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I need a good restaurant in Chicago. I would LOVE to do Alinea, but the $225 price tag is a bit much for the business partner I'll be travelling with. Blackbird came highly recommended, but I'll only be in the Windy City for one night: Sunday. And they're closed then. :)

So, I need a place that's in the price range and at the culinary caliber of Blackbird... but that's open on Sundays for dinner service.

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I need a good restaurant in Chicago. I would LOVE to do Alinea, but the $225 price tag is a bit much for the business partner I'll be travelling with. Blackbird came highly recommended, but I'll only be in the Windy City for one night: Sunday. And they're closed then.

So, I need a place that's in the price range and at the culinary caliber of Blackbird... but that's open on Sundays for dinner service.

The $225 is the extensive tasting or the tasting + wine pairing. I just went for a 13-course tasting that was $150 + tax. Can you swing that? Otherwise, you can try Avec, Blackbird's sister restaurant (open on Sundays) or Moto, which seems to be the other place worth trying. I also really enjoyed Hot Chocolate, but not quite a business atmosphere.

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The $225 is the extensive tasting or the tasting + wine pairing. I just went for a 13-course tasting that was $150 + tax. Can you swing that? Otherwise, you can try Avec, Blackbird's sister restaurant (open on Sundays) or Moto, which seems to be the other place worth trying. I also really enjoyed Hot Chocolate, but not quite a business atmosphere.

I'd steer you away from Moto. It's always lumped in with Alinea because they're both MG, but I think they're night and day in terms of quality. Achatz does things with careful thought and purpose. Cantu, swell fellow though he is, likes to throw stuff against the wall to see what sticks. I believe until the end of the July, Alinea still runs two menus... the full 24 course tour that's $225 and an abbreviated version that significantly less (though I don't remember how much less). It's something like 12-14 courses, and some have suggested that they even prefer it to the 24 because some of the weaker courses tend to be edited out. I'm in the camp that says if you're going to do Alinea, jump in with both feet. But if it's the shortened menu or nothing, I'd consider it. But they're phasing the shorter menu out soon. Like I say, maybe the end of July? You'd have to check.

Avec is great, but though a sister restaurant, it's not at all like Blackbird. It's very hearty, Mediterranean-influenced stuff done with unusual precision. Very loud, very boisterous, very loud. But not highly refined, which is what I get the impression you're seeking based on the references to Alinea and Blackbird.

I had a mighty fine dinner at L2O... fish-focused fine dining by Laurent Gras, French techniques, Japanese ingredients. They have menus at $110 and $165 in addition to the big kahuna($245). And they're open Sunday.

There are others, of course... on the run... let me think a bit and post later.

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My cousin reports there is now a Beard Papa's open near State & Randolph. That was a super-awesome chain of cream puffs that I sampled in China, of all places. *sigh* Now to try to find some cream puffs here in DC...

Been there, and it's totally worth finding it in the weirdly empty Block 37 shopping mall, underground in the "Pedway" (pedestrian walkway). Cream puffs 3 ways (plain, chocolate covered, or burnt sugar covered) with your choice of custards: vanilla, strawberry (with fresh strawberries), chocolate (and a special at the time - caramel). My favorite was the burnt sugar with strawberry custard. The puffs can be ordered in sixpacks with a take-home box. The Chicago location also serves illy coffee and Haagen-Dazs frozen coffee drinks to go with the puffs. This location also had a yummy custard filled, sugar donut type thing called a "brest" (French term, I think). If someone were to open a franchise here in D.C., it just may overtake the current cupcake trend.

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Been there, and it's totally worth finding it in the weirdly empty Block 37 shopping mall, underground in the "Pedway" (pedestrian walkway). Cream puffs 3 ways (plain, chocolate covered, or burnt sugar covered) with your choice of custards: vanilla, strawberry (with fresh strawberries), chocolate (and a special at the time - caramel).

Sad part was I was just near there this past weekend and completely forgotten about the opening, despite getting so excited about it. *sigh* A full Chicago write-up to come, including tasting menu items from Alinea (Worth trying DanCole!!!).

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One other trendy place that I would like to try is the Roof at The Wit hotel. There was a sizable line I was too impatient to wait in, but will try another time someday based on the photos taken of the space.

I finally visited this place in early June, around closing time (2am), unfortunately, and even then, there was still a 10 person wait. The view is indeed beautiful, with modern decor, many lounge-style seating, and features a very icy-modern bar. I was in an Aperol mood, having been spoiled by Steve W.'s drink at Eventide, the Aperol Spritz. Similar to that was the Sex on the Roof, which for $12, had Hangar 1, St. Germain Elderflower syrup, Aperol, Orange and Cranberry juices in it and made for a very nice bedtime drink.

Both are open for lunch. I've been to Frontera for dinner, never have been to Topolobampo, but I loved my dinner at Frontera a number of years ago. The two share a kitchen, and as I understand it, Topolo is more upscale and they have a possibly more 'adventurous' menu.

Earlier that day, I had a chance to visit Topolobampo for lunch, and even almost had a run-in with Rick Bayless. Literally. I was crossing the street on Clark, heading north, at the same time he and his business partner did, heading south, and I am sad I couldn't pull out my camera in time to snap a shot. He really looks gleaming in person (for some reason, I imagined him as a facials type of guy), especially when wearing a white linen button-down shirt with khaki-colored pants. I hope you do get to try Topolo, aaronsinger.

Many, many props to service, because I noted my food sensitivities on opentable.com and pretty soon after seating, the floor manager came by to assure me that they take food allergies and sensitivities very seriously. He recommended the Roast Chicken (I think it was a guinea hen, but I can't remember now) as my main entree, after consulting with the kitchen, and they modified this and the Ceviche Fronterizo, (lime-marinated Hawaiian blue marlin with tomatoes, olives, cilantro, jicama and green chile; served on crispy tostaditas) to accommodate my garlic/onion issue. The tortilla chips given at the beginning of the meal was outstanding, too. I really enjoyed my experience here.

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A relatively new addition downtown is the Chicago Downtown Farmstand. An almost hidden, city-sponsored grocery store features local farmers' produce and local baked goods and beverages. I really enjoyed this store a lot and reminded me a lot of the Maple Avenue market in Vienna. Such a gem and much better than TJ or WF.

Many of my mornings were spent at Intelligentisia, which was wonderfully situated around the corner from my hotel.

