LOS ANGELES

The view from our Silver Lake house/deck

Having spent a good part of my youth in OC, I spent as much time in LA as possible for concerts, films and food. Never could its endless sprawl enchant me as the great cities of the world do – it remains fiercely un-walkable, an endless network of overgrown suburbs and eye-sore strip malls. But it is the certainly the epicenter of Southern California culture and the best place for food down south.

Last week, the Renaissance Man and I had a lovely home to ourselves in Silver Lake for full days with brothers, family, friends… and plenty of eating (next time, I’ll share about LA cocktails). Some spots were less than I’d hoped (or heard), like mediocre-at-best breakfast at Eagle Rock’s Auntie Em’s Kitchen, or expensive, lackluster sandwiches at Say Cheese in Silver Lake, but there were plusses. Also in a later issue, the best meal at Jose Andres’ The Bazaar. It deserves it’s own piece.

Restaurants

Animal's grilled Sardines

•   Animal has received endless raves since opening in 2008. With a menu laden with animal parts, pig and bacon/chocolate, I’ve seen the like dozens of times in SF and long before 2008. But they do everything well in a surprisingly unusual menu for LA. It leans heavily toward the fried side of things and I’ve had better versions of similar dishes in SF. That being said, I’d recommend it as a tasty LA meal that’s about the food, not the scene (the dining room is noisy but casual).

Quail Fry with grits

Crispy Hominy with lime ($5) lost my interest after a couple fried bites, and Grilled Sardines ($10) with duck fat gremolata, pine nuts and raisins, were prepared properly but not among the best I’ve had (and I’m a sardine lover). More memorable was a rich Duck Confit ($14) – it’s intense saltiness contrasted by the sweetness of dates and apple, plus pecan and arugula. The richness continued with a tender, medium rare Flat Iron Steak ($25), drenched in truffle Parmesan fondue with sunchoke hash. Yes, it’s fried, but my tops was Quail Fry ($15), packed with crunch and maple jus, over creamy grits, chard and smoky slab bacon. I’ve had the bacon chocolate combo many a (happy) time – and here it remains happy in a Bacon Chocolate Crunch Bar ($7).

Jitlada's Khao Yam

•   Jitlada – I finally made it to LA’s legendary Thai spot, renowned for rarely found Southern Thai specialties and heat that transports me right back to my two life-changing months working at orphanages and in slums around Thailand. It’s in a dingy strip mall, but memorable for its immense menu of unusual Thai delicacies. Spicy Sugar Brown Chicken ($11.95) comes in a rare Southern curry native to the chef’s hometown – nuanced spicing compared to more common Thai curries – and brutally hot. A spicy (big surprise) Tumeric Curry ($9.95) was enlivened with coconut milk, pineapple, shrimp.

Spicy Basil Crab

Spicy (seeing a theme here?) Basil Crab ($15.95) is searingly hot, succulent soft shell crabs fried with basil leaves and dried coconut. Watch out for that yummy curry sauce. At first, it seems like it cuts the heat – but then you find it’s yet more extreme heat. That was a favorite, along with lovely Khao Yam ($9.95), a salad with the least amount of chilis compared to the rest – but still left a burn. It’s a melange of jasmine rice, mango slivers, green beans, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, coconut, dried shrimp. Don’t forget to finish with a silky rendition of Mango Sticky Rice.

R23's Yellowtail Collar

•   R23 actually disappointed me a bit. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this solid Japanese spot for sashimi, rice and cooked fish dishes. But there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it either. LA has too much good Japanese to go out of your way. In a warehouse, art gallery space, I’d heard many recommendations for R23 over the years so expected more. Salmon Skin Salad ($9) had a fine crunch, Chirashi bowls (sashimi over rice, $11-14) worked well, as did platters of sushi and grilled fish (except for a dry, overcooked salmon). Yellowtail Collar (market price). Served as an actual collarbone from a hefty fish, the crispy skin was a little too blackened in parts but the dish stood out in presentation.

