smallfry

I’ve been to Crisp 3 times now and it hits the spot each time! It’s a small mom & pop type of place. There’s two large picnic / bench style tables in the entire place for everyone to share, along with a handful of “bar” style chairs. So you end up sitting with random strangers. Think of it as a make-shift Thanksgiving. There’s a roll of paper towel on each table: the napkin substitute. Definitely not a fancy-schmancy place but the food is fantastic!

I am a huge fan of the “Crisp BBQ” – the fusion Ko-Am BBQ chicken. For me, it has the perfect amount of crisp and seasoning. “Seoul Sassy” is awesome too but it has a strong flavor kick. Don’t stick with just the chicken though. Any of the buddha bowls complement all of the chicken marinade nicely.

And a small tip at the counter got me a large bowl of kimchi, if you’re fan! (I’m sure anyone can ask for some anyway, on the house). Enjoy!

La Creperie. The name rolls off your tongue like a sweet French pastry. Even the sign on the outside invites one to enter a Paris in Chicago, shall we say?

The atmosphere, however, didn’t give off the neat, pristine, “al fresco” vibes that I expected from a seemingly “French” place. Perhaps it had something to do with the rainy dreary day outside. The inside was crowded, but also muggy and damp.

The menu is very simple. Especially for the sweet crepe fillings. My friend and I chose to try the savory crepe along with a brunch item. The savory crepe, coq au vin, was savory indeed. Chicken, tomatoes, carrots and onions in a stew like mixture, filling what was supposed to be a crepe but seemed closer to a pot pie shell or a pizza pocket shell. The filling tasted excellent with the French bread slices.

We also ordered the cream cheese and chive omelet, with bacon and potatoes on the side. I was a fan of the omelet, but my friend thought it was too rich on the cream cheese. I would have preferred being able to choose omelet fillings. Bacon and potatoes were yummy but how can you go wrong with those breakfast staples?

Overall, a nice place for brunch. I would like to return and try a sweet crepe instead. Maybe for dessert?

Situated in a very residential area, this cozy Italian restaurant looks like it is on the ground floor of a home, like a flat. The cooking parallels its image. And in a great way, actually, unlike the other Italian restaurant known to be “best in the city” for its home-style cooking.

The wooden floors are a bit creaky with fading varnish, and the walls are florid but have an aged appearance. Yet, with various doorways leading in and out of the semi-enclosed patio and candlelight like fireflies on a warm, spring-summer evening, Rose Angelis greets its guests like old friends who came to enjoy a summer dinner party or a small wedding reception. The guests seem to visit often and people ran into each other by coincidence, exchanging excited hello’s and hugs.

The food was fabulous. Interesting selections (check out the online menu). Generous ingredients and portions. The ONLY reason I gave this place 4 stars was due to the slower service and difficulty tracking down help than to which I am accustomed. Likely due to the large space (surprisingly large) and the fact that our waiter had to keep coming in and out of the patio area. Otherwise, our waiter was super knowledgeable about the seemingly endless list of specials. I will definitely come back!

Large portions of everything. Breakfast served throughout the day. Surly waitress. Diner feel. Reminded me ever so slightly of Ed Debevic’s. Looks like a shack found in a rural village of Central America, from the outside at least. Sole Costa Rican restaurante in all of Chicago. Family owned. A range of cheap to pricey entrees… selections available for everyone. Generous on the avocadoes.

Free chips and squeeze-bottled salsa as appetizer. But if you don’t want to shell out $6.50 for “guacamole” which equals a plateful of mashed avocado, diced tomatoes and a small sampling of jalapeno pepper on the side, don’t say yes to their question, “want guacamole with your chips?”

Come for a fast meal or a meal on the go, take out, etc.

“Small and white. Clean and bright.
You look happy to meet me.”

Victory’s Banner reminded me of the song “Edelweiss” from the “Sound of Music” as I walked into the small but sunny and mellow place. The waitresses were garbed in sari’s which was rather unexpected but definitely went well with the meditative “feel” of the place. You can read more about the restaurant’s humble beginnings on their website.

Friendly people – staff and customers alike. Some looked like frequent fliers. It seemed like the people around us tried the unusual curry omelette, with good reactions. Good food. Not out of this world, per se, but definitely good enough to come back and try again.

