"best" chow part of the Loop - Wells & Van Bur [Buren]

Okay, a bit audacious as some of the places there I have yet to fully test, but I submit that Wells & Van Buren is a few block area with some of the best lunchtime options in all of the loop, and certainly one of the most dense clusters of decent, independent (or small chain) options.

A few of the many notables:

- Lai Lai and the recent Korean Express (especially the Korean Express) - they close up around 2:00pm, but for about $7 you can have a coke, a plate of actually spicy pork (or chicken) bulgogi, and a side order of decent kimchi ($0.99 for the kimchi). A great addition to the Loop's dining.

- Burrito Buggy - along Van Buren just west of Wells. One of my historical favorites (used to work at the Board of Trade back in the late 90's and though we got a free lunch at work, about once a week or so would go get a burrito anyway, they are very good)

- Fruit Expressions - a new place just a few months old along Van Buren, just east of Wells. Offers a very wide range of freshly squeezed juices in a huge variety of combinations (pick one "base juice" - add additional flavors, add complimenary pearls etc). Very clean, bright new place - seems well worth supporting and at least the sample I tried today (having already eaten) was exceedingly tasty and fresh.

- Tokyo Lunch Box - south side of Van Buren - been a while since I ate here, but reports are that it is quite good.

On Wells just north of Van Buren on the east side of the street is a new mexican place (looks chainlike, but not one I am familiar with) that offers "fresh mexican prepared in front of you" - which at least holds promise And north of that is a what appears to be an Irish Pub of some form.

There is also a Billy Goat, a hotdog stand (Trader's Dogs), a Krispy Kreme, a Starbucks, and a number of other lunch spots and even a few run down bars and taverns.

In short, a great few blocks of eating in the Loop - and I would submit one of the best stretches in the Loop.

Any additional spots I missed?

Any other small few block areas of the Loop worthy alternatives?

Shannon

I've always been a fan of Pockets and there is one located right around the corner from the "Chow Zone" you talked about.. It's located at 329 S. Franklin.

About a block and a half north of the Sears Tower on Franklin, there's Uncle Abe's Deli, which I've been pimping out here and on CH for a couple of years now with relatively little success. But it has my favorite pastrami in this city. Tough hours (closes in early afternoon if I remember) and not much else immediately nearby, but as long as you're in the 'hood, I'd enjoy hearing what you thought about the place.

More choices from my neck of the woods:

1) On Clark between Van Buren and Congress there's La Cocina and the new branch of Haifa. Also some chicken joint.

2) Printers' Row:
a) on Clark between Harrison and Polk there's Blackie's and the Butcher's Dog, though I just heard this place has stopped offering lunch.
b) on Dearborn between Harrison and Polk, there's a Thai place (I don't like it, but what do I know about Thai food), Trattoria Caterina (decent pizza and sandwiches, no opinion on the pasta), SRO (some very good sandwiches), Hackney's, Gourmand and in the Station, a Bar Louie and a cafe that also serves sandwiches.
c) on State between Harrison and Polk, there's the South Loop Club, Got Pizza (haven't tried it).

Historical note: The Pacific Beer Garden (State by Balbo) has been closed for more than a century. The Pacific Garden Mission, which helps out a lot of people in bad straits, derives its name from the beer garden it replaced.

Antonius
_________________

Yep, you missed a few that are pretty well documented. La Cocina, the big sit-down Mexican on Clark, the fried fish and chicken places right there, Pepper's Sandwich Shop, adjacent to Cal's, Boni Vino, SkyRide Tap, to name a couple more.

the chain is Qdoba, one of around 100 in the US. they're owned by Jack-in-the-Box I think. I'd avoid this place and head to La Cocina, that someone else already mentioned. good tacos al pastor, with just the right amount of char on the pork. nice addition of fresh cilantro. plus, where else in the loop can you get a nice horchata for lunch? (actually, I don't know the answer to this, it was intended to be rhetorical)

I'd have to second Lai Lai. I've hit it twice since it's opened and had good experiences both times. I like that the entrees are all served over both rice and cabbage, rather than just rice. Nice texture addition.

