One week in Chicago: Food

by Mike Barish on

Last week I introduced you to my mini-guide to Chicago. When I finalized my plans to spend a week there, I followed the advice of Frugal Travel Matt Gross and let all my Twitter followers and Facebook friends know that I was accepting any and all recommendations on things to do and places to go. Of course, I was inundated with an incredible amount of useful advice, almost all of which included ideas for where I should eat. That’s why today I’m going to focus solely on food. I hope you’re hungry, because things are about to get gluttonous.

Chicago doesn’t have just one iconic food; It has several. The Chicago dog, deep dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches are all quintessentially Chicago. As the recommendations came pouring in from my friends, I knew I’d have to be ambitious in my eating when I arrived in Chicago. None of the aforementioned dishes are light. None are healthy. But they’re all pretty amazingly delicious (except for deep dish pizza, but we’ll get to that later).

How much can one man eat over seven days in Chicago? How memorable can it really be? Let’s just say I experienced the best burger of my life and the joy that is a sandwich with ham and peanut butter.

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Hot Doug’s – Hot Doug’s was recommended to me by countless people. It was visited by Anthony Bourdain for an episode of No Reservations. It’s not a secret, but it is fantastic. This is not your average hot dog joint. Sure, you can get a Chicago dog here. But you can also get a foie gras dog or have your french fries cooked up in duck fat. It’s decadent, for sure, but it’s also insanely delicious. I opted for the venison sausage with cheddar and bacon sausage with caramelized onions and brie.

Wiener’s Circle – A Chicago institution, Wiener’s Circle is known for its customer service. Well, more like customer berating. As day turns to night and more and more customers start arriving in a state of inebriation, the employees behind the counter begin to yell, curse and bark at customers. And the customers hurl the insults right back. Showtime and NPR’s This American Life even documented the phenomenon. I went for a sober lunch, so I was politely given an outstanding Chicago dog.

Al’s #1 Italian Beef – Yes, it’s a chain. Yes, it doesn’t look all that quaint or authentic. But Al’s #1 Italian Beef is the place to go for this greasy, meaty sandwich. Be sure to get it with both sweet peppers and giardiniera. Make sure you have plenty of napkins handy.

Kuma’s Corner – I’m a hamburger snob. You can’t just throw any meat on a bun and expect me to say that you have a good burger. Well, I am without a doubt prepared to say that I had the best hamburger of my life at Kuma’s Corner. First things first, Kuma’s Corner is not T.G.I. Friday’s. If you don’t like listening to blasting rock music while you eat, don’t go. If you don’t like a place with bourbon on tap at the bar, don’t go. If you don’t like a place that names their burgers after heavy metal bands, don’t go. That said, if you enjoy all of these things and are amused by a hamburger called the Goblin Cock (a hamburger with a full Chicago dog on top), then get to Kuma’s Corner post-haste. I opted for their signature Kuma Burger, which came with bacon, cheddar and a fried egg (my favorite burger accoutrement). I ordered it medium rare and it came to me red on the inside and warmed through. In other words, perfect. Juicy, flavorful and simply the best burger I have ever eaten.

Pizzeria Due – While the original Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due are officially part of the Pizzeria Uno chain, the two flagship locations are allowed to keep their unique menus and are considered authentic restaurants as opposed to the other franchise location. But, you see, deep dish pizza ain’t pizza. Sorry, but it’s the truth. Sure, it’s sauce, bread and cheese. But it’s more of a casserole than a pizza. The flavor ratios are off. The sauce is on top. That’s just wrong. Frankly, it’s an abomination. My friend told me to consider it a “lasagna with a biscuit crust.” Well, that seems like a slippery slope toward those Dominos Pasta Bread Bowls. That’s not a good thing.

Perry’s Deli – “Because it’s there.” That was George Mallory’s response to a reporter who asked him why he wanted to climb the world’s tallest mountain. And it was my response when my friend asked me why I was going to Perry’s Deli to try the Peter Panski – a sandwich with ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and…peanut butter. Before you scoff, gag and/or stop reading, hear me out. This crazy combination actually works! The sweetness of the peanut butter compliments the ham. The smooth and creamy texture plays nicely with with the chewiness of the thick-cut bacon. After a few bites, I found myself no longer eating the Peter Panski for the novelty of it and was just enjoying my lunch. Afterwards, however, I did need a nap.

