Not Your Average Chicago Food Guide

Home of good food indeed! Minnies’ is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago, probably because I can finish what’s on my plate without feeling stuffed! All of the food at Minnies’ comes in mini portions. Mini sandwiches, mini fries, even mini cocktails! Trust me, they don’t skimp out on the flavor though. I highly recommend finishing the evening off with a mini freeze. This vanilla ice-cream and caramel drink is an orgasm in a glass.

One of the best 24-hour diners in Chicago has to be Clarkes. The entrees are huge, so go there hungry or go there planning to share. The staff is very friendly. If you’re going there late night, especially on the weekends, prepare to be surrounded by a lot of loud, (possibly) drunk, college kids. This just happens to be the place where I called dibs on my now boyfriend. Yep, the food is THAT good!

Billy Goat Tavern

Made popular by the Cub’s curse and SNL skits, this burger joint is one of the best around. “Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!” Learn a bit about Chicago’s history while biting into a mouth-watering burger! There are many locations, but the original can be found near the Tribune Towers and Wrigley Building.

John's Place

John’s Place is a new addition to my list of favorite Chicago eateries. The restaurant itself is fairly small. It has an intimate, cozy feel. I only have two complaints. I was there on a Friday night and seated next to a rather loud bunch. The tables were too close together. Even if they spoke at a reasonable level I’d still be an involuntary member of their party. My second complaint is the mashed potatoes. They weren’t good. They were too bland and almost creamy.

The rest of our dinner was delicious so don’t let the mashed potatoes stop you! I’ve also heard from a friend of a friend that the pumpkin pancakes are amazing! There’s no better way to welcome Fall than with some pumpkin pancakes!

So why am I recommending it?

Because of this. Their pomegranate martini is too good to pass up. I’d gladly put up with the noise for a couple of glasses of this! Aside from their drinks they have a pretty tasty menu. The cheese-filled pretzels were the perfect late night snack to go with my late night buzz.

Be There or Be Square!

Kitsch’n on Roscoe is almost a second home to me. The restaurant has a 70’s “funk-ploitation theme & too many tongue-in-cheek cultural decor references to mention (beer can collections, lava lamps, Billy Dee Williams ‘Colt 45’ lighted signs, vintage lunchboxes, H&R Puff’n Stuff action figures, etc).” It’s one of those places where you go when you don’t have much to talk about. There’s so much going on, you’ll be too busy taking everything in (atmosphere as well as food) to worry about conversation!

This groovy joint tends to get crowded so get there early or be prepared to wait. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily you’re in the heart of Roscoe Village. If you’re stuck waiting, don’t wig out – boogie on down around the block and check out what else this far out neighborhood has to offer! Can ya dig it?

Mambo Grill

I’ve only been here once, but once is all it took. It was love at first site, er, bite. Be warned, it can and does get very crowded, loud and smoky (from the grill, not cigarettes!) Don’t let that scare you away. The food more than makes up for the crowd. I went with the strip steak carne asada. If I could marry food, I’d be Mrs. Carne Asada.

Mojitos were the drink of choice during my visit. The complimentary chips and salsa are fantastic. You’re not given a small basket of oily chips and some crappy salsa. Oh no! You’re given crisp chips and THREE salsa choices! Be sure to cut yourself off or you won’t have room for dinner!