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Top 5 Picks For Chicago Restaurant Week

Valentine’s Day might be over, but you now have another excuse to make plans to eat out: the 5th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week.  Beginning tomorrow, and running until the 26th, more than 130 local restaurants will be offering a set, prix-fixe, three-course menu for $22 at lunch, and $33 or $44 at dinner.   Participating eateries are as … Continued

Top 5 Loudest Restaurants in Chicago*

At the risk of sounding like an old(er) man, I’m offering up a few recommendations this week that are helpful to both the 20-something clientele, as well as the over-40 group. How is this list helpful to diners who wear stilletos to dinner? Well, for one thing, any restaurant that has a thumping soundtrack and … Continued

Top 5 Chicago Club Sandwiches

  Merriam-Webster defines a club sandwich as “a sandwich of three slices of bread with two layers of meat (as turkey) and lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.” You can, of course, find these just about anywhere they make standard sandwiches in Chicago, but chefs today are rarely content to simply abide by the textbook definition of anything. … Continued

Top 5 Places For Delivery in Chicago

I was in L.A. yesterday, where it was a balmy 77 degrees and people didn’t think twice about going outside. But in Chicago, most of my friends treat the prospect of heading outside on a bitterly cold day with the same enthusiasm usually reserved for paying their taxes. I realize you can order online from … Continued

Top 5 Delis/Stores To Shop/Eat

My biggest problem when shopping for ethnic food is that I’m constantly craving something to eat. Just perusing the aisles of lemongrass, or roasted peppers or chorizo makes me yearn for a snack. Thankfully, you can do a little noshing with your shopping in Chicago, and sometimes, the store owners will even set up a … Continued

Top 5 Ramen in Chicago*

Before we go any further, let me just say that if you have never seen the movie Tampopo, do yourself a favor and rent it. But before you do, make sure one of the five places below are open, because you’re going to be jones-ing for a bowl of ramen immediately afterward. True, most of … Continued

Top 5 Wine Lists in Chicago

In honor of Pinot Days coming to Chicago this weekend (and keep reading to see how you can score a discount if you’re interested in going), I thought it would be appropriate to run down the list of Chicago’s best wine lists. I sought some input from Fernando Beteta, a Master Sommelier who is the … Continued