Chicago Foodies

Furama's Dim Sum Menu

Here's the Dim Sum menu from Furama. Click here to see full size.

Furama – Dim Sum on the Northside

Just across from Thai Pastry on Broadway in a part of town that's known for Vietnamese and Thai is a nice Chinese spot to get Dim Sum. Lots of the enormity and pomp you expect from Chinatown is right there. From the huge dining room to the linoleum and throwaway plastic tablecloths to the validated parking, it's an experience that I'd expect from Chinatown. Granted the decor, if you even call it that, would be subsistence-non-porous... cheap-o but the food was pretty good and in a pinch it's Dim Sum without the drive and it's legit.

The Dunkin Donuts Coupon Experience

I confess that I eat at the Drive-Thru. I've actually seen studies that show something like  90% of the people out there eat in their cars. Now I can hope that it's granola and bananas and thermoses of soup but somehow I know that it boils down to the drive-thru and if you talk to these people I would suspect that the holy grail of drive-thru is breakfast. McDonald's has been playing with the all-day breakfast option. Lunch-Time Breakfast Burrito! We'll be getting fatter as a nation.

Sabai Dee: Chicago's Laotian Restaurant

As far as I know the only Laotian restaurant in Chicago is the recently opened Sabai-Dee on Broadway. I enjoy Thai food a bit more than Vietnamese and find Laotian food to be a good mix of the two for my tastes. It seems a bit more Thai-leaning and the fish sauces are pretty light. the upside is that they still integrate tons of fresh herbs and use rice in terrific ways.

Sunday Wine Tastings: Lush Wine and Spirits

For a while a friend of mine has tried to pursuade me to visit Lush Wine and Spirits.   Tucked away in Roscoe Village, it is a bit out of the way for me geographically so I never stumbled upon an opportunity to check it out.  Finally we met up for a free Sunday wine tasting. 

The Fish Keg

I feel like I sold out a friend by including Hagen's Fish Market before The Fish Keg. It's nearly perfect. The first time I was there two 70+ ladies were trying to get their oysters double battered and were not making any headway with the young guy upfront. They asked for a gentleman in particular. If I remembered his name the story would gain in authenticity but I don't.

Let's just call him Harold.

Sushi Para II

My first warning probably should have been the "all-you-can-eat sushi" for only $16.99. However, my hole-in-the-wall-lovin' self worked up an appetite as we descended to a basement in Lincoln Park, revealing a small space adorned with wooden furniture and a sushi bar wedged in the corner.

I deliberated over the menu and like all my prior "all-you-can-eat" experiences, secretly vowed NOT to roll out of the door in discomfort by the end of the meal. Their menu had a decent variety of appetizers, nigiri sushi and their special rolls. My friends jumped on the appetizers as I carefully made my choices of the special rolls.

Lito's Empanadas

Lito's Empanadas is an extremely tiny place located on Clark St. in Lincoln Park, and it was love at first sight.  When I was on the bus on my way to getting my haircut, I thought I have to stop at this place.  Lito's sells nothing but eight styles of empanadas, including a choco-banana empanada for those with a sweet tooth.  It's a great place for street meat food at street meat prices, which range from $2.09 to $2.29.   

First Look: Sushi-X on Diversey

My wife, as an interior designer, was fortunate enough to get an invitation to get a sneak preview of Sushi-X. I admit I have not been to Sushi-X's original location, on Chicago and Milwaukee in East Ukrainian Village.  One of the first thoughts I had was that this is a bold move for them:  there are quite a few sushi places around Lincoln Park and Lakeview, anywhere from more "old school" styles with bright lighting and lots of bamboo to trendy, hip places.  Sushi-X aims for the trendy and hip segment of the sushi market, with its dark colors, dark lighting, Japanese anime, and techno.  Maybe this is good timing as there have been more of the "trendy" places opening around Lakeview, and surprisingly, a few signs around Lincoln Park as well.

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.   

Terragusto: Wonderful Homemade Pasta at BYO Prices

Honestly I had not heard about Terragusto until two days before I ate there. We received a recommendation from someone I just met, and it was convincing enough for us to want to go there. The fact that the restaurant was BYOB made it very easy to consider, and I promptly went to one of my favorite wine shops, Que Syrah on Southport, and picked out a traditional Italian dolcetto (a red wine from the Piedmont region).   It seems that lots of people know about this place, too.  I was told that 5:00 dinner on Saturday was impossible so I had to settle for Sunday.

