Snack Corner- Joong Boo Market- 3333 N. Kimball-Avondale

You won’t find traditional table-top Korean barbeque at the Joong Boo Market’s Snack Shop, but you will find insanely tasty soups, meats and even sushi. The Snack Shop’s tucked away in the corner of this Asian specialty grocery store, a popular shopping destination for many of Chicago’s chefs and a partner to Niles’ H Mart. The Snack Shop’s tables are limited- I’ve waited for a table every time I’ve gone, whether it was 12PM, 2PM or 6PM, but you order at the counter and pick up your food there, too, so you can just stand around other people’s food or browse an aisle or two in the market. Free tea and water are available at the counter as well.

I would recommend ordering by menu number, unless you’re fluent in Korean. Most people here are native speakers and while I love making a fool out of myself, I’ll just take #16 and a Diet Coke. #16, Yook Gae Jang, comprises of a spicy broth soup with shredded beef, vermicelli and veggies. It comes with rice and some veggie sides (banchan) as well as the essential kimchee. Other dishes, such as the bee bim bop, come with a side of miso soup as well. Don’t try to substitute or ask for anything extra besides rice, though. The ladies behind the counter won’t take any of your crap. The only thing I’ve tried and less than loved has been the honeycomb soup with beef. It lacked flavor and I’m just a much bigger fan of the spicy dishes.

I’ve been to quite a few Korean restaurants in the city by now, as it’s my absolute favorite cuisine. I’ve done the barbeque and the smaller shops with simple soups and meat dishes. I have to say, this little shop often wins. Perhaps it’s the access to the freshest ingredients or maybe it’s the spicy broth’s ability to cure any hangover. Whatever the case, I’m going to keep going to the Snack Corner and call it ‘going to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities- be back shortly!’

Urbanbelly-3053 N California Ave- Avondale

Urbanbelly is one of those unique places in Chicago that serves unbelievable food without the slightest hint of pretention. Chef Bill Kim and his wife Yvonne bring a unique pan-Asian flair to a rather non-descript strip mall. While pan-Asian menus often seem unnecessarily ornate and unfocused, Urbanbelly provides diners with relatively few choices, and that’s a good thing.

Urbanbelly’s cuisine comprises of a unique blend of Korean and Vietnamese soup traditions as well as fabulous dumplings of all different origins and rice bowls straight out of Indonesia, China, or Japan. The dishes remain continental rather than too regional, while some of the ingredient combinations, like the Lamb and Brandy Dumplings and the Urbanbelly Ramen, served with pork belly and shitake mushrooms in a pho broth, represent a global approach to cuisine. The menu is divided into three main categories and side dishes: dumplings, rice dishes, and soup-based noodle dishes. With less than twenty dishes and weekly specials total, I can safely say that trying everything is both feasible and a necessity.

The wonderfully dark interior contrasts well with the custom-made Chinese elm wood tables and stools. The walls are also highlighted with wooden planks from old Indonesian ships. Dining is meant to be communal, and strangers are encouraged to meet new friends while slurping the hot broth. The Kims’ Zen –like philosophy reads: “Urbanbelly is about the communal dining experience. Meet new people. Eat great food. Feed your belly from the heart.” I couldn’t put it simpler than that.

Service is a lot more informal than one would expect. People walk up a counter and prepay for their order, much like a regular noodle shop. The service is minimalist but excellent, and the food is at your table within five minutes. The soft drink selection is expansive, and they have my favorite Asian soft drink, Bon-Bon, which is basically grape juice that has skinned grape sacks in it. Urbanbelly is also BYOB.

Simply stated, Urbanbelly is an unexpected and unique gem and should be anyone’s go-to place for cuisine of its kind. The food is fresh, the service is quick, and the ambiance has an informal sophistication that few places can pull off. If the Kims were ever interested in franchising, I’d be their first investor.

The Bristol- 2152 N. Damen- Bucktown

You might have to wait an hour or two for a table at this no-reservations, high-end pub food hot spot, but never fear- scotch olives and duck fat fries are available in the Bristol’s upstairs lounge, too! They also serve the same great mixology-heavy drinks upstairs, such as the Pisco Sour and the Hucklemary- a rosemary huckleberry infusion. Once downstairs, make sure you’re cozied up to your dinner partners because you’ll have a hard time hearing otherwise.


