Thanks dvrstygrl, PBandFluff, Aaron Deacon, Vital Information for the helpful info.

As I am reading past posts on this board we are reconfiguring our Chicago week itinerary. We think we will now skip the Hancock bld. and save the money for something else. We have been to the Lincoln Park zoo on our last trip to Chicago. We really enjoyed it. This time we are going to the Brookfield Zoo. The Conservatory might be another idea. Thanks!

We are thinking Italian instead of Malnati's pizza on our 1st night in the city. We could kill 2 birds with 1 stone if we go to an Italian place that has wonderful pizza as well as pasta for those that want it. Suggestions?

Considering Thai for dinner on Friday evening.

I'm glad dvrstygrl brought up the idea of a Devon St. Indian buffet. I started thinking about that. We are going to spend some time exploring Devon St. and want to try Indian food. I realize a buffet is not top of the line cooked to order, BUT it might give us the chance to try many different dishes that we wouldn't otherwise be able to try.

What Indian buffets do others recommend that might be of good quality as far as buffets go? I think on Saturday we are going to do the free loop tour on the el, go shopping downtown (more like nibbing around at the stores we don't have around here) and then spend the evening eating and exploring on Devon St.

Sunday will be our Mexican day--Maxwell st., art museum, dinner and Bombon.

Another day we are going to the aquarium, Chinatown and dinner in Chinatown. We've been to Chinatown before and really enjoy looking around. We have just stayed on the main drag before, is it safe to wander off the main drag in the evening?

When we do the Brookfield zoo, I think we are going to try Pico Rico. Hoping it's similar to the pollo man's pollo in Mexico!

Maybe Notebaert museum (which is free on Thursday) and either Manny's or Al's on the way home out of town.

I love all of the different ideas everyone is throwing out!

joby wrote: We are thinking Italian instead of Malnati's pizza on our 1st night in the city. We could kill 2 birds with 1 stone if we go to an Italian place that has wonderful pizza as well as pasta for those that want it. Suggestions?

It might be a little on the expensive side but not terribly so and definitely worth it, I think: Spacca Napoli for delicious Neapolitan style pizza made in a wood burning oven by a pizzaiola from Southern Italy in a place owned by a man who really cares about his business. No pasta, though.

Link above to a thread on this place in my previous post in this thread... Oh heck, here it is again:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=64730#64730

About $10-14 dollars per individual pizza; go easy on the drinks and it's not that bad a bill for something that you surely can't find back home.

Eat well and have a great time.

Antonius

P.S. For destinations out of the centre of town (e.g. Pilsen, Albany PArk, Devon), where parking is easy and cheap, driving would be the way to go in my opinion.

Definitely wander the Chinatown minimall(outdoor mall)---it's the residence of the awesome Lao Sze Chuan restaurant. Also, Aji Ichiban; a great inverse Willy Wonka offering everything from fruitjelly-filled individually-wrapped marshmallows and candy cigs, to assorted savory dried fish-stuffs and flavored gingers. Free samples, yo.

Antonius, have Spacca Napoli marked as a possibility! Still looking around for a place that has both great pizza and pasta. Possibility for that combo?

Christopher Gordon, we love different candies and such. Also love the Chinese bakery in Chinatown. Can't remember the name of course, but would know it if I saw it.

Where exactly is the Chinatwon mini mall? I don't remember seeing it before. We only wandered straight down the main drag. That's where we found Evergreen for dinner. We want to try somewhere else this time.

For what it's worth, we are staying in the north part of Chicago, up by Loyola.

Joby, that mini-mall might not have been built the last time you were in Chicago. It's on Archer, a diagonal street, between Cermak and Wentworth. It's definitely worth exploring the restaurants, stores, bakery, candy shop, etc there.

