Bar Scene
The City of Food—Chicago, IL (Master ChefTravel Bug)
Chicago is known for a number of things: the windiness from being on the shore of Lake Michigan, the hometown of current US President Barack Obama, railroads, and seemingly always having a mayor from the Daley family. Personally, what makes Chicago shine for me is the food! In fact, I think that’s what works for most people in Chicago, you’ll be pretty hard pressed to find lots of skinny people. But I think of it more as being fat and happy rather than grotesquely fat—just please make sure your shirt is long enough to tuck into your pants or skirts!
Though finding the tastiest food in town does take some skill. In fact when I’ve visited this great city, I usually rest my fate into the hands of a local. The locals know the off-the-beaten track stuff that will simply blow your mind. If you stay to the well-trodden touristy areas I can guarantee that you will not share my sentiment for the high quality of the food in this city! Rather you’ll consider me crazy because all you can associate with Chicago is stereotypically over greased up deep-dish pizza and the same ol’ same ol’ from the nationwide chains.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Logan Square area. In fact, this is usually where I base my Chicago adventures on the couch of a good friend. It’s nowhere near downtown, in fact, it takes about 30 minutes to get there on a good day. This is a SAFE distance from the downtown tourist traps! In fact, the further you get from the downtown core, the cheaper the eats and the lodging get. You can gauge your distance from downtown by noting the number of 6+ level buildings: if there are none or virtually none, you’re safe.
Above all, I simply just cannot live with myself unless I can get a burger from Kuma’s Corner. I will never wait two hours to eat at a cozy establishment playing loud metal, never, never, never …unless I’m in Chicago at this restaurant. They break all of the rules of burger craft so I have to break all of my rules about waiting, loud music, and being just a little too close to everyone else. Perennial favorites here include the Goblin Cock (it’s an entire Chicago-style hot dog with all of the fixings, on top of a burger) and the Famous Kuma’s Burger which features a fried egg and bacon on top of a huge burger. These guys say they’re the best burger in Chicago and I think that’s selling them short, a self-described meat enthusiast, I’ve got to say these guys have the best burger on the continent.
Though because it is Chicago, the top place to get a hot dog is of the utmost importance. The reference place to visit for your encased meat fix is, without a doubt, Hot Doug’s. Here you can get your standard Chicago dog, but you can get so much more! Their offerings of sausage are broad and range from the fairly typical to some types I’ve never seen anywhere else, such as wild boar sausage, Thai chicken sausage, and cherry pork sausage. Furthermore, on Fridays and Saturdays you can get duck fat fries! Though regardless of when you go, this establishment is cash only and do expect to have to wait 20-30 minutes for your order to be taken (longer if around lunchtime). But if you’re not looking for anything too unique from your dog in Chicago, Superdawg is also a great choice—can’t really say it’s the next best thing because these guys make out of this world hot dogs too!
The Logan Square area of Chicago also boasts one thing a lot of other eastern and Midwestern cities seem to struggle with: a huge variety of bars! As someone that doesn’t typically rock out in bars, I can truthfully say I’ve been to a fair number of them in this area of Chicago that didn’t repulse me at all! Furthermore, many of them serve food and since visiting Chicago, my perception of bar food has been completely warped forever. In fact, that experience may be what’s ruining bars in other part of the country for me. Additionally, Chicagoans take their beer seriously. It doesn’t take much looking to find bars with expanded beer lists, often featuring lambics (perfect for the non-beer fan!), and high-test suds. And it takes no concerted effort to find a bar serving Old Style, which is apparently a Chicago tradition. My understanding is that it is fit only for folks who think Pabst Blue Ribbon is a classy beer (so if you’re from Atlanta you’re set).
So of course, Chicago is good for a lot of things! I’ve personally enjoyed a swim in Lake Michigan at dawn (ignore the fact I did it with my clothes on), taking in the grandeur of Union Station, visiting the “bean” in Millennium Park, wonderful summer street festivals, and even strolling around all of the shops made for tourists and wealthy in the Gold Coast and Magnificent Mile parts of the city. But don’t forget to take where you eat seriously! Getting a meal at Olive Garden, Outback, or worse yet a national fast-food chain is unforgivable!
Tags: master chef, travel bug, food, chicago, bar scene, hot dogs, midwestern usa, illinois