The highlight of this June weekend trip was the splurge of the Tasting menu at Alinea. One can get limited pairings added to your tasting, so I was happy there was no pressure to pay for a full wine pairing. I am really sad that Chef is eliminating the Tasting, opting to keep the full menu of 22-courses, similar to many restaurants around here. 13 dishes was perfect for a snacker like me, especially since I found Table 21 to be too overwhelming. The limited pairings + tasting menu came out to be $245, which I believe, is the starting price for the full tasting (give or take $20). While these are not a complete set of all the components of the small tasting menu (flickr restrictions), it does give you a good idea of what is offered. The descriptions are written along side the photos.

Two days ago, I had a wonderful time catching up with my high school best friend and we hit the nearby bakeries in search of goodies (why aren't more krugels & coffee cakes sold here? is it a midwestern thing?). The first stop was a popular, local chain called Deerfields Bakery. I really liked the fact that they had a prominent gluten-free section, plus the fact that I don't get a quizzical look when asking where the long johns were. Overall, the baked goods I bought (a cookie and a pecan bar) were just too sugary for me, but the old butter cookies and donut selections really evoked a nice childhood memory.

On a further drive up to Long Grove, I fell in love with the baked goods my high school buddy, Josh Baudin, makes. Located in the heart of downtown Long Grove (a small town), Sweet Whimsy opened officially as a storefront some time earlier this year (I think). The croissants there were buttery, chewy goodness (something I haven't really found here in DC), as are the pecan sandies and dixie cocoa cookie that I have tried. My high school best friend loves the coconut macaroons here. I may have to ask Josh to mail-order, if possible. Hm.

Another bonus was his featuring his culinary school classmate's homemade preserves in the store. Rare Bird Preserves features more artisan preserve flavors, such as Ginger Lemon or Peach Lavender. I bought a jar of Strawberry Rhubarb to try. It was a bit on the sweet side, but the local, fresh, home-packed flavors were definitely sealed in there.

Of course, no trip could end without dim sum to Happy Chef and bubble drinks from Joy Yee. Again, time was against me and no trip to Beard Papa yet. But there is always a next time....

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I was in Chicago for Lollapalooza this weekend. It was my first time back since moving away last October. I guess I'll go through some of the highlighted meals and my observations:

1.) Smoque BBQ - I had been there a few times when I lived in Chicago, but there is nothing in the general DC/MD/VA vicinity that can come close to tasting as good as this place is. The pulled pork and sliced brisket are so succulent and even their sides are amazing. I had baked beans, hand cut fries, cole slaw, and mac n cheese. All were incredible quality and a meal for less than $15.

* I've noticed that other then 5 Guys, not many DC places do hand cut fries well. Hand cut is not much of an undertaking for restaurants and produces a much better product compared to frozen fries. They are the norm anywhere you go in Chicago.

2.) Hub 51 and Rockit - These places are for the young and hip but still produce great food. The pulled chicken nachos at Hub and the Rockit Burger are fantastic. Rockit Burger came with Wagyu Beef, melted brie, and fried shallots on a pretzel bun.

* Bar food in Chicago is so much better then bar food in DC. I've noticed DC bars serve mostly all frozen, processed food. Almost every Chicago bar I ventured to put out a good product and made the place worth attending not just for entertainment.

3.) David Burke's Primehouse - Tableside Caesar was solid, Bone Marrow was big but much better at Blue Duck Tavern, and 55-Day Aged Ribeye was tasty but nothing really beckoned my return anytime soon. This had the food and feel of a modern steakhouse but I think DC is doing better in that department.

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Going to be in Chicago from October 7-12 (for my first marathon - woo hoo!), and want to start making any tough reservations. Dinner-wise, we will probably only have Thursday night 10/7 and Monday night 10/11 (though there is a possibility we will be free Friday night 10/8). As for lunches, we will have Friday, Saturday (maybe), and Monday. Is Alinea such a not-to-miss experience that we should use our Thursday night to go (they're only open Wednesday thru Sunday)? I want to do a Bayless restaurant, but which one, and for dinner or lunch? Any other must-eat experiences?

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Going to be in Chicago from October 7-12 (for my first marathon - woo hoo!), and want to start making any tough reservations. Dinner-wise, we will probably only have Thursday night 10/7 and Monday night 10/11 (though there is a possibility we will be free Friday night 10/8). As for lunches, we will have Friday, Saturday (maybe), and Monday. Is Alinea such a not-to-miss experience that we should use our Thursday night to go (they're only open Wednesday thru Sunday)? I want to do a Bayless restaurant, but which one, and for dinner or lunch? Any other must-eat experiences?

Go to Schwa if you possibly can, it was the best meal of my life, especially if you're not one for the pretense of fine dining but love the food. Alinea was very good, but I'd go to Schwa first if it's possible, in no small part because they played some Slayer in the dining room. Alinea feels a bit stuffy, Schwa feels like a bunch of friends hanging out in a tattoo parlor/restaurant sharing booze and having a good time.

Go to Hot Doug's and get the Foie Dog ($9) for one of the lunches, and make sure to hit Kuma's Corner, which is a metal-themed burger place. Imagine Hell-Burger with slightly better burgers, servers, and far better music. Oh, and create-your-own macaroni and cheese in a portion well over a pound.

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Well, we're reserved for The Girl and the Goat (Thursday night), Topolobampo (Friday lunch), and The Publican (Monday night). We left some time un-reserved for more casual stuff like hot dogs and Chinatown (and some marathon-related meals that are already taken care of). I'll definitely fill everyone in upon my return!

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Go to Schwa if you possibly can, it was the best meal of my life, especially if you're not one for the pretense of fine dining but love the food. Alinea was very good, but I'd go to Schwa first if it's possible, in no small part because they played some Slayer in the dining room. Alinea feels a bit stuffy, Schwa feels like a bunch of friends hanging out in a tattoo parlor/restaurant sharing booze and having a good time.

Go to Hot Doug's and get the Foie Dog ($9) for one of the lunches, and make sure to hit Kuma's Corner, which is a metal-themed burger place. Imagine Hell-Burger with slightly better burgers, servers, and far better music. Oh, and create-your-own macaroni and cheese in a portion well over a pound.

I am looking forward to visiting Schwa before the end of the year. Can't wait.

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I was in Chicago this past weekend for a wedding. This was my second time back since moving away last October. I tried some new spots and some old haunts with an overall successful weekend.

Friday: Hot Doug's for lunch with a buddy who had never been. Line was only 20 minutes long at around 11:45am which for Duckfat Friday's is not bad at all. Hits were the lamb merguez with cumin mayo and a goat cheese I believe, and the sauternes duck sausage with foie gras mousse and fleur de sel. Misses were the ribeye steak sausage with horseradish cream sauce and crispy fried onions and the alligator sausage with shrimp remoulade and velours bleu cheese.

