sis2catbat's Profile
the right places to go in chicago?
For what it's worth, this non-tourist has stood in line many, many times for Hot Doug's and will continue to do so. I've never been anywhere like it, and the experience is always worth the wait. Always.
dinner Sunday near Steppenwolf
Need? Absolutely not. Just good food, good drinks.
So far I'm looking at Red Rooster, La Scarola, and Topo Gigio, but I'm still on the lookout. I used the Steppenwolf map for surrounding restaurants (they only mention a handful) but hadn't thought of using a Google map. Great idea. I'm trying to stay away from anything too costly (i.e., Trotters, Alinea) because mom typically insists on footing most (if not all) of the bill and I don't want to take advantage.
Nsxtasy, sadly, Perennial is closed through April in anticipation of Virant's arrival. Another time, though, for sure.
Must know ...WHERE do we eat?
I just love when people follow up with tales of their culinary excursions. Great post!
(P.S. The hubs was right on...one MUST have an Italian beef in Chicago).
dinner Sunday near Steppenwolf
You're right, there's a lot of real estate in between. I appreciate your ideas. I saw that you recommended Salpicon elsewhere and looked it up. Seems a possibility as well.
What's your take on Red Rooster? Ever been there?
dinner Sunday near Steppenwolf
We're frequent theater-goers and have thus exhausted the restaurants in the area (perhaps not?): Vinci, Black Duck, Landmark, Boka, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, Trattoria Gianni.
Thinking the Red Rooster for someplace new. I don't like that they only serve wine (unless I'm mistaken) but I could muddle through. Unless you have a must-try rec?
I should add the restaurant doesn't have to be in close proximity to the theater. We're willing to cab it a bit. I live in the loop, so between the loop and Steppenwolf would be ideal.
Money not really an issue. I mean, not looking to spend Alinea-type dough, but otherwise whatever you suggest would be okay.
We'll eat pretty much anything.
Thanks!
Hot Doug's Menu Question
Usually they have foie gras as an accompaniment with the sauternes duck sausage. They don't always have the duck sausage, but you can go on line anytime to find out.
Go here: http://hotdougs.com/ and click on "Today's Specials."
1 Late Night only
Wow, such arrogance.
You asked for advice. Nsxtasy gives the best advice on this board. If you choose to ignore it, that's your wasted trip, but tuck in the cockiness before you trip on it and try not to be such a jerk.
Fish Tacos
Yikes, I failed to look at the year this was posted. Disregard (although info is still true).
Vietnamese in Nashville
Where can one find decent pho and banh mi in Nashville?
Thanks.
weekend in Nashville - dinner rec?
Thanks for all the suggestions! Very helpful. I'll look into City House for dinner and will stick to the biscuits at Loveless (the main reason we were going anyway). I didn't know Margot did brunch. We're looking for a southern "buffet" style brunch (go big or go home, right?), and that's why we chose Copper Kettle.
I don't leave until tomorrow, so if anyone else has a comment/suggestion, I'll see them.
weekend in Nashville - dinner rec?
My family and I are visiting Nashville this weekend. We have most of our meals planned out but need one more dinner rec. We're not too familiar with the area geographically, so if you know of anyplace that's still shut down due to water issues, I'd appreciate that info too.
The choices are:
Tin Angel
Margot Cafe
F. Scott's
Park Cafe
We're also going to try the Loveless Cafe for one breakfast meal and Copper Kettle for Sunday brunch. Any reason we shouldn't consider either?
Thanks for the help!
-----
Tin Angel Restaurant
3201 W End Ave, Nashville, TN 37203
Copper Kettle
4004 Granny White Pike, Nashville, TN 37204
A lot of solo dining in Chicago - help me make a big list
Right on. I don't let the fact I'm dining solo influence my restaurant decisions - unless we're talking communal tables, which I loathe anyway so wouldn't have considered them in the first place.
I second Alinea. Clearly you're not afraid to spend your money for good food, and you can't do much better than Grant Atchaz' fare.
-----
Alinea
1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Spicy ice cream in Chicago?
