Feed my kid at Damen & Addison

Number 3 son is moving in the Damen & Addison area next month. Educate me on this area, not expecting fancy-schmancy, just a couple of great neighborhood places. Decent food, most any styles, a bit of vegies for the girlfriend, and if I could ask for the moon, something not so adventurous my wife won't go. Chinese/Asian, Latin, American Pub, and some great coffee and a nice pastry would be a plus. Gracias!

There's a nice Turkish restaurant, Cafe Orchid, a couple blocks east, and two very good German restaurants, Laschet's Inn and Resi's Bierstube, about a half mile north on Irving Park. If you search this forum you can find discussion of all three. (Laschet's is on the Great Neighborhood Restaurant list.)

If you head over to the area known as "Southport Corridor" which is roughly Southport and Addison kind of up and down that street there are a bunch of places. Southport Grocery, Julius Meinl, Deleece, Cullen's and other places. If you are familar with the Music Box theatre, many of the places are around there. Its a short drive from Addison and Damen.

Roscoe Village is 2 blocks South with some pretty good dining options. Victory's Banner and Orange for great breakfasts, Kitsch'n, Turquoise (another Turkish restaurant).

Sola, which is slightly on the nicer side and has an outstanding burger is 3 blocks north, just east of Damen on Byron.

Also, the Riverview Tap (Damen & Roscoe) just underwent new management and has a whole new menu. I havent been there since the change, but before it was reliably average bar food. They appear to have gone a little more towards the 'gourmet' bar food route now and the beer list looks pretty solid.

I'm a bit southeast of you but this is pretty much my neighborhood as well. Unfortunately, I could write a longer list of where to avoid than where to go but in addition to those mentioned, most of which I agree are worth visiting, I'd add:

New England Seafood Company, just south of Addison on Lincoln--terrific cooked/fried to order seafood--catch of the day style and fry baskets. Excellent clam chowder and lobster bisque. Storefront casual decor.

El Tapatio is my go-to neighborhood spot for mexican--a few blocks south of Addison on Ashland. Large vegetarian section of the menu. Good stuff. BIG margaritas. I tend to go off hours to avoid the results of the BIG margaritas and long waits.

Black Dog Gelato is just off the SE corner of Belmont and Damen--my favorite gelateria in the city. And Scooters is just down the block at Belmont and Paulina.

Welcome to the 'hood!

boudreaulicious wrote:New England Seafood Company, just south of Addison on Lincoln--terrific cooked/fried to order seafood--catch of the day style and fry baskets. Excellent clam chowder and lobster bisque. Storefront casual decor.

Good call. That place is criminally underrated. I'll also throw in Northdown Cafe & Taproom right across the street from there. The food can be a little hit or miss, but they have a very good brunch and AWESOME beer.

That's my neighborhood and my family-friendly favorites are:
Turqouise Cafe - European/Turkish
Crepes a Latte - Cheap Americanized Crepes
Cafe 28 - Cuban
Bad Apple - Burgers/ Beer
Frasca - Casual Italian
Julius Meinl - Austrian Cafe/Bakery

The above places are OK however, they are usually quite busy and popular with clientele your SONS age...
Your wife would probably be more comfortable and any of these locations


Lincoln Restaurant (Family Restaurant)
4008 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 248-1820

Glenns Diner Everything -- very good ! !
1820 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 506-1720

S & G Restaurant (Sam & Georges Family Restaurant)
3000 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-4025

Man Jo Vins ( Fast Food)
3224 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 935-0727



Orange Garden ( Chinese)
1942 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 525-7479

D'Agostino's Pizza and Pub
1351 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 477-1821

jazzman wrote:The above places are OK however, they are usually quite busy and popular with clientele your SONS age...
Your wife would probably be more comfortable and any of these locations


Lincoln Restaurant (Family Restaurant)
4008 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 248-1820

Glenns Diner Everything -- very good ! !
1820 West Montrose Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 506-1720

S & G Restaurant (Sam & Georges Family Restaurant)
3000 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-4025

