Man, you folks are hitting all the right notes, here. I may have to rent an apartment for a couple of months.

La Chaparrita could be a major find — my wife's from the DF and if this place is as tasty as it will be tempting for her, she may rent the apartment before I do. Cemitas Puebla seems great, too, though it may lose out simply due to lack of time. Good Mexican tortas are one of the unsung treats in Mexican cooking in this country.

I'll let go of the brisket and opt for Lem's or Uncle John's if we decide to eat BBQ. The takeout aspect could be problematic in that I'm not sure where we'll be staying whenever we'd end up going there. In other words, there may not be a comfortable place to where I can bring the food. There's always eating in the car, of course.

I get it about Devon, JeffB. I'm fairly familiar with that part of town and prefer that sort of thing to the usual tourist magnets, even if the latter are sometimes that for good reasons. We'll head that way for sure, won't really have to go too far out of our way to do it. The question is what we'd eat when we're there. Indian/Pakistani food for me is a pretty regular event. We have sort of comparable Indian/Pakistani areas in the silicon valley area, though they're more suburban and spread out, so the ambiance is watered down by the relentless lack of character of the surroundings.

The Burt's business model is interesting. I don't recall hearing of that before. It must be a combination of entertaining and annoying.

Cemitas Puebla seems great, too, though it may lose out simply due to lack of time.

CP now delivers, 11:00AM til 9:00PM, depending on where you are staying; the boundaries are Kostner Ave. (west), Ashland Ave. (east), Grand Ave. (south), and North Diversey Ave.(north). Minimum order $18, delivery charge $3.

Certainly something that you are not going to find anywhere in the City. Try to wedge it in!

Cemitas Puebla
3619 W. North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
Tel: 773-772-8435

Tony's email: tony@cemitaspuebla.com
Twitter: @cemitaspuebla

If you have the means to venture down south for BBQ, may I recommend (or better yet, strongly encourage) stops to Old Fashioned Donuts and Calumet Fisheries as well. This would make for a truly All-star picnic!! If you are looking for a place to eat, I'd suggest heading over to the new(ish) student center at IIT--designed by Rem Koolhaus, it's a pretty cool building, surrounded by original Mies dorms, as well as the newer Helmut Jahn dorms. One of my favorite south side spots...

Who knows...if you wanted company, I'd bet there would be a few of us who might join you on this trek

maigre wrote:Man, you folks are hitting all the right notes, here. I may have to rent an apartment for a couple of months.

La Chaparrita could be a major find — my wife's from the DF and if this place is as tasty as it will be tempting for her, she may rent the apartment before I do. Cemitas Puebla seems great, too, though it may lose out simply due to lack of time. Good Mexican tortas are one of the unsung treats in Mexican cooking in this country.

I'll let go of the brisket and opt for Lem's or Uncle John's if we decide to eat BBQ. The takeout aspect could be problematic in that I'm not sure where we'll be staying whenever we'd end up going there. In other words, there may not be a comfortable place to where I can bring the food. There's always eating in the car, of course.

I get it about Devon, JeffB. I'm fairly familiar with that part of town and prefer that sort of thing to the usual tourist magnets, even if the latter are sometimes that for good reasons. We'll head that way for sure, won't really have to go too far out of our way to do it. The question is what we'd eat when we're there. Indian/Pakistani food for me is a pretty regular event. We have sort of comparable Indian/Pakistani areas in the silicon valley area, though they're more suburban and spread out, so the ambiance is watered down by the relentless lack of character of the surroundings.

The Burt's business model is interesting. I don't recall hearing of that before. It must be a combination of entertaining and annoying.

In a town of excellent regional antojitos, Chaparrita is special. In addition to birria specialist Zaragoza, and torteria Puebla, you might be interested in one of the great carnitas specialists. I'm partial to Sabas Vega in Pilsen.

I'd add Barbara Ann's to the BBQ list with Uncle John's. If you play it right, you can take a nice drive down LSD, pick up the food and be in one of the lovely quads at the U of C or a park in Hyde Park in 10-15 minutes, weather permitting. Or back to the hotel. Tips and links travel well.

