Favorite restaurant in Chicago.

Tjodalv

Discoverer of Dragosaurs
CCS Hall of Fame '22
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
16,036
Liked Posts:
14,784
Are we talking sit down or pick up your shit and go?
 

Tjodalv

Discoverer of Dragosaurs
CCS Hall of Fame '22
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
16,036
Liked Posts:
14,784
I've always been a fan of The Berghoff, Russian Tea Time, and Bavette's (although if you're going French I prefer bordelaise to bearnaise [which they use heavily]) if your going for high end eating. The Hat, actually, has one of the best beefs around. Don't really have much reason to hit up that part of town after my one buddy moved, but I love that place. Obviously Kuma's is tits, there is a less impressive clone of that in Lombard (The Brauer House) which is pretty solid if anyone lives in the West/North-West burbs.

Why did you not start this in the food forum?
 

Gustavus Adolphus

?‍♂️?
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Jun 15, 2010
Posts:
44,289
Liked Posts:
38,740
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago White Sox
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  2. Villanova Wildcats
I'm a fan of Boka. Constantly changing their menu, and just solid overall. Acre is overall really solid, and a fantastic drink menu. And I certainly have to give credit to Farmhouse, though I'll admit part of this has to do with my (as of Saturday) fiancee's relatives being a (very) small part of the ownership group. That being said, the food there is really good, and price wise is really good.

Obviously if you go to places like Girl and the Goat, Trattatoria, any of the Bayless restaurants, or any of the big name steakhouses (Sullivans is my favorite) you're going to have a great meal. The three places I listed above aren't off the beaten path (Halsted, Clark, Chicago), but certainly worthy places.

Pequods, imo, is the best pizza in the city. Love everything about that place.

I like Burger Bar on Clybourn, but again, a lot of these bigger places (especially burgers and steakhouses) are all subjective. They are all great, it's just a matter of preference.
 

Desperado34

New member
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
17,933
Liked Posts:
6,886
Location:
Illinois
Good list though! Will keep a lot of those places in mind, thanks!
 

Gustavus Adolphus

?‍♂️?
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Jun 15, 2010
Posts:
44,289
Liked Posts:
38,740
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago White Sox
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  2. Villanova Wildcats
Oh, also (and I hope Tj appreciates this) best rooftop bar in the city?

Reggies, on South State.
 

theOHIOSTATE!

Well-known member
Joined:
Nov 9, 2014
Posts:
3,591
Liked Posts:
1,218
Location:
ND is horrible.
Gustavus is on point for the most part.

I wouldn't put Burger Bar on a best of anything list, but it's fine. I can go to LA or LV and show you 15 places that do that better/more interestingly though.
(MMMM, fUKU burgerrrr)

Boka is amazing....and Sepia for LUNCH is an amazing value for people who want to go to a Michelin type place, but don't feel the need to do dinner and drop heavy dough. I have eaten upwards of 10 lunches or more there, excellent and surprisingly affordable if booze isn't involved.

I love Indian Buffets, and TAVA in Morton Grove was my last obsession and very worthwhile....
 

Tater

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
May 15, 2010
Posts:
13,392
Liked Posts:
5,654
Gustavus is on point for the most part.

I wouldn't put Burger Bar on a best of anything list, but it's fine. I can go to LA or LV and show you 15 places that do that better/more interestingly though.
(MMMM, fUKU burgerrrr)

Boka is amazing....and Sepia for LUNCH is an amazing value for people who want to go to a Michelin type place, but don't feel the need to do dinner and drop heavy dough. I have eaten upwards of 10 lunches or more there, excellent and surprisingly affordable if booze isn't involved.

I love Indian Buffets, and TAVA in Morton Grove was my last obsession and very worthwhile....


I have to try one of those sometime. Some Indian food love, but I don't have it to often and I'm never sure what to order. Being able to sample all kinds of stuff at a buffet would be great.
 

BearFanJohn

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Aug 22, 2012
Posts:
10,235
Liked Posts:
6,757
Location:
Indiana
Chicago is a world class food city. Uber high end? Sixteen or Grace. I haven't been to Alinea since the re-model. Fancy and under the radar, Les Nomades. We've been to Boka a few times in the last year and love it. Italian: Piccolo Sogno. Steakhouse: Bavette's or maybe David Burke's. Seafood: GT Fish & Oyster, Burger: Au Cheval or Seven Lions (have not been to Burger Bar, yet, but plan on getting to it this fall). Pizza: Bartoli's? Piece? Bar Toma? Haven't been "wowed"-looking for suggestions. Honorable Mention: Blackbird, North Pond, MK, Le Colonial, Sepia, would have said Perrenial Virant but our last meal there was a freaking disaster.
 

brett05

867-5309
Joined:
Apr 28, 2009
Posts:
27,226
Liked Posts:
-1,272
Location:
Hell
For Brazilian: Fogo De Chao
Breakfast: Yolk
Great Burger can be had at either Yolk or Big n Little's
Hot Dog: Gene and Jude's (No Ketchup!)
 