Man Jo Vins ( Fast Food)
3224 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 935-0727



Orange Garden ( Chinese)
1942 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 525-7479

D'Agostino's Pizza and Pub
1351 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 477-1821

Sorry Jazzman but this is pretty offbase--I'm probably the "wife's" age and i wouldn't eat at any of those places--40+ is NOT synonymous with mediocrity. Glenn's is ok--S&G has sentimental value but is boring diner food at best (and would likely have some of the youngest clientele of the bunch given that it's hangover food of the highest order.) The others I wouldn't set foot in after visit one. Sorry.

Thanks ya'll! You've given me a nice listing to start on so I don't look like a fool when he takes me out to eat for the first time!

I'll give a shout out to the Village Tap on Roscoe. Years ago, I used to live across the street and regularly got their veggie burrito to go when I came home late from the office. I get back a few times a year and I still love the veggie burrito. They have a great beer selection and a nice beer garden in the back.

We were recently at the Riverview Tavern. They have definitely improved their beer offerings. Our group of 12 ordered a good selection of food and were generally pleased. (Sorry I can't remember what I had. I do recall that the fried cheese curds were greasy, but good.)

There is plenty to explore along Roscoe. Many of the bar/restaurants have been mentioned, but there are some great shopping along there as well.

Village Tap
2055 W Roscoe
http://www.thevillagetap.com/

Four Moons Tavern has some pretty good homemade bar food in the area as well.

Four Moons Tavern
1847 West Roscoe Street
(773) 929-6666

Boudreaulicious wrote
Sorry Jazzman but this is pretty offbase--I'm probably the "wife's" age and i wouldn't eat at any of those places--40+ is NOT synonymous with mediocrity

While D.G.Sullivan wrote ….
not expecting fancy-schmancy, a couple of great neighborhood places
something not so adventurous my wife won't go. / Also / and some great coffee and a nice pastry would be a plus.

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If the moderator feels I said something wrong, I’m sure he or she would have responded.

I simply offered my take on causal, reasonable and decent meals at tried and true established restaurants.

Nothing adventurous - and good coffee and pastries which is available at the family restaurants I listed.

Plus, I added a few other locations for alternative flavor.

I didn’t mention anyone’s AGE… Or even take that into consideration.

There were a lot of good places mentioned. German, Turkish and others. And that is what this list is about.

Not everyone cares how good a Margarita is, or how pretty a plate of food is presented… when they are looking for a meal, coffee and pastry.

Mediocrity to one is Gourmet to another

jazzman wrote:The above places are OK however, they are usually quite busy and popular with clientele your SONS age...
Your wife would probably be more comfortable and any of these locations

Looked like you were talking about age to me...

But more importantly

jazzman wrote:Lincoln Restaurant (Family Restaurant)
4008 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 248-1820

S & G Restaurant (Sam & Georges Family Restaurant)
3000 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-4025

Man Jo Vins ( Fast Food)
3224 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 935-0727

Orange Garden ( Chinese)
1942 West Irving Park Road, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 525-7479

AND, especially,

D'Agostino's Pizza and Pub
1351 West Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 477-1821

...just aren't very good. Age of diner not withstanding.

But thanks for reminding me that OP asked about places for good pastry and coffee (none of which can be found at any of the spots noted above):

Dinkels Bakery (a few blocks south of Addison on Lincoln)
3329 North Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 281-7300

Just reading the part of the post quoted above, YOU were disagreeing with the recs of a previous poster and offering your own which is the same thing that I did. A bit touchy Jazzman...we're a food board--people are bound to disagree with each other's recs. All in the spirit of discussion buddy.

And, for the record, while I very much enjoy the food, I'm not a fan of the Margaritas at El Tapatio

jazzman wrote:Mediocrity to one is Gourmet to another

This I don't get at all. I make a good living but that doesn't mean I want to spend money unthinkingly. If someone's asking for recommendations then I'd feel an obligation to make recommendations that provide value.