The Irish place is Paog Mahog or something, which translated literally means "Kiss my ass". I'm not joking. I ate there last Wednesday thinking I was entering a real-life Chatchski's. Sadly, there wasn't a piece of flair to be found. The upside was pretty good food. Kiss my ass (I won't pretend to know Gaelic) serves a good burger. The menu said the beef is never frozen and (I think) not pre-pattied. Good signs off the bat. Plus, I ordered and actually received medium rare right in the middle of the lunch rush. If it wasn't for the addictive chips at Blackie's I'd have to make this the new Friday lunch burger destination. We'll see.

Bob S. wrote:Tough hours (closes in early afternoon if I remember)

I'm amazed you've ever been there--I thought you were still asleep in the early afternoon.

Bob S. wrote:About a block and a half north of the Sears Tower on Franklin, there's Uncle Abe's Deli, which I've been pimping out here and on CH for a couple of years now with relatively little success. But it has my favorite pastrami in this city. Tough hours (closes in early afternoon if I remember) and not much else immediately nearby, but as long as you're in the 'hood, I'd enjoy hearing what you thought about the place.

I've walked over to Uncle Abe's twice now and it is very good, but it is a bit of a hike for me (I'm at SouthWater/Mich). Sadly, Manginos also is a hike as is Harry's Hot Dogs. Those three make up 3/4 of my favorite places to eat in the loop. 4th being Hank's Franks on Michigan.

Aaron Deacon wrote:

Bob S. wrote:Tough hours (closes in early afternoon if I remember)

I'm amazed you've ever been there--I thought you were still asleep in the early afternoon.

A man's gotta work, alas.

Note that I'm not saying I'm wide-awake even now.

Here are a few more. Finkel's Deli , Trader Pizza, Reggies's Pizza( inside Alcocks Bar) all around the corner from the Tokyo Lunch Box. Ceres Cafe in the lobby of the C.B.O.T. and Ceres Marketplace downstaires. And there's also a Potbelly's down the block. Next month there will be a ribs and bbq pork chop sandwich place by a CBOT bond trader. Places open and close early and mostly closed on the weekends because of the market hours.( 7:20 - 3:15). If you want to find a drink at 6:00 am , Ceres Cafe, great bloody marys and beer at Skyride's.

Simon wrote:I'd have to second Lai Lai. I've hit it twice since it's opened and had good experiences both times. I like that the entrees are all served over both rice and cabbage, rather than just rice. Nice texture addition.

Where exactly is Lai Lai?

J. Ro wrote:Where exactly is Lai Lai?

It can be found at the corner of Van Buren and Wells. It sort of shares an entryway with the Billy Goat there. The signage also refers to Lai Lai as Korean Express. There is a Chinese counter next to the Korean. I have never sampled the Chinese.

Thanks in part to the instructions, I found my way to Lai Lai/Korean Express for lunch today. I had the bibimbop at the Korean Express counter. It was better than my usual lunchtime fare in that it was different than my usual lunchtime fare (la Cocina/Potbelly's/Taco Fresco/Cosi/My Thai), but I think it would wear as thin as the normal options if subjected to repeat visits.

On the way back to the office, I popped into Krispy Kreme.

"What are you having?" she asked.
"Do you have anything hot?" I asked.
"Hot? We haven't had anything hot in like five or six months. We get the donuts each morning at 4:30, and they aren't hot when they get here," she replied.
"Oh, it's been a while since I've been in here, I guess," I offered.

At this point, I should have walked out without getting anything. But I felt compelled to confirm my previously-held belief that the only reasonable time to eat a Krispy Kreme Donut is when the Hot Donuts Now sign is illuminated. Completely confirmed.

It's sad that they have removed the production line from the store. In addition to being somewhat magical to watch the donuts get sugary goop dumped over them, the Krispy Kreme donut suffers more than any other with the passage of time. I won't be back to the Van Buren location.

Keep eating,
J. Ro

The donut machine was an illusion to begin with. As you probably know, the actual KK machine is a huge Rube Goldberg contraption that takes up quite a lot of space, more than would be worthwhile in the Loop, Manhattan or similarly dense and pricey locales. What I recall from my youth at the smokey 24 hour dumps that were the KK of the Old South remains the single common thread to the new KK -- the in-store apparatus at the large, suburban production-stores here. The Van Buren KK machine sent pre-cooked donuts through a bath of hot glaze. Better than not, but not the same as Hot Donuts Now. Who knows, maybe they were enjoined from using the ersatz donut machine by some consumer advocate or Lisa Madigan.

