chicago Archives - Foodology

In Chicago

White Castle: Little Sliders from the Mid West

October 7, 2013

After seeing the movie Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, I’ve always wanted to go to White Castle for the sliders. Living on the West Coast, I’ve never seen one before since it’s mostly concentrated in the Mid West of North America.

I made it a mission to come here before I left.

To end my Chicago experience, we ordered 6 sliders and fries. It really wasn’t as impressive as I thought it would be. The patty is very thin and you really just taste more of the bun.

Original Slider has pickles, onions and the small patty between the soft bun. The patty seemed to stick to the bun and was inseparable.

Cheese Slider is like the original but with the extra cheese.

Bacon Cheese Slider is like the Cheese Slider but with the added bacon strips.

Chicken Ring Slider is just chicken shaped into a ring. It also has a slice of cheese.

Fish Slider also has a slice of cheese.

Jalapeno Cheese Slider has the thin beef patty and jalapeno cheese. It wasn’t spicy at all.

My first White Castle experience was ok, but I can now see why some people order a whole case of these little sliders. There’s really nothing special about White Castle except for the size of the sliders. A lot of other fast food joints taste much better. But, most people come here for the novelty of it all.

Have you been here? What do you think?

Website: www.whitecastle.com

In American

Original Pancake House: Dutch Baby and Apple Pancakes

October 6, 2013

A great thing about going on vacation and visiting relatives and friends is that they know where cool restaurants are. I’ve never heard of the Original Pancake, but they are most famous for their Dutch Baby and Apple Pancake.

Ifs located all over the states and if you recognize this place, you know they have very cool breakfast food. It was pretty busy on a Saturday morning and line ups almost out the door. We waited for a bit but got a table quickly.

The Apple Pancake is oven baked with fresh granny smith apples and pure Sinkiang cinnamon glaze. It was really good but it’s best to share since it’s loaded with sugar.

We all cut it up into slices are shared it. Pretty delicious and amazing. Highly recommended.

Dutch Baby is oven baked. Served with whipped butter, lemon and powdered sugar. We opted for the smaller version since we knew we wouldn’t finish the large version.

Blue Crab Meat Benedict has poached eggs, sauteed Blue Crab Meat & lightly grilled tomato slices on top of a grilled English muffin with our hollandaise sauce. Garnished with parsley & capers. It tasted alright, but not crazy amazing.

The benedict came with a side of fruit.

Sausage & Basted Eggs was alright, but nothing special. You get 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties and pancakes.

Pancakes that came with the sausage and basted eggs.

We also ordered side of bacon and side of hash browns. We loved the bacon because it was nice and crispy.

We had so much food that it barely fit onto our table. It was a yummy breakfast.

Overall, the specialty items were quite amazing. You must come here to order the apple pancake and the dutch baby. You won’t be disappointed.

We Rate Original Pancake House:

Address:
153 Green Bay Rd
Wilmette, IL

Website:
http://www.walkerbros.net/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=153+Green+Bay+Rd+Wilmette,+IL&ll=42.070354,-87.704587&spn=0.012822,0.030642&t=m&hnear=153+Green+Bay+Rd,+Wilmette,+Illinois+60091,+United+States&z=16 “]

In American

Chicago Food Planet Tours: Gold Coast & Old Town Food Tour

October 4, 2013

I had a week in Chicago and it’s quite hard to eat everything. There’s only so many restaurants I can go to in one day. I contemplated for a long time if I should take a food tour or not. 7 restaurants in 3 hours is always enticing for a foodie for $50.

Chicago Food Planet Food Tours offered a tour of Gold Coast and Old Town‘s best eats. It’s a cool neighbourhood, but the only reason I went on the tour was to try a slice of deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s. I really didn’t want to eat a whole pizza to myself or eat alone.

We explored:

Lou Malnati’s
Delightful Pastries
Kamehachi Old Town
The Fudge Pot
The Spice House
Old Town Oil
Tea Gschwendner

The group was only 16 people, so it was a nice decent size. What made me feel awkward was that everyone else came to the tour as a group or a couple. It made me feel like an awkward turtle.

Lou Malnati’s

Our first stop was Lou Malnati’s for their famous deep dish pizza. This was the starting point of the tour. They are an iconic Chicago-Style Deep Dish pizzeria. It’s been around since 1971.

All 16 of us sat down and started beginning chowing down on our meal.

