It’s a pay day Friday and it’s 5pm. You and your coworkers need to shake the week off, and you need some joint nearby to knock back a few. Where to go? Hit that cool Olde Englishe Pubbe - Monk’s! (Yes, the extra “E’s” are tongue in cheek.) Okay I admit it - I’m a sucker for places that ooze that old world charm chalet regalia to them. It just feels so cozy! But there is a whole lot more to be had at this place than just its looks, because the food and drinks are so on time. And throwing peanut shells on the floor is just plain fun, okay?
When you open those gigantic wooden doors and walk inside this dark, charming pub, the steel city skyline and the roar of the overhead train can feel like it’s a million miles away. You crush peanut shells on the wooden floors as you scope out a spot and snatch up a bowl for yourselves. You may then notice the glass bottles in the walls, if your eyes have adjusted to the darkness. But if you haven’t, you have at least picked up on the smell of the burgers, and of the chatter and laughter from the other Loopers who are also looking to unwind for the weekend. That’s what this place is all about, and it does a good job of doing it.
Some folks tap this place during the week for their lunch breaks, but the service is rather mixed depending on how busy they get. However, you rarely wait more than fifteen minutes to get a seat, so if you have an hour break, it works out. Most people order the burgers here, be it beef, turkey or veggie - all of which are delicious! And curly fries are just plain awesome! If burgers aren’t not your thing, you can relax, as an extensive bar menu is available to accommodate all tastes. Try the portabella sandwich - it’s incredible!
If I need to point anything out about this place is that you can’t miss it, but no one else can, either. Therefore, it’s a good idea to nominate one guy from your group to leave the office early and scope out a spot for the rest of yas, because the happy hour crowd can really pack the place. And after that first encounter, you just might have to set up a rotation on that nomination, because it might end up being your group’s regular thang!
Leave the cold Chicago winter behind and take your friends to Demera for excellent Ethiopian food and drinks! This Uptown restaurant is on the corner of Broadway and Lawrence, right by the Lawrence Red Line stop and the Aragon Theater, Riviera and Green Mill.
Demera is warm, from the spiciness of the berbere sauce to the paintings of Ethiopian temples and musicians on the walls and ceiling. The sunny colors of the curtains and African tablecloths and the actual warm temperature of the spacious dining rooms melts away the cold outside. Ethiopian music plays softly in the background. Service is fast and friendly and drinks are available from the full bar at the back of the restaurant .
Ethiopian cuisine lends itself to eating with a group of friends because all meals arrive on 20 inch pieces of spongy injera bread. The manner of eating is to tear off pieces of injera bread with your right hand and use the bread, rather than utensils, to eat the meat and vegetables. It’s easy to share meals or get a combo plate of four different dishes on one piece of injera. Combo meals are $14.50 -$15.50 and large enough for two or more to share, including a small house salad with lettuce, onions and bell peppers.
Demera offers a variety of vegetable, chicken, lamb and seafood dishes and a buffet lunch from noon to 4pm on Monday - Friday. About a third of the menu is vegetarian with dishes like gomen (collard greens), garbanzo beans and lentils. Coffee is presented with incense and Ethiopian honey wine ($5) nicely compliments the spicy items. I enjoyed the shiro, ($14) mixed beans with rue seed, bishop’s weed and spicy berbere sauce. The traditional, tasty doro wat ($12) features chicken drumsticks and a hard-boiled egg in berbere sauce with a side of mild homemade cottage cheese. The menu helpfully labels dishes as spicy or mild and by spicy, it means “four stars.” A nice milder meat dish is the yebug alicha ($11.50), lamb with garlic, ginger and turmeric. If you have any room for dessert after the generous portions of lunch or dinner, you can order the Missionary’s Delight - ice cream with chocolate sauce or mango juice for $2.50.
Whether Ethiopian cuisine is new to you or you are already hooked on injera bread (as I admit I am) you will enjoy the food and drinks at Demera. As the menu explains, the name demera comes from a bundle of twigs that are lit on fire on the Ethiopian September holiday of Meskal celebrating the finding of the true Cross. Meskal has been celebrated in Ethiopia for 1600 years. The delicious menu and bar here give you and your friends reason to celebrate.
