Restaurants in Chicago - JAM (recommendable)

Jam is a restaurant in west Town (near Wicker Park), where the chef was originally a chef at Charlie Trotter's.

Main dishes are around $17. I tried seared fish with green beans and caramelized onions. They also know their ingredients and take a lot of care with the presentation of the dishes. The fennel soup may not be so exciting, but we thought it might have been a palette cleanser. A way of introducing the delicious dishes that follow.

The tasting menu was $37:

-Fennel soup

-Foie Gras Tortellini

-Ono (which is a fleshy fish)

-Roasted pork with finely chopped olives and figs

-Mini donuts which get dipped into a chocolate mousse

937 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622-4949
(773) 489-0302

www.jamrestaurant.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Belly Shack (recommendable)

This will be one of my personal favourites! This great restaurant is conveniently located right underneath the train tracks of Western Station (Humboldt Park).

The restaurant's chef is Korean and has created amazing food combinations. I am not a big fan of pork, perhaps I eat pork 2 or 3 times a year. But if you can, go on a Wednesday. They have a special - Lola's Lechon which is marinated roast pork with an asian accent! Simply outstanding. The Korean BBQ Koki is also amazing!

Prices are very reasonable for the great flavours one gets. The BBQ Kogi costs $10 and the Lola's Lecon was $12. It is an informal place. One orders and pays the food at the counter, but they do bring your food to the table. It is casual-gourmet!

1912 N. Western Ave

Chicago, IL 60647

www.bellyshack.com

Bar Chicago - California Clipper (not recommendable)

The California Clipper in Chicago has a very strict policy regarding ID's. They did not even accept a Canadian driver's license. I would definitely not recommend it if you are going there in a large group. The likelihood that they will reject one person out of the group is very high. Even if the manager is around it does not help because he is completely inflexible.

I would recommend going to the Weegee Bar in Humboldt Park instead. They are more relaxed and have a great list of liquors. As well as lovely light jazz music (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong).

Restaurants in Chicago - Shikago (recommendable)

Shikago is good place for a tasty japanese lunch. They have sushi as well as bento boxes.

I tried the shio yaki salmon bento box which was served with shrimp chawa mushi, an onigiri (rice ball), kimchee, a salad and a fruit salad. The green tea creme brulee is also quite tasty. All dishes are presented elegantly and the genmaicha tea was brewed well.

We paid around $20 per person which was reasonable for a good size lunch.

160 West Adams Street

Chicago IL 60603

www.shikagorestaurant.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Cafe Iberico (recommendable)

This is a great Tapas place to go to with a group of friends.

We tried many different dishes:

-Tortilla Espanola

-Patas Ali-Oli (red potatoes with garlic mayonnaise sauce)

-Jabon Iberico (spanish cured ham with manchego cheese and tomato bread)

-Gambas al Ajillo (grilled shrimp with olive oil, garlic and wine)

-Paella Marinera (seafood paella made with shrimp, fish, clams in a special saffron broth)

All dishes were well prepared and recommendable. I especially liked the tomato bread which is simple chopped fresh tomatoes + olive oil + salt on a piece of white bread.

The only thing is if you have any allergies and intolerances, the staff do not know the dishes well and can not give you a straight answer to your questions e.g. if a dish or sausage has lactose or not. They purchase their bread from someone else but do not know the ingredients.

With tip it is around $25 per person which is good value for money.

739 N La Salle St

Chicago IL 60654

www.cafeiberico.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Handlebar

I went back to Ottawa from Charleston via Chicago so that I would not miss the U2 concert here! Great to be back! U2 concert - no words ... the best concert ever!!

This is a casual bar or pub style restaurant with some seats outside. Most of their menu can be ordered as a vegan dish. I tried the asparagus & portobello gemelli with baby tomatoes, garlic herb white wine sauce, toasted and pine nuts. A nice change to have really fresh ingredients and no over-cooked vegies!

2311 W. North Ave.

Chicago, IL 60647

773 384 9546

www.handlebarchicago.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Takashi (very recommendable)

There has been a lot of fuss about this restaurant and it is well deserved! The chef has spent time playing with different flavour combinations and has really succeeded - an absolutely top restaurant!

It is a place of informal elegance - do not expect white linen.

If you go on Tuesdays you can try this great place for a three course prix fixe of $36, which is great value for money. This level of quality, detail and creativity usually costs more than a $100. (Unfortunately they have discontinued this prix fixe menu).

They serve the most innovative and gorgeous dishes in Chicago at an affordable price.

