NOTES ON ACCESS TO INTERESTING FOOD IN CHICAGO (23nd edition, Oct. 1998)
Compiled by James D. McCawley for the benefit of University of Chicago linguistics students and faculty and assorted other friends. I eagerly solicit comments and additional information; please send them to me at Dept. of Linguistics, University of Chicago, 1010 E. 59th St., Chicago 60637, or jmccawle@midway.uchicago.edu.
Chicago possesses an incredible diversity of good restaurants, a fact not apparent to those whose knowledge of Chicago is limited to Hyde Park and the Loop. These notes cover certain nationalities whose foods are particularly well represented in Chicago's restaurants, with some information about grocery stores (a topic of special importance to residents of a neighborhood that has as few good restaurants as Hyde Park does, though Hyde Park has improved in recent years). It is intended to complement rather than duplicate the information about Chicago restaurants in Chicago magazine (a monthly magazine containing extensive listings of concerts, art exhibitions, etc., plus restaurant reviews) and the restaurant columns in the Friday and Sunday Tribune and Sun-Times. Omissions in the list below reflect either my ignorance (I don't know the place) or the superfluity of my opinion, not adverse judgment (take Chicago 's opinion, not mine, on French restaurants, but take my opinion, not theirs, on oriental places).
1. CHINESE. Chicago Chinatown (Wentworth Ave. from 2100 to 2500 south, and the streets intersecting it, especially Cermak Road) can be reached from Hyde Park by taking the 55th St. bus to the Dan Ryan Expressway and the subway from there to Cermak-Chinatown. Several restaurants in Chinatown offer dimsam (steamed pastries and small dishes, usually available from mid-morning to early afternoon), the most outstanding being the big Three Happiness (2130 S. Wentworth), Phoenix (2131 Archer), Hong Min (221 W. Cermak), Won Kow (2237 S. Wentworth), and Furama (2828 Wentworth); also the little Three Happiness (209 W. Cermak), Haylemon (2201 Wentworth), King Wah (2225 S. Wentworth), Cantonesia (204 W. Cermak), Sixty-five (2414 S. Wentworth), and Wing Wah (208 W. Cermak); I haven't tried China Cafe (2300 Wentworth) or Dim Sum House (2616 Wentworth). Outside of Chinatown, dimsam can be found at Sixty-Five's downtown location (336 N. Michigan), and Furama (4936 Broadway, outstanding).
Emperor's Choice (2238 Wentworth, with Chinatown's classiest decor), Sixty Five (2414 Wentworth), and Evergreen (2411 Wentworth) are all contenders for the title of the finest Cantonese seafood restaurant this far from an ocean; Triple Crown (211 W. 22nd Pl.) isn't far behind. Lee Wing Wah (2147A Archer) is excellent. For Shanghai-Zhejiang food, Shanghai (2162A Archer) is superb, rivaled by Moon Palace (216 W. Cermak); Lung Kee (237 W. Cermak) is fairly good. Vegetarian Garden (237 W. Cermak) has excellent food but wretched service. Golden Bull (242 W. Cermak) and Kam Yen (228 Cermak) offer Cantonese seafood and Vietnamese food. Mandarin Chef (2172 Archer) has marvelous Szechuan food, and House of Fortune's (2407 S. Wentworth) Mandarin food can be recommended. Good places for noodles, rice porridge, and Chinese charcuterie (e.g. roast duck, sour-simmered pig's feet) are Good World (239 W. Cermak), Seven Treasure (2310 S. Wentworth, 2138A Archer), and (in Uptown) Sun Wah Barbecue (1134 W. Argyle) and Hong Kee (1062 Argyle). Some places I haven't tried recently or at all are Chinn's Seafood (216 W. 22nd Place), Jade East (218 W. Cermak), Yee Heung Seafood House (225 W. Cermak), Jade Garden (2243 S. Wentworth), Friendship Cafe (215 Cermak), and, in the new shopping center on Archer, Great Wall (2127 S. Archer), Happy Garden (2140A), B B Q King (2148), Wing Chung BarBQ (2157A), and Joyce Yee's Noodle Shop (2159A Archer). The dimsam places listed above are all excellent for dinners, especially Hong Min (whose baked oysters and five-spice beef innards casserole are great), Sixty-Five, and Won Kow. Cantonese restaurants in Chicago Chinatown generally list three times as many dishes on their Chineselanguage menu as on the English menu; dedicated eaters can cope with this situation by making use of J. McCawley, The eater's guide to Chinese characters (University of Chicago Press, 1984, out of print). Some good dishes available at most of these restaurants but not listed on the English menu include chicken steamed with gold needle vegetable (dried tiger lily), roast pigeon, spareribs stewed with bean cheese (fu yu), abalone in oyster sauce, sliced conch with pickled ginger, and thrice-cooked pork.
Chicago's best places for Sichuan food are Mandarin Chef (2172 Archer; Chinese name: "Old Sichuan"), Szechuan (625 N. Michigan), and Szechwan East (340 E. Ohio). Taiwanese food can be found at Mei Shung (5511 Broadway; superb) and Formosa (7106 Higgins). Jia's (2545 N. Halsted, 2 E. Delaware) 209/3/04 serves better Mandarin and Sichuan food than its yuppie appearance and clientele would suggest. Other Mandarin and Sichuan restaurants that I haven't visited recently or at all include Ben Pao (52 W. Illinois; a yuppie hangout), Mei's (2256 Clark), Chinese House (226 W. Kinzie), Little Hunan (6144 N. Lincoln), China Garden (6540 N. Lincoln), Cathay Mandarin (8014 Lincoln, Skokie), Mandarin Cafe (4062 Lincoln), Chang (1525 W. Howard, near Howard el stop; one of several Korean-run Chicago Mandarin restaurants), Peking Mandarin (3459 W. Lawrence, also Korean-run), Szechuan Gourmet (216 E. Superior), Little Szechwan (543 Diversey), Szechuan Hunan Cuisine (924 Diversey), Hong Huah (Hunan/Sichuan, 5924 Belmont), Hunan Happiness (5025 Belmont), Hunan Szechuan Garden (2045 Howard), Peking Plus (3933 Broadway), Mongolian House (6345 N. Western), Mongolian Barbecue (3330 Clark), Prince (3478 Clark), Palace of China (4925 Broadway), and Song Song (1138 W. Argyle).
