Favorite Chicago Foods?
So I'm a Chicagoan stuck on the east coast, I'm heading home for the weekend and was thinking about all the places I have to hit up while I'm at home. Does anyone else care to share their must eats in Chi-town?
Here's a few off my list:
1. Deep dish pizza - Sausage (in patty format) and mushroom from Lou Malnati's or Gino's East. Giordano's as a last resort. I'd rather eat dirt than eat Uno's pizza. I also like the less known, but equally delicious chicago style thin crust.
2. At least one hot dog w/ everything on it - ketchup has no place on a hot dog
3. Buffalo Joe's wings in evanston - I took a friend there once (a really petite asian girl) and she ate double what I ate then licked the sauce out of the bowl.
4. Gyros - I really like The Works in glenview (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-works-glenview) - they dip the pita in a vat of oil before throwing it on the griddle.
5. Italian Beef - usually from portillos.
If I have enough time (and room in my stomach) I'll add Mexican - usually tacos al pastor, Hackney's for a burger on rye and a deep friend onion ring loaf, and korean bbq at san soo gap san (http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/08/san-soo-gap-san-greatest-restaurant-in-the-world-korean-chicago-illinois.html).
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34 Comments:
Hot Doug's for a grilled bratwurst with onions and mustard -- aaaaaahhhh . . . I'd even have that for breakfast.
ride&cook at 11:26AM on 05/15/09
I just wrote a blog about Portillo's - their Italian beef and hot dogs are a must! I love Lou Malnati's too. Other places I would hit up include some kind of brunch/breakfasty spot like Lou Mitchell's or Ann Sather's.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 11:28AM on 05/15/09
Having had Uno's and Gino's East, finally tried Lou Malnati's. Sausage and mushroom, just like you said. It was to-die-for. Can't really top that...sorry.
KB in Toledo at 1:17PM on 05/15/09
Here's Serious Eats' Chicago Picks:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/09/serious-eats-city-guides-chicago.html
Alaina Browne at 2:14PM on 05/15/09
Where to begin. My family has come to call Chicago the junk food capital of the world! That may be a stretch but there are so many unhealthy eating options I think I just gained 5lbs writting about it.
Italian beef...dipped of course. I love a properly done Chicago Hot Dog too. Great Ribs. and Pizza of course, but I'm partial to the NYC variety.
nycParkie at 2:31PM on 05/15/09
How did I forget about Ribs? lol
misterhee at 2:54PM on 05/15/09
Garrett's Popcorn...cheese and caramel mix!!!
juliemiller1972 at 3:09PM on 05/15/09
Gene & Judes 'RubberDogs'!
White Castle!
tinytim at 4:43PM on 05/15/09
I think you hit all the musts. If I were there this weekend, I'd do:
lunch: Mr. G's for the hot dog - with everything (747 N Clark St.)
dinner: Lou's - sausage/mushroom as you mentioned - plus the dessert pizza
breakfast: Anne Sather's! a benedict and cinnamon rolls
lunch: Gyros - with everything
dinner: Rose Angelis for Italian
breakfast: Anne Sathers again? or a Greek diner
pookywookyster at 5:51PM on 05/15/09
do yourself a favor and give Pequod's a try for your deep dish pizza fix.
(it's on the serious eats pick list) i wish they'd deliver to michigan.
I hear ya though... Hot Dougs, Pequod's, and tacos pastor are always at the top of my must eat list for trips back home.
andshewas at 6:56PM on 05/15/09
maybe i'd even go to Arturo's on western and armitage for the pastor, and then to Margie's candies for dessert! how convenient!
andshewas at 7:03PM on 05/15/09
OMG!!! I lived in Evanston when I went to grad school a "few "years ago and I still remember Buffalo Joe's!!! I am not into very spicy food... and was not then either, but clealy remember the wings were very very good. This was way before I decided to be vegetarian... but my friends took me there plenty.
MadelynRodriguez at 7:30PM on 05/15/09
I usually love going to Cafe Iberico for tapas... I love the ambiance and how much it reminds me of school days... ahhhh!!
MadelynRodriguez at 7:33PM on 05/15/09
I'm with Hilary on the Italian Beef. A must try. Also I worked at a serious candy store in Longgrove. They had the best chocolate covered strawberries.
chardonnay at 8:13PM on 05/15/09
There's a breakfast place in the Gold Coast, right opposite the Sutton Place Hotel, that is absolutely amazing. Great pancakes, great omelets, great coffee, very cheap. Don't expect to linger, though.
NotAmerican at 8:30PM on 05/15/09
walker brothers apple pancake. but i have to disagree with you on the pizza. due's is my ideal.
cybercita at 9:50PM on 05/15/09
Good call on the apple pancake from walker bros! I also love their corned beef hash.
misterhee at 8:11AM on 05/16/09
We will be heading to Chicago next Friday for our annual Memorial Day long weekend vacation, so a very timely topic for me. We have some favorite places that we must hit....and then we try to mix in some new places. Here's our tentative list:
Shaw's for Raw Oysters
Gene & Georgetti's for the best steak in the world.
Frontera
Deep Dish Pizza (Gino's)
Red Fish for their gumbo
We'll probably grab gyros, as takeaway...there are a couple little places we go. Maybe hit the billy goat tavern for burgers. A decent hotdog! We'll grab whatever when we are out and about.
We're staying at the Hilton Towers, so I'm sure we'll have a meal of Potato leek soup & soda bread....and a few pints of Guinness...at Kitty O'shea's.
I liked a lot of the suggestions....and may check out the tapas place.
One question: Any suggestions for that southern neighborhood by the Hilton Towers, down to the field museum, etc....?