We began with a salad.

Then the deep dish pizza! So satisfying and the crust is so crispy. Definitely the highlight of the tour.

Tea Gschwendner

We then walked a short distance to Tea Gschwendner. They are Europe’s leading specialty loose Green, Black, Oolong and White teas merchant and have been around since 1987.

We were given a little lesson about different types of tea and how to make tea.

Iced tea was given to everyone as a refresher after the yummy pizza. As it was a hot summer we definitely needed.

We then headed into Old Town and was told about the history of some notable buildings and history.

Kamehachi Old Town

Kamehachi Old Town is Chicago’s first Japanese-style restaurant, sake cafe and sushi bar . It has been around since 1967.

We had 2 types of maki rolls, but only 2 pieces. It was ok, but not great. Coming from Vancouver, this doesn’t even compare to what good sushi is like.

The Fudge Pot

The Fudge pot is Chicago’s oldest chocolate confectioner, butter toffee and home-made fudge shop. They have been around since 1963 making delicious sweets.

We were taken to their kitchen to hear the history of the Fudge Pot and their production.

The butter toffee samples we received were pretty awesome. So addictive.

Spice Merchants

We then stopped by the world-famous merchant of hand-prepared spices, blends and artisan seasonings. Once you step close to the door of this place, you’ll definitely smell the amazing flavours. It’s quite strong stuff.

They have hundreds of spices! They have even made their own special blends. You can probably find any spice you’re looking for.

We looked around the shop and then taken to the back to get a lesson on different spices, best ways to store spices and how to get the most flavourful spices. Interesting stop on this tour, but we only smelled spices.

Old Town Oil

Old Town Oil is America’s premiere supplier of aged balsamic vinegars and 100% extra-virgin olive oils. I’ve never seen so many tins of olive oil and balsamic vinegar before.

We were able to try all the flavours we wanted. Interesting flavours.

We continued walking around the neighbourhood and heard more about the history.

Delightful Pastries

Our last stop of the tour was at Delightful Pastries. It’s an authentic Polish-European bakery serving pastries, pierogies and pies.

Two Macaroons

Two different types of perogies.

The Chicago Food Planet Tour of Old Town and Gold Coast was fun and enjoyable, but if you are a hardcore foodie, a majority of the places aren’t super amazing. The shops are unique and have a long history, but it won’t keep you coming back. Especially if you are a local.

As a tourist, it was a good use of 3 hours to visit so many shops and restaurants, plus learn a little bit of history in these 2 areas. The 2 restaurants that stood out to me was Lou Malnati’s and The Fudge Pot. Mmmm pizza and chocolate.

Our tour guide was great! He was funny and was very personable to each person on the tour.

Website: http://www.chicagofoodplanet.com/tours/near-north-food-tour/

In Evanston

Taco Diablo: Mexican Food in Evanston

October 1, 2013

Taco Diablo is a Mexican restaurant in Evanston, Illinois. BaguetteGirl said I have to try some Mexican food before I left Chicago. The restaurant was quite cute and it was quite funny to see all the devil paintings. We came here before heading to the city to watch the Million Dollar Quartet.

Complimentary Tortilla Chips and salsa was pretty good. It came with so many chips in that basket. Really fresh and I wish I could have kept eating this, but I had to save room for tacos.

Taqueria Guacamole ($6.89) chunky avocado, tomato, onion, lime, and corn chips. SO yummy, but it is a bit expensive.

Tortilla Soup was amazing! It was so flavourful and I have not been able to find anything like it in Vancouver. The soup was more clear and just so damn good. Highly recommended.

Spicy Shrimp Taco and Vegetable Taco.

Taco plate ($11.89) comes with your choice of 3 tacos and sides.

It’s Carne Asada Tacos and Pork Carnitas taco. All the tacos we had were pretty good and a good size. Each taco has 2 layers of corn tortillas and has a good amount of meat in the centre.

The sides that came with the taco plate was – rice and black beans. We were so fully from everything else, so we barely touched this.

I like it spicy, so I had to use the Tabsco and the hot sauce.

For 2 people we definitely ate too much. I think we would have been good just splitting the soup and having the tacos.