Outstanding among Chinatown's grocery stores are Goody (211 W. 22nd Place, basement), Wah May (2401 Wentworth; also stocks Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Philippine, and Vietnamese things), Golden Country (2422 Wentworth; very good Chinese charcuterie), and Oriental Food Store (Archer & Wentworth). But the selection is greater and the prices are lower in the largely Vietnamese Uptown Chinatown; see the Vietnamese section for details. Chinese bakeries include Keefer (249 W. Cermak, affiliated with the Keefer bakeries of Vancouver and Toronto), Happy Garden (24th & Wentworth), and New Hong Kong Bakery (2824 Wentworth). Sun Sun Dong (2260 S. Wentworth) sells intelligibly labeled Chinese medicinal herbs and has a good selection of teas; the bigger Vietnamese supermarkets are also excellent for medicinal herbs.
2. JAPANESE. Because of its sizeable Japanese community, Chicago has several fairly cheap Japanese restaurants that are patronized mainly by local Japanese; there are also expensive places patronized by occidentals and by visiting Japanese businessmen on expense accounts. The greatest concentration of reasonably priced restaurants is in the Clark-Belmont area: Shiroi Hana (3242 Clark); Nakagawa (3346 Clark); Matsuya (3469 Clark); Nagano (3475 Clark); Naniwa (923 Belmont); and Nakayoshi (919 Belmont). Kikuya (1601 E. 55th St.) is a welcome addition to Hyde Park. Good places for sushi elsewhere in Chicago are Kotobuki (5547 Clark; good selection of regional sakes), Hatsuhana (160 E. Ontario; superb quality but expensive), Yanase (818 N. State, near Chicago Ave. subway stop; good value), Itto (2616 N. Halsted), Kabuki (2407 Clark), and Ohba (101 E. Ontario). I haven't yet tried Kamehachi (1400 N. Wells), Tomodachi (3468 Clark), Kabuto (3329 Broadway), Paradise Cafe (2910 Montrose), Katsu (2649 Peterson), Sunshine Cafe (5449 Clark), Tokyo Marina (5058 Clark), Musashi (6248 N. California), Yanagi Sushi (5736 N. Elston), Midori (3310 Bryn Mawr), Momoyama (1159 N. State), Sai Cafe (2010 N. Sheffield), Akasaka (5978 N. Lincoln), Kisoya (5828 N. Lincoln), Mama-san (835 N. Michigan), Hanabi (808 Webster), Naniwa (607 N. Wells), Cocoro (668 N. Wells), Tsunami (1160 N. Dearborn), Hiromi's (3609 Lawrence), Katsu (2651 Peterson), or Akai Hana (2206 Clark, 848 N. State).
For Japanese groceries, one has to shop either at Korean markets or at suburban stors such as Koyama (2340 S. Elmhurst Rd., Mt. Prospect).
3. KOREAN. There are amazingly many Koreans in Chicago: after English and Spanish, Korean is the language that you see most often on signs. The number of Korean restaurants is even larger than it would otherwise be, because of the Japanese customers that they draw; Korean food plays the same role in Japan as Mexican food does in the USA: the spicy and mildly exotic food of the neighboring people who are the traditional victims of local imperialism and bigotry. Dishes commonly available but often not listed on the English- language menu include yukhe (raw chopped beef, seasoned with garlic, sesame, and scallion), chigae (spicy casserole), yukkejang (spicy beef and scallion soup), ojinge bokkum (squid in spicy sauce), bossam gimchi (raw oysters, boiled pork, and kimchee, which you wrap in raw cabbage leaves), and sangchissam (meat sauce, rice, and various condiments, to be wrapped in lettuce leaves). The Englishlanguage menu (if any) always lists such favorites as galbi (barbecued beef ribs), bulgogi (barbecued marinated sliced beef), and chap chae (shredded meat and vegetables, stir-fried separatedly and mixed with bean threads).
The following are excellent: Chicago Galbi (3752 Lawrence; Japanese-run barbecue house); Il Mee (4734 N. Kimball; menu mainly in Korean, including sundae (Korean blood sausage) and goat stew); 309/3/04 Bando (2200 Lawrence, huge, excellent food but lousy service); Korean (2659 Lawrence); Gang Nam Kalbi (4849 Kedzie; buffet, great value); Kokkiri (3650 Lawrence; mainly noodles and dumplings); Budunamu House (3537 Lawrence; another barbecue place with no roman letters, other than 'OB' in the list of drinks; many seafood dishes, including slaughtered-to-order live eels); Gin Go Gae (5433 N. Lincoln, outstanding for seafood dishes; Garden Oriental Buffet (5347 Lincoln; huge selection, great value); Woo Lae Oak (30 W. Hubbard); Seo Hae (3534 Lawrence); Seoul Dook Baegee (3737 Lawrence); Mi Rim (2653 Lawrence). Amitabul (3418 Southport) has good but yuppified vegetarian food), Shilla (5930 Lincoln) is unusually fancy for a Korean restaurant but only so-so for food. Corea Cafe (1603 E. 55th) is mediocre but improves Hyde Park's limited culinary offerings somewhat.
Some that I haven't tried recently or at all are Pusan House (6928 N. Glenwood) and Kwak Poolgogi (1334 W. Morse), one at either end of the Morse el station; Im Jin (2725 Lawrence); Gom Tang House (3116 Lawrence); Jang Choong Dong (3441 Lawrence); Kim Shat Got (3544 Lawrence); Cafe Cho Sun (3551 Lawrence); Ssyal Ginseng (3606 Lawrence); Sam O Jang (3645 Lawrence); Silby (3700 Lawrence); Myung Dong (3737 Lawrence), Villa Garden (3533 Montrose); Kim Dong (4000 Lincoln); Cho Sun Oak (4200 N. Lincoln); New Korea (4050 N. Lincoln); Lincoln Siktang (Lincoln & Montrose); Little Ongpin (4603 Lincoln); Song Do (4918 Lincoln); Chicago Hyui Kwon (4918 Lincoln); Arirang (5062 Lincoln); Seoul Gan Lan (5116 Lincoln), Lincoln (5122 Lincoln); Da Rae Jung (5220 Lincoln); Modakbul (5415 Lincoln); Lincoln Korean (5501 Lincoln); Seoul Kwan (5695 Lincoln); Eur Woo Dong (5862 Lincoln); Jang Mo Nim (6320 Lincoln), Booil (3346 Bryn Mawr); Park Bong So (3134 N. Washtenaw); Booran (4910 N. Drake); Solgae (4788 Elston); Young Dong (3118 Montrose); Pear Garden (6666 N. Ridge); Coocoobang (3553 Montrose); Koryo (3639 Montrose); Sam Mee (3370 Clark); Dae Do (4631 Clark); Moo Kyo Dong (4748 N. Central Park); Mool Na La (2817 Touhy); Mankeum (3931 N. Broadway); Chongro (4811 N. Rockwell); Yung Bin Kwan (7011 N. Western); Kaldae (5542 N. Kedzie); Kosa (3500 Montrose); Kumoon (2927 Devon); May Shinn (3549 Montrose); Seung Ri (3342 W. Foster); Woo Chon (5744 N. California); Cafe Chang Byun (6226 N. California); Guh Sarng (6240 N. California); San Soo Ga San (5251 N. Western); Minari (3311 Bryn Mawr), Il Song Jung (3315 Bryn Mawr); Kaldae (5542 N. Kedzie); O Yook Do (4723 N. Damen); Dae Ho Club (2551 Devon); Arisu Cafe (3737B Lawrence), Korean (4748 N Central Park), Mool Na La (2817 Touhy); Toggaebi Cafe (3257 Bryn Mawr), Minari (3311 Bryn Mawr); and Cho Jung (2519 Peterson).