Sushi Gen's lush sashimi

•   Even with reservations, Sushi Gen, in a Little Tokyo strip mall, is a long wait among a mostly Japanese clientele. It’s straightforward sushi and sashimi, so don’t come looking for rolls or creativity. What you will find is traditional quality.

Though my favorite Japanese in LA thus far remains Asanebo, Sushi Gen is a great locale for straightforward sashimi – I went for the deluxe platter (around $35) and left pleased. They fry up some satisfying tempura vegetables and shrimp, too.

Wurstkuche Belgians

•   Wurstkuche is one of LA’s newer hotspots. All under $7.75, order at the counter in the back (or front, depending on which side you enter from), grab beers at the bar and pick a table in a brick-walled warehouse. My anticipation was high from a menu laden with wild game and exotic sausages. I have to say, SF’s own Rosamunde Sausages have been doing this WAY longer (over a decade), and much better, while newer places like Hot Doug’s in Chicago are exponentially more exciting  and delicious. Some Wurstkuche sausages were dry, others lacked the robustness expected in the combo (Alligator & Andouille, for example). Apricot Ginger Chicken Turkey sausage in a lamb casing worked best of the ones I tried.

Dogs & Belgian fries at Wurstkuche

Similar to Rosamunde, there’s a fine selection of Belgians and artisan beers (we had St. Bernardus Prior 8 and their # 12, as well as Chimay White, all on tap; $8 a glass)… but what I like here is the roomy, cavernous space, long picnic tables laden with mustard, awesome sweet peppers and the joyous bustle of families and friends chowing down on sausages. It made it all taste better.  I was delighted to order hard-to-find flavors of Reed’s ginger beers, like Spiced Apple Brew or Cherry Ginger ($3.50). It’s an all-around good time, and affordable, to boot… even if they’re not top-notch dogs.

Bites

Duck tacos at Cacao

•   Cacao Mexicatessen – This Oaxacan gourmet deli is actually one of the highlights of my last visit. I’d go out of my way again for divine Carnitas de Pato ($3.49), duck confit tacos with avocado, onion, radish and the bite of vinegar and chile oil. Cheers to hand-made tortillas and fall-apart duck. Choose from specialty cacaos, iced or hot, like Azteca Mocha ($3.50 or $3.75): coffee and Oaxacan chocolate with sugar, cinnamon, almonds, chile de arbol, chipotle. Street snacks and candies imported from Mexico are likewise a draw. My mouth puckered from the extreme heat and sour of 30 cent Saladitos Con Chile, salted plums with chile.

Silver Lake's Casbah Cafe

•   Casbah Cafe is a fine neighborhood go-to in Silver Lake, especially after the morning ritual of coffee at Chicago’s own Intelligentsia next door. I like the quiche and especially their scones (ginger in particular). Best part is an eclectic, boho vibe and sidewalk seating. Across the street, is a longtime fave, Pazzo Gelato, which I’ve written about before.

•   Scoops – Besides the aforementioned Pazzo Gelato, this is my other tops in LA ice cream. With only a few alternating flavors, texture is memorable: almost soft serve-like, but still creamy, robust in taste.  The crunch/cream contrast in Brown Bread or scotch goodness of Chocolate Whiskey stay with me.

Oaxacan gem, Cacao Mexicatessen

CHICAGO, Part Three

The artistry of Alinea: Pork Belly with cucumber & Thai distillation in a glass

Back to Chicago (part one here; part two here)… the city remains much as I remember it from earlier visits: gritty, even at its “prettiest”, middle America in a big city/New York-reminiscent package. It doesn’t woo me like San Francisco or New Orleans, nor secure my eternal loyalty as NYC does, but it’s the only real city in the middle, as far as I’m concerned. Here I eat hearty and well, surrounded by locals who are welcoming, rough around the edges, good-hearted. Neighborhood by neighborhood, in a multi-part series, we’ll cover some of my haunts during my last stay.

GOLD COAST

Cocktails at the fabulous Drawing Room with Charles Joly & Tim Lacey

•   The Drawing Room at Le Passage – I’m a huge fan. This is pretty much my favorite cocktail destination in Chicago. Ignore the clubby Le Passage side, check in with the bouncer, and walk downstairs for an underground haven of fine mixology and artistic precision. Charles and Tim are brilliant bartenders: gracious, knowledgeable. Tell them your favorite spirit and let them make you what they will – deliciousness ensues. Or order from a menu full of spirituous pleasure.

