Gypsy Boy wrote:FWIW, I had great memories of Moody's but it's been forever since I was there, so I stopped in last weekend. I would call the burger I got--the basic Moody Burger (or whatever it's called)--definitively mediocre. Overcooked, despite the fact that they specifically ask, not juicy, and not particularly flavorful. The fries were pretty good, though. I'm not rushing back.

Of the dozens of burgers I've had from various establishments around town, the Moody's burger ranks dead last.

I'll also chime in here on Loving Hut. I spent a good part of last year in Andersonville Area and this place was my favorite find. For the price I'd say it might be my favorite meal in Chicago. Although part of a national chain, they kept all the best hits from Alice and Friends days, and same cooks. Love Letters from Earth salad s outstanding. Runaway potoatoes another favorite. Yakitori (without the tori...) and Bi Bim Bob were excellent. I never had a bad meal there, and on a cold winter day, nothing beats the Cinnimon Ginger tea.

We are kind of hyper-Andersoville-ians in that we live here and have kids and don't stray too far. I'd say a really fun night would be to have dinner at Sunshine (BYOB be prepared!) try the Ika Geso (super quick pan-fried calamari) the Gobo (spicy burdock root salad) the cold buckwheat soba noodle dish and some gomae (their version is sweeter than most and does not involve peanuts in any way). Any kind of broiled fish/eel should be sampled as well. Go early if you can and you will get to eat with all the older Japanese families that used to live in the 'hood and their grandchildren. We were there tonight and I was kind of marveling at the cross generational love and connecting going on across the room. Dan, who has waited on us for 10 years, didn't forget that we have tricked our son into thinking that Gyoza are made with chicken, since he's a picky guy. He presented the gyoza to my Sam as if we were at Charlie Trotter's and he said, "Here are your chicken dumplings, Sam." Wink to us. All of our food tasted just amazing. The gobo is wicked good. To be honest, I don't thing their dumplings are the best in the city by a long shot. But I am happy my kid eats something there. Oh and the Potato Croquette, which I wonder if they created exclusively for Chicagoans, is super tasty and fun. Not sure how Japanese it is. It's like a fried mashed potato ball.

After Sunshine I have one rec that surprises even me: go to Big Jones. Man, I had not wanted to go there for a bunch of reasons but after an acceptable light supper at In Fine Spirits (let me just say that a bitchy waiter can really set the tone for a meal that can't be reversed) we decided to de-Camp and head to Big Jones for coffee and sweets in a less bitchy setting. They welcomed us warmly and our server was like some glorious gastronome meets Rufus Wainwright -- in a good way. We ordered a Strawberry Shortcake infused with Lavender and then topped with a nice dollop of fresh whipped cream and these trippy little tiny balls of violet syrup. And we talked about how they make the little balls of syrup in-house and the process for the shortcake . . . he was really great. It's a pretty room. I liked the open-ness of it.

You could also stop by Kopi for a Lemon Blossom cookie or their take on a Brownie. I learned the hard way that that they warm it up and serve it with a generous portion of whipped cream and chocolate sauce drizzled across the plate. It took longer than I'd planned but in the end, my boys were freaky happy.

Finally, if you want to just walk and talk and chill an check out the action, but you still want something sweet, then go over to Huey's on Balmoral and get a chocolate milkshake. They are the real deal. So thick it's hard to suck the first part through a straw. You can also play Foosball while you wait for your shake.

enjoy the 'hood, we love living here!

bjt