Being from Wisconsin and also being loyal to the the state's professional football team, I found it a bit uneasy stepping inside Mike Ditka's restaurant. However, it was tempting given the rave reviews we have heard about the place.
Ginza is around the corner from my office and I've mentioned it here before (and here) and I know udon is kind of pedestrian but recovering from an illness sucks, especially the first day back to the office. What better way to temper the unbearable congestedness of being than with a steaming bowl of soup. Especially when you get the red pepper powder container to liven up the proposition. I went with the tempura udon. It's a nice bowl where they toss in tempura shrimp, potato and eggplant, right into the soup. It does get soggy but I've gotten used to it. I do ask for a side plate and take them out ASAP. That breading comes off completely otherwise. It hit the spot and I did start to hanker for some salmon, so I left before I could rack up that bill.
The additional fact that you automatically get a cup of green tea in lieu of water is another reason for the infirm to enjoy.
Better late than never, right? My first trip to Aigre Doux and why not get a prix fixe. I'd say upfront that
it's not generally a good way to evaluate a place. That said I had a very good meal and even though we were a fairly large group up against the back kitchen-wall, I did find the place to be nice and comfy. Then again it could have been the girl drinks.
The other thing to note is that 3 cosmos has the tendency to make any night a remarkable night. The menu option of braised spare ribs made any decision a formality. I've been on a braised meat kick lately and was excited. The haricot vert was a great starter... what better to go with a cocktail. Technicolor.
Looking around for reservations resulted in menus that seemed good to great. For some reason I went into Primehouse expecting one steak option and, I dunno, some fish and pasta options. The menu was fantastic. A choice between a bone-in filet and a Delmonico ribeye or Shrimp... sweet! The appetizer choices of a cold seafood plate– two shrimp and two oysters was terrific and the lobster bisque with a large lobster tempura crisp was consumed so quickly I didn't get a chance to even ask for a taste.
Though we've never been, for Valentine’s Day my wife and I went to Carnivale as it's had received good reviews. When we walked in right away we felt the place was over the top, yet awe-inspiring with generous use of primary colors, high ceilings, Cuban music, and lots of energy. Coming in there was someone handing out free samples of Spanish olives. Carnivale is mostly pan-Latin but does throw in Spanish dishes like manchengo and zamarano cheese as well as the ever-tasty jamon Iberico. The other thing we noticed was the people patronizing the establishment, were very eclectic and perhaps not a typical West Loop club crowd.
Continue reading "Carnivale: Pan Latin Food in a Theatrical Setting" »
Though a chain, Elephant and Castle is purportedly an English pub, and a good one at that. Though it is very difficult to immitate a pub that's been around for 400 years, and it may not be worth trying, Elephant and Castle's now-third location at North Wabash does a wonderful job giving the pub atmosphere, perhaps better than their Huron St. location. Fast expansion, as chains are prone to do, may put it at risk of not staying cool, but for now there aren't many places downtown that do a better job as an English pub.
Continue reading "Elephant & Castle: Proper British Pub Grub" »
It has been almost a year ago since I had reviewed Cru Wine Bar. I love wine bars, and the fact that it is in the Gold Coast makes it an instant plus, especially since it is near one of our condo's. With my wife's coupon in hand we decided to taste a couple dishes.
The first server nearly scared us off. When my wife asked about what type of crab was in the crab and artichoke gratin, she barked "it's crab." Her series of short answers almost caused us to walk out. No hard feelings, of course, just that we made a bad decision. Luckily she didn't serve us, and another person came, and she was more pleasant to deal with.
One of my favorite haunts, Bistrot Zinc, changes its core menu once a month. And with frequent $25 off coupons in the mail I come back quite often..and order the wine. And appetizers. And dessert. And get a good meal for two for $60 after the discount, not including tip.
This month I'm pleased to announce the rognons on the menu, called Rognons de Veau à la Sauce Moutarde. Not knowing much French I understood veau but had to ask what rognons were, and much to my delight they were...
