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Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint

Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Logan Square, Reviews

Burgers are one of America’s favorite comfort foods. Many of us have fond memories of going to the local burger joint with our parents and friends and enjoying some greasy goodness. For a lot of Chicago’s Southside residents, that burger joint was Grant’s Wonderburger...
Logan Square’s Ugo’s Offers New Takes on Italian Favorites

Logan Square’s Ugo’s Offers New Takes on Italian Favorites

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Logan Square, Restaurants, Reviews

When I lived near the intersection of Armitage and California a few years ago, the food options were fairly limited and imbalanced. You could have a high-end foodie meal at Table, Donkey and Stick or grab a hot dog at the Tastee Freez. All of that has changed...
Flagship Chicago – You Don’t Need To Be A Sports Fan

Flagship Chicago – You Don’t Need To Be A Sports Fan

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lakeview, Reviews

Flagship, to many, may seem like just another typical sports bar. Upon first glance, I wouldn’t argue with you. However, being that sports games were flooding the copious amount of screens throughout the venue and my table didn’t pay attention to any of them one bit–...
Pizzeria Serio’s New Breakfast Pizza Gives You an Excuse to Eat Pizza Three Times a Day

Pizzeria Serio’s New Breakfast Pizza Gives You an Excuse to Eat Pizza Three Times a Day

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lakeview, Restaurants, Reviews

Chicagoans love brunch so much that more and more restaurants decide to get into the brunch game. However, the results can often be kind of surreal when you wind up at the local dive that’s trying their hardest to deliver an extravagant Lobster Eggs Benedict in the...
Municipal Bar + Dining Co. – River North’s Affordable Sports Bar

Municipal Bar + Dining Co. – River North’s Affordable Sports Bar

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Chicago Eats, Reviews, River North

Open since 2012, Municipal Bar + Dining Co is a sports bar and restaurant located in Chicago’s River North, not far from Merchandise Mart. While the area already has its share of sports bars, Municipal is a bit more upscale than its rivals, quite spacious, and does...
The Stretch Bar & Grill – Wrigleyville’s Best Burger

The Stretch Bar & Grill – Wrigleyville’s Best Burger

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Wrigleyville

The idea of going to a Wrigleyville bar could either be the greatest or worst thing every depending on who you are. If that is your scene, there’s certainly no shortage of places to choose from to watch the game, grab some lunch, or have a boozy weekend. Located just...
Get Your Hands Dirty With the Seafood Boil at the Mad Boiler

Get Your Hands Dirty With the Seafood Boil at the Mad Boiler

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, West Town

As if Restaurant Row wasn’t already a foodies dream come true, the West Loop’s dining scene continues to grow and expand beyond the confines of Randolph. Head just a little bit south of Randolph to 1045 W. Madison Street and you’ll find the Mad Boiler, a Cajun seafood...
Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya Brings Authentic Japanese Cuisine to Wicker Park

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya Brings Authentic Japanese Cuisine to Wicker Park

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Wicker Park

A few years ago, most Chicagoans probably thought of ramen as the cheap microwave noodles they ate in college, but now the city is obsessed with the Japanese noodle-soup dish. The latest contender for best ramen bowl in the city is Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya in...
River North’s Dough Bros Tips the Scales in Favor of NY Style Pizza

River North’s Dough Bros Tips the Scales in Favor of NY Style Pizza

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, River North

The battle between deep dish and NY style pizza will likely rage on till the end of time, but there’s one thing you’ve got to give to New York City: you can grab a quality slice pretty much anywhere. In Chicago, it takes a little more effort to get an easy pizza fix....
Wicker Park Goes Southern at Carriage House

Wicker Park Goes Southern at Carriage House

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Wicker Park

Chicago is a lot more than hot dogs and deep dish pizza, proof of which is the city’s growing love for Southern cooking and barbecue. Evidence of this is Carriage House, which serves modern low country Southern food to Wicker Park at 1700 W. Division Street. We...
5411 Empanadas is Taking Over Chicago, One Pastry at a Time

5411 Empanadas is Taking Over Chicago, One Pastry at a Time

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Wicker Park

5411 Empanadas is one of the fastest growing restaurant groups in the city. Named after the international dialing code for Buenos Aires, the group first opened in 2009 with a quality product and making deliveries to local Chicago businesses. That led to an incredibly...
Lottie’s Pub : aka 81 Years of Crazy History

Lottie’s Pub : aka 81 Years of Crazy History

by Chicago Traveler | Bucktown, Chicago Drinks, General Information, Reviews

On May 16, 2015, Bucktown neighborhood bar Lottie’s Pub celebrated an incredible 81 years in business. While the sports dive now seems like an outlier in the gentrified neighborhood, the pub was packed with people enjoying .81 cent burgers and beers and generally...
Velvet Taco is a Welcome Addition to the Gold Coast

