**** (4 stars)
Prost is across between a German beer hall and a sports bar. We had the LARGE pretzel, which definitely lived up to its name. We also had a medium wurst platter. Bot came with an assortment of mustards and a beer cheese.
Needless to say, there is a large selection of German beers. The friendly server (owner) helped us to choose beers and wursts that matched our tastes.
Prost
2566 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
**** (4 stars)
I'm glad to see Harry Caray back at Midway in this new location, as I always liked their food.
The burgers are just as good as ever, with a generous meaty patty and pepper bacon. Service is better at this new location, probably because every seat faces your server.
Just be prepared for airport level prices!
Harry Caray’s Shortstop
5700 S Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60629
**** (4 stars)
From the description of "cozy fireplace" and BBQ, this wasn't what I was expecting, but I did enjoy it. True, there is a more tavern-like room with a fireplace, but most of the space is a sports bar, filled with TVs.
The Big Ass Pretzel is indeed giant, and very good, with a crisp crust and light interior, and served with a slightly piquant cheese dip.
The BBQ baby back ribs were also good.
I had an excellent porter, and an equally excellent Irish coffee.
On a Saturday at lunch they were very busy, but the service was on top of it, and the meal was enjoyable.
Fireplace Inn
1448 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60610
**** (4 stars)
I really like the interior design of this place, which, depending on where you sit, is an airy cafe, a bar, or a fairly intimate restaurant.
Like most "fusion" places, they're not really doing a fusion of cuisines, but just offering more than one, in this case, Japanese and French, with a bit of American thrown in.
My favorite dish was the mussels, which were served in a wonderful somewhat spicy broth that made a great soup, too.
The tuna tartare was also excellent quality, and the tempura was light and not oily.
The wine list emphasizes French wines, with some nice selections, but no bargains.
Service was friendly.
Yoshi’s Cafe
3257 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
***** (5 stars)
Delightfully flaky croissants in this cozy storefront space. The chocolate and plain croissants are particularly good. Excellent coffee, too. Counter service.
Maison Parisienne
3307 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
**** (4 stars)
Billed as Asian Fusian cuisine, the emphasis here is on Chinese, with some Thai and other dishes, not really so much fused as simply pan-Asian.
There is an interesting cocktail list. I particularly enjoyed the Jameson Ginger.
Service was pleasant, and the atmosphere is fairly upscale.
Ping Pong
3322 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657