There Goes the Neighborhood

Chicago is made up of neighborhoods, all of which maintain their own strong identity and culture. Because of this, driving from one neighborhood to another in Chicago can feel like you’re traveling to different parts of the world. Due to Chicago’s high density rate, one neighborhood might have multi-million dollar condominiums with a yuppie population, and another bordering neighborhood could have an impoverished immigrant ethnic contingency with street side fruit and vegetable marketplaces. Neighborhoods overlap and change, and often a person will say they live in one neighborhood, while their neighbor believes they live in another. I’ve mastered downtown and River North, just because I’ve worked there for 4 years. I know my way around Lakeview for the most part, but I really couldn’t tell you whether I live in Lakeview, North Center, or Ravenswood.

I’ve set a goal to visit most of the neighborhoods in Chicago through culinary adventures. Here’s a list of restaurants I’ve never been to. Take heed, this is not all inclusive; I’ve been eating my way around this city for years now, so some of my old standbys aren’t included. As always, drop me a line if there’s a jewel in the rough I may have missed. Better yet, use this as a guide to build your own restaurant wish list!

No Olives Eats Chicago!

Andersonville
Ole Ole-Nuevo Latino
La Tache-French
La Cocina de Frida-Mexican
Il Fiasco-Italian

Lakeview
Kuma’s Corner-Burgers
Mia Francesca-Italian

Lincoln Park
Soiree Bar and Bistro-Amer/French
Rose Angelis-Italian
Tarascas-Caribbean
Alinea-Fine Dining
Que Rico-Mexican
Charlie Trotter’s-Fine Dining
Sweets & Savories-Amer/Contemp.
Fixture-Amer/Contemp
Forno Diablo-Mexican

Devon Avenue
Viceroy of India-Indian
Udopi Palace-Indian
Hyderabad House-Indian

Edgewater/Uptown
Marigold Indian-Indian
Vee Vee’s-Nigerian
Alice and Friends Vegetarian Cafe
Viet Bistro-Vietnamese/Asian
Tweet-American Contemporary

Rogers Park
Woo Chon-Korean

Lincoln Square
Fiddlehead Cafe-American
Erba-Northern Italian
La Bocca Della Verite-Northern Italian
Los Nopales-Mexican
Silver Seafood-Chinese
TAC Quick Thai Kitchen-Thai
Tre Kroner-Scandinavian

Belmont/Cragin
Operetta-Czech

Bucktown/Wicker Park
Arun’s-Fine Dining/Thai
Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge-Amer Contemp
Mirai-Sushi
Irazu-Costa Rican
Schwa-Amer Contemp
Rio D’Sudamerica-South Amer
Le Bouchon-French
Earwax-Vegetarian
Marrakech Cuisine-Morrocan
Bin Wine Cafe-Amer Contemp
Cafe Matou-French
Rodan-S. American/Asian
Spring-Amer Contemp

Ukranian Village
Crust-Organic Pizza

Humboldt Park/Logan Square
Treat-Amer Contemp
Lula Cafe-Amer Contemp
Think-Amer Contemp
Friendship Chinese-Chinese

Gold Coast
Coq D’Or-Amer Traditional, French
Cite-French
Nomi-Fine Dining, French
Coca Pazzo-Italian
Le Petit Paris-French
Tru-Fine Dining, Amer
Spiaggia-Fine Dining, Italian

Streeterville
De la Costa-Nuevo Latino
Copperblue-French

River North
Brasserie Ruhlmann-Steakhouse
Karyn’s Cooked-Vegan/Veg
Quartino-Italian
Naha-Amer Regional
Roy’s-Hawaiian Fusion
Klay Oven-Fine Dining/Indian
Le Lan-French/Asian
Kevin-French (Closing soon)
Blue Water Grill-Seafood
Cyrano’s Bistro and Wine Bar-French

Downtown
Russian Tea Time-Russian
Shikago-Fusion, Pan-Asian
Aria-Fine Dining, Pan Asian
Everest-Fine Dining, French

