December 25, 2019From her majestic skylines and highlights of ultra-modern wonders, astonishing museums, countless memoirs of vibrant history, and of course, the beautiful backdrop of Lake Michigan, to the thrill of culinary discoveries with literally thousands of places to eat and new creations to try, Chicago has always been one of our go-to places to explore. A much needed escape from small-town life of rural Iowa.
Browsing through 8500 restaurants ain’t an easy feat as it will take more than just a few trips to conquer this urban jungle of gastronomic possibilities. Believe it or not, whatever you fancy, or simply hungry for, there’s always a place to go that will undoubtedly hit the spot.
The several trips we’ve made to the Windy City of Chicago helped us come up with a list of our favorite places to eat and some menu items we’d like to recommend. We will be updating this list with more culinary destinations as we make more trips to Chicago in the future. Hope you’re hungry, because here we go!
Shaw’s Crab House
Address: 21 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60611
Menu: Click here
Midwestern United States might not have the edge when it comes to fresh, amazing seafood, but we really enjoyed our time at Shaw’s during our most recent visit. Dining ambiance was quite charming and the service worthy of an applause. Our server was friendly and gave us a detailed preview of the day’s specials. The place was packed even at lunch time, which is always a good sign.
A good way to try their seafood dishes is to order their Hot Appetizer Combo for $26. This includes a mini crab cake (literally mini, but great flavor), crispy calamari, oysters Rockefeller, steamed golden Alaskan king crab, and half a grilled Maine lobster tail. For the price, don’t expect huge servings on this platter. For instance, the king crab legs include two inch-long portions, a major teaser. But the calamari was amazing especially with that lemon aioli. And don’t forget that you’re getting half a grilled lobster tail, which was also delicious. We’re honestly surprised at how good their Fish & Chips is. The batter superbly crispy and the flavor spot on. The fish tasted heavenly, deliciously flaky and cooked to perfection. A worthy contender to the award-winning Fish & Chips we’ve tried in London. For dessert, you must try the Chocolate Layer Cake. It was complimentary for Jen2x’s birthday celebration (Very much appreciated), but without any prejudice at all, it was nothing less than amazing. The cake was definitely moist. Chocolate was dark and I adore it for not being overwhelmingly sweet. That bittersweet ganache tasted simply divine.
Purple Pig Restaurant
Address: 444 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Menu: Click here
December 2018 was the last time we visited the Purple Pig. Who can resist dining at a restaurant named as such? It now has a new location at North Michigan Avenue, which is almost twice the size of its original location along with a few upgrades.
Menu gleams with vibrant offerings of Mediterranean fare while accentuating fresh local ingredients. Choices include a wide range of meats, veggies and cheese that will surely captivate any crowd. No reservations needed at the time. We were seated at the sizable communal table with other guests. Dining atmosphere is definitely exciting and energetic. Casual dining serving up small plates worthy of a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award.
The foods we tried for sure reflects the awards they garnered. Great balance of flavors, textures and presentation. My personal favorite, the English Muffin & Truffle Sausage Sandwich. It was just a delightful flavor experience. English muffins fried crisp in foie gras butter, truffle sausage slightly sweet and delicately seasoned, mouth-watering richness from the runny yolk, and that membrillo sauce for that complimenting sweet and spicy kick.
Here’s a more recent article you can check out on the Purple Pig’s new location.
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab
Address: 60 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
Menu: Click here
Joe’s is arguably the best place in Chicago for premium cuts of tender, flavorful steaks and fresh grilled seafood. The restaurant came with a dashing recommendation from a colleague, and I appreciated her ushering me to Joe’s.
It came with no surprise that the place was packed even on a week night. Reservations are not required but highly recommended if you want to procure good seats at the main dining area. There’s a free seating area near the bar at the entrance if you don’t mind. Earth tone colors, luxurious upscale steakhouse ambiance and elegant modern decors completes the experience. Phenomenal service and pleasant servers definitely a welcome expectation.
