2015 Chicagoland Restaurant & Bar highlights?

Ok, there are still a couple of days to go but please, share your list, notes, pics, etc.

=R=

Such a fun question. I'll think more, but immediate joys include multiple omakase experiences at Kai Zan, most of the menu at Izakaya Mita, where we are now happy regulars, and a very memorable, very delicious meal at Goosefoot.

Always love these posts!
2015 was a pretty good year.

Local Chicago area highlights include:
(in no particular order, other than items with pics at the bottom of the list)

In-On Thai - Spicy BBQ Pork Fried Rice
Dove's Luncheonette - Fried Potato Hash w/ shishito peppers, aioli, charred scallions & quest fresco
Forno Rosso - Stuffed Pizza with prosciutto cotto, bufala, arugula, salami topped with sauce
Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream - Bangkok Peanut and Yazoo Sue with Rosemary Bar Nuts Ice Creams
Wing Stop - Lousiana Rub Wings (drumsticks only) paired with seasoned hand cut fries (sorry but these have become a guilty pleasure!)
Autre Monde - Farro Salad, candied squash, walnuts, feta, curry dressing

Chef Shangri La - Spicy Fish Tacos

Stix & Stones - Speck & Castelvetrano Olives Pizza - mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, speck, castelvetrano olives, rosemary, vidalia onion, evoo

Nico Osteria - Beef Tongue in Brodo, grilled squid, hen of the woods mushrooms, poached egg

Vie - Wild Rice Gnocchi, mustard-braised rabbit, rabbit bacon, lobster mushrooms, delicata squash

Pizza Barra - Spaghetti Squash Pizza - buffalo ricotta, mozzarella, rapini, speck, black truffle

Here's my list, which I pretty much keep as the year goes by. It's more or less in reverse chronological order with the most recent experiences at the top. Some places are listed more than once, which reflects different meals at those places or multiple visits to them. In a few cases, I combined things I ate on separate visits to a place into 1 entry.

Spiced Hazelnuts & Fried Chickpeas, Meatballs, Wood Oven Beef Short Ribs w/ spaghetti squash and cabbage slaw, cilantro lime dressing, sweet onions, Wood-Fired Rainbow Trout w/ smoked trout “pomme duchesse,” mustard greens, pickled piparra peppers, lemon butter sauce - Vistro

Deviled Eggs, Chicken Biscuit - Bucks

Fried Chicken, Cajun Meat Pies - Analogue (LTH Holiday party)

Saganaki, Fried Zucchini, Gyros, Grilled Octopus, Chopped Salad - Avli Estiatorio

Sausage Pizza - Gino's North

Chips, Tacos De Lengua - Taqueria El Asadero

Chicken Shawarma, Hummus - Shawarma Inn

Mini Shrimp Pancakes - Sunset Pho Caffe

Green Salad (best salad of the year!), Fried Oyster Po Boy, Fish Dip - Analogue

Cap Steak - Swift & Sons

Fatracha Piri Piri Chicken, Minchi Hash, Steamed Dumplings - Fat Rice

Asada Quesadilla, Dark Meat Chicken, Salsa Bar - El Pollo Vagabundo

Guacamole, Chips, Esquites, Sopitos (Cochinita Pibil), Tacos De Puerco, Tacos de Asada - Masa Azul

Cole Slaw, Bone-In Ribeye Steak - EJ's Place

Calzone, Porchetta Sandwich, Slice of Artichoke Pizza, Noodle Casserole - Freddy's Pizza

Pork Neck Bones, Fried Meatball Sandwich - Paula's Cafe

Grilled Pork Skewers, Offal Shrimp Crackers, Spring Roll, Ramen, - Cochon 555 Asian Speakeasy Pop-Up @ Fat Rice

Chicken Tails, A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Striploin, Chili Mentaiko Spaghetti, Momomaki, Tuna Purist - Momotaro

Chicken Shish Tawook - Al Bawadi

Slice of Sausage Pizza - Dante's/Milwaukee Ave

Queso Panela, Flour Tortillas, Beans & Chorizo, Tacos Sabinas, Puerco Guisado - Nuevo Leon