Got a taste of my friend’s almond french toast, which was just fluffy and sweet enough for my palate.

Think bubbles. Like champagne. Metallic walls, tall glass topped tables, wine bottles lit up in a subtle spotight. And high heels. Has the distinct feel for a fun, bubbly girls’ night out. Loved the vibrant energy of the place… but you will pay for it. $$$!

Pretty pricey for such small portions of everything. Cheese and crackers were the least expensive but again, miniscule portions. Like French restaurants. The chocolate fondue had really good chocolate, but if it wasn’t for the waitress’ mistake (she accidentally brought 2 fondues when we ordered 1), I would’ve stared at it like, “that’s all???”

Otherwise, it’s a very charming, “think pink” kind of place. I may come back. :)

There’s a particular type of noodles named jjajangmyun that a lot of people love. It’s actually a type of chewy, handmade noodles that have a salty-sweet black bean sauce over them. The sauce contains chopped zucchini, onions, sometimes pork or seafood.

Out of the Chinese restaurants (Korean run) in Chicago, I love Great Beijing’s jjajangmyun the BEST. I have cravings for them every now and then. Their other dishes are good too!

Plus, there is a parking LOT for you to park at – how great is that???

I am definitely not a beer expert. Nor am I a beer lover. In fact, I normally dislike beer because of the bitter taste. And never have I ever expected to actually like beer until I went to Hopleaf.

Per GeeBear’s wise recommendations, we went early enough on a Friday evening (6:15p.m.) to get seats. Apparently, once 7p.m. hits, the wait is 2 hours! Upon walking in, the place was already bustling with what appeared to be a TON of regulars. It felt like a hip version of “Cheers,” if anyone remembers the bar centered sitcom from way back when. Sure, they probably didn’t know everyone’s name, but it felt nice to see a bunch of people, completely at home.

The food was amazing. I was thoroughly surprised. The pork cheeks were the best. Superbly braised and tender. Went perfectly with the corn pudding. The garnish was interesting because I had never had celery sliced that way before and although normally I hate celery, the texture was different because of the elongated, oblique cut. I liked it.

BIG fan of the Kwak, a dark Belgian beer – best beer I have ever tasted. I also tried the Framboise (red raspberry flavored) but I wouldn’t have thought it was beer at all! It was almost sparkly, like champagne. It was great!

Definitely go for the food AND the beer!!

One of three restaurants combined into what is known as the “Italian Village”, La Cantina is exactly how I would imagine a traditional, authentic Italian restaurant to be. La Cantina itself is at the ground level, which attempts to replicate the traditional wine cellars of Italy with beautiful brick walls, archways, scattered small aquariums, and romantic, candlelit aura. Superb service, genial host, excellent food and desserts, awesome ambience – there are only good things to say about this place!

I will say this: there was a small piece of foil stuck to the bottom of my salmon dish as soon as I cut it, but the staff immediately took it away, brought a brand new dish of salmon, apologized appropriately and handled everything professionally. I did not feel disgusted or offended at all (unlike other places I have had similar experiences at) because of the way they conducted themselves. I still give this place 5 stars!!

I don’t remember the exact name of the dish (due to its long, Italian name) but it was grilled salmon with green beans. Just fabulous. The salad recommended by the waitress with Italian dressing: one of the best Italian dressings EVER! Desserts including tiramisu and rum cake: excellent! I am a fan of that rum cake in particular.

Geja’s Cafe was on a list of “must try” restaurants in Chicago as I googled places in the city suitable for a large party of 8-10 people. A lot of reviews label it as a romantic place, and while it does have a very romantic feel about the cafe, I wouldn’t completely rule out a fun get together with your friends. However, their largest table does fit 8 people so try to limit the number to that.

What a hidden treasure! I absolutely loved the dim, candlelit setting (almost like entering a secret cave or den of sorts), a casual bar in the back to hang out and chat with friends, the live solo guitarist playing beautiful soft background music, and the slightly curtained off and cushioned booths for a more intimate table of 2.

You have a few different types of fondue to order although our large group just stuck with regular chocolate fondue. The premium fondues are super pricey (check out the website) but if you have a date to impress, I say go for it!

One note: maybe it was because we stayed till near closing time, but the wait-staff rushes you a little to get cleaned up (which was a little bit irksome)… could be an isolated incidence.