Since you'll be here in the summer, there should be a special shuttle bus running from the Aquarium to Pilsen and Chinatown on weekends. I know you have the Chinatown day planned for a weekday, but on the Sunday that bus could get you from the Red line stop at Roosevelt to Maxwell Street Market, the Mexican museum/Pilsen, and then back to the Red Line stop again.

go to 'art of pizza' on ashland. (blue line division, then take the #9 ashland bus north. ). no atmosphere, but amazing pizza. my friend visiting from california liked it so much she took one to go on the plane with her back.

really, its thicker, better cheese.. more seasoning... more buttery of a crust than lou's "butter crust". oh. so good.

i second cafe iberico. lots of fun.

amata, it sounds like the Chinatown mini mall is a fun place to go. It has several restaurants that might be a good choice for us to eat at, correct?

rosepetaljam, thanks for the suggestion.

Any other suggestions as to an Indian buffet that would be a good choice for us?

I know you adressed your query as per the mini-mall to Amata, but, yes, it's great for meandering around and popping into the apothcaries, jam-packed tchotcke stores, and is home to many restaurants at least two of which, Lao Sze Chuan-Sichuan cuisine(at the far end) and Spring World-Yunan speciaties, are highly regarded on this board. LSC is one of my top faves in the city, but Spring World offers an absurdly cheap 2 entree per plate lunch special, for, I believe, $3.95.

Check out the LTHforum Great Neighborhood Restaurants section for more info on LSC.

Joby, Pico Rico is really not very close to Brookfield Zoo (unless your sense of travel is like mine...)

Nearer to the zoo:

There's a very good Jamacan place, whose name escapes me (hard to search that way) on First Avenue just north of the Expressway. That's a short ride to the zoo. Not too pricey either given that the portions are huge.

A Mexican place that I really like is called El Chimbombo. It's on Cermak and Oak Park Avenue. They specialize in various massa preparations: huaraches, empanadas, gorditas, etc. Very authentic. In fact, it generally helps to know some Spanish.

Right next door is a Mexican ice cream place called Flamingo. 101 flavors, including all sortsa exotica like cucumber and chile, corn, rice, two kindsa chocolate, two kindsa vanilla. Sample to make sure you get a fresh batch.

Also right there on Cermak is Vescey's Bohemian bakery. A bit of stretch from its hey day, but still a very good source for stuff.

There is one Czech restaurant on Cermak near Harlem and three or so on Ogden near the zoo. I have not tried any of them, but I have confidence that they will be inexpensive, filling and good enough. Klas, a favorite of many is also on Cermak, but not to close to the zoo.

Old Warsaw is a Polish buffet not too far from the zoo gates on Cermak. I've had much better Polish food, but there is a certain Vegas in the 60's kitsch appeal to the place, and hey, as I like to say, it's all you can eat.

Have fun! You'll really enjoy Brookfield Zoo by the way, it is an awesome space. It's very large so give yourself enough time.

Rob

Vital Information wrote:Nearer to the zoo:

There's a very good Jamacan place, whose name escapes me (hard to search that way) on First Avenue just north of the Expressway. That's a short ride to the zoo. Not too pricey either given that the portions are huge.

That'd be Tropical Time Jerk Chicken

Freddy's in Cicero might also be a good choice. It's not too far from the Austin exit of the Eisenhower Expressway. Very good hole-in-the-wall italian bakery, salumeria, gelateria, pizzeria, grocer, etc etc. A lot packed into a very small space.

Maybe Notebaert museum (which is free on Thursday) and either Manny's or Al's on the way home out of town.

I don't remember your dates, but heavy duty construction starts on the Dan Ryan on April 1, with lots of lane and exit closings. The Dan Ryan, of course, is the main portal for arriving/exiting both Al's and Manny's. You may want to consider an alternative route out: east on Roosevelt, south on Lake Shore Drive, exit on Stoney Island south, which will take you to the Chicago Skyway. You may not need this alternative if it's an off-hour (or before April 1), but be forewarned.

Hi Joby,

yes, what Christopher Gordon said is right, there are several good restaurants you could choose from in the Chinatown mall we are talking about (the name of the mall is Chinatown Square, by the way).