Adobo Grill – Old Town

I have a very hard time taking chain restaurants seriously. I’m barely even open to going to restaurants that have more than one location in the same city.  So I was extremely skeptical with a recent girl's-night-out that was set to start at Adobo Grill in Old Town (they also have locations in Wicker Park, Lombard and Indianapolis). That being said I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and can’t always afford to go stand in line at Frontera – which, in my opinion, is the holy grail of Mexican food.

Adobo was a surprising experience. The 10 of us fit comfortably in a very private table in the main dining area. Because of the large size of the group I was able to try many dishes on the menu and all of the dishes we ordered I found enjoyable and different than your standard burrito/taco Mexican joint.

Wing Hoe: Northside Chinese Delivery Redemption

This is a follow-up to my lamenting over many awful Chinese delivery experiences. I had several helpful comments and decided last night on Wing Hoe. My aunt lives across the street on Sheridan and shares the love. As we were fairly hungry we just went with the plain old dinner for two. Mongolian beef, empress chicken, egg rolls, steamed rice, spare ribs, fried shrimp... it was enough food even as we subbed the steamed rice in for the pork fried. They let you subsititute as well which is awesome so I'll give it another shot soon with dishes that I tend to like more. It was good. The egg rolls actually were great.

Le Lan

For quite some time I have heard great things about Le Lan, a French-Asian restaurant in River North. It turned out to be a wonderful restaurant with personable and helpful staff, as well as an open plan atmosphere.  A gift certificate for Christmas made it easier to visit.

Northside Chinese Delivery

It's ridiculous. It makes me angry. At least 4 times over the past 6 months I've tried a new Chinese restaurant for delivery. This time Pekin House after hearing from different people about their awesome egg rolls. I tried those as well as the hot and sour soup, kung pao chicken and schechuan shrimp. It was not good. The shrimp dish is not going to get eaten it's nothing but 5 shrimp in a dish of onions and a few huge green peppers and is unlike any Schezuan dish I've ever had. The kung pao chicken is entirely flavorless very much like chop-suey in arrangement but literally flavorless. Both had a large amount of corn starchy jelliness to them.
So I'm adding them to the long list of places that might not have all been bad but aren't going to be my "go-to place."

Alice and Friends

Alice and Friends is a vegetarian restaurant on the north side in Edgewater. I've been there several times and have never had a bad meal. I'll go as far as saying that it's not only my go-to veggie spot, it may be my favorite restaurant in Edgewater. It's also almost entirely vegan.

The un-meat selection consists of beef, duck, chicken alternatives and my dinner companion questioned how it was possible for someone who doesn't eat meat to make food that tastes like meat. How can the chefs be vegetarians? Who knows but the bottom line is that the different pseudo-meats are disturbingly close to the genuine article.

Chiu Quon Bakery – 4th of July BBQ Pork Buns

I wanted to celebrate Independence Day with some barbecue, but alas! I had no grill or deck or any of the other key elements of good barbecue.

So instead, I popped down to the Argyle Red Line stop and picked up a few BBQ pork buns for lunch. I've been hitting up the Chiu Quon Bakery for a couple years now and its never let me down. For 75 cents a piece, you can buy these massive steamed pork buns (a.k.a. "bao"s).

Turquoise: Good Turkish Eats in Roscoe Village

My husband and I recently moved to Roscoe Village after living in Lakeview/Wrigleyville for the past 5 years. We haven’t had a chance to try many of the restaurants around our new neighborhood, so I suggested we try Turquoise, a Turkish restaurant on Roscoe Ave.

Turquoise is a nice but still casual restaurant with some quaint tables for sidewalk dining. Since it was very hot and humid out, we decided to sit inside. Unfortunately inside was not much cooler, but not a big deal. To start, the servers bring you a basket of warm, delicious bread with a yogurt sauce, similar to Greek tzatziki. I admit, it’s hard not to eat the whole basket and the fact that I had a couple pieces more than likely contributed to the fact that I could not complete my dinner.

