ah ok.. in that case, i'll offer what i like so much about VTK: the crispy noodle dishes. i'm not sure if it's authentic or chop-suey, but for me pad se ew is comfort food from my college days in hyde park. VTK's noodles are lighter and less over-fried than any other fried wide rice noodles i've had. and maybe more impressively, the chicken is extremely tender and doesn't seem to suffer from the "overcooking chicken is safer" attitude that pervades modern cuisine.

again, i don't know if it's authentic, but it's damn good. if i were staying at a hotel on grand ave, i wouldn't dream of missing it.

unless i was there for exactly one meal and i absolutely had to choose between it and brasserie jo.

seaniswise wrote:unless i was there for exactly one meal and i absolutely had to choose between it and brasserie jo.

or maybe shaw's crab house or ben pao? tell rich i said hi.

haha i'm not sure who rich is, but i'm guessing this is a leye reference.. honestly i'm not a shill for them. the best i can do to prove this is to try to give reasonable criticisms about their other restaurants:

when i go to wildfire i prefer the chopped salad to the steak

i've been to shaw's once and dont' remember being particularly impressed

foodlife kinda sucks (but at least you don't have to walk outside when you're already in water tower)

wow bow is pretty mediocre, but i liked the thai chicken ones (also of note, most chinese bakery bao in the continental us is baked.. wow bao does steamed, which is the style more popular where i grew up in hawaii)

i prefer iberico to ba-ba-reba

that being said, and at the risk of returning to leye fanboism, vtk and brasserie jo are two of the biggest reasons i miss living/eating in chicago.

gee, i go from lurking to posting and i've been jumped on twice in two hours on the same thread. you guys are brutal.

I'm going to call ditto on cilantro (nice screen name!) and say Joy Yee is nothing spectacular. If you have loud kids, loud friends, or a big party, it works, but otherwise..

I once ordered the peanut milk there imagining this amazing peanut-butter thing, but it was tasted just like peanuts ground up in water. The lesson to be learned there might be to stick to the fruit drinks.

Buono Beef is one of my long-time favorites for an Italian beef. I haven't been to the location on Superior, but I used to make the one in Berwyn my regular Saturday lunch place. If you are coming to Chicago for any period of time, you must have at least one Italian beef sandwich, preferably dipped and with hot giardinara.

I work in the area where you will be doing your residency. While I don't get out for lunch that often, here are some of the places I go with my coworkers for lunch. Or would like to if I could find the time. I do not have the exact addresses (sorry), so I will give you the general vicinity, and you should be able to find them easily enough. I would recommend any of them as a nearby place with good food.

Bandera - a rotisserie restaurant on Michigan avenue (east side) near Illinois St. I favor the lamb sandwich and the big salads. Not at the same sitting, as the portions are very generous.

Dao Thai - on Ohio east of Michigan avenue. It offers very decent Thai food at reasonable prices, something rare for the Gold Coast/Streeterville area.

Luxe Cafe - on Michigan Avenue, second floor of Omni Hotel. I haven't been there yet, but have it on my list.

Emilio's - Tapas place on Ohio St, again east of Michigan Avenue, near Columbus.

And I will finally admit, I am a sucker for Big Bowl for pan-Asian food. There is one on Rush Street and one on Ohio, west of Michigan avenue. Love the homemade gingerale and kung pao noodles. Not Chinatown, but I still like it and it is close.