/ck/ - Food & Cooking

Keep your wits about you I downtown. Chicago crime is no meme.

>>8873970
Buy a gun. Then stay in your hotel room the entire time.

Technically I won't be in the city too long, I'm staying in Deerfield.

>>8873970
Don't expect a Chicago native, even fucking train station uniformed plebes, to give you proper advice. They are assholes through and through, which was surprisingly not the case at all in NY.

>>8873970
Potbelly's

You'll thank me later

>>8873970
Bring a small container of ketchup and put in on each hot dog you buy, in front of the vendor.

>>8874129
Chicago is a piece of shit town full of human pieces of shit. The food sucks, the people suck, the airport sucks...just get the fuck out as soon as possible.

>>8873984

Oh wow you're going to be a ways from the city. That's too bad. Well, if you're working out of the loop/financial district area, you might get something good at Pierogi Heaven. You're not going to find too many hole in the wall places downtown/loop area. It's mostly a mix of upscale restaurants and chains that cater to tourists.

>>8874138
tbqh, this.

>>8874129
I've seen you post this in Chicago threads before. You had one bad experience with some half retarded Polish janitor at the train station and asked him some dumb question like "what street are we on?" and he ignored you, and now you whine about it every chance you get.

>>8873979
and don't sleep

>>8873970
The Goose Island brewpub on Clybourn Ave is independent of the rest of the Goose Island company and they have really good beer and food. It's probably my favorite place in the city.

>>8874138
Went to uni in Chicago. Potbelly's is OK. Not that much better but more expensive and less food

Only thing I'd rec is Harold's fried chicken. $3.54 for a 1/4 dark, fries, and a slice of bread and coleslaw. All drizzled with hot sauce. Was the shit when I'd go on my binges. Order, go to neighboring liquor store, get my 1/5 and come back and order is ready.

>>8874298
>Potbelly's
eh? that's not exclusive to chicago, is it?

>>8874298
>Harold's Fried Chicken
seconding this.

>>8873970
Kuma's Corner has decent burgers and beer, but if you're not into hard rock/metal it might be grating.

If you end up in union station Gold Coast Dogs is one of my favorite hot dogs. I like them better than portillos (prefer their beefs). They have really good fries.

I completely didn't realize that potbelly was regional, it makes perfect sense now that I think about it. Really good stuff.

>>8874298
100% correct about Harolds.

>>8874311
Idk but I live in Cali and they don't have it there or nyc

OP here, we used to have Potbelly's in Ohio. Tried it and it was bretty gud; think I had the wreck sammich.

>>8873984
Judy's Pizzeria. It's not deep dish.

>>8874129
>>8874144

t. falseflagging fat cucks

There's a fucking area call food district or something should yelp it

>>8874338
Potbelly started in Chicago, but it's become a chain. There was one near where I worked in Houston, and we got catering from there a lot.

>>8873970
Go to Buona Beef if youre near one. Similar to Portillos but better.

>>8873970
Honey Butter Fried Chicken in avondale has the best fried chicken you'll ever taste.
Au Cheval in west loop has the best burger you'll ever taste
And fuck you, try either Lou Malnati's or Pequod's pizza.

>>8874683
Good point about trying Lou Malnatis since its there for tourists

Go to the Billy goat, get the double cheeseburger,trust me. Going there reminded me of midgar from final fantasy.

>>8874717
>Billy goat

Over rated trash

>>8874701
nice meme

>>8873976
>Keep your wits about you I downtown. Chicago crime is no meme.

The vast majority of gang violence is on the south and west sides of the city.

>>8873970
Portillos and Comiskey Park are the only good places to get hotdogs.

Eat a deep dish pizza, you fag.

>>8875246
This. Crime only happens in nog-neighborhoods and what the fuck would you be doing there in the first place?

And don't give any money to the homeless. I know you think it's really cool seeing homeless people for the first time, and you want them to know you're a kind and compassionate human being, but you're just making life for Chicagoians harder when you enable those winos.

Find a Fontano's, eat an Italian beef sandwich

Find some good Polish sausages

Have a cake shake from portillos. Don't bother with the hot dogs there, they're not unique enough to warrant missing out on their delicious cheeseburger, which is their crown jewel imo.

Or just get both.

>>8875274
Portillos has good Italian beef sandwiches, too.

And french fries. Portillos has the best french fries.

>>8873970

>>8873984
holy shit that's my hometown
go do dear franks and judy's pizzeria

>>8875281
They do, they really do, but something about the bread at Fontano's just makes it win for me.

