Chicago Foodies

Spoon Thai – A Poor Man's Next Restaurant Tour of Thailand?

Not sure if this is the "Poor Man's Next Thai Menu" or the "Luckless Man's Next Thai Menu" but either way it's way cheaper and waaaay easier to get a table! That being said, while the rigamarole is apples and oranges, the food is far more similar. It's a testament to Next that they are able to shift to a Thai menu that provides a combination of authentic flavors while adding wonderful proteins and preparations that go a long way to create something more unique.

Spoon Thai has always been notorious for their Thai-language menu, which has changed a bit over the last 10 years. The last 2 pages look like an appendix but you can, and should, order off of that menu for unique and tasty fare that they, in the past, deemed too unusual for western palates. The lettuce leaf salad here is in that part of the menu.
 
I wasn't planning on writing this as a comparison but when I saw the catfish curry in banana leaf, it made me think of my dinner at Next. Those flavors were there but not in the same dish in the same way. In any event I ordered the Hor Mok which is steamed catfish in curry that is pressed into a banana leaf. Think of it as a curry-catfish-cake.

Ribfest Chicago - Friday the 12th-14th

From their website:

`Averaging 65,000 pounds of ribs and featuring 25 bands in 25 hours, more than 50,000 people are expected to kick­off summer at the three­-day long Ribfest Chicago. Proceeds of the festival are utilized to fund community activities, area greening efforts and local outreach programs such as the innovative School Grant Program.

Pannenkoeken Cafe

I had resolved to some day venture out of my Lakeview neighborhood for brunch, and when I was promised "fat and thick Dutch pancakes", I jumped at the opportunity no matter which neighborhood it was! The name of the restaurant, Pannenkoeken Cafe (pronunciation pending), intrigued me and I was eager to learn more about these Dutch pancakes.

Laschet's Inn: German Comfort Food

German food seems to have very slowly fallen out of favor, and every once in a while there will be news that a German restaurant or pub is closing.   Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe I don't see a trend in the opposite direction, and to be fair there have been a few German-themed bars, such as Prost, in Lincoln Park, opening.  But for the most part the German places around town generally tend to be older.  One of these is Laschet's Inn, which until very recently was run by Germans.  The current owners have vowed not to change anything, except add tables in front during the summer and a biergarten in back.