And, if you want to explore some more, walk a couple short blocks north through the newly built townhouse development to the corner of Wells and 19th St, where you'll find the entrance to a wonderful riverfront park called Ping Tom Park. Here's a picture of the park which came up with a google search:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawnm/4542 ... et-480445/

Several LTH-ers got together in the park last summer and sampled take-out duck from various restaurants, as described in this thread:
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=39664

Actually, there are sometimes free movies shown outdoors in that park during the summer, or other free performances. Anyway, I'm not necessarily suggesting that you want to get take out food and picnic in the park, but I just want to reassure you that the park is an attractive spot, safe, and you'll see lots of other families there.

Speaking of free stuff in the parks, you may already know that the city has a music/dance series called Summerdance in Grant Park on Thursday through Sunday evenings. I'm sure if you search on the city's web site closer to the summer season you can get a schedule for it. They give dance lessons in the first hour, and then play music for folks to dance to for the rest of the time. (The type of music could be Latin, big band, African, polka, ...) This takes place in the section of Grant Park along S. Michigan Ave. between Harrison and Balbo.

have fun!
Amata

Ping Tom park is very nice. It is also (unfortunately for those of us who remember the outcome) the finishing point of one of the Amazing Races.

In the opposite direction, Argyle (very convenient on the Red Line) has been mentioned for Vietnamese/Chinese. Specifically, would be great to go there for either pho (soup noodle) or bahn mi (sandwich). (If you search would turn up plenty of posts giving more detail on the dishes and restaurants to try.) Tasty and inexpensive. Four bahn mi's and a bag of shrimp chips would be closer to $10 than $20. A couple of bowls of pho, one other dish and some Vietnamese spring rolls, would be about $20.

You mentioned Mexican food so I'll throw in another option in Pilsen: La Michoacan or Uruapan or Don Pedro for carnitas. Uruapan and Don Pedro are both on W. 18th Street, although Uruapan would be better from a CTA perspective. I personally favor Michoacan, which is on Cermak and close to one of the train lines. You can also watch the action (bubbling vats of pork) in the kitchen through the glass window.

Amata, Christopher Gordon, Vital Information, gleam, jbw, ChrisH, crrush thanks for taking the time to reply!

I didn't know about the summerdance. That might be fun to check out and also the Ping Tom park idea!

I am dutifully copying all of this info down and will have many ideas and places to check out this summmer.

Please continue posting info!!!!

joby wrote: Sunday will be our Mexican day--Maxwell st., art museum, dinner and Bombon.

As a fellow Chicago visitor, thought you might want a decent, cheap bite near the Art Institute--a bowl of soup and the wonderful dark brown bread at Russian Tea Time is just a 1/2 block away.

Russian Tea Time Restaurant
77 East Adams St.
Chicago, IL 60603
(312)360-0000
http://www.russianteatime.com/

Joby wrote:What Indian buffets do others recommend that might be of good quality as far as buffets go? I think on Saturday we are going to do the free loop tour on the el, go shopping downtown (more like nibbing around at the stores we don't have around here) and then spend the evening eating and exploring on Devon St.

Joby,
Here are some suggestions. Of course, I do not mean to tell you what to do and how to do things – you have been researching this trip quite a bit and there have already been excellent pointers. Here are some more, some specifics, some rehash of what others have already written. These are merely suggestions. Indian (and Thai) food can be spicy – so I've kept in mind your preferences. Still some dishes may be mildly spicy – but as you've enjoyed your time in Mexico, I suspect that you are alright with a bit of heat. I would suggest though that you carry/pack some small packs of yogurt. These can provide a quick snack in case you get hungry walking/traveling and the plain (not flavored, not fruit-on-bottom) variety will go well with Indian food as well as 'cool' you down if you find the food spicy.
Also I'm not suggesting any organ meats or anything 'exotic'. While these can be tasty, with so many options you needn't have them – it's not going to be tasty if you aren't comfortable with it.

