Not bad if you have to eat there....

I often find myself in the loop wandering around hoping something strikes me as something new, or I go with co-workers to a place I would never walk into just to be sociable. After years of being in the same building, I find more and more places closing and nothing new opening up. So, today I had to eat close and found myself at My Thai, which normally I abhor. However, I had a dish that wasn't as bad as everything else I've had there. It got me thinking, that maybe there are places down here that I pass by, but don't try because of a bad experience, that actually might have something "not bad".
Here are a few places that I have found, not bad dishes:
My Thai
30. S. Michigan
Spicy basil chicken fried rice (very basic, but the jalapenos really make the dish)
$7.95

Tokyo Lunch Box
Wabash and Jackson
Vegetable Udon spicy $5.95
not bad brown rice sushi

Takumi
555 W Madison
Bento box is a surprisingly filling meal. I had the chicken terriyaki the last time, and it was real chicken (not cut up breast meat) that was delicious and not covered in sauce. Served with Miso Soup; Includes Tempura, California Roll and Sunomono $9.95.

I hear what you're sayin' . . . it's a sad state of Loop eatin' when you're focused on finding one good thing and declaring it to be not bad. In my case, I actually find these items to be quite good:

Tuscany Cafe
77 W Wacker Drive
Chicago IL

Meatball sub
Minestrone soup
Any variation of chicken soup

I'm new to working in the loop, but Wow Bao has proved a good option for me at lunch. Noodle soup with pork dumplings has been especially tasty in the past week as the weather begins to turn.

wow bao
se corner state and lake

See also this thread, which has a similar jumping off point.

Tokyo Lunch Box

I actually think this place is pretty damn good, once you get over the interior. I like that they will make the sushi to order and it's very quick, oh and I enjoy the brown rice.

Today I didn't want to got to Dylan's but went anyway with the Jman.
I had a not too bad cheeseburger. It was cooked to order, (although the bun was a bit dry) and the crinkle cut fries were actually cooked to a nice brown and crunchy.
We also split some nice buffalo wings, cooked the way I like them "naked" with a buffalo medium sauce. I usually end up eating a ginormous salad when I go to this place, so this was a change to the positive.
Dylans
118 S Clinton St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 876-2008
http://www.dylanstavern.com