The theme on this week's Best Thing I Ever Ate was "hot and spicy," and Esquire's food editor, Ryan D'Agostino, talked about a place called Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, OH, and their wonderfully spicy Queen City Cayenne ice cream (a nod to Cincy chili). After a little investigation, I learned that only the day before, The Goddess and Grocer stores had just brought on Jeni's to sell in their stores (the Bucktown location bragged 12 varieties, while the Gold Coast location only had four). Within 24 hours, I was loading up on Jeni's at GG's in Bucktown (don'tcha love this city?). Sadly, they carried neither the Queen City Cayenne nor the Thai Chili flavors. (And for those of you who will try Jeni's for yourselves, beware: at $12 a pint, they're not shy).
Anyone know where I might purchase some spicy ice cream to take home, be it grocer or sweet shoppe? I live in the loop, if that helps.
Visiting Chicago Easter Weekend with my wife...staying at the Hard Rock Hotel
There are two Irish bars relatively close to the Hard Rock Hotel - Fado ( www.fadoirishpub.com/chicago ) and Celtic Crossings ( www.celticcrossingschicago.com ).
first time Chicago
Looks like nsxtasy has put you on the right path.
I never miss an opportunity to mention Hot Doug's for an unusual experience.
http://hotdougs.com
Make sure you check out Today's Specials.
The line is out the door and around the corner on Saturdays, but that's part of the fun (chatting up your line-mates). Arrive in plenty of time, then shut the door at 4:00p.
Where to find the best mofongo?
I don't think I've ever been to a Puerto Rican restaurant, but I'm dying to try monfongo and am looking for recs. I saw there are a lot of restaurants to choose from on Division but not sure which restaurant is best - or maybe elsewhere?
Dinners in Chicago
That was my immediate thought too. Great food, great beer selection. Nicely done, lbs.
Best Chicago Seafood on a Budget?
Nice recs. I agree with most, except for Fulton's. Can't STAND that place.
Catch 35 is my absolute fav, with McCormick & Schmick's a close second (just a block or two from Catch 35 too). Can't go wrong with either place. Oceanique was also fantastic, but pricier than the aforementioned, if memory serves.
Favorite dishes for less than $10?
Sun Wah moved from Argyle to 5039 North Broadway a few months ago.
Need Chicago help - Montrealers coming for 2 days
I wouldn't exactly say More is downtown. Sugar Bliss is downtown (115 N. Wabash). More is way over on Delaware and State.
Toronto Foodies coming to NYC - Recs please
This out-of-towner has to chime in with the rest...
I HEARTILY recommend Gramercy Tavern. One of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had in my life. Ever. I've also had really wonderful meals and service at The Bar Room and EMP.
WD~50 is definitely in the "try it to try it" realm but pricey as hell. We spent half that at Gramercy and had twice the fun.
Babbo was great, but not you-must-try-it-before-you-die great. It can be skipped.
You must try Russ & Daughters. Katz' is good, but, again, you could skip it.
The Halal cart at 53rd and 6th is not to be missed, but you have to do it late at night for the full experience. And the hot sauce is HOT, fyi.
Oh, and a really nice surprise was when we stumbled upon BXL Cafe. Great selections of Belgian beers, soccer on the tube, and all you can eat mussels on Monday. 43rd between Broadway and 6th.
Have fun!
-----
Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011
Lunch on Southwest Side on a Sat.
How about Palermo's? Some of the best pizza on the South Side. 95th, a block west of Cicero. Or Vito and Nick's, 84th and Pulaski. Great pizza there too.
The Official Best Pizza in Chicago Thread
My pizza pics for each category I feel worth mentioning.
