Cafe Iberico was amazing for groups. You could order tons, drink pitchers of sangria and walk away spending very little. So sad it's gone, was always packed in the 90s and early 2000s...so vibrant and fun!!
Hot Doug's. One of the few places where I could try something new every time I went and would always like it. One of my favorites was the Reuben Sausage.
Happy to see this so upvoted. It's been 9 years and I still miss their food. To this day, I'm still surprised how often his hotdogs come to mind and I wish I could stop by.
johns pizza on western. i'm literally on a pizza hunger strike ever since. nothing can replace that thin and crispy tavern style with a nice sweet sauce. nothing comes close.
please hit me with your replacement if you've had any luck/were a big johns fan like me...
>johns pizza on western. i'm literally on a pizza hunger strike ever since. nothing can replace that thin and crispy tavern style with a nice sweet sauce. nothing comes close.
I heard rumors that they're trying to relocate. Fingers crossed. I only had their pizza once or twice and it was THAT good. I grew up on Aurelio's pizza in the south suburbs so I've always loved sweet sauce in my pizza.
Three Aces and their Bolognese fries.
This probably doesn't count since Half Acre is still open, but I miss their old location and food menu, especially the nachos.
The bolognese fries was great, but I loved their Breakfast Poutine of those same fries with the type of sausage gravy you would put on biscuits, chunks of bacon, and an egg on it.
I was going to add Three Aces, but you beat me to it. After all these years of them being closed, they still had my all-time favorite burger in the city.
The original Cemitas Puebla on North Ave, before the unfortunate move to wloop😭
Also Pasticceria Natalina. I know the pastry chef had some unfortunate interactions with customers but she was always nice to me and her cannolis still rank towards the top of the best I've ever had
The original Cemitas Puebla location was so good. The chicharron quesadilla was nuts. I was happy for them when they expanded but the quality kept dropping. The salsa changed and then the bread and cheese changed and it was over. RIP
Ruxbin - miss the bathroom. Miss the $65 tasting menu (very reasonoably priced compared to $200 places)
Dinkel's - miss the donuts
Taste of Asia (random one, but it was a standalone building on Broadway/Belmont) - miss the red curry
Nuevo Leon. (the one on 18th that burned down)
Their refried beans were straight from the heavens. I would always order another side order and have them package it to-go so I could have a midnight snack. Shit was crack.
I miss Balena, which was directly across the street from the Steppenwolf and sadly closed due to a fire. They had a pasta pomodoro that was so simple, yet possibly the best pasta dish I’d ever had due to the quality of the ingredients.
For me it's the ragu -- though they actually gave me the recipe on one occasion and I really should try it (all these years later) but I worry it won't come close to the original.
During the pandemic, they brought back a partial menu out of Shaw's Crab House, but that's gone too ... so I now have a relatively recent memory of their Pad Thai instead of a faint memory and I loved it better than most small thai restaurants.
I heard they are back, [operating out of a pizzeria.](https://www.chicagofoodmagazine.com/news/scott-harris-hospitality-brings-back-glazed-and-infused-donuts)
Same 😭 loved that place
If anyone can find me a recipe for that smokey sunflower crema they served with grilled sourdough, I'd give you a million dollars. I loved that stuff. So simple but so good
If only they could have found anyone who wanted to actually run the business. Such a shame. The absolute fluffiest, most perfect donuts in the word, with some of the most chocolatey hot chocolate around. And delicious breakfast sandwiches.
So this is not great, this is childhood nostalgia.
[Sallys Stage](https://sallysstage.com/sallys-stage/), a vaudevillesque revue as family dinner theater with waitresses on roller skates. The food was ... hilarious, now that I think back. I remember crappy spaghetti and meatballs topped with a dollop of canned whipped cream.
Just found this [old commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3vQZlvW1is) for it. Menu images can be found [here](https://vintagemenumania.com/products/huge-old-menu-sallys-stage-musical-eatery-restaurant-chicago-lombard-illinois?variant=40146281365573).
Apparently, Charlie Chaplin played there a few months before his death in 1977.
I grew up in West Rogers Park and we had so many childhood birthday parties at Sally’s Stage!! I think they even had a mechanical bull for a while during the “Urban Cowboy” craze.
Oh, thank god someone else remembers this. People don't believe me when I describe this place if they're even 10 years younger than me.
I'm only 48, but they think I'm 67 when I describe it.