Dinner was at The Peninsula for the wedding I was in town for. Very solid dinner of chilled lobster and mango ravioli, potato leek soup, and a perfectly cooked filet.

Saturday: M Burger for lunch. This place is new and right off Michigan Ave. It is attached to Tru and has the feel of a Shake Shack or In N Out Burger, but I guess I expected better quality meat based on who was attached to the place. It is extremely small (maybe 500 sq ft) and has seating for 8 max.

Dinner at Ria in the Elysian Hotel. Did the 6 course tasting menu. Amazing experience as this was my first try doing a tasting. Menu was as follows:

Sea Scallop, Caviar, Octopus, Fumet Blanc

Dungeness Crab, Leeks, Pain de Mie, Carrots

Dover Sole, Apple, Parsley, Black Trumpet Mushroom

Lamb Loin, Chanterelle, Zucchini, Olive Oil

White Chocolate, Raspberry, Wild Rice, Goat’s Milk

Manjari Chocolate, Black Cocoa, Malt, Smoked Ice Cream

Service was impeccable and a glass of Domaine Achard-Vincent paired well with the courses (I'm not much of a drinker).

All and all a great trip. Showed me that Chicago (and other cities) are still miles ahead of DC in the dining scene. The range of both high end and low end options trumps what DC is currently offering.

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Boy, did we eat well in Chicago...

Thursday night was Girl and the Goat, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Service was excellent - definitely one of the highlights of the evening. Decent selection of beer and wine, though I wish they had a bit more variety on draft. Favorite dishes were the chickpea fritters with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella, and the smoked goat pizza. The skirt steak a la plancha with pickled beets was also quite good - flavorful and more tender than I would expect, given the cut. The roasted cauliflower was tasty but could have been cooked a little more for my liking. The braised beef tongue was okay, though some of the thinner-sliced pieces tasted less like meat and more like pure fat. The grilled baby octopus had wonderful flavor, but as is the case with octopus quite frequently, it was pretty tough and chewy. Overall, everything was seasoned really nicely - oh, and the sweet onion butter that came with our sourdough bread was awesome! Bourbon apples with "maple fat" ice cream just didn't do it for me - I'm all for savory desserts, but this was a little too porky for me. The donuts with brut sabayon, on the other hand, were lovely - perfectly fried, and not greasy at all. All in all, a really fun dinner, and a great start to the weekend!

Friday lunch was Topolobampo - service was great, and the margaritas (signature and "Indian Summer," with peaches and Mexican vanilla bean) were a lovely midday treat. This was the first restaurant in a LONG time where the entrees kicked the appetizers butts. Apps were good - gazpacho with goat cheese and sour cherries wasn't my thing, but the husband liked it very much, and the trio of seafood (spicy shrimp/squid ceviche, citrusy tuna ceviche, and ahi tuna tartare with mango and avocado) was nice and refreshing. But the main courses? So good. Duck with guajillo chile sauce and chilaquiles-style potatoes was delicious, and the carne asada brava was out of this world and cooked absolutely perfectly. The ribeye was so tender and flavorful (and spicy!), and the accompanying tamal was the perfect texture. We were way too full for dessert, but given how delicious the meats were, I'm not sad about how we spent our stomach space (or our money).

Friday dinner was carbo-loading at Quartino, and the place was hoppin' (as I expected). It's a big place, but it still felt really crowded - people were bumping and jostling me in my seat all night. The service was just okay - our waiter was friendly, but he largely disappeared after taking our orders and it was tough to flag him down if we needed something. Also, the food runners did that thing that I HATE - where they bring the food out and "auction" it off because they have no idea who ordered what? Yeah, very amateur, and it made for an unpleasant experience since we'd be in the middle of a conversation and have to stop to yell across the table, "Guys, who ordered the fettucini???" As far as the food itself, it was just okay. I ordered shrimp, and while they tasted good, they were so overcooked and rubbery that I could barely chew them. The orecchiete pasta with some sort of meat ragu was fine, though the pasta was a little too al dente for my liking. This just wasn't a place that I would rush back to.

Eggsperience was reliable for a carby pre-marathon breakfast on Saturday morning. I love that you can get breakfast 24/7 here - I wish there were more places like that in Atlanta (besides Waffle House). I ordered banana pancakes, hash browns, and turkey sausage, with OJ and coffee to drink. The OJ tasted concentrated and kind of spoiled, but the coffee was decent. The pancakes were actually really tasty, with bananas cooked into the batter AND sliced on top. Hashbrowns and sausage were nothing special, but they got the job done. Prices were reasonable, and service was fine. It was exactly what I needed that morning, but nothing that I would recommend as a special trip.

We had a nice early lunch at the Purple Pig on Monday - it was empty when we arrived at 11:30, but by the time we left, it was packed! It's awesome that they offer various sizes of wine pours, but we ended up ordering a bottle of prosecco. Veggie dishes turned out to be the stars - salt roasted beets with goat cheese and pistachio vinaigrette were really solid, and the butternut squash with parmesan and pumpkin seeds was deliciously seasonal. The open-face fried egg BLT got rave reviews, as did the scallop spiedini. Neck bone gravy with ricotta was absolutely as rich and tasty as it sounded. My personal fave was the chicken thigh kebabs with fried potatoes and tzatziki - SO tender, with crispy skin. Service was fine, despite our waitress having very little personality. I would definitely go back - very cute place with yummy food!

Monday night was a celebratory meal at the Publican. If I was just ranking on the food and beer, this place would be my favorite of the trip. Oysters were yum, homemade pickles were great, the selection of three hams was deliciously hammy, the fried perch with sweet potatoes was perfectly non-greasy and crunchy, the cauliflower gratin was flavorful, the sweetbreads were AWESOME, and the langoustines were like buttah. Desserts? Waffle and salted caramel cake = WIN. Unfortunately, the atmosphere was just kind of...weird. The closed-in booths? The dim lighting? Just not a fan. Also, while the service was serviceable, our waiter was kind of a robot - his answers all seemed very scripted and corporate, and he didn't engage us at all (even though anyone could tell that we were there to have a good time). Only other gripe - if you are out of a beer, strike it on the menu!

And, in case anyone is curious, I finished the Chicago marathon (my first marathon ever) in 5:44:14. Woo hoo! Good thing, too, after all that food...

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So, we'll be in Chicago m-f of Thanksgiving week. I have many thoughts on food, but am not certain where we should go for Thanksgiving dinner. We are 3 people. One wants a traditional meal, one does NOT want a traditional meal, and the third could go either way.

Thoughts?

