In a bit of a departure from the norm, I’m going to write about a single aspect of a town—food. I’ll do this periodically, and it seemed fitting to start with one of the great food cities in this country, Chicago.
For many years, the city was known mostly for—to use the line made famous by Chris Farley et al on Saturday Night Live—“polish sausage . . . Ditka . . . polish sausage . . . Ditka.” More recently, on the food front, Chicago has carved a niche as home to “molecular gastronomy.” Sorry, but I simply don’t understand dipping foods in liquid hydrogen for effect, so I won’t write about this undoubtedly important movement.
Instead, I want to tip my cap to the good people of Chicago who have been toiling for years to serve good food at a fair value to anyone who goes to the trouble of showing up at their restaurants.
As noted above, Poland plays a not-insignificant role in Chicago history; if memory serves, the city is home to the largest Polish population outside of Krakow. So let’s start with a rough-and-tumble, yet wholly satisfying, visit to Podhalanka. Opened in the 1980s, the place somehow has captured the feel of a Depression-era, ethnic greasy spoon . . . and with bargains to match the feel. In particular, the rolled pork stuffed with carrots and celery—I won’t even try to spell its Polish name—makes a hearty, peppery lunch or dinner.
Staying in “ethnic” mode, I stumbled on an Assyrian restaurant in Albany Park called George’s Grill Kabab (or Kabab Grill, depending on who gives you directions). Service is quick, if sometimes less than friendly to a first-timer, and the value is terrific. I’m going to make a confession here: I like to order things at restaurants that are fun to say. And I can’t think of a more fun thing to say than “baba ghanouj.” The good news is that, when I ordered it at George’s, it was a fantastic surprise: an eggplant dip with various seasonings and flavors. George’s uses black olives and paprika heavily; you simply scoop up a pile of the tasty dip on a piece of pita and enjoy.
Switching ethnicities at top speed, I stumbled upon La Condesa one time when in Chicago. It has several locations, I think, although I have only visited the one on South Ashland Avenue. The place definitely lacks ambience, but the food is very good and authentic and big. (Nearly everything on the menu makes me stretch one of my words to live by when it comes to food, which is to never eat anything bigger than your head.) I have it on good authority that this is where Mexican people come to get Mexican food, and that’s good enough for me.
Also on the South Side is Izola’s, a soul food joint (and I use the term “joint” advisedly and affectionately) run for more than half a century by Izola White. She plays music on her jukebox that she selects personally, plus lots of comfort food in a homey atmosphere. Disclaimer alert: I have only had dessert here, but I’m something of a bread pudding snob, and Izola’s lands very near the top of my list of all-time best.
Moving to Chicago’s Gold Coast, Le Colonial offers a little higher-end, yet still ethnic, food experience. The first time I visited, I had a hard time getting my head around a French-Vietnamese menu, yet with France’s former imperial aspirations in Asia, there is some logic to combining the strange bedfellows. The food is fantastic, yet like the OCD eater who must keep various types of foods from touching, you can enjoy two distinct experiences on the restaurant’s two floors. The main floor is quiet and beautiful and decidedly upscale. Upstairs features more of a party atmosphere, particularly later in the evening. But no matter where you find yourself, it will entice you back to try new things.
The final stop on our tour of culinary Chicago is the Maxwell Street Market, which now is southwest of the Loop. The market itself has moved a couple of times since it was founded more than 80 years ago, and it’s really a flea market. But the food in and around the place is a smorgasbord of ethnic foods. One notable place doesn’t even have a name that I have ever seen, but it’s a simple stand that features big tamales wrapped in banana leaves that are unlike any tamale you have had before. Once you have tried this tamale, you might not eat one from anyplace else.
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