Spicy Food Downtown

My wife is taking me out for a b-day lunch tomorrow and I am looking for something new and spicy downtown. Please give my any ideas or advice!

Here are some things I like to give you an idea but I don't want to do any of these because I want to try something new.

Lao Schezuan - Dry Chili Chicken - popcorn chicken with a kick
Indian - Gosht Vindaloo with fire underneath to release the spices
Hooters - 911 wings double-dipped with extra 911 sauce
Thai - Pad Khee Mao - crazy spicy noodles
Seven on Heaven - has some spicy dishes
Italian Sausage or Combo with hot gardineira

So anyway, please give me ideas for other very hot spicy options downtown. I love all of the stuff above but looking for something new!

Thanks,
Eric

Chicago's New Eastside Neighborhood - http://blog.new-eastside.com and http://www.new-eastside.com

I guess some ideas would be a good Mexican spicy ala Baja Fresh (I have never been to the former Michael Jordan restaurant Lalo's, is it spicy?) although I've had a lot of other Mexican.

I guess I'm really looking for something I haven't tried, ethnic if possible, a spicy hot African restaurant (or Danish??) restaurant that will blow my socks off.

I do like Korean tofu soup with all the spices and Kimchi (forgot to mention I love Kimchi) but still looking for something I haven't tried before.

Let me know if this whole listing of spicy foods is missing something you could recommend for me.

Thanks!
Eric

http://www.mp2kmag.com & http://forums.new-eastside.com

I think the limiting factor may be the "downtown" requirement...

Bucktown would be fine, we have some time. Actually our fall back may be the closest "Buffalo Wild Wings" location as I remember that as the most truly fulfilling and exciting cuisine (albeit a chain!) that I have experienced. I think the closest BWW is up a couple or few miles from downtown. Save me from having to go to BWW! Please give me some good HOT cuisine tip.
Eric

leek wrote:I think the limiting factor may be the "downtown" requirement...

I agree. Can you help define your "downtown" requirement? As we've learned, the word "downtown" in Chicago is quite a fungible concept.

For some people, "downtown" can a very large swath of the city.

While I don't consider it to be downtown, I think you'll have your best luck at one of the excellent restaurants in Pilsen like Nuevo Leon. It will cure you of your need for Baja Fresh.

Best,
Michael

I must have missed your mention of Bucktown. I'll take that to mean that you're fine with a large part of the city outside of downtown.

If heat is your primary concern, which I'm gathering that it is, then you simply need to follow the raw chile.

There are some great Thai restaurants with excellent dishes that feature uncooked chiles: the Issaan sausage at TAC immediately comes to mind for it's garnish of raw finger chiles. Also, a papaya salad at the same restaurant, ordered "spicy", will surely satisfy you. There are plenty of other spicy dishes on the Thai menu there to satisfy you. Be sure to let them know your spice preference. Here's a link to the translated Thai menu there. There are tons of other threads about their food. A search for "TAC" will yield many.

If you want to stay Mexican, Carlos at Sol de Mexico makes a very good cochinita pibil with a habanero salsa that is excellent.

Or maybe a habanero dog at U Lucky Dawg is what you're looking for?

That's all I've got for now.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:There are some great Thai restaurants with excellent dishes that feature uncooked chiles: the Issaan sausage at TAC immediately comes to mind for it's garnish of raw finger chiles. Also, a papaya salad at the same restaurant, ordered "spicy", will surely satisfy you. There are plenty of other spicy dishes on the Thai menu there to satisfy you. Be sure to let them know your spice preference. Here's a link to the translated Thai menu there. There are tons of other threads about their food. A search for "TAC" will yield many.

I was all excited (we thought about that we haven't had Thai for several months), but they CLOSED TUESDAY! wtf my luck.

Maybe we'll try out the habanero dog, I like the novelty. Maybe I can get my wife to give me a raincheck for TAC.

Any other HOT ideas along the lines of my "likes" listed above that I miss?

Thanks people!
Eric

ericwfrost wrote:

eatchicago wrote:There are some great Thai restaurants with excellent dishes that feature uncooked chiles: the Issaan sausage at TAC immediately comes to mind for it's garnish of raw finger chiles. Also, a papaya salad at the same restaurant, ordered "spicy", will surely satisfy you. There are plenty of other spicy dishes on the Thai menu there to satisfy you. Be sure to let them know your spice preference. Here's a link to the translated Thai menu there. There are tons of other threads about their food. A search for "TAC" will yield many.

I was all excited (we thought about that we haven't had Thai for several months), but they CLOSED TUESDAY! wtf my luck.

Maybe we'll try out the habanero dog, I like the novelty. Maybe I can get my wife to give me a raincheck for TAC.

TAC is not the only excellent Thai restaurant in town. If you visit the Great Neighborhood Restaurant Board you'll find listings for such places as Spoon Thai, and Sticky Rice, both of which are excellent and can satisfy your desires. Those threads will have links to other threads with plenty of descriptions.

Best,
Michael

I think we'll do Nuevo Leon since it is close to downtown and it sounds inexpensive, we can try lots of different things.

So -- for spicy what should we order? I read the experience can be hit and miss.

Also, can we expect a salsa bar with peppers like Quiznos or Baja Fresh or should we order salsas and peppers separately?

I think we're leaving in two or three hours as we want to catch a 2PM movie

Eric

http://www.mp2kmag.com & http://www.ericfrost.com

Well, I would include as one of your appetizers the Queso Panela, which includes jalapeños.

Though not excessively spicy, the Tacos de Sabinas are excellent.

There's no salsa or pepper bar. You automatically get a fresh salsa and a small bowl of pickled jalapeños and carrots when you sit down. You can also ask the waitress for their warm salsa in a molcajete. And I'm sure she would be happy to bring you some extra slices of fresh chiles, or to have them added to a dish, to increase the heat level.

If you order a dish in which you get a choice of tortillas, be sure to ask for flour tortillas (or half flour, half corn if you prefer). The flour tortillas are made there and are excellent.

By the way, we ended up going to Nueva Leon (almost six years ago!)

Then this morning my wife says "Do you want to go to that Mexican restaurant?" Like I'm supposed to know what she's talking about.

So I found this thread and we're going there for lunch today.

Eric

Sorry I guess it was four years ago. I was looking at someone's "Join" date.

Eric