***** (5 stars)
Excellent cupcakes, moist and fresh. The dark tiramisu was superb. Small interior space and the music is too loud, so you'll want to eat outside or get it to go.
Jennivee’s Bakery
3301 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
***** (5 stars)
Good Proto typical Chicago dog except there are no poppyseeds on the bun. Excellent onion rings, with a nice brown crust and no grease. Lightning fast service. A nice outside eating area.
Clark Street Dog
3040 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
***** (5 stars)
Excellent variety of flavors and friendly service. Eat in or take with you. Espresso crunch was delicious!
Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy Store
3055 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
https://www.yelp.com/biz/oberweis-ice-cream-and-dairy-store-chicago-4
**** (4 stars)
Great burgers! The deluxe version includes all my favorite toppings (onion, lettuce, pickles, tomatoe, cheese) and two generous hand-pressed patties.
Grilled cheese was simple and perfectly browned, just like it should be.
Crinkle cut fries were also excellent.
Great stop on the way across the vast nothingness of Illinois!
217 Roadhouse
2005 2400th St
Atlanta, IL 61723
***** (5 stars)
This is the real deal, exactly as you would find in Paris. Sandwiches on sinfully fresh baguettes, with authentic French ingredients such as butter, ham and cornichons. Extraordinarily light croissants, pain au chocolate, and excellent coffee.
La Boulangerie – CLOSED
915 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
**** (4 stars)
We ordered delivery and the food arrived very quickly.
The papadums were crisp and intact, and the cilantro and tamarind chutneys were exceptional.
We tried the vegetarian combo and everything was good, but they were surpassed by the lamb curry and the butter chicken, which was as good as I’ve had.
Garlic naan was also very good. Next time I would put this in the oven for a minute to reheat, but everything else was piping hot.
As with authentic Indian food, no spice level options were available (at least online), but everything was at appropriate levels.
Royal Indian Grill – CLOSED
3223 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
*** (3 stars)
It’s an airport restaurant. Adjust your expectations accordingly. That said, the service was prompt and friendly, and my burger was fine–a large patty, nicely cooked with good fixings. It was worth the $1 upgrade for fries, as they were good, too.
Windy City Taproom
5700 S Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
*** (3 stars)
It’s hard to find truly authentic Philly Cheesesteaks outside of Philly, and this place has them. The meat is seasoned just right, plentiful and tender.
The issue is with the kitchen. In an empty restaurant, at lunchtime, my order of one cheesesteak took more than twenty minutes to prepare!
As a result I can really only recommend them for delivery, and you should plan well in advance.
Philly’s Best
907 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 525-7900
https://www.yelp.com/biz/phillys-best-chicago-2
***** (5 stars)
What a wonderful neighborhood hang out! Drew's has a full bistro menu, so be sure to explore beyond the wonderful hamburgers.
Their pizzas have a thin, scorched crust that we loved. The pear salad was one of the best salads I've ever had, with a perfect balance of sweet and tart, chewy and crunchy. The steak served with the steak frites is a New York Strip, much better than the usual cut, and the accompanying mountain of fries were thin and crispy. There were no survivors.
On Tuesdays bottles of wine are half price. Our Klinker Brick Zinfandel was a great choice at a great price.
By luck we were there on the second Tuesday of the month, which is cabaret night. What a wonderful procession of talented singers! I've paid hundreds of dollars for shows not as good as the impromptu one we enjoyed as we dined. A great evening.
Drew’s on Halsted
3201 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 244-9191
https://www.yelp.com/biz/drews-on-halsted-chicago
**** (4 stars)
This cozy ramen shop serves… well, ramen. There are also some interesting appetizers. The Sriracha Broccolli and Bacon was excellent. Broths are savory, and there is plenty of whatever ingredient you order it with. Service is friendly.
Strings Ramen – Lakeview
919 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 661-6442
https://www.yelp.com/biz/strings-ramen-lakeview-chicago-3