Bill at home in CHICAGO - Dining

Many visitors like to eat typical Chicago-style foods. Some of the most popular choices are deep-dish pizza (thick with lots of cheese), Italian beef (dipped in beef juice until the bread is soaked) and the hot dog (mustard, not ketchup). I cannot say that there are consensus choices for which restaurants have the "best" ones, as many locals have different favorites.

There are many Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Korean, Polish and Mediterranean restaurants in Chicago.

The annual Taste of Chicago is held in Grant Park over the July 4th holiday. Sure it is overcrowded and touristy, but it is fun to try weird ethnic foods and Chicago favorites.

Quick Tips:

Most visitors will hang around the downtown area and its adjacent neighborhoods (the Loop, River North, Gold Coast, South Loop, West Loop). While there are certainly good dining choices here, some prefer to venture a bit farther for food. Some popular areas a bit further out with a good selection of restaurants are Wicker Park, Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Andersonville, Hyde Park and Chinatown.

The downtown area contains or is within walking distance of zillions of attractions, hotels and restaurants. I am always asked if walking in downtown is "safe". Indeed, the big bad city may intimidate the untrained visitor with its urban attitude. However, I always say that as long as you use common sense (for example, do not count your stash of cash in the middle of a busy street), you should have no problems wandering about Chicago. Walks along the lakefront and down Michigan Avenue are essential to any visit in Chicago.

Best Way To Get Around:

I complain about the CTA (public transportation system of buses and "L" trains), but I still ride it every day. While I may unfairly compare it to exemplary public transportation systems elsewhere in Europe and Asia, the CTA is on the whole a reliable and comprehensive system. If you are hanging around downtown, there are many useful bus and L routes that you can use. Get a CTA transit card that is good for all-day travel for one to five days. The L routes are handy to get to some of the more far-flung attractions, and you have direct access to both airports (Blue Line to O''Hare, Orange Line to Midway). There are also various downtown trolley services (some free, some part of a tour) that are geared to tourists.

If you enjoyed my reviews on Chicago dining, please take a look at my accompanying articles: "Bill at home in CHICAGO - Activities" and "...Accommodations".

I would like to thank my colleague, Chicago architect Marius Ronnett, for sharing many of his stunning images of his adopted hometown.

This may not be the most famous tapas restaurant in the city, but it is my favorite. For the uninitiated, a "tapas" restaurant serves small portions of food generally served in the bars of Spain; this is different than a "topless" restaurant which is another matter! Cafe Iberico is a lively place for dinner with a group of friends or a date.

The location is only a bit removed from the frenzy of the Magnificent Mile, situated six small blocks west of Michigan Avenue. If you want to avoid a wait for dinner, try to show up a bit before 6pm or after 8pm. Otherwise, try to make a reservation, or just enjoy hanging around the crowded bar area with television programs beamed in from Spain. This place can be quite loud, but not in a bad way.

A pitcher of fruity sangria is a good way to start your dining experience. You will get a basket of fresh bread, which is great with olive oil. The menu has many selections of cold and hot tapas, daily specials, and terrific desserts. The selections can be quite varied, but all are delicious. On a given day you can have lamb, rabbit, shellfish, or other "exotic" dishes. Order a couple, and if you are still hungry order a few more! I have been here many times and the food has never disappointed me. Definitely save room for dessert, with a range of favorites like creme catalan, flan, and caramalized banana. The service is fine, with the occasional waiter trotting out about six dishes on each arm.

Mambo Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in the River North area, just north of downtown. This is not a restaurant that is Mexican or Spanish or any other specific type. The menu is derived from various cuisines typically served in Latin America.

The place lives up to its name, as terrific selections of Latin music are piped into the intimately lit interiors to get diners in the mood for a good time. A small outdoor cafe area with a few tables is set up during the warmer months. The regular seating area has cozy booths, a couple of regular tables in the middle, as well as a bar area. The small dining downstairs is for groups or when the restaurant is very busy. The stairs leading to the lower level (the rest rooms are located here) seem rather steep.

The lunch menu features a good selection of sandwiches, such as Cuban steak, ropa vieja, or portobello mushroom served on various kinds of tasty bread. The entrees (enchiladas, flautas, etc.,), soups, and salads are also good. The veggie empanadas are very light but subtly delicious. The lunchtime service is surprisingly fast here.