There are also many Korean grocery stores in Chicago, all on the north side. Clark Market (4853 N. Kedzie) and Arirang (4019 Lawrence) have an astonishing selection of frozen seafood, dried vegetables, Korean pickles, and oriental vegetables, with Chinese and Japanese as well as Korean things. Phaldo Foods (3822 Lawrence) is also excellent. Korean imitations of Japanese products are often much cheaper than the originals. Chicago Kimchee (3648 Lawrence) has a good array of pickles, etc.
Korea is to my knowledge the only country in the world that celebrates the anniversary of an accomplishment of linguists, in this case the adoption of the Korean alphabet (Han'gul) on Oct. 9, 1446. In 1439, King Sejong commissioned a group of remarkable scholars to construct the world's most perfect writing system, which is exactly what they proceeded to do. For years I have been trying to spread the tradition of linguists celebrating Han'gul Day as our holiday.
4. THAI. Chicago's 50-odd Thai restaurants are generally quite cheap and very authentic and have surprisingly little overlap among their menus. (Thai menus often call to mind Borges' Chinese classification of animals.) The term 'salad' on a Thai menu usually means a dish involving raw vegetables mixed with something more substantial such as stir-fried ground meat or grilled beef slices. Among the dishes found on most of the menus are tom yum (a hot-and-sour soup whose sourness comes from lemon grass), kai tom kha (chicken and coconut milk soup flavored with laos, an inspired combination), todmun (a kind of spicy gefilte fish), larb (stir-fried ground meat with raw vegetables and mint or basil leaves), and deep-fried whole fish with a hot sauce. Thai is one of only two cuisines (Middle Eastern is the other) which Hyde Park has in high quality and quantity: Siam (1639 E. 55th St.), Snail (1649 E. 55th St.), Thai-55th (1607 E. 55th St.), Thai Buffet (1638 E. 55th St.), and Thai Twee (1604 E. 53rd St.). These places make outstanding (and sharply contrasting) versions of tom yum and kai tom kha. Thai-55th has a larger selection of seafood dishes, though beware of their uncharacteristically high price for deep-fried snapper.
Outstanding places elsewhere in Chicago are Arun (4156 N. Kedzie; Chicago's fanciest and most expensive Thai restaurant); Taste of Siam (612 S. Dearborn); Bangkok Cafe (719 S. State and 9 W. Hubbard, 409/3/04 near Grand station on Howard subway; vegetarian fare available); Thai Star (660 N. State, near Grand and Chicago stations on Howard line); My Thai (2 E. Van Buren, 30 S. Michigan); Thai Borrahn (16 E. Huron, fancy by Thai standards); Singha (340 N. Clark); Star of Siam (11 E. Illinois, near Grand station on Howard subway; better than I'd expect for a place with such a yuppy appearance); Dao (228 E. Ohio); Pattaya (114 W. Chicago); Amarit (1 E. Delaware); Bangkok Star (1443 W. Fullerton; unusually large and interesting menu); Thai Room (4022 N. Western); Noodles in the Pot (2453 N. Halsted); Wild Ginger (2203 N. Clybourn; yuppified and fairly expensive, but large portions of excellent food); Thai Little Home Cafe (4747 N. Kedzie) and Thai Valley (4600 N. Kedzie), both near the Kedzie station on the Ravenswood el, the latter having extensive vegetarian offerings; Rosded (2308 W. Leland), practically underneath the Western station on the Ravenswood el, as is Opart (4658 N. Western), which replaced Siam Square (622 Davis, Evanston) when it moved to a yuppier location; Thai Villa (3811 N. Lincoln, near Addison station on Ravenswood el); P. S. Bangkok (3340 Clark and 2521 N. Halsted; extensive menu including catfish in buttery curry sauce); Bangkok Inn (2566 N. Lincoln); Sukumvit (1512 N. LaSalle); Sweet Basil (2410 Lincoln); JasmineThai (1123 Belmont); Sweet Basil (2410 Lincoln, great value).
Some that I haven't eaten at are Noodle Cafe (2008 Sheffield), Thai Palace (434 Diversey), Old Siam (1329 Wilson), Bangkok (2048 N. Halsted, and 3542 N. Halsted), Bangkok House (2744 W. Pratt), Bangkok Delight (3641 Irving Park), Bangkok Spice (1825 Irving Park), Thai Pan (1509 W. Devon), Thai Thai (3922 Elston), World Noodle (Montrose at Lincoln), Royal Thai (2209 Montrose), Siam Taste Noodle (4323 W. Addison), Four Star Chicken (2901 Lincoln), King of Siam (3941 Lincoln), Thai House (4351 Lincoln), River Kwai Seafood (3710 N. Elston), Rose (2644 W. Lawrence), Tiparos (1540 N. Clark), Kanya's Kitchen (2411 Clark), Rowsha (2471 Clark), Oodles of Noodles (2540 Clark), Sala of Siam (3328 Clark),Thai Classic (3332 Clark), Siam Corner (3374 Clark), Pad Thai (3466 Clark), Thai D'Lite (920 Belmont), Joy's (3257 Broadway), Lanna (5951 Broadway), Sweet Tamarind (1408 Diversey), Manee Thai (5706 Clark), Thailand Cafe (3715 Halsted), Spoon Thai (4608 N. Western), Asia Noodle Shop (1852 North), Thai Lagoon (2322 North), Once upon a Thai (3705 Southport), Banana Leaf (3811 Southport), Penny's Noodle Shop (950 Diversey), Sri Racha (1232 N. LaSalle), Ruby's of Siam (5907 Lincoln), Sala Thai (2739 W. Touhy), Thai Paradise (7152 N. Harlem), Bahn Thai (7430 S. Harlem Ave.), Siam Country (4637 N. Damen), Cozy Thai (4834 N. Damen), Thai Touch (3200 Lawrence, 2628 N. Halsted), Asian Delight (927 W. Irving Park), Siam Noodle and Rice (4654 Sheridan), Thai Chen's (1336 W. 79th), Broadway Thai (5511 Broadway), New Siam (1058 Argyle), Thai Castle (311 S. Halsted), Chicago Thai Cafe (3434 Irving Park), Bangkok Delight (3641 Irving Park), Java Thai (4272 Irving Park), Starlight of Thailand (7415 Irving Park), Golden (5549 Belmont), Thai Dragon (2658 W. 59th), Thai Spice (1320 Devon), Thai Pan (1509 Devon), Thai Lai-Kram (2916-1/2 Devon), Thai Table (3328 N. Halsted), Thailand Cafe (3715 N. Halsted), Mai Thai (3115 N. Central), Thai Super Chef (1025 Lawrence), Siam City (3202 N. Pulaski), Pan Asia Cafe (3443 Sheffield), Bangkok House (2744 Pratt), Siam Pasta (7416 N. Western), Thai Silk Deli (330 S. Wells), Nina's (790 Belmont), Roongpetch (1828 Montrose), Thai Village (2053 Division), Rum Thai (6822 North), Siam Pot (1509 Taylor).
