Fun to see this thread (and great thread title) resurrected after three years. People say good things over on this LTH thread about Wilde which wasn't there in 2005.

I totally agree with the previous note on Chili Mac's pizza...we just gave it a shot on a whim....and it was surprisingly tasty. Maybe our expecatations were just low...but really enjoyed it.

As for Cafe Luigi...yes, it is the ONLY pizza approaching real NY style that I've found in Chicago (the coarse Luigi is actually from Brooklyn I believe)

I'm a BIG fan of two restaurants on Broadway here; two restaurants I tried more out of obligation, seeing as I was dragged there. Not only did I like the restaurants, but I would consider them two favorites anywhere. I speak of Sura and Cousins.
Although Sura looks like its trying to look too Jetsons/James Bond, and it feels like it might fail at executing impressive food, I have had dish after dish of blow-me-away "hai fusion food." The massaman curry in particular is amazing.
Cousins is a fun dining experience where diners can relax sprawled out on cushioned pillow seats lining an entire wall of the restaurant. It's very vegetarian friendly and they give you a ton of food. The vegetable moussaka blew me away and I am tempted to get that again each time I go back.

Ok, Mattkrc. After a year of looking at Sura with disdain as i have passed by, you have convinced me to give it a try. I do want to note, as I have in other threads recently that the food at Wilde Bar, right next door to Sura, is excellent although pricey for pub food.

Yes, another point about Sura is there fantastic prices. It looks like with its fancy schmancy appearance, the prices might be up around $30 for an entree. This is SOOOO not the case. For $9, you can choose from an extensive entree selection and your choice of protein (unless you order shrimp, in which case the plate is $10). Then there's a whole 'nother section of menu choices like braised duck in pinot noir, amazingly still around just $15!
It's good to see the restaurant is growing too, having recently added several new menu items and a sushi section.
YourPalWill- please tell me what you think upon tasting for yourself; I am always excited to rave about Sura.

lizamann wrote:I've lived within 2 blocks of ground zero (Wellington and Broadway) for the last 6 years, and in addition to avoiding Chinese around here, you must at ALL COSTS avoid all Mexican restaurants. El Nuevo Buena Vista, between Briar and Belmont on the east side, is the best of the bunch, but I would only have a veggie burrito there. The other places aren't even edible, let alone serviceable.

This was a post from 2005, and obviously the Broadway Mexican landscape has changed with the arrival of Chilam Balam. However, I'm curious whether Buena Vista (which no longer has "El Nuevo" as part of its name) has undergone ownership or management changes, because I ate there last night with the wife, and it vastly exceeded expectations along all possible dimensions. We had just dropped off my brother-in-law on Belmont and were craving Mexican, so we parked the car and walked over to Chilam Balam, which, shamefully, neither of us had yet managed to try. It was pretty packed, and after putting down our names, we stood at the bar and scanned the menu. Nothing really leapt out---all of the twists on traditional dishes seemed to twist in a direction we weren't thrilled with, and we were tired & hungry enough to want a bit of safety. So we ditched and headed to Buena Vista, where I'd had an emergency burrito a year or two ago and liked what I'd seen from the rest of the menu.

Maybe it was because our expectations were low, but we absolutely loved it. The service was terrific (friendly, attentive, and accomodating). The wife and I each ordered one of our Nuevo Leon standbys (probably indicating that NL was where we deep-down wanted to be): Pollo en Mole for the wife, Asado de Puerco for me. I venture to say that the mole was actually better than NL's: wonderfully smoky and chocolatey at the front, with a sneaky hotness on the finish. The puerco was excellent, though I slightly prefer NL's thinly sliced version to Buena Vista's chunkier cut, and the wife found it a bit too salty (I rarely find anything too salty). Also, I missed the fresh cilantro and onions that NL serves with that dish, but I'm sure the Buena Vista folks would have happily given me some if I'd thought to ask. The tortillas were not handmade; if they had been, I think I might be writing a GNR nomination right now. As it is, I'll have to go back and sample the rest of the menu before claiming GNR status, but simply having a restaurant I can mention in the same breath as Nuevo Leon in that neighborhood is cause for celebration.

[edit: oops, forgot to include address & phone no.]

Buena Vista Restaurant
3147 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
773 871-5782
http://www.buenachicago.com/

Though I spend a lot of time in the neighborhood (hence the orig. thread), I hadn't tried Buena Vista until this year, courtesy of a Restaurant.com certificate. I agree that's it's a perfectly nice archetypal neighborhood place. Very friendly service and very good homestyle cooking (a bit salty at times). It's been several months since I've been in so I can't comment on specifics, but merely second the general good feeling about the place. I do remember that the guac. seemed very fresh. Also a pork stew (can't recall it's menu name) was very good and a very generous portion.

Sura Thai seems to have closed.

Dale Levitski of Sprout fame will open frog n snail, a French-American bistro, on Broadway between Belmont and Briar this Spring.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 5048.story

My woman lives near Broadway and Barry, so I have eaten along Broadway and the surrounding area quite a bit, and disagree heartily with the assesment that it's a culinary wasteland, or the like.

