Southern restaurants in Illinois
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A
Lawrence Fisheries
There’s not much to look at inside this 24-hour fish-and-chip joint, but the window at the end of the long dining room frames a stunning scene of the Willis Tower over the Chicago River. Not that you have much option but to stand agape once your order arrives – delicious treats like popcorn shrimp, oysters and fish and chips are stalwarts, but frog legs and scallops round out the menu of batter-crusted goodies from the sea. At night the parking lot outside of this typically family-oriented joint is a prime location for locals to sit on car hoods and shop for suspiciously current DVDs.
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B
Sweet Maple Cafe
The creaking floorboards, matronly staff and soulful home cookin’ lend the Sweet Maple Cafe the bucolic appeal of a Southern roadside diner. The signature dishes – inch-thick banana (or, seasonally, peaches and cream) pancakes, cheddar grits and fluffy, freshly baked biscuits that come smothered in spicy sausage gravy or as a part of a fried ‘Chick’n Egg and Cheeser’ – earn the superlatives of locals, but the egg dishes, sturdy muffins and lunch sandwiches are done with equal aplomb. If you only have time for one breakfast in the city, this is the place.
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C
Valois Cafeteria
It’s a mixed crowd at Valois. In fact, the clientele is so socioeconomically diverse that a U of C sociology professor wrote a well-known book about it, titled Slim’s Table. It seems hot, fast, Southern-style dishes like French toast, bacon, biscuits, pot pies and patty melts attract all kinds – even Barack Obama, who used to chow here regularly (enjoying steak and eggs, according to the sign at the counter). It’s a real-deal cafeteria, so know what you want before reaching the front of the fast-moving line. Cash only.
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D
Army & Lou’s
If you’ve never had soul food before, you’ve got to start at this warm and welcoming Chicago classic. It rises above the crowd of similar local establishments with its fried chicken, catfish, collard greens, sweet-potato pie and other classics at prices that are good for your soul. Don’t be surprised if you see a few famous black politicians, led by Jesse Jackson. And don’t be surprised if some white politicians show up for a photo op. You’ll need a car to get here.
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E
Feed
With red-checked tablecloths, a free-play jukebox piled with classic rock and country, and a menu of southern home cookin’, Feed has the chipper feel of a lost Hee Haw set. All the framed portraits of poultry allude to the house specialty – juicy, tender rotisserie chicken – but the sides, including hand-cut fries, corn pudding and mac ‘n’ cheese, are equally stellar. Bulging fruit pie and vanilla-wafer banana pudding follow for dessert. Cash only; BYOB.
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F
Dee’s Place
Not many places waft an ambience of 1950s Harlem jazz house meets Soul Train. Photos of musical greats hang on the walls, and a stage hosting live jazz, blues and poetry readings takes up half the small room. Oh, the food? It has soul too, as in fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, fried okra and jerk chicken, along with seafood gumbo on weekends. In summer there’s seating by the barbecue pit in the back garden. Dee’s is BYOB.
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G
Wishbone
They call it ‘Southern reconstruction cooking,’ which means such items as corn muffins, cheese grits, fried chicken, buttermilk rolls and crawfish patties top the tables. Wishbone sits a block from Oprah’s studio, and indeed it’s her kind of folksy, down-home, gravy-laden place. Wacky chicken and egg artwork splashes across the wall in the cavernous room, which was once a Goodyear Tire garage.
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