Ride for Food... Hot Doug's

Sometimes you make good decisions and sometimes you make bad decisions and sometimes you make good decisions that start out good and end up being not so good. I woke up Saturday morning and decided to go for a bike ride, check out the local garage sales, see if I could find another Vita-Mix (I missed out on the first one). But unfortunately there was nothing good and I only saw maybe 5 sales all-told. So I kept heading south and before you know it I was at Damon and Montrose and figured I could go to Hot Doug's for a bite. By then it was 10:45 and I figured I could swing it and be back by noon. The day started out maybe high 70's and I had on jeans. It was what, 90+ on Saturday?

I was a sweat rag on arrival at Doug's. The line was out the door. I was starving and parched. I was also telling myself that *now* I can eat a hot dog (or two) and fries (duck fat) without any (or less) guilt. I waited in line.

Everyday Thai

I love Thai food, and Chicago is a great city for it.  There are at least 4 Thai restaurants in a 3 block radius by my house in Edgewater and I frequent every one of them, they all do it a little differently so it's never the same dish twice.

So when Everyday Thai opened (2 months ago) up on Devon I was definitely eager to try it.  The restaurant was spacious and clean, serving lunch, dinner and delivery until 10pm. The menu had all of the Thai dishes you would expect, nothing new or out of the ordinary, which is OK since there are places down the street like Blue Elephant (also on Devon) that are a little more adventurous. 

Fat Willy's... Texas Warm-Up

The waitress reminds us that the brisket was mentioned on "Check Please." There's a fan-base for their 4-cheese macaroni. Fat Willy's is a go-to place for lots of folks. I should have written this before going to Texas but it might make a bolder statement now that I've been to a couple Lone Star eateries. The brisket is really good.

I had to order two sandwich plates. A big problem is that you can't get a meat assortment. I've heard that they serve a mean bird but I didn't want to toss all the extra bread, fries, cole slaw, etc. To order just the meat you have to order a huge portion – it's crazy.

Prelude to a BBQ... Smoque

I've been travelling and a wonderful thing about the web is that you can post from anywhere. The downside is that if you're posting, you're not doing something else. Considering it was my first visit to Paris and I was running around I am asking for a pass... I'll get to the wonderful places with pictures but there is a more pressing summer issue. B-B-Q.

Smoque has been getting lots of attention for a long time as being some great BBQ. Given my obsessive relationship with brisket I was a little embarassed to admit that I've never had smoked brisket.

Al-Khaymeih Restaurant

On Kedzie, just south of Lawrence is the Lebanese restaurant Al-Khaymeih. Just down the street is Semiramis another Lebanese restaurant but one at a time.

Shawarma was the reason for going and well worth it. You can choose either chicken or beef and you can take your time as you watch the meat on the spit. Monday evening I went back for more Tacos Al Pastor from Taqueria Uptown and thought about how similar regional foods are even when geographically they're literally a world apart. Of course you have to mention gyros and there you have it... beef, chicken, pork, and lamb. All we need is a slowly rotating giant spit of fish fillets. Hmmm. I think I'm on to something.

The one dissenting order was for a kefta-kebab type thing that I would order next time. The tahini sauce does wonders with charred meat. In addition to the sandwiches we really enjoyed the hummus and the very smokey babaganoush. Their tabbouleh salad was heavy on the veggies and light on the bulger. A friend explained the regional differences. When you're closer to the veggies - you get more veggies. The kibbeh was also terrific – deep fried spheres of bulger wheat filled with ground meat. Complimentery olives pickled with lemons and salty picked turnips were nice additions.

San Soo Gab San

This was my first time venturing into a Korean barbecue, tucked away on Western by Foster, which is nothing like a Mongolian barbecue or stir-fry type of place.  The thick smoke from the barbecue from the various tables, is the first thing you notice when you step inside the place--and the last thing you remember—especially when you get home at night and smell the smoky barbecue embedded (deeply) in your winter wool coat.

East Africa Restaurant: My Somali Breakfast

It's nice being off on President's Day. So what to do for breakfast? With M. Henry just down the street on Clark what should I do? Get my car washed and have some Somali food. As my car filled up with gas at the Marathon station I noticed, as I've noticed for a long time, East Africa Restaurant and decided on a quick bite.