Definitely go with one of the meat-oriented BBQ places on Devon if you can handle more meat. I've spent a lot of time in your area and indeed I'll be in Palo Alto and SF next week. I'd love to find a smokey, tandoor-focused dive like Khan or Hyderabad House for some made to order breads, chicken bhoti and a postprandial paan there! Feel free to recommend stuff on the SF strings on the Beyond Chicago board.

PS, while I suspect there is some very strong Korean in the Bay Area, we have some great BBQ spots here that might stand out compared to California because our better places still use live lump charcoal at the tables -- something I believe might be forbidden in most or all of CA. Also, no one has mentioned cocktail bars. Whole other topic, I guess. Sable is a place to kill 2 birds with one stone in that regard.

Just adding in that Sable does a lot of nice vegetable dishes so if you are looking for a break from meat, you can easily select a mostly veg menu there with as much pleasure as the meat dishes. And yes the cocktails are wonderful - including a very nice list of sweet vermouths with options for mixers which I've never seen before and which makes me oh so happy (Antica + Prossecco is a lovely drink!)

Sable's dinner menu seems pricey to the tune of entrees at $50 and up. That may be out of range for this trip. But if we stay with things in the right range, maybe it'd work out.

boudreaulicious, I like your BBQ and IIT journey. We're going to be bouncing around between a variety of things we'll be in the area for, so we're going to be spontaneous and on odd schedules here and there, but I'd love to post our intentions on a given day if things work out. The company of the fine posters here would be more than welcome. Thanks for that.

Wasn't Calumet Fisheries on Bourdain's Chicago show?

There are lots of Korean places in my area. I go now and again and enjoy some of the dishes and the banchan, but it's not a cuisine I have much passion for, so I'm not that likely to eat it on this trip.

JeffB, I'll see what I can come up with for what you asked and post elsewhere or via a message here.

Houston, we have a problem.

maigre wrote:Sable's dinner menu seems pricey to the tune of entrees at $50 and up. That may be out of range for this trip. But if we stay with things in the right range, maybe it'd work out.

That's not at all true. Maybe you're confusing it with some other restaurant...? Sable's dinner menu is here. Almost everything on it consists of half portions for around ten bucks, give or take a few, and mid-teens to mid-twenties for full portions. I have a pretty good appetite, and I've found that I will feel absolutely stuffed if I order the equivalent of 3-4 half portions, which costs somewhere around $25-35.

I go to Sable because I absolutely love the food; the fact that it's an incredible bargain is just icing on the cake.

Youve obviously gotten a lot of very good recs already. So there isnt much to add, in a sense... but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway

The "Chicago places" that you cant find at anywhere near the same quality elsewhere (especially the Bay Area) are the places I personally would make sure to hit (this is what I do with visitors from the Bay Area, usually). So, Id personally make it a high priority to hit Johnnies on a Friday, for instance... for a "Pepper-and-egg with sausage combo" sandwich (dipped, with giardenara, to make it even better). This is IMHO one of the best sandwiches in the country, and one you wont come close to replicating in the Bay Area. On a non-Friday, the beef-sausage combo is quite awesome too (Heck, on arriving at Ohare - presumably - it might not be a bad idea to make a small detour to Gene-and-Jude's for a terrific hot-dog-and-fries, for example.. something you cant replicate nearly as well anywhere else in the country).

Similarly, I personally would always hit a deep-dish pizza spot (most Bay-Area visitors love it, too).. Lou Malnati's would be my choice.

BBQ on the SouthSide would be another - Uncle John's on 69th street does by far the best ribtips-and-hotlinks around IMHO (its an area most Bay Area visitors would find very very strange, too ... Id also be very tempted to do a Carribean spot on the same trip (Uncle Joe's on 82nd and Cottage Grove has *terrific* Jerk Chicken) - another cuisine underrepresented out west. (And, of course, Calumet Fisheries is a great spot too, down on 95th).

And then, of course, there's Pilsen for the Mexican (plus Cemita Puebla.. its not a torta, its much better ), and TAC Quick or Aroy or Spoon for authentic Thai. And Smak Tak for Polish - all best-in-show renditions, as youve heard above.