2qrs at 10:17AM on 05/16/09
When I was in college I dated someone from Evanston and we went to this place that had sort of subs, one I believe was called the 'Gloria'
Does anyone know what this place is?
katarina_santiago at 11:08AM on 05/16/09
Get a jibarito. you can only get those in Chicago. Borinquen on California was a favorite for jibaritos before we moved away. Oh, and get a pizza puff too. :)
O_Leaozinho at 9:49PM on 05/16/09
Oh man, Pizza Puffs... I haven't had one in ages. That will be remedied tomorrow as soon as I can get my hands on one =D
misterhee at 11:16PM on 05/16/09
@2qrs....better check on Red Fish. I think they have closed. But I'm not 100 percent sure.
CheesePlease at 9:51AM on 05/17/09
Red Fish is indeed closed, has been for several months now.
anysuchname at 1:11PM on 05/17/09
chibbqking
How bout hot dogs, Italian beef, deep dish and tavern style pizza, gyos, steak tacos, rib tips, Polish sausage and the list goes on...
KingT at 12:52AM on 05/18/09
Tavern style pizza? Like barnaby's?
misterhee at 10:31AM on 05/18/09
Hi-we just got back from a quick trip to Chicago on Sat. Here are my takes on some places to go and not:
Gino's East-so bad I can't believe that people recommend it. Very touristy and it takes 45 mins to make a pizza that has pounds of melted but not browned cheese because they put the toppings on the crust and THEN the sauce! And the crust is not only filling but not that great. Have any of you ever had NY pizza for goodness sakes? This was incredibly disappointing!!
Another disappointment was Harry Caray's steakhouse on Kinsie. Not only bad food but very expensive bad food. Don't get me wrong-it is a steakhouse and the steaks were delicious but everything else that went with it was terrible. The vesivious (sp) potatoes were sitting in oil and limp. The salads had little on them but the lettuce itself and the desserts were just ok. Would try someplace else like the place across the street from Harry Caray's that starts with a K and I just can't remember right now. We ate there the next night and everything was delicious-especially the mashed potatoes!!!
What was great was Pierre Gourmet next to the Pennisula Hotel. They have wonderful breakfasts (which they serve all day), flatbreads, salads-their golden beet salad was so good, and delicious desserts. We went there twice it was so good.
Also great but not a new place is Cafe Spiaggia. They have homemade pastas, and everything there is delicious. It is not cheap but it is certainly worth the money. Lunch is probably cheaper and make sure you go to the cafe not the really pricey restaurant!
I also agree about Garrett's popcorn, but am not a fan of the mix. Plain caramel is just fine with me-a word of caution for those used to going to the location on Michigan Ave. It is no longer there as they are putting up another condo building (as if there aren't enough right now!). The only place to get it now is at the airport or in the loop although I have heard that Nuts on Clark is delicious.
suschef at 12:20PM on 05/18/09
@O_Leaozinho - I am a Puerto Rican... born and raised and went to college in Chicago. Would you educate me on what a JIBARITO is?? Never heard of it in my life...
MadelynRodriguez at 5:38PM on 05/18/09
I know this is heresy but *ahem* I was born and raised in NYC and I absolutely love Chicago pizza. Not more than NY Pizza - in addition to NY Pizza. Nuff said.
If I had to pick another fave - it would be the Chicago style giardinera with sport peppers. A friend in FL - a Chicago transplant - makes the best ever. I could eat the stuff out of the jar with a spoon. It's amazing on sandwiches - or anything else for that matter.
I'm afraid that is the list of food items from Chicago with which I'm familiar.
therealchiffonade at 5:46PM on 05/18/09
@2qrs - Have yet to try but it is at the top of my list (for food, but not decor! Also, lunch may be better than dinner) : Mercat a la Planxa. It is right in the south Loop area, on S Michigan. Supposed to be yummy.
[http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/04/mercat-a-la-planxa-lockwood-chicago-hotel-restaurants.html]
Also, I would rec'd Cafe Mediterra on S Dearborn (S Loop-ish). It is a delightful place to eat (get the mini lamb burgers and the home-made potato chips)...
...it is kinda a small plate kind of place
aburke at 8:30PM on 05/18/09
@suschef: Chicago style deep dish has the sauce on top with cheese underneath, that's just the way it is constructed. I think if you were expecting a new york style slice you're going to be disappointed because it's just a completely different animal. 45 minutes is a pretty standard wait given that the pizza is considerably thicker than a thin crust pizza so it just takes longer to bake. Hopefully your next run in with Chicago deep dish will be more enjoyable!
@ MadelynRodriguez: According to wiki it's a sandwich that uses fried green plantains instead of bread that's a specialty of PR and Chicago... drool.
misterhee at 8:34PM on 05/18/09
Portillo's hot dogs in the 'burbs, Wiener Circle in the city. Burt's Pizza in Morton Grove. Or Lou Malnati's. And Boston's Italian beef, dipped please.
HappyJack at 5:26PM on 05/19/09
I've been to Portillo's more times than I can count. I've only ever had Italian Beef there, dipped, loaded with giardinera.
There's a lot of great pizza places, including a great little family-owned place out in my neck of the suburbs (Maciano's) but I'll take my own over any of them.
MarvinDog at 9:48PM on 05/19/09
Loved the thin crust at Pizano's in the Loop. Yum!
blueerica at 4:31PM on 05/22/09
Portillo's for beef (dipped, of course) and hot dogs, yes, but you gotta try the double cheeseburger with everything. It'll add to your wait time, but it's so worth it--roller-grilled, lightly charred, juicy and dripping with cheese. Oooh, and the cheese fries! Canned sauce, but it's good.
For pizza? Home Run Inn!
betteirene at 11:57PM on 06/01/09