nsxtasy wrote:Chick-fil-A.

Chick-fil-A is awesome! the chicken sandwiches w/ pickles, the waffle fries, mmmmmm

The Great Danton wrote:Things that Chicago lacks and OUGHT to have:

1) Culver's inside city limits.

HERE HERE!

And let me add, to the fast-food line:

Five Guys Burgers (oh! the fries)
Fatburger ("Converting vegetarians since 1952...we're not for everyone.")
Another Baja Fresh inside city limits.

Let's get back on track, folks. What we definitely not want is a Koo Koo Roo!


Yuuu!!!

Not Needed:

Krystal Burger Chain (WC is sooo much better and we got as many as any)

Cincy style chili (If I wanted something sweet I wouldnt be eating chili)

New York Style hot dog stands (you know why)

Big Mikes super Subs, Milios or whatever the bleep theyre called now (when you mimic Jimmy John's and fail, I dont want anything to do with you, even if you succeeded)

Needed:

A real deal cajun joint (the closest you'll find is NOTO in Madison, WI)

Wow, we definitely do not need St. Louis style pizza. That stuff is nasty.

We definitely need more delis, real delis (particularly in the Loop). And greek diners.

ronnie_suburban wrote:since when does 2 constitute "several"?

Per Merriam-Webster's definition 2a: "more than one".

We don't have Waffle House here. I'm so glad.

eatchicago wrote:I, for one, do not care if nor do I need a place in Chicago that serves a Philly cheese steak "wiz wit".

And yet, it is here. Philly's Best will put Cheez Whiz on your sandwich (or white American or provolone, or no cheese at all, for that matter).

Something we don't want and don't have in Chicago is Toronto-style hot dogs (boy they look good, until you take a bite) and the 5 peso hamburgers served on carts all over Mexico City. One look at an uncooked DF street hamburguesa will set you straight.

cjkrautk wrote:

The Great Danton wrote:Things that Chicago lacks and OUGHT to have:

1) Culver's inside city limits.

HERE HERE!

And let me add, to the fast-food line:

Five Guys Burgers (oh! the fries)
Fatburger ("Converting vegetarians since 1952...we're not for everyone.")
Another Baja Fresh inside city limits.

5 guys hasn't been good in like 5 or so years, unfortunately.

Baja-style fish tacos.

I have only memories. Well, and pictures.

nsxtasy wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:since when does 2 constitute "several"?

Per Merriam-Webster's definition 2a: "more than one".

LMAO . . . ok, ok

=R=

Street-cart food as one finds in Midtown Manhattan. Some of the best and best-value meals I had in NYC were mixed grill + rice deals off of a cart near the 42nd street library.

Febo.

Dutch fast-food dispensed from a vending machine.

(That's something we don't have and should not want.)

JimInLoganSquare wrote:

eatchicago wrote:I, for one, do not care if nor do I need a place in Chicago that serves a Philly cheese steak "wiz wit".

And yet, it is here. Philly's Best will put Cheez Whiz on your sandwich (or white American or provolone, or no cheese at all, for that matter).

Thanks for the warning. I will be sure to avoid it.

eatchicago wrote:

sazerac wrote:Indian-chinese

This we do not lack.

Bah! Sophist-icated food.
Given the original query, "what else is there that Chicago lacks but should not want? " - I stand by my response.

JeffB wrote:
I will start with a couple of softballs -- Tim Horton's .

I have never understood Toronto's fascination for these awful donuts and IMHO mediocre coffee.
No, Chicago definitely does not need a Tim Horton's.

Jyoti

a place that serves up different kinds of texas chili would be great... a texas style all you can eat bbq would also be great

Jazzfood wrote:What about a decent farmers market? How can a city this size not support a large diverse market ala Santa Monica, San Francisco, Portland Oregon, NY, ect... I love the city but Chicago's are a joke in comparison.

I could not agree more. I lived in Seattle for ten years and one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday was to go to Pike Place Market. When I visit my sister in Toronto I am jealous of Kensington and St. Lawrence Markets. Yes, I understand Chicago is a city of neighborhoods etc. etc. but so are many large cities and I think a market would only enhance our food shopping experiences.

Jyoti

Just to reiterate:

The point is types of places that Chicago doesn't have that you don't want it to have.

gleam wrote:Just to reiterate:

The point is types of places that Chicago doesn't have that you don't want it to have.

Obviously, we have all taken a little poetic license with the original poster's intent

Things I don't want/miss from my previous lives in FL and Upstate NY:

Stuckey's
Waffle House
Pollo Tropical
Miami Subs
RJ Gators
Price Chopper Supermarkets
Denny's
Horrible Mexican Food---just because there's a tortilla involved and you covered it in melted cheese and something vaguely resembling salsa does not mean it is Mexican.

