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In Memoriam

  • Hot Doug’s: You can still visit the restaurant’s website but sadly, you can no longer enjoy the wonderful sausage creations and, most most most importantly, enjoy the wit and charm of Doug Sohn. Closed on Friday, October 3, 2014, it was a loss to hot dog/sausage lovers all over and even more poignantly felt in Chicago, a city that is very peculiar about their hot dogs. Hot Doug has the claim to fame as the first eatery to have been fined under the short lived Chicago foie-gras ban. Dearly missed indeed.

Chicago

  • Alinea: What can i say about the 3 Michelin Alinea or Chef Grant Achatz that has not already been said by humans with greater knowledge and finer senses than i? Suffice it to say that Alinea served up one of the finest meals we’ve ever enjoyed and the longing for a revisit has persisted even after so many years. Dress code: jackets required for gents and ladies should dress comparably. Reservations are required.

  • Joe’s Stone Crab (Chicago): It is a national chain with locations in Las Vegas and Washington DC, but that doesn’t take away how fantastic Joe’s is for Stone Crab Claws and steak and chops. Order a Martini with Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives and relax into the warm wood paneled dinning room busy with uniformed staff gliding in and out between tables. Do order the Stone Crab Claws and ask them what the difference in claw sizes actually mean, if you are in luck, they may bring out the platter o’ claws and you can be amazed at just how large the claws can be. Consider the Dry Aged Chopped Steak, dry aged prime rib that is chopped and formed into a loaf, seared and cooked to perfection before covering with a thick unctuous mushroom gravy. If you want something more substantial, the classic cuts of steak and chops are cooked to your liking with great skill and the steak seasoning provided gives a wonderful flavor explosion to the dry aged meats. Want something lighter? The seafood is wonderfully prepared and served. Check the market card for the fresh choice of the day! Don’t miss out on the Hashed browns, Spinach (Sauteed or Creamed), or Crispy Onion Strings to compliment your meal and ensure you have completely defeated any trace of hunger you may have had. Warning, desserts at Joe’s are gianormous. There, warned. No dress code, reservations strongly recommended. Book early if intending to dine at Joe’s during a conference in Chicago as you will not be the only one and Joe’s is popular for company outings during convention times.

  • Jolly Inn Restaurant: Polish all you can eat buffet that has been a constant in every visit PTM has made to Chicago. Try the Kiszka (polish blood sausage sauteed with onions), rich, and delicious! The buffet is loaded with Polish classics, crave Pierogies? They have pierogies filled cheese, with potato, with sauerkraut, or with meat ready to be scooped up and deposited on your plate. Cohorts of gleaming Sausages stand ready to appease your hungry self. Make sure you order some soup from the server, the Mushroom Soup is fantastic but there is a reason why Borsch is such a classic! No dress code, reservation never hurts but we’ve never waited long when we have been for lunch.

  • Lou Malnati’s: Yes, asking who serves your best pizza in Chicago is an activity fraught with danger. That being said, my pizza lovng self loves Lou Malnati’s. Deep dish, thin crust, both pies are fantastic at Lou Malnati’s. Lots of locations in the Chicago/Chicagoland area so a good pie is never far away! No dress code, just be hungry!

  • Portillo’s: Well, can’t visit Chicago and not have an iconic Chicago Dog now can you? Marvel at the deep emerald green of the pickle relish and the red of the tomato slices. Savor the crisp pickle spear and be elevated by the spicy sport peppers. Then sink your being into the wonderous all-beef hot dog, perfectly flavored by the yellow mustard, brightened by the chopped onions, and delicately seasoned by a dash of celery salt, all embraced by that soft supple steamed poppyseed bun. Of course, Chicago Dogs are not the only thing Portillo’s all encompassing menu offers, but my personal addiction has never allowed me to stray far. They are known for their Chocolate Cake and the Chocolate Cake Shake. The shake has the claim of having an entire slice of the chocolate cake in each shake! For those who are brave and with a functioning pancreas! No dress code, no reservations.

  • Ron of Japan: Teppanyaki as a whole, is an entertaining outing for a group of folks in the correct mindset. You are not seeking culinary nirvana, you are just looking for a nice evening out with friends, light “performance art” (yes, it is a stretch), and for your food not to be burnt to a crisp or cooked to death. Well, Ron of Japan, the odd teppanyaki restaurant in Chicago and surrounding Chicagoland area manages to deliver well cooked food in an atmosphere that is comfortable and relaxing. Yes, the very fruity sticky drinks with umbrellas certainly help, but i can’t deny that the steak and seafood were all very well prepared and cooked perfectly by the attentive and somewhat enthusiastic — but very skilled and efficient — chef. Go ahead, get the Egg Sauce. No idea what exactly it is, as it is too solid to be a sauce and no egg products should be that orange, but it does add a certain something to the shrimp or lobster it is dolloped upon. Get the Beef Fried Rice instead of the white rice, why not? You are out for the night, live a little. No dress code, can be loud, and reservations never hurt.