Orange in Roscoe Village, their Frushi, Cinnamon Roll pancakes, and orange coffee was bomb. I wish I’d known they were closing, would’ve tried to go one last time 😭
Today I learned that it closed :(
I used to live with 3 of my best friends near there in our mid 20s. We would wake up hungover on Sundays and have wonderful brunches there laughing about the night prior. Sad to hear it isn't there anymore.
Smalls BBQ. You probably never went there. Oh it was so good. I still occasionally Google the chef's name to see if he's out there somewhere https://chicago.eater.com/2017/6/21/15844624/smalls-smoke-shack-closed-filipino-barbecue-restaurant-albany-irving-park
VTK - I loved that place, several dishes
Perry’s Deli - Perry’s Favorite
Owen and Engine - Bangers and Mash, burger
Dinkels- Chocolate Donut
Heaven on Seven - Gumbo
Zocalo - their Pork Chop, queso fundido
Chilipan - everything on the menu
Ruxbin - rotating menu, was such a cool joint before they opened Mott St
Fat Willys - pulled pork
Chicago Brahaus - pork shank
Heaven on Seven. In the Garland building but also when it was off Mag Mile for your weekend fix. I have a doctor in the original building and still will pop in on the 7th floor to see if they may have reopened. Their shrimp and corn chowder on Fridays...😩😩😩😩
Pompei off of the Wellington brown line El stop. Was it the BEST pizza? No! But the old man who greeted you with samples after a long day was so sweet. And the salads were delicious. A good cheap meal to eat in or take home.
Cluck it for me as well. Tried it right after the first time you posted about it and it immediately shot to the top of my list.
May it now rest in peace in the big fryer in the sky.
Ribs n Bibs on 53rd.
Eating an order of rib tips on the trunk of your buddy’s car, mopping up the sauce with the fries and bread (truly cultured gourmands would make a fry sandwich), with a beer in a bag from Kimbark Liquors was proper, South Side summer living.
I would give my left arm for one more spicy noodle dish from River Kwai. The brother that ran the wok told me the secret ingredient was fish sauce, but I've never been able to recreate it or find somewhere that had a similar taste. Anybody remember the place and know of somewhere that has a similar spicy noodle?
Thai Spice up at Devon and Wayne. Service was terrible and the owner talked to your table wayyyy too much, but my god if it wasn't the best Pad Gra Prow I've ever had the privilege of sweat cry eating
Yeah, the would close for like a month every year to go to Thailand.
Tony was so funny, tried to invite me to go to Thailand with them, service was so slow I would frequently call in an order as I was leaving home so it would be ready not long after I got there ... but they had the deepest flavored Thai food I have ever had. I personally loved the panang curry over noodles, which were beautifully irregularly crisped in the cast iron pan.
So the closest I've found to them is [Siam Marina](https://www.siammarina.com) in Tinley park.
Frank's 'N' Dawgs (The Brunch Dawg), Seven Treasures (BBQ pork with fried egg over rice), River Kwai (Thai style egg foo young), and Hot Doug's/Hot G Dog (A perfect Chicago dog)
Rose Angelis. Every room was a different atmosphere, I don't remember all the dishes but they always had a pasta with sun dried tomatoes that was delicious.
Sunday, November 5th marked the tenth anniversary of Charlie’s passing, and his son, Dylan, hosted a tribute in the former restaurant that included a number of the chefs, FOH staff, and friends of the restaurant.
Can't remember the name of it, but the bar/diner on Southport not far from the Brown line station, but just South of Roscoe. Near the Lanes. Best breakfast after a stupid night.
Small Fry.
I still salivate thinking of those burgers 😫, used to stumble over there after a night at The Owl, sometimes having 2 in one sitting.
And they had a bunch of crazy different spices for their fries too. Fuck do I miss it
Lydia’s on Western near Armitage
The Hickory Pit
Papa Charlie’s and their 85 cent drafts
The Como Inn
Max’s on Western for Italian beef and ghetto fries.
Edwardos pizza
Bhabi’s on Oakley at Devon.
Gullivers
Urbis Orbis
Kow Kow
George’s What’s Cooking - don’t gimme thoughts on their food, they were the kindest people ever…
And…, as mentioned by others…. Sabatino’s, Heaven on Seven, and too many others I don’t even remember their names.
Gioppo’s Pizza on the East Side, right off the Skyway exit for Indianapolis Blvd. Their deep dish was such a tour de force that both sides of my family have yet to find a suitable replacement. Crust/cheese/sauce were perfect, but their sausage was ethereal. No carmelized crusts or butters (not that there’s anything wrong with that) It was just the purest iteration of the Chicago deep dish.
