Interesting thread.

I would also suggest Mexican since that is one nearly ubiquitous food for the U.S. which is pretty non existent in Europe.
Maxwell street is probably the best way to see and smell a variety of food options before committing on any since the vast majority of mexican restaurants are pretty forgettable.

I would also add a trip to Chinatown since it is so proximal to Pilsen.

The only disagreement I have with anything posted is the Dominicks suggestion. Why not go to Whole foods given the option right up the street.

Does anyone have a good recommendation for a juice bar / health store after our visit to Hot Doug's?

If you're prepared to use a taxi once you get to the station, you might want to head up to Wilmette to Walker Brothers for breakfast (mammoth apple pancakes), and take a look at the Baha'i Temple and the lakefront.

RTA Transit Planner

emmamcr wrote:Does anyone have a good recommendation for a juice bar / health store after our visit to Hot Doug's?

In all seriousness, there's a raw food/vegan place called Karyn's. It's easy enough to get to, located off big streets in the north/near north side. I've never been (raw? strike one! vegan? strike two! (kidding...)), but it might be worth considering if you don't want to be a total glutton.

LAZ wrote:If you're prepared to use a taxi once you get to the station, you might want to head up to Wilmette to Walker Brothers for breakfast (mammoth apple pancakes), and take a look at the Baha'i Temple and the lakefront.

RTA Transit Planner

The Baha'i Temple is a pretty amazing thing to see. It's actually walking distance from the end of the Purple line, although yes, if you also want to go to Walker Brothers, you'd probably want a cab.

I like Walker Brothers, but make the trip if you want to see the temple, not just for the breakfast. There's another Original Pancake House in Lincoln Park if you just want a giant apple pancake.

Original Pancake House
2020 N Lincoln Park W
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 929-8130
originalpancakehouse.com

(I didn't realize just how extensive the OPH empire was until I went to the website...)

Jubilee Juice is at Randolph and Halsted in the West Loop. Good juice, great salads.

http://www.jubileejuice.com/

germuska wrote:originalpancakehouse.com

(I didn't realize just how extensive the OPH empire was until I went to the website...)

Walker Brothers are the only Original Pancake House franchise with a local branding. Last year I had a presentation from Steve Katz who reverse engineered their apple pancake. He said the Original Pancake House later regretted allowing Walker Brother's to add their name to the marquee.

If you go to other Original Pancake House's around the country, their menu is pretty much the same as well as the quality. My favorite touch is the heavy cream for the coffee.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:If you go to other Original Pancake House's around the country, their menu is pretty much the same as well as the quality. My favorite touch is the heavy cream for the coffee.

Admittedly, I've only been to two other locations, and only once each, but it has been my experience that other Original Pancake Houses aren't anywhere near the quality of Walker Bros.

Dmnkly wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:If you go to other Original Pancake House's around the country, their menu is pretty much the same as well as the quality. My favorite touch is the heavy cream for the coffee.

Admittedly, I've only been to two other locations, and only once each, but it has been my experience that other Original Pancake Houses aren't anywhere near the quality of Walker Bros.

The one I visited in Champaign seemed comparable. If you look at the menu, it is roughly the same composition of dishes.

Regards,

Do the non-Walker Brothers OPHs have all the stained glass? (I know, it isn't very LTHly to notice decor, but all that glass is one of the things I love about Walker Brothers.)

LAZ wrote:Do the non-Walker Brothers OPHs have all the stained glass? (I know, it isn't very LTHly to notice decor, but all that glass is one of the things I love about Walker Brothers.)

It seems to be a Walker Brother's signature. The one in Champaign is a plain Jane compared to what we enjoy.

Regards,