Final meals before leaving Chicago?

So, I'm heading back to CA, earlier than expected, so I have quite a few places on my list that I wasn't able to try. Hopefully you guys can help me prioritize a few places to hit up before leaving. I had a very good rib tips/links combo at Honey 1 BBQ last night, and was intending to have a 1-2 punch of Honey 1 and Red Hot Ranch, but the large order absolutely stuffed me.

Anyways, here is my list of favorites for reference:

Mercat a la Planxa
Avec
Purple Pig
Piccolo Sogno
Los Barrilitos
L Patron
Rainbow Cuisine Thai
Coalfire

We've done the Chicago pizza, dogs and Italian beef, so I think I've got all the local specialties taken care of. I will be leaving in a week or two, so time is short.

So LTH, if you had one or two weeks left in Chicago, where would you go? (PS - no car, so burbs are mostly out)

TIA

(I have a long list of places if you want me to share that I've culled from my research here, but I didn't want to clutter up the post)

Before you leave you should make sure to have the 'Great Sea Chinese Restaurant' lollipop chicken wings... Probably in the conversation for best chicken wings in Chicago..



Great Sea Chinese Restaurant
3254 W Lawrence Ave
(773) 478-9129

YELP

I'd go to the Publican then afterwards head over to The Aviary for drinks. A Paul Kahan gatropub and drinks by Grant Achatz is a great Chicago one-two punch.

Don't know whether you got into Polish food while here (or perhaps that fits into the "local specialties" category that you would consider checked off the list), but maybe a trip to Smak Tak or Podhalanka would be warranted.

2 words: Cemitas Puebla.

Get the Atomica.

=R=

Cemitas Puebla
3619 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 772-8435

I would call Schwa to see if you can get lucky

For a lunch, try the Buttermilk Fried chicken over crushed potatoes and mussels at Paramount Room

You may have already hit all these places, but:

Hot Doug's
Pleasant House Bakery
Birrieria Zaragoza
Nha Hang Vietnam
Publican Quality Meats
Sticky Rice (or Aroy or Andy's)
XOCO
Hoosier Mama
Fat Rice

I would focus on things you can't get anywhere else. I assume most places in Cali have good vietnamese, thai, asian of all sorts so I would hold back on that. Italian Beef and many of them. Coalfire, Hot Dougs, chicken vesuvio from one of the nicer Italian places.

PopcornMegaphone wrote:I'd go to the Publican then afterwards head over to The Aviary for drinks. A Paul Kahan gatropub and drinks by Grant Achatz is a great Chicago one-two punch.

That's a good idea. Went there for brunch, but haven't been for dinner.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Don't know whether you got into Polish food while here (or perhaps that fits into the "local specialties" category that you would consider checked off the list), but maybe a trip to Smak Tak or Podhalanka would be warranted.

Ugh, never did have Polish food. These two have been on my list, but we never got around to it (probably mostly to the fact my fiancee is not much of a "meat and potatoes" person). I'll try and squeeze one of these in.

ronnie_suburban wrote:2 words: Cemitas Puebla.

Get the Atomica.

=R=

Cemitas Puebla
3619 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 772-8435

I've been and quite enjoyed, but when I lived in LA I was pretty close to a cemitas truck that had the best cemitas I've had.

cilantro wrote:You may have already hit all these places, but:

Hot Doug's
Pleasant House Bakery
Birrieria Zaragoza
Nha Hang Vietnam
Publican Quality Meats
Sticky Rice (or Aroy or Andy's)
XOCO
Hoosier Mama
Fat Rice

Thanks for the list. I've had Hot Doug's on my list for a while and I'll try and sneak a lunch in there before I go. Zaragoza has the best goat I've had. We stopped in PQM after brunch one day, and I was sad that I was full; maybe I can grab a quick lunch there. Not a big fan of Xoco though. And it would be a travesty if I am not able to get to Hoosier Mama.

Coalfire, L Patron, Podhlanka for lunch of mixed pirogi's and cabbage soup.

Hot Doug's is a must, I think. A true Chicago experience that you are unlikely to duplicate anywhere else. Hot Doug's + Hoosier Mama would be a great lunch, though hearty to say the least.

I've been taking visitors to PQM lately and have yet to hear anything short of a rave. For as heavy as some of their offerings are, the salads are spectacular, by no means an afterthought.

Just thought of another: Khan BBQ.

cilantro wrote:Hot Doug's is a must, I think. A true Chicago experience that you are unlikely to duplicate anywhere else. Hot Doug's + Hoosier Mama would be a great lunch, though hearty to say the least.

Perfect, just called Hot Doug's to make sure they're open and they are on vacation until Oct. (9th?).

Cancel your trip.

cilantro wrote:Just thought of another: Khan BBQ.

Love it!

=R=

mdpilam wrote:

PopcornMegaphone wrote:I'd go to the Publican then afterwards head over to The Aviary for drinks. A Paul Kahan gatropub and drinks by Grant Achatz is a great Chicago one-two punch.

That's a good idea. Went there for brunch, but haven't been for dinner.

So after several lunch attempts were rebuffed (grrr... Hot Doug's) and I skipped lunch, we headed over to Publican for dinner after a south loop rendezvous. It was pretty busy, and we didn't think we'd have enough time to head over to the Aviary before, so we grabbed a drink and some charcuterie in the weird middle "bar" area while we waited for our table. The beer list is pretty good with some unique brews, but two of the beers that I wanted were out. Grrr. The charcuterie arrived and it was ok, nothing great.