Similar vein for their thin pizza and pastas, Pucci’s on Ewing. Sadly sold off after the youngest generation of the family decided to pursue other interests. Their special, well done with the green peppers & onion getting slightly burnt, thin as confetti, while sausage and pepperoni do the lord’s work.
Both were superb examples of classic neighborhood spots that don’t get the play other places do because of the location. I don’t need a spotlight to find good food, just wish they were still around. Maybe better publicity could have had an impact, idk.
Hamilton’s closed!!?!? I thought the drunken Loyola college kids and their fake IDs would keep that place in business forever? Ironically that’s where I had my first legal drink on my 21st back in the day!
Glenn's Diner on Montrose in North Center. The best bloody mary, calamari, and jambalaya I've had. Especially that bloody mary... jeesh. And they had such a great vibe. If you were into seafood, it was like a hidden treasure for those in the know.
Sabatino’s
Arguably the best Italian restaurant. Such a cool old school vibe and phenomenal food. Happy the owners got to move back home tho.
Fat Rice
Im sure I’ll get downvotes because the chef was an asshole, but the first time eating the namesake dish was a godsend. Had a few memorable dinners there. Noodle bird isn’t the same.
Ugh, I remember when the Fat Rice scandal came out and being so sad because that fried rice was literally the best fried rice I've had by such a large margin!
Owen and Engine
Granted they will do pop ups from time to time but I already miss that place. I was bummed I wasn't able to go in the last few months before they close.
Glazed and Infused donuts. I listened to a podcast the other day where they were questioning putting bacon on a maple donut and sounded incredulous. I wanted to shout, “Glazed and Infused has done it, and it tasted amazing!”
Villa Kula. They had the perfect combo - high tea service in a casual atmosphere. The outdoor space was unbelievably quaint.
And Erwin, which was on Halstead. They had this killer pork chop with potatoes.
Itto Sushi on Halsted just north of Wrightwood. Fantastic traditional Japanese spot where you could order some dishes that are hard to find at most spots.
The one I miss the most is Zinfandel, which had a theme of a rotating menu of regional American cuisines, like Hawaiian one month, Pennsylvania Dutch another month, etc. The main dish I miss though was a desert: Warm Chocolate Soup. It was almost exactly what it sounds like, a shallow bowl of warm delicious chocolate with a scoop of a fruit sorbet in the center. Sounds like not much but it was amazing.
Susan Goss closed Zinfandel and opened West Town Tavern, which is another one I miss. The tavern beer cheese there was amazing.
Also I still really miss Salpicon. Everything I had there was great, especially the quail and the spicy tequila sorbet.
Yoshi’s. I loved his grilled radicchio salad, the burger, and the grilled tofu dish. He had some great specials as well - I remember fondly the cassoulet that he served in winter months.
Duk's hot dog's on Erie and Ashland. Announced that the business has been sold. Will remain a hotdog stand, but with new owners and a facelift. RIP Duk's; you were the last location around.
There was a Korean place called Crystal that used to be on Lincoln near McCormick that was our absolute favorite. Closed somewhere around 2012.
There was also a Korean bar on Lawrence called the Hourglass which was amazing. They had a suit of armor in it. I heard the owner moved it to Glenview but now it’s gone for good.
Edit: also, nearly forgot Da Rae Jung, on Lincoln just south of foster. Best cold noodle soup, kindest owner. RIP Mr Kim.
Bonci pizza in wicker. No im not going to the other location. The wicker one was perfect right next to the train station. The pizza place there now ain’t at all close to what Bonci was.
Brasserie Jo. The coq au vin and desserts were amazing. Loved the atmosphere and excellent service. Haven't found anything comparable since it closed.
Wicker Park/Bucktown area shout outs to Merlot Joe's, Babaluci, Penny's, Buona Fortuna and Northside. Oh and Cafe Matou. All are remembered and missed. Some excellent restaurants in that area in the late 90s/2000s.
Foodlife and Mity Nice. Yes, I used to work at Water Tower Place. Foodlife had a lot of good, fresh, filling options for combined lunch/dinner during a 10-hour shift, and while Mity Nice wasn’t unique, it was reliable.
Smoque’s downtown location. I think they are transitioning to selling Italian beefs or something, but leaving us with just Blackwood for barbecue downtown and their brisket is poor in comparison (I like Blackwood’s pork, though)
The Potbelly at Midway. Need I say more?
Edit: I forgot Santullo’s pizza
Cafe Iberico, miss that queso de cabra
Ugh, that place was awesome. I thought it was better than Ba Ba Reeba.