There are a lot of Indian and Pakistani spots in the Bay Area, so the cuisine is well-represented.. but not "Indo-Pak-cabbie-joints" like in Chicago. Khan BBQ isnt quite a cabbie-joint, but has terrific Indo-Pak BBQ (which you wont find in the Bay Area). It may be low on the priority list for you, but worth it if you have the time. And, of course, only down the street is Taza Bakery (the Middle-Eastern place you already have on your list..oh, and 200 yards away from Taza is a very worthy stop for a 2-dollar Hachapuri, from Georgian Bakery, a quite terrific savoury pastry from the former Soviet Georgia, one of the single best bites on Devon).

c8w

Since brisket and Q have both been mentioned, then Barn should at least be added to the mix of considerations, particularly for the brisket.

Barn & Company
950 W. Wrightwood
773.832.4000

Closed Tuesdays
All other days: 11 am to 2 am
Saturdays: 11 am to 3 am

Kitchen
11 am to midnight

Search for the Barn-specific thread which has great pics and discussion. (Not dissing any of the other suggestions. Just wanted to add.)

maigre wrote:
boudreaulicious, I like your BBQ and IIT journey. We're going to be bouncing around between a variety of things we'll be in the area for, so we're going to be spontaneous and on odd schedules here and there, but I'd love to post our intentions on a given day if things work out. The company of the fine posters here would be more than welcome. Thanks for that.

Wasn't Calumet Fisheries on Bourdain's Chicago show?

Calumet Fisheries was on the show AND is a Beard Classic award winner. AND it's a priceless hole in the wall for smoked fish and shrimp. They have monthly special coupons on their website too so definitely have a look before (if) you go. Also, I will add a vote for La Chapparita--it's really special. Don't miss the Tripa, Pastor and Lengua--for me, this place stands above an already crowded field of great dive taco joints...

Many of us have been known to respond to postings for spontaneous events so have at it if the opportunity strikes and you'd like more ordering power

Sounds like your trip is shaping up nicely!

mrbarolo wrote:Since brisket and Q have both been mentioned, then Barn should at least be added to the mix of considerations, particularly for the brisket.

Barn & Company
950 W. Wrightwood
773.832.4000

Closed Tuesdays
All other days: 11 am to 2 am
Saturdays: 11 am to 3 am

Kitchen
11 am to midnight

Search for the Barn-specific thread which has great pics and discussion. (Not dissing any of the other suggestions. Just wanted to add.)

Unfortunately, the hours posted here are incorrect--they're not open until 3:00 except on weekends (and on weekends, I wouldn't venture over here unless you are a 20-something football fan...) But the brisket, ribs and, particularly, the chicken are great on a school night

Obviously there are many, many choices in and around Chicago. It can be overwhelming! When in doubt, I find it very helpful to go to the websites of places I'm considering, to check out their menus and get a better idea of what they have to offer. When I do this, I often find that some menus sound really appealing to me, and others don't, and this helps me narrow down my choices. HTH

The hits just keep on coming.

c&w, I'll make a confession — for all the Indian and Pakistani places we have here, and there are a lot, there isn't anything that I love so much that I can't go without it, no place that I recommend at the top of any list. There's a lot I like, but nothing I'd miss desperately if I were living elsewhere. So it could well be that there are Indian/Pakistani places there that would surpass, for me, anything that's here. So I'm not ruling it out. It's more a matter of time and priorities.

I'll add all these recent mentions to my expanding list. The Georgian Bakery is another likely stop. If we have such a thing here, I have no idea where it might be.

BBQ is becoming a greater and greater priority. It all comes down to time. I used to eat at a BBQ place on the south side years ago. Like 35 years ago. I can't even remember what it was called or even exactly where it was. It was a sit down place. It's probably not there anymore, but it doesn't really matter.

Some of these places will obviously have to wait for another trip. At least Chicago is a place where I know I'll be from time to time. There just won't be time for everything on this one. But I'm excited about being able to check out what we can.

maigre wrote:BBQ is becoming a greater and greater priority. It all comes down to time. I used to eat at a BBQ place on the south side years ago. Like 35 years ago. I can't even remember what it was called or even exactly where it was. It was a sit down place. It's probably not there anymore, but it doesn't really matter.

