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Chicago Restaurant Req's
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:39 pm
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:39 pm
Going to Chicago soon for the first time.
Gimme the good stuff.
Dives, mom and pop, Michelin Star. I wanna try them all.
Gimme the good stuff.
Dives, mom and pop, Michelin Star. I wanna try them all.
9
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:42 pm to Jambo
Lou Minalti’s
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:44 pm to Shepherd
quote:
Lou Minalti’s
Is this like buying a Rolex in a kiosk in NY
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:51 pm to Jambo
Alinea
Girl and the Goat
Girl and the Goat
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:56 pm to Jambo
Ed Debevic's is fun if you have kids with you.
Posted on 7/15/23 at 4:58 pm to Jambo
Friend,
Our favorites include:
Pizza: Piece (New Haven), Spacca Napoli (Neapolitan), Armand's (thin crust), and Pequod's (Detroit). Malnati's is the best casserole pizza, but if I go to Malnati's I always get the chopped salad and might have a slice of pizza. Maybe. Tavern style, that some locals rave about, like Vito & Nick's or Pat's, is equivalent to Domino's thin, so do not bother.
Italian: La Scarola, although the last time we were here it was not that good.
Italian beef: Portillo's is significantly better than Big Al's, Johnnie's or any other. Nothing else on the menu is worth getting. Large, sweet pepper, dipped.
2010's hipster fancy: We prefer The Purple Pig to Girl & the Goat.
Department store dining: We also prefer Mariposa at Neiman to the Walnut Room at Macy's. The caveat there, of course, is at Christmas time, when a trip to the Walnut Room is a must. Santa Land in Macy's is the fifth floor, but keep going up two floors after you see Santa and get Mrs. Hering’s Chicken Pot Pie.
Chinese: Sun Wah. We have had zero good meals in Chicago's Chinatown, although, it is worth visiting. Sun Wah has the best Peking duck in the States.
Mexican: Frontera Grill is still among America's best Mexican food. Better than anything in Houston, Frontera is a surprisingly great restaurant.
Best fine dining: Alinea. Reservations are hard to come by. We have only eaten there twice, but both times have been among the most memorable meals of our lives. Duck Sel is worth a visit if you can get a ticket.
Philipino: Kasama. We were shocked. I had never before enjoyed Philipino food before a meal here this year.
Indian and Middle Eastern food we cannot say. We have never had a memorably great sushi meal in Chicago, so no recommendations for it will be given.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
Our favorites include:
Pizza: Piece (New Haven), Spacca Napoli (Neapolitan), Armand's (thin crust), and Pequod's (Detroit). Malnati's is the best casserole pizza, but if I go to Malnati's I always get the chopped salad and might have a slice of pizza. Maybe. Tavern style, that some locals rave about, like Vito & Nick's or Pat's, is equivalent to Domino's thin, so do not bother.
Italian: La Scarola, although the last time we were here it was not that good.
Italian beef: Portillo's is significantly better than Big Al's, Johnnie's or any other. Nothing else on the menu is worth getting. Large, sweet pepper, dipped.
2010's hipster fancy: We prefer The Purple Pig to Girl & the Goat.
Department store dining: We also prefer Mariposa at Neiman to the Walnut Room at Macy's. The caveat there, of course, is at Christmas time, when a trip to the Walnut Room is a must. Santa Land in Macy's is the fifth floor, but keep going up two floors after you see Santa and get Mrs. Hering’s Chicken Pot Pie.
Chinese: Sun Wah. We have had zero good meals in Chicago's Chinatown, although, it is worth visiting. Sun Wah has the best Peking duck in the States.
Mexican: Frontera Grill is still among America's best Mexican food. Better than anything in Houston, Frontera is a surprisingly great restaurant.
Best fine dining: Alinea. Reservations are hard to come by. We have only eaten there twice, but both times have been among the most memorable meals of our lives. Duck Sel is worth a visit if you can get a ticket.
Philipino: Kasama. We were shocked. I had never before enjoyed Philipino food before a meal here this year.
Indian and Middle Eastern food we cannot say. We have never had a memorably great sushi meal in Chicago, so no recommendations for it will be given.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:10 pm to TulaneLSU
Chicago's name often gets bandied around when talking about the great food cities in America. I'm here to say that phenomenon is a result only of a large population and a media that caters to large populations. While there are some great restaurants in Chicago, the overall food culture is beneath that of even Houston. People in Chicago do not really care about food. They say they do, but life and food in Chicago are as bland as the culture.
Breaking it down into categories, Chicago does shine when it comes to its top end restaurants: Girl and Goat, Spiaggia, Alinea, and so forth. These are some of the best restaurants in America. But that does not say anything about the general state of food in Chicago. Rich people get the best ingredients and the best chefs, so it's natural to have some of the best restaurants. It's a sharp decline from the top in Chicago.
Ethnic cuisine (what does that term even mean?), one would expect, should be phenomenal. It is not. Again, with the sheer preponderance of ethnic restaurants one would expect excellence, but the end product is a reflection of the general apathy about good food within the populace who live in Chicago. Pilsen is an exception, with a number of world-class Mexican restaurants. But even there, I can find just as many excellent Hispanic restaurants on the Williams Blvd. corridor in Kenner, La. It is no where close to Houston in terms of Hispanic cuisine.
What about working class, predominantly white food? Hot dogs, Italian beef, and deep dish pizza is my next subject. First, let's be clear: A "Chicago dog" is no different from a hot dog anywhere else except they take pride in not putting ketchup on it and putting lots of condiments on it. You take pride in this? OK. Hot dogs, like much of Chicago food, suck. Italian beef is another animal. Italian beef, in my view, is the only significant, worthwhile contribution Chicago makes to America's culinary scene. I might even choose a good Italian beef sandwich over a good roast beef poorboy. Deep dish pizza? Again, another lackluster "contribution" from a city that cares more about catching up to New York's financial prowess than enjoying life. I will make a claim that at face value appears to be a preposterous, but in reality is true, and say New Orleans has better pizza than Chicago. It's true. The fact that a place like Connie's has been popular in the city for over 50 years is proof enough.