We liked all the dishes, but some of our favourites are:

-summer roll (gulf shrimp, avocado, asparagus, japanese omelet caper-golden raisin vinaigrette)

-warm baby octopus and fingerling potato salad with smoked parika, prosiutto, preserved lemon, chickpea mousseline

-seared maine skate wing with roasted stuffed zucchini, ratatouille, eggplant caviar, pistachio-caper vinaigrette

-chicken in clay pot (chicken, shimeji mushrooms, eggplant, haricot vert, yuzu juice); this dish was even able to enthuse a young teenager

The waiters are professional, but will make you feel at ease.

www.takashichicago.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Nia Mediterranean

Surprisingly good! They have paella and many other tapas. It is a little hard to define what cuisine they really are.

All the food was good. Worth mentioning were the wild mushrooms with truffle and the bacon dates. Both these dishes were absolutely delicious!

The service was friendly.

It is good value for money. We tried many different tapas and spent only $33 per person.

803 W Randolph

Chicago, IL 60607

Tel. (312) 226 3110

http://www.niarestaurant.com/

Restaurants in Chicago - Kamehachi

It is an average Japanese Restaurant. No too expensive. So good value for money.

They have traditional Japanese fast food such as Katsu Don ($10.95) or Yakisoba or a Bento with Salmon and a California roll $15.95).

I would say that it is a great place for summer lunches. They have nice tables outside and the wooden floor gives it a nice atmosphere.

1400 N. Wells

Chicago, IL 60610

Tel. (312) 664 3663

http://www.kamehachi.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Karyn's Cooked

This is a good vegan Restaurant. But in my opinion it still does not beat the good old Chicago Diner's gyros.

I think that the most delicious thing on the menu are the smoothies (vanilla banana or a fruit mix with carob). The smoothies are no cheap around $4.50 each but are definitely worth it.

We also tried the bruschetta, hummus, falafel and meatballs. The flavours were all good. I like the taste of grilled food, but this flavour repeated itself in all dishes we tried and in my opinion the breads were a little too carbonised.

I must say that the double chocolate cake ($7) was a treat. Especially if you can not eat cakes with milk.

738 N Wells St. (Superior Street), Chicago, IL 60610

Tel. (312) 587 1050

www.karynraw.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Blu Coral Sushi

We must say apart from the service, the food is surprisingly good. We had a Caterpillar roll ($13), some Totoro Kani ($8) and a yellow tail hand roll ($5).

It is a good value for money place. It is much cheaper than other establishments in Chicago. They had live music which did not quite fit to the place while eating, but was nice for a drink with friends later on in the evening.

1265 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago IL 60622

Tel. (773) 252 2020

www.blucoralchicago.com

Restaurants in Chicago - The Chicago Diner (very recommendable)

This is a great vegetarian/vegan diner. The choices are plentiful and all the food on the menu is delicious.

I would especially recommend the vegan cookie dough shakes ($5.50) and the Gyros ($8.99)! The flavours are great and the dishes are certainly filling.

Service is good and quick.

The decor is simple as one would expect of a diner. But it is especially charming to sit outside in the summer.

3411 N. Halsted

Chicago, IL 60657

Tel. 773 935 6696

www.veggiediner.com

Restaurants in Chicago -Carlos (very recommendable for food not service)

The other time I went to Carlos, I was impressed by the whole experience: food and extremely attentive staff. This time the food was still excellent, however the service was very disappointing.

Regarding the food and wine selection at Carlos:

The extensive wine list is impressive.

We tried the salad with a mix of greens, pine nuts, watercress with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Even though it may seem like a simple task to make a good salad, this one was different and really worth trying.

As a main we tried the: Miso Marinated Halibut, Chanterelles Mushrooms, Bean Sprouts, Salsify and a Lemon Grass Emulsion

and New Zealand John Dory with Hawaiian Shrimp and asparagus Risotto.

The combinations were overall delicious and we would recommend the Halibut.

The only thing that was a little disappointing and one would not expect for a special restaurant like Carlos, was that the bread was a bit old and chewy.

Regarding the service at Carlos:

Unfortunately even though it was quite empty (only three other parties) the waiters did not attend us very well. It took 15 minutes for the waiters to take our order. When we wanted to order wine, we had to look out for them and try and catch their attention. They did not make an effort to explain anything and when some fruit was rotten and we let them know, they started mocking the comment so audible that we could hear clearly what they were saying in the kitchen.

Since dining is partly a whole experience, I am not sure if I would go there again due to the lack of service. However that is perhaps a good thing, since that will push me to try out new places such as Takashi & Mizu Yakitori which also are highly recommended for their food as well as service.

Carlos' Restaurant
429 Temple

Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: 847 432 0770

www.carlos-restaurant.com

Restaurants in Chicago -Picante (comfort food after a night out)

This is a place where you can come at 2 am in the morning for some fresh quesadillas. They have a couple of tables and chairs outside in the summer - so you can sit outside (weather permitting).