Continue reading "Bistrot Zinc: My Offal Meal This Past Weekend" »
Aigre Doux or Don't. I say do. My girlfriends and I were seated at a table near the kitchen which gave us a chance to see the entire restaurant; the décor was nice but my friend said not much had changed from its days as Pili Pili. I did appreciate the very pretty arrangements of fresh flowers on all the tables.
One reason I enjoyed Aigre Doux is their assistance with the wine. We were a group of five planning on eating everything from fish to lamb and were wanting a wine other than Pinot Noir. I suggested a bottle but asked our waitress for assistance. She conferred with her counterparts and came back suggesting a more appropriate, lower price wine. How often does that happen? We ordered multiple bottles.
Now that it's cold it's time for soup. I was walking back from a haircut and went in thinking Tom Yum and ended up at Quang Noodle getting chicken Pho. $6.95 gets you a very large steaming bowl of noodles, chicken, chilies, cilantro, sprouts and wonderful clear broth that has just enough heat to last on your lips for an hour and keep your core warm for a 4 block walk. It didn't do anything for my gloveless fingertips.
The menu has been changed but in font and paper-stock only. You can still get a great Curry Rice and Gomae. They were cutting up this tuna while I was there having lunch and I took this picture. This is just a tiny part of the beautiful fish he was carving up.
Here's a link to the previous trip there.
Ginza Fish
19 E. Ohio St.
I always wonder whether or not to write about places like Blackbird. It's a Chicago mainstay. Everyone knows about it. But having eaten there recently it would be a shame not to wallow in the near-perfection of the restaurant. Even sitting at the bar, I had a terrific dinner.
The bar location means sitting on tall hard wooden chairs versus the short wooden chairs at the regular tables. Neither are cushioned (boy, do I need special treatment) so it's not really an issue. However service is not the same. If you want constant attention get a table.
It's on Randolph and the decor is very formal and clean – definitely not homey or casual. The appetizers I tried included the scallops, quail and sweetbreads.
The scallops were perfect with and eggplant puree was a nice way to include a dense pseudo-starch where I might expect a potato-type thing in an entrée. The scotch quail and egg was also terrific. I had the quail app at Custom House 2 nights before and while I enjoyed Custom House's more it was also the best part of my Custom House meal.
The sweetbreads were cooked twice, finished in the pan with
a crispy dusting. The earthy beets were a perfect combo. Considering
the foie gras ban - sweetbreads are really the next best thing. Pictured are Kahan's passed sweetbread appetizers from a benefit dinner with Mario Batali.
(I think those were the sweetbreads)
I’m a Thai food junkie and Chicago is just the place to fuel that addiction. I’m sure you could go to a different Thai restaurant every day for at leas a year, that’s how many Thai restaurants there are in the city. One place in particular that I have passed quite often but had never been in was Vong’s Thai Kitchen. I think I’ve always stayed away because it is a Lettuce Entertain You restaurant and the prices are much higher compared to authentic Thai restaurants – entrees are around $15.00 versus noodle and rice dishes under $10.00 at most places. That being said I decided to give it a try for lunch.
Last month I wound up eating at the same restaurant two Saturdays in a row. It’s not hard to do when you’re in the same neighborhood twice and see a favorite restaurant staring you in the face. That place happens to be Avec on Randolph. Not the type of place to go if you want privacy (you share tables with strangers), but in my book that’s a good thing, especially if the strangers next to you offer to share their food.
Ashkenaz, a Jewish delicatessen on Cedar Street, is either an oxymoron or an anachronism in the Gold Coast, a neighborhood populated with chain restaurants, overpriced restaurants, nightclubs drawing a suburban clientele, and a scant few charming neighborhood places. Ashkenaz is the type of place where the staff seldom changes and the regulars therefore know the staff, so it definitely has a neighborhood feel.