We Rate Taco Diablo:

Address:
1029 Davis Street
Evanston, IL

Website:
http://tacodiabloevanston.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=1029+Davis+Street+Evanston,+IL&t=m&hnear=1029+Davis+St,+Evanston,+Cook,+Illinois+60201,+United+States&z=16″]

In American

GT Fish & Oyster: Amazing Seafood in Chicago

September 28, 2013

GT Fish & Oyster is an awesome restaurant in Chicago. I was looking hard for a good seafood restaurant and I was recommended to this restaurant. It has received a Michelin Star and several other awards.

They are an American Seafood Restaurant a few blocks away from the Magnificent Mile. It’s not a long walk and easy to get to. They have indoor or patio seating. Lots of space.

We came in the early evening for some quick bites. It’s a nice cozy restaurant.

GT Oyster Shooter ($5) has tuna, cucumber, and tobiko caviar. It’s super cute and comes served in a martini glass. The ingredients really go together. I really wanted more!

Shrimp Bruschetta ($11) has avocado, toasted pistachio, grapefruit, and cilantro. It was really good! Seafood is fresh and quite flavourful. The ingredients really compliment the seafood.

Fish Tacos ($13) has a garlic marinade, chipotle aioli, and chicharron. It comes with 3 pieces and it mighty fresh and delicious.

Oyster Po’Boy Slider ($4 each) has the fried oyster withkimchi, peanuts inside a toasted buttered bun. I love kimchi, so having it in this way was really good too.

GT “Mac & Cheese” ($17) has bits of lobster and english peas. It’s a filling dish and one of the heavier dishes on the menu. It’s creamy and cheesy, but it fell a bit flat.

Overall, BaguetteGirl and I had a great experience here. The food was delicious and I would come back. Some items are a bit pricey, but it’s still a nice venue for drinks and small bites.

We Rate GT Fish & Oyster:

Address:
531 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.gtoyster.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=531+N.+Wells+St.+Chicago,+IL&t=m&hnear=531+N+Wells+St,+Chicago,+Illinois+60654,+United+States&z=16″]

In Bar and Grill

John Hancock Center: Signature Lounge at the 95th

September 26, 2013

The best advice I got during my trip to Chicago was from my aunt who told me to grab a drink at the restaurant on top of the John Hancock Center and enjoy the summer fireworks. It’s great because you get a good view without paying the outrageous prices to be at their observation deck (which is on a lower level).

The Signature Lounge is located on the 95th floor (vs Oberservation Deck – 94th floor). To get up there, you go in through the south entrance. If you see people lining up for the observation deck, you’re in the wrong place. As it was a busy night, we waited about 20 minutes to get up to the restaurant. Other people were smart to go early to grab a seat and wait for the fireworks.

The interior was the restaurant was nice and cozy. They have tons of seats, but as you can imagine, it is quite packed.

Isn’t that just a stunning view?

As we waited for the fireworks, we had to order something. So we got drinks and shared a cake.

White & Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake ($8) also comes with chocolate bark and pistachio gianduja.

Stella Artois ($8.25) is light, crisp and declicious.

We found that our seats didn’t have the best view of Navy Pier for the fireworks, so we went to the womens washroom to watch the fireworks. It sounds weird, but it has one of the best views! You get a clear view of the loop and Navy Pier.

It was quite a night. Great views with great company. The items on the lounge menu were quite expensive, so just grab a drink and sip it slowly.

We Rate Signature Lounge:

Address:
875 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.signatureroom.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=875+N+Michigan+Ave+Chicago,+IL&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&hnear=875+N+Michigan+Ave,+Chicago,+Illinois+60611,+United+States&z=16 “]

In Bucktown/Wicker Park

iCream: Liquid Nitrogram infused Ice Cream

September 24, 2013

iCream is a unique dessert experience in Wicker Park / Bucktown. While my aunt took me around this area, she insisted we come here for a cold snack. It looked pretty unique and you can create your own frozen dessert concoction within seconds using liquid nitrogen.

Stores likes these have actually been popping up all over the country. I even saw it in the night market in Richmond.

They outline 3 steps in creating your dessert.

1. Choose ice cream, yogurt, sorbet, a shake, or hot pudding (with or without rice)

2. Select your dessert base: regular, light, organic, soy, regular or non-fat yogurt

3. Pick one or two flavors and fruit or candy mix-ins from our toppings section

And check out the favorites section for our most popular dessert combinations.

Once you tell them your creation, they will begin creating in the back counter. It’s quite weird seeing them mix liquid and powders together as you know what goes into it.