They make no effort to hide the nature of the spot. It's a cabbie place and to be honest they seemed surprised to see me stay to eat. It's not a pretty restaurant. But the food is pretty cheap, the menu is sparse and the decor consists of a pool table that is covered with plaster and a computer for internet access.

Viet Bistro

There's always something fun about going to a new restaurant. I'm always hoping it will be something new and when the place is 3 blocks walking distance all the better. Viet Bistro is a new restaurant just off Broadway on Devon from the owners of Pasteur, a really nice French-Vietnamese restaurant on north Broadway. Viet is their bistro. Entrees are priced from $8 for veggie options to $18 for a whole red snapper that was recommended but not tried.

Rick's Cafe Casablanca

Rick's is a small restaurant next door to a wonderful Wrigleyville pizza place, Pizza Rustica. Walking in we met another couple and made a comment that we should get a quick appetizer and go next door for their wonderful potato/rosemary pizza. Maybe next time...

New Years Eve 2007 @ Alinea

Morris and I were fortunate enough to watch the ball drop this year while being treated to a multi-course food and wine symphony conducted by Chef Grant. We even got a few special treats not on the menu.

Of course the service was impeccable and the attention to detail exceeded all expectations.

However – for me – the highlight of the evening was a new / experimental dish being “test fired”… on us.

Wellfleet at The Fish Guy Market

On Thursday evenings the Fish Guy Market on Elston closes its retail fish shop and transforms into Wellfleet fish restaurant. Tables are set out between the refrigeration cases and tea lights and candles create an unorthodox atmosphere for a 6 course dinner, though some courses are plated and served together.

The candlelight effect is terrific but the presence of Bill Dugan and crew is equally engaging. Anything you want to know about anything with gills he can explain and he takes you through the evening's dishes with a genuine enthusiasm.

The menu changes every few weeks but the service and level of preparation of the dishes should be constant. Given that they've only been at it for a short time it should even improve. It's BYOB and a couple of different bottles would give you a nice range considering the several courses.

The first course came as a plated combination of three large oysters in an "Asian style," a soy and radish treatment. It was a very clean way to serve a very fresh oyster. A ramekin of creme fraiche covered a layer of cauliflower puree and a healthy portion of Illinois sturgeon caviar – Joel Robuchon style. I enjoyed the cauliflower puree but would have liked toast points or something on which to spread the very rich and very tasty dish.

Indian Gourmet

One of the perks we envisioned upon moving to Edgewater was the proximity to Devon and all of the Indian and Pakistani restaurants that we'd be able to order delivery from.  Shortly after we moved in we went to Devon and started collecting menus from our favorite places, as well as from those on our list of places to try.  Unfortunately, to our great disappointment, none of them would deliver.  They claimed it wouldn't taste as good.

Candlelite

From the light-up sign one could correctly guess that the Candlelite has been around for a long time. They did close but quickly reopened when a group of regulars bought them back into existence. Obviously people like the place. The crowd included families and a section inside had a reunion going on... Congrats to the Class of '77.

Spacca Napoli

A nice walk to a new pizza place would be a good appetite stimulant and help digestion on the way home. The only problem was when we realized that Spacca Napoli was on Sunnyside, not Summerdale. So we stopped at Joie de Vin, next to Pauline's on Balmoral, had a glass of wine and then started our additional mile-long march for pizza.

A total of 2.7 miles usually means eat like a pig but somehow we didn't. We simply ordered the four cheese pie, two more glasses of wine and the antipasti plate. While it's not enough to really judge this place, it was a tasty evening and delivered on the artisanal wood-fire style pizza where we were disappointed by Pizza D.O.C.

Hamburger Mary's

We finally got to Hamburger Mary's after driving past its sign many times. It's a big sign and, hey, you always want a burger, don't-cha? I settled for splitting a burger, rings, and coleslaw. But that's okay, the burger's are huge.

The name of the place and the style of the menu seem to say diner with burger's defined by Mary's Special, Proud Mary, etc. however the velvet curtains, loud club music videos (of people who likely skip the burger) skew it some which I think is a good thing. Another Johnny Rocket's/Ed Debevic's type place isn't as needed.

