Chicago Restaurant Req's

Alinea
Girl and the Goat

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

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.

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.

Moody Tongue, Hugo’s Frog Bar