These past two weeks have been a gastric-dream. It definitely would mark the end of my New Year's Resolution had it anything to do with diet. Between December and January I have indulged in enough meals to go toe-to-toe with the fromager at Cityzen in D.C. who apparently toured Chicago's acclaimed restaurants- from Alinea to Trotter's to Tru in about 3 days. What's funny is that some real special flavors, at least as far as I can tell in Chicago, live in the smaller out of the way places where, on that budget, you could eat for months instead of one night. That is where you want to be. That takes some work beyond reading Gourmet's top whatever lists...
But what makes any gourmet (Gourmet or otherwise) food tour interesting is that there becomes a context that's 90% of the time otherwise missing. That's why Alinea really bothered me and I wasn't sure why. It was out of context or I was out of context. It wasn't the price and it wasn't that I was full or not full. But after several wonderful meals out I think I am beginning to understand Alinea and what makes it so special.
I went through a phase where I was eating lunch at OYSY often. Then I had a bad super-white-tuna lunch special that really didn't sit well. I figured it was an unlucky meal but hadn't gone back since.
Roughly 6 months later I was wandering around looking for lunch and figured I'd try it again. I was part in the mood for sushi and part wondering whether I'd been just unlucky that once and since I hadn't mentioned that meal here I figured this time, I'd mention my lunch.
The first restaurant reviewed on Chicago Foodies was Frontera Grill. I chose it subconsciously. It was a good place that I'd been to many times. Bayless is the periodic James Beard award winner for cooking, recipe books or television programs... so it was a very logical choice for my subconscious.
However the adjoining restaurant that shares the kitchen is Topolobampo, Bayless's high-end restaurant. It was a place I'd just never thought to visit. Why should I? Frontera has great margaritas, wonderful appetizers, a diverse and hearty list of entrees and a great atmosphere. Why mess with a good thing? Well the occasion came when I had a special lunch to take and why not. Frontera plussed up sounds pretty good.
Everyone complains that there's no good ethnic food downtown. RIght on Ohio, just off of Michigan, amidst Uno's, new concept restaurants and chains-chains-chains there are a couple gems. Every now and then I come across a place that surprises me. I went to Ginza for lunch Monday and loved it but I loved it so much that I had to go back. I mean, chicken katsu and gomae... with miso and green tea... under $10? I'll give it another shot to see if it was really that good.
It is. Shame on me for posting ad nauseum about Oysy. I've been doing a disservice by my ignorance of Ginza Fish.
There is one word that, to me, best describes Fogo de Chao and that word is ridiculous. I still can't get over the idea that people will pay 50 bucks price fix (OK, 48.50 to be exact but that's not including drinks, desert, tax or tip) so lets say really 80 bucks for all you can eat meat off of a stick. I know I can't eat that much meat. Maybe most people can. Maybe that's why the place was mobbed. Or maybe, like me, they just had to see it for themselves.
I agreed to go on a Friday night for a friend's birthday. He had been to the chain concept before and had very much enjoyed the gluttony of it all. The place itself is large, cold and pretty. It reminded me of Vegas, over the top but expertly done. Everything was well orchestrated with impeccable service. You never had to ask for a thing.
First there was Uno. Now it's "Uno Chicago Grill." When I was a kid I remember loving dinners at Uno. The walk down to the eating area, the scratched up tables... the pizza. Then I left town and reminisced for many years. Imagine my surprise one day, in Madison Wisconsin, seeing on the corner an Uno's. I dragged my then girlfriend inside. Oops. The long and the short is that it wasn't Pizzeria Uno. It was an Edwardo's or a Gino's or a Giordano's or a _____. It was not an Uno. It's part of the reason I won't recommend any place other than Unos or Dues on Wabash and Ohio... Looking at their website... www.unos.com I cringe at the language:
"The new Uno Chicago Grill menu, introduced in fall 2005, offers hip and intense new tastes that are built on Uno's history of artisanal fare."