Sun Wah Bar-B-Que – If you’re looking for a break from typical Chicago cuisine, head over to Sun Wah for some Peking duck and other succulent Chinese dishes. Go with a group so that you can share, though. While the Peking duck buns were a treat, my friends and I are still talking about just how big our oysters were. Served with garlic and ginger, the oysters were roughly the size of a bread plate. While bigger does not always mean better when it comes to food, these oysters were flavorful, delicate and had a liquor that was beyond delicious. Order a Tsingtao or three to cut through that duck fat and spin the lazy Susan until there’s nothing left to eat.

< a href="http://www.lulacafe.com/" target="_blank">Lula Cafe – Not every meal I enjoyed was over-indulgent and ridiculous. Lula Cafe provided me with a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a fresh, seasonal and expertly crafted meal. Their Monday “Farm Dinner” features seasonal ingredients from local farms and is worth every penny. The menu is simple, but when the ingredients are this fresh and the kitchen is staffed by chefs who are respectful of their menu and their customers, simple is better. If the weather is cooperating, sit outside, order a beer and enjoy a quality meal with no pretense.

As you can imagine, I gained a few pounds in Chicago. But it was totally worth it! How did I work off all the new found weight? Check back tomorrow when I review some of my favorite Chicago activities.

Check out my Chicago food gallery here.

Special thanks to Jenny Lee, Joe Hobaica, Mike Lee, Gadling’s own Jeremy Kressmann and everyone else for their food suggestions.

Differences in dining – Welcome to America!

by Scott Carmichael on

Welcome foreign readers (yeah, we know you read us!). Chances are, you’ve been reading the news, and with a little bit of luck, you’ll take advantage of a favorable exchange rate, and come pay us a visit this Summer.

If so, here are 10 things we do differently in this country when it comes to eating (and drinking) out.



Free soda refills



In the vast majority of establishments, you’ll only have to pay for your first soft drink. Unlike Europe, where a refreshing beverage is usually served tepid, we like to fill up on ice, and provide complimentary refills on drinks.

Most fast food restaurants will let you tap your own drink, and unless there is a sign specifically banning free refills, go ahead and fill up.

Smart people will wonder why stores sell small, medium and large drinks, when you can essentially get the same amount of drink for a lower price. That my friend, is the right way to think! And before you ask – no, you won’t get free refills on beer, and if you do, please let me know where that was!

Portion sizes

Yes – I’m fully aware that the United States is the source of many jokes about big portions and big people. We actually have ourselves to thank for that. Times are slowly changing, but there are still plenty of restaurants where the portion size is picked so it looks huge, not based on how much food one person actually needs.

The Doggy bag

The doggy bag picks up where the previous topic ended. Large portions are not served just to make you overeat – you paid for your food, so feel free to ask for a container at the end of your meal to carry any leftovers back home (or to your hotel).

Nobody will give you strange looks; quite the opposite in fact. You’d better have a good reason to leave food behind.

Tipping

Tipping is a really complicated topic, because it differs from anything you are probably used to. Tipping in most parts of the world is what you do to round up the check (cheque). If service was really good, you might even throw in an extra Euro or two.

In the US, tipping is what you do to pay your server, maître d’, sommelier or other hospitality worker. Your tip is their salary, as they most likely won’t be making anything over minimum wage, or less.

Refusing to tip, or tipping less than 15%, is what you do when your service was abysmal, not when you run out of money or don’t think it is worth it. When you order in a restaurant, keep in mind that you’ll have to add between 15% and 20% of your final bill for the tip. Tipping is not expected in fast food restaurants.

When you dine with a group, you’ll often be expected to pay a mandatory tip, which will be added to the bill. Unless service was horrible (in which case you should have asked for a manager), the restaurant will expect you to pay this. Sadly, the definition of “group” has decreased in recent years, and nowadays 6 people is usually where you start to be considered a group. The mandatory group tip is usually between 18% and 22%.

And if this wasn’t enough, you’ll be expected to tip the valet, cab or limo driver, bellhop and bar tender, and some people may even suggest you leave a tip in your room for the maid. The Internet is full of tipping resources, so to prevent an embarrassing situation, do a quick search for a crash course on tipping.