Crisp has the best chicken in the city, for my money, and I visit them about once or twice a month. I would like to go here every week, but there's too many places on my list to spend that much time at once spot.
Crisp
2940 N Broadway Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 697-7610
http://www.crisponline.com

Soupbox is pretty good stuff for lunch, around $6 with a nice piece of bread. What more do you want from a soup place that makes fresh stuff everyday?
Soupbox
2943 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-9800
http://www.soupbox.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soupbox-chicago-4

Chilam Balam is pretty creative, although not mind blowing. Certainly better than most dreck in the city.
Chilam Balam
3023 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 296-6901
http://www.chilambalamchicago.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/chilam-balam-chicago-2

Mista offers fresh, light, and extremely tasty pizza. They are very hospitable, and are open for lunch and dinner. I've never had anything here I wouldn't recommend to someone.
Mista
2931 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 698-6688
http://www.mistapizza.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mista-chicago

Wilde has a very nice atmosphere, and delicious food, with a nice beer list. I think their cocktails are below average, but then again that's common for 99% of places it seems (another discussion altogether). The Mac and Cheese is a favorite of mine and usually whoever I bring here.
Wilde
3130 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 244-0404
http://www.wildechicago.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wilde-bar-and-r ... nt-chicago

I know that Ping Pong had a fire which set them back a little bit, so I don't know if they are back fully functional yet. I haven't been back since, but I have been there a couple of times, and thought the menu was creative, preparation and taste were on point, and the atmosphere was romantic and fun.
Ping Pong
3322 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 281-7576
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ping-pong-chicago

And that's all just on that little 5 block stretch of Broadway in Lakeview. There are a lotof great places if you head north on Broadway as well. If you go over a couple of blocks you also get the jewels on Clark. I think the area is actually very good for food options.

I will echo the statement that Bamee Noodle is terrible, Casbah Cafe is worthwhile, Joy's Noodles is decent for AmeriThai, and I am glad to see Sura out of business, as that is without a doubt the worst Thai food I have ever paid to eat.

This suggestion might be random but burgers at Flub a Dub Chubs on Broadway are very solid. I also agree that Crisp is a must-try. The bowls and wings are worth the trip.

I live a short jaunt down a busy alley from this stretch of Broadway, and I mostly agree with the previous post - love Crisp (our usual order: half order of fried chicken with Crisp & Korean BBQ sauces on the side, medium Buddha bowl with tofu, medium steak bowl, large side of radish kimchee), haven't been to Chilam Balam but really want to, liked Wilde (but thought it was too expensive for the same "upscale bar fare" that everyone & their cousin is offering these days), and found Ping Pong to be fine...inoffensive, not really memorable, but not terrible. I haven't been to Mista yet, but we've heard many favorable reviews.

Soupbox, on the other hand, I heartily disagree with - the smell emanating from their storefront actually makes me gag every time I walk by it. I've been to other Soupbox locations, and found the few soups I've tried from them to be uniformly awful. I honestly would rather crack open a can of Campbell's Chunky or Progresso* & toss it in the microwave than let anything from Soupbox pass my lips.

* Not hating on either. Campbell's Chunky sirloin burger soup was a college favorite, with the big chunks of veggies and the tiny little burger patties with the fake grill marks on them, liberally doctored up with Tabasco or crushed red pepper flakes...as I write about it, I'm tempted to recreate it from scratch this weekend.

Is that any relation to the Casbah that used to be on Diversey years ago?

I would note that the original post dates back to 2005; I believe that, except for Soupbox, all of the places listed by JACO opened within the last 3 years.

Exactly so. This stretch has been in a state of delightful, perpetual ferment for the last several years which shows no sign of lessening.

The Soupbox: twenty flavors of soup...which all taste the same.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:The Soupbox: twenty flavors of soup...which all taste the same.

I have to disagree. Some are salty, and others are bland.

Perhaps I should have branched out from the cream soups for this "salty" taste you describe.

Khaopaat wrote:Campbell's Chunky sirloin burger soup was a college favorite, with the big chunks of veggies and the tiny little burger patties with the fake grill marks on them, liberally doctored up with Tabasco or crushed red pepper flakes...as I write about it, I'm tempted to recreate it from scratch this weekend.

Brilliant! I have very fond memories of having Chunky Sirloin Burger soup as a frequent after school snack as a little kid. I wouldn't dare crack open a can of the (clearly) vile stuff these days, but a scratch version would be another thing entirely. Brilliant, I say! Please report your results if you make this happen.
--Rich

leek wrote:

hungryrabbi wrote:...I do remember having a well above average meal at Casbah, which is on Broadway just south of Belmont, on the East side of the street. Very well executed Moroccan fare - lamb, couscous, tagine, breads, etc... by the Lebanese/Moroccan/Turkish crew and owner/cook. If it's still there, I'd recommend going.

We also recently had a lovely meal at Casbah. Tasty and fresh food, accommodating service, and a pleasant atmosphere.

Casbah Cafe
3151 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
773-935-3339

Casbah has closed (ish) and apparently left their fish behind to die
http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20151223 ... -went-dark

This topic was dormant for four years, and a lot can happen in that time. (2 Sparrows has come AND gone!) A few months ago I had dinner at the somewhat new Spanish restaurant, mfk., on Diversey near Broadway. I thought the food was very good indeed. However, despite its small size (approximately 20 seats), the noise level was very high and conversation-UNfriendly. Also opened during that four years is Bar Pastoral; I haven't been there, but I've had cheese and sandwich from their shops.

Bar Pastoral has good selections of wine, cured meats and cheese. The rest of their menu is rather limited, so check before you go if you have ideas of eating non-cheese things. Also there are some days that all they serve is raclette. In the summer, their overhead AC vents drip condensation on the banquette seats. The staff will not say anything about this, so look up and look at the seat before you get wet.