What? The place made freakin Pizza. It wasn't an Italian gourmet restaurant. There were no wood burning ovens, no artisianal ingredients. Mozzarella. Tomatoes... a handcrafted bread we all call "crust."
Right next to Blackbird, the big brother (or sugar daddy) of Avec, is a simple rectangular restaurant that seems to want to stress form over function. The 1-room has a row of tables running the length of one half of the restaurant and a bar/counter and kitchen along the other. It looks like something out of Dwell magazine. The irony is that the food is fairly complicated with a traditional grounding. While the food fattens your ass, the stool will flatten it.
And the food is good. The menu is an assortment of small plates, that
aren't too small, and large plates that we didn't try. When you get
knee-deep into the menu you might also have the desire for variety.
Dishes like the crispy duck confit with blood oranges in a blood orange
vinaigrette and crispy short ribs with red peppers, cilantro, red onion
and harissa aioli were ones that, as I left, I wish I tried.
As my anniversary approaches, and I won't mention which one, I was reminded of a truly special Chicago secret restaurant. In the back of one of the Jeweler's malls on Wabash, behind the stalls of alternately pushy and/or completely distant salespeople, is a group of tables and a middle eastern lunch-counter. I was originally looking for an engagement ring and was distracted by falafel and chicken shwarma pita sandwiches. This time I'm spending less on jewelery so I figured I'd splurge and get the lamb special.
This place reminds me a bit of Pee Wee's Big Adventure where a fortune teller informs Pee Wee that his bike is in the Alamo.... in the basement. While it's not in the basement, the Oasis Cafe is in the 'way-back' of the Wabash Jeweler's Mall...
Right across the street from Ghiradelli's is now The Hershey's Store. I didn't know what to expect when I took a look inside but boy was I disappointed.
I don't have kids though the promise of chocolate is an obsessive diversion for most people. A little girl was the center of attention in the small store as she was urged to shout "I love chocolate!" Upon doing so she was rewarded with a loud rumbling and several fistfulls of candies were sent spinning down an apparatus and into a bucket which was sealed and sold to the little girl's mom.
Eddy is from Vegas and he's bored. So what do you do? Bring nyotaimori to Chicago... Hell, it worked in Vegas.
What better way to compete with the foie gras legal hullabaloo than a good old fashioned naked lady.
Nyotaimori is Japanese sushi presentation on the torso of a naked lady (covered with strategically placed items - so not really nude in the "nude" sense of the word). Though it is, as far as Wikipedia says, not a royal custom but one "generally associated with prostitution and the Yakuza... "
Needless to say, it sounds like damn good business. And, since I promised to head back to Kizoku for dinner, I brought my camera...
The $500 body sushi "all you can eat" is served in the lounge. Meals run about an hour and a half. As it's a pretty dark room, I got some shots and went back to the dining room to eat.
It seems like the body-thing is getting them lots of press. People should be glad that the restaurant is actually quite good and will likely gain some loyal customers.
It's a movable feast that undoubtably started in Africa, and came to the corner of Dearborn and Erie via Bolat on north Clark. The shiny truck serves cabbies, mostly, from 10:30am to 3pm. There was a line around 1pm and until I got lunch back to the office I was unsure what I was about to eat.
My big complaint is that there is nowhere to eat downtown. Given that Monday night I wanted to watch the game with a buddy and the ESPN Zone was giving away $10 worth of game tokens I figured why not. I had a taste for the fried. So going in with low expectations I was amazed how much further down reality sunk.
One might think that even if the food was lousy the game would be the main event, right? If you are one of the lucky 30 or so to get the "good seats" on the second floor you might have been able to watch the show in comfort. But relegated to the first floor and the standard wooden, unpadded, spartan chairs and stuck facing non-hd rear projection televisions that neither my wife, nor I, would allow in my house we realized the cruel joke was on us. The several dozen hanging TVs in the first floor restaurant were also not only standard def but not even flat screen CRTs. You may ask why this is sounding like a commercial for Best Buy...? Well we certainly weren't there for the food...
