Category: Chicago

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #8: Mapo tofu, Lao Sze Chuan

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Mapo tofu, Lao Sze Chuan
Mapo tofu

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: This silky tofu, bathed in a fiery sauce flecked with green onions and lots of chiles, is my go-to tofu dish. It’s available at any of Lao Sze Chuan’s locations – perhaps the best Chinese food franchise in Chicago – but I was especially happy to try it out at the relatively new location in my college town.

The details: Lao Sze Chuan, 1633 Orrington Ave., Evanston.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #7: Blue Cubby Crunch ice cream, Bobtail Ice Cream Company

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Blue Cubby Crunch ice cream, Bobtail Ice Cream Company
Blue Cubby Crunch with vanilla ice cream, sprinkles, Oreo, chocolate chips, and toffee

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: Bobtail makes some of the best ice cream in the city, so I’m always excited to see what special flavors are in the case when I stop in. Cubby Crunch is a common offering, but this brilliant shade of blue was only available for a week or so. With a vanilla base that tasted almost like cake batter, the ice cream’s Smurfy hue belied all the other ingredients packed inside: Oreo, sprinkles, toffee, and chocolate chips.

The details: Bobtail Ice Cream Company, 2951 N. Broadway, Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #6: Grilled cheese flight, Bar Pastoral

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Grilled cheese flight, Bar Pastoral
Three-part flight: traditional grilled cheese made with Widmer’s one-year cheddar and served with tomato tapenade; Castelinhos grilled cheese served with charred scallion pepper jelly; and Scharfe Maxx Extra grilled cheese served with chocolate ganache

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: Bar Pastoral offered this flight back in April to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month, a worthy promotion for a restaurant that’s adjacent to a cheese shop. Each of the three melty sandwiches was paired with a dipping sauce, and although the tomato tapenade and charred scallion pepper jelly both worked well with their respective cheeses, it was the chocolate ganache that struck me as most inventive and delicious.

The details: Bar Pastoral, 2947 N. Broadway, Chicago.

Powered By OpenTable

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #5: Savory almond crepe, Lula Café

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Savory almond crepe, Lula Café
Savory almond crepe with jarlsberg cheese, sweet potato, lamb pancetta, grilled chicories, anchovy vinaigrette, and sunny side egg

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: It shouldn’t be too surprising that a dish from Lula has landed on this list for the third year in a row, since I go there more often than nearly any other restaurant. This brunch special stood out for both its striking appearance and its comforting flavors. Crispy lamb, sweet potato, and cheese were ensconced by the fluffiest of crepes, with greens and walnuts to balance out the richness of the egg on top.

View two more Best Bites from Lula Café brunch, one savory and one sweet.

The details: Lula Café, 2537 N Kedzie Ave., Chicago.

Powered By OpenTable

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #15: Breadsticks and goat cheese, Homeslice

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Breadsticks and goat cheese, Homeslice
Beer-basted breadsticks with goat cheese marinara sauce for dipping

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: For some reason, I usually have ended up at Homeslice when I’m not hungry enough for an entire pizza (their specialty), and instead opt for more of a snack on the restaurant’s cheerful back patio. These beer-basted, pleasantly chewy breadsticks always fit the bill, with enough goat cheese–laden marinara sauce for frequent dunking.

The details: Homeslice, 938 W. Webster Ave., Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #4: Banana biscoff pocket and coffee, Stan’s Donuts

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Banana biscoff pocket and Intelligentsia coffee, Stan's Donuts
Banana biscoff pocket and Intelligentsia coffee

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: I thought Chicago had already hit its donut peak, but the idea of stuffing one with biscoff spread (also known as cookie butter or speculoos) proved that Stan’s had reached a new level of genius. Adding in hefty banana slices, two kinds of glaze, and a cup of Intelligentsia coffee on the side made it fried pastry perfection.

The details: Stan’s Donuts, 1560 N. Damen Ave., Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #3: Paratha tacos, En Hakkore

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Paratha tacos, En Hakkore
Paratha tacos with spicy pork, kimchi, onion, mushroom, cilantro, lettuce, pickled radish, and En Hakkore sauce

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: Blending flavors of Korean and Indian cuisine, these tacos were fusion at its finest. The pan-fried flatbread served as a pleasantly flaky vehicle for the spicy, crunchy filling. They were easily the best non-traditional tacos I’ve had in Chicago.

View another Best Bite from En Hakkore.

The details: En Hakkore, 1840 N Damen Ave., Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #2: Iced mélange, Julius Meinl

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Iced melange, Julius Meinl
Iced mélange with Meinl espresso and sweetened frothed milk, served over ice and garnished with chocolate powder

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: This is my go-to order at Julius Meinl, an Austrian-style coffeehouse that’s lovely for lingering at any time of day. There’s just something whimsical about this drink’s appearance, and I love mixing the marshmallowy top layer into the espresso and milk beneath for a perfectly balanced beverage.

The details: Julius Meinl, 3601 N. Southport Ave., Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

2014 Best Bite #1: Chocolate with olive oil, sea salt, and toast, Ada Street

For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.

Chocolate with Tuscan olive oil, sea salt, and ciabatta toast, Ada Street
Chocolate with Tuscan olive oil, sea salt, and toast

Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: This chocolate dessert shined in its pure simplicity. A quenelle of thick chocolate ganache, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, was primed for slathering on ciabatta toast as a sweet-and-savory end to the meal.

View another post about Ada Street.

The details: Ada Street, 1664 N. Ada St., Chicago.

Powered By OpenTable

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Spicy roasted garlic miso ramen, Wasabi

Spicy roasted garlic miso ramen, Wasabi Chicago
Spicy roasted garlic miso ramen with egg noodles, rich pork broth, berkshire pork belly, soft-boiled egg, marinated bamboo shoot, bean sprouts, sesame, scallion, roasted garlic, garlic chips, chili pepper, and sesame oil (plus a background pig to match the ramen!)

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: This steaming bowl of ramen hit me with two primary flavors: lots of roasted garlic and lots of heat – both very welcome on a chilly evening. Together with two forms of pork (broth and belly) and miso, each bite was rich and savory. The very best bites included all the other textures, too: a bit of the beautifully soft-boiled egg, crunch from scallions and garlic chips, and chew from the bamboo shoots and the egg noodles themselves. The garlicky broth was luxurious enough to slurp on its own, a testament to the care that Wasabi’s chefs put into a complicated cooking process that takes 45 hours total. Wasabi also offers sushi and Japanese small plates, but when the ramen is this exceptional, it’s tough to order anything else.

The details: Wasabi, 2115 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

[googlemaps width=300 height=300]