•   NoMi – It’s all about the view. I didn’t eat here – it’s a pricey one, well-lauded but with such a high tourist following, I’m not sure how much of it is inflated. I did enjoy picturesque giant windows overlooking the Water Tower and a big city rooftop deck, ideal in the Summer for lingering with a drink.

LINCOLN PARK

Stunning Seafood Custard

•   Alinea – What can be said that hasn’t already been said about this molecular gastronomy destination and its brilliant, young chef, Grant Achatz? It would be an injustice to try to do a complete review in an already busy list of favorites, and you can certainly read about it everywhere or note its Zagat perfect 29 rating. I will confirm that you’ll pay a fortune (starting at $150 a person). The atmosphere is chic, refined, but not particularly noteworthy (other than a long, empty hall with door that mysteriously opens as you approach). Service is impeccable. As for food, be prepared to taste and see that it is good.

Bubble gum/long pepper/hibiscus/creme fraiche shooters at Alinea

From a smoke covered table enhancing a perfect little square or near rare Waygu beef and its otherworldly partner of  a creamy whipped potato square covered in crispy potato chips, to a lavender pillow that softy deflates under your dish, the effect and spectacle on the table does not overshadow the sheer pleasure of taste. That seafood custard rich with cream, duck, Fall-redolent spices..? Unbelievable. If only I could have one of those hanging, candied bacon strips (crisped in butterscotch, apple and thyme) now.  When dessert is a flavor profile of chocolate, blueberry, tobacco and maple, you know you’re eating from the hands of a genius. Don’t even get me started on the smoking Sweet Potato Popover in bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon.

The Bourgeois Pig

•   Annette’s Homemade Italian Ice – A beloved Italian ice window on a charming, walkable stretch of Armitage. It didn’t hold up to my fave NY Italian ices, nor even to my tops in Chicago (which I’ll tell you about when I get to the Wicker Park ‘hood in a future Wandering Traveler). But on a sticky, humid Chicago day, it cooled me off nicely.  There’s flavors like Pina Colada, Watermelon, Black Cherry and Georgia Peach.

•   Bourgeois Pig – Yes, it’s Rachael Ray recommended (which they advertise via large banner outside), and in a burbs-reminiscent area of Lincoln Park, but this cafe has that boho spirit that inspires one to sit and journal with a house chai or cappuccino. Look for a pig and the Eiffel Tower, head into a weathered, charming brick building, then up creaky stairs to the living room to curl up on a couch or sit by the window and daydream.

LAKEVIEW/WRIGLEYVILLE

Mochatini at Uncommon Lounge

•   Uncommon Ground has become an institution since 1991, with the original Wrigleyville location just a couple blocks from Wrigley Field. It’s basically an all-things-t0-all-people mix of coffee shop/bar/cafe/art & live music venue/restaurant. I was drawn in on a blazing hot game day for a drink, appreciating the creative sound of their cocktail menu. The vibe is casual cafe, but I have to say service on my visit was well below lackluster. It took forever for anyone to even glance my way, much less talk to me… it seemed there was one guy doing everything from mixing drinks to serving tables to running back to the kitchen. And he appeared none too happy about it. That being said, it’s a mellow place to read or write, they serve their own house coffee (spiked or otherwise), organic everything, and cocktails could be anything from Neal Cassady’s Coffee ($9, madagascar vanilla bean house-infused Jim Beam whiskey, Black Cat double espresso & steamed maple cream), to a desserty-strong  Mochatini (yes, an atrocious name, but sounded intriguing enough to try) made with house-infused Intelligentsia coffee Rain vodka, Omanhene chocolate syrup, cream, served up with chocolate sauce drizzle and coffee beans. They’re far from the best artisanal cocktails around, and it’s not a destination, but if you’re in the area, it’s a good place for a break.