> > > Go to page 2 of “Differences in Dining – Welcome to America”

Wine flights taking off in Newark Liberty’s Terminal C

by Mike Barish on

I tend to be a little anal-retentive when it comes to getting to the airport on-time for a flight. As such, I end up arriving a good 2+ hours before take-off. The upside is that, in all of my travels, I have only missed two flights because of my tardiness. The downside is that I’ve had to kill a tremendous amount of time in airports. Despite the fact that they are made for waiting, airport terminals are pretty much the epitome of lame. Most are devoid of decent food options and full of stores that sell schlock and overpriced bags of mixed nuts. But in recent years, some terminals have started to…get this…cater to travelers! And Newark Liberty Airport’s Terminal C is now one of those terminals.

Terminal C is home to Continental Airlines and some of the best food and drinks you will find in an airport. For anyone who has ever forced down some scolding hot Sbarro’s pizza or hockey puck-like fast food burgers while waiting for a flight, Terminal C’s offerings are a sight for sore stomachs.

There’s the Heineken Lounge, Sam Adams bar and Guinness Irish Pub, which provide travelers with a chance to make flying a tad more bearable without having to sit in a drab airport bar. And Vino Volo offers customers wine flights of selections from around the world. And if you find a wine that you like, you can purchase bottles to take away or have shipped to you.

I never understood why waiting for a flight had to be so torturous. Not everyone can afford to have access to lounges, but that doesn’t mean that the main terminal should look like a mall food court. There’s a happy medium and Newark Liberty Airport’s Terminal C seems to have found that and even exceeded it a bit. Now my only concern is getting distracted at one of the bars and missing my flight!

Photo of the Day (5.2.09)

by Brenda Yun on


I’m a vegetarian, so the sight of these chickens in the window elicited a very strong gurgle from my stomach. Before college, however, I was a meat-eater. I didn’t have my first salad until I was 18. My parents would frequent Chinatown, and I would gawk at the meat in the window in a similar fashion as I am now.

I love Peking duck. I miss the taste of crispy skin with that tangy sauce on a steamed rice bun. When I lived in Beijing one summer during college, I would have Peking duck every weekend. That was the real deal. I miss fresh Chinese meat.

This appetizing (to some) photo comes to us from jerry.r.lem. The steam in this Bostonian Chinatown store window, the triad of colors, and the obscure meat on the right just makes me want to take a stroll in my neighborhood Chinatown and remember the good ‘ole days, when Mom would buy bok choi for less than a dollar, Dad would treat us to dim sum, or I could watch rice noodles being made through the Look Fun window.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Best. Airplane food. Ever.

by Annie Scott on


So, remember the Airplane Food vs. Army Food Gadling challenge, where you had to try and guess which photos were of airplane food and which were of army food? I totally failed. It was 50/50 and I totally failed.

Well, on a related note, Lufthansa has teamed up with The Ritz-Carlton to bring you the best airplane food ever. How do I know this? I tried it at their party on Monday.

The Ritz-Carlton and Lufthansa held a fete in downtown NYC on Monday, just hours after the outrageous Air Force One photo op disaster. Everyone had calmed down and was ready to tuck into a glass of wine and, surprisingly, airplane food.

The night was catered by none other than the Ritz-Carlton chefs who were called upon to create Lufthansa’s new First and Business Class menus. I spoke with chef Andres Jimenez (above, center, photo by Atom Lark), the executive chef from the Ritz-Carlton Denver, about how much like a cooking show challenge the assignment was! Keeping the ingredients fresh, making sure they taste right at high altitudes, being able to mass produce them well, and staying in budget were all concerns. And what to serve? “It’s not really the place to take a risk,” he said. “They want something that will appeal to everyone.”

Presentation is a difficult issue on an airplane, too. Senior Vice President of Product and Brand Management for the Ritz-Carlton added that there’s the whole problem of gravity. “You could arrange these dishes perfectly, but then when the airplane takes off, they’re all sliding to the back of the cooler at 45 degrees.” I asked Chef Jimenez if they train the staff on presentation. “We trained the staff who trains the staff,” he said and smiled.

Everyone seemed quite proud of what the chefs had come up with, and as they recreated it for us there in the Financial District at the three level loft home of Barry Appelman (who I understand is the father of AOL Instant Messenger and the buddy list — and thusly the grandfather of Facebook and Twitter) and Ildiko Sragli, I think we were all very, very impressed.

Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa German Airlines was one of the first to take the microphone from the cool post-mod cover band and welcome the guests. “Life is too short to eat bad food, and life is too short to drink bad wine.”

For pictures of Mayrhuber and also Simon Cooper, President and Chief Operating Officef of The Ritz-Carlton, as well as pictures of the food, the guests, and one amazing apartment, click through the gallery (photos by Atom Lark).
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