The closest places to Hyde Park for Thai groceries are Thailand Plaza (4821 Broadway), Tai-Nam (4925 Broadway), Thai Grocery (5014 Broadway), Kem Oriental Grocery (3144 Lawrence), and Thai Oriental Grocery (5124 S. Kedzie).
5. INDIAN/PAKISTANI. Moti Mahal (1031 W. Belmont, attached to India Gifts and Foods, near Belmont station on Howard el; now also at 2525 Devon) offers superb dishes such as butter chicken (a specialty of their unrelated namesake in Delhi). India Garden's (247 E. Ontario) lunch buffet is high in quality and low in price. Bukhara (2 E. Ontario) has very good Pakistani food in fancy surroundings. Klay Oven (414 N. Orleans) has excellent food and an unusual menu, though the high prices and fancy decor don't really fit the cuisine. There is a sizeable Indian population around Devon and Western, with shops with names like 'India Electronics and Saris', a dozen grocery stores, and the following restaurants: Natraj (2230 Devon, good for South Indian vegetarian dishes such as dosai: a crisp crepe filled with a potato curry), Sabri Nehari (2253 Devon), A&B (22•• Devon), Pretty Fast Food (2301 Devon, mainly takeout), Woodland of Madras (2340 Devon), Chandni Chowk (2344 Devon), Gulshan Devon (2354 Devon), Sultan's Palace (6345 N. Western), Shish Mahal (6351 N. Western), Kabobish Grill (6418 Western), Sukh Sagar (2447 Devon), Hyderabad (2500 Devon), Kanval Palace (2501 Devon), Rose of India (2502 Devon), Noor Jane (2504 Devon), Sher-e-Punjab (2510 Devon), Dasaprakash (2511 Devon, vegetarian), Viceroy of India (2516 509/3/04 Devon), Udupi Palace (2543 Devon; South Indian vegetarian), Bundoo Khan (2544 Devon), Indian Garden (2548 Devon), Gandhi (2601 Devon), Raja Vegetarian Fast Food (2606 Devon), Taj Mahal (2614 Devon; fine Pakistani food), Shakti (2642 Devon), Moghlai (2954 Devon); Kabob 2 (3104 W. Devon), Mehran (3501 Devon), Shital (Vegetarian, 6349 N. Claremont), Shamiran (6405 Claremont), Delhi Darbar Kabab House (6403 N. California), Himalaya (6410 N. Rockwell), JK Kebab House (6412 Rockwell), Biryani House (6410 N. Campbell), Hema's Kitchen (6406 N. Oakley). Some snack and sweet shops are Sharma Sweet House (2305 Devon), Aisha Sweet House (2437 Devon), Mehran Restaurant & Sweet (2502 Devon), Chat House (2640 Devon), Flowerland (Devon at Rockwell), Annadata Fast Food (2546 Devon).
India House (2258 Clark) has an interesting menu. Govinda's Vegetarian Buffet (1710 W. Lunt) is below the Hare Krishna temple. Gaylord (678 N. Clark) is okay but not outstanding. Baba's Place (223 W. Hubbard) has cheap but mediocre Pakistani food. I have not yet eaten at Jaipur Palace (22 E. Hubbard), Khyber (623 W. Randolph), Star of India (3204 Sheffield), India Palace (5051 Clark), Standard (917 W. Belmont), M & M (216 W. Division, where Pakistani taxi drivers hang out), Pakiza (1009 Orleans)Daavat (211 W. Walton), Broadway Kebab (6260 Broadway), Laiq's (1009 N. Orleans), Banda Navaz (6•• Division), Banana Leaf (3737 Lawrence), Kwality (2828 Broadway), Bombay Garden (3419 Clark), Kabob Inn (6257 Lincoln), Moghul Kebab House (4659 Elston), Taj Mahal (6547 Clark), Zaiqa (858 N. Orleans), or Khyber Pass (1031 Lake, Oak Park). Rajun Cajun (1459 E. 53rd) has Indian and Cajun snacks. For Indian groceries, try India Gifts and Foods (1031 W. Belmont; branch at 6355 N. Maplewood), Patel Bros (2610 Devon, particularly huge selection), Bangla Bazaar (2321 Devon), and Jai Hind Plaza (2658 Devon); these places offer low prices, great variety, and superb homemade Indian sweets; bargains in ingredients that you'll also want for non-Indian cuisines, such as sesame seeds, cashews, almonds, and dried coconut.
6. VIETNAMESE. Most of Chicago's Vietnamese restaurants are close to the Argyle station on the Howard el. The most outstanding are Pasteur (5525 Broadway), Hau Giang (1104 Argyle; huge menu), Pasteur (5525 Broadway), and Ha Mien (4924 Sheridan; what the menu calls 'eel wok' is a hot pot with eel and vegetables in sour soup and is excellent). Other Vietnamese restaurants are Nhu Hoa Cafe (1020 W. Argyle; also Laotian food), Nha Trang (1007 Argyle, very good eel curry; branch at 6632 Clark), Pho Xe Lua (1021 Argyle; huge portions of Vietnamese noodles at absurdly low prices), Pho 777 (1065 Argyle), Pho Hung (1129 Argyle), Pho 54 (1137 Argyle), Pho 888 (11•• Argyle), Mekong (4953 Broadway at corner of Argyle), Hung Vuong Palace (4801 Broadway), A Dong (4829 Broadway), Dong Ky (4877 Broadway), Dong Hung Vien and Dong Thanh (4925 Broadway), Lucky Star (4941 Broadway), Pho Hoa (4965 Broadway), New Saigon (5000 Broadway), Dong Khanh (5027 Broadway), Danang (5029 Broadway), Thai Binh (1113 Argyle), Cafe Thu (1137 Argyle), Saigon Little Home (6241 Clark), Vietnam Little Home (4654 N. Damen; amazingly cheap), Lucthan Dragon (4811 Lincoln), Nam Viet (6831 NW Highway), Vinh Phat Barbecue (4940 Sheridan), Hen Cafe (4533 N. Sheridan), Hoang Mai (5120 N. Sheridan), Mê Lanh (4770 N. Milwaukee), Vung Tau (2838 Broadway), Hue Thanh (1054 W. Argyle), Bale (5018 Broadway, a bakeryrestaurant whose name means 'Paris'; sandwiches of Vietnamese sausage on French bread are authentically Vietnamese), Le Bistro (5004 N. Sheridan), Mimosa (7130 W. Grand), Hong Ngoc (2411 W. North), Hong Ta (3035 Lawrence), Julie May's Bistro (5025 Clark), Le Colonial (637 Rush), Quang's Noodle (806 N. State), Asiana (2546 Clark), La Paillotte (3470 Clark), Nam Viet (6731 Northwest Hwy.), and three in Chinatown: Golden Bull (242 W. Cermak; a special request may be needed to get them to give you the Vietnamese menu), Kim Yen (228 W. Cermak), and the spartan Saigon (232 W. Cermak).