Masa Boats, Skirt Steak - Ixcateco Grill

Pork and Eel Terrine, Pickled Sardines, Assorted Pickles, Market Salad w/ Avocado Paste, Strozzapreti w/ Double Reduced Tomatoes, Corn, etc. - Castle Door Supper Club

Crispy Fish & Penang Curry - In-On Thai

Wanderteller (game bird terrine, hot-smoked whitefish, pork rillettes, duck liver mousse, schweinkopf, bresaola, spek, rye baguette, sunflower oat toast), Swabian Pretzel with cauliflower and comte fondue, Crispy Tripe (house giardiniera, mustard greens), Creamed Kale - Table, Donkey & Stick

Goy Vey Breakfast Sandwich - Cracked Food Truck (Champaign, IL)

Market Salad (gem lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, cucumber, buttermilk, breadcrumbs), Clam Pasta (corn, bacon), Dayboat Mussels (fresh shelly beans, artichokes, tomatoes), Broccoli + Garlic - Boltwood

Smokey Baked Beans - Barn & Co. (Pitmaster Dinner)

Lamb Tartare, Octopus Terrine, Skate Wing, Spaghetti & Meat Sauce - Sink|Swim (Jason Vincent Surf & Turf dinner)

Tomahawk Ribeye Steak - Cherry Circle Room

Ember Chicken, Hot Potato/Cold Potato, Black Truffle Explosion - Alinea

Ranch Special Double Cheeseburger with Grilled Onions, Fries - Redhot Ranch/Ashland

Lovash, Shrimp Toast, Beef & Broccoli, Halibut Collar - Sink|Swim

Onion Gratin Casserole, Garlic Sausage w/Lentils - Maude's Liquor Bar

Butter Paneer, Eggplant Curry, Lamb Dumplings, Royale w/Cheese, Szechuan Tripe, India Hot Chicken - Pub Royale

Crawfish Etoufeee, Red Beans & Rice /w Porkchop - Analogue

Shrimp Toast, Charred Broccoli, Beef and Broccoli, Lobster Pasta - Sink|Swim

Spring Vegetable Salad, Hen Egg Amatriciana, Grilled Pork Meatballs, Pappardelle w/ boar ragu, Tagliatelle with porcini, Oriechiette w/lamb sausage, Bucatini all grigia w/pancetta, peas - Anteprima

Mussels with Jambalaya Sauce, Nashville Hot Chicken, Boudin Balls - Pearl's Southern Comforts

Takoyaki, Combo Yaki Ramen, Chawanmushi, Izakaya Mita, Kinoko Itame - Izakaya Mita

House Smoked Ham - Table Donkey & Stick

Hot & Sour Soup, Shrimp Toast, Mongolian Beef, Combo Chow Fun, Lamb Mu Shu - Hong Huah

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus, Gyutan Skewer, Tuna Zuke, Momomaki, Chili Hama maki, Chili Mentaiko Spaghetti, Omakase - Momotaro

Shortrib Beignets, 35-day dry aged ribeye, steak frites, citrus salmon, onion gratinee, polenta, cauliflower gratin, Fleischshcnacka, all sauces - Boeufhaus

Grilled Pork Neck Salad, Wing Bean Salad - Aroy Thai

Wawel Zapiekanka, Pierogi, Spicy Onion topping - Pierogi Street

Garlic Panisse, Lavash & Battarga, Caviar & Toast, Shrimp Toast Tea Sandwich, Butter Lettuce, Beef & Oyster Tartare, Pickled Mussels, Monkfish Liver Torchon, Charred Broccoli, Celery Root Soup, Fish & Chips, Beef & Broccoli, Spagettone - Sink|Swim

Pan-Seared Bay Scallops (wood-grilled bread, sweet corn chow chow, wilted and pickled chard, mayonnaise brulee), Potato Gnocchi (cured and smoked sablefish, perigord black truffles, celery root, slow-roasted red onions, sauce regence), Egg In Purgatory (shaved ham, spicy tomato and preserved pepper sauce, shirred egg, crispy potatoes, herb salad), Roasted Indiana Shrimp (Minnesota wild rice, grilled meyer lemons, three bean salad, mint, fried capers), Wood-Grilled Pork Sausage and Loin Milanese (smoked-pork braised sauerkraut, fried giardiniera, pork jus), Wood-Grilled Veal Loin (thuringer sausage and crispy glazed veal sweetbreads, preserved cherries, salsify puree, braised farro, marsala veal jus), Wood-Grilled Pancetta-Wrapped Sturgeon (spiced beet puree, Carolina gold rice, walnut-brown butter aillade, pickled romanesco vinaigrette, preserved lemon, spinach) - Vie