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So, we'll be in Chicago m-f of Thanksgiving week. I have many thoughts on food, but am not certain where we should go for Thanksgiving dinner. We are 3 people. One wants a traditional meal, one does NOT want a traditional meal, and the third could go either way.

Thoughts?

Sorry - didn't see this sooner, and I probably can't be of help. Zagat's had a small compilation. I found last year's compilation that said Ann Sather's had a traditional meal, and if you are an Ann Sather's fan, then I would say go there.

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I found last year's compilation that said Ann Sather's had a traditional meal, and if you are an Ann Sather's fan, then I would say go there.

Hm. I'm a fan of their breakfast, but not so much dinner.

Going to look at the compilation now. Thanks!

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I thought at one point, I had heard some rumblings that Alberto's served pretty authentic deep-dish. Has anyone tried theirs? @thetrain, I would just order online from Giordano's, Gino's East or Lou Malnati's, put on your own choice of meat and get the real stuff.

Giordano's is trash, but either of the other two are awesome. Love me some Gino's East.

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Giordano's is trash, but either of the other two are awesome. Love me some Gino's East.

In the late 1980s, I lived a year in Chicago near Greek town and pretty regularly frequented Girodano's at Harrison and Halsted. It was important to note the location, since the age of the pans and oven made a substantial difference in the taste at various locations around the city. While the crust does lack a complexity that others such as original Pizzeria Uno's or Duo's, Gino's East, etc... it was pretty good especially at this time of the year.

As a side note, Gino's East used to be next door the Northwestern's Cardiac Center, and remember more than once someone having sausage, that were as large and wide as a hockey puck, joking it was ok since the doctors next door could just walk over and save you from the heart attack.

Actually on my return to the metro area, I spent many hours trying to replicate stuffed pizza at home, which is quite a bear which home ovens. In terms of a real deep dish or stuffed pizza outside of the Chicago area, I've always wondered if it's economically possible for a restaurant to survive with that style of pizza. Even in Chicago from what I read and heard from friends, 'skinny' pizza is more popular these days.

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Actually on my return to the metro area, I spent many hours trying to replicate stuffed pizza at home, which is quite a bear which home ovens. In terms of a real deep dish or stuffed pizza outside of the Chicago area, I've always wondered if it's economically possible for a restaurant to survive with that style of pizza. Even in Chicago from what I read and heard from friends, 'skinny' pizza is more popular these days.

My first taste of Giordano's pizza was in the late '80s at their Hyde Park location and I've been a sucker for it ever since, even as the pizzas have declined somewhat as the chain expanded. The half-hour wait is something of a limitation, too.

I was thrilled when somebody opened a franchise Nancy's location in Rockville/Bethesda about 15 years ago. After ordering there regularly for a while, they started offering to sell me par-baked ones to finish after the long drive. The key was loaning out the cast aluminum heatsink - looking rather like a hundred-legged trivet - which conducted heat to the interior of the pie, and which (obviously) they wanted me to return as soon as possible.

ETA: it's called a "speed bake". At $100 a pop, I can understand why they didn't loan them out willy-nilly.

AmericanMetalcraft_HS121212.jpg

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In the late 1980s, I lived a year in Chicago near Greek town and pretty regularly frequented Girodano's at Harrison and Halsted. It was important to note the location, since the age of the pans and oven made a substantial difference in the taste at various locations around the city. While the crust does lack a complexity that others such as original Pizzeria Uno's or Duo's, Gino's East, etc... it was pretty good especially at this time of the year.

As a side note, Gino's East used to be next door the Northwestern's Cardiac Center, and remember more than once someone having sausage, that were as large and wide as a hockey puck, joking it was ok since the doctors next door could just walk over and save you from the heart attack.

Actually on my return to the metro area, I spent many hours trying to replicate stuffed pizza at home, which is quite a bear which home ovens. In terms of a real deep dish or stuffed pizza outside of the Chicago area, I've always wondered if it's economically possible for a restaurant to survive with that style of pizza. Even in Chicago from what I read and heard from friends, 'skinny' pizza is more popular these days.

While I'm sure Giordano's was respectable once upon a time, my visit there last summer all but confirmed that those days are far behind them. Premade, flavorless dough and marinara, (both confirmed by the manager when we asked to talk to him) plastic-quality cheese, and a scant portion of low-grade pepperoni were the components of our pizza, which had about three bites taken out of it before tapping out. The rest of it was (probably) finished by the nearest homeless person on the walk back to the hotel.

With that said, I'm probably a bit of a pizza snob. So take that for what it's worth.

:)

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My first taste of Giordano's pizza was in the late '80s at their Hyde Park location and I've been a sucker for it ever since, even as the pizzas have declined somewhat as the chain expanded. The half-hour wait is something of a limitation, too.

I was thrilled when somebody opened a franchise Nancy's location in Rockville/Bethesda about 15 years ago. After ordering there regularly for a while, they started offering to sell me par-baked ones to finish after the long drive. The key was loaning out the cast aluminum heatsink - looking rather like a hundred-legged trivet - which conducted heat to the interior of the pie, and which (obviously) they wanted me to return as soon as possible.

ETA: it's called a "speed bake". At $100 a pop, I can understand why they didn't loan them out willy-nilly.

AmericanMetalcraft_HS121212.jpg

I don't think I made it to the Hyde Park location. Only made of that part of town to help a buddy with the U of C scavenger hunt which led to a two day road trip down to Memphis.

I vaguely remember using a device liked this in the pan, not as nice as this one, coupled with other tricks to try and get stuffed pizza to come out right.

Thanks for the link, I may have to pick this up and trying making one again!

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While I'm sure Giordano's was respectable once upon a time, my visit there last summer all but confirmed that those days are far behind them. Premade, flavorless dough and marinara, (both confirmed by the manager when we asked to talk to him) plastic-quality cheese, and a scant portion of low-grade pepperoni were the components of our pizza, which had about three bites taken out of it before tapping out. The rest of it was (probably) finished by the nearest homeless person on the walk back to the hotel.

With that said, I'm probably a bit of a pizza snob. So take that for what it's worth.

:)

It's ok, I'm a pizza snob as well. I do have a certain fondness for Giordano's, but recognize the quality of the ingredients has dropped since the first time, I had it twenty years ago. Still, I think making stuffed pizza is more complex than people realize.

Perhaps you can have a go at it?

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Ok going to Chicago not this weekend, but next.

Reservations at Moto- Hubby wants molecular gastronomy- is this the best we can get into?

Bin 36 for a casual night for a friend- good choice, don't want something too expensive, but want it nice and fun.

Frontera Grill- will have to be a walk in, I guess. Will bring our ipods/pads.

