Chicago Restaurant Tips by goingsolo

Restaurant Name: Giordano's

Chicago has raised eating to an art form and it is one of the great cultural events of visiting the city. One of Chicago's best fast food treats is pizza and there is a raging debate about which is the best.

The debate gets quite interesting as there is controversy over not only who has the best pizza but which type of pizza is best. You can choose from thin crust, deep dish or stuffed.

Since my time in Chicago was so limited, I was only able to try one place. Many call Giordano's the best pizza in Chicago. Many debate that and everyone has an opinion on the subject, but we'll move on from that point.

Much like fine dining, eating a stuffed crust pizza is an event. First, there's the wait of 30 minutes or so while it cooks. Then it is presented to your table and placed on a wooden platform. After that, a seemingly mile high slab of cheese, fillings and dough is placed in front of you by a friendly waiter.

I thought the sausage and cheese pizza was delicious, although the sauce on top wasn't the greatest. I liked the crust - crispy but not greasy- and overall would have to say that this was great pizza. It took a knife and fork to eat it, and it was pretty filling, but definitely a treat.


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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Michigan and Lake; locations vary
Website: http://www.giordanos.com/

Restaurant Name: Billy Goat Tavern

The Billy Goat Tavern is a kitschy place- a combination of fast food and a diner and a definite attempt to capitalize on its notoriety from the Saturday Night Live skit. But its also a good place to get a cheap meal and to crack a smile at the antics of its staff,

This is a Chicago chain restaurant, with a Navy Pier and a downtown location. The menu is pretty simple, much like the SNL skit: cheeseburgers, roast beef sandwiches, chips and sodas. Food is ordered at the counter (at least it is in the downtown location) and served on wax paper in lieu of plates. You can take it to go or sit at one of the red and white checkered tables. In the evenings, this is a popular dive bar as well.

Lunch cost the equivalent to a fast food restaurant and was decent, although nothing worth traveling great distances to consume. I decided to try the roast beef, which was sadly nothing like an Italian Beef sandwich that I'd been wanting to try, but, other than that, no complaints. It was filling, I was satisfied and, while my artieries may have been a bit clogged, my wallet was not emptied.

Favorite Dish: I think the famous cheeseburger is more popular here than the roast beef. I didn't try it, so I can't comment, but they looked pretty good.

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Theme: Diner
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 312-222-1525
Address: 430 N. Lower Michigan Ave.
Directions: under 500 N. Michigan (go down the steps)

Restaurant Name: Cafe Spiaggia

This is the more casual of the two Spiaggia restaurants. Spiaggia formal is a jacket and tie fine dining place, and when they say jacket and tie, trust me that they mean it.

Cafe Spiaggia has a less extensive menu and its somewhat less expensive, although not by much, than its buttoned up counterpart, but it still serves good Italian food and wine. You don't have the great views of Lake Michigan over here and there is a definite sense that the Cafe is regarded as the second class restaurant.

We had tuna tartare with fava beans, trout and a coconut creme brulee which really made the meal. I thought the food was good and the service excellent, but didn't find it to be worth the price.

Favorite Dish: The dessert really made this meal. An interesting combination and very tasty. The rest of the meal was nothing exceptional.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Address: 980 North Michigan Avenue
Website: www.spiaggia,com

Restaurant Name: Wildfire

Chicago has many great steak restaurants, so picking just one was a challenge. But Wildfire was a great combination of a casual atmosphere, great food and at least somewhat reasonable prices. The restaurant is supposed to resemble a jazz supper club, and, while, they do play jazz music (by speakers and not live) and have posters on the walls, it looked like Houstons with checkered tablecloths to me. But the important thing was that the food was great.

Since its a steak place, that would be the thing to get here. The trio of filets each with a different topping (you can choose from mushrooms, horseradish, blue cheese and a few others) was delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly and the sauces were amazing. The horseradish crusted filet wrapped in bacon is supposed to be the specialty. As for appetizers, you can't go wrong with the roasted mussels (unless, of course, you don't like mussels). I can't recall ever having mussels like this before but I'm not complaining either. For dessert, the waiter suggested the peanut butter chocolate pie, which did taste like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. The dessert was overkill after such a huge meal and the desserts in general were the least impressive part of the menu. But, if you're inclined to so indulge, I'd recommend this one.

Favorite Dish: The filets were amazing.

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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 312-787-9000
Address: 159 W. Erie
Website: http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/

Restaurant Name: Mister Beef

When asked about his favorite thing to do in Chicago, comedian Jay Leno responded, "eat at Mister Beef". Italian beef sandwiches are legendary in this city. Personally, nothing compares to my beloved Philly Cheesesteak, but I was determined to sample as much local Chicago flavor as possible, and this was one of the things that was described to me as a can't miss.

And they were right. The sandwich is made from beef which is cut up and soaked in gravy until it is so tender that it soaks right through the bread. Add sweet or hot peppers to the mix, and you have the classic sandwich. No cheese on this one though.

Mister Beef is a small hole in the wall place that many people would pass by without a second thought if it weren't located in a city like Chicago. It is supposed to be the place to go for an Italian Beef sandwich. It is also, unfortunately for me, closed on Memorial Day. I felt pretty robbed when I discovered this after taking a pretty good walk along Orleans Street to find the place.

I managed to find a substitute for Mister Beef, if such a thing can be found. Although, most residents of Chicago will give you a few different opinions on who has the best Italian Beef, so I guess I found someone's idea of the #1 place in Chicago.

On trip #2, I managed to make it to Mister Beef. It was well worth the wait and the critics were right about this one. The thick sandwich, piled high with sliced beef which soaks through the thick roll, was absolutely delicious, especially when you add some peppers to the mix. Chicago's answer to the Philly cheesesteak is one of the best treats you'll find in this city.

Favorite Dish: There's really only one thing to get here.

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Theme: Fast Food
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 312 337 8500
Address: 666 N. Orleans Street

Restaurant Name: Al' s Italian Beef

According to the sign, this is the best Italian Beef sandwich in all of Chicago. And we all know that signs, especially, self-promoting ones, never lie. But Jay Leno and many others hold a different opinion and give the nod to Mister Beef. Its hard to tell who's right.

But Al's Italian Beef was open and Mister Beef was not, so this was the place I chose. It was my first and only Italian Beef sandwich to date, so I can't say whether it is the best in Chicago, but it was delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and the bread quickly became soggy, which I'm told is supposed to happen. The sandwich came with a side of fries and a beverage for about $7 (May, 2005). It was greasy, it was filling, my stomach was full and my wallet was not empty. So there are no complaints.

Favorite Dish: I can't imagine getting anything else at "Al's Italian Beef", but I think they also serve hot dogs and hamburgers here as well.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (630)858-9121
Address: Ontario Street
Website: http://www.alscatering.com

Restaurant Name: Villa Napoli

I'm not sure if its the best pizza in Chicago as its advertising says, but its decent. DiNapoli has several branch locations in Chicago and the suburbs. We ordered the stuffed pizza which to me, tasted much like deep dish. It was huge and extremely filling, as Chicago pizza should be, but nothing out of this world. I think Giordano's wins out over this place.


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Theme: Pizza
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 708 456 5022
Address: 8546 West Lawrence