I think the 44th/Pulaski Krispy Kreme still has the Hot Doughnuts Now machine... or do they? The drive-thru in Memphis, however, appears not to have it, and is by far the most awful Krispy Kreme I've ever tasted.

Kim wrote:Here are a few more. Finkel's Deli , Trader Pizza, Reggies's Pizza( inside Alcocks Bar) all around the corner from the Tokyo Lunch Box. Ceres Cafe in the lobby of the C.B.O.T. and Ceres Marketplace downstaires. And there's also a Potbelly's down the block. Next month there will be a ribs and bbq pork chop sandwich place by a CBOT bond trader. Places open and close early and mostly closed on the weekends because of the market hours.( 7:20 - 3:15). If you want to find a drink at 6:00 am , Ceres Cafe, great bloody marys and beer at Skyride's.

There's another new place to check out in the Financial District. it's called Skrine Chops , it's around the corner from Tokyo Lunch Box. They just opened up this week. I have not been there yet, but have always heard good things about his chops.

www.skrinechops.com

looks interesting, I think I'll head over there tomorrow or early next week. anyone try this skrinechops yet?

Simon wrote:looks interesting, I think I'll head over there tomorrow or early next week. anyone try this skrinechops yet?

Not yet, but from the looks of the link posted here, I'll be there sooner than later!

i'm sorry but i have to take issue with your Lai Lai recommendation. I used to LOVE that place when it was on Madison.....the curry chicken is/was amazing. HOWEVER..over time as i ate there i noticed that more and more i'd have to spit out pieces of meat after biting into really rubbery pieces. then i started paying more attention and I'm sorry..but they must use some Grade Z meat or something. After a while, i went to their new location farther south to try the curry chicken again. and at first i thought "well, this is all better now" but yet again, i found myself biting into rubbery pieces of i-don't-know-what. so no people, do not eat at Lai Lai. from a former Lai Lai addict. (not sure what took me so long to realize this..i think b/c i usually inhale my food and don't chew enough)

There's another new place to check out in the Financial District. it's called Skrine Chops

I just finished lunch from Skrines and apart from the initial start up pains (they opened yesterday) the food was very good. I had the Skrine Chop Meal which is a pork chop, side and drink for about $7.50 including tax.
The pork, a center cut chop, was juicy with some zippy seasonings. The side of blue cheese potato salad had generous pieces of blue cheese, red onion along with the celery and red potatoes.
They were out of their Choppped Salad and other sides, due to startup issues and I'll give those a try next time. All in all a nice addition to the area.

Skrines Chops
400 S. Financial Place
Chicago Il.
312-566-9334
http://www.skrinechops.com

DBigg,
I'm so glad that you checked it out. Was the portion a good size? And is it freshly grilled or does he just heat it up on the grill? Also , is there tables or carry out only? I hope he does well , The prices seem reasonable and the sides sound and look awesome. Financial traders are now allowed to eat in the pits while they trade. I'm sure there will be alot of Skrine chops and ribs being passed around. I heard his sign will be up next week.

I'm so glad that you checked it out. Was the portion a good size? And is it freshly grilled or does he just heat it up on the grill? Also , is there tables or carry out only?

He says it's an 8oz chop including the bone and the side was about a 1/2 pint I guess. It was a nice size lunch where I didn't feel like taking a nap afterwards (I get a double burger at Peppers if I'm looking for some sleep)
They were grilling them when I walked in so I'm guessing fresh grilled although who knows what'll be at the lunch rush. It's carry out only but like you said, just bring it the financial room and have a picnic.
I'm pulling for him as well, I'm a big fan of pork.

Just finished a chop with red beans and rice.

The good:
"Zippy" is an understatement. The chop is very aggressively seasoned. Prior to my taste buds being obliterated, I tasted some hot sauce (cayenne and vinegar), garlic, salt, a little rosemary, and black pepper. The red beans 'n rice were a nice counterpoint.

More on the chop: nicely done and not overcooked, wrapped in some aluminum foil, and allowed to "rest" during the short walk from SkrineChop back to my desk.

The bad:
Beans and rice could have been a little more seasoned, the better to stand up to the onslaught of the SkrineChop.

Overall:
Worth visiting again. It's a storefront, so forget about sitting down. They're still working on taking credit cards, so for the next week or so it's cash only. My only concern is that if all of the meats are so strongly seasoned, it can become tiresome. Still, tasty as tasty can be.