Also am thinking about making reservations at Graham Elliot? Is there a better place for the money I can get into?

Am giving Hubby suggestions he is at a conference there all week, I come in next Thursday for the long weekend: Purple Pig, Blackbird, etc.

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GQ had this article about Schwa. As a visitor, my top pick would be Alinea (and we did the 14 course meal there) and my second choice would've been Schwa.

Schwa isn't really MG, though I love it. Moto isn't remotely in the same league as Alinea, IMHO. Do the latter if at all possible.

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Ate at the Girl and the Goat this past Sunday. It just got a glowing write-up in Saveur, but we thought the dishes (which are all small plates) were hit or miss. Highlights were the cauliflower with hot peppers, chickpea fritters, shishito peppers with miso, and the breads. Their selection of interesting housemade breads are each paired with both a flavored butter and a flavored oil. There seems to be a growing trend of charging for bread ($4 each here), but I think it's a great idea if it gets you bread that's so much better in quality. A dessert of parsnip (?!) pot de creme with pistachio cake and blood orange sorbet was quite good too.

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Wow... I don't even know where to start.

Landed in Chicago, met up with my Hubby. We were staying at the Sofitel at the Water Tower, which I absolutely loved- nice service, amenities, location. We went to Moto that night as Hubby really wanted very modern molecular gastronomy. I will write more later. All in all it was good, and Hubby really liked it. I thought it was interesting, some dishes were better than others, but it was fun.

Friday we ate an early lunch at Grahamwich, Graham Elliot's sandwich shop. This was really, really good. I had the jarbrito tacos which were good, I also had a bite of my Hubby's Reuben, which was really good, juicy and just succulent. We also got the short rib sandwich and I ate all the guts out of my half. That was fantastic, the pickled onions, chip pieces, short rib and sauce were so rich and crispy and tart all together. That was a great sandwich. It was very hipster in terms of scene, but I liked it.

That night we had our obligatory Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill. I started with Duck flautos in a tomatillo sauce. This was just fantastic. Slightly spicy, crisp outer shell, rich meat, but the tomatillo sauce with toasted herbs and spices was just amazing. I am sure it is in his cookbook and would be worth it if you had some time to make it. It was an excellent dish. Hubby had a chorizo tamales which was good, but it had so much sauce, meat, greans and etc you couldn't really taste the tamales, so while it was good my starter was better. For entrees he had an entree with chicken, rice and spinach which had a light sauce that I want to say was tomato based. His entree was really good, I liked it a lot. The spinach was fantastic and the sauce was light but flavorful. I had chicken enchiladas in mole poblano. It was very rich and sweet, but nicely balanced with black beans. The meat and tortillas were very good, the mole was very complex, but good. It isn't something I could eat often, I couldn't finish it just so rich, but it was very good. We were too stuffed for dessert. I also had a very good blood orange margarita. The service wasn't stellar. We waited a long time for drinks, silverware, our order to get taken we ordered second drinks, but finished our entrees before they came so the waiter asked if we still wanted them and we declined. I understand it is exceedingly busy there all the time, but at the same time, it is always like that so I expect them to be able to better deal with the madness.

Saturday was St. Patty's madness. We ate breakfast at Cafe Grand Deluxe, which I believe is owned by Cheesecake Factory brand. Places were so crowded at this point we just wanted some food and they could get us in fairly quickly. I had an egg white omlette and it was fine. the river was green, people were crazy.

That night we went to the lounge at Sixteen at the Trump Tower for cocktails and a snack. The view from there is really beautiful, the cocktails were really well done, I had a ginger cocktail, I think with Vodka, but it was very well blended with a nice mixture of flavors. My friend Megan had a whiskey, maple syrup and bacon cocktail with some other things to balance out the sweet and that was really good. Hubby had the least appealing, I can't even really remember what it was, he didn't get a second of it, he had something else. But sitting there drinking cocktails, watching the skyline light up, and catching the fireworks was a great evening. If you want the iconic cocktail with nice view this is the place. We ate samosas and beef satay both of which were really tasty.

That night we ate dinner/more snacks at Bin36. This place had a fantastic wine list, a very good selection of wine flights, a huge selection of cheese and was a great place to hang. We all got different flights, I had the Habla Espanol which had wines from the new world and old, they were all very good. We had a lavender and coffee encrusted cheese, mortadella, salami platter which was very good. Hubby had a cheddar flight which was awesome. Then I had a beet and crab salad, which had a touch too many beets and not enough other components to balance them out. But was pretty good. My friend had sausage, polenta and an egg which was like having really good breakfast for dinner. Hubby had fondue with soft pretzels and apples which was good. We mainly just wanted snacks and hangover food to suck up all the liquor from the day. We then drank at some different bars that night.

Next day we tried to go to Yolk which was packed, so trying to hit up some museums quickly we just ended up at Potbelly. Later that day we went to Marshall Fields/Macy's which was a ton of fun. I wish their cafes had been open that day. We got lots of chocolate from the candy department. They had an amazing selection. That store is just nuts! We ended up grabbing a quick dinner before heading to the airport at Flacos Tacos which was surprisingly good, the chicken tamale was incredible and the tacos were really good. In retrospect we could have eaten somewhere nicer, but we didn't know how long it would take us to get to the airport, through security and all that jazz, but it ended up being a breeze.

We had a great trip, next time I have a whole other list of things I want to do...

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Does anyone know if the full Tapolobampo menu is offered at the bar?

I certainly may be wrong in this, but they sort of share spaces and it appeared that Frontera Grill's menu was served at the bar. Unless there is another bar somewhere else we didn't see.

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(originally posted on my blog, so forgive the slightly non-dr.com-ish writing style.)

When you only have one night to dine in Chicago, the decision can be impossible. Blow-out gastronomical tasting at Alinea? Too intense. Hit the bar at fully-booked Girl and the Goat and hope for space? Too iffy. Take a beer- and pork-afficionado friend to beer-and-pork mecca The Publican? We have a winner.

The restaurant is loud and bustling, with communal tables running the length of it, along with semi-private four-top booths along the windows. Don't let the tables put you off, though; it's not really much different from dining in any restaurant where the tables along the banquette are very close together, and for the most part the close quarters with one's neighbors remain minimally intrusive.

I know I'm in the right place when my server, upon explaining the menu, notes, "We understand not everything cooks at the same rate, so we encourage you to order everything together, and we'll course it out for you." Too often, restaurants that don't follow a traditional service (one appetizer and one main course per person) bring dishes haphazardly. It shows great attention to the dining experience when a restaurant plans to pace the meal despite a nontraditional set-up -- small snacks, appetizers, medium-sized plates one might share or not, and family-style entrees all make an appearance on Publican's menu.