Are you like me who have a real hankerin’ for good old fashioned fast food but, for one reason or another, want to cut out the bad stuff that makes it taste so good? Then you really need to pack up your buds and take a cruise down to the far south side to check out Veggie Bite! The guys who run this seemingly traditional fast food joint has found a way to make every single item on the menu completely vegan and taste absolutely incredible, to the point where no one would be the wiser!
The decor all blue and yellow like one would expect at any standard fast food joint to be, with traditional picnic tables and lit up menu boards. The food on the pictures look just like the real thing, too, from the gyros to the messy chili cheese fries and everything in between! They even serve soft serve ice cream and shakes, so those who are lactose intolerant can finally rejoice and indulge! Needless to say, this place sure ain’t all twigs and figs and nothing like one would expect to find at a vegan establishment!
There really isn’t a single item on the menu to focus on, since everything is sinfully divine. However, the chili cheese fries are a must do, as are the Italian beef melt and the hot dogs. I, for one, am a major hot dog snob, and somehow these guys seemed to have figured out how to make these really good!
There’s rumor these guys are going to be opening up a second location on the north side, and I for once certainly hope they do so! If and when they do, they are really going to need to take a nod from the big boys and hire up a whole lot of extra help, because the food here is really going to win over everyone who walks in the doors!
The one complaint I have is that these folks are obviously not from Chicago, since some of the items on the menu are not prepared the way they should be, but are dangerously delicious none the less. The hot dogs come with ketchup on them and the beef sammiches are not soggy from au jus and are topped with barbecue sauce. I know, blasphemy!, but like I said, they are really good anyway and really hit the spot!
Dude! Oh my Gawd this place is fuggin AWESOME! Horns way up! Not only do they mix a mean drink and serve up a nice selection of brews, but the music is pumping, the tattooed waitresses are hot and cool as hell, there’s an outdoor patio and Wow! they make some really incredible pretzel bun burgers and sandwiches named after some of my all time favorite bands! And whoa! Jack on tap? What a marvelous concept!
What’s cool about this place is that it feels so much like when I go out to a metal fest, minus the bands and vendors, of course. The majority of the patrons are guys, so those of the rockin female persuasion are that much more welcome. And tattoo flash used as wall paper in the blessedly clean bathrooms is pretty cool as well! The music is obviously Metal, going from one extreme to the other, and kept at that perfect volume, where you want to jam out and talk to the buds you came with at the same time without losing your voice.
Lots of Belgian brews are to be had here, so you beer connoisseurs can rest assured you won’t have to gulp down swill while chowing down. And yep, plenty of the hard stuff to keep the rest of yas happy, too! But it’s the food most people come for, and Kuma’s certainly does not disappoint! Why oh why are pretzel buns not the standard for burgers, because they really should be! And for folks who fear burger and bar joints are just greasy dives can relax, because just about every sandwich can be ordered up veg, many of which feature plenty of healthy toppings!
Now besides the sandwiches, those fries they make deserve some serious praise all on their own. If you have never had fresh cut fries, then you are really missing out - perfect in every sense of the word. And why on Earth is macaroni and cheese never this good when I make it? That blue box in the pantry is just simply awful in comparison! The calamari they serve is pretty good too, with a garnish of deep fried basil no one should live without trying.
Kuma’s has been getting a lot of praise lately from mainstream reviewers, so needless to say, this place gets really busy on the weekends, even in the summer when the patio is open. Even so, that 1½ to 2 hour table wait on the weekends is definitely worth it, and I admit to being a pretty impatient lady! And thankfully, street parking isn’t a pain! I just hope these guys can expand for more tables and hopefully able to start having bands play here!
Now this place has nowhere near the best pizza in Chicago or Italian cuisine for that matter, but for the cost and ambiance, it sure is a great place to take a date! You almost literally walk through a time capsule here, where every aspect of this restaurant is very late 60s / early 70s mobster scene. One has to wonder if ole boy Quentin had scoped this place out when he was looking for a place to film the bar scenes in Pulp Fiction! In fact, I believe the juke box even has some Marvin on the play list!
The food is pretty decent, but again, nothing to write home about; it’s certainly not egg noodles and ketchup like Henry Hill complained about in Goodfellas! They do a pretty good job with the steaks, and the mozzarella sticks are huge and pretty tasty. And if you’re looking for a classic drink concoction, that’s what they do best around here, so feel free to go with the flow and go totally retro - good and strong! If you want something more on the modern side of things, the bar staff are very accommodating and will take their time to make sure they mix your drink to your specifications.
