Advice for Weekend Visit (Chicago, Noble: restaurant, bars, food)

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Aha - from eating straight to more eating and drinking! This is really shaping up to be a fantastic weekend.

Yup, that's what life's about.

[Aleking]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Cabs are plenitful in the areas you will be visiting.

Hot Dougs for weiners:

Hot Doug's


or Superdawg for a classic experience:

Superdawg® drive-in

Hopleaf for beer:

Hopleaf • Uptown, Chicago

Resi's for a beer garden and good German food:

Resi's Bierstube - North Center - Chicago, IL

Someone else will have to chime in on the Polish food. Have a nice trip!

might want to take note of this criteria

"we don't want to go anywhere where we have to push someone away to get to the bar"

hopleaf is a bad suggesetion and hot dougs is always mugged, esp on weekends.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Aleking

might want to take note of this criteria

"we don't want to go anywhere where we have to push someone away to get to the bar"

hopleaf is a bad suggesetion and hot dougs is always mugged, esp on weekends.

You're right, both get very busy. Go to Hopleaf around 5-6PM and you will have no issue getting a drink or a table.

[marothisu]

1) cabs are everywhere. It's easy in a busy area to catch a cab by just going on the street.
2) It's less expensive to take the train if you can, but whatever you want. Cabs are more expensive, but still easy if you get in one.
3) Hot Doug's is great, but be prepared to wait in line for a very long time. This is a pretty famous place, and honestly, I've been there when the line was ~2 hours. Kuma's Corner which has awesome burgers is a few blocks away too, but the wait there can be really long too. If you want to go to Hot Doug's, I would recommend getting there 30 minutes before the place opens (I think that would be 10:30am).
4) Someone said Xoco. YES. It's a Rick Bayless place (who is a famous chef if you don't know) and awesome, awesome. Seriously recommend this place. you might have to wait in line if you want to eat there because the seating is very limited, but you will not be let down by this place. It's very good. If you don't want to wait in line, then get it to go and you could get it pretty fast.

If you like really spicy food, then get the Cochinita Pibil (has habenero in the sauce). if not, get the Ahogado, choriqueso, pepito, etc or pretty much any other torta. The Caldos are great too..especially the seafood one. They have awesome churros and their "hot chocolates" are awesome - they grind their own cocoa beans.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/xoco-chicago?start=240

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by marothisu

4) Someone said Xoco. YES. It's a Rick Bayless place (who is a famous chef if you don't know) and awesome, awesome. Seriously recommend this place. you might have to wait in line if you want to eat there because the seating is very limited, but you will not be let down by this place. It's very good. If you don't want to wait in line, then get it to go and you could get it pretty fast.

If you like really spicy food, then get the Cochinita Pibil (has habenero in the sauce). if not, get the Ahogado, choriqueso, pepito, etc or pretty much any other torta. The Caldos are great too..especially the seafood one. They have awesome churros and their "hot chocolates" are awesome - they grind their own cocoa beans.

XOCO - Near North Side - Chicago, IL

Thanks for the recommendation, but we already have reservations at Bayliss' other place, Frontera Grill.

[knitgirl]

Check out LTH forum: LTHForum.com • Index page. Tons of restaurant info. Are you looking for Polish food because you like it, or because there are a lot of Poles in Chicago? I am Polish-American and it's not anything I would seek out - so heavy. If you want to get filled up cheap, you can definitely do that.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Suburban Mom of 2 Kids

State/Pearson....there's a "dive" hot dog place with great hot dogs (I can't remember the name right now) over there on the Loyola campus

J's Dawg (or is it J Dawg's?)

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by spencgr

Thanks for the recommendation, but we already have reservations at Bayliss' other place, Frontera Grill.

Cool. Well if you want him for lunch another day, go to Xoco ;-)

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

Check out LTH forum: LTHForum.com • Index page. Tons of restaurant info. Are you looking for Polish food because you like it, or because there are a lot of Poles in Chicago? I am Polish-American and it's not anything I would seek out - so heavy. If you want to get filled up cheap, you can definitely do that.

Polish food because we both miss our grandmothers' pierogies!

[knitgirl]

My grandma gave me a lesson years ago and she measured in actual teacups. I'm pretty sure you can find tons of info on the best Polish restaurants on lth forum - those people are obsessive about food.