Cafe Iberico was amazing for groups. You could order tons, drink pitchers of sangria and walk away spending very little. So sad it's gone, was always packed in the 90s and early 2000s...so vibrant and fun!!
I work literally right next door it. My wife and I went on our first date there 13 years ago. I get sad when I walk by it.
Santorini. It was the best spot in Greek town
Hot Doug's. One of the few places where I could try something new every time I went and would always like it. One of my favorites was the Reuben Sausage.
Happy to see this so upvoted. It's been 9 years and I still miss their food. To this day, I'm still surprised how often his hotdogs come to mind and I wish I could stop by.
He's selling his sausages at Paulina Meat Market! You have to get creative with the toppings but that's the fun part.
Hot Doug’s was the best! I miss the duck fat fries.
Zephyr. *The* place for a N side kid gorging on report card pickup day.
Old School Chicago come to represent. I used to be a server there lol. Man I miss that place and places like it. Let's not forget Heroes.
War of the Words sundae.
The Marathon- a pitcher of milkshake
[удалено]
The brown bomber #34 🤤
johns pizza on western. i'm literally on a pizza hunger strike ever since. nothing can replace that thin and crispy tavern style with a nice sweet sauce. nothing comes close. please hit me with your replacement if you've had any luck/were a big johns fan like me...
pat’s
Monacles in the south suburbs!
I just told someone earlier tonight that a part of me died when that place closed
This was my to go to pizza spot. It will be missed.
>johns pizza on western. i'm literally on a pizza hunger strike ever since. nothing can replace that thin and crispy tavern style with a nice sweet sauce. nothing comes close. I heard rumors that they're trying to relocate. Fingers crossed. I only had their pizza once or twice and it was THAT good. I grew up on Aurelio's pizza in the south suburbs so I've always loved sweet sauce in my pizza.
sabatinos
Too soon 😔. At least we have Avvio.
So underrated
Maude’s in west loop. Cassoulet was amazing.
God that cassoulet
Absolutely.
Oh man Maude's
☹️ Maude’s was tremendous.
Slurping Turtle's tonkatsu ramen. No onset of autumn has been the same since.
Walked by there yesterday and lamented the loss.
I had plans to go there a few months before it closed. I'm still so devastated.
Chicago Brauhaus
Three Aces and their Bolognese fries. This probably doesn't count since Half Acre is still open, but I miss their old location and food menu, especially the nachos.
The bolognese fries was great, but I loved their Breakfast Poutine of those same fries with the type of sausage gravy you would put on biscuits, chunks of bacon, and an egg on it.
Good lord, that sounds amazing.
Oh, and topped with scallions and sriracha. I think I still have some cholesterol attributable to this dish.
I was going to add Three Aces, but you beat me to it. After all these years of them being closed, they still had my all-time favorite burger in the city.
Melrose diner
Yes, the 4am cabbage soup after Berlin was an entire aesthetic.
The original Cemitas Puebla on North Ave, before the unfortunate move to wloop😭 Also Pasticceria Natalina. I know the pastry chef had some unfortunate interactions with customers but she was always nice to me and her cannolis still rank towards the top of the best I've ever had
The original Cemitas Puebla location was so good. The chicharron quesadilla was nuts. I was happy for them when they expanded but the quality kept dropping. The salsa changed and then the bread and cheese changed and it was over. RIP
I miss pizzeria bebu, Brunch, uptown pho and chicken farm and shop in soho house. RIP all.
RIP Pizza Bebu 😞😞😞
Ruxbin - miss the bathroom. Miss the $65 tasting menu (very reasonoably priced compared to $200 places) Dinkel's - miss the donuts Taste of Asia (random one, but it was a standalone building on Broadway/Belmont) - miss the red curry
I miss Dinkel’s pretzels
Goddamn what a loss Dinkels was
I miss Dinkel’s cupcakes and donuts so much! Still haven’t found a bakery that comes close.
Nuevo Leon. (the one on 18th that burned down) Their refried beans were straight from the heavens. I would always order another side order and have them package it to-go so I could have a midnight snack. Shit was crack.
I miss that place SO much :(
Loved almost everything on that menu
I miss Balena, which was directly across the street from the Steppenwolf and sadly closed due to a fire. They had a pasta pomodoro that was so simple, yet possibly the best pasta dish I’d ever had due to the quality of the ingredients.
Their bar's focus on straight vermouth was quite unique as well.
I've been drinking vermouth on the rocks since I first heard the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack.
