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Chicago Dining

KennyRogersRoast

KennyRogersRoast

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I am looking for Chicago dining ideas. I have openings for one late night meal, two dinners, and a lunch. I love meat of all kinds, but pork and seafood are my favorites. I like to have dishes that are creative or that I have never had before. On the other hand, I also love simple if it is really top notch. The bottom line is that I do not want to go to Chicago to eat meals I could have just as well in dozens of other cities. I do not think that I can get a table at Alinea.

Any suggestions?
 
Loul Malnatis for pizza. Can't really help you anything else. Lotta chicago folk on here though, should be able to get some good recs.
 
Actually this is a post from Sloth yesterday when I mentioned Chicago...


If you're anywhere around Logan's Square, go to Kuma's Corner for a badass burger and hit up Longman & Eagle for a nightcap. They make some mean cocktails.

Try to get some coffee at Intelligentsia, bar hop in Wrigleyville for a bit, hit up Second City if you like improv, walk around Grant and Millenium Park, go to the Art Institute, take a train up to Evanston and hop around some of the neat shops (some decent record, vintage and comic stores out that way).

And snag some pizza and italian beef, The Art of Pizza in Lakeview is good stuff and any little corner deli with a Vienna Beef sticker will have a solid italian beef for you.
 
I can't go to Chicago without a trip to The Billy Goat. The original on lower Michigan.
 
Thanks. This is some good stuff. By the way, I did not realize they had a Joe's in Chicago.
 
had dinner at "The Girl and the Goat" when i was in chicago and it was fantastic, highly recommend
 
Hot Dougs for lunch, preferably on friday or saturday so you can get duck fat fries
 
Billy Goat's

Gibson's for steak, and actually I ate at Stetson's in the Hyatt on Wacker Dr and it was fantastic too.
 
Pizzaria Uno is overrated. There is equally-good Chicago-style pizza elsewhere without the 3 hour wait (I would recommend Gino's which is about 1 block away from Uno).

I also ate at Harry Carey's, which is right behind the "corncob towers". I know its a tourist trap, but the bar is excellent and their Italian food was some of the best I've ever had.
 
People have been raving about Publican lately, but I haven't been yet.

I'm a big fan of Graham Elliot's you want something a little experimental. Also David Burke's Primehouse if you are in the mood for a more interesting steakhouse experience.

Frontera Grill for some of the best Mexican you'll ever have. No reservations, so go about 5:30 p.m., and have some Margarita's for an hour or so before you're seated.

A place called Hot Chocolate for brunch/lunch in Bucktown -- one of the best burgers in the city, and also one of the best pastry chefs in the nation. There are some great restaurants in my Bucktown hood -- Coast is a great BYOB sushi place. Bristol is a cool little place with some weird food and desserts and great drinks -- one of the Top Chef Just Desserts contestants is the pastry chef there.

best pizza in Chicago is Malnatis or Pequods.
 
wake said:
Hot Dougs for lunch, preferably on friday or saturday so you can get duck fat fries
Click to expand...

Be prepared to wait a loooooong time though. Was there in June and was going to head over on a Saturday but called first just to see how long the line was. Two and a half hours. That is not an exaggeration either. Needless to say didn't go. :(
 
Scoozi is a fun place to go eat with a big group.
 
Shooshmoo said:
People have been raving about Publican lately, but I haven't been yet.

I'm a big fan of Graham Elliot's you want something a little experimental. Also David Burke's Primehouse if you are in the mood for a more interesting steakhouse experience.

Frontera Grill for some of the best Mexican you'll ever have. No reservations, so go about 5:30 p.m., and have some Margarita's for an hour or so before you're seated.

A place called Hot Chocolate for brunch/lunch in Bucktown -- one of the best burgers in the city, and also one of the best pastry chefs in the nation. There are some great restaurants in my Bucktown hood -- Coast is a great BYOB sushi place. Bristol is a cool little place with some weird food and desserts and great drinks -- one of the Top Chef Just Desserts contestants is the pastry chef there.

best pizza in Chicago is Malnatis or Pequods.
Click to expand...

I was going to ask specifically about the Publican, Avec, Blackbird trio all started by the same guy.

I've had Bayless before and I really loved him on Top Chef Masters. He seems nothing like his brother.
 
Instead of starting a new thread I figured I'd just revive this one. Headed to Chicago in a couple of weeks for 4 days/3 nights. We were thinking of Italian 1 night at either La Scarola or Topo Gigio. Is one any better than the other or is there another option(s)? Does anyone know anything about Bandera and where would you go for ribs?

Any suggestions on cool bars? We defs plan on hitting Longman & Eagle, Hopleaf, etc.
 
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