The pour the liquid mixture into the mixer and the show begins. Its pretty darn cool.

I got frozen yogurt and my aunt got ice cream.

Mango Ice cream was ordered from my aunt and thought it was ok too.

Green Tea frozen yogurt has a very icy texture and not as smooth as the usual frozen yogurt. It did have the tart taste but not the same.

Overall, the presentation of the ice cream and how it’s made is quite fun and exciting, but the taste was just ok.

We rate iCream:

Address:
1537 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.icreamcafe.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=1537+N+Milwaukee+Ave+Chicago,+IL&t=m&hnear=1537+N+Milwaukee+Ave,+Chicago,+Illinois+60622,+United+States&z=16″]

In American

Hot Doug’s: Chicago’s Most Popular Hot Dog Store

September 23, 2013

Hot Doug’s Sausage Superstore and is only open during the day. If you plan on coming here at 4pm, you’ll be out of luck. What makes Hot Doug’s highly desirable is their specialty hot dogs. Fois Gras Hot Dog, Crocodile Hot Dog, Elk Hot Dog, and an endless combination of toppings.

They’ve been covered on the Food Network and even have their own book. They have gotten worldwide popularity and most tourists make a visit here when visiting Chicago.

Sadly, I have to admit, I was one of those tourists. Seriously, you can’t come to Chicago and not try the best hot dogs. (or at least what people of the internet claim to be the best).

When we arrived around 1pm, the line up was huge. It wrapped around the corner and the wait was about an hour. We thought we could avoid the lunch rush, but we got caught up in the lunch rush.

We at least had a good view of these little piggies. I got educated on the different pork parts.

Once you somehow make your way through the long line, this colorful interior awaits you.

There’s so many choices to choose from. Even some hot dogs are named after celebrities. When you are ordering, you’ll be greeted by Doug of Hot Doug’s that will take your order at the counter. He was quite nice to all the customers.

Escargot & Guanciale sausage ($9) with parsley-garlic goat butter and double creme brie cheese. This was a strange sausage but I adored the creamy brie cheese on top. The sausage was charred on the outside and lacked a distinct flavour.

Foie Gras and Sauternes Duck Sausage ($10) with Truffle Aioli, Foie Gras Mousse and Fleur de Sel. One of the most popular items on the menu, might as well order the best. It’s pretty good.

The Dog ($2) is a Chicago-Style Hot Dog with all the trimmings – pickle, peppers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and mustard on a poppy seed bun. This was a cheap hot dog compared to the other specialty hot dogs. The hot dog is much smaller compared to the others.

Overall, I was impressed by the toppings but the quality of the sausage wasn’t as good as I anticipated. They were a bit on the small side and the not juicy at all. It just felt like the sausages were just sitting around for a while.

We Rate Hot Doug’s:

Address:
3324 N California Ave
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.hotdougs.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=3324+N+California+Ave,+Chicago,+IL+60618,+USA&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&hnear=3324+N+California+Ave,+Chicago,+Illinois+60618,+United+States&z=16″]

In American

Argo Tea: Specialty Tea Shop in Chicago

September 13, 2013

Walking in the hot summer Chicago weather, BaguetteGirl and I were getting a bit thirsty and decided to head into Argo Tea for a drink. Argo Tea originated from Chicago and they serve a variety of teas and focuses on being sustainable and giving back to the community. They also sell coffee and baked goods.

Walking inside, it kinda reminded me of David’s Tea with their large variety of teas. But, Argo has a larger focus on being a cafe rather than just selling tea. The location we were at, there was lots of seats to just chill and enjoy the air conditioning. They have some pretty strange drinks like Chocolate Mint, Red Velvet, Tea Sangria, Teappuccino, and many others. Weirdly enough, they also have bubble tea.

I grabbed a latte and my friend grabbed a cold specialty tea drink. The drinks are pretty good, but for myself, I like plain teas like straight up green tea or black tea. I don’t like them with sweet smells or anything like that. They do have a nice variety of different tea, sweet teas, and other types.

We Rate Argo Tea:

Address:
140 S Dearborn St
Chicago, IL

Website: http://www.argotea.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=140+S+Dearborn+St,+Chicago,+IL+60603,+USA&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=140+S+Dearborn+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60603,+United+States&z=16″]

In American

Hershey’s Store in Chicago

September 11, 2013

In a lot of the tourist book, they highlighted the Hershey’s store on the Magnificent Mile. For some reason, I imagined it as exciting as the M&M store in New York, but sadly, I was a bit disappointed when I arrived. Also the Hershey’s Store in Niagara Falls was larger.