Deep dish: Art of Pizza, 3033 No. Ashland
Neapolitan: Spacca Napoli, 1769 West Sunnyside
Thin crust: Pat’s Pizza, 2679 No. Lincoln
Eclectic: Pizza D.O.C, 2251 West Lawrence
-----
Spacca Napoli
1769 W Sunnyside Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Art of Pizza
3033 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
SF CH report back on Chicago trip Oct 22-25, 2009 - long
Sorry, but I had to chime in with like sentiments. I've lived here all my life and never heard of many of the places you mentioned. Next time you visit, spend some time here on the Chicago board and we'll be happy to help you find restaurants that will knock your socks off. I spent a month researching on the NYC board before I made the trip and it was well worth the effort.
And for goodness sake, Navy Pier is definitely off limits to anyone who wants a memorable meal that is representative of Chicago fare!
Thin Crust Pizza in Chicago area seen on Food Network
Vito and Nick's is not at all difficult to get to. Orange line to Pulaski, then CTA bus (53A, I think) south to 83rd Street. Practically drops you right in front of the joint.
That's weird about the automatic links. I'm glad you explained it, because I thought the posters were adding their own, and the "podunk" Hinckley place would have made NO sense. :)
Terrace, I think you probably saw Vito and Nick's on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives last Monday. You've chosen well. Place is an institution on the South Side and has been around since I was a kid (I'm in my 40s now).
Have a great time!
Chicago eating trip
I'm a staunch devotee of Doug's, been going for years, but I have to say the duck fat fries aren't really much different from his regular fries. Don't get me wrong, they're delicious, but they're way overhyped.
Five days in NYC, and it's Gramercy Tavern by a landslide
Last year my mother treated my sister and me to a few days in NYC. We were lucky enough to dine both at The Bar Room at the Modern and EMP. We were so impressed with the service and food at both Meyer restaurants, I posted about it and then thanked Jason, the manager at the Bar Room, for a memorable dining experience. We suspected Jason called ahead of our arrival at EMP because the service we experienced was simply above and beyond anything we had ever experienced. And up until that point, EMP was the most impressive restaurant we had experienced, hands down. Service, food, atmosphere, and just genuine eagerness to please.
This year, mom brought sis and me to Manhattan again, this time for five days, and I was given carte blanche to make dinner reservations at restaurants I thought we’d enjoy. After a month of research on Chowhound, I chose Gramercy Tavern for the first night, then Keens, The Bar Room, Babbo, and WD~50. And once again, Danny Meyer’s restaurants rocked our culinary world.
We were 15-20 minutes late for our 7:30 pm reservation at Gramercy because I wrote down the wrong address and had the cab driver drop us at the wrong place. I called GT and was told "no problem, see you when you get here." Upon our arrival, we were greeted warmly and not made to feel like idiots for our faux pas. We were promptly seated.
Our server, Mike W., took care of us right away. He was affable and friendly and showed an interest in our NYC visit and how he could make our trip as memorable as possible. He also gave us some pointers on museums and cafes he thought would interest us and offered feedback regarding the restaurants we chose for the remainder of our stay.
We began with some lovely cocktails - I had the Rickshaw, sis had a glass of red, and mom had the Pineapple Painkiller (what she called the Killer Pineapple). Ahhhh, now to settle in for a feast.
First we were served an amuse bouche of a tomato gazpacho with summer melons, a carrot custard, and I believe some type of fish with a celery puree (I will be sorely lacking in description, as at that point I had been awake for approx 36 hours, so bear with me). Delicious is too tame a word.
For apps, mom had the lobster salad and I had the warm Maine crab (for the life of me, I can’t remember what sis had). While mom and sis’ apps were delightful, my Maine crab stole the show. Contrary to another poster’s gripe a few weeks ago about the crab being too small for four people to share, and despite the fact the apps aren’t meant for four people to share, we three shared each other’s apps with no problem. Everyone got more than a few forks into each dish.
Next Mike unexpectedly brought each of us a dish of the smoked trout. My sister is not a big fan of fish, but she ate every last morsel, as did mom and I. Fantastic.
For our main course, mom had crispy duck breast with duck confit, sis chose the chicken poussin with veggies that was on the list of specials, and I had the rack of lamb accompanied by chick pea fries. If I were on death row and had to choose a last meal, it would be a big ole plate of the chick pea fries. Oh, lord, they were heaven on earth. The lamb was tender and flavorful. Sis’ chicken was to die for - and every bite of vegetable, especially the tomatoes, made you want to savor each chew. The confit accompanying mom’s delicious duck was scrumptious, as was the meat of the entre.