If you're looking for a "south side" BBQ experience but don't have the time to drive down there, visit GNR Honey 1. The tips and links are outstanding, although can't really recommend the brisket. H1 also has tables for you to eat in.

Honey 1 BBQ
2241 North Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 227-5130

You asked about BBQ and specifically brisket. Smoque has been mentioned a few times in this thread, but I feel compelled to reaffirm it as a can't-miss destination. I can't think of anywhere, anyplace, that is so solid across the board with everything they do from a BBQ standpoint -- starting with the heavenly brisket and moving right on down the line, with delectable meat choices complemented by two distinctive BBQ sauces and a nearly perfect array of side dishes. As intended, it's sort of a "best of" set of the widely varying BBQ cuisines, styles, and approches from across the country. (Check out their online "manifesto" here: http://smoquebbq.com/manifesto.pdf.)

While it's true that Smoque doesn't have tons of atmosphere or a classic down-home BBQ joint feel, everyone there is friendly, takes care of you well, and you'll usually have a chance to chat with Barry (the owner/proprietor) who runs a tight ship.

Yes, it's the easiest place to recommend -- the obvious choice, well-lauded on this board and elsewhere. But that's for good reason.

Maigre, you have the right idea: don't waste your time or calories on any foodstuff you can do better back home, which, short of Thai and Mexican, is superior to comparable Chicago haunts (just sayin'...). Stick to Chapparita, Zaragoza, and/or Tierra Caliente, and be sure to hit Aroy; if you want more of a hipper or nicer dining experience, I'd steer you to Maude's or The Publican over some of the options suggested (Sable, Nightwood).

And Hot Doug's, man. Or Edzo's, at least.

Having just spent a year in SF, I was surprised at how unimpressive Chinese food was in the Bay Area. Perhaps I never found the right place (but I did try a lot of the well-regarded restaurants). I did not find a restaurant that came close to Katy's Dumplings in Westmont or for that matter to Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown. It was a shock to me, but I gotta be honest. (OK, Mission Chinese was an amazing exception, but that doesn't count as a "Chinese" restaurant). (In contrast, there is no Italian place here to compare with SF - with Sabatino's being in a category of its own, but not modern Italian/Cal-Ital).

Also I never found a deli in the Bay Area that compared to Manny's (of course, Katz's does, but that is 1000 miles further east).

boudreaulicious wrote:If you have the means to venture down south for BBQ, may I recommend (or better yet, strongly encourage) stops to Old Fashioned Donuts and Calumet Fisheries as well. This would make for a truly All-star picnic!! If you are looking for a place to eat, I'd suggest heading over to the new(ish) student center at IIT--designed by Rem Koolhaus, it's a pretty cool building, surrounded by original Mies dorms, as well as the newer Helmut Jahn dorms.

I second the IIT recommendation--the campus is one of Chicago's stupendous treasures--but I would choose to eat in the car near Calumet over eating in the Koolhaas building. It's dark inside with very sharp angles that close you off from the city, me thinks. It all feels subterranean--very different than the light-filled spaces, some that are actually below ground, that Koolhaas created for the Seattle library or even the Soho Prada store. Anyhoo... I digress. Enjoy, Chicago!

Thanks for the encouragement, chezbrad. I've been to Hot Doug's and like it. I expect to eat there again one of these days. But we didn't find it so irresistible that we'd spend a meal there at the expense of any of the places mentioned here, at least for this trip. Nothing against Hot Doug's as much as it's in favor of other options we haven't tried, yet.

I'd read about Katy's and it's tempting, but we probably won't go there this time around. It's a menu that would go over well for me and the family, though. GAF, I'm sort of inclined to agree with you about Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area. But that may be because I'm not that in love with most Chinese food. Vancouver supposedly has some great Chinese food, better than the Bay Area, but I haven't been there. LA, too, but I rarely eat it there and it's hot spots are scattered far apart. I'm curious as to which places you tried that disappointed. PM or email me about it if you feel like it.

