Roger Spark's Profile
any good tap houses
For a true hophead, the Maproom is the place to go. Not only does it have the most unique collection of draft beers, it also has the most knowledgable bartenders (many of them are amateur brewers themselves). The clientele often includes many of the area's professional and amateur zymurgists.
The Binny's Liquor store in the south loop has a great selection of beer and actually has a taproom in the store.
Quince in Chicago?
The Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie has them.
Market Place On Oakton
4817 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 677-9330
What happened to Va Penseiro?
Va Pensiero has re-opened as Pensiero Ristorante, with a more contemporary and moderately priced menu and wine list. Initial reports have been very good.
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Va Pensiero
1566 Oak Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201
If you had just proposed?
A proposal on a bench at the beautiful Lincoln Park Conservatory greenhouse, followed by a leisurely stroll to North Pond for dinner sounds perfect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Park_Conservatory
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North Pond
2610 North Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614
Need recs for rehearsal dinner downtown
Quartino is less than a block from the Dana hotel. It is an Italian small plate, pizza and wine bar. They have private rooms for up to 300. I quite like the place, and it strikes me as a good semi-casual compromise. I have never been there for a private event, so I can't comment on that. It is owned by the same people as Gibson's Steak House.
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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654
African food in Chicago
oops, I mispelled Lalibela and Mogadishu is also spelled Muqdisho.
African food in Chicago
African Harambee has become Ethiopian Diamond II (it was owned by the same people). There was also an Eritrean restaurant in RP that recently closed (as did Cafe Senegal). Here are a few other names to get you started:
Ras Dashen (ethiopian)
Ethiopian Diamond
Laibella (ethiopian)
Demera (ethiopian)
Blue Nile (ethiopian)
Banadir (somali)
Mogadishu (somali)
Palace Gate (ghanan)
Bolat (nigerian)
Inyaze (west African)
Qaato (nigerian)
Le Conkary (guinean and ivory coast)
Yassa (senegalese)
Nigerian Kitchen
Mama Osa (nigerian)
TBS African (nigerian)
Vee Vee's (nigerian and west African)
Ras Dashen is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant and Banadir is good for Somali cuisine. Cafe Asmera was an interesting Eritrean place, but I heard it has closed.
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Ras Dashen Ethiopian
5844 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60660
Tbs African Restaurant
4507 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640
Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant
6120 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60660
Vee Vee African Restaurant
6232 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60660
Nigerian Kitchen
1363 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Yassa African & Caribbean
716 E 79th St, Chicago, IL 60619
African Harambee Restaurant
7537 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60626
Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
4801 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
taqueria/taco trucks
This city has hundreds (maybe thousands) of storefront taquerias, but you will have to get away from Michigan Avenue to find them. Many of the best taquerias are located inside Mexican grocery stores. I suggest a trip to the weekend-only open-air Maxwell St. Market, which features a bunch of mostly Mexican "mom and pop" food stalls among the tables of bulk tube socks and cheap cell phone chargers. Although many of the booths appear somewhat ramshackle, the market is run by the city, so the food vendors must pass regular and rigorous dept. of health inspections.
25 People + Good Vegetarian Options = ?????
Tapas is always fun with a large group. You can order a large array of small dishes, and almost everybody can find at least a few that suit them. Cafe Iberico has very reasonable party packages (including Sangria). Over the years, I have been to several celebrations there, and always had a good time. The private rooms are decorated nicely, compared to some places where they look like conference rooms (Lao Sze Chuan is a fantastic restaurant, but the banquet rooms are pretty boring) . The only drawback is that Cafe Iberico will not book a party on Saturday night (at least that used to be true).
http://www.cafeiberico.com/packages.html
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Cafe Iberico
737 N Lasalle Drive, Chicago, IL 60654
Best Food Walking Tour?
For Viertnamese restaurants and stores, Argyle street and the surrounding area is the place to go. The area along Kedzie Ave from Irving Park up to Lawrence has dozens of Lebanese, Assyrian and other "middle eastern" restaurants, bakeries and food stores.
Where's the best "local's" bar......best ambiance for a great beer and atmosphere?
