one month in chicago

I have just moved to chicago to do a one month rotation at Northwestern. I will be staying at the hilton garden inn on 10 N grand. While I have several ideas from my history of reading on this board, I'm looking for some more recs for places to eat whenever I get the time (which may not be much). Most of these will probably be solo meals, so anyplace where you can eat at the bar (Avec, Avenues, etc.) would be nice. I know Frontera is a block away as well as brasserie jo. where else? I'm also looking for good little, cheap spots. Where is some cheap, close mexican, thai, chinese food? all recs appreciated

Also, once I get my schedule figured out on Monday I plan to see if a group of LTHers would want to get together.

Ginza is right there where you are, best homey Japanese spot in your walking vicinity. Cocoro comes in at a close second, at least for me. Not much experience w/ Chinese in the area, hit the red line and head down to Chinatown if that's what scratches you at the moment. Thai is also so so in the area, there are a few, but none all that impressive.

Chinatown is not all that far away. It's a reasonable cab ride or you can even take the El. There are plenty of LTH Forum favorites there like LTH itself, Lao Sze Chuan and Shui Wah (among many others). All of them are relatively inexpensive. I'm sure if you wanted to get a group of LTHers to show up for a Chinese meal, you wouldn't have to twist too many arms.

I eat solo at a lot of places when I'm out of town, and occasionally around here. Anyplace (any good place) is likely to be just fine for a solo diner, whether you prefer to eat at the bar, or at a table for one (which I generally prefer, but that's up to you). I've never been made to feel uncomfortable or out of place in any way when doing so. So I would suggest not worrying about looking for places for solo dining. Go anywhere you want and it should be fine.

Since you're going to be pressed for time - the joys of practicing medicine - I honestly don't think it makes sense to spend a lot of your limited time taking the el for cheap eats in other neighborhoods where you're going to kill 30-45 minutes each way in travel time (between the train ride, the waiting time, and walking at either end). Maybe on your day off, if you feel like it, but not most of the time, which is what you're asking about. Especially since there are so many food places within a 5-10 minute walk of where you're staying and working.

There are some places around the hotel and the Northwestern Medical Center for less expensive eats (and lots and lots of places for more expensive eats). Pizza is your friend; Uno's and Due are near the hotel, and Giordano's and Gino's East are near the medical center. Call ahead with your order to avoid having to wait 30-45 minutes for the pizza to bake. Fox and Obel is a gourmet grocery store a few blocks east on Grand from the hotel (and south of the med center), and in the rear they have a cafe serving darn good food all day long; you'll find their cafe menu on their website. There's a food court in Water Tower Place near the med center where there are various food places to get something quick (foodlife, etc). Coco Pazzo Cafe isn't cheap eats, but it's moderately priced, and good Italian, near the hotel; similarly, Bistro 110 is moderately-priced, excellent for French bistro near the med center. I'm sure the folks at the hotel (and the hospital) can make lots more recommendations of what else is close by.

BTW, your hotel is located at 10 East Grand.

Gee, I guess I feel the complete opposite way and I think you do too, Babern38. You're going to be in Chicago for a month and while there will undoubtedly be days when you're going to need something nearby and quick, for which the above is a perfectly good list taking in everything from the not bad at all to the inexplicably famous (Gino's East* blows), the great advantage is that you're in a good position to explore other parts of the city whenever you get the chance. The Red Line going south takes you to Chinatown; the Red Line going north takes you to TAC Quick; a transfer north to the Brown Line takes you to Spoon Thai; a transfer downtown puts you on the Blue Line to Pilsen; and so on. Happy hunting!

* By the way, I notice that Gino's on Rush, which is an unrelated descendant from the same Gino's as Gino's East, and is slightly better as I recall, has a new one next to Via Carducci on Fullerton.

Mike G wrote:the inexplicably famous (Gino's East* blows)

Babern38, since you are from out of town, it's worth pointing out that opinions vary on food, and there's no food for which they vary more in Chicago than our famous pizza. For every pizza place a lot of people like, there are others who don't.

