4 Days and 4 Nights, Chicago - Report

[Steve (from DC)]

After four days and nights, I find it easy to include Chicago as one of the world’s great cities. Whether that is measured in gleaming architecture, old commercialism, dramatic vistas, urban grime, cultural thrills, unique neighborhoods, or historic sites. There were fascinating things to see at every turn. I can’t believe it took me this long to get here.

For food, it takes a back seat to nowhere else. And it has the single most important quality I look for: Pride of Place. If Chicago is looking for a fan club president, or even a cheerleader, just hand me the pom poms and I’ll take it from there.

I don’t want to bury the lede: They’ll have to invent a new word for delicious at Birrieria Zaragoza. The ‘D Word’ just doesn’t cut it. I didn’t think I’d be able to come close after that, but I was wrong. Chicago has too much to offer.

So that was one super highlight. The super lowlight was Pequod. I can finally empathize with Ahab.

I seriously considered every suggestion I received on lthforum.com the venerable food board of Chicago. Almost everything I had was worthwhile, no comment necessary. But some items were extraordinary, so I do have some notes on those.

Here is what I ate, in chronological order. Highlights are in bold, and exclamation marks (!!) denote a super-highlight, worth the journey.

Wednesday got off to a bang.

La Chaparrita, Taco de tripa!!, taco de longaniza!!, cebollitas, alfalfa agua fresca

Kathy De’s: Breaded Steak Sandwich with homemade hot giardiniera

I got a warning about the Breaded Steak Sandwich, a true Chicago institution, perhaps not ready for the big time. ‘Like eating a shag carpet.’ Funny that, and a bit true. Triple layer of tender meat in a likeable red sauce. Maybe it was the homemade hot giardiniera that pushes it over the top? Kathy De’s does this right. It was love at first bite.

Punky’s: Chicken Vesuvio Sandwich

The first bite filled me with a hot burst of juiciness with the olive oil, white wine and garlic, The peas give it a unique touch. As with the breaded steak, the Bridgeport neighborhood near Comiskey Park is dotted with lots of places that make this.

Pleasant House Pub: Steak and ale pie!!, scotch egg!!

I have become an expert at pacing myself. And I walked off my indulgences scouring neighborhoods for the Chicago vibe. More deliciousness to follow.

[Lectroid]

Which Pequod’s did you go to, and what you didn’t care for about it?

As a Chicago native and having grown up with the original Morton Grove Pequod’s as my go to, I’m always curious when folks see things differently.

Chicago is, indeed, a real treasure trove of art, culture, and food. Not as loud about it as NYC, and not as susceptible to novelty as L.A. But it rewards a little effort.

I happen to be visiting right now as well. We had a fantastic dinner the other night at an old school red sauce Italian place called Rosebud on Taylor in little Italy. House made papardelle w. Idea sauce, and the partner had tortellini in a carbonara. And then we got to see David Byrne in concert, so a pretty fabulous night in general.

[Lectroid]

Idea sauce

I don’t know what that is, but I’d like some.

It was meant to say ‘vodka sauce’.

I’ll blame autocorrect.

[TheLibrarian28]

Thanks for the first chapter. Looking forward to more. I’ve never made it to Chicago, but this is awfully inspiring!

[Steve (from DC)]

Just like me until last week. I had no idea how phenomenal my experience would be. It’s like having your bar mitzvah and Christmas on the same day.

[Steve (from DC)]

Downtown location for Pequod. Open late and I was curious.

The crust fell apart, dough was a touch sweet, and then I got way tired of the sauce. I was fascinated by it but still regretted it.

[digga]

@Lectroid

Rosebud on Taylor in little Italy

I lived right around the corner for 3 years, followed by a year in Pilsen before it got taken over. Those were some good happy years.

I loved my time in Chicago/Illinois (6 years total, 2 in Chambana). The proverbial city of big shoulders with zero pretension. It’s been ~5 years since I last visited; I’m in early stages of planning another trip to visit a dear friend in need.

[tigerjohn]

Every time I visit Chicago, I ask myself; why am I not spending more time there, for all the reasons mentioned by previous posters.

Birreria Zaragoza and the original pequod’s are certainly part of the reason I enjoy the city so much.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Thank you for that first report! My PIC went to grad school in Chicago and lived on the South Side for roughly 15 years. We’ve been trying to get back (it’s been a decade!), and had sorta planned a trip this fall, but we ran out of funds.

Maybe in the spring or fall of 2026

[Steve (from DC)]

Continuing on to my first full day:

Thu
Svea: Pickled Herring, Yellow Split Pea Soup

Mormors Café in the Swedish American Museum: Cardamom Roll, Almond Tart

Although the cardamom roll looks like typical viennoiserie, it had a surprising exterior crunch that made it stand out. The almond tart was in the shape of a cupcake, but the gooey, moist interior elevated this into another category.

Birrieria Zaragoza: Small Bone-in Goat Plate!!

Hard to put into words how exceptional this is. A perfect plate of heaven.

Ragadan: Basbousa Milkshake, Eggplant Ka’ak!!

After Zaragoza, I was going to be difficult to impress. But moments later, I spied the ka’ak (a bread from Jordan) at Ragadan, and I ordered the eggplant sandwich. This is one of the great sandwich breads of the world. You can also get felafel, kefta, or grilled chicken. It probably doesn’t matter because you could put footwear on this and it would be bliss.