What diners go for is the very charming, laid back and dim atmosphere, where the service is by far superior than just about any other Italian place in the city. Each patron is made to feel like an old friend that has been coming here for years, offering up just the right amount of service. And those big, round booths in the bar area serve as the perfect spots for getting in some PDA time!
If you decide to keep it at home for the night, this place does a great job with their delivery service. The prices are pretty reasonable, the portions very large, and the drivers are pretty fast. An added bonus is their drivers will stop and pick up beer and cigarettes for you, so if the weather is pretty lousy or you don’t want to lose the moment by having to get up and hit the liquor store, that bit of info is a gem within itself. Also, keep this place in mind for parties, since Congress sells a Stadium Pizza that’s bigger than two large ones for a really low price!
When Chris Farley did his famous “Da Bears” skits on SNL - this was the Polishes he was talking about! Anyone who has spent more than five seconds in Chicago has undoubtedly heard of a Maxwell Street Polish, since that, hot dogs, beef sammiches and pizza are pretty much what we’re known for. Almost every stand offers one, but there is truly only one place in the whole world to get one, and you need to venture down by UIC to get it! It’s not actually on Maxwell Street anymore, and with so many copy cats, folks may be confused as to which one is the real deal. And besides, where else can $5 get you this full off a whole meal?
Back in the day, Maxwell Street was a pretty seedy area, and while the area has turned around a bit to accommodate the college, it still has its element. When dad said “Lock the doors, kids!” - he meant it! Even so, us white breads would make the trek out this way to get that unforgettable sammich, usually for sneaking into a Sox game, smelling up the car for days!
The Polish comes loaded with heaping piles of grilled onions and slathered with tons of mustard, served on a plain hot dog bun that fell apart within seconds. The free fries that comes with it end up making the paper bag break through, so it’s kind of important to ask for a double bag if it‘s being taken to go. Of course, most folks simply can’t wait that long, and will just eat it on the hood of their cars or on the end of the outdoor counter. Of course, this meal on a bun would not be complete without a grape pop to wash it all down. (Notice I didn’t say “soda”!) And oh yes, by the way - real Chicagoans order two!
Outside of the Polishes, the pork chop sammiches are also very popular, and to a lesser extent, the hot dogs and burgers. Actually, that’s pretty much it for the menu, but hey - when you do one thing right, that’s really all you need! If you want to make yourself feel a little bit less guilty for eating such a gluttonous, artery clogging meal on a bun, order a bottled water. But if you do, be prepared to get an eye roll from the guy in line behind you - the one with the thick mustache and the Bears sweat shirt!
No bull, just beef! At least that’s what their slogan should be! Of all the places in the city to get a beef sammich, Johnnie’s out in Elmwood Park is the place to go. The line is almost always out the door, but since people know what they want, it moves pretty fast. And people who actually take a second to read the menu will be visually smacked down by the guy behind the register! Let’s face it, the only things you should be ordering here are the beefs, the sausages, the beef / sausage combos, the fries (if you have room!) and the lemonade. If you want anything else, you should really go to that particular chain the novices rave about.
While Chicago is pretty much the only place in the world to get such a beast of a feast, there are plenty of places to go. However, just like our dogs and pizzas, there are really only a couple of joints that have perfected the art of making such a well crafted meal on a bun. Johnnie’s is so worth the drive to the border burb, though the folks who care about your health may bat a few eyelashes if you do so!
The meat itself is perfectly seasoned and literally shredding apart, the bread is gluey and thick and the peppers are definitely something to write home about. The sausages are just as perfect, unlike anything you could make yourself, and yes, they even got the au jus right! That, and the ratio to food vs. price is pretty on par. Plus, there is just something a little special about picking up greasy food from a place that really doesn’t care about setting a trend. They just are.
Folks in the know honker down for this feast on a bun, with both elbows firmly placed on the counter, so that the bread falling apart will make it to your mouth in time. This especially applies to the “soaked” orders, where the au jus almost completely replaces the bread! Now everyone around town has their preference as to how to order a beef sammich, but most want it wet, sloppy and very low brow, sided with extra napkins and wearing a shirt and jeans you don’t care much about staining. Of course, there’s the other argument on the whole sweet vs. hot peppers deal and the one about whether or not to make it a combo, but let‘s just leave that out of the equation for now.
