Dining off the Mag Mile: Mike Ditka's and Coco Pazzo Cafe

Post-Thanksgiving Shopping is the nightmare from which I am trying to wake.

Subjected to the cruel whims of my out-of-town guests, I was thrust onto the Magnificent Mile this weekend. And I have glimpsed beneath the veneer of civility underlying the teeming, rabid throngs of Michigan Avenue. I have been beaten and battered by cherubic but vicious children, cheerfully savage senior citizens, and prim and proper parents, the guardians of good manners, who nevertheless aren't above strategically placing the occasional sharp elbow into the ribcage of a distracted pedestrian or trampling the exhausted, collapsed ranks of the homeless, should either block the path to the nearest Pottery Barn sale.

Mostly, though, I have just been bored by the lack of imagination that characterizes both our culture of wealth and those who so zealously participate in its empty rituals.

Still, I have eaten--at Ditka's, and again, at Coco Pazzo Cafe. And I have taken notes.

While common sense might lead one to steer clear of any establishment bearing the name of the increasingly orange self-parody that is Mike Ditka, I have long been intrigued by the stream of positive reports surrounding his restaurant, especially its "signature" pork chops and banana cream pie. So our group gave the place a shot, and came up short. Here's what we ordered: Two Pork Chops, Two Burgers, Banana Cream Pie, Pot Roast Nachos. Oddly, the pot roast nachos appetizer was the highlight of the meal. The abundant shreds of pot roast adorning the nachos were incredibly tender and tasty, and well complemented the monterey jack cheese and mild but tasty jalapenos. The burgers, though declared the best in the City a year or two ago by Pat Bruno, were disappointing. They were ordered medium rare, but came out of the kitchen well done. And while the beef was of pretty high quality, one can easily obtain better burgers throughout the city. Further, at $10, it is priced too high. The pork chops ($12.50) were even worse. While the restaurant serves a good sized, thick chop, it is dry and flavorless. I routinely prepare more tender, moist and flavorful chops on my grill at home. Perhaps Ditka's cook should consult with the America's Test Kitchen cookbook to learn how to properly select, brine and grill a good chop because anyone with access to this book and a good meat market can do a better job. Accompanying baked apples and spaetzle were decent but unremarkable. The potato leek soup accompanying the burgers was thin and flavorless. Finally, the banana cream pie, big enough to split four ways and priced at 10 bucks, was very good--it had a nice sturdy but chewy and richly flavored graham cracker crust,and a creamy, flavorful custard filling that was pleasantly contrasted by firm, fresh bananas. It is a good pie, though hardly the best version I've ever had. If I ever return to Ditka's I will only do so to sit at the bar with a drink and some nachos or pie. Based on the pork chops and burgers, the main dishes don't merit an order--although the pot roast would probably be excellent.

While Ditka's disappointed, Coco Pazzo Cafe exceeded our expectations from start to finish. This is a great dining option for Michigan Avenue shopping--good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting. Dishes ordered include Rigatoni Butera, Spaghetti AOP, Seafood Risotto, Mushroom Tagliatelle, Cream of Parsnip Soup with Smoked Bacon, and a couple of Salads. The Rigatoni Butera comes in a creamy tomato sauce with ground Italian sausage and peas. The pasta was perfectly toothsome and the creaminess of the tomato sauce provided a wonderful contrast to the sharply flavored sausage. A wonderful dish, its recollection is making me salivate as I write. The seafood risotto, a special, was equally delicious. Fresh and flavorful, the seafood blended well into the creamy arborio rice along with some mellow but crisp asparagus. The mushroom tagliatelle was fresh and rich, and clearly a step above a similar dish I recently sampled at the frequently praised La Bocca Della Verita in Lincoln Square. The Spaghetti AOP featured pungent spices in a flavorful marinara sauce. Nothing complicated, but again, very well done. Finally, he parsnip soup was also good--smooth, creamy and very "parsnippy", though lacking the bacon flavor promised by its name. Overall, I'd say Coco Pazzo Cafe is a great spot for reasonably priced Italian food, given the area. Pasta dishes are priced between $11 and $14. I definitely prefer the menu, service and food at Coco Pazzo to Volare, a nearby Chowhound-recommended Italian with similar prices and a somewhat similar menu.

Mike Ditka's Restaurant
100 E. Chestnut
Chicago
312-587-8989

Coco Pazzo Cafe
635 N. Saint Clair
Chicago
312-664-2777

Volare
201 E. Grand
Chicago
312-410-9900

La Bocca Della Verita
4618 N. Lincoln
Chicago
773-784-6222