Pequod (Downtown location): Individual pizza with green olives and mushrooms. Regretful. Enticing enough to eat more than you should. This was a throwaway late night meal, just because I could.

[Steve (from DC)]

Fri

This was my day to explore Oak Park, the Chicago suburb where Frank Lloyd Wright had his home and studio. There is an amazing array of architectural gems in this neighborhood and exciting food choices as well.

Fri
Broken Tart: Pimento Cheese Biscuit!!, Blackberry Mini Bundt Cake

This is an intensely popular bakery right down the street form the FLW home and studio. All their offerings look stunning.

Johnnie’s Beef: Italian beef and sausage combo with giardiniera, wet.

Kim’s Uncle Pizza: With sausage, banana pepper, and onion

I drove about 30 minutes west to try this. They open their phone lines at 3pm to order pizza for that evening. 4pm is when the first pizza come out of the oven. It took me over 35 calls to get through. Got a seat at one of the two tables. The crust is very thin with no cornicione. For me, it’s all about the toppings. If you order a plain cheese pizza here, you are wasting your time.

Freddy’s: Timballo, Eggplant Funghetto, gelato

Freddy’s is an old school Italian market with table seating next door. Back in the market, you can even use the bathroom. They will treat you like family. Maybe even better.

The timballo di pasta is a very nice pie. You don’t have to get the marinara sauce on the side, but they won’t believe you if you say you don’t want any, so you might as well get it. It’s a nice addition to this dish.

Eggpant funghetto is very special. ‘Unctuous’ according to a poster on lthforum, and that’s the perfect word.

[Steve (from DC)]

Sat
Crumbs.nd.Cream: Butter Pecan and Ube Sylvanas. Nothing interesting here at this Filipino bakery that specializes in these cream cookies.

Hunan Cuisine: Labadou with Cabbage, White Chili Pork, fried fish filet with dried chilies. Ugh, this last dish was badly done.

Labadou is a kind of fermented soy beans. Done traditionally, this is a time-consuming process, but here it seems like they use a short cut.

Szechuan Bistro: Dan Dan Noodles!!

I’ve had dan dan noodles many times before. But this was like having it for the first time ever. What was that other stuff I’ve been eating? This was a symphony of flavors. Located in a basement food court.

Thattu: Kappa bonda, Fish Pollichathu with Tamarind Rice and Cabbage!!, Kerala Fried Chicken Bites, Mushroom Mezhukkupuratti, Poriyal

There are three prominent Keralan restaurants in Chicago. A cuisine I have limited access to where I live. And nothing like this. The fish is covered with a thick paste and wrapped in a banana leaf. A dream of a dish with two generous sides that were rich with ghee. An awesome plate of food. Everything here was high quality.

[Phoenikia]

@Steve

cardamom roll looks like typical viennoiserie

I usually find Swedish Cardamom rolls / kannelbullar have a pleasant texture that is closer to brioche or babka than most Viennoisserie/ Danishes. I like them a lot.

[Steve (from DC)]

Sunday - Final Morning!
Romanian Kosher Sausage Co: Chopped Liver, Salami

Romanian is as old school (or Old Testament) as it gets. The chopped liver is worthwhile, but the salami is the star, smooth-tasting and not as salty as the major brands.

Loaf Lounge: Sausage, Egg, and Cheese on homemade muffin!! Drip coffee (They really don’t want you to order this.)

How in the world can a breakfast sandwich be a super-highlight? I didn’t believe it until I tasted it. Homemade muffin with a slightly peppery sausage, egg cooked perfectly with a gooey yolk, and just enough melty cheese to bind it. This place is also lauded for their ridiculously tall chocolate cake, but I finally resisted temptation on this trip. I have to leave something for the next visit, right?
Not sure how a place like this can serve weak, sour coffee early in the morning.

Bia’s Café Marianou: Steak sandwich

This was a bit sour, but not from a well-crafted marinade. Just off.

Thanks for tagging along. Here is my photo album on Flickr covering the amazing sites I came across, mostly scouring neighborhoods for deliciousness. Chicago is a wonder, as you’ll see. Best viewed full screen:

[Album] Chicago 2025

[GretchenS]

Loved the photo album, thanks for sharing!

[tigerjohn]

Great report and photos! Many to add to the list for my next trip to Chicago. If you hit Zaragoza again, ask for costillas to be included or an all costillas plate.

[Steve (from DC)]

I don’t see costillas on the current menu. Maybe they offered that at the original location that had a fire? Or a secret menu? I can only hope.

[Steve (from DC)]

I also want to add that I tried to order at Milly’s Pizza in the Pan at the Berwyn (Oak Park) location. They open the online ordering at 8am for that day. I was driving and pulled over at 8:12am. Too late. All sold out.

I also considered George’s Deep Dish. I was seeing a show at the Raven Theatre right next door. Show got out at 9;30pm. Too late, they close at 9pm. Thwarted again.

[tigerjohn]

Here’s the pic from visit in January, I think to the same location. It’s possible I just asked for it bc it’s my favorite part of the goat from the briyani place near my place in Singapore back when I was living there; but I think I saw it on the menu. Ask for it next time if it still doesn’t appear.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Beef ribs? Or pork? Either way, they look fab.