Favorite Chicago Restaurants

As much as I love to cook, I love letting someone else cook for me even more.  There are obviously a ton of fantastic restaurants in Chicago, and I haven’t even gotten close to trying them all.  However, I do have my favorites.  These restaurants are our go-tos, the ones we frequent when we can’t decide on anywhere else or we want to go somewhere we know the food will always be excellent.  Because Mike and I have discovered a lot of these restaurants together, they have come to be our happy places.  We have plenty of great memories at each one.  So, without further ado, here are my favorite Chicago restaurants, in no particular order:

1. Honky Tonk: We will make the trek to Pilsen any night of the week to get a delicious barbecue dinner from Honky Tonk. Besides the food, one of the best parts of Honky Tonk is the bacon and brew (a decadent piece of candied bacon atop a pint of OldStyle beer) and the live music.  Mike and I like to split the goat cheese salad and the barbecue platter with macaroni and cheese and coleslaw.  The food is so damn good.  Pro-Tip: head to Punch House down the street for a cocktail after dinner.

   

2. Takito Kitchen: Come for the tacos and stay for the margaritas! This fantastic taco joint is located in Wicker Park. We have tried a good amount of the tacos here and I can tell you that they are all delicious. My favorite are the pork belly tacos.  The salsas and avocado pine nut puree make for a great start to a fantastic meal, and the atmosphere is fun and comfortable.  As for the drinks, try the cucumber margarita and you won’t regret it!
3. Furious Spoon: Where else can you get amazing ramen with a side of old school hip hop? Like the Shoyu Ramen with a Kirin on the side.  This place is responsible for my newborn obsession with ramen, and the reason I started trying to make it at home.  There are two Furious Spoon locations, one in Wicker Park and one in Logan Square, and both are fantastic.  I prefer the one in Wicker Park because it is directly across the street from my favorite book store: Myopic Books.

   

4. Geja’s Café: Geja’s is probably the most romantic restaurant I’ve ever been to. If it isn’t the suave waiters or the Spanish guitar player, it’ll be the large pot of melted cheese that does you in.  Mike and I like to split the beef tenderloin and scallops, but all the meals come with cheese fondue, salad, veggies and chocolate fondue and coffee to top it all off.  Located in Lincoln Park, this idyllic date spot will provide you with so much food, you might need a nap afterwards.
5. Yuzu: If you are looking for the most beautiful and delicious sushi rolls, Yuzu is the place to go. Not only does this West Town gem serve the best sushi and robata, it’s also BYOB.  The art on the walls and the atmosphere are super fun.  Try the My Favorite Midwest Roll and you won’t be sorry.  Pro-Tip: make a reservation as this place gets super busy, but for very good reason!

Have you been to Chicago?  What is your favorite Chicago restaurant?