Portillo's fries are top tier. But Jim's... Jim's has literally OP fries

>>8875262
>I know you think it's really cool seeing homeless people for the first time


Only flyovers have never seen a homeless person before

alinea
just put it on your corporate card
expense that shit

>>8875262
>Crime only happens in nog-neighborhoods and what the fuck would you be doing there in the first place?

Hyde Park and the University of Chicago happens to be set right up against some bad neighborhoods, but is a great place to visit.

>>8873970
why do they leave the stems on the peppers in those things?

are you supposed to pick it off and eat separately?

>>8877103
you can eat a pepper stem anon, it won't kill you.

>>8874138
>>8874228
Potbelly's is expensive trash, its not even exclusive to Chicago.

>>8877117
why would you want to tho?

>>8877125
why not? a stemmed pepper is more pleasing to the eye.

>>8873970
Go for tavern-style pizza

>>8877103
they only do in photoshoots

>>8877136
OK well shove this whole thing in your mouth

>>8877158
Oh? Well I guess that makes sense. I only got one of those sonic dogs one time but I could swear it had the stem.

>>8877162
>a small, pickeled pepper stem is comparable to an unprepared cherry stem

Parachute in Avondale was nice, took a date there. Small but good food and spirit program. A friend has recommended The Purple Pig to me, could be good.

>t. Cultureless Hoosier

>>8877175
It won't kill you you hipster faggot

>>8877230
i'll have you know that my wife's son choked to death on a cherry stem.

>>8873970
Alinea and/or Schwa.

>>8877180
>purple pig
It's not. There are no good restaurants on MIchigan Ave. Tourist chow.

>>8874318
Thirded. & Mannys Deli. Best Reuben's in the city.

>>8877300
^ but OP is too poor.

Is Heaven on Seven still good? Havent been there in over ten years.

>>8875429
>Fontanos
Spent many years living across the street from their family. Great people.
t. UIC grad

>>8877380
Wow thats so interesting

>>8877384
Little Italy is a great neighborhood. Old man Fontano was a fixture (I'm not sure if he's still alive), the kind of old school if he liked you he looked after you kind of guy. I did a shit load of coke one night with one of his kids (in their 30s) and the guy who is the heir to the wine shop in Old Town. I lived across the street from them, he needed a place to bump up. It was an odd night.

>>8877398
That was a long time ago. If I recall right he married into the family, may have had a different name. Little Joe's was a great bar/restaurant as well - Little Joe who's ~80 yr old mother cooked the food and sat at the end of the bar drinking Tia Maria & Tuffanos, where mob guys and city officials would drink and dine together... Old school neighborhood stuff. Good times.

>>8874129
>NYC shithole is somehow better than the Chicago shithole

>>8874129
Chicagoans just aren't used to the NYC shitsmell the city and it's people carry with them everywhere. They probably found you off-putting.

>>8877463
>Deep thoughts from buttfuck nowhere where everyone with potential leaves
Thanks for participating

>>8877498
No. I'm a flyover who frequently travelled to NY and CHI on business. That was my impression of the people in both cities. CHI = assholes with an inferiority complex; NYC = abrasive, but genuinely decent.

>>8877571

they could probably smell the incest and manure on you

>>8877571
Calling BS in this right now. Youre trolling. And if you've ever left your shit hole home town you'd know that even the junkie rich kids from Naperville are friendlier than the shitheads who mill around Penn Station. At any rate, if you judge the city your in by the zombies at a train station you truly are a flyover whose opinions and existence is truly not worth considering. Sorry if your feelings are hurt.

>>8877604
Smells different than the human feces and urine you're used to, I'm sure.

>>8877560
>potential

You must be talking about the "artists", "pro-campers", and criminals.

>>8877650
Or those who haven't gotten their job through family connections and/ or social connections and can't otherwise live without them and laude their bootstrappiness, those that are intelligent and entrepreneurial, those that aren't losers without skills, creativity or talent and blame everyone but themselves for their failures in life.

>>8873970
I just left a conference there. I had some good pizza at Lou Malnati's and heard from a local that Giordano's is a tourist trap.

I know you're not interested in deep dish, but I don't care. That's the only thing worth eating in Chicago, unless you can find a hotdog place like Devildogs.

>>8874298
Harold's is good too. The one I went to had glass across the counter thicker than what you see in the White House so I'm pretty sure it's where the locals eat.