Julius Meinl

•   Julius Meinl – Once again, would not mention it as I found each coffee I tasted too sweet or weak, basically not for the coffee connoisseur. But what I did like about this popular Austrian cafe, is that it reminded me of cafes in Austria, with lovely tea sets and coffee trays, red and yellow settees on which to linger with Viennese coffees, teas, jams and pastries.

•   Bobtail – Far from gourmet, incredible SF ice creams like Humphry Slocombe or Bi-Rite, and not comparable to divine old school greats like Mitchell’s, still, what charmed me about Bobtail was the darling, vintage ice cream parlor decor in creams and pinks, striped walls, sundaes piled high. Located in the cool Lakeview neighborhood, flavors like Peanut Butter Chip are playful, but one can’t help but think that flavors like Signature Sunset (merlot with dark chocolate chips – rather bland) or Lakeview Barhopper (Dutch cocoa with Jack Daniels – the latter of which which you could barely taste) could have been excellent in the right hands.

Unbelievably good house jerky & Iowa mustard from Paulina's Meat Market

•  Paulina Meat Market – Ok, this one pretty much wowed me. Like a bustling, spacious East Coast deli with a clearly Mid-West heart (and hearty portions), this sea of offal, wild game, sausages, turducken and head cheese took me straight to meaty heaven. The house bacon is more fat than meat… and it’s divine. Their fresh, tender jerky? Pretty much the best I’ve ever eaten. I’m dreaming of it now.

CHICAGO, Part Two

“Chicago sounds rough to the maker of verse. One comfort we have – Cincinnati sounds worse.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1880

Avec's box-like dining room

Back to Chicago, where my husband once lived for a Summer (part one here). The city remains much as I remember it: gritty, even at it’s “prettiest”, middle America in a big city/New York reminiscent package. It doesn’t woo me like San Francisco or New Orleans, nor secure my eternal loyalty as NYC does, but it’s the only real city in the middle, as far as I’m concerned. Here I eat hearty and well, surrounded by locals who are welcoming, rough around the edges, good-hearted. Neighborhood by neighborhood, in a multi-part series, we’ll cover some of my haunts during a recent stay.

WEST LOOP

Near where I stayed in South Loop, this area is rife with Chi-town hot spots, including the swarmed duo of Avec and Blackbird next door to each other.

Bourbon Pork Porterhouse at Sepia

•   Sepia is what I call the whole package, in a chic, gorgeous 1890’s print shop, retaining cameras and brick walls from those days, with stunning sepia-toned photography on their website, walls, coasters. The whole package is proven by cocktails alone, keeping up with better bars in this town. Sitting in the bar with appetizers and cocktails is a fine way to spend an evening. Maybe you want a New World Old-Fashioned ($11): roasted squash infused 1792 bourbon, ancho-spiced maple syrup, smoked cocoa tincture, muddled orange and brandied cherries? I know I did. Under shimmery chandeliers in the artistic, loft-like space, each course tastes better than the last, from Duck Confit mini-Flatbread ($6) with fig-black pepper jam, to a hefty Bourbon Pork Porterhouse ($26) with cherries & grits.

La Quercia Prosciutto, Ricotta & Peaches Salad

•   Avec – It’s been so over-hyped, I was skeptical. Nevermind that I had to go at 4:30pm to avoid the screaming, sardine-packed din and eternal waits witnessed the first night I peeked in. The slick wood box of a space is merely a backdrop for what is known to be ultra-fresh, seasonal food of high quality… kinda like many Bay Area restaurants. I found each dish I tried tasty and lovingly plated (in a reasonable $9-21 range), though not unlike what is highly common where I live. There were a couple missteps: a bright Panzanella (bread) Salad with dried cherries, grilled Vidalia onions, fennel, mustard greens, was missing even a drop of the feta it was purported to have. A picturesque La Quercia Prosciutto plate ($20.5) was loaded with impeccable ricotta and greens, but peaches were actually hard. Hard as a rock. I did not expect this kind of misstep in a place Zagat rates a 27 for food, but maybe I’m spoiled by quality of ingredients in Northern California. Still, this was in late Summer so there’s no excuse for that in a place of this caliber. Only Coffee-braised Pork Ribs ($12) with a bright slaw were addictive and seamless. At least on this visit, it all bordered on greatness but didn’t quite achieve it.