That's right. I went to the hospital for lunch. They have a mega cafeteria with almost everything you could want. Mac and Cheese, variations of fried potatoes - and unfried potatoes. Hamburgers, hot dogs, slaws and salads, soups, chilis, sandwiches, fruit, veggies, cereals, etc. The really nice thing is the dietary info is right there as you decide between the fried tato wedges and broccoli... I got the broccoli and splurged with the wild rice.
Continue reading "Northwestern Memorial Hospital Cafeteria" »
After the francheezie I figured I would take it easy at lunch and go to Karyn's Cooked, a vegan restaurant and sister of Karyn's Bistro. It's billed as "conscious comfort food." The idea of a large steaming bowl of macrobiotic is not really that comforting to me. Especially having to walk past Fogo De Chao en route, Luckily that wasn't what I got.
I confess when I go to a vegetarian restaurant and see items that try to be the veggie-version of something I tend to cringe. Karyn's offers spaghetti and meatballs, a slab of ribs, and a steak sandwich. I was just glad they didn't italicize the faux part of the item.
" Osteria Via Stato embraces the lifestyle of Italian dining..." from the "Lettuce Entertain You" website.
Without getting into the whole restaurant chain vs. traditional Italian lifestyle thing I'll just say it does this gobs better than the Olive Garden.
I wanted a nice lunch and have been curious about Osteria and their fixed price lunch. The price on it has dropped from $19 to $15 which with tax and tip ends up being $20... If you can rationalize $20 for lunch it's money well spent.
As usual around 1:20 I start regretting not having eaten already. Also at this time I start losing the ability to rationally decide on a lunch solution. I went to the cafeteria and passed on the options there. I weighed going to Silver Spoon again or the food court at 700 N. Michigan. Instead I decided to be adventerous and walk west... and see what would happen.
I saw Thai Star at the corner of State and Erie and also Bijan's Bistro and figured I'd try Thai Star and save a buck or two but as I got closer I noticed they were closed.... Decision made.
The first time at Kizoku I stuck to their salmon variations to good effect...
This time I decided against a jaunt down to Chinatown in favor of a quick, albeit more expensive, bite of raw fish. The choice actually was made at the front door. With Chilpancingo five steps away I was thinking hard. The banner's promise of a new lunch menu for Kizoku sealed the deal. It's news. They have a lunch menu.
Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli has been a personal favorite of mine since I moved to Chicago. Located amongst a rather undescript collection of clothing stores, tailors and small strip centers, its also home of some of the best deli food in the city.
When you walk into Manny's, you know immediately you're not in any old regular Chicago deli or coffee shop. The menu items are familiar, but the place is an 'old-school' cafeteria where you get in line, grab a tray, maybe some silverware and proceed. Only open mornings and afternoons, I prefer heading there for lunch. They do have a full breakfast menu too, but its the deli items -- sandwiches in particular -- that have kept this joint in business for more than 60 years.
Continue reading "Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli -- A Chicago Legend" »
One of the best things about Chicago is the diversity of foods. For a city that get's labelled "a big small town" I would say Chicago gives any city a run for their money when it comes to authentic ethnic. From Korean to Peruvian a true Taste of Chicago would need to embrace these qualities. Instead we get a Six Flaggs style Taste of Chicago.
Like it or not it is a chance to see ex-Chicago Bears and eat mall-food out in the heat with the midwest's best and sweatiest. If you work downtown a late lunch is the least painful way to walk through "Taste".
And you might as well get the fried foods. It's best suited to the type of venue and you are likely to find a variety... and besides how many Italian Beef sammies and slices of pizza can you eat?
Here's a link to a good map of layout and restaurants represented.
and if you aren't into the fried food...
Dinner for 10 bucks is a good deal anywhere but when its a couple of entrees from Arun's it's a sweeter (and spicier) deal.
