A year or so ago, I would have included Fat Tire on this list of things Chicago doesn't have and shouldn't want. I think maybe Shiner Bock fits in this category now.

Matt wrote:A year or so ago, I would have included Fat Tire on this list of things Chicago doesn't have and shouldn't want.

most overrated beer ever? Man....i feel like Fat Tire is like The Doors.

Decent, but when you actually sit down and truly listen to them - what the hell is the big deal?

I'm an amber fan, too, so it's not the style that i don't have a taste for.

We don't have and I don't want Sushi at our ballparks.

as soon as you can walk into a Bears game, in the frigid cold in December, and get some wine and sushi (like you can in Seattle), I'm moving out of the U.S.

Santander wrote:Italo-Chinese:

http://www.ciaomein.com/Index.shtml

We do have Italo-Chinese - Fornetto Mei at the Whitehall hotel. Its pretty bad. I think the concept was "well they both serve noodles, right?"

But Italo-Chinese is now on the we-have-it-but-don't-need-it list and off of the we-don't-have-it-and-don't-need-it list.

I had a great fish sandwich at the Culver's in Aurora.

Things we don't need: Canadian poutine in fast food restaurants. We're fat enough already. Same thing applies to Wisconsin fudge.

poutine would be nice... once in awhile

We could use some drive-thru liquor stores. Hell, ammo would be nice, too.

-ramon

Scrapple

Matt wrote:A year or so ago, I would have included Fat Tire on this list of things Chicago doesn't have and shouldn't wan

I agree, its pretty one dimensional. However, the expanded roster of New Belgians available now includes some mighty fine brews- like the dark Belgian "1554" and the high gravity "2 Below" winter ale- both awesome.
Love me some scrapple too! And its livery cousin Balkenbrij, anyone?

djenks wrote:as soon as you can walk into a Bears game, in the frigid cold in December, and get some wine and sushi (like you can in Seattle), I'm moving out of the U.S.

I hope you've enjoyed your stay here...

I used to work at Soldier Field (right when they re-opened); and if you have club seats, they serve sushi and Kirin on the main level and you can get wine at the bars. (It was supposedly from Oysy, but who knows how fresh that stuff is? And who the crap orders sushi at a football game??)

I also want to pipe in on the Tim Horton's ambivalence. I tried some up in Canada earlier this year and really didn't see what the fuss was about. Dunkin' Donuts coffee kicks TH out of the park taste-wise. Another thing I didn't understand was why the Tim Hortons in London, ON was packed at 2 pm on a Friday afternoon. Do people not work up in Canada??

Matt wrote:A year or so ago, I would have included Fat Tire on this list of things Chicago doesn't have and shouldn't want. I think maybe Shiner Bock fits in this category now.

I actually just saw Shiner Bock at the store today, so I guess that's out of the running as well.

Scrapple

Dude.

If Vosges made a scrapple chocolate bar, I would go broke in the buying and die happy in the eating. De gustibus non yada yada.

GreenFish wrote:I also want to pipe in on the Tim Horton's ambivalence. I tried some up in Canada earlier this year and really didn't see what the fuss was about.

They do call their donut holes "Tim bits." That is usually good for at least a chuckle, if not a giggle. Maybe it's just me.

germuska wrote:

GreenFish wrote:I also want to pipe in on the Tim Horton's ambivalence. I tried some up in Canada earlier this year and really didn't see what the fuss was about.

They do call their donut holes "Tim bits." That is usually good for at least a chuckle, if not a giggle. Maybe it's just me.

First, it's Timbits--one word. Second, is that name really much worse than Munchkins? I'd much rather say I'm having my afternoon tea and Timbits.



I can't speak to TH's coffee since I've never been a coffee drinker, but they serve decent teas. In fact, one of my all-time favorite ways to spend an afternoon in Montreal is to stop at TH for a cup of tea and an apple fritter before crossing the street to see a movie at Ex-Centris on St-Laurent. Oh, Canada!

sazerac wrote:Indian-chinese

We have that, assuming Jumbo on Devon is still open. Also there's Hot Wok Village and Priya in Schaumburg.

Santander wrote:Italo-Chinese:
http://www.ciaomein.com/Index.shtml

We have that, too. Not only Fornetto Mei in the Whitehall hotel but Fornetto and Mei's Kitchen in the South Loop. Not to mention those goofy chain noodle joints.

ronnie_suburban wrote:LOL! I don't agree about Kaufman's (which does turn out a bunch of other things I do like) but even if I did, since when does 2 constitute "several"?

There is also Chicago Bagel in Wheeling, and if you don't know about it, you should. LTH Bagel-Off


Tim Horton's serves the most gawdawful coffee, but the doughnuts are edible. Krispy Kreme has terrible coffee, too.

We don't have Shoney's or Tony Roma's, both of which tried and ultimately pulled out.

happy_stomach wrote:

germuska wrote:They do call their donut holes "Tim bits." That is usually good for at least a chuckle, if not a giggle. Maybe it's just me.