What makes this food great are the fresh, simple dishes that populate the ever changing menu. You’ll find the staples and then some dishes with asterisks beside them. These are the daily specials also listed up on the chalkboard. They run out fast, though, so if you want a guarantee, go early. Our hearts were broken the other night when a delicious cassoulet, perfect for a cold winter night, sold out. I’ve been there three times, and each time I’ve had the monkey dill bread and either mounded the chicken dish myself or shared it with the table. The monkey bread takes some time, so order right away. It’s gooey, and although some may say it lacks flavor, just soak it in the dill butter that comes with it. Chicago Magazine online actually posted a video of the chef, Chris Parnell, making it. You can also find this video on the Bristol’s website. The crispy-skinned chicken comes with some kind of salad preparation and mustard spaetzel. It’s certainly big enough to share. The menu’s sorted into bar snacks, salads/sides, medium dishes and large dishes. I would recommend making the most out of this and sharing as much as possible.


You’ll want to start your night with one of the many cocktails, but I wouldn’t recommend mixing too many of them or even mixing them with the food. The wine and beer selections will do you just fine. Dessert should not be overlooked- my favorite is the apple cider ice, perfect for those who usually shy away from desserts or feel they don’t have another inch in their stomachs for it. It’s so crisp and refreshing, and not very sweet at all. Another good pick is the creamy, yet light panna cotta. All desserts are fairly small, but good to share.



The Bristol joins Chicago’s ever-growing group of ‘upscale pub food’ restaurants/bars, including Hopleaf and the Publican. The Bristol’s my pick over the Publican, for sure. It’s more relaxed, and has better food, but doesn’t have the beer selection of Hopleaf, my fave of the three. My next trip to the Bristol will be on a Sunday morning. A bacon Manhattan with meat and cheese on a stick to accompany- perfect!

The Violet Hour- 1520 N Damen Ave- Bucktown

They’re something so ethereal and timeless about the Violet Hour. The same allure that brings people to Al Capone’s old hang out, The Green Mill, will continually fill the Alice in Wonderland like “thrones” of this establishment. While the Green Mill is a representation of the past, an age of prohibition long since passed, the Violet Hour represents an escape from the present. It represents an escape to those motifs that make the Prohibition Era of the twenties and thirties so fresh, so omnipresent, so trendy no matter what age you are in. Like jumping into the backdoor establishments of Bob The Gambler or any one of Jean Pierre Melville’s films, The Violet Hour inspires a sense of refined twilight , a sense of “hush and wonder,” that no establishment can really surpass; or hope to.

A joint effort between Terry Alexander (Del Toro), Donnie Madia (Blackbird), and Jason Clark and Toby Malone (of New York’s Milk and Honey fame), this special place uses a modernized version of 19^th century French and English design to create intimate small space that harks back to a very Victorian sensibility. The façade has no sign, only a yellow light, and a well-dressed Lichtenstein-like male figure. Entering the place feels somehow wrong, you cannot see inside, there are no windows, and you have to get through two heavy full length curtains to enter. However, once inside this dark intimate space, you realize that this is one of the best bars you’ve ever been in, and that’s before a drink has been poured.

The cocktail is king here, and you will be hard pressed not to be enamored of the creative and arcane nature of these drinks. Many of these drinks are inspired by out of print cocktail manuals of eras gone by, some might have been popular when your grandparents were drinking illegally in some basement somewhere and some are much older. Divided by type of alcohol, the cocktail menu seems to focus on your darker spirits, such as whiskey and rum, but includes gin, vodka, and almost any other type of libation imaginable. The menu has seasonal elements, and changes regularly, but my favorites are the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Eyes Wide, and the Juliet and Romeo. All ingredients are made fresh and on premise, including all the bitters, syrups and other artisan knickknacks that make these drinks special. The bartenders are truly skilled professionals, and while your drink may take 10 minutes to pour, all good things come to those who wait. The most economically stimulating drinks are the punches, the Parsippany Punch especially- served in a large bowl on a block of ice and with more alcohol than you can possibly imagine (though you wouldn’t know it by the taste). Each cocktail will set you back 12 bucks, while the punches are 30, but serve four people. The liquor selection, especially the rums and scotches, is expansive, and the beer selection isn’t something to balk at. However, like I said, the cocktail is king, and court is in session.

Food, while an afterthought for most patrons, maintains the refined nature of the restaurant. I had the coconut shrimp, the tempura battered green beans , the hummus, and the devilled eggs. While being well executed, the cuisine suffers from a lack of emphasis. Let’s put it this way, it’s on the last page of the novel-like menu. It’s focuses a little more on noshing than eating, and that’s the way it should be. This spot is a pre or post dinner spot, and not a place where the cuisine is the focus.

The service while necessarily slow, is excellent. Bartenders and co. are focused on delivering a consistently perfect product, not a fast one. Drinks for a table of four may take up to 20 minutes, but that is a sacrifice that is worth making.