Velvet Taco is a Welcome Addition to the Gold Coast

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Gold Coast, Reviews

Does a Texas-based taco concept have anything to offer Chicago? While Chicago may already have an insane number of incredible taquerias, Velvet Taco in the Gold Coast manages to offer something different with tacos influenced by world cuisine. Whether you’re a fan of...
Blackwood BBQ Makes Getting Smoky Loop BBQ Easy

Blackwood BBQ Makes Getting Smoky Loop BBQ Easy

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

While visitors to our city may have hot dogs and deep dish pizza on their minds, Chicagoans are well aware of our city’s rich, if not complicated, barbecue scene. There’s not exactly one specific Chicago-style barbecue with many rich traditions divided by...
Mondo Meatball May Replace Your Grandma’s Recipe

Mondo Meatball May Replace Your Grandma’s Recipe

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Wicker Park

During a recent trip to New York City, I walked by multiple meatball-focused restaurants and now Mondo Meatball has come to Chicago’s Wicker Park. Are we in the midst of a meatball revolution? These are not just your classic Italian meatballs, either. Mondo...
Imperial Lamian Brings Authentic Chinese Food to Chicago – Move Over Ramen

Imperial Lamian Brings Authentic Chinese Food to Chicago – Move Over Ramen

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, River North

Chicago has been taken over by a fever for Japanese ramen noodles. Within walking distance from my apartment alone, I can think of four places I could go for noodles. Jakarta, Indonesia-based Imperial Lamian, a restaurant group with more than 20 locations, picked...
Davanti Enoteca : How to turn Hunger into Satisfaction

Davanti Enoteca : How to turn Hunger into Satisfaction

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

I found myself wandering the streets of Chicago one evening. I was aimlessly walking around snapping photos when the slight growl of my stomach made me realize that I had yet to eat anything that day. I made a couple phone calls to get recommendations from friends,...
Twisted Spoke Celebrates 20 Wild Years of Bikes, Beers, Burgers and Brunch

Twisted Spoke Celebrates 20 Wild Years of Bikes, Beers, Burgers and Brunch

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Reviews, West Town

With its rusted metal exterior and a revolving skeleton motorcycle rider atop a ‘garden’ of motorcycle parts, Twisted Spoke may seem a little intimidating upon first glance. While biker-themed, the bar attracts a wide range of customers to its easily...
West Town Bakery & Diner is a Fresh Addition to the Neighborhood

West Town Bakery & Diner is a Fresh Addition to the Neighborhood

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, West Loop

Part of the Fifty/50 Group— and located right next door to sibling restaurants Roots and Homestead— West Town Bakery & Diner looks like your favorite college town hangout. Walk in and you’ll notice the eye-popping street art and graffiti, colorful seats and...
IVme Hydration Clinic Offers Energy & Hangover Cures

IVme Hydration Clinic Offers Energy & Hangover Cures

by Chicago Traveler | General Information, Reviews

Generally my beat around The Chicago Traveler is restaurants and the occasional concert. The evening started off normally enough at Old Town’s Pomp & Circumstance for an open house at the nearby IVme Hydration Clinic– drinking an Old Fashioned and snacking on...
The General Direction For Your Beer & Taco Needs

The General Direction For Your Beer & Taco Needs

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

The General, in Logan Square, is a hot spot for craft beer and satisfying food. Their focus is on soul food and artisan tacos– which is a mighty fine combination if you ask me. Their daily special is really one of the best in Chicago. For $8ºº you can have yourself...
Stay Cool and Caffeinated This Summer at Caffè Umbria

Stay Cool and Caffeinated This Summer at Caffè Umbria

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Restaurants, Reviews, River North

Whether headed to the office or coming into town for a day of sightseeing, most Chicagoans get by with a cup, or five, of coffee. With temperatures this summer regularly reaching 90 degrees, it’s definitely iced coffee season. However, if you’re in the River North...
De Noche Mexicana Embraces Mexican Cuisine in Logan Square

De Noche Mexicana Embraces Mexican Cuisine in Logan Square

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Logan Square, Reviews

Gentrification has drastically transformed Logan Square in the last few years from a primarily Latino neighborhood to hipster paradise with both positive and negative results. For all the cool bookstores like Uncharted and great restaurants like Lula Caf and Longman...
Mixed Greens Is Reinventing Fast Food in Chicago

Mixed Greens Is Reinventing Fast Food in Chicago

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

While America may have exported the bulk of its manufacturing jobs overseas, more and more restaurants are adopting the assembly line model such as Chipotle. One of the more recent additions is Mixed Greens, fast food restaurant focusing on organic and healthy salads,...
Porkchop offers Casual & Hearty Barbecue in Chicago