Drinks at Blackbird

•   Blackbird – A sister restaurant to Avec (and it’s next door neighbor), this sleek, nearly all-white space could be sterile if it weren’t for thoughtfully placed floral arrangements and gracious staff. I wish I ate a meal here but there wasn’t time. It’s still worth mentioning for its high reputation in Chi-town and as sitting at the bar for drinks was worthwhile. Their cocktails change seasonally ($12 each), and if not the best I’ve tasted, a creative freshness leads the way. Examples from their current menu: December Morn with Hendricks Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Cherry Brandy, Lime, Egg White.

Bombon'sEgg Nog 3 Leches

•   Bombon Cafe – A playful bakery with pastries, tacos and tortas, I went out of my way to stop in  for their wide range of Mexican cakes and sweets. They’re known for 3 Leches Cake (Tres Leches, more accurately, but, hey – that’s what they call it!) I tasted a number of these moist and delightful mini-cakes. Traditional and Egg Nog were tops, but Pina Colada and Mexican Caramel are fun.

UKRAINIAN VILLAGE

•   Lovely: A Bakeshop is truly that… lovely. A darling, open space, filled with modern art in a homespun, thrift store, country-kitchen spirit, it’s a happy place to sip, what else? Chicago’s own Intelligentsia coffee over a book with delectable baked goods.  Their housemade fruit jams (I like Peach Rhubarb) are worth taking home.

THE LOOP

Bar seating at Lovely: A Bakeshop

Despite throngs of tourists and massive chain stores, there’s an elegance to the Magnificent Mile. Stopping for local Vosges Truffles is a Chicago treat: Absinthe & Black Pearl (ginger/wasabi/sesame) truffles rock. I remember old days in this area when I’d dine at classic red sauce Italian, Rosebud. This time, I finally made it to Frontera Grill. I actually had my reservation at Topolobampo, where I certainly preferred to go. But, going alone for this meal, I ended up making friends with others waiting in line who invited me to join them. I didn’t realize till after I sat down that it was Frontera, not Topolobampo as they both have the same host desk, just different sides of the restaurant.

Frontera's App Platter

Yes, Rick Bayless won Top Chef Masters last year and seems like a sweetheart. I’ve always gleaned from his passion for Mexican food, watching him create lovingly prepared dishes on TV. Maybe I joined in too late in the game, but I found everything from a margarita (I paid more for better tequila) to the appetizer platter to steak tacos, not as good as I expected. All fine, but not memorable. I’ve grown up with such amazing Mexican food in California and this meal did not stand out.

Frontera highlight: perfect Elote

I couldn’t help but feel it bordered on mediocre.  Oddly enough, the highlight was a perfectly grilled, sweet, crisp corn on the cob (Elote) with the traditional mayo and chili elements done tastefully and with a light hand. It was a small side note yet the one part I’d crave again. But… I’ve also had lovely Elote here at home and the meal overall felt like a cranked up chain restaurant with better ingredients. Maybe I should have gone to Topolobampo.

The majesty of Yosemite in Winter

YOSEMITE’S BRACEBRIDGE DINNER

9005 Ahwahnee Drive
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
801-559-4884
www.yosemitepark.com/bracebridge

Driving through snow-laced Yosemite Valley in Winter… there’s a quiet that is richly restorative. The sound of dripping icicles and waterfalls in the distance create a gentle hum as the backdrop to what is nothing short of Ansel Adams’ photos come alive.

Two grand pianos in the lobby for pre-dinner champagne & Christmas carols

A little fog in the valley creates a mysterious aura over every peak and pine. I’m immediately swept into the magic. There are no words for the beauty of Yosemite graced with snow. I’d venture to say, if you have not seen it in Winter, you haven’t fully seen it. Having previously been here in the dead-stop traffic, 100 degree heat, body-to-body nightmare of Summer, I felt as if I was seeing it for the first time this December.

