golden-age/the-10-best/

Duck Inn is one I have had before, it was nice but fancified beef just seems misguided.

Great article. Not sure about dunking the entire sandwich in the gravy.

i've never eaten an italian beef because they are too large and unwieldy and not my jam. at my workplace we had an italian beef pizza, which actually sounded p gross to me initially but eventually redeemed itself as a non-wet manageable way to enjoy the italian beef flavors without committing to an entire gigantic sandwich. one slice was enough.

I've never had an Italian beef sandwich dipped, because it's just too messy. Asking for it wet is an ok compromise. Plenty of people swear by a combo, which is a grilled Italian sausage added to the sandwich, but that's just too much and asking for gut trouble.

Wet is the beef dipped, but not the bread? I would absolutely do that.

#1 is deserved, you really aren't going to get better than Johnnie's.

The first two nights I am going to my wife's work events at two steakhouse looking places, then we are having dinner Saturday with my aunts and cousin at Obelix. Between all that, plus me having to get a few Chicago dogs and the beef sandwich, I am going to need to eat salad all next week.

xp the beef will be dipped no matter what iirc, wet is a slight addition of jus—if it means anything, wet is how I typically order it, but every once it a while I will get the whole thing dipped (it's really only a problem if you have an aversion to using lots of napkins)

also I wrote that having ordered exactly one italian beef in at least the past 4-5 years :D

oh and absolutely get the giardinera, don't fuck around with sweet peppers unless you really don't like spicy things

Thanks for the tips dan m. I will go with wet and get the giardinera.

You can also order the beef dry with the jus/sauce on the side, especially if you are getting it to go, but not every place honors that request, lol.

Any recommendations for quick lunch in Wicker Park near Division stop? Preferably not beef, lol.

I’m an out of towner (in fact an out of continenter) but La Pasadita was vg the one time I ate there.

Not for up the road to Dove’s Luncheonette and Big Star, can’t go wrong with either of those.

xp A few possibilities within a few blocks of the Division stop:

-Sando Street: Japanese-style sandwiches, counter service, 1547 N. Ashland (ate there a few weeks ago, pretty good)

-Alegrias Seafood and El Barco Mariscos: two Mexican seafood places across the street from each other, 1024 and 1035 N. Ashland (I've only been to Alegrias, but a long time ago -- I think it might have even had a different name back then, but people seem to like 'em)

-Antique Taco: Hipster (i.e., cheffy, nontraditional) tacos, 1360 N. Milwaukee (been a while since I've been here, too, but it was reliably decent). There's also Big Star, which is in a similar vein, but a little further afield, at 1531 N. Damen.

also agree on the Dove's recommendation, if you're wandering up that way -- it's next to Big Star

If you're heading to the Division stop bc you're going to Dusty Groove, you might as well walk up Milwaukee Ave. and hit up Reckless, too

Yeah, that was the plan. Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I do love Japanese sandwiches, though Masa pancakes sound awesome, too.

I forget where (in the country) you're coming from, but there are lots of good Mexican spots everywhere, including Big Star, which is boutiquey but still really good. (For later, more or less across the street from Big Star is Violet Hour, one of the country's best cocktail bars.) Also in Wicker Park is Piece, the pizza place co-owned by Rick Nielsen. It's pretty good and has good beer/good vibes. All this stuff is by the Damon stop, but that's just one stop closer/farther, depending what direction you are going in.

If you get Japanese sandwiches in Chicago, I'll get Chicago deep dish pizza in Japan: http://en.devilcraft.jp/

There's a Harold's Chicken near Ashland iirc, get your 2pc dark with mild sauce

Sauce on the side!

I went to Dove’s Luncheonette and had the masa pancakes with a side of smoked sausage. Fun little place with a nice vibe and good food. Thanks Tim and Chicago ilxors.

On the downside, I wasn’t really a fan of the record stores I went to (Reckless, Mr. Shuga, Dusty Grooves) because they were a style of store I kind of hate: too much new vinyl/reissues, not enough used vinyl, and anything you actually wanted to buy was $$$. I ended up buying a couple of African reissues I would never find or afford in OG.

Also, how do stores get away without a new arrivals section for used vinyl?

Both DG and Reckless have always had those bins to my memory

DG did, but I don’t think Reckless did (or I missed it). DG was definitely the best of the three.

We take visitors to Buona Beef b/c they do a great Italian beef but also a seitan Italian "beef-less" that I love. It's a chain, but no reason to hold that against them. There's a location east of where you're staying...on the way-ish to Navy Pier or the lake.

How was Obelix, PBKR? It's on my list, but I haven't been yet.

Obelix was really great. Mostly classic French bistro with some cheeky modern twists.

They had a poire spritz with a pear eau di vie and pear cider that was one of the best cocktails I’ve had.

We shared escargot and a pate en crout for the table, both straight forward and excellent, then duck breast for my main (the menu has an entire section just for duck dishes). Everything was really perfect. Prices are high but worth it imo.

Go hungry! I stupidly ate too much for lunch or I would have really done damage on some appetizers.

nice

My wife had their version of a salad lyonnaise that had a duck egg and duck confit instead of lardons. The confit was shredded and then seared in a pan like a big smashburger of duck.