If you do make it down south for Old Fashioned Donuts and Calumet Fisheries*, I highly recommend eating at Calumet State Park. It's only 1/2 mile from Calumet Fisheries, often completely empty, and you can sit on the edge of Lake Michigan and enjoy your food. If the weather is bad, you can eat in your car with much the same view.

As an aside, I recommend sticking with the smoked items at Calumet (don't miss the smoked shrimp!). I find their fried stuff to be good, but nowhere near as interesting as the smoked stuff.

Here's a Google Map with the route

-Dan

* which is a combo I frequently use to show off Chicago's culinary gems to visitors

GAF wrote:Also I never found a deli in the Bay Area that compared to Manny's

My sister who lives there complains frequently that she can't even get a decent bagel there.

Jewish food is not a strength the Bay Area food scene, alas.

I didn't get to eat at Wise Son's Deli in SF (which I gather is still a pop-up at the Ferry Building on Tuesdays until 2012), but I gather that they are very good, in the style of Portland's Kenny & Zukes: artisanal deli.

maigre wrote:Jewish food is not a strength the Bay Area food scene, alas.

Or in Chicago, either, but if you want bagels, New York Bagel and Bialy in Lincolnwood is worth the trip. Open 24/7. And Manny's in the South Loop for corned beef and pastrami. (If you're headed to the north/northwest 'burbs for any reason, substitute Chicago Bagel in Wheeling and Max's in Highland Park. Also, the deli at Garden Fresh in Northbrook has some of the best chopped liver anywhere. I like the beef liver, but the chicken liver's pretty good too.)

I was at Kenny and Zukes a couple of months ago. On the same block is the very worthwhile Clyde Commons. That's some good eating. And Powell's is only a block away. Portland is a great place to eat.

I haven't been to Wise Sons, yet, but I intend to do something about that sooner than later. They keep moving around, but it looks like that day at the Ferry Building is where they'll be for awhile.

I'll probably pass on deli food in Chicago this time, leaving that to other cities for now.

Why not one more opinion: for Greek, I'll add another endorsement for Taxim. To me, what sets them apart from the various places in Greektown is the freshness of the ingredients and their slightly more modern take on Greek food. It's not that I don't like Greektown. If I go, it's typically Greek Islands, but I often feel like I'm being rushed out of there to satisfy the mobs waiting, and I often get the sense that the food was just removed from a conveyor belt without careful inspection.

I know some have recommended Thai food and I couldn't agree more. Few places in the US are serving the variety and quality of Thai food found at TAC Quick, Aroy and Spoon Thai. If you go to any of these, you'd be best served focusing on the translated Thai language menus.

As for Mexican, if you're looking for upscale as one option, I'd highly recommend Salpicon. But if you really love molé, I'd suggest considering Sol de Mexico.

And if you liked Lula and Avec in the past, why not go again? For the most part, both places change their menu very often. Lula is in the process of expanding (and they indicated that they may begin to take reservations upon the expansion), but the process seems to be moving rather slowly, so I doubt that will impact your visit.

Have a great trip and please report back on your choices.

boudreaulicious wrote:If you have the means to venture down south for BBQ, may I recommend (or better yet, strongly encourage) stops to Old Fashioned Donuts and Calumet Fisheries as well. This would make for a truly All-star picnic!! If you are looking for a place to eat, I'd suggest heading over to the new(ish) student center at IIT--designed by Rem Koolhaus, it's a pretty cool building, surrounded by original Mies dorms, as well as the newer Helmut Jahn dorms. One of my favorite south side spots...

Who knows...if you wanted company, I'd bet there would be a few of us who might join you on this trek

DONUTS! Now that we're so much closer to the magic of OFD, we are planning a trip. A donut party, even. We know how to get down.

Granted, I haven't lived in the Bay Area for a long time, having fled ten years ago, but I don't remember Thai food as being anything like as good or interesting as it is here. All of the unusual things I love, I first had here. TAC Quick is my favorite, but Sticky Rice is fine (speaking of which, what happened to the translated menu? They no longer have them and I believe the link was broken), and I can't say enough good things about Spoon. Order off the Thai menu or the specials board at TAC.