In this cradle of beauty, comes a weekend of enchantment at The Ahawhnee, Yosemite’s one “luxury” hotel since 1927. The rooms are comfy and well-kept, if not necessarily outfitted with the latest, the heat cranks high and views from some rooms are stunning. The hotel’s Great Lounge is as killer as I remember, with giant fireplaces blazing, high ceilinged-chandeliers, couches, nooks, grand pianos and the Native American décor common throughout the hotel. I could happily be ensconced by the fireplace with a good book my entire stay.

The centerpiece of this trip was to attend Yosemite’s Bracebridge Dinner, a tradition since 1927, with Ansel Adams himself an early orchestrator of its music, costumes and format. At the helm is Andrea Fulton, who has been in the program since she was five years old, when her father was running it. Meeting Andrea in her hotel room was fascinating – she’s 65 with an overabundant amount of energy and wicked sense of humor. It’s inspiring (and exhausting) to see all she does for Bracebridge: directing, starring, choosing fabrics for their lush costumes, masterminding countless aspects of the production.

The head table at Bracebridge (photo credit: Lani Spicer of Andrea Fulton Productions)

What is Bracebridge? You can read the history on their site, but I’d sum it up as a Medieval feast at Lord Bracebridge’s manor (very loosely based on Washington Irving’s, “A Christmas at Bracebridge Hall”), complete with concert, revelry and seven-course dinner. The price tag appears insanely high: $399 per person, or included in overall hotel packages if you stay at the Ahwahnee.

At this point in my life, going as press was the way I was able to enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience smack in the center of one our great national parks, putting me fully in the Christmas spirit. It’s the kind of thing you’d save up for or splurge on. The event continues to sell out, night after night. Years ago, there was a lottery to even have the chance to buy tickets until more performances were added – now there are even Christmas Eve and Day performances.

For me, the event is perfected in two areas: the setting and the music. The natural setting outdoors is enough, but the stunning Ahwahnee lounge and dining room make it other-worldly. We began with skilled pianists in the lounge at both grand pianos playing Christmas carols (I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” prior to that hour). Song books scattered around for us to use, we all sang while sipping champagne in our evening gowns and tuxes. At 6pm, trumpeters entered, stood in front of the fireplace and heralded us to dinner with a blast.

Red carpet lined the middle of the dining room, wreaths hung on the windows, a grand head table sat under stained glass, and a radiant glow bathed the room. After a starter relish plate  and our first glass of wine (alas, wine is not included in the price so you have to order glasses or bottles separately when you pick up dinner tickets), the room hushed and in the darkness were voices singing “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”. The chorus of actors and singers entered slowly down the red carpet, uttering that memorable lyric.

Lord Bracebridge and cast (photo credit: Lani Spicer of Andrea Fulton Productions)

As key members of the cast are opera singers (many from SF Opera), their vocal precision and perfection melded into a glorious, sometimes chill-inducing choir. As a life-long music lover from a musical family (and a humble singer myself), I was impressed by the  musical selection, certainly much of it in the Olde English tradition (“The Coventry Carol”, “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”, et. al.) There were a few originals, like the Disney-ish, “Be Our Guest”-reminiscent song about the food, sung by Andrea Fulton’s housekeeper character and the French chef. And there were classics like a duet of “O Holy Night” (Cantique de Noel) that induced tears around me.

The theatrics of the “play” aspect are somewhat grandiose and over-the-top, more proclamation than natural verse. With the Renaissance Man’s theater background and my love for great theater, it’s certainly not our preferred style. But it seems appropriate to the format – more family-oriented, not so much a play, rather a simulated historical dinner concert.

The seven-course meal is well-paced and quite tasty considering my lowered expectations from prior meals at the Ahwahnee. Certainly it’s not the caliber of meals I’m used to in the city, but it surprised me as better than expected and a seamless part of the event. In keeping with the original themes since the 1920’s of having courses like “Boar’s Head and Baron of Beef” and “Peacock Pie”, there was Angus Beef Tenderloin for the former and Moulard Duck Breast for the latter, though I couldn’t help but wish we’d actually dined on Boar’s Head and Peacock! Toasting Wassail (to a catchy song of the same name) over a dessert of Brandy-Apricot Pudding, was a festive ending – and a fine wassail, I might add, having grown up with it every Christmas.

