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In the late 1970s, The Taste of Chicago—mother of all American
summer food-and-entertainment festivals—did much more than create
a template for foodie celebrations worldwide. It also sparked a
transformation that took the city from a beer, hot dog and pizza
town into an innovative restaurant capital. Granted, people from
around the world seek out Vienna beef hot dogs and deep-dish pizza—and
for good reason. Today, however, there is also the siren call of
classic steakhouses and contemporary eateries.
If you find yourself in Chicagoland any time
of year, be sure to find time to eat your way around the city, both
at hidden neighbourhood gems and classy destination spots. Here’s
just a tiny taste of the best.
Upmarket Chic-ago Dine (733 W. Madison, 1 312 602-2100)
While many ambitious urban restaurants across America lay claim
to having definitive “homestyle cooking with a modern twist”,
Dine actually succeeds when it comes to reconciling its alluring
concept with what actually comes out of the kitchen. At first glance,
it is an old-school, not-too-frilly Chicago diner punched up with
mod furnishings, eclectic art, historic photos and chic lounge areas.
Nearly everything looks familiar on the menu—meatloaf, mac-and-cheese,
salmon, Cobb salad and appetizers. This, however, is where looks
are deceiving. Order the meatloaf, and what you get is a velvety,
juicy brick of Angus beef-based goodness, nicely accented with garlic
spinach, potatoes and savory orange gravy that recalls your favorite
homemade soup. No surprise it was chosen by local food critics as
one of the very best in town. The salmon works because it is simply
salmon, adorned with garlic spinach and mashed potatoes. While you
could eat the Cobb or calamari for days (with lots of help), the
onion tart stands out as one of the more unconventional items: a
desert for people who opt for savoury indulgence. For the rest of
us with a sweet tooth, meanwhile, Dine pushes the envelope ever-so
slightly, replacing routine deserts with a lemon (brioche) bread
pudding and a crème brûlée-singed Valrhona-chocolate
flourless cake made that much more special with sorbets that taste
as if they were just picked from the garden.
N9NE Steakhouse (440 W. Randoph Street)
With its mod-’60s décor, and the contemporary accoutrement
(courtesy of Chef Michael Shrader) served with the filet mignon,
N9NE is not your parents’ steakhouse. While a small selection traditional
main courses (such as filet mignon, the excellent New York strip
with Bordelaise sauce, salmon, etc.) and sides (spinach, thin and
steak fries, mashed potatoes) are there for your delectations, modern
appetizers and creative salads and entrees fill out the rest of
the menu with a sense of fun. How can you not smile when a N9NE-logoed
popcorn box filled with rock shrimp adorned with two non-traditional
sauces (lemon aioli and hot Thai red sauce, oddly wonderful when
mixed) or crispy cones brimming with scoops of tuna tartare and
lobster salad arrive at your table? Salads, such as the Heirloom
tomato salad (made by the lovely balsamic-based vinaigrette) provide
a nice, clean counterpoint for the meats and starches. If you’re
still around after dinner and crave a cocktail and a bit of a flirt,
check out Ghostbar upstairs. If you feel you’re experiencing a bit
of déjà vu reading this, it’s probably because
you’ve seen or been to their (excellent) Las Vegas counterparts
at the Palms Hotel & Casino. However, remember this is Chicago,
baby, and what you see is the real deal—good taste in its natural
state.
 Keefer’s
(20 W. Kinzie, 1 312 467-9525)
Although many a local reviewer and Playboy dubbed
Keefer’s one of the best steakhouses in America, and the chops (including
the Delmonico filet that’s much in demand at lunch and dinner) live
up to the hype, owner Rich Keefer winces slightly and will tell
you the fish dishes created by Chef John Hogan (above left)
are incredible as well. Given that he and his brother conceived
the airy, Frank Lloyd Wright-esque restaurant, he ought to know.
And yes, the fish dishes are incredible. The dinner preparation
of the halibut, in fact, meets all the requirements of what a restaurant’s
signature dish ought to be (Dijon mustard, brioche breadcrumbs,
wild mushroom sauce and watercress coulis). If you come for lunch,
you have the added benefit of some fun extras such as a bowl of
seasonally tuned soup of the day and fluffy potato croquettes. Salads,
meanwhile, are crisp, clean and spare on dressing, which is great
considering that the mix of vegetables are what will sell them.
The broccoli salad is a surprising mix of broccoli heads, apple,
fennel and podda cheese, while their basic artisan tomato salad
is punched up with the addition of pine nuts. If you’re a chocolate
fan, meanwhile, you’ll be quite happy with the orange-chocolate
crème brûlée or the thin-but-dense triple chocolate
cake adorned with honey chocolate ice cream.
Local flavour
Tiffin: the Indian Kitchen (2536 W. Devon Avenue, 1 773
338-2143)
If it is curry, spice and silks you crave, Devon Avenue is your
kind of street, with miles of jewellery stores, sari shops and excellent
Indian fare. However, Tiffin stands out as the jewel in the area’s
restaurant crown. Their extraordinary lunch buffet entices with
oven-fresh nan, zesty curries with killer sauces and flawless, juicy
tandoori chicken. Making it better still are the airy, nicely decorated
dining area and superb service.
Tecalitlan (1814 W. Chicago Avenue, 1 773 384-4285)
Given how Tecalitlan scores on all fronts—freshness, quality, service
and value—it is a little surprising that Mexican food enthusiasts
consider this one of Chicago’s best kept secrets. For starters,
literally, you get a lush and spicy salsa and hearty out-of-the-oven
tortilla chips. Next, order grilled steak, chicken, pork, vegetarian
or chorizo (nice texture and bite) any way you want—tostadas, tacos
or burritos. If you’re hungry, go all the way with a “Suiza”-style
burrito (covered with cheese), dress it up with cebollitas asadas
(grilled onions) and finish with a strawberry liquada or margarita.
¡Olé! A huge full meal for two often comes out to less
than US$20.
MetroKlub (733 W. Madison, 1 312 602-2104)
A quick, filling meal between downtown business meetings, minus
the guilt? Who knew? MetroKlub combines classic kosher deli fare,
contemporary cuisine and healthy (no pork, no seafood, no dairy—no
kidding!) ingredients to create the perfect downtown lunch spot.
The (deep) dish on pizza
Although downtown institution Pizzaria Uno is said to be the birthplace
of Chicago deep-dish pizza, there are many classic venues all over
the city that deliver the goods when it comes to crunchy, cheesy,
piled on perfection: Giordano’s, Carmen’s, Eduardo’s and Lou Malnati’s
are all winners, whether you crave hearty sausage pizzas or vegetarian
varieties (most do superb spinach pies). Other local favourites
include Leona’s (famous for their decadent “white” Alfredo
pizzas and good thin crusts) and Home Run Inn (a South Side tradition).
•
Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.
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Dine
Jess Smith
N9NE
Jeff Kauck
Jeff Kauck
Jeff Kauck
Jeff Kauck
Keefer’s
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Keefer’s One of Chicago’s finest, Keefer’s, has
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