Let’s Talk Food

I thought since the restaurant show was in town, I would tell you about some of my favorite foods around town. I am not a picky eater and will try almost everything once. There are so many amazing foods in this city and I am continually surprised by the taste and creativity throughout the entire city.

I am going to get the appetizers out first, just like the restaurants. For outstanding nachos, Hub 51 has the best I have had. Try the crab or the chicken, you won’t be disappointed. No one does Calamari like the Capital Grill with a mixture of lightly breaded calamari and banana peppers sautéed in garlic butter. EPIC has an amazing gnocchi appetizer that is indescribable. RL does a buttery lobster bisque perfect for an afternoon lunch. No place like Shaw’s for oysters. I will talk about Macaroni and Cheese in a bit, but Sweetwater has a fried Mac N Cheese appetizer that is incredibly good.

Let’s take a look at some of the side dishes that I have enjoyed. I am a huge Macaroni and Cheese fan, if you couldn’t tell from the last paragraph and there are several places that do it amazingly. Rosebud Steakhouse across the street, Chicago Q, Wilde’s (it is actually a whole meal) are a few of my favorites. David Burke’s deconstructs the baked potato by mixing gnocchi and all of the wonderful toppings. Any of the potato or vegetable choice at Joe’s Stone Crab is great additions to a steak or seafood meal.

I have enjoyed the pleasure of many main courses throughout the area and there are a few that I thoroughly enjoy. It is hard to narrow down the steaks in town, but I love the filet at Benny’s Chop House and the 55 day aged steak at David Burke’s. For prime rib, you can’t beat the Saloon Steakhouse for quality and price. I dream about the crab cakes at Hugo’s Frog Bar and Ria not only prefers a beautiful halibut, but the presentation is art. The brisket at Q is “melt in your mouth” delicious. I absolutely love the tortellini at Carmine’s and any pasta Piccolo Sogno. I am torn between Oysy and Kamehachi for sushi. Lou Malnati’s is my choice for deep dish pizza, but a little place in Andersonville called Antica Pizzeria makes a mean thin crust wood fired pizza.

Surpisingly, I am not going to touch on dessert, because there are just too many to name (but try the espresso ice cream cake covered in home-made peanut brittle at Q)

Again, there is so much food in Chicago, it was hard to narrow down just a few favorites. I love to hear guests give me what they find is their favorite, so stop by and let us help you make a reservation and then come back and tell us of your food escapades.

Enjoy!

Jeff

Chicago: A Walking City

A great way to get to know the wonderful neighborhoods is to jump on a bus or train, end up in one of the unique neighborhoods and start exploring. This was how I was able to acquaint myself with the distinctiveness and diversity of the various areas around Chicagoland.

One neighborhood that I call “Upscale Bohemia” is the WickerPark, Bucktown Area. Everything from specialized boutiques to resale stores line the streets along Milwaukee, Damen and North Avenue. Breakfast at the Bongo Room or a little lounging at the Velvet Lounge. There is plenty of shopping for everyone from resale stores to upscale boutiques. On the first Friday of each month, the Flat Iron Arts Building located right smack dab in the middle of everything opens its artists’ studios to the public for three floors worth of amazing local art.

The Southport Corridor is also a nice way to stroll one of my favorite neighborhoods. You can find all sorts of restaurants, bars and shopping along this one street, just off the Southport Brown Line El stop. The Austrian coffee shop Julius Meinl is a great way to escape to Europe with savory coffee and some of my favorite desserts. You can also try sushi at Sushi Mura or for something unique, Tango Sur is one of the only Argentinean Steakhouses in town. One of the only independent movie theaters, the Music Box is located here with live organ music played on the weekends.

I am always drawn to the Swedish neighborhood of Andersonville because it is one of the up and coming parts of Chicago with a unique amount of upscale resale furniture stores. While wandering Clark street, check out Scout, Four-sided framing and the White Attic. You will not go wrong by eating at Big Jones for Southern food, Antica Pizzeria for oven cooked Sicilian fare or Reza’s for Middle eastern. Hamburger Mary’s is a campy burger place right across the street from Byron’s Hot Dogs if you are craving a good old Chicago style hot dog. Make sure to save room for George’s Ice Cream or any of the wonderful pies or cakes at a Taste of Heaven.

There are so many other wonderful neighborhoods and if you don’t feel like exploring on your own, there are a few companies that provide neighborhood tours not to mention the variety of walking tours available throughout the downtown and loop area.

Enjoy!
Jeff