The Resto 100
New City magazine, one of many fine and free rags available in a dispenser on every street corner in our fair city just released their Resto 100 list of the 100 essential Chicago restaurants.
I've been to 24 of them, and my one-line comments on the ones I have been to are below:
Franco's: Great place to hit for an early dinner before Sox games.
Silver Cloud: Mmmmm. Tater tots.
Club Lucky: When my buddy Jeff got married back in 2000, we had his bachelor party dinner there. Wonder if the guys who planned it thought it was a strip joint.
Penang: Indian Spice+Chinese Meat=Malaysian Grub. Excellent.
Pasteur: Ate there on a date as a struggling CBOT clerk in 1997. Could barely afford the bill, not to mention the long ass cab ride to and from Andersonville.
Le Colonial: About as expensive as dinner and the cab ride to and from Pasteur. High silicone-laden talent level due to location on Rush Street.
Foodlife: Totally interactive food court experience. One of my mom's favorite places to go when she lived here.
NoMi: Got to eat there the week it opened. I felt so special.
Mia Francesca: All the "Francesca" eateries are outstanding...even the one in (gasp) Naperville.
Orange: Good for slightly froo-froo brunch, gotta love the juice bar. Pancake flights are fun.
Chicago Brauhaus: Oom pah pah! Oom pah pah! Closest thing around here to compare to the restaurants in Deutschland.
Pompeii: Still love them, even though they now call their pizzicatos (think calzone) "strudels."
Tufano's: Chicago's version of Artie Buco's. Perennial favorite in the Ilk household.
Berghoff: Even with the martini menu, still a favorite.
Lou Mitchell's: I'm local. We never have to stand in the sometimes hour-long line outside.
Big Bowl: Food is run of the mill, but their tiki drinks will knock you on your ass.
Cafe Iberico: Excellent tapas, and not that outrageously priced either.
Fogo De Chao: Ate there last year. My friend Heidi told me she hoped I got gout. Thanks, Heidi.
Pizzeria Uno/Due: The line at Due is usually shorter. Doesn't matter, since I prefer Malnati's.
Weber Grill: Proof everything tastes better over charcoal. Sorry Hank Hill, no propane (or propane accessories) here.
Manny's: Another one right in my 'hood. The corned beef sammich is a heart attack on a plate, but at least you'll head to the ICU smiling.
Marche: Ate there 3 nights in a row back in 1999 when Springsteen was in town and haven't been back since. Good food, but please lose the 'tude. I'm talking to you, waiter with the face tattoo and the manpurse.
Wishbone: No line privileges here, which is a shame since it's my favorite brunch in the city. Secret tip: they'll let you sit outside even if it's kinda cold. Wear a jacket and skip the crowds.
Mas: It's billed as Nuevo Mexican, but menu choices run to Cuba and Argentina too. Small portions, high prices, but good.
Smoke Daddy: Make sure you use wet naps. Linger fickin' good.
I suppose I should pick a few more off this list and try to hit them this year, but most of them are the style-over-substance minimalist places I so thoroughly despise.
New City magazine, one of many fine and free rags available in a dispenser on every street corner in our fair city just released their Resto 100 list of the 100 essential Chicago restaurants.
I've been to 24 of them, and my one-line comments on the ones I have been to are below:
Franco's: Great place to hit for an early dinner before Sox games.
Silver Cloud: Mmmmm. Tater tots.
Club Lucky: When my buddy Jeff got married back in 2000, we had his bachelor party dinner there. Wonder if the guys who planned it thought it was a strip joint.
Penang: Indian Spice+Chinese Meat=Malaysian Grub. Excellent.
Pasteur: Ate there on a date as a struggling CBOT clerk in 1997. Could barely afford the bill, not to mention the long ass cab ride to and from Andersonville.
Le Colonial: About as expensive as dinner and the cab ride to and from Pasteur. High silicone-laden talent level due to location on Rush Street.
Foodlife: Totally interactive food court experience. One of my mom's favorite places to go when she lived here.
NoMi: Got to eat there the week it opened. I felt so special.
Mia Francesca: All the "Francesca" eateries are outstanding...even the one in (gasp) Naperville.
Orange: Good for slightly froo-froo brunch, gotta love the juice bar. Pancake flights are fun.
Chicago Brauhaus: Oom pah pah! Oom pah pah! Closest thing around here to compare to the restaurants in Deutschland.
Pompeii: Still love them, even though they now call their pizzicatos (think calzone) "strudels."
Tufano's: Chicago's version of Artie Buco's. Perennial favorite in the Ilk household.
Berghoff: Even with the martini menu, still a favorite.
Lou Mitchell's: I'm local. We never have to stand in the sometimes hour-long line outside.
Big Bowl: Food is run of the mill, but their tiki drinks will knock you on your ass.
Cafe Iberico: Excellent tapas, and not that outrageously priced either.
Fogo De Chao: Ate there last year. My friend Heidi told me she hoped I got gout. Thanks, Heidi.
Pizzeria Uno/Due: The line at Due is usually shorter. Doesn't matter, since I prefer Malnati's.
Weber Grill: Proof everything tastes better over charcoal. Sorry Hank Hill, no propane (or propane accessories) here.
Manny's: Another one right in my 'hood. The corned beef sammich is a heart attack on a plate, but at least you'll head to the ICU smiling.
Marche: Ate there 3 nights in a row back in 1999 when Springsteen was in town and haven't been back since. Good food, but please lose the 'tude. I'm talking to you, waiter with the face tattoo and the manpurse.
Wishbone: No line privileges here, which is a shame since it's my favorite brunch in the city. Secret tip: they'll let you sit outside even if it's kinda cold. Wear a jacket and skip the crowds.
Mas: It's billed as Nuevo Mexican, but menu choices run to Cuba and Argentina too. Small portions, high prices, but good.
Smoke Daddy: Make sure you use wet naps. Linger fickin' good.
I suppose I should pick a few more off this list and try to hit them this year, but most of them are the style-over-substance minimalist places I so thoroughly despise.
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