Why Do Some Restaurant Avoid Inner City Chicago? (Naperville, Joliet: price, to eat)

[Chicago South Sider]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Fair enough. At that price level, I can see how Culvers might be preferable to places in the city. Red Robin doesn't have a $1 menu, though. Surely for the $10 you'd spend on a burger there you can find a better (or at least just as good) burger in Wicker Park in a way less cheesy atmosphere.

You can find $10 burgers in Chicago that blow away anything from Culver's. You must have been joking.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Chicago South Sider

You can find $10 burgers in Chicago that blow away anything from Culver's. You must have been joking.

I would never make a statement that contradicts the above. Please re-read the post to which you were responding if you think I did.

[pvande55]

Could the experience of Chick-Fil-A have discouraged them? Alderman threatened not to allow it in his ward. Ultimately allowed it, but another chain might have just quit at that point.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

In Wicker Park the cheesy is self conscious.

Perhaps "cheesy" wasn't the best word choice and/or means something different to you than me, but I'm having trouble thinking of a Wicker Park establishment I've been to that had a worse atmosphere than Red Robin and similar suburban chains. Believe me, I'm not a fan of the overly pretentious hipster-gone-yuppie vibe much of WP has acquired in recent years, but Red Robin?

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Believe me, I'm not a fan of the overly pretentious hipster-gone-yuppie vibe much of WP has acquired in recent years, but Red Robin?

Last time I was in a Red Robin I wasn't thinking about the atmosphere but that I'd ruined what would probably have been a pretty good burger by ordering it with too much garbage on it; bacon, BBQ sauce, some odd cheese and so on. Lately I'm going back to basics with burgers.

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

By "inner city" I meant the good parts of the city to have restaurants, like Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, the Gold Coast, Logan square, etc...

I mostly eat fast food because it's cheaper and is good enough, especially when my monthly budget unemployed is SSDI. So I use coupons, daily specials, or the $1 menu.

You lost your serious cyclist credibility. Pretty difficult to stay in shape and do consistent 20MPH average rides when you subsist mainly on fast food. To each their own...........
There are not as many local options in the suburbs and downstate. I once ate at a local place in Morrison IL and everything was breaded or fried. Culver's or Steak and Shake seem gourmet compared to that local place. Not to say there aren't good local places, but the chains are usually consistent and a known entity. Jimmy Johns over Subway any day. Steak & Shake over MC'Ds or BK although I'd rather find an alternative to S&S. Chipolte is good. Noodles & Co is decent as is Panera but their portions are too small and the value is not there.

The vast choice of local options vs. chains is one of the advantages of living in the city!

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

You lost your serious cyclist credibility. Pretty difficult to stay in shape and do consistent 20MPH average rides when you subsist mainly on fast food.

Not really. It's just calories in and calories out, especially for young people. If you're eating 2-3 super sized meals per day and only taking one short bike ride with no other exercise, you're not going to be in very good shape, but the dude is unemployed and eating off the $1 menu. If he's biking everywhere he goes I doubt he has trouble staying in shape. All you need are leg muscles to keep a bike moving at a decent pace, anyway. I've known several people who are flabby from the waist up who can do consistent 20MPH average rides. I've also been one of them.

And while I'd rather have cheap greasy food from a mom-and-pop place than chain fast food, it's not really any healthier just because it's "local" and slower.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

We need more indigenous Andean food.

I ate at Machu Picchu on Ashland last weekend and it was pretty good.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by emathias

I ate at Machu Picchu on Ashland last weekend and it was pretty good.

Actually, that place is really good! Forgot about it....

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by emathias

I ate at Machu Picchu on Ashland last weekend and it was pretty good.

...decor that consisted of fake antiques and a staff that had suspenders with at least five items of "flair"?