First, it's Timbits--one word.

Ah, right, I forgot. Chuckle factor increased.

happy_stomach wrote:Second, is that name really much worse than Munchkins?

"Worse?" Do you have some kind of Canadian inferiority complex?

Hey, now, folks, just kidding... some of my best friends are Canadian!

sazerac wrote:Indian-chinese

Indian Garden's new management is planning on adding Indo-Chinese to the menu. However, based on our experience with the new management, I don't think I can recommend it.

GreenFish wrote:I also want to pipe in on the Tim Horton's ambivalence. I tried some up in Canada earlier this year and really didn't see what the fuss was about. Dunkin' Donuts coffee kicks TH out of the park taste-wise.

Funny, that's exactly the way I felt when Krispy Kreme hit town.

germuska wrote:They do call their donut holes "Tim bits." That is usually good for at least a chuckle, if not a giggle. Maybe it's just me.

At least they don't call them "Tim's balls".

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.

Gardenofeatin,

I too, loved pokey sticks in college. Sadly, many visits back to my old campus haunts have taught me one thing, what late night foods you loved in college was typically directly proportionate to your level of inebriation and youth. In your 30s, they never taste as good as they did when you were 19.

On the subject of college haunts, I submit that Chicago does not want nor need a Monical's Pizza.

Kim

Lutefisk.

Haggis.

Rocky Mountain Oysters.

haggis is great. with mashed potatoes and a glass of wiskey. mmm.

Kim3 wrote:
Gardenofeatin,

I too, loved pokey sticks in college. Sadly, many visits back to my old campus haunts have taught me one thing, what late night foods you loved in college was typically directly proportionate to your level of inebriation and youth. In your 30s, they never taste as good as they did when you were 19.


Kim

Oh trust me, I learned that the hard way when I visited my youngest sister there a couple years ago and insisted upon getting my "all-time favorite" Chinese food delivered to her dorm. Wow. I was bowled over by either the change in my standards or the change in the quality of the food, or possibly both. Just...wow.

I'm sort of glad I didn't order Pokey Sticks, as I'd prefer to remember them more fondly.

Funny, I was just looking for haggis the other day when I thought Burns Day was this month.

I've already set a calendar reminder for January - the Globe Pub has a Burns Day celebration with haggis, tatties and neeps.

GreenFish wrote:

djenks wrote:as soon as you can walk into a Bears game, in the frigid cold in December, and get some wine and sushi (like you can in Seattle), I'm moving out of the U.S.

I hope you've enjoyed your stay here...

I used to work at Soldier Field (right when they re-opened); and if you have club seats, they serve sushi and Kirin on the main level and you can get wine at the bars. (It was supposedly from Oysy, but who knows how fresh that stuff is? And who the crap orders sushi at a football game??)

whew - scared me there for a second. I did forget to mention that "club seats" and "box seats" aren't included. I do not consider people that sit in club and box seats as people, let alone fans of the team. they can do whatever they want - they don't exist to me. period. I have not and will not find an exception to this.

When is that? I didn't see it on the website.

I know I've nattered on about this before, but I really don't understand why people are so grossed out by haggis. It's essentially a sausage, and certainly plenty of people eat Oscar Meyers with nary a twinge.

You have to scroll down - Burns night itself is 1/25, but the restaurant is celebrating on Thursday the 24th for some reason, along with many other places (some seem to extend it to the 26th as well)

Wouldn't mind celebrating Burn's night, as it is a wee part of our heritage but I don't know that I want drag 7-year-old to a bar for Scottish poetry and offal, and I don't know where I'm going to find a lamb's lung myself...
(edited to add: Does anybody know why haggis recipes instruct you to drape the windpipe over the edge of the pot?)

I had haggis in Scotland, it was very good. Sort of reminded me of kiszka.

nsxtasy wrote:Lutefisk.

Haggis.

Rocky Mountain Oysters.

I'm with you on haggis and lutefisk, but Rocky Mountain oysters are tasty. I could go for some right now!

Mmm, fast food that tastes like home: There's nothing like the taste of home, often embodied by the regional fast-food joints we claim as our own. Culver's, Waffle House, Pei Wei — the list goes on.

We need a good ramen restaurant in the city...similar to Ippudo in NY. Santouka is too far out of the way for me.

Thank you for reviving one of my favorite threads. The convergence of intelligent posts and reading comprehension failure in this thread always fascinated me.

Did I mean:

a) Iff Chicago doesn't have X, then X can't be good, ergo we don't want/need it.

b) X is and always is good, and Chicago doesn't have it, ergo we do want it/need it.

c) X is and always is good, and Chicago doesn't have it, ergo Chicago is not good.

d) X sucks, and Chicago doesn't have it, so the hell what, move back to Rochester NY if you miss white hot dogs.

e) All of the above

f) None of the above