Chomping in Chicago

I happened to have 7 whole days in Chicago and planned not to have one bad meal. Let’s just say that plans never do really go to plan. I did manage a lot of great meals but suffered from the traveller’s curse where you have walked all morning/day/night long and sometimes you just need food and you need it ASAP – leading one away from the foodie path.

Here is a summary of the places I visited for those of you who may be planning a trip to this understated city!

Swissotel – I stayed here the entire time and ate within it 3 times. Breakfast in the restaurant of buckwheat pancakes were good if a bit bland but the coffee was terrible. Dinner in the lobby bar one night of a ‘cob salad’. I came to realize that this was a common salad, much like the ubiquitous ‘caesar salad’ that appears on Sydney café menus. The ‘cob salad’ includes 2 types of meat (chicken and bacon), 2 types of cheese (blue cheese and cheddar cheese), egg (in case you haven’t had enough protein from the former ingredients) and then some lettuce, tomato and cucumber. All this was served bibimbap style, diced up in little pieces and served in separate parts of the oversized plate. Yes, it was as terrible as it sounded! The other dinner in was room service because I was immensely jetlagged and couldn’t bring myself to head out into the minus zero temperatures. I ordered a ‘minestrone soup’. It tasted worse than the tinned soup I had as a kid. Enough said. 1/5 (the pancakes gave them a 1 point).

The Gage – This little bistro is opposite Millenium Park. It is smart, yet old-worldly looking at the same time. Slick service and could be pretentious but it’s not. I had a grilled chicken salad which was delicious. Smoky and crispy grilled chicken was served on the side of a huge plate of well-dressed salad that included grapes amongst other salad ingredients. Moderately priced at $15 a salad. A refreshing and balanced dish. 3.5/5.



Blackbird (dinner) - Eva and Ben came to visit me for the weekend and we chose this funky little hotspot even though it was recommended by Lonely Planet whom I do not trust for their food recommendations usually. We booked ahead (fortunately) and turned up in our day clothes of sweaters and jeans. You could dress up to come here as we discovered or not. The food is prepared with care and some flair. I ordered the grilled char, which is a pink coloured fish with a similar texture to salmon, that was served with shaved fennel and celery sautéed as well as an aioli like sauce. It was delicate and tasty. Eva and Ben’s dishes were also considered and crafted. It’s a little pricier being around $25 a main. 4/5.

Milk and Honey – We all made it out to Wicker Park the next morning well before the local residents were up. The main street was dead except for inside this buzzing little Surry Hills-style café. The menu is extensive and has a home-made feel to it. I ordered the oatmeal with dried fruits, nuts and brown sugar, whilst the others had waffles with raisins and banana embedded pancakes (ok, I added the word ‘embedded’ cause they were!). I enjoyed mine but it didn’t dazzle me. I think the others felt the same. I still loved the café though. Their home made baked goods looked amazing and were possibly the big drawcard to this place. Mega sized lattes too. Dishes under $10. 3.5/5.


Eva and Ben with banana pancakes and sultana waffles

Potbelleez – This was our first chain food store. Here they serve huge salads and sandwiches in varying combinations. It’s a cross-between Subway and Sumo Salad. My ‘Italian’ salad was huge and came with chickpeas and 2 types of ham over the usual salad ingredients, grated cheese and croutons for around $5. Come here if there’s nothing better around. 2.5/5.

The Corner Bakery Café – This is a small bakery chain that also serves soups, salads and sandwiches. I had breakfast here a few times. Reasonable coffee. They served this apple and raspberry granola oatmeal which I tried. Who would have thought of sprinkling oats on oats? Kinda worked with the contrast of crunchy granola over the soft porridge. Bagels were good here too. Breakfast for $5 - $10. 3/5.

Grand Lux Café (dinner) - This restaurant is huge and based right on the Magnificent Mile, in fact it overlooks the mile itself. See if you can get a window seat or one in the round atrium. It's a perfect place to rest your feet after a day and/or night of shopping! I did so myself. The servings here are large but delicious. I had the Vietnamese rolls as an entree (it came with 8 large pieces!) and then a barley and vegetable soup for my main which was also large. Decent wine list. 3.5/5.


Vietnamese rolls filled with chicken and veges


Inside the round room of the Grand Lux Cafe

Shanghai Terrace (dinner) - This restaurant is highly-rated by critics and it was recommended by a local. It is a refined Chinese restaurant based in the posh Peninsula Hotel. The setting is lovely. It is peaceful and serene and the pristine service adds to this ambience. The food is also polished and the flavours. I had a lobster consumme (very small serving) and a tasting plate for my main. Beautiful. 4/5.


Inside the elegant Shanghai Terrace

Chipotle (lunch) - In contrast to the Shanghai Terrace, Chipotle is a chain eatery where they custom made burritos. You select your flavoured meat, rice, varieties of beans, veges and sauce. Delicious, cheap and very filling. 3.5/5.

Cheesecake Factory (dinner) - I went to this Chicago institution with another out of towner. The fit out is trippy and fun. Everything is curved. The menu is extensive and the servings massive. I had the grilled salmon with a miso and teriyaki glaze. I requested that it was cooked medium-rare but the waiter didn't think this could be done and looked a bit confused. It was not done medium-rare but rather well-done. We managed to fit in dessert but not cheesecake since the servings of them were gargantuan! We shared a small bowl of ice cream and were told that you get 3 scoops. A giant pasta bowl came out with 3 huge scoops, a mountain of whipped cream and sauce. We were finished for the night! 3.5/5.


The Swirly Surrounds of the Cheesecake Factory

Thai Urban Kitchen – This downtown Asian eatery has a slick feel to it and serves up similarly well-presented Thai and Japanese dishes. I ordered the Sushi Maki Lunch Set that included miso soup and 3 types of sushi (raw tuna, spicy tuna and California roll). I expected 2 pieces of each but no I got 6 pieces of each type, so that I had 18 pieces of sushi for 1 person! Needless to say, I only ate half of it. Lunch set was $15. 3/5.


The very generous lunch set plate


The only thing I missed catching in Chicago was a gig. I had 2 choices, Cold War Kids or La Roux but neither of them were that appealing to me. The draw of food and shopping got me instead! One honourable mention goes to Garrett's Popcorn. This store is located just off the Mag Mile and fuelled my popcorn addiction. Here locals queue up in this shop for a serving of flavoured popcorn. You can choose from butter, cheese, caramel with pecans, caramel with peanuts or a range of other flavours. I understood why people queued up in the freezing cold for this stuff. Worth the wait? When in Chicago...as they say!