After work I get a call, "There's a thai thing going on at Daley Plaza... Arun's has a booth..." Even if I wasn't 2 blocks away I'd have made the effort.
Considering my annual intake of Thai food it's shocking that I have yet to eat at Arun's. They are annually included as one of the top restaurants in Chicago, my friends love it and it's on the north side. I have no excuse.
I've been to at least a half dozen different Lettuce Entertain You restaurants and I must say, I've never had a bad meal, execpt for Maggiano's, which isn't necessarily bad but extremely glutonus and in my opinion a "chain" restuarant, which I don't do. No matter which one it is, the atmosphere is always enjoyable, the service always helpful and the meal, always good. Not great. I'd never say great, but then again I haven't been to Tru or Everest.
Chicago isn't New York. I'm only bringing it up because I have some delusions, harkening back to the 30s or the 50s where I picture long martini lunches, where the 75 year old man in the corner isn't whiling away his social security and instead is taking his sweet time because he owns wherever it is he works. Where Chicago is the place they set those half-assed New Yorkers straight.
My reality was Ditka's, where the fantastic Crab bisque has little to do with the quantity-oriented tendencies of the wise-guy Chicagoan. I miss those smaller upper west side restaurants where taking lunch or dinner in the bar is an all day event or those big mid-town and downtown spots where it's more of the same.
RL is compensating for this... please disregard the plaid pants...
....and madras.
Continue reading "Ralph Lauren for Lunch... Preppies Unite!" »
1:30 rolled around and I was still looking to eat lunch. The window was closing and it had to be relatively quick. Lawry's is the closest restaurant and their lunch special sounded promising. BBQ Beef sandwich for $6.
It's big. It's on a kaiser roll and it's good. I snagged a chocolate and white chocolate chip cookie and sat down in the back room. The table is set with homemade potato chips that everyone seems to love more than I do.
As a "Broadway in Chicago" season ticket holder, I've tried to get a reservation at 312 at least a half dozen times. As the Chicago theater scene is booming, the restaurant scene in that area is not, and I've walked in circles around Randolph for hours trying to find someplace that is actually open after 6pm.
Consequently, I've given up the search and have been frequenting the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields and have been pretty satisfied with their service and prices yet the food is somewhat pedestrian, making me long for something new. So again, walking in circles around Randolph we decided to try 312 and foolishly asked for a table for two.
L'Appetito, 30 E. Huron St. is an Italian deli with indoor and outdoor seating and some grocery items as well. It's a couple blocks west of Michigan Ave and they will make you whatever you want. They have a great selection of meats and cheeses (with emphasis on Italian products) as well as tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salad, etc.
Their sandwiches (subs, etc) run large, except the slim tostinos, and the man in front of me ordered a half of one. I took his lead with a 1/2 a muffalatta but was given a whole. It was $6.50 and enormous.
I've been to Silver Spoon (conveniently, one block west of Michigan Avenue at the 700 block) once before, after work and before a movie when a hungry (which means generally poor) decision took the reins. Luckily this is the sister location of Spoon Thai up north (4608 N. Western). Another restaurant I have yet to try... It gets high marks from Thai fans so this could be an initiation to the Spoon Thai experience.
This time I was going for the lunch deal and a $6.95 lunch special downtown is nothing to sneeze at either. Especially when the alternative is Taco Bell at the 8th floor food court across the street. The sign indicated soup, appetizer and an entree.
I was at Cru once before for a glass of wine late one afternoon while waiting for someone or something... it was a while ago. It was good. They had a variety and the place was comfortable even while empty. I was still expecting a nice wine bar that fit with the surroundings and had the chops to sport the name Cru.
This time the place was crowded and we sat off of our large group of about 12 and ordered flights of Riesling and a cheese plate. The Riesling decision came after my wife arrived in time to stop an order for a half bottle of Proseco that on seeing I immediately regretted ordering. It was that bowling pin shaped bottle with the yellow P that, while I've had it and it's good, I know I could get at virtually any wine store in the state. I looked at the Riesling list and said sure... Washington state Rieslings would be a light and fruity simple solution for a pre-dinner quaff (HA - pre-dinner quaff!! Shoot me now!).
