Restaurants in Great Lakes
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A
Maza
Romantic yet unpretentious, this Lebanese favorite even has menu items for couples, including the wide-ranging Maza Deluxe, a tasting of hot and cold appetizers that includes marinated meats and stuffed grape leaves, and the fanciful Maza’s Signature Entree, which offers a stuffed crown of lamb, served flambé. For a more platonic and less pricey experience, go with baked kibbeh (a traditional ball of cracked wheat, stuffed with spiced sirloin) or a broiled kebob. Afterwards, try the hearty Lebanese coffee and a slice of gooey homemade baklava. Be warned, the place can get packed on the weekends.
reviewed
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B
Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
After marching through the gothic hallows of the University of Chicago, the hodge-podge of rusting gas station signs and oddball Southern memorabilia at this Dixie eatery is an unassuming, homey delight – even if it feels a bit misplaced at the edge of an aging strip mall. Despite the name, there’s no fish food here, but service for humans starts with complimentary biscuits and mini loaves of cornbread. Start things on the right foot with fried green tomatoes, crawfish and cornbread fritters, or a cup of gumbo. For more quality southern fare, try an oyster po’boy or reliable country fried steak.
reviewed
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C
Publican
Set up like a swanky beer hall, Publican specializes in oysters, hams and fine suds – all from small family farms and microbrewers.
reviewed
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Great Lake
Hard to believe all the excitement this wee storefront generates, as it sits unobtrusively next to a shoe repair shop and barbershop. But everyone from GQ to Rachel Ray to the New York Times has crowned it the nation’s best pizza maker. The perfectionist couple that owns Great Lake typically offers three pizza types per day using house-made mozzarella, house-ground sausage and small-farm produce atop a charred, chewy, between-thick-and-thin crust. There are just 12 seats, and no reservations – which explains the long lines and testy attitudes. This is indeed slowww food.
reviewed
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E
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.
reviewed
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F
Bonsoiree
It started as an underground supper club for foodies, and Saturdays are still an invitation-only event (go to the website to get on the mailing list). Otherwise, dinner at Bonsoiree is a leisurely multicourse affair where the chefs whip up a set of inspired comfort foods (often with a Japanese bent) using seasonal ingredients. It’s unusually casual for such fine dining, right up to being BYOB (though if you ask in advance they’ll pair wine for you from a nearby shop). No Menu Sundays cost less, and are made from whatever the chefs pick up at the Logan Square farmers’ market that day.
reviewed
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G
Kuma’s Corner
Ridiculously busy and head-bangingly loud, Kuma’s attracts the tattooed set for its monster 10oz burgers, each named fora heavy-metal band and hefted onto a pretzel-roll bun. The results can be straightforward (Black Sabbath comes blackened with chili and pepper jack), esoteric (Led Zeppelin is piled with pulled pork, bacon, cheddar and pickles) or whimsical (Judas Priest has bacon, blue cheese, fruit and nuts). There’s a mac ’n’ cheese menu for vegetarians, and beer and bourbon for all. Be warned: on winter days there’s no outside seating, so the prime-time wait can be two hours.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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Aloha Eats
From musubis (rice rolls wrapped in seaweed) to saimin (egg noodle soup) to katsus (breaded cutlets), it’s all about whopping portions of Hawaiian food here. Spam, aka ‘the Hawaiian steak,’ is the main ingredient in many dishes, including the popular Loco Moco (meat, fried eggs and brown gravy atop rice). Macaroni or fries always arrive on the side. The massive menu includes several tofu and fish options for those watching their girlish figures. The bright-yellow interior and island dishes soothe especially well in winter.
reviewed
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Signature Room at the 95th
Given that diners spend most of the meal gaping at the soul-stirring views, you’d think the kitchen atop the Hancock wouldn’t trouble itself with the food, but the chef does a fine job with the fish, steak and pasta dishes, many of which have a seasonal twist. The lunch buffet ($20, served Monday to Saturday) is the best deal for the view, since the price isn’t much more than a foodless ticket to the observation deck. Cheapskates should note they can get the same vista for the price of a (costly) beer, one flight up in the Signature Lounge.
reviewed
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K
Pasticceria Natalina
A bright green awning announces the little bakery of Natalie and Nick Zarzour, who achieve the most authentic Italian sweets in the city by importing the hard-to-find ingredients (including pistachios, rosewater and Sicilian sheep’s milk ricotta) from the motherland. The creations change daily, though all are made with unfailing attentiveness. The luckiest visitors pick up cassata, a Sicilian liqueur-soaked cake filled with sweet ricotta cream, and a box of old-fashioned Sicilian lemon cookies – bites of buttery, crumbly goodness.
reviewed
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Smoque
- Chicago, USA
- Restaurants › Bbq
This squeaky-clean, family-friendly barbecue joint is all about slow-cooked meats. The baby-back and St Louis–style ribs are what line ’em up: they’re smoked over oak and applewood and soaked in a tangy, slightly sweet sauce. The brisket and pulled pork aren’t far behind in making carnivores swoon (including Guy Fieri, who featured it on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ). Brisket-flecked baked beans, cornmeal-crusted mac ’n’ cheese, freshly cut fries, citrusy coleslaw and peach cobbler round out the trim menu. BYOB.