Now, the things I would want, that we don't have, that's a whole 'nother topic.

jygach wrote:

JeffB wrote:
I will start with a couple of softballs -- Tim Horton's .

I have never understood Toronto's fascination for these awful donuts and IMHO mediocre coffee.
No, Chicago definitely does not need a Tim Horton's.

Jyoti

They could be fascinated by Tim Hortons simply because Second Cup, the upscale Toronto alternative, is IMHO even worse.

Chicago neither needs nor wants Second Cup - just this page, the terms and conditions of using this website, should tell all one needs to know about Second Cup.

Also from Canada, we have no Donair nor are we in any sort of need. Like gyros but made of beef and filler and served with something like sweetened tzatziki sauce, but much much worse.

I'll add Kansas City's own In-A-Tub

If it cannot be dipped into a vat of hot grease, you probably will not find it on the menu. The grease gives the grub a wealth of flavor, and adds a new spin to the standard Mexican fodder.

Note: The above is grease not in a good way.

bananasandwiches wrote:Stuckey's

Really? Seriously, what do you have against Stuckey's? Sure, it's unmitigated crap, but that's its appeal. With Stuckey's, you know what you're getting into, and darned if they don't deliver. Some of my strongest childhood memories are from visits to the Stuckey's of I-65 exit 130 in Whitestown, just northwest of Indianapolis (connected with regular visits to my grandfather's grave in the cemetery just near there). No better place to buy a dippy duck or a suction-cup bow and arrow set. That particular Stuckey's of my youth survives today as a half-and-half with a drive-through Starbucks, which strikes me as poetically consistent with the original and bracingly unreformed Stuckey's roadside gim-crack emporium/Indian pow-wow aesthetic (bringing that little bit of Cherokee, NC to all points east of the Mississippi!). And Mrs. JiLS and I hit that Starbucks/Stuckey's outlet every trip back home from visits to the family in Indianapolis.

bananasandwiches wrote:Things I don't want/miss from my previous lives in FL and Upstate NY:



Miami Subs
Denny's
Horrible Mexican Food---just because there's a tortilla involved and you covered it in melted cheese and something vaguely resembling salsa does not mean it is Mexican.

Now, the things I would want, that we don't have, that's a whole 'nother topic.

We have/had these things and it is true they are not missed. My parents friends bought the Miami Subs Franchise and opened here in the mid/late 80s. They stunk. Dennys is still around and we have lots of crappy mexican food (see Uncle Julio's to start, with many others)

JeffB wrote:Let's talk pizza:

Japanese styleand thecampus chain Gumby's,

not in my Chicago. I so like to not want this!

Oh god, is it wrong that an order of Pokey sticks with ranch dressing actually sounds reeeeally good right about now? I haven't had those in years, but my roommates and I used to order them all the time at Penn State! We liked those more than the pizza. I didn't realize they were a national chain.

Chicago, or any self-respecting city for that matter, definitely does not need:
THIS

GardenofEatin wrote:

JeffB wrote:Let's talk pizza:

Japanese styleand thecampus chain Gumby's,

not in my Chicago. I so like to not want this!

Oh god, is it wrong that an order of Pokey sticks with ranch dressing actually sounds reeeeally good right about now? I haven't had those in years, but my roommates and I used to order them all the time at Penn State! We liked those more than the pizza. I didn't realize they were a national chain.

i never understood the pokey sticks craze... i always found them a bit greasy, especially with the ranch... i will say eating a few was appetizing

gleam wrote:Just to reiterate:

The point is types of places that Chicago doesn't have that you don't want it to have.

oh i didnt know... come to think of it when i read OP's post i read it in a positive light (maybe that would be a more constructive thread) anyway, i guess i don't really care to keep some restaurants out, but i would enjoy a texas bbq/chili place here (off topic)

"Tim" wrote:

jygach wrote:

JeffB wrote:
I will start with a couple of softballs -- Tim Horton's .

I have never understood Toronto's fascination for these awful donuts and IMHO mediocre coffee.
No, Chicago definitely does not need a Tim Horton's.

Jyoti

They could be fascinated by Tim Hortons simply because Second Cup, the upscale Toronto alternative, is IMHO even worse.

I like Tiim Horton's.

The Great Danton wrote:Things that Chicago lacks and OUGHT to have:

1) Culver's inside city limits.

I had a cheeseburger at the Culver's in Burbank and it didn't taste like much of anything. Even though I always liked the Culver's I went to in Wisconsin before that.

This means either that:

1) Culver's here are not as good as Culver's there.
2) Culver's everywhere is going downhill.
3) That particular Culver's is not as good as other Culver's in the Chicago suburbs.
4) That Culver's was just having a bad day that day.
5) My taste buds were bad that day.

or

6) None of the above.

But basically, that experience made me less excited about the idea of a Culver's in Chicago.