It is a simple place with no seating, but good fresh ingredients.

Three quesadillas (cheese with fresh basil and tomato) cost around $5.25.

2016 1/2 W Division

Tel 773 328 8800

www.picantetaqueria.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Sayat Nova (recommendable)

This place has a nice combination of good service, nice lighting which creates a cosy atmosphere, as well as decent food.

It is not on the cheap side, but overall I reckon it is good value for money.

The hummos was quite good and we also tried beef meatballs in a yoghurt sauce.

The main dishes are around $16. So if you decide to have a starter and a main dish you will spend around $25 per person.

157 East Ohio Street

Chicago, IL 60611

Tel. 312 644 9159

www.sayatnovachicago.com

Restaurants in Chicago -Chipotle (my guilty pleasure)

This is a Mexican fast food chain. One would think that since I have tried a ton of authentic food from Mexico, that perhaps I would not like this fast food. But I think some Mexican's would agree - it is a great, healthy choice for comfort food.

It is the best fast food chain I know. Fresh ingredients and quick. I love the salad (with beans, tomato, sour cream, cheese and if you want guacamole) there.

It is around $8 per person.

Restaurants in Chicago -Ay Ay Picante (very recommendable)

This is an authentic Peruvian Restaurant which is located approximately 20 minutes by car from the center of Chicago (north).

We were a large group so we were able to chose a huge variety of dishes. We tried the following starters: the seafood ceviche (a fresh fish dish with a lot of lime and some Peruvian chilies) and Anticuchos (Beef skewer marinated in vinegar with spices and garlic). If you are a fan of ceviches and sour dishes the ceviche here is very tasty. The beef skewer was also tender and seems to have been marinated for a nice bit of time since it had a strong delicious flavour of a combination of different spices.

The main dishes are very large, so we chose 7 main dishes between 9 people and that was plenty. My favourite main dishes were: Lomo Saltado (lean beef with tomatoes and onions on fries and served with steamed rice) and Aji de Gallina (breast of chicken cooked with walnut, milk and cheeses).

All dishes had a wide array of flavours and were a pleasant surprise.

It is also possible to bring your own wine.

The bill including tip was $24 per person. Main dishes are at around $14,50.

www.ayaypicante.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Smoke Daddy (recommendable)

If you are looking for some hearty food with some live music in the background, then this is the place to go. It looks more like a diner, but with a nicer atmosphere (vintage Chicago photos on the walls). Be sure not to be pressed for time because there can be more than an hour waiting time on a Friday or Saturday!

They have delicious baby ribs (tender meat) and pulled pork. Even the side dishes are yummy. The sweet potato fries with cinnamon and sugar are a great combination! And the macaroni & cheese are simple, but absolutely delicious!

One spends around $10-20 per person without drinks.

1804 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622-6810
Tel. (773) 772-6656

www.thesmokedaddy.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Turquoise (very recommendable)

This is delicious turkish cuisine.

We went in a large group and therefore were able to try a large variety of dishes. They were all delicious and the service was good.

We ate the following starters:

-Sogurme (eggplant dip) - super creamy and delicious flavour, even people who are not such fans of eggplant will love the smoked flavour.

-Lahmacun (very thin dough with ground beef on top)

-Shepard Salad

They make their own bread which is a great plus - it is really warm and fresh!

As a main we all the different meats: lamb chops, ground lamb, chicken and beef. None of it was dry. All the meat was well prepared with delicious flavours, such as rosemary - especially noticeable with the chicken. (Main dishes cost approximately $19)

A dessert that everybody found special and tasty was the creme brulee, which was different from the traditional creme brulee.

We spent $40 per person which was good value for money considering we ate so much!

2147 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618-6271
(773) 549-3523

www.turquoisedining.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Aladdin's Eatery

A middle eastern restaurant.

We ate a vegeterian combo as a starter, which was the standard hummus, falafel, baba ghanouj, tabouleh and wine leaves. The dishes tasted fine, but not exciting.

The Alladins Favorite Combo - the lamb and chicken tasted good. However the beef had tons of strings of fat in it which was very unappetizing.

The setting is simple, more like a nicer diner. They also served the sauces in little plastic containers, which seemed like for take-away food and not for a restaurant.

The service was ok.

We spent around $23 per person which was expensive for what it was. I would not call it good value for money. For that money you can go to the Sayat Nova (downtown) which will cost you about the same, but in a nicer setting.

614 W Diversey Pkwy

Chicago, IL 606014

773 327 6300

www.aladdinseatery.com