U Lucky Dawg (Fluky's no more)

I wanted a burger. I went to Candelite and they were closed. On the way up Western we passed U Lucky Dawg and I figured well... they have burgers.

Sure the current owners of U Lucky Dawg have owned Fluky's for the past 8 years. Why they go and change the name is a total mystery. But I learned something this weekend. I think it's good advice and feel that I have to pass this on to you.

Do not order a hamburger at a hot dog stand.

Sola

Sola was not what I expected. The street address is on Lincoln but the entrance is on Byron. You will miss it if you're looking for a storefront on Lincoln. That being said, it was a real surprise when I saw the place. It is a beautiful restaurant. Dozens of simple light fixtures hang in a grid from the high ceiling, simple and comfortable chairs keep a very large space open but formal. The decor was not what I associate with the neighborhood that finds the great bar/hangout Grizzly's a block over.

Sai Cafe

Some time ago a friend from Japan was in town to visit.  He was here for several days and one evening my husband suggested the one thing I was dreading - taking him out for sushi.  To me it seemed like the equivalent of visiting Tokyo and going out for burgers.  You know it just isn't going to be as good as it is at home so why not stick to the things you can't get at home.  Anyway, my Japanese friend was really into the idea so we took him to a place we enjoyed... Sai Cafe.

Unfortunately, as I suspected, it didn't go well.  He insisted that it was a Chinese restaurant.  The sushi chefs where Chinese, the owner was Chinese, the name was Chinese, certain things were spelled wrong on the menu and the Saki was from California.  No matter what the food tasted like my friend was not going to like it - he had made up his mind. Subsequently, we decided to attempt a sushi dinner two more times, once at Torajiro in Lakeview and once at Sushi Samba.  Both visits were very much enjoyed.  I had heard from several people that many of the sushi restaurants in Chicago are owned by Chinese chefs that were trained in Japan, like Torajiro, which was news to me.

Tank Noodle / Tank Restaurant

Tank Noodle is held in wide regard. I've been past it many, many times so last weekend, since we were in the neighborhood, we went for lunch.

It's a pretty big place that was bustling, even at 2:30. We ended up sitting at a large round table with another group of 3 ladies. Most of the clientele is Asian and the menu, while extensive, is largely focused on soup. Pho is the big thing on Argyle. It's apparently becoming something of a fast food item in California. I enjoy it from time to time but also given the likely hood of finding a chunk of tripe or many chunks of beef fat I'm not completely nuts for it. But they have many many varieties at Tank of Pho or other soups. I got a big bowl of Chao, a rice congee soup and we ordered a chicken and noodle dish that was NOT soup.

Ghareeb Nawaz - Awesome Cheap Eats!

Ghareeb Nawaz literally means "sustainer of the poor." In the search for good cheap eats that's a good sign. It's just West of Ridge on Devon and there's usually a line waiting for nan. It's basically a Pakistani taqueria. The food's great and cheap but the trade-off is the dining room. For take-out it can't be beat. Instead of dropping $50 for dinner further West on Devon, $15 is more than enough to splurge for dinner... for four.

Taqueria Uptown - Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al Pastor is something some people crave. Like good french onion soup or the perfect pastrami sandwich... the perfect burger even. It's the type of thing that takes kitchen space and a rotisserie, not to mention a big hunk of pork.

On a weekend walk about where we found ourselves on Ridge and Broadway we looked at El Norte but it seemed really empty and there, across the street, was "Taqueria Uptown" a more non-descript name I could not invent. It's a bar counter and a few tables and sits on the North East corner of the Broadway/Bryn Mawr/Ridge corner.

Jin Ju

Aside from Korean BBQ, I've really only eaten Korean food once. It was at a restaurant that I could recognize and return to without knowing the name (which is written in Korean on their rather large sign). Jin Ju is nowhere near that type of environment. It's not quiet. It's not predominately Korean and I could figure out, or was told exactly what was what.

It's a Korean restaurant for Americans... easy enough. But oddly it's pretty unique in that respect. From myriad plates of Kim Chee and other "items" to the phonetically challenging dish names Korean food is pretty unusual and has not really been geared to Americans in any major way.