While you may have trouble finding the Violet Hour, once you do, it will be an experience that remains imprinted on your mind. This might not be the case, though, if you have more than two of these monster cocktails.

Hopleaf- 5148 N. Clark Street (Andersonville)

Very few places pull off the dive bar aesthetic without actually being a dive bar. Satisfying the spirit of Nelson Algren's Chicago, the Beat Generation, and the age of entitlement expectations in one fell swoop is an accomplishment. From older seasoned veterans that look like they came straight out of Man with the Golden Arm, to frat boys and hipsters that are equal parts Wrigleyville and Andersonville, to the tools who overestimate their Belgian beer capacity, Hopleaf exists as both Mecca and Medina for these worshipers of the pint glass, or the Kwak "Yard" of beer.

The only major issue that I have with this place is the fact that it is too good, i.e. it is always packed. 3pm on a Thursday, packed. 7 pm on a Sunday, packed. Always to the rafters, always a loud and bustling place. Now, for a rookie, this is a problem. Introduce yourself to the bartender, tip well, be low maintenance, and you'll find that the bartenders will warm up to you. Being a regular doesn't hurt either. Hopleaf isn't just a beer bar, it's the beer bar, one in which you should always be getting beer.

There is a ridiculous number of ever changing taps, with a primary focus on Belgians, and secondary on American Microbrews. You will be hard-pressed to find a Bud Light in stock, and while I wish the bar had a patronizing special, much like the Map Room's 5 dollar Miller High Life "special" on Saturdays, I'll have to settle for the complete and utter lack of domestic macro brews. The Belgians are a consortium of independent Belgian breweries that Michael Roeper, the proprietor, selects himself. He has been all around Europe, sampling beers, and is more that willing to add new and different beers to the menu. The focus on American Microbrews, while not as exceptional as their Belgian selections, remains one of the best representations of American Craft brewing in Chicago. With over 30 taps and 150 bottles in stock at a time, Hopleaf is the best beer bar in Chicago, period.

While the breadth of the beer list is truly unfathomable, the food menu has a little dose of discretion. The menu is seasonal, so it changes every couple of months. The menu's focus on simple, fresh, often organic ingredients means that a bad dish rarely comes out of the kitchen. The focus: contemporary versions of classic Belgian cuisine. The mussels are surely the star of this establishment. Served piping hot in either a Wine or Belgian White Ale broth, the bucket of mussels comes with a serving of their phenomenal pommes frites, served with garlic aioli that is to die for. The selection of sandwiches is very interesting: a Peking

duck Reuben currently graces the menu as well as the Cashew Butter and Fig Jam Sandwich, both conceptually confusing and unbelievable. The entrees maintain a refined simplicity; A Gunthrop Farms pork chop, served with onion gratin and a latke, the Montreal Style Organic Brisket Platter, and the traditional steak-frites give a much needed face-lift to the all-to-often stagnant, thoughtless bar food alternatives. The deserts are worth asking your bartender or server for, but you will probably be too drunk at that point to remember. The prices, especially for the sandwiches and mussels, are unbelievably reasonable. Tabs at Hopleaf are surprisingly light, for what you get, and this place is one of the best deals in the city. Like I said before, there is not a hole in this reasonable menu- so order away.

Considering that this place is constantly at capacity, the service is great. Servers do so with a smile, creating a very nice experience even though you may have to wait for a seat in the restaurant area. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, so expect to drink as you wait. Furthermore, the kitchen just bangs out the food, so even when it’s at capacity you will be able to get your food within twenty minutes. The bartenders are hard to get a hold of if you aren’t willing to tip them, but that’s your prerogative. Assertiveness is the key, and don’t be a jerk.

The ambiance of this place is homey, dark, and very sophisticated. Jazz and blues music plays, but is not the centerpiece of the bar. Conversation is possible as, when at capacity, it is just loud enough so that there is no uncomfortable silence, yet you can hear your tablemates. The seats are comfortable, but if you show up during prime drinking time, you will be unable to find a seat at first. Be patient, order a drink, and wait for somebody to leave. Michael, during his travels to Europe, has a veritable museum like collection of beer memorabilia which is displayed throughout the establishment.

One of the best culinary deals that I have ever experienced in Chicago is the reservation-only beer meals that they have in the upstairs bar. The beer meals consist of a 7 course meal, which includes a beer pairing for each course. Michael also brings in a representative from the brewery/distributor in question to give a small description/story of the beer before each course. The courses are small tastes, but by the end of this meal, it becomes clear that this package is basically an all you can eat and all you can drink beer bath. You get your fill of beer for each course, and some of the beers can touch the 13% ABV mark. All for grand larceny price of 65-75 bucks a person. Check the website for updates on these meals.

