Chicago Restaurants

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!

Leon's at 79th and Stony Island
DD&S at 71st and Cottage Grove
Lem's at 59th and State
Curt's at 82nd and Cottage Grove

Lem's is the one you always see named as the "best", but while it is really good it's almost slightly overcooked, a tad dry. Also it's never quite as spicy as I like things, which is why my favorite is Leon's. Definitely don't order the spicy sauce unless you like things really spicy, but I love it. All these places have other locations on the south side but these are the ones I usually visit.

If you're downtown, check out Millar's Pub at Wabash and Adams, which is great inexpensive and a Chicago institution. Good people watching place. The ribs aren't my favorite, mainly 'cause they use too much molasses, but they're still pretty good. Lots of other stuff on the menu, very friendly place.

I know much about dining in the western suburbs, though!

But here are my favorites:

Little Home Vietnam: Damen/Ashland. Right under the Damen stop on the Brown line. The BEEF SPRING ROLLS are ORGASMIC. TRULY. They're the clear rice paper with chargrilled beef with peanuts, lettuce, carrots, greens, sprouts, and dip it in this LOVELY chilli oil. Its trulky unbelievable. Though the rest of the menu is sort of blah, except the lemongrass chicken is deliciously spicy.

Mirai Sushi: pretty good sushi, for chicago... i mean since its so far from any ocean.

Lou Malnatis Pizza: just get plain cheese. the meat layer is a bit too much.

Aruns: This 12 course Thai meal on the northside.. Really expensive, but oh so delicious.

Frontera Grill, Bistro 110, Yoshi's Cafe are pretty good. Kamahachi is awful.

hstencil, I think I'm usu closer to saying 'hunnerd'. In generally, nobody in my vicinity talks stereotypically Chicagoan (you know, 'hey dere, how youse doin')

I don't know where any suburbs are except: the ones along the lake to the north (and then I start getting confused after Highland Park), Oak Park, and, er, Skokie.

My general feeling about the rest of the suburbs is that they don't need to exist.

Amateurist, you do want to to bomb LA though, right? Nothing but suburbs

It was the "Daaaaalston" of early January 2003. "I blame hstencil" is what's happening now. Tight.

Amateurist:

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.