If you are looking for real Southern style cooking in Chicago, this is definitely the numero uno place to go! There are just so much right with this place that it is really hard to be biased, even though I’ve yet to encounter any restaurant being perfect. The food is so right on and completely awesome, the portions plentiful, the atmosphere fun and kitschy, it’s BYOB (with no corkage!) and even street parking is a relative non issue! Don’t let the trendy sounding name fool you - Feed is da shiznit!
If you’ve never ventured out this way, you might miss the place. The yellow bar style sign with the silhouette of a chicken will lead you right to it! Inside, there’s a 45 spinning juke box, a plastic egg crane game and lots and lots of chicken stuff all over the walls! Every walk of life goes here, and the steady stream of customers is clue one this place lives up to the word of mouth. Also, since it’s location is right around the corner from a large band practice building, the crowd inside can be even more eclectic than the neighborhood itself, which seems to add onto the atmosphere.
The menu is ever changing, based by what’s on special and what the run out of, all up on chalk boards for all to see. “Prince Spaghetti Night” on Wednesdays makes me laugh! Favorites every patron needs to try include the rotisserie chicken, the pulled pork sandwich, slathered with sauce and served on a hamburger bun, and oh my yes - the corn pudding! The banana pudding, served in a Styrofoam cup, is the best around, and the fried okra is probably the closest you’ll ever come to what Maw Maw can whip up. Even the chicken soup is incredible! Who knew? Vegetarians can even go here, as they offer a 5 side deal to choose from.
Now some people may take issue with the communal seating, especially when the place gets hopping and folks are getting elbow to elbow. The big table in back seats 16, so be prepared to scoot yer rump over if your party is anything less that that. Also, the wait staff is pretty friendly, but can occasionally be a little spotty (nothing’s perfect, like I said). Also, I like my mac and cheese to have a little more oomph, but to be honest, it’s really just two ingredients, so not much can be done with it anyway. Also, make sure you bring cash - if you forget, the bar next door has an ATM.
In a world seemingly consumed by coffeeholics, tea lovers and their kettles tend to be relegated to the back burner, with no outlets geared specifically towards them. This cute little shop just happens to be such a place, where a passion for tea is uniquely present. Whether you’re a true connoisseur of all things leafy and brewed or just love the tried and true, My Place for Tea will transform your entire essence and have you coming back for more. No commercialism, no arrogance, no fluff - just tea and tea accessories for real tea lovers.
So what can a novice only accustomed to Starbucks and the store shelves expect from such a place? Not only is it a place to chill with something hot and aromatic, but it is also a place to learn about the various health benefits from their extremely knowledgeable and passionate staff, as well as a fun shop to create your own concoctions based on where your taste buds take you and what inspires you. There is comfy wicker furniture near the windows to do a little people watching as well, since its location is surrounded by folks who are just as eclectic as the vast varieties of teas inside. Of course, you don’t have to stay there to enjoy the wonderful brews, but you are more than welcome to purchase some and enjoy at home or share with those who inspire you just as much as the leaves themselves.
Since us Americans over all tend to prefer our tea to come in its chilled state, My Place For Tea is armed and ready to make your acquaintance, especially with those yummy bubble teas. Don’t know what that is? If you like tapioca in its pudding state, then you’ll fall head over heels for this delicious drink with those gummy pearls you fell in love with as a kid. Outside of some Asian restaurants, this just may be the one of the only places in town you will be able to find this exotic drink!
On Saturday afternoons, you can also attend their free tea tastings and discover new favorites! Also, yoga classes are held at various times of the year, so be sure to sign up for their news letters to find out more!
If you have spent more than a single week in Chicago and have not tried a deep dish pizza, you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself! This is the stuff we're known for, so take pride in where you're at and dig in! That first bite should be artfully crafted by one of the members of the Big Four*, and Lou Malnati's is certainly one of them.
What sets apart Lou Malnati's from the other members of the deep dish board is the fact that it's just a little bit different and a little bit... well, more. The owner honed his craft from working at Uno's, where the deep dish idea came from, and then embellished on it. Since Chicagoans are partial to sausage rather than pepperoni, the pizzas from here really focus on that. One full layer is laid out, so not a single bite misses out on that greasy, spicy goodness. The other signature ingredient is loads and loads of big, chunky tomatoes! These pizzas really add a whallop of flavor!