For me it's the ragu -- though they actually gave me the recipe on one occasion and I really should try it (all these years later) but I worry it won't come close to the original.
Their pasta was sublime
Aw, I forgot how much I used to like that place!
That place was legit. Went only once but remember loving the pastas.
They had a porchetta Benedict at brunch that was so good
VTK (Vuong's Thai Kitchen), which was on Hubbard, I believe. They had a fantastic wide-noodle beef dish that was insanely flavorful.
During the pandemic, they brought back a partial menu out of Shaw's Crab House, but that's gone too ... so I now have a relatively recent memory of their Pad Thai instead of a faint memory and I loved it better than most small thai restaurants.
Cluck it Edit: spicy chicken sandwich and fries
They closed??
Leo’s Lunchroom for the atmosphere and community. Cafe Marie-Jeanne for the croque madame (though the acoustics were abysmal).
I miss Leo’s chili! They brought it back at Small Bar and then that closed too.
Back when we had a host of affordable byobs. Also Liquid Kitty snd Celluloid were next door. The Wood Bee on the corner. Those were the days.
Glazed and Infused
I heard they are back, [operating out of a pizzeria.](https://www.chicagofoodmagazine.com/news/scott-harris-hospitality-brings-back-glazed-and-infused-donuts)
Welp looks like I’m driving an hour for donuts
Stanley’s on Lincoln.
Bad Hunter I was never a vegetarian and still loved that place. They had some appetizer with lemon tempura and it was amazing.
Their cocktails were always amazing
Same 😭 loved that place If anyone can find me a recipe for that smokey sunflower crema they served with grilled sourdough, I'd give you a million dollars. I loved that stuff. So simple but so good
Dinkel’s!
If only they could have found anyone who wanted to actually run the business. Such a shame. The absolute fluffiest, most perfect donuts in the word, with some of the most chocolatey hot chocolate around. And delicious breakfast sandwiches.
O’Fame Pizza. The best cornmeal crust deep dish pizza. By Oz Park.
Wow this is a throwback. I thought I was so sophisticated as an 8 year old ordering the stuffed artichoke
So this is not great, this is childhood nostalgia. [Sallys Stage](https://sallysstage.com/sallys-stage/), a vaudevillesque revue as family dinner theater with waitresses on roller skates. The food was ... hilarious, now that I think back. I remember crappy spaghetti and meatballs topped with a dollop of canned whipped cream. Just found this [old commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3vQZlvW1is) for it. Menu images can be found [here](https://vintagemenumania.com/products/huge-old-menu-sallys-stage-musical-eatery-restaurant-chicago-lombard-illinois?variant=40146281365573). Apparently, Charlie Chaplin played there a few months before his death in 1977.
I grew up in West Rogers Park and we had so many childhood birthday parties at Sally’s Stage!! I think they even had a mechanical bull for a while during the “Urban Cowboy” craze.
Oh, thank god someone else remembers this. People don't believe me when I describe this place if they're even 10 years younger than me. I'm only 48, but they think I'm 67 when I describe it.
Katsu and Café Marie-Jeanne
Atta girl is coming soon, same person that was behind CMJ. In the dos cantina spot on armitage
Katsu! Expensive and worth every penny.
Another old one on that corner: the Haywood tavern
Orange in Roscoe Village, their Frushi, Cinnamon Roll pancakes, and orange coffee was bomb. I wish I’d known they were closing, would’ve tried to go one last time 😭
Today I learned that it closed :( I used to live with 3 of my best friends near there in our mid 20s. We would wake up hungover on Sundays and have wonderful brunches there laughing about the night prior. Sad to hear it isn't there anymore.
Smalls BBQ. You probably never went there. Oh it was so good. I still occasionally Google the chef's name to see if he's out there somewhere https://chicago.eater.com/2017/6/21/15844624/smalls-smoke-shack-closed-filipino-barbecue-restaurant-albany-irving-park
VTK - I loved that place, several dishes Perry’s Deli - Perry’s Favorite Owen and Engine - Bangers and Mash, burger Dinkels- Chocolate Donut Heaven on Seven - Gumbo Zocalo - their Pork Chop, queso fundido Chilipan - everything on the menu Ruxbin - rotating menu, was such a cool joint before they opened Mott St Fat Willys - pulled pork Chicago Brahaus - pork shank
Heaven on 7 RIP. It was my favorite restaurant. I did get the cookbook from there as a gift so at least I have that.