Deer roaming the park

Though it may be outside of many of our budgets, if you save up for this rare event, you will not soon forget the glow of the evening, one that lingers as the last strains of singing are uttered, entirely fitting for the setting:

“Now the joyful bells are ringing.
All ye mountains praise the Lord!
Lift your hearts like birds awinging,
All ye mountains praise the Lord!
Now our fes’tal season bringing
Kinsman all to bide and board.
Sets our cheery voices singing,
All ye mountains praise the Lord!”

CHICAGO

“Hog butcher for the world,
Tool maker, stacker of wheat,
Player with railroads and the nation’s freight handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of big shoulders.”
- Carl Sandburg, “Chicago,” 1916

Back to Chicago, where my husband once briefly lived, my first visit in nearly a decade. Certainly much has changed, yet the city remains much as I remember it: gritty, even at its “prettiest”; middle America in big city, New York-reminiscent form. No it doesn’t woo me or haunt my dreams, like San Francisco or New Orleans do, nor secure my eternal loyalty like New York, but it’s the one true city in the middle, as far as I’m concerned, and here I eat heartily well, surrounded by locals who are welcoming, rough around the edges, genuine.

Neighborhood by neighborhood, in a multi-part series, we’ll cover some of my favorite haunts during my recent stay.

SOUTH LOOP

The first neighborhood I took up residence in, the trek via bus up Michigan Ave before even hitting the El is a long one. I felt somehow far from the city center, central as it is. It was the best locale, however, from which to see the new wing of the Art Institute or classical concerts (Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” with full choir) in Millennium Park.

Pimientos de Padron at Mercat a la Planxa

• Pretty truffles and cool gelato on a hot Summer day made Canaday le Chocolatier my favorite little sweet stop in South Loop. Gelatos are simple and candy-sweet, rather than tasting of the freshest of fruit as Italy, or even SF & NY’s best gelatos do. But I found their Pomegranate and Blood Orange tartly playful.

•  A Chicago institution, Manny’s Deli serves one kick-ass Corned Beef Sandwich ($10.95).

•  Mercat a la Planxa is a spacious, chic hotel restaurant right on Michigan Ave, one of the few less touristy restaurants on that stretch. With friendly service, though lackluster sangrias (both I tried were disappointing), the food is authentic and deftly prepared. Catalan-inspired cuisine includes plenty of charcuterie, quesos, tapas, and larger plates. A traditional Pimientos de Padron ($5) satisfied, the fried green peppers perky with salt. A Serrano Ham & Fig Salad ($8) is ultra-fresh spinach greens with salty ham, spiced almonds and sherry vinaigrette. 

CHINATOWN

A feast at Lao Sze Schuan

•    Lao Sze Chuan came highly recommended as the one place worth going out of the way for in Chinatown. Ideal for a group, we were seated around a large table upstairs in the bustling restaurant, tucked out of the way in this desolate, spread-out part of Chinatown. For not a lot of cash, six of us were fed with plenty of food left over. Being Szechuan cuisine, it was a full blast of spice and heat, especially the famous “Chef’s Special” Dry Chili Chicken, loaded with blazing peppers. That was my favorite dish, along with a mild, but expertly fried Salt & Pepper Squid.  I can’t say I was much excited beyond those two but none of it did me wrong.  Many say it’s hands down the best Szechuan spot in Chicago, along with its sister restaurants.

GREEKTOWN

Cappuccino with a view at Artopolis

•   Though the staff at Artopolis Bakery & Cafe seem bored out of their minds, it’s a charming spot for European-quality cappuccinos and an Artopita ($7.95) for breakfast or lunch. The stuffed phyllo disk comes warm on your plate from a cafeteria line. Sit preferably upstairs overlooking the street for a quiet respite. I tried the ham and kasseri cheese version: warm, gooey, filling. This is Greektown’s most beloved bakery and a welcome cafe in which to linger (if you don’t mind cheesy Euro dance music playing).

Concerts in Millennium Park