There are many bars in Chicago where locals go, but none where ALL locals go. The one bar where all the local hop-headed beer nuts go, is the Map Room. On any night you might find a number of local brewmasters, both amateur and professional, hanging out talking shop. The bartenders are all very knowledgable about beer and the various processes and ingredients used in brewing different types of ales and lagers. The tap selection of micro-brews and hard to find imports is second to none in the city, and possibly the midwest.
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The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Business Lunch near 222 S. Riverside Plaza (near Union Station)
Santorini in Greektown is 5 blocks due west of Union Station. It is open for lunch and a bit more upscale than other Greektown options, although it would probably come in way under budget.
http://www.santorinichicago.com
Raw kibbee or "kibbe nye"
There are tons of middle eastern places that serve fried kibbe in the traditional egg shape. There are a bunch of Assyrian places that serve Kibbe Mosul, which is a flat pancake version that can be boiled, fried or grilled (Venus, Uncle's,, George's , Larsa's, Sahara Kabob).
For raw kibbe (what Armenians call Kheyma), the afforementioned Sayat Nova is the only Armenian Restaurant in town (they do list kheyma on their website). However, on the first Wednesday of every month at noon, the Sts. Joachim and Anne Armenian church in Palos Heights offers homemade kheyma in the church hall. (July 7 is the next time)
If it is the raw meat aspect that attracts you to this dish, you might try German Hackepeter at Laschet's or Korean Yuk Hwei at San Soo Gab San or Hae Woon Dae
Saints Joachim & Anne Armenian Apostolic Church
12600 South Ridgeland Ave,
Palos Heights, IL 60463
(708) 388-4940
Anybody know where to buy uncooked Chicago hot links on the North Side?
I have seen frozen Moo & Oink links at the Morse Avenue Market. Call first.
Morse Fruit & Meat Market
1430 W Morse Ave
(between Glenwood Ave & Greenview Ave)
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 973-3765
liquor search....
It has to be the Binny's South Loop Store. I believe it is the biggest of the Binny's. It is pretty massive.
Binny's (South Loop)
1132 S. Jefferson St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 768-4400
Slovak Restaurant in Chicago
As drasmino mentioned, Klas (in Cicero) is a good bet. Very cool old world decor and service. Despite the name, Czech Plaza (in berwyn) is another Slovak restaurant (at least they have pictures of Bratislava on the wall). The Bohemian Crystal in Westmont, is not in the same class as Klas, but is a great value.
Czech Plaza Restaurant
7016 W Cermak Road
Berwyn, IL 60402
(708) 795-6555
htttp://www.czechplaza.com
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Bohemian Crystal
639 Blackhawk Dr, Westmont, IL 60559
Klas Restaurant
5734 W Cermak Rd, Cicero, IL 60804
Northwestern Evanston campus visit...feed us!
Al's deli on noyes street has excellent sandwiches served on baguettes and daily soup specials. The big homemade cookies are very popular also.
Al's Deli
914 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201 847-475-9400
http://alsdeli.net/
French Fried Shrimp
I believe that is just WEST of Ridge. Fish Keg also has a lot of good stuff besides shrimp.
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Fish Keg
2233 W Howard St, Chicago, IL 60645
Kosher Restaurant in Chicago...
There is a new Kosher Restaurant and Deli on Touhy called Taami. I did not hear great things about it, but that was when it first opened so it may not have been a fair assessment.
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Taami
2931 W Touhy Ave, Chicago, IL 60645
Burek
The sell them at City Fresh Market, and some of the other Balkan Markets (like Devon) and delis (like Beograd). Of the places mentioned, I would rate Deta's #1, Beograd #2 and City Fresh a distant #3. None of these places are near Wicker Park.
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City Fresh Market
3201 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL
Devon Market
1440 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL
Beograd Meat Market
2937 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL
Suckling pig wanted
Lalich will roast pig, lamb or goat. They charge by the pound.
I don't think you will find a true "suckling" pig, unless you know a farmer. Baby pigs are slightly larger and have been weaned. It has something to do with some FDA regulation concerning antibiotics (at least that is how it was explained to me).