Dessert was a trio of ice cream, one more satisfying than the next - mint, ginger, and chocolate coconut; and the warm and gooey chocolate bread pudding. We were also brought a trio of post-dessert dessert, equally mmmmmm-worthy. My cappuccino was out of this world.
Before we left, Jen, one of the managers at GT, visited our table, and she was so gracious in thanking us for enjoying her restaurant as much as we did and showing our appreciation for the fine service and food. She was genuinely pleased to be able to serve a group of people who were in such awe of the whole GT dining experience.
Our dinner at Gramercy Tavern was so outstanding, so jaw-dropping, I want to return immediately. From Chicago. Even if I have to turn around and go right home afterward. If that’s not a testament to how wonderful our experience was, I don’t know what is. And a three-headed nod to Michael Anthony, who delivered a meal comparable to almost none.
As for the other restaurants we visited while in town, Keens’ food was terrific but the service was horrible and the room, which was rather on the warm side, was so loud we had to practically shout at each other to be heard. The server abandoned us after taking our order - no check to ensure our meal was satisfactory or if we needed another cocktail. We had to flag him down for dessert menus (for which he never came back to take an order) and again to get our bill. Mom gave her leftovers from the surf and turf to a homeless guy while we enjoyed late-night ice cream in the middle of Broadway. He seemed really appreciative.
The Bar Room was just as we had experienced during our first trip to NYC. This time Kelly was our server, and she was fun, unrehearsed, and enthusiastic. Quinn, her helper (I wouldn’t say busboy by any stretch) was totally on the ball. The food was divine, as usual. The manager, Jason, remembered us from our visit last year and again ensured everything was to our satisfaction. He visits with our table and chats us up, and we really enjoy his company. Love them all at The Bar Room. And if I were a Manattanite, their bar would be my hang.
Babbo was pretty fantastic and their service close to impeccable. We opted to order several pasta dishes from the menu (in addition to other selections), and Susan, our server, was able to coordinate our meals perfectly.
While we enjoyed the whole experience of WD~50, and even though we knew the price tag of three tasting menus and two wine parings going in, the bill was...well, killer. I hope to never have to spend my mom’s money like that again. And I would have liked our server, Jake, to direct his dialog at my mother every once in a while, especially considering she was picking up the tab. I don’t think he looked at her once. Thankfully, there were other servers delivering meals to our table who did give mom equal face time. Unfortunately, Wylie Dufresne was out that night - but we forgive him. His wife had just given birth to their first kid.
After a visit to the Tenement Museum, we lunched on some sandwiches at Katz’ (the leftovers of which we made into several late-night snacks) and I also took back to our hotel a few lox/cream cheese bagels and chopped liver from at Russ and Daughters. The line as R&D was at least 20 mins, with good reason. What a gem! We also had some yummy pastry delights and lattes at the café in the Neue Museum (thanks for the rec, Mike!)
Thank you, Danny Meyer, for another culinary success story. You obviously give your staff reason to want to please your customers, because they do so with such aplomb. We will be back to NYC, if for no other reason than to dine at your exquisite restaurants. I almost pity my future dining excursions in Chicago (and everywhere else), as they will be measured by our meals at GT, EMP, and The Bar Room. The bar has clearly been set, at least in my mind.
Italian Beef - downtown
Another vote for Mr. Beef. I used to go to Al's a lot, but they fell out of favor with their prices, charging extra for giardiniere peppers (like, huh? that should be an automatic!), and the beef being overly shredded.
And believe it or not, Ronny's, on Clark & Lake (in the Thompson Center/State of Illinois building), has a decent one as well. Comes with lots of fries. And for approx. $6.75, it's a steal. Just don't let them put cheese on it. That's a no-no. Sandwiches served until 8p (although they're open until 10p) every day.