Personally, I prefer to go with a pie that is heavy in onions, and this is one of the few places that not only supplies its customers with the right amount of ingredients (which is A LOT!), but has a working knowledge of how to slice and cook them. This may seem pretty elementary or even nit picky to the pizza novice, but to us pie experts, this is critical! Otherwise, why bother adding toppings if they can't be tasted?
Perhaps the one oddity with Lou Malnati's is its main location, in the northern border burb of Lincolnwood, instead of the city proper. Perhaps the founder unwittingly opened his business here just to prove he really could whip up a pie better than his mentor, and he wanted to prove it with being as far away as he could and still get great business!
So, if you like your pizza so big and dense that it can be exchanged for a spare tire, then be sure to give Lou Malnati's a try. And yes, try the others, too, at least for comparison! Your diet may hate you, but your taste buds will be forever grateful.
* The other three, in no particular order, are: Uno's / Due's, Gino's East and Giordanos.
It’s a pay day Friday and it’s 5pm. You and your coworkers need to shake the week off, and you need some joint nearby to knock back a few. Where to go? Hit that cool Olde Englishe Pubbe - Monk’s! (Yes, the extra “E’s” are tongue in cheek.) Okay I admit it - I’m a sucker for places that ooze that old world charm chalet regalia to them. It just feels so cozy! But there is a whole lot more to be had at this place than just its looks, because the food and drinks are so on time. And throwing peanut shells on the floor is just plain fun, okay?
Leave the cold Chicago winter behind and take your friends to Demera for excellent Ethiopian food and drinks! This Uptown restaurant is on the corner of Broadway and Lawrence, right by the Lawrence Red Line stop and the Aragon Theater, Riviera and Green Mill.
Dude! Oh my Gawd this place is fuggin AWESOME! Horns way up! Not only do they mix a mean drink and serve up a nice selection of brews, but the music is pumping, the tattooed waitresses are hot and cool as hell, there’s an outdoor patio and Wow! they make some really incredible pretzel bun burgers and sandwiches named after some of my all time favorite bands! And whoa! Jack on tap? What a marvelous concept!
When Chris Farley did his famous “Da Bears” skits on SNL - this was the Polishes he was talking about! Anyone who has spent more than five seconds in Chicago has undoubtedly heard of a Maxwell Street Polish, since that, hot dogs, beef sammiches and pizza are pretty much what we’re known for. Almost every stand offers one, but there is truly only one place in the whole world to get one, and you need to venture down by UIC to get it! It’s not actually on Maxwell Street anymore, and with so many copy cats, folks may be confused as to which one is the real deal. And besides, where else can $5 get you this full off a whole meal?
No bull, just beef! At least that’s what their slogan should be! Of all the places in the city to get a beef sammich, Johnnie’s out in Elmwood Park is the place to go. The line is almost always out the door, but since people know what they want, it moves pretty fast. And people who actually take a second to read the menu will be visually smacked down by the guy behind the register! Let’s face it, the only things you should be ordering here are the beefs, the sausages, the beef / sausage combos, the fries (if you have room!) and the lemonade. If you want anything else, you should really go to that particular chain the novices rave about.
If you are looking for real Southern style cooking in Chicago, this is definitely the numero uno place to go! There are just so much right with this place that it is really hard to be biased, even though I’ve yet to encounter any restaurant being perfect. The food is so right on and completely awesome, the portions plentiful, the atmosphere fun and kitschy, it’s BYOB (with no corkage!) and even street parking is a relative non issue! Don’t let the trendy sounding name fool you - Feed is da shiznit! 
In a world seemingly consumed by coffeeholics, tea lovers and their kettles tend to be relegated to the back burner, with no outlets geared specifically towards them. This cute little shop just happens to be such a place, where a passion for tea is uniquely present. Whether you’re a true connoisseur of all things leafy and brewed or just love the tried and true, My Place for Tea will transform your entire essence and have you coming back for more. No commercialism, no arrogance, no fluff - just tea and tea accessories for real tea lovers.
If you have spent more than a single week in Chicago and have not tried a deep dish pizza, you should be absolutely ashamed of yourself! This is the stuff we're known for, so take pride in where you're at and dig in! That first bite should be artfully crafted by one of the members of the Big Four*, and Lou Malnati's is certainly one of them.