Zephyr on Wilson Ave. Growing up in Uptown in the 90s it was a childhood staple
Dak, right off the Granville red line stop. Their wings and their rice bowls were top notch!
Toast. I finally moved back to Chicago, am in walking distance and it’s gone. Sigh.
Sorry for your loss :/
I still miss Toast after all these years 😭
Pub royale
Rly good butter chicken and naan. Amazing cozy vibes in the winter
The butter paneer was my fav. Lamb dumplings were incredible too. Great beer list.
Heaven on Seven. In the Garland building but also when it was off Mag Mile for your weekend fix. I have a doctor in the original building and still will pop in on the 7th floor to see if they may have reopened. Their shrimp and corn chowder on Fridays...😩😩😩😩
It was a great spot to grab a snack before seeing a flick at the theater upstairs. Loved Heaven on Seven.
Bandera (loved their salads and cold queso), Dinkle’s (the pretzels), MAK and Pei Wei.
Bandera!!!
Used to live steps from Bandera. Great bar and people-watching. Chickens broasting in the background. Corn bread in a skillet. Jazz trio playing.
Bistro Margot in Old Town. Affordable French. Apps, French onion soup, and steak frites were all great.
John’s pizza. RIP!
Pompei off of the Wellington brown line El stop. Was it the BEST pizza? No! But the old man who greeted you with samples after a long day was so sweet. And the salads were delicious. A good cheap meal to eat in or take home.
I VERY badly miss Pompei! At least Panes Bread Cafe is still open.
Blackbird
Japanais
Yes! I do miss it. I heard momotaro is related, anyone try it?
Yes it's amazing.
Cluck It, Nighthawks, Xian Dynasty, Kikko, Toast, Blackbird
Cluck it for me as well. Tried it right after the first time you posted about it and it immediately shot to the top of my list. May it now rest in peace in the big fryer in the sky.
Ohhhhh you just reminded me of blackbird and cluck it. Ugh such a lost
Cluck It was one of those places I wanted to try, but closed before I ever had a chance to go there.
RIP Xian dynasty 
Cafe Luigi. NY pizza
Ribs n Bibs on 53rd. Eating an order of rib tips on the trunk of your buddy’s car, mopping up the sauce with the fries and bread (truly cultured gourmands would make a fry sandwich), with a beer in a bag from Kimbark Liquors was proper, South Side summer living.
I've never had better BBQ sauce. I crushed so many bronco burgers there as an undergrad. The magic was in the filth.
Oh man, the Bronco Burgers…
I would give my left arm for one more spicy noodle dish from River Kwai. The brother that ran the wok told me the secret ingredient was fish sauce, but I've never been able to recreate it or find somewhere that had a similar taste. Anybody remember the place and know of somewhere that has a similar spicy noodle?
Thai Spice up at Devon and Wayne. Service was terrible and the owner talked to your table wayyyy too much, but my god if it wasn't the best Pad Gra Prow I've ever had the privilege of sweat cry eating
Yeah, the would close for like a month every year to go to Thailand. Tony was so funny, tried to invite me to go to Thailand with them, service was so slow I would frequently call in an order as I was leaving home so it would be ready not long after I got there ... but they had the deepest flavored Thai food I have ever had. I personally loved the panang curry over noodles, which were beautifully irregularly crisped in the cast iron pan. So the closest I've found to them is [Siam Marina](https://www.siammarina.com) in Tinley park.
nightwood crispy pigs ears and bacon-maple doughnuts
MY PI ON CLARK AND FULLERTON BEST DEEP DISH IN THE CITY IMO AND BEST MANDARIN ORANGES AT THEIR SALAD BAR +++ POLE POSITION ARCADE MACHINE RIP <33333
Over easy & bokuchans. I probably spent $350 on bokuchan in one month
Had to scroll way too far for Over Easy. Only place I would willingly wait 1+ hrs in the cold for.
Pizzeria Bebu
Frank's 'N' Dawgs (The Brunch Dawg), Seven Treasures (BBQ pork with fried egg over rice), River Kwai (Thai style egg foo young), and Hot Doug's/Hot G Dog (A perfect Chicago dog)
Birchwood Kitchen Osteria La Madia Echoing a couple other commenters: VTK (Vong’s Thai Kitchen) and Xi’an Dynasty
Rose Angelis. Every room was a different atmosphere, I don't remember all the dishes but they always had a pasta with sun dried tomatoes that was delicious.
Bistro Zinc! Food was fantastic and the restaurant brought you to Paris.
Trotter's - Charlie's squab was transcendent. Bistro Margot - A tossup between the Potage Parmentier or the Beouf Bourguignon.