So while we have adopted Thai food as the Asian fare de rigueur and Vietnamese pho is more unusual, Korean is pretty much off the map. But maybe Jin Ju will help to change that.

Fonda Del Mar

If you can't tell I rarely go out on a weekend. Especially not on a Saturday night. When I do I try to avoid trendy popular spots. When I was invited to Fonda Del Mar I figured it's 4 weeks old, in west Logan Square... how busy could it be? Well news travels fast in this town and an 8pm reservation that we blew by 15 minutes turned into an hour and a half wait for a dining room that was dominated by 2 large groups, one a 10-top. The host was gracious and suggested hitting the neighboring liquor store for a drink - Fonda Del Mar was BYOB. **It no longer is BYOB!

A six pack of Coronitas later the waiting crowd had swelled to a throng of 20 people. Standing room only in the front and a group waiting in the back as well. I'm only dragging on about this as it was half the time we were at the restaurant. I was expecting slow service and rushed food. I was wrong.

Indie Cafe pt.2

It's been a long while betweeen visits to Indie Cafe. My experience had been months ago, during their Reader-induced celebrity. It was time to go back.

They're still BYOB and they're still packed. Thursday night we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The dining room is small. So I'm guessing their business is still very brisk. That was a good sign and I was in for more good news.

The Duke of Perth

We went on a trip to the old neighborhood, where we used to go for the all-you-can-eat fish fry and never make it past an occasional second helping. The Duke is a Scottish pub on Clark just north of Diversey and aside from an occasional leek or shepard's pie we only order the fish fry. We also only order it with stovies. We also only get glasses of McEwans. So 4 years later we return and guess what we ordered?

The Fireside Inn: Quest for Burger

Back from a virtual leave of absence, and finally in town after the holiday season, I was pressed into service late Monday to quell a burger jones. Moody's is the local Edgewater burger place but it's really a summer beer-garden spot. I did some thinking and found Hamburger Mary's online. Had I done some more poking around I would have found out it has closed... Time was of the essence. It was a burger jones. There was imminent crankiness.

Calo

This Italian spot in Andersonville used to have that red carbet, booth and disco feel of a spot that's been there and been doing that for a while. They opened a shmancier option next door and then chucked it all and just remodeled the two together. Lots of the character is gone but the old-school menu stayed the same.

La Tache for Brunch

La Tache on Balmoral in Andersonville is a cute little French bistro that is priced out around Le Boucheon $15-$22 for entrees. I've been there once before for dinner and remember enjoying it, promising to return. Though it's been a while, I finally did go back... for brunch.

Thai Spice

Thai Spice is an unassuming restaurant on the north side of Devon just east of Clark. It was empty when we walked in. The owner and an employee were sitting down for dinner. A couple of police walked in. Someone came in for take-out. Otherwise it stayed empty. They have been in business for quite some time and it was a Wednesday evening.

Gulliver's

The first restaurant I remember ever going to was Gulliver's and while people are bound to disagree – I  find it to be the best pizza in Chicago. When I lived further south I had fixes of Lou Malnati's which is a very similar pie. It's cheesy, the crust is thick and the sauce is more tomatoes than sauce. Gulliver's differs by seasoning. It is heavier on the oregano/basil than other similar pies.

I will also have to say that Chicago pizza is the best pizza in the world – so far. This makes Gulliver's the best pizza in the world. Wouldn't you drive north to Howard for the best pizza in the world?

Sunshine Cafe

To many Chicagoans Japanese food means raw fish. I'll admit I can count on my hands the number of times I have eaten Japanese that isn't sushi. I didn't know what to expect with Sunshine Cafe except that it is a small restaurant and based on decor it would be likely considered a takeout place. I have noticed that it is usually very well attended. After a couple of good Japanese experiences recently, Renga-Tei and Katsu, I was excited. Boy was it good.

Ethiopian Diamond

The first, and last, time I tried Ethiopian food was in college at Madison, WI. I remember it being very unpleasant; the sticky bread that tasted strongly of vinegar, the mushy stews with mystery meat and cooked vegetables and grubby hands all reaching into the same plate. Looking back I probably shouldn't have let one restuarant experience in Madison define Ethiopian food.