Porkchop offers Casual & Hearty Barbecue in Chicago

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

Earlier this summer, the Chicago Traveler visited CHOP just before it opened to serve shoppers and residents of the Roosevelt Collection. This time around we visited CHOP owner Jovanis Bouargoub’s original restaurant concept: Porkchop. Porkchop serves a variety of...
The Tastes of the New Spring Menu at the Stretch

The Tastes of the New Spring Menu at the Stretch

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lakeview, Reviews

The last time I was at the Stretch, I was in pursuit of their award-winning Cortland Street Burger and walked away with a very happy stomach. I made a return trip to the Wrigleyville sports bar and grille to sample their new spring menu—launching March 12—created by...
North Center’s Kick is a Haven for Spicy Food Fans

North Center’s Kick is a Haven for Spicy Food Fans

by Chicago Traveler | North Center, Restaurants, Reviews

Kick, which replaced Sola in late 2015, is a gastropub in North Center focusing on spicy food. Though fiery burgers, sandwiches, and other casual pub food with a kick make up the bulk of the menu, the restaurant takes influence from all around the world. People from...
Riot Fest – the Good, the Bad & the Muddy

Riot Fest – the Good, the Bad & the Muddy

by Chicago Traveler | Entertainment, Events, Reviews, Top 10 Music Venues

Riot Fest is perhaps the oddest duck of the major Chicago summer music festivals. It feels something like a combination of Pitchfork, early 90s Lollapalooza, Warped Tour, and the Gathering of the Juggalos– thanks to its diverse, often random, lineup and collection of...
Eastman Egg Company is the Breakfast You Really Want

Eastman Egg Company is the Breakfast You Really Want

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

An egg sandwich at brunch can be a wonderful thing; however, when you’re in the rush before work it always seems like your only option is to run into McDonalds or Starbucks. Eastman Egg Company is out to change that. They started with the idea that you can get an...
Chop Steakhouse Stakes Claim in the South Loop’s Roosevelt Collection

Chop Steakhouse Stakes Claim in the South Loop’s Roosevelt Collection

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, South Loop

Chop Steakhouse is the First Restaurant at the South Loop’s Roosevelt Collection •Chop Steakhouse Opened July 15, 2015• The Roosevelt Collection is a combination of newer high-end apartments in the South Loop, along with a large shopping area. Despite the gorgeous...
Tasting the Spring Menu at Unite Urban Grill

Tasting the Spring Menu at Unite Urban Grill

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Noble Square, Reviews, West Town

The West Town area over the past couple years has truly become a hip place to hang out thanks to trendy shops and boutiques and great restaurants. The latter includes Unite Urban Grill, a sleek and chill neighborhood steakhouse concept. I was invited to stop on by the...
Kanela Breakfast Club = Sweet and Savory in Streeterville

Kanela Breakfast Club = Sweet and Savory in Streeterville

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews

Chicago has no shortage of breakfast and brunch options. Stumble out bleary-eyed on a Sunday morning and even the grease bucket on the corner is probably offering some fried egg hotdog nightmare’there are so many places to grab brunch that it’s easy to...
LuxeHome Chill : raising money for charity with wine, food & boutiques

LuxeHome Chill : raising money for charity with wine, food & boutiques

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Chicago Eats, Entertainment, Reviews

Wandering through the boutiques that make up LuxeHome (website), on the first floor of Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, you didn’t know what you’d find. Tucked away in model bathrooms, kitchens with Wi-Fi ready refrigerators, and next to paint...
The Fifty/50 Has Been Renovated and Reinvigorated

The Fifty/50 Has Been Renovated and Reinvigorated

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, Wicker Park

Chicago has a vibrant food scene with new restaurants and concepts constantly popping up. But how do you continue to stay relevant when your restaurant has been around for nearly a decade? Case in point: the Fifty/50. The sports bar was one of the first of its kind on...
Emporium Arcade Bar Unites Adulthood With Childhood at 3 Locations

Emporium Arcade Bar Unites Adulthood With Childhood at 3 Locations

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Logan Square, Reviews, Suburbs, Wicker Park

Emporium Arcade Bar fuses retro with modern in a harmoniously entertaining way. Some of you may have been born slightly too late to remember the days when arcades were a place that you wanted to go almost as badly as you wanted to go to Disney World (those commercials...
New York Delicatessen Resurrects a Neighborhood Classic

New York Delicatessen Resurrects a Neighborhood Classic

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lakeview, Reviews

Deli and sub sandwich fans are intensely passionate, even to the point where there are fierce rivalries around massive chains like Subway and Jimmy John’s. New York Delicatessen owner Isaac Work was once such a fan, driving regularly from Bridgeport to the...
Southport & Irving Transports the Jazz Age to Modern Day Lakeview