Anyhow,
Devon recs (Starting East and heading West on Devon)
Specifically I have avoided a buffet – I think you will get better food at better prices and can sample a greater range if you walk and eat your way down Devon. However since there is a plethora of choices – I am being somewhat specific (see footnote below).

Ghareeb Nawaz – This place is fairly East compared to the rest of the Indian/Pakistani stores.
Try (dinner): 1 order of Lamb biriyani, 1 palak chicken, 1 dal gosht and 2 parathas
This (and other suggestions below) is for all four of you – will be filling but not too (you can always get another dish and a paratha or naan if you want – it's quite quick. Or save room for another place.) Alternately you could try the other places below and hit this place last (good idea since this closes later than many other places; you can start with an order smaller than suggested if you are already full from the snacking)

Further down – at Khan BBQ get an order of chicken boti (and a naan). This can be a meaty snack. (other recommended dishes at this place?)

Around Khan, there are many stores and groceries that are fun to pop into and browse around.

Sukahdia's – this place has Indian snacks and sweets. Once lunch has worn off, step in for a plate of samosas (not the samosa chaat) and a plate of bhel-puri. The samosas can be split and broken up with spoons and the accompanying two sauces (taste them for heat levels) can be both drizzled over and mixed with the broken up samosa and eaten. Don't be shy, ask for extra plates, bowls. On a weekend when they make the samosas fresh – they are excellent.
Don't be tempted by the sweets (there are better sweets elsewhere). Tahoora Sweets is good – the sweets may be too sweet. But worth a step in to browse, ask for a sample or two if you wish (note Tahoora is actually further behind, i.e., East on Devon). I'll get to good sweets for eating later.
Across the street from Sukhadia's, there's Fresh Farms – a nice grocery store with interesting produce and spices etc. Also on that side of the street is Patel Bros. where you'll find a ton of spices etc. – a fun walkthrough. There are also other grocery stores nearby.

Close by is Udupi Palace – I rate this (slightly) better than Mysore Woodlands. I would suggest – another snack (split between all four of you) – a paper masala dosa (but ask for the 'masala' on the side, otherwise the masala is inside the dosa and it may get a bit soggy). This is South Indian food – and very different from the other food on Devon which is predominantly North Indian (yet Udupi palace does have a good papri chaat – though for chaats you are better off at Sukhadias)

There's India Book house if you want to stop in for Indian (cook)books and other shops fun stepping into depending on how much time you have.

Further West is Ambala Sweets which I like. Hopefully they will have fresh (hot) jalebis. Ask questions and sample before buying (don't be shy - ask for a sample if you have to). I would suggest a couple of jalebis and a couple of kala-jamuns (or just one and one of something else). You could wash this down with some Indian tea (if you are having dinner later, you can skip the tea and just get 'dessert' to go). Ask/taste some halwa – you can take some to go if you like. This can be a sweet snack for some later time/day (these will generally keep well).

At this point you are West on Devon beyond most Indian shops and are entering the East European/Russian Jewish section – these will be closed on Saturday the Sabbath.
Hashalom has good falafel and other offerings. There are interesting browseworthy delis closeby.

I think you could eat well all day on $40 or less – that's for all four of you.


***
Way East on Devon much closer to where you indicated you'll be staying is La Unica. This is a Latin American grocery store with a cafeteria with particularly good Cuban offerings
Nearby is BM Bakery (Is this still open – why do I feel like it closed? )