Lalich Delicatessens
4208 W Lawrence Ave,
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 545-3642
Best Mexican food in Rogers Park?
As noted above, Supermercado Chapala is best for their whole roast chicken and the Carnitas. It is best on the weekends when the store is busy. Another supermercado restaurant that has caught my attention is the one ib Supermercado Carreta. Unlike Chapala, the restaurant serves complete dinners and breakfasts. So far, I like what I have tried, and it is cheap.
I should also mention Sabor Michoacan. When the place first opened, the youn g cook was earnest and friendly but slow. A change in cooks has improved this place greatly (although the service can still be a little slow). Sabor Michocan is about as close as you are going to come to an authentic Mexican family run cafe. It really feels like someplace you might find in Mexico. It is bright and cheery in a folk-art sort of way, and the food tastes homemade and is pretty darn good. The shrimp ceviche tostadas are tasty and a remarkable deal, and the house-made Mole Negro is complex and flavorful.
ANTOJITOS MEXICANOS
(in Supermercado Carreta)
6906 N. Clark
Sabor Michoacan
7021 N Clark St
(773) 465-1122
Serbian Restaurant Recommendations?
Sandy's Deli and the Restaurant are owned by the same people. Both are very good. The restaurant is a little more upscale than most of the other Serbian places in town. On most weekends they offer entertainment, and there is a buffet on Sunday. It can sometimes get crowded on weekends. I don't believe Sandy's has cabbage rolls on their menu, but the do have them as part of the weekend buffet, along with many other "homestyle" Serbian dishes (Teleca corba, Sarma, Gulas, Paprikas, Rostilj, Pecenje, Salate, Kolaci, Torte, Peciva).
Here is a link to the website: http://www.sandys-restaurant.com
I have seen the packaged pickled cabbage at Devon Market. Another Balkan market you might try is Garden Fresh, which features an amazing array of Balkan sausages and has a great in-house bakery that makes Serbian breads and pastries.
Lalich's deli makes their own Smoked Serbian sausages and meats, including the best bacon I have ever eaten.
Devon Market
1440 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60660
(773) 338-2572
City Fresh Market
3201 W Devon Ave,
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 681-8600
Restaurant for rehearsal dinner - near western burbs
oops, I guess Klas is actually in Cicero, 3 blocks from Berwyn.
Restaurant for rehearsal dinner - near western burbs
How about Klas in Berwyn for Bohemian food? It has lots of old world charm and decor, and pretty good food also.
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Klas Restaurant
5734 W Cermak Rd, Cicero, IL 60804
looking for (picky eater) kid-friendly in northern suburbs
I second Lucky Platter. It has been my go to place for groups with picky eaters (both juvenile and adult). With all the different sides, almost everybody can find something they like. They also make pizzas, which my nephew liked when he was younger. The last couple of lunches I had there were actually pretty good.
Good breakfast places?
Tempo, which is quite close to your hotel has good omlettes and other breakfast dishes. It is a slightly nicer version of a typical Chicago Greek "coffee shop", and is open 24 hours (it cxan get pretty raucous at 4am when the bars close). Last time I was there (which has been quite a while), they only accepted cash payment.
Tempo Restaurant
6 E Chestnut St,
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 943-4373
GOOD food for pre-marathon carb load
Another casual option is Quartino, which is close to your hotel. I have not been there for a while, and I have never had the pasta there. It is more of a wine, cheese and salumi place, but I have heard the pasta is pretty good. It may get pretty crowded on a Saturday.
Quartino
626 N State St
Chicago, IL
(312) 698-5000
http://www.quartinochicago.com/
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Quartino
626 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60654
GOOD food for pre-marathon carb load
You might try Club Lago. It is a really cool classic hole-in-the-wall red sauce and checkered tablecloth kind of place that hasn't changed since the 1950's. It is much less casual (and much more fun) than the other places mentioned. It's not the finest Italian food in town, but they do have pretty decent pasta (I like the veal also). Besides, why blow big bucks for just noodles in a more trendy establishment? I don't know if they even take reservations.
Club Lago
331 W Superior St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 951-2849
http://www.clublago.com
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Club Lago
331 W Superior St, Chicago, IL 60654
