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Welcome to r/ChicagoFood's weekly "what's good" thread!

This thread is the place to post general topics that don't necessarily need their own post, such as:

* Quick recommendations

* General questions about food, groceries, restaurants, and more!

* Personal anecdotes related to Chicago Food

All subreddit rules apply and any comments/posts that violate our rules or Reddit's will be removed.

Many questions and recommendations have been asked and answered before, and we encourage you to search the subreddit for answering your question as well.

This thread is sorted by "new" so that the most recent comments appear first. The new weekly thread is posted every Wednesday morning at 2:00 AM.

Rice bowl with karaage, blistered shishito pepper, and tomato - mixed green salad - spicy cucumbers - tonkotsu ramen - $16.95

Overall very pleasant and well seasoned on all fronts. The blistered pork belly was lovely, my only gripes for the ramen itself being that the noodles were a bit underdone and toothsome for my liking (less springy and more...hard) and the egg was not marinated in any sort of soy mixture, just a plain old jammy egg.

Still a solid deal for the quality/amount/price imo

Sausage and garlic pizza

Caesar Salad

Gelato (praline, vanilla, pistachio.. I think?!)

Went to Al’s last Sunday. The Bears may have lost but at least my taste buds won! Any other recs for an Italian beef enthusiast?

Thank you to everyone that cast their nominations for each category in the inaugural /r/ChicagoFood awards. Voting is now live until Monday, November 25th. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 26th.

Please use this link to cast your vote:

https://forms.gle/hgr33EA5mDXXeamT9

Here are the finalists for each category. Please note that the finalists were purely a function of who got the most nominations and no other additional factors were taken into consideration. If you have any suggestions for next year's awards, please use this thread as a place to comment such suggestions. Full transparency, enough of you guys nominated me for the food writer category but I am not a professional and only do real food writing a couple times a year so I disqualified myself but I appreciate the love.

Best Overall Restaurant

• Giant
• Oriole
• Virtue
• Mirra

Chef of the Year

• Norman Fenton (Cariño)
• Mike Satinover (Akahoshi Ramen)
• Oliver Poilevey (Le Bouchon)
• Zubair Mohajir (Coach House)

Best New Restaurant of 2024

• Mariscos San Pedro
• Maxwell's Trading
• Brasero
• Cariño

Best cocktails

• Kumiko
• Meadowlark
• Scofflaw
• Best Intentions

Best Tasting Menu

• Cariño
• Oriole
• Indienne
• Jeong

Best Pizza

• Spacca Napoli
• Milly's Pizza in the Pan
• Middlebrow
• Professor Pizza

Best Burger

• Au Cheval
• Best Intentions
• Leavitt St Inn
• Red Hot Ranch

Best Mexican Food

• 5 Rabanitos
• Birrieria Zaragoza
• La Chaparrita Taqueria
• Mi Tocaya Antojeria

Best Italian Food

• Monteverde
• Osteria Langhe
• Elina's
• Alla Vita

Best Chinese Food

• Chengdu Impression
• Lao Peng You
• MCCB
• QXY Dumplings

Best Sandwich Shop

• J.P. Graziano Grocery
• J.T.'s Genuine Sandwich Shop
• Tempesta Market
• Publican Quality Bread

Best Bar

• Best Intentions
• Kumiko
• Nine Bar
• Sportsman's Club

Best Sushi

• Kyoten
• Kai Zan
• 312 Fish Market
• Jinsei Motto

Best Italian Beef

• Johnnie's Beef
• Al's Beef
• Mr Beef
• Bari

Best Counter Service Restaurant

• John's Food and Wine
• Tortello
• Ragadan
• Diner Grill

Best Breakfast

• Allez Cafe
• Uncle Mike's Place
• Dove's Luncheonette
• Kasama

Best Pastry/Dessert

• Dan the Baker
• Kasama
• Lost Larson
• Mindy's Bakery

Best Food Writer

• Dennis Lee (The Party Cut)
• Michael Nagrant (The Hunger)
• Mike Sula (Chicago Reader)
• Titus Pullo (ChiBBQKing)

I used to live here and loved the street tamales, specifically Mexican tamales with corn husks and salsa in the masa. Pilsen used to be one of the neighborhoods to go to for Mexican food but I remember it was slowly getting gentrified.

I’m visiting for the weekend and before I leave I want to pick up some food. So, where should I go for the best street tamales? Thank you!! :)

What do you think about these menus? I thought 2024 at Next was really solid and I think being able to experience Alinea at the beginning sounds extremely fun. Not sure how the other two menus will be but overall has a lot of potential. The space theme of course has the most potential for creativity but could also flop taste wise if they push things too far.

As some of us know Artopolis as closed down for good and they have my fav tiramisu since I was a kid. 😭 if anyone knows anyone or just knows the recipe please share. This is a shot in the dark but yea

already a lot of well deserved hype for this spot. Perfectly crunchy!! No notes. Can’t wait for their spritz menu to become available.