Double Cheeseburger Ranch-Style - Redhot Ranch/Ashland

Nashville Hot Chicken and Chicken Sandwich on Biscuit, Housemade Chips, Spicy Chicken Sandwich on Biscuit - The Roost Carolina Kitchen

Porchetta Sandwich, Return of the Gyro, Gerry's Adobo Dog, End of Winter Salad, Carrot Avocado Salad - Publican Quality Meats

Hanger Steak (lentil, cucumber, chili, poppy seed), Open Face Pate Sandwich (pickled red onions, cornichon, mustard) - Boltwood

Aged Ribeye, Seafood Platter, Bread & Butter, Wedge Salad w/Bacon - Bavette's

Spinach Brandade, Hanger Steak, Duck Special, Crispy Potatoes, Chickpeas, Cauliflower - Boltwood

Chu Toro, Uni, Mackerel - Japonais by Morimoto

Cemita Atomica - Cemitas Puebla/Fulton Market

Double Ranch Cheeseburger & Fries - Redhot Ranch/Ashland

Broccoli Salad, Apple-Celery Salad, Potato & Pepper Hash, Chicken Fried Chicken, Ham & Cheese Ahogada, Tamal de Elote con Camarones, Butter Bourbon Pecan Ice Cream, Guava Dreamsicle ice cream - Dove's Luncheonette

Large Charcuterie Board, Beef Cheek Salad, Sirloin Steak Tartare, Brussels Sprouts (lardons, crispy shallots, pepitas), Merguez (braised spinach, feta, yogurt, chermoula salsify) - Tete Charcuterie

Fried Chicken Sandwich, Jambalaya, Dirty Rice - Analogue

Stracciatella, Roasted Carrots & Cabbage, Duck Board, Beef Burger - White Oak Tavern & Inn

Egg Roll - Thank You

Frites, Roasted Cauliflower - Scofflaw

French Onion Soup, Au Gratin Potatoes - Hobnob (Racine, WI)

Shrimp Cakes - Franklin Room

=R=

I always do a comprehensive stack up of my-year-in-food on my blog for anyone that is interested.

My city list is kinda short, since we did move to wild western DuPage County this year. To demonstrate that I've been eating quite decently in the outer regions, I made a separate list of suburban faves.

And finally, though the thread title denotes "Chicagoland" I'm including my out-of town-list, because much of my best stuff happened on trips.

City:

Crispy pata, bangus- Isla Pilipina
Spicy prawn, Fatracha chicken piri piri- Fat Rice
Pyzy- Retro Café
Baccala matecato- Nico Oseteria
Lamb dumpling, Palak paneer- Pub Royale
Salted egg yolk soft shelled crab- Go 4 Food
Fish with herb salad, Creamy fish tom yum, Fried chicken wings with penang curry, Bamboo curry- In-on Thai

Suburbs:

Corundas- Taqueria El Ñero, West Chicago
Sausage-pizza- Al's Pizza, Warrenville
Hot Link– Uncle John's II, Richton Park
Grilled yellowtail snapper- Bien Trucha, Geneva
Fish and chive dumplings, Pickled cabbage soup with fish filet- Katy's Dumpling House, Westmont
Gongura mutton masala- Masala, Warrenville
Gam ja tang- Assi Plaza, Niles
Pambazo, Steak huarache, Birria quesadilla - La Cocina Maria, West Chicago

Out of town:

Goat roti- Rama's Roti Shop, Brooklyn
Sausage pizza- Well's Brothers, Racine, WI
Khauk swe thoke, mohinga- A Kaung Zarr, Ft Wayne, IN
Pel'meni- Paul's Pel'meni, Madison, WI
Corned beef- Ono Kine Grindz, Milwaukee, WI
Bean soup- Mike's Famous Ham Place, Detroit, MI
Kabobs- Al-Ameer, Dearborn, MI
Gumbo- Lil Dizzy's, New Orleans
Catfish with pickled greens & chile broth- Pêche, New Orleans
Fried boudin- Cochon, New Orleans
Roast beef po boy- Guy's, New Orleans
Oyster loaf- Casamento's, New Orleans
Chicken creole, Fried chicken- Dooky Chase, New Orleans
Chile verde burrito- Rosa's, Ogden, UT