The richest selection of oriental groceries in Chicago, and the lowest prices (beating even Chinatown), can be found in the many first-rate Vietnamese super- markets around Broadway and Argyle. Viethoa Plaza (1051 Argyle) has an especially good selection of fresh vegetables and meats; it has strong competition from My A (1100 Argyle), Thanh-Thanh (1027 Argyle; fine meat and fish), Nam Phuong (1016 Argyle), Hao Yang (1031 Argyle), Viet Trung (4940 Sheridan), Hue Thanh (1054 Argyle), Lao Long (102• Argyle), and Mien Hoa (1110 Argyle).
7. OTHER ORIENTAL CUISINES. Our only Laotian restaurant is the excellent Cafe Nhu Hoa (1020 W. Argyle; also Vietnamese food). There's a Lao grocery at 4547 Broadway and a Cambodian grocery store at 1106 W. Leland. Penang (2201 Wentworth) has Malay food; Saigon (228 W. Cermak) is officially Vietnamese, but a neon sign in Chinese says "Malay snacks". Tibetan food is available at Tibet Cafe (3913 609/3/04 Sheridan). Indonesian food is served at August Moon (225 W. 26th, reservations required) and Fridays at Logan Beach Coffee House (2537 N. Kedzie). The only one of Chicago's many Filipino restaurants at which I've eaten is Little Quiapo (4423 Clark; wide selection, great value); others are Fish Pond (4416 Clark), Teeson (4010 Broadway), Tipanan (5402 Clark), Pampanga (6407 Caldwell), Marcelo's (5862 N. Lincoln), Ihaw Ihaw (5945 W. Fullerton), Merlins's (1513 Irving Park); Sulo (3510 W. Irving Park), Tipanan Point Point (2002 Montrose), Luyong Panciteria (2846 W. Montrose), Manila Sunset (6359 W. Belmont and 2209 W. Montrose), Manila Manila (3401 N. Western), Amihan (2501 Lawrence), Merlyn's Filipino Chinese Cuisine (1513 Irving Park), Barrio Fiesta (3316 N. Central), Rambutan (3909 Belmont), Pilipino Thai (5349 Belmont). For groceries, try Philippine Grocery and Gift Shop (5750 N. California).
8. MIDDLE EASTERN. Cedars of Lebanon (1618 E. 53rd) and Nile (1611 E. 55th) both serve a huge selection of excellent food at quite low prices. Also good is Uncle Tannous (2626 N. Halsted). I haven't yet tried Uncle Tutunji (615 N. Wells), Middle East (2676 N. Halsted), Nile (3259 W. 63rd), Falafel House (6233 S. Kedzie), Jerusalem (3534 W. 63rd), Middle East (3330 W. 63rd), Steve's Shish-Kebab (3816 63rd), Kleopatra's (6351 N. Claremont), Arabesque (3472 Clark), Shemiran (5150 Clark), Olive Tree Cafe (5200 Clark), Jaffa (5517 Clark), Bethlehem (5815 Clark), Gate of Damascus (4603 Lincoln), Casbah (3151 Broadway), First Halal (1509 Foster), Yass Cafe (6243 Broadway), Bagdad (2701 W. Lawrence), Nineveh (3257 W. Lawrence), Ashtar (3256 Lawrence), Middle East (3212 Lawrence), Salam (4636 N. Kedzie), Mesopotamia (1467 Montrose), Mehmedi (3708 N. Halsted), Old Jerusalem (1411 N. Wells), Al Khayam (2326 Foster), 1001 Nights Cafe (1615 N. Sedgwick), Salateen's Cafe (6501 N. Ashland), Nablus (4821 N. Kedzie), Babylon (2032 Devon), Comfort Corner (5019 N. Western), Salam (4636 N. Kedzie), Souk (1552 Milwaukee). Iranian: Reza (432 W. Ontario and 5255 Clark), Kan Zaman (5204 Clark), Khayam (6629 Clark), Teheran Javan (6619 Clark), Pars Cove (435 W. Diversey), Cy's (3819 N. Ashland), Lily and Majnon (7104 Clark), Shiraz (2624 Devon), Noon-o-kabab (4661 N. Kedzie), and Cafe Gulistan (29 W. Division). Assyrian: Arbela (6243 N. Western). Turkish: A La Turka (3134 Lincoln); Konak (5150 Clark); Cafe Istanbul (2732 Clark); Cousin's (5203 Clark, 2854 Broadway); Izmir (5253 Clark). North African: Tizi Melloul (531 N. Wells), L'Olive (3915 Sheridan); Tagine (1629 Halsted); Gavroche (1958 N. Damen; serves couscous on Wednesdays); Hashalom (2905 W. Devon).
Palestine Bakery (2639 W. 63rd), Holy Land Bakery (4806 N. Kedzie), Saba Market (4605 N. Kedzie), Al Khayyam (4738 N. Kedzie), and Middle Eastern Bakery & Grocery (1512 W. Foster) have great Middle Eastern breads and a good selection of groceries.