And oh, what a menu. The Publican is known, as mentioned above, for beer and pork, although it goes far beyond that: seafood, including a raw bar that appears to be sourcing some excellent oysters, and vegetables from local farmers all are well represented. In fact, just about everything on the menu lists its provenance; you know what brewery, what farm, what butcher was responsible for everything in your glass or on your plate. One of the things I enjoyed, though, is that the nose-to-tail ethic at work isn't forced upon the diner. Read the blurb, think about it, or don't think about it and just enjoy your food.

My dining companion enjoyed the Monk's Café Flemish Sour Red Ale ($6), which the server accurately described as more sweet-and-sour than traditionally sour. He easily suggested alternatives for someone looking for a less unusual beer, but the Monk's was a welcome change from the expected. The next beer, the Brauerei Heller-Trum ($10), seemed to complement the multiple courses we enjoyed.

(I stuck to a very drinkable Argentinian sustainable pinot noir for $12. So sue me.)

Then, the food. Oh, my. There's a reason I had a salad for lunch before showing up to dinner.

daily pickles ($4): superbly pickled cauliflower, cucumber pickles that were just shy of being sweet enough to register as bread-and-butter, and pickled onions and beets (I think). A couple plates of these with a beer and some oysters in the bar would make a perfect light night out.

spicy pork rinds ($5): a huge cone of ethereally fried bites, coated with a spicy, cheesy dust, these were ridiculously addictive, the heat level building just gradually enough to keep me coming back for more even though I knew I had to pace myself.

serrano; half taste of ham ($14): some of the most flavorful and richest serrano I've ever tasted, with excellent country bread and slightly-too-cold butter.

frites ($5): my only quibble with these is that I wanted them to arrive with the next course; luckily, it came shortly after they did. My desert-island food is excellent French fries, and these fit the bill; double-fried to be crispy but thick enough to retain a creamy, potato-y middle, and salted just enough, with Belgian mayonnaise, I could have eaten the entire cone (and may have had more than my fair share, I'm sure).

spicy steak tartare, radishes, fennel & lovage ($17): the radish and fennel set of the perfectly spiced meat; a few bits of meltingly tender (and yes, raw) beef followed by a couple of crispy frites was perhaps my favorite combination of dishes of the evening.

squid, broccoli, peanuts & apricot-chili vinaigrette ($15): my dining companion doesn't enjoy seafood, so I had this all to myself, and what a dish to get to savor alone! The squid, roasted in an earthenware dish, was tender yet hearty, and incredibly flavorful; the broccoli acquired the nuttiness of the roast, set off deliciously by the peanuts and the sweet-spicy sauce.

country ribs, maitake mushrooms & kohlrabi, half order ($15): grilled to create an exceptional crust and yet not tough inside, with the meatiness of the maitake highlighting just how satisfying at an almost primal level this dish can be, this dish was almost too rich (and definitely too much) at the end of the meal, but well worth the indulgence.

chocolate-banana budino with coffee gelato & cocoa nibs ($7): did we need dessert? No. Was this outstanding? Caramelized bananas with a rich, dark-but-not-too-dark chocolate pudding, set off by the bitter cocoa nibs and the essence of coffee in the creamy gelato? Oh, yes.

Heading out into the light drizzle, I was seriously tempted to turn around, head back to the bar, and nurse a drink while watching what else came of the clearly talented kitchen. Chicago has a vibrant dining scene, and there are many more restaurants I need to get to, but it will be darn hard not to come back here each time, for a small plate, a drink, and, well, maybe just one or two other little tastes ...

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Long weekend in Chicago, centered around girlfriend's birthday-present reservation at Alinea.

Friday:

Hot Doug's - finally made it here. the Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel was delicious, but the crayfish sausage (no longer on the menu so I don't have the fully details) stole the show. stunning. the duck fat fries didn't warrant the "only Friday and Saturday" hype.

Hopleaf - one of the best beer lists in town. didn't get any food since we had eaten so much at HD, but drank a nice array of sour belgian stuff in bottles to complement the local stuff on tap.

Violet Hour - showed up early enough (6:30ish) so that we didn't have to stand in line. the autumn negroni (with the addition of fernet) was delicious, and we got a fantastic bowl of punch (rum, porter syrup, a bunch of other stuff).

Blackbird - overall a very good meal, but totally dominated by how amazing the duck breast was. seared in a pan and finished in the oven, and apparently dry-aged (you can dry-age duck??). not a fan of the look/feel of the place, but it was delicious.

Local Option - one of my favorite relaxing beer spots in town. lots of great stuff on tap. only left here because the owner/manager person started blasting covers of Baker Street, one after another.

Paddy Long's - nothing special, but if you're in the area, they've got Three Floyd's on tap. most decent bars in town do, but still exciting since we can't get it out west.

Saturday:

Beckett's Public House - pork belly blt, mac and cheese. decent, but not worth seeking out.

Alinea - amazing. no need to go over the details. just fantastic in every regard.

Sunday:

Sabri Nihari - good Pakistani lunch in a very Indian neighborhood.

Map Room - my favorite beer bar in town. also had a decent macchiato, which was pretty helpful at this point of the day.

The Publican - after Alinea, this was probably the meal I had looked forward to the most. being a beer and food person, i was really hoping to see a focus on pairing great beers with excellent food. while the beers were great, the food didn't stack up. blood sausage was tasty but texture was grainy and fell apart. the half chicken was almost as soggy as the fries beneath it. potee was probably the best plate of the night, but still didn't really wow me. the pickles were good, but the rest of the veggies were a sad lot. maybe it suffered from post-Alinea sadness, but whatever it was, I came away realizing that there are truly very few places in the country that do both beer and food greatly. I had heard that Publican was one, but at least on this visit, that was not the case.

Sheffields - nightcap of Bell's Two-Hearted. joy.

Monday:

Bangers and Lace - like hot doug's but fancy, with dinner and drinks. the foie gras corn dog was foie on a garlic sausage, and the entire bun was deep-fried. the most decadent thing of the entire trip, no question. ridiculous. the rest of the food was good (skip the fries, though). great beer list and the cocktails looked good.

Delilah's - even when it's packed full of punk-rock Halloween revelers, this is still one of the best places to drink whiskey ever. the beer list ain't too shabby neither.

Tuesday:

Orange on Roscoe - weekday brunch + wifi. chai-flavored, ricotta-stuffed french toast. schizophrenic stereo.

Revolution Brewing - more wifi, some decent beers. a "double pale ale" that was quite a boozer, and very much a double IPA in reality...but still tasty. english mild that would have made jparrott proud.