This is not to say this is a horrible store to go to. If you’re in the area, stop by. If not, don’t go out of your way to come here.

There’s lots of see and buy at this store. It’s only one level, so it’s not very large inside. There are high ceilings with lots of natural light that make the interior seem larger.

What I found quite cool large candy bars and large syrup bottles.

There’s also a little cafe area where you can buy cupcakes, cookies and other confections. There’s hot chocolate and other drinks too.

Overall, it was nice to stop by to see all the cool candy products. Some items were a bit pricey, but in the end I didn’t purchase anything since nothing really appealed to me.

Address:
822 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.thehersheycompany.com/about-hershey/visit-hershey/retail-stores/chicago.aspx

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=822+N+Michigan+Ave,+Chicago,+IL+60611,+USA&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=822+N+Michigan+Ave,+Chicago,+Illinois+60611,+United+States&z=16″]

In Fast Food

Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder

September 9, 2013

While visiting the Rock n Roll McDonalds, I just had to have a burger that’s not available in Canada. Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder was just the burger that I wanted to consume with fries and a coke. I really wanted to see if it would be spicy or not.

The Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder has a quarter pound patty of beef with white cheddar, Applewood smoked bacon, tomato , leaf lettuce, and a spicy-cool habanero ranch sauce, on a toasted bun.

To my disappointment, the habanero flavour wasn’t very strong at all. I wanted to see a noticeably amount of spice, but it didn’t really sting. The bacon was delicious and crispy. It was a decent burger with a nice habanero ranch sauce, but needs more spice.

Website: www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html

In Chicago

Rock n Roll McDonald’s in Chicago

September 8, 2013

Rock n Roll McDonalds is their Flagship store in Chicago, Illinois. It’s quite famous and attracts lots of tourist every year. It’s a few blocks away from the Magnificent Mile. What makes this location unique is that its 3 times the size of a normal McDonalds, has a Rock n Roll Exhibit and a mini McDonalds Museum.

Near the entrance, there are a few statues there that you can pose and take pictures with.

Peek-a-boo! It’s Ronald McDonald and I. Of course I had to take some fun pictures with those statues.

The bottom floor has lots of seating and the counter to order food. Stairs and escalators are located in the middle of the floor that leads to the 2nd floor.

Upstairs is the McCafe serving lattes, gelato, and baked goods. It’s very relaxing, so you could spend a lot of time just chilling here because there is so much natural light. I saw a few people just on their laptops working here.

On the second floor, there is a little Museum area where you can view old memorabilia. I remember collecting all those Inspector Gadget toys too.

On the walls are stories about the McDonalds Franchise.

Overall, it was a pretty cool location with awesome memorabilia to look at. If you’re a tourist, it’s a fun place to just stop by and have a snack. It’ll probably be one of the best looking McDonalds you’ve been to.

Website: www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/home.html

In Chicago

Slurping Turtle: Ramen in Chicago

September 7, 2013

The Slurping Turtle is located in the River North area and is a few blocks away from Michigan Avenue. Their logo is pretty cute and I was craving some Japanese food. Even though I was on vacation, I have a crazy addiction for Japanese food.

Slurping Turtle was created to show guests Chef Takashi’s childhood culinary experiences in Japan, as it is reflected in their menu.

The interior has a long communal table through the centre of the restaurant, with some booth seating on the side. Lots of seating.

Duck Fat Fried Chicken ($9) is soy-sesame marinated chicken deep-fried in duck fat. The fried chicken was very very moist inside and sinfully delicious. The is even a slaw on the side to balance out the greasiness.

Tonkotsu ($14) has homemade thin ramen noodles, silky pork broth, braised pork shoulder, pickled mustard greens, and other veggies. It’s a huge bowl and very popular among customers.

Roasted Garlic Ramen ($14) has homemade wheat ramen noodles, clams, mussels, garlic oil, and veggies. There are a lot of clams and mussels, which is pretty great. After eating this, I was really really full.

Overall, it’s a pretty cute place to come get a bowl of noodles for lunch. The ramen was good, but it wasn’t as authentic as you would find in Japan. The interior is very nice but for a $14 ramen, it was a bit expensive.