I too posted mine over on da site, but I thought I'd share them here as well.
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11 Chicagoland Bites

- I'll be honest in that I thought it was an average year for food in Chicago. These items listed are the ones that stood out when I went thru all my site posts from the past year. Lots of spots I either didn't snap pics or have yet to post about so unfortunately those places don't apply. Most stood out because I've either gone back for more of whats listed or plan on doing so very soon. With all the great food options in the city it takes a real great bite to get a return visit from someone like myself who's always looking for something new to try.

Boeuf on Weck / Dry Aged Ribeye at Boeufhaus

Spicy Green Pork Empanada at Cafe Tola

Fish and Chips at Sink | Swim

Reuben Sandwich at Edgebrook Coffee Shop

Samosas at Pub Royale

Dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

Spicy Chicken Paita Ramen at Ramen Takeya

South African Meat Pies at Pie Boss

Persian Grilled Kabobs at Kabobi

Frijoles Charros at The Big State

Beef Burger at White Oak Tavern
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15 Out of Town Bites

- I ate so well while on the road this year that I had to break the categories down into eleven spots each. Then I had to expand the Beyond Chicagoland list because it was just one of those years. Even with 15 spots I still had to leave some things off that I absolutely loved. And as always I tried to limit it to one item from each trip. So it's really just a quick list and not everything I ate that was awesome.

Brisket at La Barbecue (Austin, TX)

Mama Cata Mole Chicken Enchiladas at Mesa (Dallas, TX)

Agnolotti Del Plin at Perbacco (San Francisco)

Fish Tacos and Tamales at El Molino Central (Sonoma County)

Iraqi Kabob at Iraqi Kebob (Dearborn, MI)

Short Rib Cappellacci at Sotto (Cincinnati, OH)

Lobster Roll at Shannon's Unshelled (Boothbay Harbor, ME)

Hot Water Cornbread at Shirley Mae's Cafe (Louisville, KY)

Tacos al Pastor / Sirloin at Don Sirloin (Playa Del Carmen)

Potato and Yuca Latke at Milktooth (Indianapolis, IN)

Peppered Tuna at Reef Grill (Juno Beach, FL)

Potato Cheese Pierogis at Cop Out Pierogi (Pittsburgh, PA)

Jamaican Lamb Currywurst at The Vanguard (Milwaukee, WI)

Hamburgers at Laha's Red Castle (Hodgensville, KY)

Strawberry Shortcake at Earl's Farm Market (Fennville, MI)
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Best Dinners 2015

- These are three spots where I easily could've named anything we ate at each of them as one of the best things I ate all year. So instead of lumping them with the rest I gave them their own shoutout. Each place served food that had us wishing we could return the next day. On top of the world class food, each of these places mixed mean cocktails, and the service at each one was exemplary. Cheers!

Husk (Nashville, TN)

Selden Standard (Detroit, MI)

Liholiho Yacht Club (San Francisco, CA)

8oz Steak
Baked Potato
Garlic Bread
Chef's Salad

Ronny's Original

Pastrami Sandwich - Brewery Vivant (Grand Rapids, MI)
Chocolate Croissant - Craft pizza
Escolar, pearls, truffle - Kai Zan
Cheese Blintzes - Podhalanka
Kouign Amann - Cellar Door Provisions
Smoked Potato Brioche, garlic mustard, spring onion, grilled asparagus, soft boiled egg - Cellar Door Provisions
Quail Egg, Bacon, Blis maple syrup - Momotaro
Carne Asada Quesadilla - Taqueria El Asadero
Waygu brisket, braised kale, beef sugo - Two
Chicken fried Chicken - Dillon Dam Brewery (Dillon, CO)
Radler Benedict - The Radler
Pastrami burnt end piece - Fumare
Pierogi - Bohemian House
Scallop, green garlic, goat cheese, gnocci, chantrelles - El Ideas
55 Day Dry Aged Ribeye - Boeufhaus
Chocolate Cream Pie - Bavettes
Peachy Keen Biscuit Sandwich - Baker Miller
Matsu Apple French Toast - Arbor

Commbrkdwn wrote:Escolar, pearls, truffle - Kai Zan

I still have never been and am eager to try it. How was the rest of your meal?