Goose Island @ O'Hare - worth stopping in if you happen to be in the VirginAmerica area. most of the Goose Island beers were in bottles, but still. Sofie in an airport is a glorious thing, and they had bourbon county too!

Fin.

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Spending the three day weekend in my old stomping grounds of Chicago - but it's been a decade since I did any stomping there. Tips? Our dinners are already planned (Alinea and The Publican), but I'd love suggestions for brunch/lunch (we'll probably do xoco or Frontera for one, but that leaves us with two others), snack ideas, drink ideas (we'll try to get into Aviary one night). And - if anyone has any other tips on things to do - new cool shops, cafes, etc. - that would be much appreciated.

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A couple months ago, I scored tickets to Next's Childhood. I'm notoriously bad about planning anything in advance-- just ask anyone who knows me!-- which meant that picking a date (especially one in December) was terrifying. But somehow it all worked out. Fares dropped a few weeks ago, we lucked into a special at the Sax Hotel, and so Thursday morning saw Nick and I at DCA, waiting for our flight to Chicago for a couple food-filled days in the Windy City.

We landed, checked into our room at 12:30, and then immediately hopped into a cab to get to Blackbird for lunch. Because, you see, Nick had forwarded me a link to an article on Blackbird's shortrib burger, and I wanted it. ( http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/11/blackbird-burger-review-chicago-il.html ) We both wanted it. Nick got his with the garlic fries, and polished them off- I got the regular fries, and only made it about halfway through. But the burger! Oh, god. And those red-wine shallots. That was one hell of a good burger.

Dinner saw us at a nearby Lou Malnati's, consuming way too much of a deep-dish butter-crust sausage pizza. *Why* does no one make deep dish around here? I don't get it. Walking back to the hotel, some incredibly good smells were wafting over the street from XOCO. I filed that notion away for later.

Already starting to have a food hangover, we missed breakfast Friday morning, but I decided we'd have XOCO for lunch. I had the shortrib red chile soup, which was warm and flavorful and hit the spot, but Nick was the winner with a Cubana torta. The churros were great, and my aztec hot chocolate was fantastic. We tried to walk off lunch for the next few hours, but eventually had to get back to the hotel to warm up and get ready for Childhood.

We had reservations at 9:15, but decided to head over early to see if we couldn't get into Aviary for a few drinks. Luck favored us, and we were ushered in at around 7:45. Nick got a flight- the standout was the Horchata. I started off with an Oolong, which was warm and subtle and all sorts of awesome. Even Nick really liked it, and he hates tea. We had a few of the bites; the duck rilettes and the foie gras were the standouts. Somehow an unordered Cranberry ended up on our table, so I took one for the team and drank it. It started off as a punch in the face, but got much better as the ice globes melted. I really liked the metal straws. I finished off with a Pear, which was light and refreshing but definitely tipped me over into tipsy-land. A fine place to visit Childhood from.

I'd ordered the wine pairing for Nick, but the non-alcoholic pairing for me. This had the unfortunate effect that I got more sober as everyone around me was going completely blotto; I really wish they'd do a cocktail pairing. The wine pairing, unfortunately, was primarily reds, and reds that I couldn't drink at that.

Childhood, as far as I can tell, is heavily dependent on one's frame of mind going in-- if you're feeling testy, or looking for things to complain about, you'll find plenty and not enjoy it. If you go in willing to be enchanted, then you will be. We had a lovely time. My main complaint n retrospect is that the alcohol pairing really cuts through some of the richness and sweetness-- I could not finish either of the last two courses because they were just too sweet when combined with my drinks, but Nick did not notice any excessive sweetness at all.

One kudo- while Next only would honor a very limited number of allergies in the reservation process, our server ensured that my meal was entirely dill-free, for which I was very grateful.

We stumbled back to the hotel around midnight, fat and happy. But somehow, saturday morning, I woke up with Nick's rightful hangover. Argh. We stumbled down to Bin 31 for breakfast, and the yogurt parfait hit the spot. Nick's eggs and sausage seemed entirely adequate, though I'm not sure I'd be happy about paying $12 for them. Fortunately, breakfast was included in the hotel reservation.

Finally, we packed up and headed back to the airport, stopping in Irving Park to visit Smoque. I got a half-and-half; I favoured the brisket half over the pulled pork. Nick got a half-rack of ribs, and was very happy with them. (Though, he thinks that B'z BBQ ribs rate higher in his book.) Then we finished heading back to O-'Hare.

We thought our food odyssey was at an end, but no. Turns out there was a Tortas Frontera right next to our gate. Nick couldn't help it- he picked up a Cubana for the plane ride home. I didn't need it, but that was a damn good half-sandwich.

Thanks, Chicago! We had a good time.

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Sabri Nihari - good Pakistani lunch in a very Indian neighborhood.

This is not really an Indian neighborhood, but more of an Indian shopping area. Many of the stores along Devon Avenue east of California have become Indian shops or restaurants, with some being Pakistani. However, most of the residents of the area west of Western Ave. are not Indian. Many of the shoppers patronizing these places come from outside the neighborhood, even from outside Chicago.

Many years ago this stretch of Devon Ave. had a number of clothing, shoe, specialty, and small department stores. The advent of shopping malls, along with a move to the suburbs of many of the residents caused many of these sort of businesses to eventually close or move. As a result, many storefronts became vacant and a trickle of Indian shops began taking these spaces. At some point the number of Indian shops reached a critical mass and the area became a magnet for South Asian shoppers with its Indo-Pakistani restaurants, sari shops, electronics stores loaded with PAL videos and 240 volt equipment, etc. The impact of these changes over the past 35 years or so have been more commercial than residential.

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Does anyone know if the full Tapolobampo menu is offered at the bar?

Topolobampo adjoins Frontera Grill. Indeed, one passes through Frontera Grill on the way to being seated at Topolo. The bar is in the Frontera Grill space. You may order from either the Frontera or Topolo menu at the bar.

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While I'm sure Giordano's was respectable once upon a time, my visit there last summer all but confirmed that those days are far behind them. Premade, flavorless dough and marinara, (both confirmed by the manager when we asked to talk to him) plastic-quality cheese, and a scant portion of low-grade pepperoni were the components of our pizza, which had about three bites taken out of it before tapping out.