We Rate Slurping Turtle:

Address:
116 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://www.slurpingturtle.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=116+W+Hubbard+St,+Chicago,+IL+60654,+USA&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=116+W+Hubbard+St,+Chicago,+Illinois+60654,+United+States&z=16″]

In American

The Publican: Homage to Beer, Pork and Oysters in Chicago

September 3, 2013

The Publican plays a homage to beer, pork and oysters. The restaurant is owned and operated by Executive Chef and James Beard award winner, Paul Kahan. We made a call before we went to dine here and sure enough, they did have space available.

The interior is style like a European beer hall with lots of communal seating. There are some standing tables in the centre, but set up in a square are long tables. They can seat about 100 people in the restaurant. There are portraits of pigs all around the restaurant.

The waitress was nice and explained how the menu works. It’s family style, so everything is shared. She suggested about 2 plates per person. We had 4 people, but we only chose 6 items.

Complimentary bread service available upon request. So, it won’t come until you ask. What arrives is rustic bread with butter. I found the bread to be quite burnt on the outside, so most of us avoided that part.

Beets ($9) were very delicious. You can really taste the freshness of the beets. There were some grapefruit and pistachios accompanying the dish.

Tomatoes and Burrata has some balsamic drizzle on top with sprouts.The tomatoes were very cute and had so many different colors. The creamy and rich burrata is a great combination.

Taste of Three Hams ($21) has their 3 signature cured hams with their distinct tastes. It is served with nordic creamery goat butter and peasant bread. It’s a nice item to munch on if you’re having a few drinks.

Loup de mer ($28) has a yummy sauce with a nice crispy skin.

Pork Belly ($26) comes in a thick slab with potatoes, shrimp and corn. The pork belly is just cooked so nicely and falls apart. One of our favourite dishes of the night. Highly recommended.

Farm Chicken ($25) with summer sausage & frites. The fries were very crunchy and oh so gooood. Chicken was very moist and the outer skin had a nice smokey flavour. The sausages were ok, but wasn’t very moist but more dense.

Overall, The Publican was a great place for dinner. When you come here, you must have pork! Some of the dishes can be a bit heavy and greasy, but you can wash it down with some beer.

We Rate The Publican:

Address:
837 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL

Website:
http://thepublicanrestaurant.com/

[googlemap width=”620″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.google.ca/maps?q=837+W+Fulton+Market,+Chicago,+IL+60607,+USA&sll=49.2399859,-122.95816940000002&sspn=0.1721632379598321,0.3516140337636478&t=m&dg=opt&hnear=837+W+Fulton+Market,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60607,+United+States&z=16″]

In Chicago

Street Food Artistry in Chicago

September 1, 2013

On August 11th, 2013, during our vacation in Chicago, we took a visit to Street Food Artistry – a one day event celebrating of Chicago’s hottest street food and art scene . It was located in Zhou B Art Center. Being a tourist, it just seemed like the festival was in the middle of no where. There was a lot of old buildings in the area.

Admission is $10 for adults and once you get inside, food items from the trucks go to a maximum of $5. For some reason, we just walked in without paying the $10 admission. We were very confused.

Attendees could enjoy a Food Truck Pavilion with some of Chicago’s favourite food trucks, an art exhibit showcasing local artists, a marketplace with designers and handcrafted pieces, and the Street Music Stage outside the gallery with entertainment.

While we were there, there was someone playing the electric violin and a belly dancing lesson. It was actually a pretty fun time.

Some of the food trucks and vendors that were there were:

Dia De Los Tamales
Gelato De’Oro
Getta Polpetta
Baby Cakes
Curried
Herby Pop
Porkchop
Cheesie’s Pub and Grub
Izzie Sparkling Juice
Jerk
The Fat Shallot
Puffs of Doom

There were so many delicious options that I was a little bit overwhelmed.

The Street Food Artistry was a pretty cool event. If you did a bit of digging around, there were a few deals online for discounts and something on Groupon. It’s still a fun time if you really love to eat at food trucks and check out local artists.

Website: http://streetfoodartistrychicago.com/

Porkchop

Since I was feeling a bit full from the previous meal, I decided to check out Porkchop Food Truck. It looked and smelled pretty good. As you can tell by their name, they sell a majority of items with pork. Yum! Too bad they didn’t have any pork belly today.

I wish I could have went to more food trucks, but I really couldn’t fit any more in to my stomach.