We finally got seated, but at the "bar," which is kind of/not really a bar. The actual usable area where we were seated was almost laughable - maybe a foot deep. Anyways, we were starving, so whatever. We ended up ordering a half order of the country ham, the pork shoulder, the corn and cherry tomatoes. We were expecting the ham to be similar to the ham I had had at brunch there the time before (kind of thicker sliced and sweet/smoky/tender), but it was shaved, cured ham. It was still good, just not what we were expecting (if we had known it was basically an extension of the charcuterie, we would have passed). I thought the corn dish was pretty good, but had way too much lime in it. My fiancee was very upset that they put aioli on top of it without any mention of this on the menu. I half expected it since it sounded like their take on elote. The cherry tomatoes were good as was the pork shoulder. We had the "mousse" for dessert, which was more like a de-constructed ice cream sandwich to me, and we both enjoyed it.

Service was decent, though my fiancee was pretty annoyed at having to sit at the bar after we waited close to an hour for what was supposed to be about a 30 min. wait, and then told we'd have to wait another 45min for a real seat at a table. I guess the whole experience is just a bit odd. I get the whole communal thing, but then you have this very isolated pig pen set up as well as this very odd not bar bar sitting, which is very non-communal. I think they could have done a much better job with the space. I was not overly impressed with the food; it was good, but I would easily choose Avec, Purple Pig, etc... over it. There wasn't any dish that I was wowed with, but at least nothing was bad.

We were both stuffed and a few drinks in by the end of dinner, so we skipped the Aviary for post drinks.

Hmmm... what's next?

http://cvitty.blogspot.it/2012/12/hot-dogs.html

I came up with this "bucket list" for food before I moved to Italy. As you can see, I didnt make it very far but perhaps it will give you some ideas.

Agreed on Zaragoza, Nha Hang, and Khan. Also, If I were leaving town I wouldn't worry about missing out on hot doug's, but I'd definitely be tossing back some beers at Quencher's or Map room then eating Red Hot Ranch at least a few times. Those hot dogs are amazing when sober but after a few beers they're the best thing in the world.

Also Katy's would be up there, for their szechuan cold sides and some homemade noodles.

Khan - definitely. One of the places I miss most.

LA has great Thai. But do they have great Thai BYOB? I'd consider hitting Aroy.

A deep dish pizza from Pizano's or Pequod? Dogs at any respectable dog place.

Definitely Zaragoza. Might as well hit Chaparrita too. Them crispy tripe tacos are life-changers.

BBQ. Don't leave without a proper tip n' link. Actually, I'd put this at the top of the list.

My bucket list would be:

Las Asadas steak tacos
La Chaparrita for longaniza and crispy tripe washed down with an alfalfa aguas fresca.
THIN CRUST Chicago Pizza of your choice, and not the East Coast stuff. I'm talking Nick and Vito's.
Zaragoza.
Al's beef (On Taylor, dammit!)+ Marios. A MUST. F all other beefs, and F the price. Al's is the KING.

(I know how lukewarm you were on Tierra Caliente, so I'll omit their Campechanos.)

No Greek? I'm a Santorini fan myself but recognize others here have other preferences. Still, a Chicago Greektown visit for such staples as charcoal grilled octopus, taramosalata, skordalia, dolmades and of course flaming cheese (saganaki) just for starters!

Agreed on Greektown, though public (and general) transportation is screwed up there right now with work on the Morgan overpass and Blue Line (UIC-Halsted). Greek Islands would be my pick.

Also not particularly PT-friendly, but one definite stop on my own way out would be the 1100 block of W. Grand Avenue. Bari for a prosciutto and fresh mozz with hot, and several jars of giardiniera to go (this is what out of state relatives ask me to send / bring). D'Amato's for sheet pizza and banter. Cross the street to Terry's Toffee for gifts. Lots of atmosphere and history on that stretch. You've covered the beefs and other local cheap eats so may not need this, but since you ask, it'd be essential for me.

Santander wrote:Agreed on Greektown, though public (and general) transportation is screwed up there right now with work on the Morgan overpass and Blue Line (UIC-Halsted). Greek Islands would be my pick.

Also not particularly PT-friendly, but one definite stop on my own way out would be the 1100 block of W. Grand Avenue. Bari for a prosciutto and fresh mozz with hot, and several jars of giardiniera to go (this is what out of state relatives ask me to send / bring). D'Amato's for sheet pizza and banter. Cross the street to Terry's Toffee for gifts. Lots of atmosphere and history on that stretch. You've covered the beefs and other local cheap eats so may not need this, but since you ask, it'd be essential for me.

Though you can get better subs in Chicago than Bari, I've often said, if I were forced to choose, their giardiniera is the single best thing Chicago has to offer the world. I also have to fill bari giard orders from many out of towners. For the sandwich, I have recently made a habit of buying a jar of giardiniera from bari and taking it next door to d'amato's, and putting it on a Bocconcini/prosciutto from them. Their Bocconcini is superior to bari's moz. The bread is better (bari no longer uses d'amato's), and I prefer the flavor of the prosciutto they use.

The burger at Owen & Engine or Au Cheval, each worthy of a trip on its own.

No mention of any Tony Hu places? If I only had two weeks left in town, boiled beef and dry chili chicken would be on my list.

Been thinking about this and here would be my stops

Au Cheval for 'Foei gra and eggs' and Burger
Hoosier Mama Pie and Black Dog Gelato
Publican Quality Meats for a sandwich or Tuesday Burger night (features a new burger from a local chef or employee every week)
D'amatos or Bari for a hot italian
Fried Chicken at Paramount Room
Tartare at Gilt Bar or Maude's
Schwa - Seriously, call and try to get lucky
Twisted Spoke for brunch - corn beef hash and Road Rash Bloody Mary -- easily one of the best bloody mary's in the city


Agreed with above about Owen & Engine's burger.

Au Cheval for a burger, for sure!

I would go to Portillo's and get one of everything.

Onion and pork pancake at Katy's noodles. Thin crust pizza. A polish with everything.