9. MEXICAN. Of Chicago's several Mexican communities, Pilsen (centered around 18th St. and Blue Island Ave.) seems to be the richest in restaurants, though I haven't yet explored restaurants in South Chicago such as Paisano (9835 S. Commercial) and Mexican Inn (9510 S. Ewing) or in La Villita (around 26th and Kedzie), except for Los Dos Laredos (3120 W. 26th; good place for lunch if you get stuck serving on a jury at the County Courthouse); Lalo's (3515 W. 26th) and El Chisme (3324 W. 26th) might be worth a try. Among the highlights of Pilsen are the Ostioneria Playa Azul (1514 W. 18th, a seafood restaurant with great ceviche and huachinango a la veracruzana; also locations at 4005 Broadway and 1632 W. 47th), La Condesa (2230 S. Ashland), Nuevo Leon (1515 W. 18th), Cervantes-Anahuacali (2053 W. 18th), Parrillon (18th & Blue Island), and Cocula (1834 S. Blue Island). Pilsen also has great grocery stores such as La Casa del Pueblo (1810 S. Blue Island), with tomatoes far superior to those in gringo stores, mangos in season, mixes for great sauces like mole poblano and salsa pipian, and 20 kinds of chili peppers. La Playa (4662 N. Kedzie) is also excellent.
Seafood like Playa Azul's is available at Costa Azul (821 N. Ashland). Aguascalientes (2110 S. Cicero) has interesting-looking commercials on channel 44. Caminos de Michoacan #2 (3948 N. Sheridan, at Sheridan el station) has brain burritos, papaya milkshakes, and Michoacan-style carnitas. El Sol (1363 W. Fullerton) has a good selection of seafood dishes, as well as sopes, tacos with fillings such as brain at $1 each, and tortas (Mexican sandwiches). Fiesta Mexicana (2421 Lincoln and 4806 Broadway) is the only place I know that serves frijoles charros. Maravillas (3501 W. 63rd, also Harper Court) serves huge and tasty burritos; other places in that neighborhod are La Fogata (2747 W. 63rd), Los Delfines (2750 W. 63rd), and Las Casas (31•• W. 63rd). Frontera Grill (445 N. Clark) has won its chef well-deserved world renown; Salpicon (1252 N. Wells) is another good choice for high-class Mexican food. Other places of interest are 709/3/04 Frida's (2143 N. Damen), Pepita's (2556 Clark), Abril (2607 N. Milwaukee, at south exit of Logan Square subway station), Birreria Estilo Jalisco (2035 N. Western), Campeche (3660 Clark), Hacienda Tecalitlan (820 N. Ashland), Hacienda (855 North), El Presidente (2558 N. Ashland), Orale (1418 Taylor), Fernando's (3450 Lincoln), and Pablo's (3056 N. Oakley). Blue Mesa (1729 N. Halsted) and Santa Fe Tapas (1962 N. Halsted) serve New Mexico cuisine, including blue corn enchiladas and sopaipillas.
10. OTHER LATINO. Chicago offers considerable diversity of Latin-American food. The most interesting of Chicago's Latino cuisines is Peruvian, available at Rinconcito Sudamericano (1954 W. Armitage, an outstanding restaurant with reasonable prices, especially for their fine appetizers), El Inca (514 Main St., Evanston), Machu Picchu (5427 Clark), Mi Peru (4920 Irving Park), and Ada Peru (4348 Fullerton). Ecuadoran food is available at Ecuador (2923 W. Diversey) and Ecua Rico (3621 W. North). Colombian: Sabor a Cumbia (4008 Montrose), Asi es Colombia (3910 Lincoln), La Esmeralda (3638 W. Fullerton), Las Tablas (2965 Lincoln), Pueblito Viejo (5429 Lincoln), and El Rincon Paisa (3002 Diversey). Guatemalan: El Tinajon (2054 W. Roscoe), Guatemala (Wilson, just west of Sheridan), Casa Guatemala (4554 Broadway), Rinconcito Chapin (4755 N. Rockwell). Cuban: Havana (230 W. Kinzie), El Jagua (5815 Clark), Someplace Else (2542 Clark), Tania's (2659 N. Milwaukee), La Lechonera (2529 N. Milwaukee), Costa Brava (4006 N. Broadway), El Rinconcito Cubano (3238 W. Fullerton), La Esquina Habañera (3422 Armitage), La Habana Vieja (3111 Montrose), El Lidorio Cubano (2714 Milwaukee), Los Rosales (2047 Milwaukee), Ambassador (3605 N. Ashland), Cafe Bolero (2252 N. Western), Rancho Luna (3312 Foster), Cafeteria de Pancho (2200 N. California). Puerto Rican: Cafe Central (1437 W. Chicago), Fajardo (5642 W. Grand), Old San Juan (4007 W Armitage), La Bruquena (2726 W. Division), Cuchilandia (2712 W. North, 4224 Fullerton, 3400 Fullerton), La Cocina Criolla (2418 Fullerton), Ibis (2509 W. North), Sonson Criollo (2703 Division), Borinquen (1720 N. California), Cafe 911 (2523 Milwaukee), Borinquen Cafe (3437 W. 63rd), Puerto Rico (4639 N. Damen). Belizean: Tickie's Belizean Cuisine (7542 N. Ashland), Belchi (7605 N. Paulina). Dominican: Santo Domingo (4007 W. Armitage). Salvadoran: Izalco (1511 Lawrence), PapuseriaEl Rincon Hispano (5106 Broadway). Argentine: El Nandu (2731 W. Fullerton), Piccola Villa (5207 N. Harlem), Tango Sur (3763 Southport). Brazilian: Rhumba (3631 N. Halsted). Chilean: Empanadas Unlimited (2046 N. Damen). Costa Rican: Irazú (1865 N. Milwaukee). Caribbean: Negril (6232 Broadway), Ocho Rios (3913 N. Sheridan), El Dinamico Dallas (1545 Howard), Cafe Caribbean (3755 W. Armitage), Kingston Kitchen (3151 Broadway), Chez Delfonse (2201 N. Clybourn), Island Bar and Grill (940 W. North), Caribbean Delight (7308 N. Rogers), West Indian Taste (7121 Clark), Taste of Jamaica and the Caribbean (1449 E. 87th), Maxine's Carribean Spice (1225 E. 87th), Eclipse (2304 E. 75th), Jan's Jerk Pit (8115 S. Ashland), Tropic Island Jerk Chicken ( 537 & 1925 E. 79th), Daddy O Jerkpit (7518 Cottage Grove), Welcome to Jamaica (5046 King Dr), Nathan's Taste of Jamaica (1372 E. 53rd), and Island Delites (1461 E. Hyde Park Blvd.). Old World Market (5133 Broadway) is a good place for Caribbean vegetables. El Mercado (3767 N. Southport) has a good selection of South American goods, including Guarana, the great Brazilian soft drink. Supermercado Panamericano (5647 Clark) is also good and has a large selection of Latin American newspapers.