TAC Quick
3930 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 327-5253

Sticky Rice
4018 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 588-0133

Spoon Thai
4608 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 769-1173

GAF wrote:Having just spent a year in SF, I was surprised at how unimpressive Chinese food was in the Bay Area. Perhaps I never found the right place (but I did try a lot of the well-regarded restaurants). I did not find a restaurant that came close to Katy's Dumplings in Westmont or for that matter to Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown. It was a shock to me, but I gotta be honest. (OK, Mission Chinese was an amazing exception, but that doesn't count as a "Chinese" restaurant). (In contrast, there is no Italian place here to compare with SF - with Sabatino's being in a category of its own, but not modern Italian/Cal-Ital).

Also I never found a deli in the Bay Area that compared to Manny's (of course, Katz's does, but that is 1000 miles further east).

I have to agree. Growing up in the Bay Area, I never cared for Italian or Chinese. Too boring. But here? Well, I'll still never pick Italian as a first choice, but Chinese is another matter. My favorite dim sum house is Phoenix, because they have the most interesting things being carted around. You can hit up LTH afterwards and have salt and pepper shrimp for dessert

Phoenix
2131 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 328-0848

Little Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-1964

In the middle of this trip, I've been in Chicago less than I'd intended so far, but I'll be back within a couple of days for more.

Late last week, we ate lunch at Mundial Cocina Mestiza in Pilsen. It was worthwhile, if not stellar. Some things were notable, though. The nopales were sauteed and covered with cheese that didn't melt to the point of mixing in with the rest of the dish, a good thing. This rendition of the nopales was among the best I've eaten, livelier and with some flavors and textures to offset the viscosity and sort of singular character that they tend to have. A couple of dishes (an order of garnachas, which are sort of like sopes, and an egg dish) were tasty but overwhelmed by the amount of masa in them, which drowned out the flavors and textures of the rest. For example, a garnacha with a flor de calabaza filling was so starchy that the presence of the filling was close to unnoticeable. A few sides were fine, including some plantains and beans with some pork in them.

I'd happily eat here again, but I find Bayless's better ingredients and overall touch to clearly be more appealing. I know people often prefer some of the other upscale spots in town to his and I sympathize with the sorts of reasons (his relentless, obnoxious self-promotion and commercialism) that might motivate that. Not to say that one couldn't legitimately just prefer something else, of course. But I've yet to find Mexican food in Chicago of this general genre that matches his. I'll keep trying, though.

Driving in from the south at a little after six, we were trying to decide where we'd eat when a bathroom stop was requested. That stop was a few minutes drive from Uncle John's, which was in the discussions to begin with. That took care of that and it didn't disappoint. We got the recommended hot links and rib tips and ate 'em in the car right outside the shop. The links were spectacular, the rib tips right there with them. I got mild and hot sauce on the side and we dipped the meats to our tastes. I pretty much left the fries alone. I don't like french fries most of the time to begin with and wasn't particularly moved to eat them other than to try them. The rest of the family left them be, too. This isn't the sort of food I'd eat all the time; it's too heavy for me. But when I'm in the mood, it's hard to beat and it hit the spot in a big way.

Not having bought a huge amount of BBQ, not having eaten most of the fries and wanting some veggies, we had room for more. Heading a little further north, we stopped at Nightwood to fill the gaps. The menu seemed a little different than the Lula Cafe's, a little less eclectic, more conventionally California/American in its composition. The staff was great and our smallish all veggie meal was really good. They provided some tasty biscuits instead of bread. The kids had nice pasta dishes. A pillowy gnocchi was particularly strong. A beet and lettuce salad with what I think was a fresh goat cheese was as good as its ingredients. We had a roasted Japanese sweet potato dish that was a little dry, but otherwise had some nice textures. I had bought some of those sweet potatoes at my local farmers market about ten days ago, the first of the season, and they were similarly drier than usual.