I happen to think that the pizza in the leading places in each category - Giordano's and Edwardo's for double-crust "stuffed" pizza, and Lou Malnati's, Gino's East, and Uno's for single-crust "pan" pizza - are basically very similar to each other in taste and style, so I'm constantly amused by those who claim they love one and hate another. And yes, there are also differences in taste; some people like stuffed pizza and don't like pan pizza, or vice versa. The worst pizza I've had this year (i.e. the one I liked the least) was the burnt crust pizza at Burt's Place in Morton Grove, which many people here extol, although I also observed the genial affability of Burt and Sharon and the funky decor ("1940s attic") that undoubtedly contribute to its appeal. De gustibus non est disputandum.

Assuming you like pizza, try them all, and form your own opinion.

babern38 wrote:I have just moved to chicago to do a one month rotation at Northwestern. I will be staying at the hilton garden inn on 10 N grand. While I have several ideas from my history of reading on this board, I'm looking for some more recs for places to eat whenever I get the time (which may not be much). Most of these will probably be solo meals, so anyplace where you can eat at the bar (Avec, Avenues, etc.) would be nice. I know Frontera is a block away as well as brasserie jo. where else? I'm also looking for good little, cheap spots. Where is some cheap, close mexican, thai, chinese food? all recs appreciated

Also, once I get my schedule figured out on Monday I plan to see if a group of LTHers would want to get together.

One great thing about Frontera is that you can eat at the bar, but order from both the Topolombapo and Frontera Grill menus. Like other posters said, if you have the time, cheap Mexican, Thai, and Chinese are best found by taking a short train or cab ride.

First of all, this link will be invaluable to you; it's the CTA Trip Planner, which will tell you how to get anywhere you want to go on public transportation.

Now, onto the food. Check out Bongo Room for Oreo pancakes. Karyn's Cooked has consistantly well-done food and a relaxing atmosphere. They serve gigantic pieces of cake that're vegan but are beautifully flavored. Brian's Juice Bar and Deli is cheap and good for food on the run.

All of these places are steps away from the el.


These are the vegetarian ribs with the grilled garlic bread and a creamy/crispy coleslaw from Karyn's Cooked.

nsxtasy wrote:BTW, your hotel is located at 10 East Grand.

Great call on the address!

The Red Line going south takes you to Chinatown; the Red Line going north takes you to TAC Quick.

TAC Quick is my usual go-to place when I'm on the Red Line (which, by the way, has a stop on Grand), since it's right below the Sheridan stop and is very amenable to solo dining. Altho there is some construction on the line which can lead to hold-ups, it's usually no more than 10 minutes from Grand. In addition, a couple of stops further north is Argyle which will lead you to a huge selection of Viet, Thai, and Chinese BBQ options, many of which are open to call ahead take-outs, if you need to get back to your room to study. A couple of additional names to search: Tank Noodle, Thai Avenue, Sun Wah for more info.

jbw wrote:Altho there is some construction on the line which can lead to hold-ups, it's usually no more than 10 minutes from Grand.

10 minutes is impossible. Assuming no construction delays, it normally takes 15 to 20 minutes for the train ride from the Grand station to the Sheridan station. Plus however long it takes to wait for a train to arrive, plus walking time at either end.

Feel free to time it and report back.

nsxtasy wrote:Feel free to time it and report back.

Let's save that for the "Detailed Transit Discussion" board.

eatchicago wrote:Let's save that for the "Detailed Transit Discussion" board.

Oh, come on, this type of precision is essential. Though I say it can be cut down to 9-minutes if the wind is at your back and god at your side.

Well, I'll backtrack on this one, since the CTA isn't willing to advertise anything less swift than 20-25 minutes (Reality, in this case, trumping wishful thinking).