reviewed
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May May Gourmet Food Inc
Ask a Chinatown local for the most authentic meal in the neighborhood and you’ll invariably be directed down a side street to the green-painted exterior of this windowless café, also referred to simply as ‘Gourmet Restaurant.’ Don’t be put off; what it lacks in decor – which is considerable – is made up with the freshness of their made-to-order Cantonese dishes. Expect some degree of language barrier, easily overcome by pointing to the delicious-looking dish on the table next to you.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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Piece
The thin flour-dusted crust of ‘New Haven–style’ pizza at this spacious Wicker Park microbrewery offers a welcome reprieve from the city’s omnipresent deep-dish. The best is the white variety – a sauceless pie dressed simply in olive oil, garlic and mozzarella – which makes a clean pairing with brewer Jon Cutler’s award-winning beer. The easygoing, sky-lit ambience changes after dark, when ball games beam down from ubiquitous flat screens, an occasional band plugs in, and the 30-something patrons get a bit more boisterous.
reviewed
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Gage
- Chicago, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
It’s clear from the formidable Scotch egg – a sausage-encased, deep-fried, hard-boiled beast with the girth of a softball – that this elegant, Irish-tinged gastro pub is serious about its menu. Standards include the Camembert-topped Gage burger ($16, but worth it) and Guinness-battered fish and chips, while more exotic options include roast saddle of elk and barbecue lamb shanks. Ask the knowledgeable servers which beers from the well-curated list best accompany your food. Note the bar stays open later, usually until 2am.
reviewed
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Q
Cold Comforts Café
Sure, Cold Comforts does begrudgingly cater to unadventurous souls with smoked turkey, and ham and cheese, but the magic in their nearly 50 choices are the ones that push boring deli definitions to the limit. With one called ‘Who Is Che Guevara?’ (a hot turkey pastrami, feta, tomato and spinach delight on ciabatta) or the amazing ‘Torta de Kosher Salchicha, ’ (strips of kosher dogs, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella and chipotle sauce), they’re easily Wicker Park’s most creative deli.
reviewed
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Nuevo Leon
Tour buses line up, disgorging dozens of gringo tourists to sample the famed cuisine of Pilsen’s most celebrated restaurant. Sounds horrible, right? Wrong. This huge place is a well-deserved tour stop, and tourists are well outnumbered by the Latino families who fill the tables. Outstanding tacos, tamales and enchiladas are available, though the dish most likely to blow any meat eater’s taste buds is the assado de puerco – tender roast pork served with homemade flour tortillas. The breakfast is also excellent.
reviewed
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Wiener's Circle
As famous for its unruly, foul-mouthed ambience as its char-dogs and cheddar fries, the Wiener Circle is the place for late-night munchies. It helps to be shnockered before entering.
reviewed
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T
Fox & Obel’s
A short stroll from Navy Pier, this bustling café has a boon of options for those looking to avoid dodgy, overpriced carnival food. Early in the day, the egg dishes are excellent; later, try sandwich options ranging from upscale (roast beef and blue brie) to classic (grilled cheese), or one of the well-executed comfort-centric large plate options, like the roasted salmon over succotash. If you can’t find anything you like, the adjoining store is packed with supplies for an idyllic picnic on the pier.
reviewed
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Xoco
Next door to Frontera Grill, crunch into warm churros (spiraled dough fritters) for breakfast, meaty tortas (sandwiches) for lunch and rich caldos (soups) for dinner at Rick Bayless' Mexican street-food joint.
reviewed
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Kaze Sushi
The most refined option on the Roscoe St strip, Kaze’s Tuesday night tasting menu features their signature specialties: inventive sushi and Japanese dishes with a French inflection. The seasonal menu has much to offer in the way of large plates, though sushi aficionados will delight in the creative rolls – like the Blue Fin tuna dressed with pickled onions, burdock root, chives and truffle oil – and simple nigiri cuts, ideal to accent with the house-made soy sauce.
reviewed
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Wan Shi Da Bakery
Offering the best, and cheapest à la carte lunch in Chinatown, this bright little bakery has fluffy barbecue pork buns, hot-dog buns (a Chinese variation on the pig in a blanket), bite-sized egg custards, coconut and winter-melon pastries and some dim sum fare. It’s available to go, or to scarf down by the handful at the no-frills tables in the back. The more weather-beaten sister bakery across the street, Chiu Quon Bakery, has a nearly identical menu and more tourist foot traffic. Cash only.
reviewed
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Hai Yen
Many of the dishes at this warm Argyle St eatery require some assembly, pairing shrimp, beef or squid with rice crepes, mint, Thai basil and lettuce. For an appetizer, try the goi cuon, fresh rolls of vermicelli rice noodles along with shrimp, pork and carrots. The bo bay mon consists of seven (yes, seven) different kinds of beef. Order sparingly, or ask for some help from your server – like the bo bay mon, many of the dishes are large enough to feed an army.
reviewed
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Y
Hoosier Mama Pie Company
There’s a statistic out there saying one out of five people have eaten an entire pie solo. Hoosier Mama is your place to do it. Pastry chef Paula Haney hand rolls and crimps her dough, then plumps it with fruit or creamy fillings. Favorites include the fat banana cream, chocolate chess (nicknamed the ‘brownie pie’) and classic apple (flavored with Chinese five-spice powder). Fridays she offers a pie ‘flight’ (three small slices for $8). Seating is limited in the itty-bitty storefront.
reviewed