***
I have limited knowledge of specific dishes in the numerous Argyle stores. I was recently on an excellent guided walk around the Argyle shops – some based on that walkabout, here are some suggestions:
Starting on Sheridan just South of Argyle:
Vihn Phat BBQ & Bahn Mi: Try the Bahn Mi sandwiches here – maybe two between the four of you (appetizer, save room for other stuff on Argyle). I like the sour pork among others (and you can pull out the jalapeño slices out of yours) /see translation here/
There's also these good threads on Bahn Mi.
Along with the Bahn mi, a try some of the translucent green sweet coconut and rice gel treats – or whatever takes your fancy. The grocery stores on Argyle are fun to browse.
There are a ton of eating options on and around Argyle – from Sun Wah to Tank Noodle and Thai Avenue (on Broadway); even Thai Grocer is fun to step into – they do have a steam table with food you can take to go (you could ask for a small taste before you commit), as well as prepared foods in small packs or tetrahedrons rolled in leaves (you'll see this also at the Bahn Mi place – usually sticky rice with a filling of chicken or pork (verify)– very tasty – pick one up for snacking later).

A bowl of pho or something else at Tank (~ $6) can easily be shared by two – especially if you are snacking your way around. I would also suggest the fresh squeezed sugar cane juice at Tank - $3, but not too much if you are sharing and trying various items.

***

Footnote: I have left out a vast number of places, this is due to my lack of experience and not necessarily because they are worse than any place/dish that I do recommend. I was just trying to simplify what can be an overwhelming array of choices especially to a visitor and/or someone less familiar with what the choices entail. In any case, I know I have oversimplified, therefore I'm hoping others will continue with suggestions and corrections


This has been a nice thread, Joby, thanks for initiating it. I hope you and your family have a great time. I hope too that you will post about your trip and time in Chicago.

***

Nancy Sexton wrote:Average $20 for FOUR people?
Wow, is food that cheap in Indiana?

Food can be that 'cheap' - and that doesn't mean it's any less tasty- in Illinois even.

Nancy Sexton wrote:I mean, if you can't handle $40 for four people, it's going to really limit your choices.

For a fairly short trip to Chicago, I'm sorry, that's just hogwash (see somewhat long post above).

edited to restore links

sazerac, what a wonderfully detailed reply!!! Thank you!

You have answered some of my burning questions such as: now that we've found the recommended ethnic eatery, what the heck do we order!?

I've mulled over some of the menu postings on this site, but still in the dark mostly. A bit of Spanish and a bit of French are the only foreign languages we've been exposed to and can understand a little.

The men in the family have the love for HOT and spicey, daughter and I have very gringa tongues and stomachs.

I will be glad to post when we return, but I'm not done yet reading and asking questions before our trip!

Thanks again to everyone for all of the great responses and tips!

sazerac wrote:

Nancy Sexton wrote:Average $20 for FOUR people?
Wow, is food that cheap in Indiana?

Food can be that 'cheap' - and that doesn't mean it's any less tasty- in Illinois even.

Nancy Sexton wrote:I mean, if you can't handle $40 for four people, it's going to really limit your choices.

For a fairly short trip to Chicago, I'm sorry, that's just hogwash (see somewhat long post above).

Good for you Das, I totally agree with you.

When you have a budget, as this family does, then you plan everything a lot more to get more bang for your buck. It is the reason I fell upon Roadfood Goodfood series by Jane and Michael Stern years ago. I rarely vacation, so I want to get the most out of everything I do. Now we have these internet forums, which are really a great resource.

You can also cut costs by having breakfast in your motel room: milk, juice and cereal plus many places offer continental breakfasts. I have been to economy motels where you could get waffles you cook yourself, yogurt, biscuits-and-gravy, hard boiled eggs, fruits, cereals, plus choice of bagels and muffins. Since I live here rather than visit, I don't where these establishments may be though they are here.

If you simply enjoy eating on the hood of your car, or in the car, then a stop to Jim's Original or Maxwell Express on the frontage road to the Dan Ryan heading south just off Roosevelt Road. A pretty good Polish or pork chop sandwich can be had for less than $4 per person with a drink and fries.

You will be here during the summer months, which means a stop to Mario's Italian Ices on Taylor Street west of Halsted for a small portion costing a whole $1. The only surprise there is no matter what flavor you choose the base is always their Italian Lemonade with real lemon peel.