Nevertheless, I'll not retreat on my belief that you'll not find much in the realm of ethnic dining to match the quality and value of TAC Quick and the glories of Argyle Street within reasonable walking distance of 10 E. Grand.

jbw wrote:Well, I'll backtrack on this one, since the CTA isn't willing to advertise anything less swift than 20-25 minutes (Reality, in this case, trumping wishful thinking).

Nevertheless, I'll not retreat on my belief that you'll not find much in the realm of ethnic dining to match the quality and value of TAC Quick and the glories of Argyle Street within reasonable walking distance of 10 E. Grand.

Streeterville/Mag Mile is not known for its great dining. Excellent shopping, yes. Excellent medical care, yes. Dining, eh, not so much. I would think that someone who cares enough about experiencing the pleasures of great food to ask for advice on this forum would not mind 25 minutes on the CTA or $20 for a taxi to take them to some of the most interesting places the city has to offer. Getting bogged down in whether the train is 10 minutes or 15 minutes seems about as relevant as asking whether you should tip 18% or 20% on the cost of the wine.

Some other recommendations that are relatively nearby:

Cafe Spiaggia
One Magnificent Mile (at the corner of Michigan and Oak)
980 North Michigan Avenue, Level 2
Chicago, Illinois 60611
(This is the casual sibling of Spiaggia)

I recently went to Eppy's Deli, which is about two blocks from NU. Decent sandwiches, but made all the better by watching the owner kick people out of his outdoor seating who buy from the Subway next door.

Eppy's Deli
224 E. Ontario St., Chicago
Tel: (312) 943-7797

I've heard the mac and cheese at the Galter cafeteria is very good.

The Gino's East around the corner from Galter is a shell of its former self (or I just remember it way too fondly).

Here's a list of things I think should be covered during your one month stay:

Wander Devon, see firstly the Devonathon thread on this forum. My favorite time is Friday afternoon when the Tel Aviv Jewish bakery is bustling and Good Morgan Fish is fully stocked but there is Indian chat and Georgia bread in the floor and secret (oral) menus of Russian pickles. It's a classic Chicago street.

I lived about 5 years in Uptown and every time I return, I wish I lived there some more. Get 3 curries and rice to go at the Thai Grocery. Take it to the Green Mill for a drink [OK, I've never actually done this, but I want too. ] but be warned that it can get quite crowded on weekend nights. The area nearby is one of the primary Asian neighborhoods in Chicago. Tank is very good for pho and other soup/noodles (I'm not as keen on their plates); Thai Avenue is an exceptional place. Convince them that you can take your food hot. Silver Seafood, about across the street from the Green Mill is a better than average Hong Kong style place. It's an interesting place, the side streets have some stellar achitecure. Find the old Essany Studio. It's gentrfying fast (very), but still rather mixed.

I think you'll like the Matchbox bar on Milwaukee/Chicago.

Check out one of the old (old) ice cream parlors. The only one remotely near downtown is Margies. It's good, but even better are Cupid, Cunnis or Gayety (the last two are in the South Suburbs).

Have an Italian beef at Al's.

Make your way to Cicero because, well you know, but once there, Freddy's is a great place for lunch. Klas has some Capone ties, it's not the best Czech food but still very worth a visit.

Eat Mexican food. If possible eat Mexican food on the Sunday Maxwell Street market. Regardless, look for places serving authentic regional items such as pozole, carnitas, mole de Teloapan, etc.

Visit the ex-Maxwell street 24 hour hot dog stands (more noted for their polish sausage and pork chop sammies).

Visit a farmer's market. I'm most partial to Oak Park's (where I live). It's Saturday AM. You can get your donut fix. While in Oak Park visit famous prairie school buildings including Unity Temple. If you need another Italian beef fix, go to Johnnies in nearby Elmwood Park.

If you cannot get a ticket to Wrigley Field, at least wander the environs. Try to snag a outta-parker during batting practice. Eat at Hamburger King.