11. AFRICAN. Chicago has four Ethiopian places: Mama Desta's Red Sea (3215 Clark; try kitfo, the Ethiopian version of tartar steak, and tej, Ethiopian honey wine); the comparably interesting Ethio Cafe (3462 Clark; 5 different Ethiopian wines); Addis Abeba (3521 Clark); and Ethiopian Diamond (6120 Broadway). Vee Vee's African Restaurant (6243 Broadway, Nigerian) has the best African food I've ever eaten. I haven't yet tried Kaato (5846 Broadway), TBS (4515 Sheridan), African Oasis (4836 N. Sheridan), Sweet Spot (6973 N. Sheridan), African Village (4406 Broadway), Junior's (1020 W. Leland), Ofie (3911 N. Sheridan), Eko International (1301 S. Michigan), or African Heritage (2333 S. Michigan). An excellent selection of African and Caribbean groceries (including e.g. frozen cassava leaves) is available at Old World Market (5133 Broadway), Africana Imports (5900 Broadway), and African Imported Foods and Things (5509 Broadway), and a smaller selection at Trinity Food and Liquor (4664 Broadway), Suur Food Store (4830 N. Sheridan), and Asha (4826 N. Sheridan).
12. OTHER. For cuisines other than the above, I have little to add to the information in Chicago magazine. Excellent Greek food is available at reasonable prices in Greektown (Halsted St. just north of UIC; by CTA, go downtown and take either the Jackson bus or the Congress subway to Halsted): Pegasus (130 S. Halsted), Santorini (138 S. Halsted, the fanciest of the lot), Greek Islands (200 S. Halsted; great seafood, but 809/3/04 avoid on weekends when it is jam-packed and service is poor), Athena (212 S. Halsted; particularly outstanding), Roditys (222 S. Halsted), Kallisto (2•• S. Halsted), Estia (306 S. Halsted), Parthenon (314 S. Halsted), Nine Muses (315 S. Halsted), Zorba's (301 S. Halsted), and Costa's (340 S. Halsted).
13. CLOSE TO... Finally, here are some answers to a type of question I am frequently asked, namely what restaurants I can suggest that are near such-and-such theater or concert hall.
SYMPHONY CENTER, AUDITORIUM. Russian Tea Cafe (63 E. Adams; superb food from the whole former USSR, outstanding tea, reasonable prices); Russian Palace (24 E. Adams; also good, but more expensive); Rhapsody (65 E. Adams, part of Symphony Center); Berghoff (German, 17 W. Adams; reminds Germans of railway station restaurants), Taste of Siam (612 S. Dearborn), Trattoria Peppino (616 S. Dearborn), Trattoria No. 10 (10 N. Dearborn, basement, North Italian, imaginative menu; much larger and more elegant than the entrance hints), Printer's Row (American nouvelle; Harrison at Dearborn), Prairie (500 S. Dearborn; imaginative uses of midwestern ingredients), Dearborn St. Oyster Bar (409 S. Dearborn; Cajun), My Thai (2 E. Van Buren and 30 S. Michigan); Miller's Pub (141 S. Wabash, excellent ribs, otherwise mediocre), Taza (39 S. Wabash; Middle Eastern Chicken); Voila (33 W. Monroe); Jimmyz (Greek cafeteria, 224 S. Wabash); Charming Woks (601 S. Wabash; Mandarin, not as bad as its klutzy customers would like), Krystina's Cafe (8 E. Jackson), Mama Mia Pasta (116 S. Michigan), Land of Plenty (323 E. Wacker, another place making fancy use of vegetables and game from this area), Salvador's (73 E. Lake), Mossant (225 N. Wabash), Bandera (535 N. Michigan), Sixty-Five (Cantonese seafood, 336 N. Michigan, 3rd fl.), Heaven on Seven (Cajun, 111 N. Wabash, 7th fl., daytime only), La Strada (151 N. Michigan, fancy Italian), Bart's Grill, Soul by the Pound, and Ray Ray's Fish House (168 N. State), La Rosetta (70 W. Madison), Boudin Bakery and Cafe (30 N. Michigan), Mr. Fong & Son (Wacker & Wabash, good but overpriced Mandarin and Cantonese food), Tucci Milan (6 W. Hubbard), and Tut Oasis (Egyptian, in Jeweler's Exchange, 29 N. Wabash; closes 4PM).
OPERA HOUSE. Items in the last paragraph, plus Greektown restaurants (§12; closest is Pegasus, 130 S. Halsted), Rivers Bistro (30 S. Wacker), Pazzo's (100 S. Wacker), Quincy Grille (230 S. Wacker), Mia Torre (233 S. Wacker) and other Sears Tower restaurants, Yvette Winter Garden (311 S. Wacker), Emil's (101 N. Wacker), Cafe Bacettis (312 W. Randolph), Cap'n Nemo's (211 W. Wacker; soups & sandwiches), 312 Chicago (136 N. La Salle), Tang Dynasty (318 W. Adams), Cafe Milano (555 W. Madison), Reza (555 W. Madison, Persian), Shark Bar (212 N. Canal; Cajun), Sorriso (Italian, 321 N. Clark), Singha (Thai, 340 N. Clark), Coco Pazzo (300 W. Hubbard; innovative Italian, with interesting game dishes), Klay Oven (414 N. Orleans; incongruously fancy Indian food), Trattoria Parma (400 N. Clark), Mambo Grill (412 N. Clark), Vallarta (431 N. Wells), Fish House (530 N. Wells), Tizi Melloul (531 N. Wells, Moroccan), Parrinello's (Italian, 535 N. Wells), Asia (540 N. Wells), Blue Point Oyster Bar (741 Randolph), Toque (816 Randolph), Cyrano's (546 N. Wells), Bridges (222 Merchandise Mart, north entrance; seafood), Club Creole (226 W. Kinzie), Havana (Cuban, 230 W. Kinzie), Redfish (400 N. State; Cajun), Tutto Italiano (501 S. Wells). Barely within walking distance but worth considering are Vong (6 W. Hubbard), Bangkok Cafe (9 W. Hubbard, Thai), Brio (10 W. Hubbard), Woo Lae Oak (Korean, 30 W. Hubbard), Tapas Barcelona (111 W. Hubbard), Brasserie Jo (59 W. Hubbard), Hubbard St. Grill (351 W. Hubbard), Gordon (500 N. Clark; innovative nouvelle, expensive), Frontera Grill (445 N. Clark; haute Mexican), Maggiano's Little Italy (516 N. Clark), Baba's Place (223 W. Hubbard, Pakistani cafeteria), Reza (432 W. Ontario, Persian), Trattoria Parma (400 N. Clark), Ruth's Chris Steak House (431 N. Dearborn), Spago (520 N. Dearborn), Vita (217 W. Huron), Babe's Barbecue (358 W. Ontario), Lino's (222 W. Ontario), Fog City Diner (33 W. Illinois).