Here's the lowdown on Giordano's . . . It was founded in 1974 by the Boglio brothers, who used their mother's maiden name, Giordano, to name the place. The place was bought in 1988 by John Apostolou, who had been working there since the 70s. At some point Giordano's started franchising their shops and I think this began its downfall as the business became overwhelmed by its franchising. Quality slipped and franchisees even began using "unauthorized" ingredients. Then recently Giordano's went into bankruptcy and Apostolou had to relinquish control. In November, investors that included private equity firm Victory Park Capital paid a total of $61.6 million for Giordano's restaurant and real estate assets in a bankruptcy court auction. Other members of the investor group now owning Giordano's includes: Chicago-based Atria Group; George and Basil Apostolou, currently Giordano's franchisees and sons of the couple who had owned the chain when it went bankrupt; and Origin Funding, a Chicago-based real estate firm who put up $10 million of the $61.6 million purchase price for certain real estate assets.

In a statement, Victory Park said it planned to "export the World's Greatest Deep Dish Pizza franchise throughout the United States." This does not seem to bode well for the quality of Giordano's. BTW, the famous Uno pizzeria suffered a similar fate when it was acquired from founder Ike Sewell's widow by a Boston based food group that proceeded to franchise Unos like crazy. They allowed franchisees to alter the original recipe, basically destroying the product (in comparison to the original Uno pizza) that made Uno famous. However, in contrast with Giordano's, the buyers of Uno pledged not to mess with the original spots in Chicago, Uno and Due. The pizza from the original two spots is very good, but pizza from any other Unos is terrible and is an insult to the legacy of Uno and Chicago pan pizza, a.k.a. deep dish. Franchising and corporate wheeling and dealing has diminished several of the great Chicago pan pizza places: Besides Giordano's and Uno, Edwardo's, which was started by Edward Jacobson who used to work for the original Giordano's owners, was gobbled up by Chicago real estate investors Ivan and Jeffrey Himmel. The HImmels also took over Geno's East and folded Edwardo's and Geno's East into corporate entity Bravo Restuarants, along with Ed Debevic's. They started franchising Edwardo's and Geno's with the usual results . . . quality collapse, although some Geno's are pretty good (only about half of Geno's (Genii?) are franchises, so maybe that's why some are not bad and others bad.

My pick for Chicago pan pizza is Lou Malnati's . . . and guess what . . . Lou Malnati's does not franchise and has no plans to expand outside the Chicago area in order to maintain their standards!!!

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I'm currently living in a midwestern chinese food (or any ethnic food) wasteland. Excited to get the chance to visit Chicago in a few weeks for a super bowl vacation.

We already have reservations at Girl and the Goat and Publican, plan on hitting up Hot Doug's and having pizza

Wondering if anyone out there could give me some guidance on Happy Chef is still a good place for dim sum (was mentioned earlier in this thread).

The other places i've heard good things about are Phoenix and Three Happiness.

Any other ethnic places folks could recommend would be tremendous.

Thanks in advance!

Andy in Indy

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I'm currently living in a midwestern chinese food (or any ethnic food) wasteland. Enjoying the chance to visit Chicago in a few weeks. Wondering if anyone out there could give me some guidance on Happy Chef is still a good place for dim sum (was mentioned earlier in this thread).

The other places i've heard good things about are Phoenix and Three Happiness.

Any other ethnic places folks could recommend would be tremendous.

Thanks in advance!

Andy in Indy

If you think Jewish Deli is ethnic, you've got a good one in your own back yard. Click here, and scroll down several posts for details about my Indianapolis treasure hunt and recap. (And please, add more, because I'm going back this summer!)

Cheers,

Rocks

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I'm currently living in a midwestern chinese food (or any ethnic food) wasteland. Excited to get the chance to visit Chicago in a few weeks for a super bowl vacation.

Wondering if anyone out there could give me some guidance on Happy Chef is still a good place for dim sum (was mentioned earlier in this thread).

The other places i've heard good things about are Phoenix and Three Happiness.

Andy in Indy

Happy Chef is closed. Phoenix and Three Happiness are still open, but a bit faded in glory. If you are thinking of Chinatown, try Lao Sze Chuan (2172 S Archer Ave) or Ken Kee (2129 S China Pl).

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Also consider Lao Hunan. It's a new place owned by the same fellow who runs Lao Sze Chuan. It opened a few months back, I had a pretty fabulous meal there, and everybody else I know who's been there is raving about it. Great stuff from a region that isn't often well-represented here. Here's a good thread with lots of specific recs:

http://www.lthforum....hp?f=14&t=32686

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A long weekend in Chicago left me two reasons to go back ASAP: Longman & Eagle and The Aviary.

L&E doesn't take reservations so I planned a weekday brunch to avoid potential crowds. The restaurant was empty at 11am on a Friday, a tremendous oversight on the part of tourists breaking their fasts at hotel buffets. My friend tore through his duck egg over duck confit hash, drizzled with truffle vinaigrette to cut through the richness of the duck. My pig's head pastrami "sandwich" was sublime: perfectly cooked & seasoned tete a cochon atop a well-dressed apple slaw and the blackest of rye bread, accompanied with sauerkraut and a thousand island sauce. The spicy bloody mary comes with a beer back and their take on a mimosa combines prosecco with campari - a mimoni? negrosa? The enthusiastic waitress begged us to come back to try the dinner. She advised those who stay in the accompanying inn above the restaurant are the only ones who can score reservations, something I will keep in mind for my inevitable return. Otherwise it's practically on top of the Logan Square station entrance so no need to worry about wandering the neighborhood looking for it; this would make a great stop for those taking the blue line back to O'Hare.

Much as I love a good cocktail I almost didn't bother with The Aviary. I was afraid I would find it gimmicky and coupled with the fact that I couldn't gauge how necessary it was to get a reservation I was sure this was going to be a bigger pain than it was worth. Wrong. My friends who insisted I would love it are absolutely right: It's thoughtful, superbly executed and great fun. We arrived shortly after 6pm on a Friday and we were in within 10 minutes. We didn't stay longer than an hour but it was enough time to try several of the a la carte beverages on the menu. I ordered the $28 truffle (simply described as "campari, sweet vermouth and bitters") out of sheer curiosity; how could a negroni could cost almost $30? Oh I guess it's this massive slice of shaved truffle in the bottom of the glass. I'm still not sure if I buy that pairing - the truffle was powerful and I like tasting the parts of my negroni, but it was interesting nonetheless. The Oolong and the In The Rocks, however, were very well balanced. In The Rocks was an old-fashioned cocooned in a perfect sphere of ice. A rubber band with a weight attached released the liquid which I drank a little too fast. So good and even if it is a gimmick who cares?? It was so delightful! I also noted that they had a vertical tasting of Pappy Van Winkle's entire line for $150. Definitely worth a visit for pre- or post-dinner drink if not the whole tasting menu.

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