Chicago Foodies

Bill Kim's Urbanbelly

It's hard to explain how my Friday was redeemed. It was a long day. I was graciously getting a ride home that was delayed an hour due to construction on the inbound LSD... are they kidding! Traffic outbound wasn't much better so I was needed something nice. I saw a listing on LTH for Urban Belly and made the Bill Kim connection and talked the driver into a detour to California, just North of Diversey. In a strip mall is Bill Kim's new diggs. Sure enough three weeks into the endeavor he was right there in the kitchen dishing out dumplings, rice dishes and bowls of noodles. Once you order at the counter seating is at one of four communal tables. It surely isn't Le Lan. But TGIF.

Hagen's Fish Market

I was driving past. I was looking for lunch. It's the perfect storm. There was parking. There was a mural. It has almost epic potential. It's a mural of vikings fishing on the wall. There's neon, etc. everything but a phone number. I love the Fish Keg on Howard. Needless to say I went in for a bite and I ate it in my car.

Ordering lunch is always kind of odd in a counter environment. The good stuff is by the pound. You say you want lunch and get guided towards the sandwiches... which is what I went with before hearing that the cod (I think it was cod) comes in already breaded. It was okay. It was about $3.00. I won't go any farther into the sandwich because you'd go back for the smoking.