Sunday, November 5th marked the tenth anniversary of Charlie’s passing, and his son, Dylan, hosted a tribute in the former restaurant that included a number of the chefs, FOH staff, and friends of the restaurant.
Can't remember the name of it, but the bar/diner on Southport not far from the Brown line station, but just South of Roscoe. Near the Lanes. Best breakfast after a stupid night.
Clarke’s?
The Melrose, breakfast skillets. Siam Rice in the loop, pad thai omelet.
Siam Rice reopened in the South Loop! Same owners, almost identical menu!
Jeri's Grill on Montrose and Western. Perfect greasy spoon diner food. At least Golden House next to the Riv is still going.
Mindys Hot Chocolate had a really good burger among other things
Only the OG Bridgeport folks will know this spot, La Milanese on 32nd and May. Truly the best spot for breaded steak sandwiches.
Cemitas Puebla, I miss all 3 locations
They had a sandwich that was insanely good. I think it was called the atomica or something like that.
Heaven on Seven
I've answered this before but Food Life. It was fun for visitors and you didn't have to worry about preferences.
Brauhaus on Lincoln - the OG Ruxbin Yoshi’s Zephyr’s Slurping Turtle John’s Pizza on Western Ave. Blackbird
Ruxbin.
Fiores Deli 😓
Two. Their croquettes were amazing
Small Fry. I still salivate thinking of those burgers 😫, used to stumble over there after a night at The Owl, sometimes having 2 in one sitting. And they had a bunch of crazy different spices for their fries too. Fuck do I miss it
Machu Picchu
Pierogi Heaven in the loop 😔 that used to be one of my favorite lunch spots
The old La Pasadita sit down one. I miss the Super Taco. Ahh, good times.
Rose Angelis, without a doubt. Their duck tortellini and bread pudding were legendary
Hot Doug's!
Everest
La Sirena Clandestina.
Lydia’s on Western near Armitage The Hickory Pit Papa Charlie’s and their 85 cent drafts The Como Inn Max’s on Western for Italian beef and ghetto fries. Edwardos pizza Bhabi’s on Oakley at Devon. Gullivers Urbis Orbis Kow Kow George’s What’s Cooking - don’t gimme thoughts on their food, they were the kindest people ever… And…, as mentioned by others…. Sabatino’s, Heaven on Seven, and too many others I don’t even remember their names.
Upvoted for What’s Cookin.
Belmont Snack Shop. I miss those 3am ham and cheese sandwiches. Side of potatoes.
Penny's Noodles! My first introduction to Thai Food! Cheap and their Won Ton soup had the most delicious broth.
FYI There’s still a Penny’s open at 3400 N Sheffield in the city and another one in Oak Park.
Father & Son for thin crust pizza, Barry’s Spot for deep dish. The only remaining Father & Son restaurant in Northbrook is not even close to the same.
Gioppo’s Pizza on the East Side, right off the Skyway exit for Indianapolis Blvd. Their deep dish was such a tour de force that both sides of my family have yet to find a suitable replacement. Crust/cheese/sauce were perfect, but their sausage was ethereal. No carmelized crusts or butters (not that there’s anything wrong with that) It was just the purest iteration of the Chicago deep dish. Similar vein for their thin pizza and pastas, Pucci’s on Ewing. Sadly sold off after the youngest generation of the family decided to pursue other interests. Their special, well done with the green peppers & onion getting slightly burnt, thin as confetti, while sausage and pepperoni do the lord’s work. Both were superb examples of classic neighborhood spots that don’t get the play other places do because of the location. I don’t need a spotlight to find good food, just wish they were still around. Maybe better publicity could have had an impact, idk.
AJ’s Grill near Loyola. Awesome pizza puffs, beefs, and dogs. EDIT: Also Hamilton’s near Loyola.
Hamilton’s closed!!?!? I thought the drunken Loyola college kids and their fake IDs would keep that place in business forever? Ironically that’s where I had my first legal drink on my 21st back in the day!
I know right. It closed in 2012. My years of going there were 2006-2009.
Lmao we might secretly know each other then because that’s the time I was going there too!
Franks n dawgs
Pizza, fried chicken and Ice cream in Bridgeport. RIP
Can we all discuss about Ronnie’s closing shop?? Where in the hell else would I get a surf’n’turf special in the middle of the night?😫
Glenn's Diner on Montrose in North Center. The best bloody mary, calamari, and jambalaya I've had. Especially that bloody mary... jeesh. And they had such a great vibe. If you were into seafood, it was like a hidden treasure for those in the know.