I made it to SkrineChops yesterday. The place was as described. A small store front stuck between a Subway and a Dunkin Donuts (they now have a sign, BTW). The ambiance was that of a typical Chicago Beef stand...nowhere to sit, but a rustic stand-up counter in the window. No one was taking advantage of the counter, though. The business was strictly carry out. I went with the flow and ate in my car.

The SkrineChop was a nicely seasoned bone-in chop cooked to order. It was perfectly done...very juicy and hot off the grill. The seasoning was very good and as described by MisterC, except that I didn't think it was over the top in terms of seasoning (although it had a spice level more like something I would cook for myself rather than that of a typical fast food joint...a good thing). I had the bleu cheese potato salad as a side. The potato salad is made with skin on red potatoes and the dressing had only the slightest hint of bleu cheese in it. You really had to be looking for the taste of bleu cheese to be able to spot it. It could have used a little more seasoning...especially salt, but it was good none the less. It was much different than the heavy mayo based potato salad that you would get at a typical sandwich shop.

My only very minor complaint is the packaging. When you order a SkrineChop, that's what you get...a chop wrapped in tin foil and nothing else. No utensils no napkins no bread...nothing. Its not an easy thing to eat, unless you take to eating barehanded, Maxwell Street style.

All in all, SkrineChops is a welcome addition to the downtown (can I say that?) food scene. I'm not in that area all that often, but I may make a point to be there a little more often now that I have had a SkrineChop. It's a great place to have a decent lunch quickly, without having to resort to one of the mega fast food chains...a busy Chowist's dream.

SkrineChop in its Custom Packaging

I used to work on S. LaSalle between Van Buren and Congress. This was totally my hood!

Ceres Cafe in the lobby of the C.B.O.T. and Ceres Marketplace downstaires.

I loved the cafeteria/grill downstairs at the CBOT. Best salad bar in the city, and a very good patty melt! The upstairs restaurant was also good, and very nice for hanging out in front (behind?) the CBOT with iced teas for a long lunch on a warm day.

Zoop was quite the popular place back in the late 90s - I take it they've closed.

There also used to a Polish/Eastern Euro-style deli place on Wells (I think) between Adams and Van Buren. Don't recall the name, but they had very cheap rib-sticking lunch specials that were somewhat strange but usually good. Along the lines of spinach lasagna but polish-style, plus homemade pierogies and a few good pastries as well.

the French Dip at Rivers in the Merc is pretty dam* good....it's available in the take-out section only i believe. costs around $6 to $7.

I had lunch at Skrine Chops today. I had the SkrineChop meal: 8 oz. bone in center cut pork chop, blue cheese potato salad and drink for $6.75. The ala carte is $5.75. The chop was heavily seasoned and sizzling hot off the grill. There was an aroma in the seasoning that smelled familiar but I could not identify; was it roasted rosemary? Roasted coriander? It was kind of perfumey.

The blue cheese potato salad had sliced celery and big chunks of red onion in a mayo dressing and did not have a strong blue cheese taste which was fine with me.

They also offer a chicken breast meal, half slab or full slab meal, a chopped salad that comes with or without the chop and a combo platter.
Side dishes include Yukon Gold mashed potatoes with cream, butter and garlic, which was sold out, and red beans and rice.

Menu prices range from $6.00 - $15.00 for the full meal; $5.00 - $13.50 for the ala carte.

It is a take-out business with counter space to stand and eat.

They're very friendly; a couple came from the kitchen to check on their customers. I was told by a relative who works in the area that Mr. Skrine is a trader and is known for his grilling.

It was a delicious and satisfying lunch and really hit the spot on a day like today.

I think this chop would make a great sandwich on a good, crusty roll with some green leaf lettuce and tomato.

One place which you guys have all overlooked (and I'm shocked) is China Inn, located at Van Buren and Franklin.

Huge portions, all freshly cooked...I highly recommend the Orange Chicken and Cashew Shrimp. Good egg rolls too if that's your thing. Very friendly and outgoing management.

China Inn
223 W Van Buren
312.922.8100

My favorite chow places on that strip are the aforementioned China Inn, Finkl's Deli (on Financial Place), Peppers (best hangover cure there is), and Billy Goat (killer steak and eggs).

In my CBOT days, I spent many a morning steadying my hands with a screwdriver or a bloody at Ceres or the Sky Ride.