South Loop
Custom House-Amer/Steak

West Loop
One Sixtyblue-Amer Contemp
Moto-Fine Dining, Japanese
Blackbird-Amer Contemp
Sepia-Amer Contemp

Near South Side
Cuatro-Nueva Latina
Cantonesia-Chinatown
Joy Yee Noodles-Chinatown

Hyde Park/South Side
La Petite Folie-French
Yassa African Restaurant-Senegalese

Oak Park
Cafe Le Coq-French

Skokie
Papillon-French

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First Look: The Balanced Kitchen*

There’s a healthy alternative to fast food found on a small stretch of McCormick Road in Sauganash, just north of Chicago. The Balanced Kitchen offers a unique dining experience: everything on the menu is vegan and gluten-free, and the restaurant itself is green and LEED certified. The Balanced Kitchen’s furniture is made from recycled materials, and meals-to-go are packaged in reusable dishware. The restaurant was created after pastry chef Elizabeth Alper learned she had Celiac disease, a debilitating reaction to gluten, which is a key ingredient in most baked goods. After joining forces with chef Zachary Bello, the two are on a mission to bring organic, vegan, and gluten-free foods into the mainstream of Chicago eating.

The small, ever-changing menu may include items like Curry Pie, squash stewed in coconut milk and curry powder, wrapped in a flaky crust and served with seasonal chutney, cilantro and tamarind dipping sauces, or Banana Bread French Toast, served with maple syrup. Fresh and flavorful sandwiches are served on vegan and gluten-free bread from Rose’s Wheat Free Bakery in Evanston. Baked goods and tempting treats (including pistachio lemon and “sour cream” grapefruit cookies) from The Bot Bakery, The Balanced Kitchen’s sweet sister, are available for dessert.

A small retail section of the store highlights vegan cookbooks, bread mixes and ingredients, perfect for creating your own vegan creations at home. A six-course brunch is served Sunday with a single seating at noon. The Balanced Kitchen also caters small events at their place or yours.

Hours: 11 am-7 am, Tuesday through Friday; 11 am-9 pm, Saturday, Sunday brunch by reservation only.

*Originally Published in Centerstage Chicago.

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In Memory

Helen Nuess Smith

I love you, LaLa.

Dining in Harbor Country, Michigan

Of course, our trip to Harbor Country wouldn’t be complete without visiting our share of the local restaurants. After our arrival Friday evening, we visited the Bentwood Tavern at the Marina Grand Resort in New Buffalo. Touted by the Tribune as “the area’s newest restaurant and arguably, its best,” Bentwood is a waterfront eatery featuring fresh seafood, locally grown ingredients and sophisticated decor. We started with a tasty but predictable salad of greens, goat cheese and dried cherries. I had the fish and chips (fresh, flaky cod served with tangy and perfectly dressed coleslaw) and Aaron enjoyed roasted Amish chicken with a spicy sweet and sour sauce.

Bentwood Tavern, New Buffalo MI.

The next morning, we ventured down Red Arrow Highway to Harbert Swedish Bakery/Luisa’s Café for breakfast. After chatting with the owner of the bakery, I learned that the business has been one of Harbert’s best known exports since the early 1900’s. Luisa’s, owned by the same family who currently run the bakery, serves breakfast and lunch items like Swedish pancakes, organic salads, and sandwiches made with just baked bread.

Harbert Swedish Bakery, Harbert MI.

Swedish Baked Goods, Harbert Swedish Bakery.

For lunch, I had a crab cake salad, which Aaron pined for. The cakes were perfect; large pieces of lump crab with minimal filling served with a spicy aioli. Aaron stuck to a simple omelet with goat cheese, spinach and mushrooms.

Crab Cake Salad, Luisa’s Cafe.

Omelet, Luisa’s Cafe.

After lunch, we explored Warren Dunes State Park (or to be more accurate, I climbed half-way up a dune and then watched Aaron leap like a man-deer all the way down). Once we had our fill of sand and sun, we took off on Harbor Country’s wine trail. Round Barn Winery’s wine was forgettable, but we were enamored with its DiVine Vodka. Apparently, its only one of four vodkas in the world produced with grapes.