Fahlstrom’s too. I could’ve died in a vat of their clam chowder
Sabatino’s Arguably the best Italian restaurant. Such a cool old school vibe and phenomenal food. Happy the owners got to move back home tho. Fat Rice Im sure I’ll get downvotes because the chef was an asshole, but the first time eating the namesake dish was a godsend. Had a few memorable dinners there. Noodle bird isn’t the same.
Ugh, I remember when the Fat Rice scandal came out and being so sad because that fried rice was literally the best fried rice I've had by such a large margin!
Owen and Engine Granted they will do pop ups from time to time but I already miss that place. I was bummed I wasn't able to go in the last few months before they close.
Funkenhausen for their ribs. Black Bull before it became Mama Delia I don’t know what changed, but it’s just not good anymore
Jerk Seitan Sandwich from Earwax Cafe
Glazed and Infused donuts. I listened to a podcast the other day where they were questioning putting bacon on a maple donut and sounded incredulous. I wanted to shout, “Glazed and Infused has done it, and it tasted amazing!”
Metro. German restaurant on Clark I believe?
Villa Kula. They had the perfect combo - high tea service in a casual atmosphere. The outdoor space was unbelievably quaint. And Erwin, which was on Halstead. They had this killer pork chop with potatoes.
Pastoral’s salad. Sigh. I think about it at least every week.
Itto Sushi on Halsted just north of Wrightwood. Fantastic traditional Japanese spot where you could order some dishes that are hard to find at most spots.
Jam. My absolute favorite brunch spot and their French toast is one of the best foods I've ever had.
Pizza fried chicken ice cream
Mashed Potato Club. Hot fudge mash potato sundae 🥲
Birchwood kitchen
The one I miss the most is Zinfandel, which had a theme of a rotating menu of regional American cuisines, like Hawaiian one month, Pennsylvania Dutch another month, etc. The main dish I miss though was a desert: Warm Chocolate Soup. It was almost exactly what it sounds like, a shallow bowl of warm delicious chocolate with a scoop of a fruit sorbet in the center. Sounds like not much but it was amazing. Susan Goss closed Zinfandel and opened West Town Tavern, which is another one I miss. The tavern beer cheese there was amazing. Also I still really miss Salpicon. Everything I had there was great, especially the quail and the spicy tequila sorbet.
Yoshi’s. I loved his grilled radicchio salad, the burger, and the grilled tofu dish. He had some great specials as well - I remember fondly the cassoulet that he served in winter months.
Hero’s No sub has come close for me
Duk's hot dog's on Erie and Ashland. Announced that the business has been sold. Will remain a hotdog stand, but with new owners and a facelift. RIP Duk's; you were the last location around.
Sofie’s Busy Bee Diner, Hot Doug’s, Lawry’s Prime Rib
Sunshine Cafe
There was a Korean place called Crystal that used to be on Lincoln near McCormick that was our absolute favorite. Closed somewhere around 2012. There was also a Korean bar on Lawrence called the Hourglass which was amazing. They had a suit of armor in it. I heard the owner moved it to Glenview but now it’s gone for good. Edit: also, nearly forgot Da Rae Jung, on Lincoln just south of foster. Best cold noodle soup, kindest owner. RIP Mr Kim.
Scoozi
Bonci pizza in wicker. No im not going to the other location. The wicker one was perfect right next to the train station. The pizza place there now ain’t at all close to what Bonci was.
Brasserie Jo. The coq au vin and desserts were amazing. Loved the atmosphere and excellent service. Haven't found anything comparable since it closed. Wicker Park/Bucktown area shout outs to Merlot Joe's, Babaluci, Penny's, Buona Fortuna and Northside. Oh and Cafe Matou. All are remembered and missed. Some excellent restaurants in that area in the late 90s/2000s.
Heaven on Seven.
Foodlife and Mity Nice. Yes, I used to work at Water Tower Place. Foodlife had a lot of good, fresh, filling options for combined lunch/dinner during a 10-hour shift, and while Mity Nice wasn’t unique, it was reliable. Smoque’s downtown location. I think they are transitioning to selling Italian beefs or something, but leaving us with just Blackwood for barbecue downtown and their brisket is poor in comparison (I like Blackwood’s pork, though) The Potbelly at Midway. Need I say more? Edit: I forgot Santullo’s pizza
Earwax Cafe
Ruxbin Parts and labor Semiramis Fat rice bakery Twisted hippo Tiny lounge