>>8873970
Last time I was in chicago I had McDonald's. It was really good, I highly recommend you try it.

>>8877346
The company is covering all expenses while I'm there

>>8877608
>state clearly I was on business trips. Assumes I'm interacting with train station layabouts. Screams about CHI layabout bums are friendlier than NYC layabout bums.

You seem to know a lot about train station layabouts. Is that a hobby of CHI assholes too, to hangaround train stations and sample the "culture" of other cities' train station bums? Figures.

>>8877447
I used to go to Little Joe's quite a bit, but since they open at 5 (if you're lucky) and my day drinking habits require me to start drinking around 3, I started going to the Mad Mouse brewery inside Moxee in Maxwell.

Joe's is a really chill place, they just don't have the same beer selection as they used to

>>8878278
It's called commuting asshole. And more people pass through those stations than populate your """country""" we don't use the term 'layabout' FYI. Try harder next time yuropoor.

>>8878307
No shit. My tour was early mid-oughts. Is Joe still alive? Friendly nod.

>>8878443
Whoops. It's noon in Sydney. Fucking cancer.

>>8877095
This anon>>8874298
Hyde park is fine and UoC is kinda cool to visit but lot of homeless around there and I get an email still about twice a month abt someone getting mugged in the area.

Also was women by gunshots a few times while I went there. The neighborhood's around it are shit but there's a ton of cops around

>>8878725
*woken

>>8873970
Chicago is a fake big city. Its such a disappointment.

However the internet shits on the only uniquely Chicago and delicious food, Deep Dish. But it easily the one good thing the city has produced.

Chicago dogs are only good at portillos and its a hot dog so it isn't acutally good. Italian beefs are awful and are worse than every single beef sandwich ever invented. Don't let anyone from Chicago convince you other wise.

>>8879051
Go to bed Carter

>>8873970
>not interested in shitty deep dish pizza.

So, you want GOOD deep dish? Lou Malnati's, definitely. Looks like you have three choices. Just google "malnati's deerfield" and it'll give you the numbers and a map.

If you want a really good gyros, go to Wally's in Park Ridge, corner of NW Highway and Oakton. It's a bit of a trip from Deerfield, though, around fifteen miles and half an hour. Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0250504,-87.8521425,16z

If you'd like to try some Persian food, Reza's at 5255 N. Clark in Chicago is excellent. Downside is having to go into the city itself. About a 45 minute drive, 20 or so miles from mid-Deerfield.

>>8873976
>Chicago crime is no meme.
Agreed, but it looks like OP is staying in Deerfield. That's one of those "million dollar mansions everywhere" suburbs. The biggest crime he's likely to run into there is some asshole "affluenza" teenager running him over while driving home drunk from a rave.

>>8874138
Potbelly's Mediocre Overpriced Sandwiches, Inc. Yay. Not really worth it, it's basically an upscale Jimmy John's.

>>8874139
Do it! Doooooooooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttt!!!!!!

>>8879051
>Italian beefs are awful and are worse than every single beef sandwich ever invented

Meh. They're all right once in a while, but nothing special. The biggest problem is that most places (1) use too much way-too-dry overcooked beef, (2) slop a bunch of "au jus" onto the bread and make it soggy, and (3) use green peppers that have been sitting in water so long that they've lost all their flavor. If you do it at home you can do it right.

Anyway, hope you have a good trip, OP. Try Lou's, it's great stuff.

>>8873970
dont go to portillos, go to literally any hot dog stand on the street instead

>>8879114
go back to asp bretcock

Chicago people are funny because they insist on whatever hotdog/gyro/Italian beef joint they grew-up near or get lunch from everyday at work is the one you have to check out because its the best one in town.

>>8880315
>Go to Chicago 5 years ago
>Eat at recommended small hot dog shops
>Chicago dog is garbage at every place
>Move to Chicago
>Get dragged to Portillo's
>Its actually not bad.

>>8880266
>If you do it at home you can do it right.

Where do you get beef that is sliced thin enough to do it at home? I don't have any interest in making Italian beefs at home but there are a number of dishes that benefit from deli thin slices of raw meat but I haven't been able to find any anywhere except at Mitsuwa way the fuck outside of Chicago.

>>8880450

I'm not the guy you're replying to, but my local asian supermarkets sell raw beef that is sliced very thin.

You can also do it yourself. Buy a piece of beef and toss it in the freezer for a little while so it firms up. Then slice it with a sharp knife.