Separately, looking over my list and some of the others, it's notable how quickly the landscape can change. There are places I had highlights early in 2015 that had changed many times (or even closed) by the the year ended. Yes, it's the nature of the beast but that dynamic seems be accelerating as we continue on.

=R=

Pepperoni slice & white pizza-Jimmy's Pizza Cafe
Hamachi Collar-Izakaya Mita
Ital Beef-Joe Boston's
Octopus & Pork Belly-Ruxbin
Inasal Chicken-Bacalod Chicken Haus
Carnitas-Carnitas Uruapan
Head-on shrimp & Dungeness Crab-Angry Crab
Pastor Tacos-Los Barillitos
Goat Cheese/Honey/Rosemary scone-Scone City
Tacos de Canasta (chicharron)-Minivan by 2110 N. Milwaukee (Mil&California Produce Mart)
Broasted Chicken (AYCE) w/ Salad Bar, Potato, Soup ($13)-Hillside Lodge, Phelps, WI
Shrimp & Grits-Analogue
Butter burger & cheese curds-Kroll's East, Green Bay, WI
Crab Legs & Prawns-Mariscos al Veneno
Cumin Lamb Pocket, Cold Noodles, Celery & Tofu Skin-X'ian Cuisine
Doner Kebab-Donermen Truck
Fish & Chips-Johnny's Grill
Shrimp & Grits-Luella's Southern Cafe
Toasted Chestnut Roman Style Gnocchi-Trattoria Marcella, St. Louis
Pork Steak Taco-Circus Taco, St. Louis
Chilaquiles & Corned Beef Hash-AMK
Grilled Chicken-Brasa Roja
Gyros-Gyros on the Spit
Shrimp Enchiladas-Gabbi's, Orange, CA
Chilaquiles-Danny's Egghead Diner

The seared foie gras at The Blanchard was my stand-out dish of 2015.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Commbrkdwn wrote:Escolar, pearls, truffle - Kai Zan

I still have never been and am eager to try it. How was the rest of your meal?

Separately, looking over my list and some of the others, it's notable how quickly the landscape can change. There are places I had highlights early in 2015 that had changed many times (or even closed) by the the year ended. Yes, it's the nature of the beast but that dynamic seems be accelerating as we continue on.

=R=

Really terrific. Though nothing blew me away quite like that dish did, everything was impressive. The service there is also exemplary - overall one of my favorite meals out this year...and for a very reasonable price.

My favorite meal of the year, without a doubt, was the arrachera combo from Mezquite Pollo Express. I probably ate it 30 times, and it was on point every single time.

Honorable mentions go to:
Will Special, Riviera Italian Imports
Shrimp lemongrass salad, Rainbow Thai
Ground brisket burger, Rub's Backcountry Smokehouse
Fried grouper sandwich, Boston Fish Market
Beef pad tamin, Spicy Thai Lao

Best dishes of the year - short rib pierogies with roasted carrots at Bohemian House and Pasta with Bolognese at The Kitchen. Both dishes consistently wowed me over numerous visits.

Best out of town meals: Restaurant Gwendolyn in San Antonio - amazing food and approach and Toro in Scottsdale

Best drinks: Scholium Project Gardens of Babylon red blend served at the Kitchen, Smaks Chai Rum at Toro

Recording has not been my strongest suit. But I just went through the first nine days of this year and captured the highlights.

Thanks for reminding me to do this.

I do have some hits for 2015 but really need to see where I placed them.

UPDATED:

Best of 2015 bites

Bad Wolf
Cream Cheese Danish

Floriole
Avocado Toast on sunflower seeded bread

Lula
Baked and Marinated Feta

Naha
Blood orange and elderflower soda

Nico
Everything, various visits

Focaccia with castelvetrano olives
Extra crispy potatoes
Kouign Amann
Pasta in marinara with basil
Butterscotch bonet

Old Jerusalem
Moudardara

RPM Italian
Pistachio Cake
Shirley Temple made with in-house pomegranate syrup

Chengdu Impressions
Crispy Eggplant