When I first heard about Oysy (Oh-eee-she) Sushi I though, great, just what we need in downtown Chicago, another sushi restaurant. Seriously, we really desperately need another sushi restaurant downtown. For some odd reason the downtown area is void of all the worldly food options available around the city.
Instead, we suffer through expensive sandwich and burger places, not too mention all the chain restaurants that keep opening up. Eating lunch downtown has pricey but boring for some time. And sure, there are some sushi bars to choose from, like the basement of Benihana for inexpensive yet questionable sushi, or the beautifully remodeled Kamachi, with pretty decent sushi, but not great, if you want to pay $40 for lunch.
I was walking past Kizoku, 358 W. Ontario, with some time to spare and pretty much went in for a flight of salmon. On their menu they offer Scottish smoked salmon, marinated soy salmon and fresh salmon. Figured it would be a simple snack.
The restaurant is large but at 4:30 on a Friday it was me and two others at a large circular sushi bar. The waitstaff was helpful and the sushi chefs were prompt. They offer a diverse selection of rolls and a comprehensive list of fish. The place is typical-fancy for that part of Ontario and, without a crowd, impossible to register any kind of cool factor.
I was dropping some stuff off on Halsted and Jackson and got into a conversation about quick lunches and was immediately pointed to Zeus for a gyro to go. I had $4 on me and figured it may do the trick.
Zeus is a small spot on 806 W. Jackson. It sure enough covered me with a gyro for $3.50. I had just watched Alton Brown's gyros episode of Good Eats and had a taste for it. What your stomach doesn't tell you is that a gyro is a bad choice before going into an afternoon meeting. The thought occurred to me as I was snaking through traffic a tight grip on the pita overstuffed with spicy lamb and onions. I skipped the tzadtziki sauce fortunately and wasn't too worried about shirt stains.
Is fruit the new "it" food? You've likely tried or at least heard of Orange's daily Frushi selections. Debuting over a year ago, they're fun bite-sized morsels of fruit, flavored syrup, and rice sure to delight the most wearisome out-of-town guests. However, The Fruit Factory recently opened in the Loop and coupled with Jamba Juice's success I wonder if fruit is more than just natural candy, it maybe leading a new food trend.
Everyone knows they should be eating more fruit but is there a market to sustain a delivery & catering business? Well, The Fruit Factory thinks so - see delivery menu. All they sell is fruit and fruit based drinks, and they will deliver their natural goods all around the Loop.
Think of lunch meetings with big fresh fruit plates instead of the standard deep dish Chicago-style. "Johnson, your forecasts suck and you're fired! But damn, isn't this the most succulent honeydew you've ever tasted?"
It' s $20. It's got foie gras on it. That's better than cheese, right? It's kobe beef. If this isn't "big food" I don't know what is.
Rockit on Hubbard is a restaurant with a bar upstairs. Or is it a bar with a restaurant downstairs. I'm not sure either is true and I think that kind of works. It's a great meeting place and that's why I went.
The Walnut Room is on the 7th floor at Macy's (Marshall Field's) on State Street. It's a terrific deal for folks seeing the shows. On the menu they even note to mention your show time to your server and they'll get you in and out in 45 minutes in time for your show. Sweet Charity in this instance.
It must be a secret because it's always nearly empty at dinner (not empty around X-Mas). The view from the desolate 7th floor white-tablecloth dining room is terrific. The menu is incredibly reasonable, entrees hover around $10-12 dollars (Steak will run you $16) and the service is fantastic. It's really old school. You even get "Walnut Cookies" with your check. You feel like your grandmother would stoically approve of the formality and the price. And the warm roll they give you promptly.
Frontera Grill on Clark and Grand is a favorite of mine. We went back 2/25 Friday night... actually evening 5:30.
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