I'm not sure Americans quite understand how wonderful the people of New Orleans have it, at least in terms of cuisine. If you ever see a ranking that has Chicago ahead of New Orleans, please disregard that list ASAP. As far as I can tell, the only cities I would ever travel to for the purpose of eating are New York, DC, and New Orleans. Houston, Los Angeles, maybe Seattle or San Fran would be next in line. But never, ever would I put Chicago there.
Breaking it down into categories, Chicago does shine when it comes to its top end restaurants: Girl and Goat, Spiaggia, Alinea, and so forth. These are some of the best restaurants in America. But that does not say anything about the general state of food in Chicago. Rich people get the best ingredients and the best chefs, so it's natural to have some of the best restaurants. It's a sharp decline from the top in Chicago.
Ethnic cuisine (what does that term even mean?), one would expect, should be phenomenal. It is not. Again, with the sheer preponderance of ethnic restaurants one would expect excellence, but the end product is a reflection of the general apathy about good food within the populace who live in Chicago. Pilsen is an exception, with a number of world-class Mexican restaurants. But even there, I can find just as many excellent Hispanic restaurants on the Williams Blvd. corridor in Kenner, La. It is no where close to Houston in terms of Hispanic cuisine.
What about working class, predominantly white food? Hot dogs, Italian beef, and deep dish pizza is my next subject. First, let's be clear: A "Chicago dog" is no different from a hot dog anywhere else except they take pride in not putting ketchup on it and putting lots of condiments on it. You take pride in this? OK. Hot dogs, like much of Chicago food, suck. Italian beef is another animal. Italian beef, in my view, is the only significant, worthwhile contribution Chicago makes to America's culinary scene. I might even choose a good Italian beef sandwich over a good roast beef poorboy. Deep dish pizza? Again, another lackluster "contribution" from a city that cares more about catching up to New York's financial prowess than enjoying life. I will make a claim that at face value appears to be a preposterous, but in reality is true, and say New Orleans has better pizza than Chicago. It's true. The fact that a place like Connie's has been popular in the city for over 50 years is proof enough.
I'm not sure Americans quite understand how wonderful the people of New Orleans have it, at least in terms of cuisine. If you ever see a ranking that has Chicago ahead of New Orleans, please disregard that list ASAP. As far as I can tell, the only cities I would ever travel to for the purpose of eating are New York, DC, and New Orleans. Houston, Los Angeles, maybe Seattle or San Fran would be next in line. But never, ever would I put Chicago there.
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:37 pm to KosmoCramer
I love New Orleans... born there and lived either there or BR all my life except the last 8 years.. Chicago blows it away, food wise...
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:40 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
Spacca Napoli (Neapolitan)
My favorite in the city, but its a bit of a haul from my neighborhood... Craft Pizza, in my hood, isn't a bad alternative for a similar style..
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:43 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
Philipino: Kasama. We were shocked. I had never before enjoyed Philipino food before a meal here this year.
It's a Michelin starred restaurant with a tasting menu... it may be currently harder to get a reservation there, than at Alinea... granted you can get pastries and other more basic dishes during the day..
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:45 pm to Jambo
Book a table at 3 Dots and a Dash for a pre or post meal cocktail hour. It’s one of the best Tiki bars in the country.
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:52 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
Tavern style, that some locals rave about, like Vito & Nick's or Pat's, is equivalent to Domino's thin, so do not bother.
Friend, you've exposed yourself as a an imbecile.
Posted on 7/15/23 at 5:58 pm to Jambo
I took the train/walked to Frank Loyd Wright’s house for a visit, then caught Lyft to Johnnie’s Italian Beef. Had a sandwich with hot and sweet peppers, wet, along with fries, a lemon ice, and a Diet Coke.
Ate outside, sharing a small table with a large cement truck driver. It was one of the most memorable meals I’ve enjoyed. Right up there with the pastrami sandwich from Katz’s in NYC for being so surprisingly great.
Ate outside, sharing a small table with a large cement truck driver. It was one of the most memorable meals I’ve enjoyed. Right up there with the pastrami sandwich from Katz’s in NYC for being so surprisingly great.
Posted on 7/15/23 at 8:29 pm to Jambo
Au Cheval for brunch one of the best burgers I’ve had
Posted on 7/15/23 at 11:18 pm to fightin tigers
Monteverde is amazing.
Posted on 7/16/23 at 12:22 am to John McClane
quote:
Monteverde is amazing.
I had a good meal there. Also liked Volare.
Posted on 7/16/23 at 2:03 pm to KosmoCramer
quote:
Chicago's name often gets bandied around when talking about the great food cities in America. I'm here to say that phenomenon is a result only of a large population and a media that caters to large populations. While there are some great restaurants in Chicago, the overall food culture is beneath that of even Houston. People in Chicago do not really care about food. They say they do, but life and food in Chicago are as bland as the culture.
Where do you even start with this drivel? Houston is decent but cmon not even close to Chicago in terms of food. What you have shown here is a couple visits with touristy friends or suburban friends that never get into the city. I am assuming you have little exposure to Albany Park, Little India, Little Chinatown up north, etc...
Posted on 7/16/23 at 2:11 pm to Jambo
Moody Tongue, Hugo’s Frog Bar
Posted on 7/16/23 at 2:41 pm to Twenty 49
Big Portillo’s fan here.
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