Restaurants/bars/cafes recommendations

[void scaffold]

as the thread name suggests - we welcome your foodie recs from all around the world, preferably with google maps links

@little quartz @toxic mural

[fringe saddle]

This frozen yogurt place in Napa is so good, it's high quality and a bit on the expensive side but it's worth it https://maps.app.goo.gl/7VRwM7Eh6FUf5Yb48

[toxic mural]

Chicago - Casual

• Lou Mitchell's: https://maps.app.goo.gl/yA8xdAc8BvUSR2ST8

  • Just a really nice basic breakfast place. Nearby the stations for most of the trains into the city.

• Colectivo Coffee and Dark Matter Coffee (both have a few locations)

  • Have to give a shoutout to my two favorite coffee mini-chains in the city

• Lou Malnati's (several locations)

  • I'm not going to start a war by calling it the "best" deep-dish chain in Chicago; it is, however, my personal favorite.
  • Runner-up goes to Giordano's; both are very good.
  • (Honestly, it's hard to do that badly with deep dish. Just don't go to Pizzeria Uno (it's a tourist trap), and don't go to Gino's East (it's just not very good).)
  • (Oh, and if your take is that deep dish isn't Real Pizza, my take is that she's not your Real Mother.)

• The Pasta Bowl (https://www.pastabowl.com; several locations) (not "Barnelli's Pasta Bowl"; that's different)

  • Outstanding no-frills pasta restaurant. Nothing bougie, but I guarantee you won't leave hungry.
  • They list the Farfalle Pollo as their "house specialty" for a very good reason; if you can't decide from the huge list of options, that gets my vote
    

Chicago - Upscale
Note: I don't drink, so all of the recommendations below are entirely ignorant of any alcoholic offerings or pairings.

• Tzuco: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iALABuGFzDTpNtdA9

  • Elevated Mexican cuisine; inventive and delicious desserts; gigantic portions
  • You need to try the Cochinita Pibil; it's their signature dish for an extremely good reason
  • Make sure to save room for dessert, all of them are incredible; I recommend anything highlighting peaches or corn
  • Seriously, this place is incredible. This is always my #1 restaurant recommendation for anyone visiting Chicago.

• Virtue: https://maps.app.goo.gl/S5NHc9yyUKYaTSiq5

  • Elevated Southern cuisine; family-style "courseless" menu
  • Highlights, in no particular order: chicken liver mousse; gumbo; gizzards (incredible! order this!!); short rib; cornbread; banana pudding

• avec: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HE1Rd9puTDzC6eFs7

  • Difficult to categorize, but loosely Mediterranean; communal seating
  • The menu changes quite frequently, so it's hard to give recommendations, but I see that the chorizo-stuffed dates are still there, and they're fantastic

• Frontera Grill: https://maps.app.goo.gl/m66xD5fBFZbNGyaU9

  • Elevated Mexican cuisine; sister restaurant to Topolobampo (below); Frontera is (comparatively) casual
  • As basic as it sounds, the chicken tortilla soup is delicious and really creatively elevated

• Coach House: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ibqfCMovS7AN2zVQ7

  • Also difficult to categorize, but generally South Asian cuisine

• Parachute: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AjUPfuRFD7HCguqAA

  • Elevated and experimental Korean cuisine

• Rose Mary: https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjXVQbEUco9TcCKU7

  • Italian and Croatian cuisine; "elevated home cooking", so to speak
    

Chicago - Michelin
Some of the restaurants above are also listed in the Michelin Guide, and I think some even have/had stars, but my point is that This Shit Is Fancy

• Topolobampo: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dMitZUiv3NPNMJBD9

  • Sister restaurant to Frontera Grill (above) (they operate from the same kitchen)
  • Also elevated Mexican cuisine, but through the lens of rotating prix fixe tasting menus

• Alinea: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HbofJ1VJrn3NkAyf6

  • Modernist, inventive, experimental, whimsical, molecular cuisine
  • I am not going to be able to "explain" or "summarize" Alinea in any meaningful way; Google it and go read about it and about Grant Achatz
  • This was the "best" meal I've ever had in my life, in the same way that people say Citizen Kane is the "best" movie of all time. I have had other meals that were more "fun", or that I "liked" more, but Alinea's menu was such an... experience, and had such a compelling point of view, that I'm still 100% comfortable calling it the "best" meal I've ever had.

• Ever: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r5eGqWf6nJKv7ZuVA

  • Very similar cuisine to Alinea; again, go Google for Ever and Curtis Duffy
  • Alinea is the older restaurant, the more well-known, and has 3 Michelin stars to Ever's 2, but I ultimately enjoyed Ever's menu more; it sacrifices raw experimentation and technique to focus slightly more (just slightly!) on flavor and fully-thought-out dishes.
  • Or in car terms, Alinea is a Countach (balls-out insanity but can be unpleasant to drive) whereas Ever is an Aventador (still crazy but somewhat tamer and more accessible).
  • Also, they've got a non-alcoholic pairing option which was incredibly well thought out, absolutely delicious and well-paired, and was just... really nice to see, as someone who skips out on wine pairings.

[void scaffold]

comprehensive as always Lux, thank you - I'll definitely pop in to Chicago at some point in the future, got relatives living there so it'll be useful

[copper light]

nice recommendations! hope i can go to chicago one day!

[mild lance]

my good friend is flying to Chicago next month just for dinner at Alinea but I will mention the breakfast spot to her since they’ll be there for a weekend

[toxic mural]

okay, I gotta be clear - Lou Mitchell's is some good ol' stick-to-your-ribs diner breakfast chow, and pretty damn tasty at that - but not any kind of elevated/fancy/gourmet anything

I wouldn't normally feel the need to clarify that, but if your friend is the sort of person who's down to travel to Chicago for Alinea (valid! nothing wrong with that!), I don't want you to get roasted if they were expecting something fancier lol 😅

[mild lance]

oh no no, I was gonna recommend it because it’s a low key, casual, great breakfast. this is not a habit for them, they are both foodies I guess you could say, but I think this trip is their first Michelin restaurant, and that dinner is both their anniversary and birthday gifts to each other. they aren’t fancy or snobby and love a good diner. appreciate the lookin out tho!

[hollow ridge]

+1 avec

I loved their other more casual restaurant blackbird but it's closed 😢

[hollow ridge]

Must have made the reservation months ago

[mild lance]

correct. I think she had to wait for them to go live online for the date they wanted and then pounce, I remember her telling me they were snapped up in minutes and I think their reservation is at 9pm or something. they’ve been planning this for a while

[hollow ridge]

I haven't even tried getting reservations there because I know how hard it is to get one 😆

Lux's idea of casual is upscale for me lol

I was thinking like Jonnies beef

[mild lance]

wisely, they got the reservations at the restaurant before they booked flights and hotels lol

[hollow ridge]

Yep, wise

[mild lance]

honestly I was gonna send them to the greasy spoon that was around the corner from my apartment but I don’t think it’s there anymore

[toxic mural]

I wanted to give a recommendation for beef/dogs, but I don't live downtown and haven't been to the really small beef/dog stands, so my "recommendation" would be Portillo's or Buona 😅

Seriously, if you have beef/dog recommendations please post them because I want to know lol

But yeah, all of the stuff I posted is heavily skewed towards nicer places; I live out in the outer suburbs, so if I'm taking a trip into the city for dinner, it's going to be a nicer place pretty much by default

[hollow ridge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nojaKlA7MoU
jonnies beef in elmwood park

I go to the one in schaumburg more though

[mild lance]

@hollow talon here