Chicago Foodies

Corona's Cafe

The other day I stumbled upon a great little spot on Irving Park. Corona's Cafe serves up sandwiches, wraps, coffee drinks, and smoothies.

Eddy ordered a turkey and bacon club sandwich and I ordered the tomato and mozzarella foccacia. I also got a pineapple and coconut smoothie.

The staff was friendly and accommodating. The restaurant is small and cozy and has unique decorations.

We sat in the front by the window in comfortable cushioned love seats.

Siam Café – Chicago's Oldest Thai Restaurant

Chicago's Oldest Thai Restaurant Offers a Tasty Lunch Buffet. Siam Cafe (Uptown) is one of the many low-key Thai restaurants in the city. Its claim to fame is that it's the oldest. What really helps it stand apart is that it has one of the best deals for lunch - a $6.50 buffet. Green curry, pad thai, papaya salad, tom yum soup and a dozen other choices.

Siam Noodle & Rice

One favorite place of ours is Siam Noodle & Rice. It's a small, cozy, zero-ambiance place in the tough neighborhood of Uptown... but boy does it have great authentic Thai. The dish that beats out all the other Thai places in Chicago is Pad Kee Mao.

It's the prefect blend of thick rice-noodles, eggs, bean sprouts, basil leaves, black bean sauce and (what makes it different) collard greens. It's a zesty delight that's sure to please the Thai newbie or the authentic Thai food lover. Other dishes like Basil Chicken, Tom Kha Kai Soup, and the Thai Iced Coffee will make you glad you took the trip to this whole-in-the-wall in this often-overlooked neck of the woods.

Magnolia Café (dinner this time)

I’ve written before about Magnolia Café but for various reasons have frequented the place more for brunch than for dinner, and this is only the second time I have been there for dinner. The place has a pleasing ambiance that has a timeless contemporary feel, with exposed brick walls and wood parquet floors. Its small space was intimate but not cramped.

Uptown Eats: Magnolia Cafe

People ask me, "How come you don't own a car?".  Sometime my answer is, "So I can afford to eat."  As an Uptown resident I live in an area that is borderline pedestrian-friendly, and if they cut bus service it will be even less so. (Thanks Rod!)

Thai Pastry: Go-To Thai?

Thai Pastry has been for the past 5 years our go-to Thai restaurant. It's been the measuring stick we hold other places against. We even suck up delivery charges and extra charges for rice to get it at home. Most recently we weighed the pros and cons against Blue Elephant. We gave our order and $5 extra dollars to Thai Pastry. It was the first time we were actually disappointed by our order.

Marigold: Nouveau Indian

Marigold is a celebrated addition to the Northside's Uptown, and it fills a void of a city craving something different in Indian cuisine (sorry but Vermilion doesn't cut it).  After visiting for the fifth time I felt like a celebrity, and while I enjoy the service I especially love the food, and almost feel like I cannot write an unbiased review.  Marigold is more like a twist on Indian food as opposed to full-blown contemporary, but what it does it does very well, and at affordable prices, mind you.  And best of all, it's in my neighborhood.

Urban Tea Lounge: Buying from Pot Pushers

Urban Tea Lounge is one of those places that, if you walk too fast, you may not know it's there.  It has a nice bohemian vibe and the people who work there are friendly. The tea menu is unweildly and give yourself a few minutes to make a decision.  I ordered a Shou Mei, a white tea from the fujian province of China.   White tea has a smooth, mild flavor compared with other types of teas.  Urban Tea Lounge serves coffee, but, well, I would recommend sticking with tea.

Unique So Chique

Unique So Chique is a boutique and teahouse located unexpectedly in Uptown. It is a quaint pocket of serenity amongst the bustle of students from Harry Truman College across the street and busy EL traffic from the Wilson stop just blocks away.

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.