Chicken Pot Pie in Chi-town

As fall approaches, I find my thoughts drifting towards the soul-affirming and life sustaining dish known as chicken pot pie.
The requirements for a chicken pot pie:
Flaky crust--pastry/pie style is best but puff pastry is an option
The chicken must be mostly white meat, tender, and appear to have been pulled from a gently-roasted bird. No pepperidge farm chickenoid products permissable.
Vegetables should be simple--peas, carrots, onions, celery, possibly potatoes. I don't need broccoli or any other gratuitous vegetable matter. If I want veggies, I'll eat a salad.
Sauce should be creamy, with hints of brothiness and a smooth chickeny flavor, hints of black pepper, and gentle herb action. Nothing too liquidy or resembling a cream sauce more fitting for pasta is acceptable. No cheese, parmesan or other, is necessary.

Now that I've laid down the law per Pot Pie, where can I procure such a specimen? Near Bucktown/WP? I'm willing to drive, and a sit-down restaurant will do, but someplace where I could pick up my precious pie and bring it home to eat it curled up in an armchair in front of my fireplace would be fabulous.
Yes, I know I could make it myself, but my husband isn't a pot pie enthusiast like I am, and only making one little personal-size pie for myself seems more trouble than its worth.

Any suggestions?

Last CPP I had at Marshall Field's Walnut Room perfectly fit your description, although I easily could have eaten two of them. While most know it as a bustling lunch destination, the Walnut Room stays open until an hour before the store closes, so most nights you can enjoy a quiet, leisurely dinner as well.

Walnut Room
Marshall Field's
111 N. State St., 7th floor
312-781-3125

Update: Oops--I checked their hours--they're open for dinner only between Thanksgiving and Christmas:

Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. seven days a week. Holiday hours (post-Thanksgiving to early January) 8 a.m.-one hour before store closing Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

Gibsons in Rosemont serves a huge and delicious Pot Pie that you could easily make 2-3 meals of if you take your leftovers home. It's very simple, made with the pulled meat of their leftover rotisserie chickens they serve at night.

I'm not certain that Gibson's on Rush serves it.

I agree as to your set standard and hope there is a pie out there to meet the criteria- I will be first in line. In a pinch, I have eaten the Kentucky Fried Chicken pot pie and it did satisfy the crave. I do not eat anything else there and please don't judge me on recommending a fast food establishment . My friends have been pleasantly surprised by the KFC PP.

Gibsons in Rosemont serves a huge and delicious Pot Pie at lunch that you could easily make 2-3 meals of if you take your leftovers home. It's very simple, made with the pulled meat of their leftover rotisserie chickens they serve at night.

I'm not certain that Gibson's on Rush serves it.

lambskin wrote:I agree as to your set standard and hope there is a pie out there to meet the criteria- I will be first in line. In a pinch, I have eaten the Kentucky Fried Chicken pot pie and it did satisfy the crave. I do not eat anything else there and please don't judge me on recommending a fast food establishment . My friends have been pleasantly surprised by the KFC PP.

No judgement from me. I've always enjoyed the CPP from Boston Market.

Another place to try is Silver Cloud in Bucktown. I rencetly ate there for the first time and found the food to be very homey and surprisingly good. Chicken Pot Pie is on the menu, but I have not yet tried it.

Silver Cloud Bar & Grill
1700 N. Damen Ave.
773-489-6212

Try Jack's Bar & Grill, on Sheffield.

It is one of their signature offerings.


E.M.

It's out of your ideal area, but A Taste of Heaven in Andersonville makes its own chicken pot pies packaged to bring home.

Flip wrote:

lambskin wrote:I agree as to your set standard and hope there is a pie out there to meet the criteria- I will be first in line. In a pinch, I have eaten the Kentucky Fried Chicken pot pie and it did satisfy the crave. I do not eat anything else there and please don't judge me on recommending a fast food establishment . My friends have been pleasantly surprised by the KFC PP.

No judgement from me. I've always enjoyed the CPP from Boston Market.

Wow, Flip, your approval stirs me to reconsider BM's offering. I had their CPP years ago, and felt it had more goo than substance, but I do enjoy these items...then again, I'm on a pie tear...and I grew up on Swanson's.

Hammond

Another chicken pot pie on my list is Chuck's Cafe's. Unfortunately, as noted on this board elsewhere, Chuck had a recent fire and will not be open for 2-4 weeks. It is also only offered as a special, so you might want to call in a few weeks to see when he will be offering it.

I must add that while it is very good, the pie kind of comes smothered over the pastry on your plate and is very sagey. If you are not a sage fan you will probably be disappointed, but my kids and I love it.

Out of your neighborhood, but the Grill on the Alley on Michigan Avenue and sister restaurant the Daily Grill in Skokie both do a delicious pot pie with puff-pastry top crust.

Grill on the Alley
www.thegrill.com
909 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago

Daily Grill
847/329-4334
North Shore Skokie Hotel
9599 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie

Erik M. wrote:Try Jack's Bar & Grill, on Sheffield.

Jack's Bar & Grill
773/404-8400
2856 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago

Paul SL wrote:Walnut Room
Marshall Field's

I wonder what will happen to the Walnut Room when Field's becomes Macy's?

LAZ Wrote:

I wonder what will happen to the Walnut Room when Field's becomes Macy's?

They'll rename it the "Plywood Room."

David Hammond wrote:

Flip wrote:

lambskin wrote:I agree as to your set standard and hope there is a pie out there to meet the criteria- I will be first in line. In a pinch, I have eaten the Kentucky Fried Chicken pot pie and it did satisfy the crave. I do not eat anything else there and please don't judge me on recommending a fast food establishment . My friends have been pleasantly surprised by the KFC PP.

No judgement from me. I've always enjoyed the CPP from Boston Market.

Wow, Flip, your approval stirs me to reconsider BM's offering. I had their CPP years ago, and felt it had more goo than substance, but I do enjoy these items...then again, I'm on a pie tear...and I grew up on Swanson's.

Hammond

David,

For a short period of time last year my brother worked at the local BM. He would often bring me leftover mashed potatoes (which I must confess I love ) and either CPPs or TPPs. They are made fresh daily in a limited quantity.

I too was raised on Swanson's CPP and often found the crust tasting similar to Elmer's paste, which of course is a delicacy for a four-year-old.

Flip

I was reading this story in this week's Newsweek about artisanal food producers - the Twin Hen Pot Pies sounded pretty divine.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9377822/site/newsweek/

Well, looky here--
Today's Tribune Good Eating section has the recipe for Marshall Field's CPP. Funny, I don't remember it having a puff pastry crust. Other than that, though, it hits all the marks.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... eating-hed

Hi,

Copy that recipe on your harddrive because Tribune recipes are only available for a week for free. Otherwise you have to pay to play.

Regards,

I cannot attest and many people on this site dismiss it but Costco makes a large good lookin cpp that nonfoodies have raved about. I buy my lamb chops at Costco and they are consistently tasty and affordable

Chief O'Neill's CPP does the trick on a cold day and fits your criteria.

Foodstuffs has excellent frozen pot pies, but they are not cheap. I prefer the beef pot pie, but their chicken is good also. The Southern most foodstuffs is in Evanston, I think.
-Will

thanks, folks!

I'm intrigued by the Costco pp...might have to give it a whirl, as I've always been pleasantly surprised by the quality of other costco items.
I'll work my way through the other suggestions over the next few months and let you know my findings.
Of course, I have to wait for it to actually FEEL like fall. 85 degree weather isn't exactly ideal for pp consumption.

The pot pies at Atwood Cafe in the Hotel Burnham are excellent.