We were also very impressed with Hickory Creek Winery, tucked away among beautiful rolling hills and bright green farmland. One of the co-owners, Gottfried, was extremely gracious and his hospitality added to our tasting experience. Hickory Creek’s show stopper is certainly their slightly creamy and toasty 2005 Chardonnay. The flavors of honeydew, melon and Gala apple marry together and are balanced by a hint of lime.

At the recommendation of our innkeeper, we stayed on the wine trail for dinner and drove to Tabor Hill Winery. Tabor Hill is the only winery on the trail that also doubles as a restaurant-not necessarily a good thing. While the ambiance was beautiful, the food was a bit heavy-handed and extremely overpriced. Our starter, yet another crab cake, was hardly as delicate or as flavorful as Luisa’s. It was also accompanied by a bizarre orange juice, cherry juice, herb and wine reduction sauce which completely marred the simplicity of the crab.

Tabor Hill Vineyards.

Crab Cake with Wine Reduction Sauce, Tabor Hill Winery.

Filet Mignon wrapped in apple-smoked bacon was perfectly cooked, but sloppily presented. An extremely under-seasoned and underwhelming Alder Wood Smoked Hawaiian Swordfish was somewhat saved by its accompanying salsa of grapefruit and zesty ginger. Thankfully, we did enjoy Tabor Hill’s 2006 Lake Michigan Shore Cabernet Franc, a lush, soft, fruit-driven and elegant wine.

Ridgefield Farm Filet Mignon, Tabor Hill Winery.

Alder Wood Smoked Hawaiian Sword Fish, Tabor Hill Winery.

The next day, our final Michigan feast took place at Blue Plate Café, also located on a stretch of the Red Arrow Highway. Blue Plate is a funky little place that’s open for breakfast and lunch. Most of the customers seemed to know each other, and thus the atmosphere was friendly and laid-back. Complimentary samples of chocolate chip banana bread started things out on the right foot. Our lunch selections of a salad plate with so-so tuna salad and phenomenal chicken salad, and scrambled eggs wrapped in tortillas with Verde sauce were fresh, light, and satisfying for our journey home.

Blue Plate Cafe, Harbor Country MI.

Salad Plate, Blue Plate Cafe.

Scrambled Eggs in Tortilla with Verde Sauce, Blue Plate Cafe.

We plan on returning to Harbor Country again next summer, and I’m already planning our restaurant itinerary. We’ll definitely stop at Cafe Gulistan, a Turkish restaurant known not only for the food but for its owner’s battle for his citizenship, and Bistro on the Boulevard, a quaint French bistro located in picturesque Saint Joseph. As always, recommendations are appreciated!

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Found Inspiration

Aaron and I escaped for the weekend to Harbor Country, an area in southwest Michigan that’s composed of 8 small towns. It was my first visit to HC; Aaron spent time with his family there years ago. I had no idea that this unsuspecting corner of Michigan held so many interesting components, most (that we sought out, at least) a bit upscale while still retaining a clackety old world charm.

Lake Michigan Dune.

We stayed at the Rabbit Run Inn, a newly constructed property that’s gorgeously maintained by innkeepers Linda Jo (an interior designer) and Rodney Clough. Located just minutes from Warren Dunes State Park, the inn is decorated in a modern yet whimsical style: Alice left Wonderland for new digs in Manhattan. With only four guest suites, Rabbit Run is the perfect retreat for city dwellers seeking solace.

Rabbit Run Inn.

Linda Jo’s Kitchen, Rabbit Run Inn.

Rabbit Run Dog.

Soaring.

Beyond the sheer beauty of the natural surroundings, the creativity of Rodney and Linda Jo, two artists in love (like Aaron and I), struck me. What a lovely way to live, carving out a beautiful space for others to enjoy, all the while developing your creative Spirit. I know I could spend my days happily cooking, writing, painting, photographing and decorating. Its these glances into the lives of artists that keep me hopeful and inspired.

Blow it Out.

I’m Only Sleeping.

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