That wasn't enough, though, at least at the buying end, though the last step didn't work out. We were headed further north and stopped on Devon to get some stuff to go for today at the Taza Bakery. I'd found earlier that they stayed open until 9 pm. It turned out that on Mondays only, they close at 7. Arriving to a closed shop was painful. The Georgian Bakery down the street was closed, too, but that was expected. So we drove a good part of the way down Devon, taking in the sights. I'll get back there later in the week, hopefully.

maigre wrote:I'd happily eat here again, but I find Bayless's better ingredients and overall touch to clearly be more appealing. I know people often prefer some of the other upscale spots in town to his and I sympathize with the sorts of reasons (his relentless, obnoxious self-promotion and commercialism) that might motivate that. Not to say that one couldn't legitimately just prefer something else, of course. But I've yet to find Mexican food in Chicago of this general genre that matches his. I'll keep trying, though.

I think Bayless's restaurants are fine too. For me, there are other reasons that I usually go to Mundial instead, not the things you mention. The biggest factor for me is reservations and convenience. Dinner reservations at Topolobampo fill up quickly right after they open the book three months in advance, so on the spur of the moment it's out of the question. (Lunch is a somewhat better bet there; reservations fill up only a few weeks in advance.) Frontera Grill only accepts a handful of reservations, and holds most of the place for walk-in traffic; unfortunately, unless you arrive before they open the doors, you're likely to encounter long waits to be seated. I find XOCO good for a quick bite at off hours, but I think the menu at Topo and Frontera is more robust. In contrast, you can make reservations at Mundial if you want (they're not hard to get, even at the last minute), and I've never seen a wait to be seated for walk-ins (although I haven't been there at 7:30 on a Saturday night). So if I'm not planning weeks or months in advance, Topo and Frontera don't work well, whereas Mundial does. As far as the food goes, I've always encountered terrific food at Mundial (as well as Topo/Frontera), such as their yummy steamed mussels slathered with chunks of bacon and poblanos. Mundial is also a great choice for brunch, and is open Sundays unlike the Bayless places. Finally, parking at Mundial is a lot easier and cheaper, and Mundial's prices are extremely reasonable, and significantly less than either Topolobampo or Frontera. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Most of the points I'm making here about Mundial Cocina Mestiza apply equally to the other non-Bayless provincial Mexican places around town. But I like the food at Mundial better than the others (although it's awfully good at Mexique and Mixteco too).

Speaking of Bayless's places, we were on the way to Mexique when my family opted instead for going to Frontera Grill just before the exits, which happen to be next to each other. I kind of wanted to try something new, but didn't resist their desires. And they were well founded ones, as usual. Their food is terrific. It wasn't that busy that day, so we had no trouble getting a table right away. Notable was a tamal de huitlacoche.

We haven't even spent a night in Chicago; all eating there so far has been just passing through and that's how it's going to continue for the duration of this trip as it turns out.

I was going to go to Taza Bakery to get some stuff to go, then head over to Smak Tak for dinner, but it got late and it was almost closing time as I left Taza, so I decided to just head down the street to Khan BBQ for dinner.

There's a place not far from where I live that's similar in ambience and menu, but Khan is better, maybe even a lot better. I loved it, can't wait to go again one of these days. I was alone, so I only got the onion naan, an order of bhindi (okra) and the tandoori champ, which is goat ribs. The naan was the best I've ever eaten, more oniony and less bready than most. I'd say that the tandoori champ was the best I've had, too, but it's the only time I've had it. Still, it qualifies for being the best something. It was sensational — tangy, thick with tandoori flavor and texture, grilled just right. The bhindi was prepared with a familiar set of ingredients, but the texture was a little different than what I've had in the past. It seems like they braise it for awhile. It was great, too. I had plenty of food for two and almost ate the whole thing myself — and I didn't even think I was that hungry going in. My waiter was a friendly, helpful guy, too. This is a place I'd see often if I were living in Chicago.

Back to Taza, I got a couple of stuffed veggie turnovers, a soujouk and some hummus, all of which I ate some of for lunch today. I enjoyed all of them and still have more left for tomorrow.

I hope it's OK that I mention my impressions here instead of in the restaurant topics themselves. Maybe I'll do that for a couple of the places I've been.