FACETS MULTIMEDIA. Mi Casa (Mexican, 2524 Southport), Stefani's (North Italian, 1418 Fullerton), Taco & Burrito House (1548 Fullerton), Cozy Can-Can (2500 Southport), Bangkok Star (1443 Fullerton), Via Carducci (1419 Fullerton, Italian), Wild Ginger (Thai, 2203 Clybourn), Chez Delfonse (2201 Clybourn, Carribean), Filippo's (2211 Clybourn), La Gondola Ristorante (2425 Ashland), Cucina Lucenti (23•• Clybourn), Capucine (French, 1706 Fullerton).
APOLLO THEATER, BODY POLITIC, DE PAUL. Jia's (2545 Halsted; Mandarin, Sichuan), P. S. Bangkok II (2521 Halsted), Bangkok (2048 Halsted), Itto Sushi (2616 Halsted), Las Fuentes (Mexican, 2558 Halsted), Arrividerci (Italian, 2647 Halsted), Lousiana Kitchen (2666 Halsted), Cafe Bernard (2100 Halsted, French), Via Emilia (2119 Clark), Akai Hana (2206 Clark), India House (2258 Clark, Indian), Earl of Loch Ness (2350 Clark), Kabuki (sushi, 2407 Clark), Phaya Thai (2411 Clark); Pasta Bowl (2434 Clark), Savies Grill (Middle 909/3/04 Eastern, 2439 Clark); Ouzeri (Greek, 2442 Clark), Jerome's Red Ginger (2450 Clark); Piccolo Mondo Cafe (2460 Clark); Pomodori (Italian, 2473 Clark); Oodles of Noodles (2540 Clark), Someplace Else (2542 Clark, Cuban); Asiana (2546 Clark); Pepita's (Mexican, 2556 Clark); Ginger (2585 Clark; Chinese); Clark St. Bistro (2600 Clark); Salvatore's (525 W. Arlington Pl, Italian); Emilio's Tapas (444 W. Fullerton); Santa Fe Cafe (444 Fullerton); O'Famé (750 Webster; yuppie Italian); Toast (746 Webster); Pasta Palazzo (1966 Halsted), Relish (2044 Halsted); Noodles in the Pot (Thai, 2453 Halsted); Lincoln Town Gyros (2500 Halsted); Uncle Tannous (Lebanese, 2626 Halsted), Thai Touch (2628 Halsted); Porcini (Sicilian, 2721 Halsted), Szechuan Kitchen (2660 Halsted); Pacific Rim (2635 Halsted; seafood); Middle East (2676 N. Halsted); Jimmy John's (2231 Lincoln), Texas Fajita Bar (2269 Lincoln); Allende (2408 Lincoln, Mexican); Sweet Basil (2410 Lincoln, Thai), Fiesta Mexicana (2421 Lincoln), Pasta Cucina (2459 Lincoln); Montana St. Cafe (2464 Lincoln); Bordo's (2476 Lincoln), Jade East (2511 Lincoln); Kyoto (Japanese, 2534 Lincoln); Bangkok Inn (2566 Lincoln); Salt & Pepper Diner (2575 Lincoln); Lindo Mexico (2642 Lincoln); Zoe's (958 Wrightwood); Half Shell (676 W. Diversey); Szechuan Hunan Cuisine (924 Diversey); Penny's Noodle Shop (950 Diversey); Hanabi (sushi, 808 Webster); Athenian Room (807 Webster); Espial Bistro & Grill (948 Armitage); Old Plantation BarBQ Market (1024 Armitage).PERFORMANCE COMMUNITY (1225 Belmont), ATHENEUM. Cafe Carlucci (2901 Sheffield), Brother Jimmy's (barbecue, 2909 Sheffield); Panes Bread Cafe (3002 Sheffield); Little Habana (3006 Sheffield, Cuban), Pianetto's (3114 Sheffield, Italian); Pat's Pizza (3114 Sheffield); Star of India (3204 Sheffield), Leona's (Italian, 3215 Sheffield), Blue Iris (3216 Sheffield; southwestern), Le Loup (3348 Sheffield), Sazerac (3358 N. Sheffield), Standard of India (917 Belmont), Pastafina (921 Belmont), Carmen's Pizza (964 Belmont), Bella Vista (1001 Belmont; yuppie Italian), Moti Mahal (Indian, 1031 Belmont), Jeanny's (1053 W. Belmont, Chinese); Jasmine Thai (1123 Belmont);Desert Treat (1125 Belmont), Novitá (1232 Belmont; Italian), El Pacifico (Mexican, 1358 Belmont), Taqueria las Americas (1434 Belmont), Golden Szechuan (1455 Belmont), House of Noodles (Sichuan, 1610 Belmont), Zoom Kitchen (1620 Belmont), Las Tablas (2965 Lincoln, Colombian), Black Cat (2856 Southport; Italian country-style), Little Bucharest (Rumanian, 3001 Ashland), Da Nicola (Italian, 3114 Lincoln, unusual menu), Arriba Mexico (3140 Lincoln; seafood, birria), Pablo's (Mexican, 3056 Oakley), De Colores (3156 Lincoln, Mexican); Thurston's (1248 W. George), Buca di Beppo (2941 Clark), Star of Thailand (3133 Clark), Alonti (3201 Clark), Mama Desta's Red Sea (3215 Clark), House of Treasures (Cantonese, 3307 Clark), San Miguel (Spanish, 3311 Clark), Sala of Siam (3328 Clark),Thai Classic (3332 Clark), Mongolian Barbecue (3330 Clark), Texas Star Fajita Bar (3365 Clark), Sam Mee (3370 Clark), Siam Corner (3374 Clark), Pad Thai (3466 Clark), Tomodachi (Japanese, 3468 Clark), La Paillotte (Vietnamese, 3470 Clark), Arabesque (3472 Clark), Nagano (Japanese, 3475 Clark), Casbah Cafe (3156 Broadway), Kabuto (3329 Broadway, Japanese),Yugo Inn (Yugoslav, 2824 Ashland), Burgundy Inn (2706 Ashland), Zum Deutschen Eck (German, 2924 Southport).
RUTH PAGE AUDITORIUM, etc. St. Germain (French snacks, 1210 N. State), Yvette (1206 N. State), Tsunami (Japanese, 1160 N. Dearborn), Green Grill (1207 N. Deaborn), Rocco's (21 W. Goethe), Biggs (1150 N. Dearborn), MK (868 N. Franklin), Kiki's Bistro (900 N. Franklin), Pattaya (Thai, 114 W. Chicago), Amarit (Thai, 1 E. Delaware), Zaiqa (858 N. Orleans), Taquería El Norte (800 N. State), Quang Noodle (Vietnamese & Thai, 804 N. State, Bistro 110 (110 E. Pearson), Hugo's Frog Bar (1024 Rush).