Veerasway-844 W. Randolph St.-West Loop

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by Devon Street. Maybe Mt. Everest’s lunch buffet in Evanston is too good. Whatever the case, Randolph Street’s new upscale Indian restaurant, Veerasway, didn’t do it for me. And I’m not. I understand that this restaurant’s not trying to be completely authentic; they even have a section of the menu entitled ‘Indo-American’. The food’s just not that good. Okay, okay. Disclaimer: We only had appetizers and drinks at the bar. But I felt and will continue to feel that it’s enough to determine if you’re going back to a restaurant.

Although usually out of my price range, I’ve been a big fan of the Randolph Street restaurant row for some time now. These restaurants are fresh, hip and mix food with atmosphere really well. This restaurant is no exception when it comes to atmosphere, at least. I love the exposed brick walls, the brown tones and the calming light. The bar is tiny, but the restaurant is open and spacious. Our bartender was friendly and fairly helpful, although not too interested in cleaning up all the empty glasses covering the bar.

Let’s start with drinks, shall we? I had a glass of delicious Sauvignon Blanc, which I thought would perfectly accompany spicy foods. It did. But let’s move on. The BF had one of their ‘signature’ cocktails- the Bengali Tiger. I would almost come back for this drink alone, but the $11.75 price tag is a bit much. The key to this drink is the ghost peppers. These ghost peppers, or naga jolokia peppers, added a nice and spicy finish to a drink. Anyone who likes spicy foods, but means that in the “I like Chi Chi’s MEDIUM Salsa” way, should tread cautiously when tasting this drink.

The nice thing about sitting at the bar is that you have a nice view of the kitchen and the meats cooling, hanging from the ceiling. We ordered two appetizers: the Monsoon Mirchi and the Hot Bollywood Lollipops. Mirchi are peppers..stuffed with cheese and fried in chickpea batter. Good concept, no flavor. The bartender told, or rather, warned, us that the peppers may be really mild a.k.a. flavorless. They were. Sometimes they’re spicy, but it really varies. The Lollipops, or chicken drummies, were delish, though. A few sauces to dip them in, but only three for $8! It’s a good thing they serve pappadums with three sauces as a snack or we would have left very hungry.

Calumet Fisheries-3259 E. 95th St.-South Chicago

I first encountered restaurant reviews in my dad’s subscription to The New Yorker. I skipped through each month’s magazine right to “Tables for Two” before going back through the comics. I often didn’t recognize some of the foods described in the reviews, and that’s what appealed to me the most. Well, that, and eating. I love food. The idea that there were more foods and food combinations to try than I could ever imagine drew me to food. It’s art, it’s pleasure, it’s science, it’s…necessary to live.

I lived in Evanston, IL (the “dining capital of the North Shore”) until recently, and now I live right in downtown Chicago. My recent move has afforded me the proximity to a lot of Loop and South Side restaurants I’ve been dying to try. The first: Calumet Fisheries.

It’s tiny. There’s nowhere to sit- you have to eat in your car or stand outside. You walk out reeking of fish. I’m not sure the kid that works there can remember anything for more than 2 seconds. The drive down there was a bit sketchy. They don’t accept credit cards.

It’s delicious and I’m going back next weekend.

The smoked shrimp, recommended by the guy at the counter, won the prize. They’re slightly smoky but not overwhelming, as I imagined they might be. They’re huge and salty. You have to peel the shells off but I imagine leaving them in their shells is the best bet for smoking. A close second, much to my surprise, were the fried shrimp. I even took a fork to the crunchies that fell off the shrimp when I was out of shrimp. They fry them up right before they pack them in take-out containers, so they’re nice and fresh and HOT. I burned my mouth. We also ordered fried scallops. They, too, were tasty. I washed it all down with a nice bottle of Ice Mountain. You’ll also have a wide range of Crush sodas to choose from, too. No diet soda here. I’d actually recommend getting a soda just to get the fishy taste out of your mouth when you’re done.

Down sides? Down sides, anyone? Eating outdoors or in the car is a bit messy, but it’s a shop, not a restaurant. No wet naps, just dry ones. Slow-ish service. None of these down sides are enough not to come back, though. And I don’t usually care about anything but food. Prices- A pound of smoked shrimp is $20.99. We got a half-pound for two, along with a half order or each of the fried creatures. It’s definitely priced fairly..they smoke it themselves!

http://www.calumetfisheries.com/ for pics of Anthony Bourdain’s visit for his show, “No Reservations”, as well as pricing and location.