Now, living in Edgewater, I drive past Ethiopian resturants every day.  One in particular, Ethiopian Diamon, looks pretty packed most nights, which to me is a very good sign. So, after  four years I finally put my fears aside and decided to take the plunge one Friday night. Again, there were a healty amount of people in the place, which is actually much larger inside than I would have guessed, more like a banquet hall. They had live music that night, one guy that played about 6 different instruments. He switched to a new one every song.

Mekato's Bakery

Buñuela's are a powdered-cheese-rolled-and-fried- crisp-bread-thing. Eating one started with a sliding crispy knaw that punctured then cracked the dusty shell and led to the fluffy center. Subsequent chewing combined the flavor and texture into a dynamic twist on a comfort-food staple... Cheesy bread.

Dorado

I've been reading rave reviews about Dorado for some time now and finally decided to give it a try.  If the food is consistantly like I tasted last night, I've been missing out on a lot of fantastic meals.  Dorado serves Mexican cuisine with a French flare. 

There are some traditional Mexican items on the menu, like Queso Fundido, Carne Asada and Chicken Enchilades Mole.  However, there are far more non-traditional items, each sounding more delicious than the next.  We decided to start with the popular Duck Nachos.  I'm not a huge Nacho fan but these were tasty - topped with crispy duck, black beans, cheese, sour cream and jalapeño peppers. 

La Cucina Di Donatella

I first heard about La Cucina Di Donatella on NPR.  I kept it in the back of my mind for some time before actually finding an occasion to go, and I was sorry that I had waited so long.  The unassuming restaurant is small, about 10 tables or less, in a very crisp and airy white decor.  You can see the kitchen, and Donatella herself, cooking from any seat in the house.

The wait staff is very personable, it feels like you're at someones house for dinner because you also have to bring your own wine, which makes it a reasonable night out.  With such an extensive menu of pastas, meat and fish (the nightly specials menu is just as long, if not longer than the regular dinner menu) it's really hard to decide what to try so this particual evening we went with our waiter's recommendations. 

Moody's Pub

If you haven't yet been, I'm guessing that you've at least heard of Moody's Pub, known for it's expansive beer garden.  I'm fortunate that Moody's is in my neighborhood, just a couple of blocks away. But, you say,  "a lot of bars have beer gardens."  So what makes Moody's so special?

First off, its huge.  You never (or at least I've never) had to wait for a table.  It has atmosphere - dark with red flickering candles and waterfalls or fountains that are somewhat cheesey but they help create the mood.  Lots of trees and flowers make it truely a garden of sorts.  Most importantly, the price is right - pitchers of beer are 6 bucks and pitchers of Sangria are 9. 

Sushi Luxe

In Andersonville (the ANDER in Andersonwater Park) there are tons of restaurants that seem to open and close with such regularity that it's hard to keep track.

Sushi Luxe wants to be and probably is the local trendy sushi place and where that doesn't immediately bother me the beat centric techno in a dining room with only 3 tables seated does. A metronomic thump in an otherwise quiet environment is quite annoying.

Katsu: Kat$u...

OK... you can guess when I start with a disclaimer I am conflicted.

On one hand Katsu seems to me to be the most Japanese restaurant that I've been to in the city of Chicago... bearing in mind I have not yet been to Japan. Their flavors and scents are different from any of the other sushi places I've been to. Their hot menu items seemed unusual and very appealing. Maybe I should go back for Japanese food. Maybe I made a mistake when I got all revved up to go to Katsu for sushi.

Because on the other hand Katsu is expensive. Even for sushi places... It's on Peterson and I just got caught flat-footed. The last sushi place I tried and pigged at was Kaze and this priced out the same. Pieces are gigantic and are $4 each. Special pieces cost more. Rolls start at $6 and balloon to $15 or so (I'll check my takeout menu)... I got a nice sampling of 3 glasses of sake for $9 and had a wonderful kiss fish tempura appetizer.

All in all we got 3 rolls and 6 pieces of fish, the sake sampler, kiss-fish appetizer for $90. Very interesting but not worth the money.

Ba Le

There are many different French influenced Vietnamese resturaunts around Argyle, ranging from t