Username
Log Out

Sign in
Create Account

Chicago Reader

Best food truck

5411 Empanadas

Readers' Poll

Avi Schwab

5411empanadas.com

Runner-Up

The Cheesie's Truck

Related Stories

In This Section:

showing 31 to 60 of 113

Best sommelier

Alpana Singh of the Boarding House

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

720 N. Wells 312-280-0720 boardinghousechicago.com Runner-Up
Best Dirty Rice

Analogue

by Mike Sula on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Described on the menu as "absolutely filthy," chef Alfredo Nogueira's dirty rice was born out of the dinner parties he and his cohort of Hurricane Katrina evacuees used to throw when they got homesick. Based on a Paul Prudhomme recipe Nogueira tweaked over a summer, the dish incorporates gizzards, ground pork, and chicken liver, all cooked in chicken fat.
Best Food at a Gentleman's Club

Club Allure

by Mike Sula on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Be careful not to capture any of the entertainers in the shot when you're Instagramming your steak at this slick strip joint in west-suburban Stone Park. Rocco, Allure's greeter (of course that's his name), won't like it.
Best Instagram Food Porn

Chicago Food Authority

by Kevin Warwick on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

The best thing about Samantha Roby's Instagram feed is how colorful it is. While so much of today's amateur food photography is moodily lit and focused on slabs of meat, the imagery on Roby's Chicago Food Authority tends more toward a bright shot of soft-serve topped by rainbow sprinkles or a hummus plate accented by multihued fruits and vegetables. She does a lot of the photography on her own, but she also tags shots she likes—which, for the novice, is the equivalent of 15 minutes of Instagram fame (the feed has around 28,000 followers).
Best Independent Grocery

Harvestime Foods

by Mike Sula on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

The city's fortunate to be home to a galaxy of independent groceries, many of them catering to specific ethnic groups. More rare is the outlet that can successfully target the wildly diverse demographics of neighborhoods like Lincoln Square.
Best Thing to Eat at Eataly

Deep-fried French breakfast radishes

by Michael Gebert on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Wood-burning pizzas! Freshly made pastas!
Best Tame Game

Mariano's

by Mike Sula on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Sure, you could hike all the way out to Homer Glen and get your python meat at Czimer's, but why bother when they have fillets of frozen imported Vietnamese serpent at your local Mariano's? Along with the oyster bars, barbecue stands, and popcorn machines, the burgeoning grocer offers a frozen-meat section dedicated to "tame game"—farmed wild critters like alligator, pheasant, ostrich, duck, quail, and buffalo.
Best Cheese Purveyors

Stamper Cheese Company

by Drew Hunt on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Bret Stamper, owner of Stamper Cheese Company, offers an array of artisanal cheeses sourced from farms across southwest Wisconsin, though some of the most popular, including the highly tasty chipotle cheddar, are his own creations. Other top sellers include the apricot Gouda, blueberry goat cheese, and smoked mozzarella string cheese.
Best Doughnut When You Don't Want to Commit to a Doughnut

Beaver's Donuts

by Gwynedd Stuart on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

At the risk of sounding like a real carbophobic, sometimes an entire doughnut is just too much . . . I don't know, sugary dough. I'm probably presenting this premise to the wrong audience, because if the proliferation of doughnut joints is any indication, Chicagoans love a damn doughnut.
Best Pastry With an Unpronounceable Name

Kouign amann at Bad Wolf Coffee

by Aimee Levitt on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Yes, it can be annoying when the only obstacle between you and one of the most magnificent pastries you will ever eat is a tongue twister of a name. But it's not so hard.
Best Latte for People Who Don't Drink Lattes

The White Hot at Big Shoulders Coffee

by Tal Rosenberg on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Caffe Streets' premium cold-brew iced coffee completely transformed the way I drink java. It prompted me to abjure the addition of milk or sugar in any coffee; I decided that to truly judge the quality of a cup of joe, you have to drink it au naturel.
Best local distillery