When we were a really young family and lived on the east coast. My family belonged to the American Youth Hostel, which had very economical accomodations. In fact one of the least expensive downtown places to stay in Chicago is at the Hostel. Of course it is dormitory sleeping divided by the sexes though it is cheap and clean. They probably have limited kitchen facilities, which could keep your milk chilled.

When I am travelling with my family, I keep an airline bag filled with plastic plates, bowls, cups, utensils, salt & pepper, a no longer loved plastic table cloth, a roll of paper towels and handiwipes. Sometimes you come across some very attractive food though no place to eat it. This bag allows an instant picnic. You're saving money, having a wonderful experience and nobody feels confined by their budget or taking a pass on some interesting foodstuffs.

Regards,

Cathy2, I could write a book on how to travel VERY economically and yet have a very entertaining time. As you mentioned, I do my research, we don't have the time or money to waste on a bad meal or activity.

Once in a while we get burned on something ( a meal or something), but more often than not we come home with great memories and have learned or tried something new too. I have lots of "secret" ways to save money while vacationing.

HI,

Maybe sometime in the Not ABout Food board, you might want to share your secret savings techniques while on vacations.

Regards,

If you go to Devon (which, by the way, is very close to Loyola - not so close that I'd walk, but easy bus rides; whatever you do DON'T drive, parking is impossible) make sure that after dinner you stop at a sweet shop; we did this a while back when we lived on Maplewood. The one closest to us featured a "sampler" for I think 4 bucks - you could choose 1 serving of 4-6 small servings of sweets from the pastry case. I asked the guy behind the counter to choose for me, and the kids and I split the candies between us. It was a real education, the sweets were delicious (the closest comparison I can make is that they were in some ways similar to greek pastry, but more like candy, and had a range of textures and subtle flavors) and it was cheap. Also, it gives you the chance to walk around and look at the incredible jewelry and saris..

I think it was this one - it's across from the Devon Produce Market; right down the street from the main drag of Indian food - but there are several, and I'd imagine they're all similar.

Sukhadia Sweets & Snacks
2559 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 338-5400
http://www.sukhadia.com/index_main.asp?sid=436633398

Are you aware of the CTA trip planner? Don't take the travel time offered too literally (or the wait time), especially for buses, but it's a good way to plan a short jaunt.

http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/

Mhays, yes, we have used the CTA planner before. CTA has a phone # and every night before we went to bed we called and planned out the bus/train routes of our next days activities. It was really helpful to know exactly whcih bus/train to take and what time.

We all LOVE sweets. If it has sugar in it, we are sold!

Cathy2, will do. Lots of the secrets people may already know, but I'll list some of what we do to keep expenses down.

a few thoughts on the devon suggestions - I like sukhadia a lot but not so much for the sweets, for that I think you are better off with ambala further west along the block, plus they seem to be willing to give out samples so you might be able to try before you buy. also when it comes to sweets, tahoora's kalakand kicks a**, and their rasmalia is much better than sukhadia's. At sukhadia, unlike sazerac I would get the samosas in chaat, because chaat includes their chick peas, which they do very nicely. OF course, these are all non-meaty things so far.

Unfortunately, the best meaty option for you seems to have burned down recently, but I would suggest trying out the chili chicken, or the goat champs (and for veggies the rapini at chopal) which might be worth it for best overdecorated interior (has anyone eaten at paradise by the way]

I'm not such a big fan of ghareeb nhawaz, I think the main draw there has always been the price, and would suggest hyderabad house, or a number of other places in its stead.

Thanks for your opinions too Zim! I read on LTH that Kahn's burned down. I'm sorrry to hear that anyone loses his/her business or livlihood.

Does the burning of Kahn's put a new spin on our "Indian dinner night" itinerary?

We are rethinking our itinerary a bit and including some suggestions from this board on our refigured itinerary. I have a couple of new questions to ask.