Ares

CCS Hall of Fame
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
41,423
Liked Posts:
39,624
For Brazilian: Fogo De Chao
Breakfast: Yolk
Great Burger can be had at either Yolk or Big n Little's
Hot Dog: Gene and Jude's (No Ketchup!)

You ever meet people who are like militant about the no ketchup thing with hot dogs?

Like breh, you care WAY too much about one particular condiment people like on their hot dogs.

Murica... its a free cuntry.... till u try to put ketchup on ur hot dog!
 

brett05

867-5309
Joined:
Apr 28, 2009
Posts:
27,226
Liked Posts:
-1,272
Location:
Hell
You ever meet people who are like militant about the no ketchup thing with hot dogs?

Like breh, you care WAY too much about one particular condiment people like on their hot dogs.

Murica... its a free cuntry.... till u try to put ketchup on ur hot dog!

Oh yeah, they are everywhere. And maybe I am one of them at times, but hopefully only to people I know. But Gene and Jude's are militant about it such that there is no ketchup for the fries which are fresh cut and out of this world. The McDonald's across the street charges $.25 per packet if you want it.
 

Ares

CCS Hall of Fame
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
41,423
Liked Posts:
39,624
Oh yeah, they are everywhere. And maybe I am one of them at times, but hopefully only to people I know. But Gene and Jude's are militant about it such that there is no ketchup for the fries which are fresh cut and out of this world. The McDonald's across the street charges $.25 per packet if you want it.

I know they are at Gene and Jude's.... I just don't get the point.

I mean it is a condiment people like.... as far as I know there are no people running around trying to force anyone to use ketchup on their hot dogs.

Steve Stone on the Sox broadcasts says something about it like every other game I catch, but hes usually just joking around with Jason.

It just seems like a really useless thing to get worked up about.
 

Spunky Porkstacker

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Jun 6, 2010
Posts:
15,741
Liked Posts:
7,452
Location:
NW Burbs
I went to Gene and Judes ordered Chicago Style Dog with fries, I wasn't aware of their hate for ketchup and asked for some for the fries. I didn't even get a response, just a quick glare. LOL
 

brett05

867-5309
Joined:
Apr 28, 2009
Posts:
27,226
Liked Posts:
-1,272
Location:
Hell
I know they are at Gene and Jude's.... I just don't get the point.

I mean it is a condiment people like.... as far as I know there are no people running around trying to force anyone to use ketchup on their hot dogs.

Steve Stone on the Sox broadcasts says something about it like every other game I catch, but hes usually just joking around with Jason.

It just seems like a really useless thing to get worked up about.

You are completely correct. It's silly when anyone, myself included, gets serious about what food folks eat. I leave open for ethical discussion on it, but outside of that, if you want to eat a bucket of ketchup with your dog, be my guest.

Now if someone wants to say that is a Chicago Hot Dog that turns into a different conversation IMO.
 

brett05

867-5309
Joined:
Apr 28, 2009
Posts:
27,226
Liked Posts:
-1,272
Location:
Hell
I went to Gene and Judes ordered Chicago Style Dog with fries, I wasn't aware of their hate for ketchup and asked for some for the fries. I didn't even get a response, just a quick glare. LOL

And outside of the ketchup was it the Nirvana for you as it is for the Millions and Millions of the Rock's ...I mean of the folks that love Gene and Jude's?
 

Ares

CCS Hall of Fame
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
41,423
Liked Posts:
39,624
You are completely correct. It's silly when anyone, myself included, gets serious about what food folks eat. I leave open for ethical discussion on it, but outside of that, if you want to eat a bucket of ketchup with your dog, be my guest.

Now if someone wants to say that is a Chicago Hot Dog that turns into a different conversation IMO.

Yeah that is a whole different conversation, and I would agree you can't add ketchup and call it a Chicago style Hot Dog... it has a very strict set of ingredients if you wanna call it Chicago style.
 

Top