Koval Distillery

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

5121 N. Ravenswood 312-878-7988 koval-distillery.com> Runner-Up
Best Consistent Vegetarian Brunch Dish

Victory's Banner

by Kevin Warwick on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

When describing Victory's Banner, the all-veg breakfast-and-lunch sanctuary in Roscoe Village, "cozy" always comes to mind. It's cozy from the outside, situated on a corner well traveled by strollers and ringed by green space.
Best 15-Minute Brunch

Endgrain

by Mara Shalhoup on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

You're cranky, because you're hungover. You woke up beyond hungry, and your food cravings quickly have become as intolerable as your headache.
Best Unconventional Bloody Mary

Flo's Verde Bloody

by Luca Cimarusti on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

The Bloody Mary is a near-perfect cocktail, a zesty cure-all that works well at any hour of the day and in any mood or setting; it lubricates, it refreshes, it replenishes. A great Bloody Mary generally requires no fucking around with, but I've stumbled upon one modification that, while quite audacious, results in a drink with the potential to surpass the classic's greatness: Flo's chile verde Bloody Mary.
Best Introduction to an Underappreciated Italian Cocktail

Sgroppino at Lone Wolf

by Julia Thiel on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

In Italy, sgroppino—cocktails made with lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco—are usually served as a digestif or a palate cleanser between courses. At Lone Wolf, where patrons are more likely to be having pre- or postdinner drinks than a full meal, it’s not likely to arrive between courses of food, but the fruity, refreshing cocktail works equally well as an aperitif.
Best New Summer Session Beer

Penrose Brewing's Proto Gradus

by Philip Montoro on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Chicagoans have lots of great locally brewed summer session beers to choose from—the kind you feel like crushing in quantity when it stays warm all night and the porches and backyards of the city sing their songs. My favorites, just off the top of my head, include Metropolitan's Zwickel Flywheel, Half Acre's Pony Pilsner, Two Brothers' Sidekick Extra Pale Ale, Church Street's Heavenly Helles, and Off Color's Troublesome.
Best Local Brewery Dedicated to High-Gravity Beer

Ten Ninety Brewing

by Julia Thiel on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Ten Ninety's name is a reference to the starting gravity of its four original flagship beers—1.091, which produces beer that's about 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), about double the alcohol of most beers. At 12 percent ABV, the imperial porter has an alcohol content more typical of wine than beer (it was originally 13.5 percent, but the brewers dialed it back a little).
Best Up-to-the-Minute Craft Beer Menu

Links Taproom

by Julia Thiel on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

Along with the recent wave of new craft breweries in Chicago has come a spate of new beer bars, some of them boasting dozens of tap handles and a beer selection that changes daily, if not hourly. Which is great—more beer is always better—but most places haven't figured out a good way to update their menus.
Best local brewery

Revolution Brewing Company

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

2323 N. Milwaukee 773-227-2739 revbrew.com Runner-Up
Best brewpub

Revolution Brewing Company

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

2323 N. Milwaukee 773-227-2739 revbrew.com Runner-Up
Best local brew

Anti-Hero IPA (Revolution)

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

revbrew.com Runner-Up
Best local spirit

Jeppson's Malort

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

jeppsonsmalort.com Runner-Up
Best wine shop

Lush

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

2232 W. Roscoe and other locations 773-281-8888 lushwineandspirits.com Runner-Up
Best liquor store

Binny's Beverage Depot

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

1720 N. Marcey and other locations 312-664-4394 binnys.com Runner-Up
Best BYOB

Irazu

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

1865 N. Milwaukee 773-252-5687 irazuchicago.com Runner-Up
Best place worth a wait

Kuma's Corner

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

2900 W. Belmont 773-604-8769 kumascorner.com Runner-Up
Best alfresco dining

Piccolo Sogno

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

464 N. Halsted 312-421-0077 piccolosognorestaurant.com Runner-Up
Best late-night eats

Pick Me Up Cafe

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

3408 N. Clark 773-248-6613 Runner-Up
Best underground dining

Relish Underground Dining

on June 25, 2014 at 3:00PM

773-272-6514 facebook.com/BadAssBabez Runner-Up

prev page 2 of 4 next

Start Over

Sections

Previously in Best of Chicago

Tags

Food & Drink Best of Chicago 2014 best food truck 5411 Empanadas The Cheesies Truck Readers' Poll