Does anyone know of an Italian deli in South Bend, IN called Macree's? My sister lives there and we had a great sandwich there and some good desserts too. If anyone has eaten there, is there anything similar that we might try in Chicago?

We are rethinking our Brookfield zoo day--now we are considering a day going to the Lincoln Park Zoo and conservatory instead, dinner and July 3rd fireworks in Grant Park. Any suggestions for a meal on that day? Antonius mentioned D'Amato or Bari, would either be a good suggestion on our Lincoln Park day?

Is this thread getting too long? Thanks again for all of your time and patience in answering my questions and giving opinions--it's appreciated.

Khan BBQ's fire only leaves about a thousand other restaurants on Devon, so while it's a loss, it hardly leaves Devon with nothing to offer.

D'Amato's just has slices of Sicilian-style pan pizza and loaves of bread, but you could pick up some subs at Bari and they'd make a very nice picnic at Grant Park. You'd be getting a better taste of Chicago than just about anybody else at Taste of Chicago... at least it would let you just sample a few things you really wanted to try at the Taste rather than depend on the expensive food there for filling you up.

As far as the whole can-you-eat-cheap debate goes, I would say it's not exactly easy in the main tourist areas, and requires some diligence there. In the ethnic neighborhoods, it's much easier.

Another good suggestion relatively close to the zoo is Priscilla's Ultimate Soul Food on Roosevelt Road just west of Mannheim.

It's cafeteria style with awesome fried chicken, smothered pork chops, greens and sweet potatoes. Excellent southern style desserts. Friendly staff. Dinner there will run you about $10 per head.

Hi Joby, here's my 2 cents on fun places to eat:

1. Ethiopian food! If you like Indian food, you should try it (that is, if you haven't already). My favorite place is Ethiopian Diamond, which is between the red line Thorndale and Granville stops. It's a real communal eating experience, and perfect for a family of 4. Food can be spicy, but not necessarily. They have some combination platters so that you can sample the cuisine...otherwise you order ala carte, which can get expensive. The veggie combo (3 or 4 choices) is about $10, so the prices aren't bad. All the food is eaten with the hands using a spongy bread called injera that has a fairly sour taste. One either loves it or hates it. Obviously, I love it. If you like a good sourdough, it may be for you.

2. Hot Doug's, an adventurous hot dog place at Roscoe and California (you will have to drive). Aside from normal hot dogs, they have exotic sausages as well and delicious fries. You can get your fries cooked in duck fat on Saturdays (closed Sunday). It's a great place, because there's something for everyone--even me, a vegetarian. Affordable (although some of the specialty sausages can get up to $6-7), and definitely not touristy at all.

3. For really good Italian-style pizza that's accessible on the el, I like Pizza DOC (don't know if it's been suggested yet). It's in Lincoln Square, off the brown line Western stop, and the pizzas run in the $11-13 range. They also have pastas, appetizers (good calamari), and nice salads. I suggest reservations on a weekend night--it can get pretty crowded. Very quality ingredients, thin but not crackery crust, and tasty all around.

Enjoy!

Mike G, Tammy and YourPalWill, as always thanks for your input too.

Bari sounds similar to the deli, Macree's, in S. Bend that I'm asking about above. We had wonderful subs there. I remember asking what mortadella was--we had never heard of it and the delicious olive mix, and the cheese and...sure wish I had one right now!

I see that Bari's is only open until 6:30 pm. We are shooting for dinner I think on that day at the LP Zoo/conservatory, finishing with fireworks in Grant Park. Kind of looking to eat dinner between zoo and 9:30 pm fireworks. Subs would be great to take back to Grant Park to eat. Would Bari still be an option for us?

Frankly, not only would Bari not be an option, I have some doubt that getting anywhere near enough to see the fireworks would be an option. There's a LOT of people there, transportation sort of breaks down the closer you get, it isn't really a drop-by-shortly-before-the-lights kind of event.

Anyone who's been to it more recently than me (circa 1989) have any better insights?