The place fills up for dinner on the weekends, so reservations are recommended for these peak dining hours. The dinner menu features more entrees, with large plates of chicken and pork served in a myriad of styles. Some dishes are sweet, some savory, with side dishes ranging from sweet potatoes to jalapeno mashed potatoes to plantains. Other favorites include carne asada, ribs, and seafood.

The drink and dessert selections are good but not cheap. The drink list is extensive and features rums, tequilas, and mojitos. The chocolate fudge cake is a rich and sweet dessert dramatically presented with strawberries and cream. The chocolate chipotle cake sounds bizarre (peppers and chocolate?), but the combination of slightly spicy cream and decadent flourless chocolate will make you want to lick the plate clean. The banana truffle torte is rich and can easily be shared by a couple. The key lime pie has a thick crust, which tones down the tart lime filling. I do miss the moist and creamy tres leches cake that used to be on their menu (it was excellent!).

For the uninitiated, this stand features the best Italian ice in Chicago. Appropriately, this institution is on Taylor Street in Little Italy, adjacent to (and some may say taken over by) the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. It is open seasonally, normally from May to September.

As far as I am concerned, the summer starts when Mario’s is open! Each serving of ice is served complete with lemon rinds blended with your choice of about a dozen or so flavors. Some of the fruit flavors contain the actual fruit (pineapple and coconut, for instance) while some just have the flavoring (strawberry, blue raspberry). Some special flavors cost a bit extra because there is more fruit (cantaloupe, fruit cocktail). Then you have the bizarre chocolate flavor, which has the effect of a frozen Tootsie Roll transformed into ice. It is actually pretty good, but I find it hard to resist all the great fruit flavors. There are several serving sizes (a medium is $1.50; the smallest one is 90 cents) and you can get big buckets to take away as well. Each serving comes with a spoon and a thin straw for your slurping pleasure.

Besides Italian ice, you can order lemonade drink, snowcones, and nuts. However, the main attraction is definitely the Italian ice. On a hot day, I like to try several flavors one cup at a time. Unlike ice cream, the ice is actually refreshing and thirst-quenching. This is a good spot for people watching. People dressed in suits line up with students in t-shirts and shorts. Cars frequently double-park in front of the stand. Police officers chase the double-parkers away, and then they get in line themselves for some cool treats.

Across the street from Mario’s is Al’s Italian Beef, which is one of the top places in the city to get an Italian beef sandwich – dipped or undipped. If you are in Chicago during the summertime and you are looking for a refreshing treat, you must make a pilgrimage to Mario’s!

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Within my office there is a debate about their favorite burrito place in downtown Chicago. The choices are Burrito Buggy and Burrito Beach, both within a block of each other. While Burrito Buggy and its more authentic Mexican-style food is not bad, my personal vote is definitely with Burrito Beach!

Burrito Beach is my favorite fast-food venue in downtown Chicago. The burritos are more California-style than Mexican, so as long as you know this fact you should be pleased with the food. There is a fine choice of burritos, quesadillas, soft-shell tacos and salads. Each weekday has a special combo meal with burrito, side of rice or beans, and soft drink for $4.99 plus tax. My personal favorite is the BBQ chicken burrito combo on Friday. This is my "regular" lunch on Fridays, as I frequently meet up with friends or co-workers. There are other interesting choices such as thai chicken, buffalo chicken (spicy!), and so forth. I also like the quesadillas and tacos, although weight-wise you get less food than the burritos.

Do not let the lunchtime line discourage you; it usually moves rather quickly. Every item is made right before your eyes, so no lamp-heated junk food there. The ingredients (lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, etc.) are always fresh and crisp. The salsa is zingy without being too spicy, and it is needed to prop up the flavor of the side of rice or beans. In the summertime, a few outdoor cafe seats allow you to dine with the CTA "L" trains rumbling overhead; a true Chicago experience! Get a golden stamp card; buy 12 items and the next is a freebie!

I always go to the location at Lake and Dearborn (connected to an Arby's and a Sbarro's), but there are other locations scattered throughout the city. There is even a new location within O'Hare Airport's American Airlines Terminal 3.