With the upscale vibe and exquisite food comes with a price to match, but it was well worth it. Stone crabs were phenomenal and of course, a house specialty. Fresh and serve chilled with house-made mustard sauce. You can’t go wrong with the Grilled Seafood Platter with grilled jumbo shrimps, scallops and lobster tail. I just adore their grilled seafood. Flavor is just amazing you can really tell the quality and freshness of the seafood dishes they serve. Bone-in Thick Cut Filet Mignon, tender and simply delicious. Perfect medium to my liking, and again that beautiful grilled flavor, and that earthy crust just seals in all that tenderness and juiciness inside. Definitely try Jennie’s Mashed Potatoes as one of your sides too.
Pizzeria Uno
Address: 29 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611
Menu: Click here
Esteemed as the birthplace of the iconic Chicago-style deep dish pizza. When visiting Chicago and especially if you haven’t tried deep dish pizza before, this is definitely a most worthy place to try it.
Each time we dine at Pizzeria Uno on E. Ohio street, the place is simply packed. People come here to sit, relax, and enjoy a great conversation with family and friends. Walls decorated with old pictures and posters reminisce of Chicago back in the 1950’s. Dim lighting completes the effect. Servers were pleasant and welcoming. Understandably, the pizza takes significantly longer to bake (45 mins) thanks to its enormous thickness and generous amount of toppings.
Unlike traditional New York style pizza typically eaten with just your hands, using a fork and knife works best as you’re actually cutting into a real pie. UNO does not skimp on the toppings either, with high quality ingredients piled high atop its amazing buttery crust with a slight crunch. Whether you like your pizza with a thin crust, or piled high with toppings deep dish, you have to come to Pizzeria Uno and taste for yourself.
Girl & The Goat
Address: 809 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
Menu: Click here
This is a restaurant you just can’t miss, and I’m not just talking about its catchy name. Not quite the two words used very often in the same sentence, but like their delectable culinary offerings, every inapparent combination, surprisingly, just simply works.
This place is a foodie’s destination for sampling something extraordinary. Small plates of wonderful creations like duck tongues, wood oven roasted pig face, goat liver mousse, goat empanadas (yes, they really do serve goat) just to name a few.
Duck tongues, delicious. Don’t let the name scare you from trying it. Little bits of duck tongues fried to a beautifully crisp golden brown, served with tuna black bean poke and crispy wontons. The result is a dish with a flavor profile so deliciously complex, yet harmoniously intricate. Goes extremely well with cold beer or some red wine. Another dish to try is the crispy beef short ribs with avocado slices in grapefruit chermoula. Beef short ribs patiently braised to tender perfection. The acidity from the chermoula gives the dish a most welcome acidity and a sauce base that works extremely well with the ribs.
This is a popular restaurant and booking a reservation is necessary if you want to be seated in the main dining area. There is an open seating area near the bar if you don’t mind eating there.
Happy Lamb Hot Pot
Address: 2342 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616
Menu: Click here
Happy Lamb Hot Pot is our go-to place for traditional Chinese-style hot pot especially during the chilly winter months here in midwestern United States. This might not be your typical Chinese restaurant with steamed or stir-fried dishes, but it is a taste you will soon learn to love.
For one all-you-can-eat price, you can have all the meat and veggies you want that is listed on the menu, with the exception of a handful a la carte items you can have for an additional price. First, you pick your broth. You can have it either mild or spicy. Next, you can ask for some dipping sauce. I prefer something with a little kick, so I would mix up some garlic, roasted chili oil and sesame paste. Shouldn’t be long and they’ll start bringing in the meat and veggies you ordered. Remember, place the ones that take longer to cook into the broth first (Usually veggies, seafood and starches). The beef, pork or lamb are cut fairly thin that it literally takes a few seconds to cook through. Dip into the sauce and enjoy.
If you have any questions especially if it’s your first hot pot experience, you can always ask one of the servers. You can also try different items and find your favorite hot pot ingredients. Tofu, mushrooms or imitation crab really soak up that delicious broth like a sponge for maximum flavor. The meat comes out pretty tender and tastes amazing with sesame sauce.