Or ask your butcher to slice it for you.

>>8880459
>Or ask your butcher to slice it for you.
They refused to, mostly because butchers don't typically have the deli slicer anyway.

>You can also do it yourself. Buy a piece of beef and toss it in the freezer for a little while so it firms up. Then slice it with a sharp knife.
This method is very shitty and decent cuts of beef are not sold in a size where you can really attempt. You end up with unevenly sized small chips of meat when cutting up a steak for instance. Even with a sharp knife, lots of pieces still end up too thick. Its impossible at home to get the sheets of meat that is great for things like cheesesteaks and sukiyaki.

>my local asian supermarkets sell raw beef that is sliced very thin.
Usually they do but the Asian supermarkets in Chicago specifically don't except the Japanese one I previously mentioned. As far as I know. I suspect the Korean ones might but they are nearly as far away as the Japanese one.

>>8880502
You have a shitty butcher.

You also have a dull knife and/or shitty knife skills.

>>8880431
I was expecting both Giordano's and Portillos to both be overrated meme restaurants given the hype but honestly they were both pretty good.

>>8880510
How do you turn this cut of meat

>>8880502
You can get a kick ass meat slicer for 150 bucks

if you want a good Bahn Mi
try out Ba Le Sandwiches

>>8880510
Even with the sharpest knife in the world, how do you turn this typical cut

>>8880549
Into this. You can't at home.

>>8880557

You can do something passable by cutting on a bias, i.e. diagonally.

But instead of buying a single pre-cut steak I'd buy a larger piece of beef. The equivalent of 3 or 4 steaks, but still left together in one piece. That should be available at any butcher. Heck, even my local supermarkets could provide that since they cut their own steaks.

Partially freeze it so it firms up, then slice with a sharp knife.

>>8880557
Buy a slicer? They have cheap ones for hunters.

>>8880557
I can with a mandolin. I do it all the time because I'm too cheap to buy an expensive meat slicer and cheap ones are garbage.

>>8873970
I would hit up Gibson's. It's gotta be one of best places to get a steak. They do it right and the service is always on point. Also if you are willing to leave the loop, there is a ton of good mexican food.

>>8878464
I have no idea desu. I don't think I've seen him, I usually run into students bartending. What's he look like?

>>8880684
Wow look at my phone inserting desu randomly, gonna kill myself out of shame

>>8880689
Newfags out

>>8878464
current UIC student here, Joe's alive. Was in pretty rough shape a couple of years back (like 2-3, I used to live directly across from Little Joe's then) but he's steadily improved. The bar itself has gotten kinda worse, or at least the crowd that frequents it.

>>8880684
>>8880689
>desu
Fuck off faggots.

>>8881127
Graduated UIC a few years ago. Joe was still there. I used to bring underaged girls into the bars who "lost" their IDs and it was Joe's choice on whether or not to allow them. He never denied anyone was brought. Used to always have cheap pitchers and my friends and I would play darts.

>>8881127
Thanks for the update & reply. Good to hear. Good luck with your studies.

>>8873970
Make sure to eat at least once in Chinatown.
Seven Treasures if you're looking for cheap eats.
MingHin for Dim Sum.

>>8881189
>underaged girls
Yup. This gave me a chuckle.

>>8880516
Giordano's is sort of like Pizza Hut, yeah it's ok pizza but it's not someplace to go for top quality.

>>8881203
Is Won Kow still around? Any good? Used to go there in the 1970s.

>>8880450
>Where do you get beef that is sliced thin enough to do it at home?
Partly freeze, then use a mandoline? Works for me.

>>8881396
Won Kow is still around. I haven't eaten there is years though.

>>8881127
They used to have like, decent beer selections on tap. Now there's pbr, a mediocre amber ale, and something else forgettable. That's it. They don't even do craft bottles anymore.

But. I dig being there when it's empty on Tuesday nights or whatever getting cheap as fuck beers because they're the nightly special or whatever. 3 bucks for a draft pint that isn't pbr? Sure.

>>8881396
Giordano's is WAY better than Pizza Hut, I would go as far as to call Pizza Hut almost inedible. It's not pic related but it's at least moderate quality.

OP here.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'll have 4 days worth to try and work in as many as I can. So far my only definite choices are Portillo's and Judy's Pizza. I know sushi isn't a Chicago thing but I'm hoping to get some good sushi one night as well.

>>8883449
Dude, Judys pizza is shit tier. I think he only recommended it because its in his neighborhood