photo: courtesy of Bridget Montgomery
Pequod's caramelized crust makes its deep-dish pie a true Chicago classic.
The Magnificent Mile is a lot like the Vegas strip; blinded by the blinking lights and beckoning signs, most tourists never leave. And while there's plenty of great shopping and entertainment downtown, when it comes to finding top culinary attractions, Chicago is very much a chow city of neighborhoods. So skip the usual suspects, and hit the 'hoods for these hot spots.
For deep-dish pizza, Pizzeria Uno plays second fiddle to Pequod's Pizza
Sure, Uno's invented the deep-dish pizza, but you're not still sending text messages via telegraph are you? Uno's might not even be the best deep-dish pizza near the Loop (that honor goes to Pizano's on Madison). Pequod's has an airy, pock-marked, olive oil-kissed crust that's topped with a halo of nutty caramelized cheese, blackened in pans that have been seasoned by decades of cooking. The lightness of the crust along with the judicious use of fresh, tangy tomato sauce is the antithesis to the gut-bomb stomach-filling slices from other spots.
Skip Al's on Ontario for the original, Al's No. 1 Italian Beef (Little Italy)
Sure they're the same company, but few franchises—even small local ones—reach the McDonald’s ideal, where a Big Mac in Topeka tastes like a Big Mac in Tallahassee. Al's is no exception. Maybe there's something in the air, or buried in the cement floors, or tucked in to the black-and-white photos of Governor Blagojevich and cheesy pro-bowlers, but the original locale on Taylor Street always seems to churn out a better-tasting beef. Once you've sucked down some of Al's lean nutmeg-, garlic- and oregano-spiced beef, you can head across the street to complete the traditional "Taylor Twosome" with a cup of Mario's Italian Lemonade.
Gold Coast Dogs aren't quite as golden as the sausages you'll find at Hot Doug's
Hot Doug's owner Doug Sohn, a culinary school graduate who brought his haute chops to bear on the humble hot dog, might be the only local figure more beloved by the press than Barack Obama. Even with the media cred, it's a good bet few carless tourists will make the trek up to the Avondale on the Northwest side. Trust us: Pheasant sausages with truffle mustard and French fries glistening with duck fat are worth the car rental fee and the sometimes 30-minute wait in line. Even if your tastes run more pedestrian, Sohn's basic Windy City salad dog, featuring caramelized onions, is the best in town.
If you're going to Grand Lux Cafe or bound for Bandera, take a slight detour to Viand
Executive Chef Stephen Chiappetti became a big-time Chicago chef before most of today's luminaries graduated from high school. He took some time off to raise his children, but crept quietly back into the city a couple of years ago with Viand, which features high-quality eats at a reasonable price. As the son of a legendary lamb purveyor, he filled his menu with the stuff, and you can’t go wrong with a leg, rack or loin. His truffle and red wine-reduction ravioli might be one of the best dishes in Chicago. For dessert, go with the junk food cart, a mini shopping cart filled with homemade versions of iconic classics, like whoopee pies, double chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies and a Coke float.
For a hunk of meat, skip the flabby prime filet at Gibsons Steakhouse and fly over to Blackbird for pork belly
Sure, it's tempting to eat a steak as big as your thigh, mutant baked potatoes and out-of-season asparagus smothered in heart attack-inducing hollandaise, but what’s more decadent than a fat, slow-roasted hunk of bacon? Blackbird chef de cuisine Mike Sheerin makes the best pork belly around, and you can bet whatever he pairs with the swine will be seasonal or farm fresh. The modern, clean lines here are just as elegant as tired, dark wainscoting and green glass desk lamps. Best of all, you won’t have to fight your way through any fanny pack-wielding tourists to enjoy your meal.
Pass the street-level stylings of RL and take a ride up to the seventh floor of the Hyatt to NoMI
Polo duds are classy and the leather banquettes at RL have seen as any famous people as the sidewalk outside Mann's Chinese Theatre, but you wouldn't ask your chef to make you a suit, would you? Still, we wouldn't be surprised if NoMI Executive Chef Christophe David, based on his crafty attention to detail, might also make a fine fashion designer. From gold leaf-flecked chocolates to creamy heart-stopping risotto, to some of the finer sushi presentations in town, NoMI is a European-style four-star gem that’s more posh than Victoria Beckham.
For fish and chips, ignore the Irish theme park at Bennigan's and travel to The Gage
There may have been a Mr. Bennigan, but it's a good bet he won't be walking around the Michigan Avenue location of the national chain. At the Gage, though, you'll likely find a member of the Lawless family (Galway, Ireland ex-pats and the owners) sipping a pint of Guinness. Their partner in the kitchen, Chef Dirk Flanigan, brings high-end cooking chops to pub grub, replacing tired stew with port wine-braised lamb shanks and serving up crispy Guinness-battered fresh-catch in place of droopy frozen cod. His scotch egg, a hard-boiled egg rolled in sausage and deep fried, is one of the best comfort foods in the city.
For a classic cocktail and elegant eats, don't get beached at the Cape Cod Room; head west to Sepia
We love the sherry-laced red snapper Bookbinder soup, impeccable oysters and fishbowl-deep Beefeater martinis at the Drake Hotel classic. But despite its 75-year-old pedigree and recent remodeling, the restaurant's menu is still kind of tired and the bartenders don't necessarily know their way around classic cocktails beyond the martini. At Sepia, young whippersnapper bartender Peter Vestinos shows old dogs new tricks by adding mod twists to classics, like rosemary simple syrup and a ruby port float to a Dark and Stormy or house-infused ginger vodka to a Moscow Mule. Chef Kendal Duque cooks in the same vein, offering smoky bacon-pistachio brittle to scoop up creamy pork rillette or grilled sturgeon with Clementine-infused olive oil.
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