Chicago Gluttons Favorite Restaurants of 2009

0 Posted by - January 6, 2010 - Things We've Eaten

bestof

2009 is done, son! Time to pick our favorite restaurants of the year.

Roy

Big Star
Nearly the same great pastor taste of El Tizconcito but full of non-eating hipsters instead of actual people.  If you can get past the ironic Care Bear tshirts and silly faux hawks, this place will haunt your brain and render most other taquerias impotent. Must eat:  Pork Belly Taco,Taco al Pastor, Fish Tostada

San Soo Gap San
Arguably the most significant restaurant of my entire life, this place is unstoppable. I’ve had relationships begin, thrive, and end here.  There is no place I have visited more in Chicago; it is my primary argument against vegetarianism.  Must eat:  Kalbi with Bean Paste & Ribeye w/ Sesame Oil mixture

Gigio’s Pizza
In my search for authentic New York pizza, I have recently discovered a place the Ninja Turtles would be honored to eat at.  Gigios pizza might seem a little Abu Grhaib’ish at first glance.  But if you hold your nose, you will be balls deep in one of the greatest triangular slices in Chicago.  If you are squeamish, do yourself a favor and get it delivered.   Must eat:  A big ass slice of whatever.

Sun Wah BBQ

Peking. Duck. Motherfuckers.  With imported bao in lieu of bullshit moo shu wrappers, this place is perfect for fat asses with great taste who are also on a budget.  For less than the price of a glass of water at Japonae, you can get a fuck-your-face delicious three course meal of madness.  We haven’t yet reviewed Sun Wah, for it’s nearly impossible to represent perfection in words.  This place is just getting better and better.   Must eat:  Peking Duck, but opt for duck pan fried noodles over rice on course 3.

Glenn’s Diner
It ain’t all about the seafood or the all you can eat crablegs.   This place runs it with amazing breakfasts and a meatloaf sandwich that inspired me to start cooking on my own.  Rarely do restaurants have such depth in their menu.  If you visit, don’t fuck around . . opt for the potato pancake.  Must eat:  Clam Chowder (thick as spackle) & Meatloaf Sandwich on rye.

***

John

Great Lake Pizza
How to enjoy Great Lake Pizza (or how to spend four hours on a pizza dinner):
1) Put name on list, walk to In Fine Spirits and drink firkin (one and a half hours)
2) Receive cell phone notification that table will be ready, purchase wine next door (15 minutes)
3) Take tiny table in one of the city’s best eating atmospheres, drink bottle of wine, ogle other people’s pizzas like Roman Polanski at a Girl Scout meeting (1 hour)
4) The best pizzas you’ll ever eat are delivered to your table, put the pizzas inside you (1 hour)

Mixteco Grill
Still batting a thousand. I’ve eaten Mixteco a bargeload of times and still no misses. They may not be designers (Who in Christ’s name would choose that awning and dress the waiters in those baby-shit yellow button-up shirts?) but I’d trust them to wood grill John Goodman’s chins if they put them on the menu.

Bluebird
The food here is top notch, but I’m also including Bluebird because of what it is: a casual place my girlfriend and I can go to at 11 PM to drink good wine and beer and eat olives, charcuterie, cheese, and jamon iberico. It’s like being in Spain, but without all the attractive older women in knee high boots.

The Publican
Essentially a high end country kitchen with oysters and good beer, the Publican does everything the way I like it. Their menu is my Penthouse letters . Geuze in mussels! Ham, bread, and butter! A huge bowl of rilletes! Daily pickles! I have to bring a book bag to carry in front of me when I get up to leave this place.

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d.

Great Lake Pizza
I typically skip the carb portion of a meal; I DEVOUR the crust at Great Lake like I’m a displaced Lost Boy at Kakuma Refugee Camp.  These kats don’t even answer the phone anymore…and I dont give a fuck…I’ll walk.  Yall know they sell takeaway muhfuckin PULLED PORK?

Huaraches Dona Chio
After an all night drunk, I am fortunate enough to be able to stumble three blocks into a Underground Dungeon of Serendipity.  THE CURE: Jamon y huevos mixed in with a bowl of the best guacamole in town, all washed down with a jug of Jamaica (hibiscus juice).  Fools who say that “time” is the only way to sober up have not reached this level of enlightenment.

Sun Wah BBQ
If you can’t duck it, fuck it. Juicy, tender dark meat encased by a crispy glazed skin=unadulterated duckfuckery.  Puree this shit and feed it to babies and I assure you we will achieve World Peace.

***

Al

Appetizer Course
Wagu Steak Tartare
(Volo) spicy, sweet, with sesame cracker
This is your litmus test for how hardcore you are on the carnivore scale. This dish will straight up punch you in the mouth.

Salad Course
Mirugai (Hama Matsu) – Thinly slice sashimi style geoduck topped with a Korean spice vinagrette.
Referred to  in some circles as giant sea dong but more commonly known as geoduck. Hama Matsu does it right, with precision slicing and an accent sauce to  bring out the sweetness of the Mirugai.

Soup Course
Bun Bo Hue (Le’s Pho) – Rice Vermicelli Soup with Spicy Beef.
Pho is for rookies. Who hasn’t had that? You need some true shit in your belly, especially in the winter. This noodle soup will make you sweat.

Entree
Borrego En Mole Negro (Mixteco) wood-grilled rack of lamb with Oaxacan black mole served with garlic mashed potatoes.
Mole. Mole. Mole. I am sure they have someone’s mom in the back tending to a cauldron of this authentic mole. I would fucking slather this shit over anything and eat. P.S. I cried at the end of the plate after licking it clean.

Dessert Course
Cannoli (Paticceria Natalina) – fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling
Best cannoli in Chicago hands down. I have eaten three in one sitting and am not proud of it, but it is totally worth it. Stop judging me!!!!

6 Comments

  • avatar
    Mad Jack Deacon January 6, 2010 - 10:15 pm Reply

    @ Roy: Muthafuckin’ straight up with the choices of San Soo Gap San and Sun Wah (you too D), but don’t be preachin’ up the Sun Wah too much. That shit’s my secret squirrel, and the last thing I need is more round-eye white devils like me in there fuckin’ up my grub on…

    @ John: I feel you on Mixteco. If they could fix the decor (hang some muthafuckin’ drapes to cut the noise of the everyone and their fucktrophylapspawn trying to talk with their fuckin’ mouth’s full), that place could make Bayless it’s prison bitch.

    @ D: If you haven’t hit the lengua tacos at Huaraches, best step. Straightforward and basic like mid-70’s Detroit iron, these tacos are made with same masa for the Huaraches so they’re big and tasty like hootchie booty.

    Overall, good calls though. I see some gluttony in my future…

  • avatar
    cara @ City Girl Chicago January 14, 2010 - 9:08 am Reply

    my mouth is watering reading these great recos ~

  • avatar
    maris February 9, 2010 - 10:42 am Reply

    I am new to Chicago so I’m bookmarking this post and can’t wait to try a few of these restaurants!

  • avatar
    DeezNuts February 18, 2010 - 5:18 pm Reply

    Roy, I’ve been to El Tizoncito and I’ve been to Big Star. Big Star isn’t even close.

    • avatar
      roy February 18, 2010 - 10:24 pm Reply

      Close as I’ve seen in Chicago. Do you know a place that’s better in city limits?

  • avatar

    Plenty of men and women will benefit from your writing. Many thanks!

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