Posted inBest of Chicago

Best Italian-Japanese fusion

Chile mentaiko spaghetti at Momotaro momotarochicago.com The Japanese obsession with itameshi, or Italian food, produced a superb fusion dish sometime in the 50s, according to Momotaro executive chef Mark Hellyar, who put it on his menu. In the dish, hot pasta meets a hot sauce of Plugrá butter and Kewpie mayo, light shoyu, chile oil, […]

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Best postconfessional tacos

Outside Saint Francis of Assisi Church On weekends when the weather is right, half a dozen temporary kitchens pop up on the sidewalk next to this University Village Catholic church to crank out an impressive variety of tacos, gorditas, tortas, tostadas, elotes, and huaraches with freshly pressed masa. Business is brisk and turnover high, so […]

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Best coffee roaster to include a cassingle with your caffeine boost

Dark Matter Coffee darkmattercoffee.com Chicago has an impressive community of independent coffee roasters and a growing number of hip coffee shops to support them. Dark Matter’s lovingly crafted caffeinated drinks speak for themselves, and the folks at its Ukrainian Village headquarters don’t need to do much besides work with beans to win our approval. But […]

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Best new brewery to launch with only one beer

Alarmist Brewing alarmistbrewing.com When Gary Gulley launched Alarmist Brewing this spring—after four years of preparation, uncountable revisions of his business plan, and several rounds of investors’ meetings—he had only one beer, Pantsless Pale Ale. It was a gutsy choice, not least because pale ales and IPAs are by far the most crowded and competitive subcategories […]

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Best frozen water

JustIce icecoldjustice.com If you think ice doesn’t make a difference in a cocktail then you haven’t been to any of the 50-some bars that buy rocks from husband-and-wife duo Rosanna Lloyd and Kimpton Hotels’ manager of bar education, Mike Ryan. Available in several varieties—cubes, blocks, globes, and custom shapes—it’s so diamond clear you can read […]

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Best classic cocktails

Ward Eight wardeight.com Bourbon, Fernet, chartreuse, and a splash of cava? Gin, maple syrup, amaro, and sparkling white wine? A slurpee mixed with turtle’s blood and Bulleit rye? Stop, I want to get off! After drinking so many outrageous half-dozen-ingredient concoctions, sometimes I just want someone to serve me a fucking drink. Evanston’s unimpeachable Ward […]

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Best local vodka for whiskey drinkers

Barrel-Aged Ceres Vodka from Chicago Distilling Company chicagodistilling.com Bartenders and distillers are barrel aging everything these days, from gin to cocktails—but barrel-aged vodka is still fairly rare. And that alone was enough reason for Two mixologist Graham Crowe and Chicago Distilling Company owner Jay DiPrizio to want to make one. They collaborated in late January […]

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Best cheap fancy lunch

Sikia Restaurant washburneculinary.com/facilities/sikia In an industrial part of Englewood populated largely by empty lots, factory buildings, and fast-food restaurants is the 77-year-old Washburne Culinary Institute—and inside of that is Sikia Restaurant, where Washburne students prepare and serve food in a room full of white tablecloths, tasteful artwork, and soothing music. Sadly, the $7 three-course meal […]

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Best $3 lunch

The sandwiches at Xi’an Cuisine xiancuisinechicago.com I read a quotation once to the effect that people who eat sandwiches have given up on life. I don’t agree with this. In fact, I think in many ways we’re experiencing a sandwich renaissance in Chicago, where any bored office worker can hop on the Red Line, get […]

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Best use of food waste

Nance Klehm, the Ground Rules spontaneousvegetation.net/the-ground-rules During the last year and a half, ecological systems designer, landscaper, horticultural consultant, permacultural grower, and forager Nance Klehm has undertaken an ambitious composting and bioremediation project called the Ground Rules. Each week her group collects some 1,000 gallons’ worth of food waste from local businesses like Owen & […]