Shop at a good Polish supermarket. Andy's Deli on North Milwaukee puts you quite near Superdawg, so that's a good thing. Avenue Mart on Belmont near Oak Park Avenue can get squeezed into your Oak Park visit.

Thai food. I've mentioned a bit already. Thai food in Chicago may be the raison d'etre of LTHForum.com.

Thai food in Chicago may be the raison d'etre of LTHForum.com.

And SpoonForum.com would have been a better name...

Great summary of so much that we all hold dear here. Except pizza....

Darren72 wrote:Streeterville/Mag Mile is not known for its great dining.

Sure it is. Maybe not so much for ethnic dining or cheap eats, which may be what you meant, but it's home to many of the best fine dining restaurants and steakhouses in the city (as well as some cheap eats places too).

Darren72 wrote:I would think that someone who cares enough about experiencing the pleasures of great food to ask for advice on this forum would not mind 25 minutes on the CTA or $20 for a taxi to take them to some of the most interesting places the city has to offer.

Sounds like you aren't very familiar with the time demands of doing a rotation in med school, and aren't very sensitive to the needs stated by the OP.

I'm continually amazed when people make suggestions that have nothing to do with answering the question that someone is asking, and don't meet their needs at all.

I think it's really worth to the OP to decide what kind of time he's willing to take out to travel for food. I have plenty of friends in med school, and not all of them have been shut-ins during their rotations.

It seems to me that the OP showed exactly what sort of answer he/she was looking for by asking it here as opposed to any number of other places-- or simply buying a Fodor's Chicago.

nsxtasy wrote:

Darren72 wrote:Streeterville/Mag Mile is not known for its great dining.

Sure it is. Maybe not so much for ethnic dining or cheap eats, which may be what you meant, but it's home to many of the best fine dining restaurants and steakhouses in the city (as well as some cheap eats places too).

Darren72 wrote:I would think that someone who cares enough about experiencing the pleasures of great food to ask for advice on this forum would not mind 25 minutes on the CTA or $20 for a taxi to take them to some of the most interesting places the city has to offer.

Sounds like you aren't very familiar with the time demands of doing a rotation in med school, and aren't very sensitive to the needs stated by the OP.

I'm continually amazed when people make suggestions that have nothing to do with answering the question that someone is asking, and don't meet their needs at all.

The OP asked about cheap ethnic food. Pointers to "the best fine dining restaurants and steakhouses in the city" would certainly not meet his or her needs. A recommendation to head to Chinatown or Argyle St. does.

I can't help but notice you made the same argument against traveling out of Streeterville when Alex suggested TAC Quick, Nuevo Leon, and Chinatown over at eGullet. The OP then responded to your post by writing "I have yet to explore the the "L", but am looking forward to venturing down to chinatown". Perhaps you should inform the OP, not me, about the demands of being in med school.

nsxtasy, you seem to be taking it quite personally that others have opinions that differ from yours. The OP can certainly make up his or her own mind and knows his or her time constraints better than we do. Our role is to make suggestions. You may like Bistro 110; I don't. You like Gino's East, MikeG doesn't. You think the OP should stick to Streeterville, others think differently. That's how it works. How about we all share our recommendations in a more fun manner?

Darren72 wrote:The OP asked about cheap ethnic food. Pointers to "the best fine dining restaurants and steakhouses in the city" would certainly not meet his or her needs.

Not true at all. Re-read the post (or read it for the first time) and you'll see that he/she asked first about nicer places, and only towards the end of the post mentioned cheap ethnic places. When a post mentions Avec, Avenues, Frontera Grill, and Brasserie Jo, that sure sounds like someone interested in fine dining.

Darren72 wrote:you seem to be taking it quite personally that others have opinions that differ from yours.