One of the most famous (infamous?) modern buildings in downtown Chicago is the colorful State of Illinois Center. It has been officially renamed the James R Thompson Center, after the former governor of Illinois who was the main driving force behind this project. I still refer to the structure by its original generic title, because Governor Thompson is not dead yet! The award-winning State of Illinois Center, designed by architectural superstar Helmut Jahn, was dedicated in May 1985. It houses state offices, art galleries, a handy information desk with brochures, and levels of shopping and dining outlets. Whether you like or hate Jahn's design, it definitely is an architectural presence in the North Loop.

The State of Illinois Center is still a drawing card for visitors and architecture students from around the world. Its glass and steel exterior is still a bit off-putting to locals, but there is no denying that this building is a landmark. Its main entrance at Clark and Randolph is a rounded-off facade marked by a Jean Dubuffet sculpture. The plaza is a popular gathering point on those precious summer days. Most people will agree that the interior atrium outshines the exterior design. The 16-floor atrium space, which includes dramatic glass elevator shafts, tops out at an angled "skylight". The building also includes a post office, and it is a transportation hub for the CTA public transit.

The lower Concourse level contains a myriad of food court dining options. Office workers pack the atrium seating at lunchtime. If you want a more peaceful time here, try to visit during off-peak weekday hours. Like many downtown dining options, the food court is closed during the weekends. The center of the Concourse level has a marble rosette pattern that can be appreciated by onlookers from above. Unfortunately, the best views are now restricted to state employees due to security measures. The main level has a 72-foot diameter opening, so you have a visual connection into the steel and glass atrium above.

The food court has many of your usual suspects (KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Sbarro, Dunkin Donuts) that are generally overpriced when compared to other similar outlets (higher rents in this building perhaps?). My favorite place here is Pita Express, the generically named Mediterranean place that is very deep into the bowels of the food concourse. They have tasty daily specials, and you can try a few pita snack chips while you are waiting for your order. The New Orleans Kitchen (the "Asian Cajun" place) is so-so, and I am befuddled as to why Robinson's Ribs has virtually no line everyday while Panda Express does boffo business. Try to get a table and watch the comings and goings of locals rushing about their business.

The Park Grill, a 300-seat indoor restaurant, has a built-in audience as it sits within the immensely popular Millennium Park. During the warmer months, the McCormick Tribune Plaza is utilized as valuable alfresco dining space, adding an additional 150 seats to the capacity. Even so, the wait for a table can be at least an hour whether inside or out (try to make a reservation if possible). The hostesses have generally been very graceful while dealing with the hungry masses jammed in the crowded waiting area inside the restaurant. It is interesting to observe here that despite the restaurant having rather sophisticated interiors with a pricey menu to match, the hordes of diners were dressed in anything from elegant eveningwear to the casual t-shirted tourist look.

The overall look is pleasing, from the swirly metallic cylindrical holders for food items like bread down to the smart orange, black or navy blue shirts worn by the staff. The booths appear very cozy, but the small tables seem to just fill in the gaps of the dining room. Our two-seated table was fortuitously located next to the window wall facing the bustling alfresco area outside.

The useful list of wines and beers features selections from great beer countries like Belgium and Ireland (I ordered a Czech beer while my companion enjoyed a margarita). Our complimentary serving of bread was accompanied by butter and this delicious relish consisting of mashed olives and garlic. We ordered a plate of onion rings and they were a reasonably tasty pile of thin-cut strings and rings.

The main courses feature various grilled meat dishes as hinted at by its name. My entree was mysteriously named Peking duck with mole sauce, although the only Asian aspect of the dish was its pristine side of white jasmine rice. The generous serving of a half-duck, cut up into several pieces, was very meaty and not fatty at all. The mole sauce was deep brown and subtly spicy. Perhaps a name change to Puebla duck would be more appropriate, but still it was a tasty dish. My companion ordered prime rib, which was straightforward and decent but unfortunately not evenly cooked. The menu is a la carte, so I was lucky that my duck had rice on the side. Other American-style classics include rotisserie chicken, pork chops, pizza, and fish dishes. The desserts looked delicious, but our substantial courses filled us up.

If you dine at the Park Grill indoors, you may not want to know that the gargantuan 110-ton Cloud Gate sculpture sits on the plaza above you. For those with less money or time to spend, try the Park Cafe next door for a small bite to eat. You order from a menu of sandwiches, soups and salads, then take it outside and stare at "the Bean".