Chicago is widely known as one of the best food cities in the world. There are 16 restaurants with Michelin stars, including the three-star Smyth.
Here are some great places to eat, based on my latest visit in August.
THE PUBLICAN
The Publican, located in the Fulton Market/West Loop area blew me away with some of the best, and most interesting, food I’ve had anywhere. The ham chop is a double pork chop cooked sous vide with fresh hay and then finished in the oven. The hay gives the meat a slightly grassy taste, and it comes out with the consistency of a great steak. For our summertime serving, they topped it off with olives, fresh plums and thinly sliced onions. The fresh, delicious oysters are from Massachusetts and are grown especially for the restaurant, which operates a meat market across the street. Dan Mason, the genial director of operations, told me the staff grows their own tomatoes and supplies them to the restaurant. The burrata is served with cold chanterelle and maitake (hen of the woods) mushrooms, garnished with local cherry tomatoes, olive oil and a gentle kick of spice. As with the ham chop, it’s like nothing I’d ever had. Dessert was the kicker; fabulous, local corn ice cream with blueberries and a profiterole. I found the wine list to be somewhat odd and rather small, but the food was sensational.
The ham chop at The Publican restaurant in Chicago. Photo Courtesy Publican Restaurant.
THE HAND AND THE EYE
The Hand and the Eye is a combination fine dining spot and magic show experience. I’ll talk about the magic in my coming story about things to do in the city. For our recent dinner, I enjoyed a fine steak with roasted mushrooms, while my wife had a nice piece of salmon. The dining room is elegant; like a fancy gentleman’s club or maybe an old-style, rich, hotel lobby. They also had a piano player entertaining us during our meal. The wine list is quite good, and the bartender we had made perhaps the best old-fashioned cocktail I’ve ever sipped.
A fine salmon dish at the Hand and the Eye in Chicago. Photo Courtesy The Hand and The Eye.
THE GWEN HOTEL
There’s a nice patio on the fifth floor at The Gwen Hotel called Upstairs at the Gwen. The hotel is a Marriott Luxury Collection property with great bones and tons of style. The patio is a nice, sunny spot in the afternoon and has a great happy hour. Try the spicy margarita and the super-tasty flatbread with figs, prosciutto and honey. The on-site restaurant serves a fine breakfast, including avocado toast and perfectly crispy potato chunks.
Flatbread and drinks on the patio at the Gwen Hotel in Chicago. Jim Byers Photo
GODDESS AND THE BAKER
Goddess and the Baker is a fine, local chain that has terrific sandwiches and salads, including a fine Southwest Salad and a nice one with lettuce, veggies, avocado and halloumi. They also serve breakfast and a variety of coffee drinks.
WRIGLEY FIELD
In addition to being one of the two best baseball parks in the world, Wrigley Field also offers up tasty ballpark food. As soon as we walked in for a recent game we spotted a Chicago hot dog stand that also served local Goose Island beer. In case you’re not aware, the Chicago hot dog is supposed to be served a particular way, and only one way. It’s a beef dog with mustard, chopped onions, vivid green relish, diced or sliced tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers and celery salt. The ballpark had ketchup on display, but a true Chicago hot dog fan would sneer at such a thing. I had the Goose Island IPA, which was terrific.
A Chicago style hot dog. Photo Courtesy Choose Chicago.
PORTER KITCHEN AND DECK
Porter Kitchen and Deck is a tremendous restaurant on the Chicago River, in the heart of downtown. I don’t usually expect a lot from waterfront restaurants, but this place was superb. The ricotta with pepper marmalade was sublime. The kale salad came in a huge mixing bowl big enough for people, with orange slices, farro, and toasted almond. The campanelle verde pasta was a light and lovely summer pasta dish with veggies and Fresno chilies for a nice kick. Likewise the rigatoni bolognese had just the right amount of spice. There’s a good wine list, and they make an excellent Sazerac cocktail. The indoor space is nice, and they have a great patio overlooking the river with tons of boats passing by, and fine bridge views. There are also some rather noisy elevated trains rumbling past, but, hey, that’s part of what makes Chicago such a great town.
The patio at Porter Kitchen and Deck in Chicago. Photo courtesy Porter Kitchen and Deck.
