I never thought I'd ever say I live in Ohio. I always thought of it as a nice place to drive though, but not necessarily a place I'd want to live. Right now I consider myself halfway between here and there. Halfway between Chicago and "home." Or Virginia and "home." I'm not quite sure which at this point.
I'm dedicating this post to all my favorite things about Chicago. These were places I had to go to this summer before I left the city and also, places I will go to when I inevitably go back. This should also function, for anyone who doesn't live in Chicago, as a kind of insider's visitor guide. If you want to eat well in Chicago, go to these places! Please, no PF Chang's!
Doughnut Vault
400 1/2 N. Franklin, Chicago, IL 60654
http://thedoughnutvault.tumblr.com/
I had been meaning to try this place since I heard of it opening earlier this year. Nothing sounds better than a fresh-made doughnut. Now that I can't get them, I wish I had gone earlier and more often. Doughnut Vault operates out of the kitchen of Gilt Bar, another of my favorite Chicago restaurants. They open at 8:30 every weekday and later on weekends and close whenever they sell out, tweeting their progress along the way. Nothing is quite as titillating as seeing a constant feed of "come get these doughnuts" every morning, knowing full well that you are hundreds of miles away. Three dollars sounds like a lot for a doughnut, but trust me...they're worth it. One chocolate doughnut is enough to satisfy two people.
We tried a chestnut, chocolate, and gingerbread stack which is a stack of three smaller cake doughnuts. Jacob preferred these because they were less overtly sweet.
Edzo's Burger Shop
1571 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201
http://edzos.com/
Edzo's has won the hearts of Northwestern students since opening two years ago and I've been a loyal customer ever since. By now, his story is legend. Eddie Lakin, once fine dining restaurant chef, had a vision in which he could run a restaurant and still make it home in time for dinner with his family. His idea is simple: quality meat makes a great burger. Edzo grinds the meat fresh every morning. The result is an old-school burger and shake joint worth every calorie.
Jacob and I usually share an oreo shake and garlic fries (think french-fry drenched in garlic butter, nom) and each get a griddle burger. If his fry menu isn't enough, Edzo showcases his creativity every summer weekend by visiting the Evanston Farmer's Market and designing a Market burger based of the best seasonal ingredients he can find. My goal of the summer was to try one, but unfortunately Edzo was on vacation during my last weeks in Evanston. I guess I now have an excuse to make a special trip back next summer.
The Publican
837 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
http://thepublicanrestaurant.com/
The Publican, in Chicago tradition, holds a few things sacred: beer and pork. They employ what Graham Elliot recently described on Masterchef as "nose to tail cooking," a fad that utilizes all parts of the animal. This fad is taking hold at rustic upscale restaurants like this one and the infamous Girl and the Goat, because restaurants can make a huge profit off of the cheaper cuts of meat, like pork belly, blood sausage, and pig jowl, but also because they are fatty and delicious. The Publican also has an extensive list of oysters which for me was a very new experience. The Publican seeks to break even further our stereotypes of fine dining.
I met one of my new favorite beers here: Allagash Curieux, a beer brewed in bourbon barrels which adds that extra layer of complexity. We also tried a whiskey called "sortilege" which tastes like maple syrup. I tried blood sausage and my very first sweetbread, which I can't say I've really acquired the taste for yet. I played it safe with sea bass. We ended the meal with their house-made spicy pork rinds and a waffle that of course went perfectly with the whiskey. All-in-all quite a unique dining experience.
These are only the few places I managed to go to before I left town. I never made it to Hot Doug's, or back to Gilt Bar or Girl and the Goat. Someday when I can afford it I'll come back and hit up all these places in one trip. Until that day, I'll just fantasize about warm, fluffy doughnuts and garlic fries.
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