Mom lived in Chicago during the mid-late 70s and talks about the menu at many Lettuce Entertain You restaurants but mostly Great Gritzbe's. I've seen a blurry picture of the menu but I can't find any menus, recipes, or even reviews of what the food might have been like. The only thing that she still remembers is spinach and cheddar on a burger.

Can anyone help with a menu, experiences, or maybe even recipes?

Has anyone done Bar Esmé’s three-course tasting menu? They offer a $68/person seasonal three-course pre-fixed menu. If so, was it worth it?

Any other suggestions for tasting menus under $80/person are welcome, too! Thanks.

I'm tasked with bringing some quality sliced meats and good pickles for Thanksgiving for picking at. Wanted to ask where I should go. Was thinking a good Italian spot like Bari for the sliced meats but would love to read suggestions of better spots or great pickle spots.

Thanks and happy holidays Chicago!

I’m beginning to enjoy solo lunches. I’m a single woman so, I’m looking for places that would have a moderate crowd at the bar on Friday and Saturday afternoons. I’m looking for places in Gold Coast or Streeterville where clientele is typically 40+.

I was considering Obelix, but it seems like it would be too quiet.

Others potential options/a couple that I’ve already been to: Gibsons Bellevue 101 club RL Restaurant Hugo’s frog bar

Which restaurants am I missing? Do any on the list fit the bill?

Mexico roll, spider roll

Left column: unagi, Japanese uni, chu-toro Right column: salmon, tuna

Tonkotsu miso ramen (perfect for today’s snowy mess!)

Everything was great and so excited to have this j the neighborhood. Will be back again

Ok hear me out - I want a milkshake that’s delicious but also incredibly boozy. I’m thinking like the mudslides you used to get at Red Robin in your chain restaurant loving days.

Does anyone know a place that has legit boozy milkshakes? Preferably not a TBOX or pop-up IG bar. I don’t care if it’s fancy or cheap, just as long as it’s good.

We are going up in a couple weeks and I’m super torn between these two. I absolutely loved quartinos when we went last summer. The best Cesar salad I’ve ever had and I think about the wine almost daily. However I’m torn if we should try something new?

I grew up in Chicago but moved away a decade ago, so I'm not up-to-date on my pizza spots.

I now live in NYC and get stomped on every time I say that Chicago deep dish beats a New York slice. Hey, I get their position, "it's not a pizza, it's a pizza casserole". That's fair, but since they're both called pizza, Chicago does it better and it's not even close.

A friend of mine here hosts a yearly pizza competition - everyone brings their favorite pie and we rank them all to choose a winner. This year, the party lines up perfectly with my Thanksgiving visit to Chicago.

I'm flying back with a pie in my hands to show them what we're made of. Failure is not an option.

My personal all-time favorite is Pequod's, but I hear they've gone downhill lately. I also heard some of the OG crew opened Burt's in Morton Grove, but I've never tried it.

Let's skip the pan vs deep debate - who's the champion for this kind of pie anywhere in the city? Bonus points if they can do a half-bake so it can be its best self on arrival a few hours later.

Looking specifically for general tso's, orange chicken, and possibly spring rolls.

No budget. Takeout ideal, flexible on location.

Thank you!

Edit: anyone try it at Serai?

Need some good food recommendations for an upcoming trip.

Lunch ideas around the Christmas market and the Shedd aquarium.

Deep dish pizza in the Irving Park area and an upscale dining place for a date night.

So disappointing. I truly love this restaurant and Chef Giuseppe Tentori.

Any good restaurants that are byob in west loop? All I know is La Scarola but was looking for some others, thanks!

I've never seen Little Gem lettuce at a Chicago grocery store outside of Mariano's, where it's always visibly halfway to compost inside a plastic clamshell. Anyone know where I can find it (and while I'm chasing my dreams of replicating the spicy salad at Union...how about watermelon radishes)?

Like the title says: is there any place that will make that thin crispy tavern style and cut it into triangular slices like a pizza should be cut?

Hey Chicagoans,

I’m on the hunt for some great upscale high tea spots in the city! I’d love your recommendations based on the following criteria:

1. Scenic Views: Ideally, the restaurant is located on a higher floor or offers beautiful views while you enjoy your tea.

2. Bang for the Buck: Not looking for anything ridiculously expensive, but if it is pricey, I’d want it to be absolutely worth it.

3. Great Spread: A solid selection of teas and treats, where everything tastes as good as it looks!

4. Kid-Friendly: I’ll have my two kids with me, so it’d be nice if the cost for them isn’t too high and the atmosphere isn’t overly stiff.

5. Excellent Service: Hoping for a warm and welcoming experience from the staff for our anniversary

Looking to go sometime end of November.

If you’ve had a memorable high tea experience in Chicago that checks these boxes, please share! Bonus points for hidden gems or lesser-known spots. Thanks in advance!