Again, not at all true. This isn't a matter of differing opinions. I'm just trying to provide helpful advice to an out-of-town visitor, based upon what he's asking for. And apparently, with the sole exception of fenger, I am alone in doing so. If others had different suggestions that were also in keeping with the OP's stated needs, I think it would be great. I just don't think it's helpful to send someone clear across town when they ask for what's in their own neighborhood. Just because you (or I) may have the time to travel 45 minutes for meals, doesn't mean that everyone else has that same luxury. Making recommendations along those lines when someone asks what's nearby reflects a strong lack of sensitivity for the needs (and different circumstances) of others.

Please give it a rest!

No one has given a wrong answer in this thread, both because the original poster asked about both high and low-end places (and if travel takes time, so does eating at a high end joint), and because a thread here is never solely for the person who posed the original question-- the good information contained therein is for anyone and everyone who might find it to be of use someday. The only "wrong" answer is debating what the right answer should look like. It's all good. Let a thousand flowers bloom. Enough of that and more of the other thing.

wow. I'm gone for two days and the battle begins.

I appreciate everyone's replies. While there are literally thousands of places to try and I will try to get to some of the farther out places requiring more travel, it simply appears my schedule isn't going to permit much of this. WHile on my surg rotation I've been going from 6AM to7PM. I get home and can't really fathom taking a 10-20 minute train anywhere. Hopefully I will have some more time on the weekend to get to some of those great suggestions. I still need to get to Joy Yee's which a friend has told me a lot about. Thanks again and keep the suggestions of nearby or fine dining places coming.

By the way, if I get one day this weekend off, I'm gonna try to make it to Avenues and eat at the chef's bar.

Vong's Thai Kitchen--about a block east from brasserie jo. awesome thai food done by a fancy alsatian chef. lunch menu features $1 desserts.

although i'm sure you could eat solo, take a friend if you can: imho the lunch "group dining" special (3 courses, including 2 _different entrees for a group of 2) is the best lunch for your money in the city.

babern38 wrote: Hopefully I will have some more time on the weekend to get to some of those great suggestions. I still need to get to Joy Yee's which a friend has told me a lot about.

That would be a waste of your valuable time -- and I say that as someone who's eaten more than a few meals at Joy Yee's. There's nothing bad about it, but it's nothing you can't get in any reasonably-sized city in the U.S. The allure is, I guess, that of a huge pan-Asian menu and bubble drinks. But nothing is done especially well, although the bubble drinks are nice. There are so many better places in Chinatown.

Oh, and since when does Vongerichten have any involvement with VTK?

cilantro wrote:Oh, and since when does Vongerichten have any involvement with VTK?

Aparrently, since it was opened in 1999. It was originally a joint venture between Rich Melman and Vongerichten. I guess he is still co-owner of the place. I get the impression he hasn't had much to do with VTK for a number of years.
http://www.vongsthaikitchen.com/img/pdf ... 9-2004.pdf

cilantro wrote:Oh, and since when does Vongerichten have any involvement with VTK?

that's a rhetorical question, and one by which you are asserting that jean-george vongerichten is not involved in any way with vtk. so, please do explain how that's the case, since i probably have a lot to learn about the restaurant's history (and would be really interested in doing so)!

gotta agree with the chinatown recommendation against joy yee's.. i loved their smoothies--pick a flavor that you can see through the counter window that they're using fresh fruit (vs flavored powders) for--but get your meal a few doors over at lao sze chuan..

seaniswise wrote:

cilantro wrote:Oh, and since when does Vongerichten have any involvement with VTK?

that's a rhetorical question, and one by which you are asserting that jean-george vongerichten is not involved in any way with vtk. so, please do explain how that's the case, since i probably have a lot to learn about the restaurant's history (and would be really interested in doing so)!

Your post made it sound like Vongerichten was doing the cooking; my impression was that his involvement was similar to that of, say, Wolfgang Puck with his franchised restaurants. According to the article posted by d4v3, that's not correct either since Vong does appear to have developed the dishes ("along with executives" -- always a good sign!).

None of which is to offer any opinion on the quality of the food at VTK (ate there once; didn't like it; but it was only once and before the menu revision).