Southport & Irving Transports the Jazz Age to Modern Day Lakeview

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lakeview, Reviews

Located in Lakeview’s Southport Corridor, Southport & Irving (SIP) is a classy yet relaxed cocktail bar and restaurant taking inspiration from the days of speakeasies and jazz clubs giving it the feeling it’s been around since the days of Capone and Machine Gun...
L’Appetito Chicago – the Deli You’ve been Looking for

L’Appetito Chicago – the Deli You’ve been Looking for

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Gold Coast, Reviews

As I’m sitting here reminiscing about my last visit to L’Appetito, which a friend of mine highly recommended, I find myself mowing down a sandwich that I just just whipped together in my kitchen. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for a simple, yet satisfying...
Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya Overcomes its Competitors in the Chicago Ramen Scene

Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya Overcomes its Competitors in the Chicago Ramen Scene

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, West Town, Wicker Park

When we last visited Kizuki Ramen at the end of winter, it was their first night of service. Though Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya is a chain spanning from Japan to the Pacific Northwest, they were breaking in a new staff, trying to get the whole menu together, and...
Leghorn Café: Ukrainian Village Chicken Staple Comes to River North

Leghorn Café: Ukrainian Village Chicken Staple Comes to River North

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, River North

Since opening in March 2014, Ukrainian Village’s Leghorn Chicken has become a favorite of hipsters, neighborhood residents, and Chicago’s fried chicken enthusiasts. They boldly positioned themselves as the anti-Chik-fil-A with Sunday hours, branded condoms, and...
On The Border Naperville – Taco Tuesday Satisfaction

On The Border Naperville – Taco Tuesday Satisfaction

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, Suburbs

I found myself in Naperville on perhaps the most sacred day of the week– Taco Tuesday. With no lunch plans, my own two feet for transportation, a craving for tacos and wide eyes– I spotted the On The Border Naperville location just down the road. This Tex-Mex...
Forno Rosso Creates Some of the Best Pizzas in Chicago

Forno Rosso Creates Some of the Best Pizzas in Chicago

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, West Loop

Forno Rosso owner, Nick Nitti spent a large part of his childhood in Italy where he fell in love with the simplistic pizza in Naples. That led him to attend culinary school in Italy, study Neapolitan pizza in Naples, and open Forno Rosso back near his home in...
Q-Tine is Your New Favorite Logan Square Fast Food

Q-Tine is Your New Favorite Logan Square Fast Food

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Logan Square, Reviews

I’ll admit it: I’ve been there before. As a former resident of Logan Square, there would be many weekends where I’d be out with a group of friends, hopping from bar to bar on Milwaukee Avenue, and end up looking for some food. But, the kitchen at Revolution Brewing...
Belly Up Smokehouse Brings Southern Barbecue to the South Loop

Belly Up Smokehouse Brings Southern Barbecue to the South Loop

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, South Loop

Walking into Belly Up, you’ll be astounded by how surprisingly huge it is. The restaurant is very long and has these really high ceilings. The vibe is Chicago warehouse industrial with lots of brick, exposed fixtures, and wood ceiling beams with some subtle cowboy...
Artango Combines a Passion for Art, Dance, and South American Cuisine

Artango Combines a Passion for Art, Dance, and South American Cuisine

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews

Ravenswood’s Artango serves authentic South American cuisine, but it’s also a dance studio and something of an avant-garde art gallery– all packed in a hundred-year-old former factory. That certainly makes Artango one of the most unique dining experiences in the city....
Tasting the Wines of Rías Baixas at Little Goat

Tasting the Wines of Rías Baixas at Little Goat

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Drinks, Chicago Eats, Near West Side, Reviews, West Loop

Up a secretive set of stairs at Little Goat, the casual sibling restaurant of Girl & the Goat, lies a gorgeous private dining space featuring a sleek, modern kitchen, a homey and bright dining area, accompanied by a rooftop area with a gorgeous view of the...
Cochon Volant Adds Full Service Sophistication to the Loop

Cochon Volant Adds Full Service Sophistication to the Loop

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Reviews, The Loop

Our recent list of the best Chicago burgers was not without its share of controversy. After its publication, I was told I had to go over immediately to Cochon Volant and try their Le Cheeseburger Royale. Translated as “Flying Pig,” Cochon Volant recently opened in the...
With Steadfast, the Fifty/50 Group Embraces Fine Dining

With Steadfast, the Fifty/50 Group Embraces Fine Dining

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Restaurants, Reviews, The Loop

Chicago’s the Fifty/50 Group has so far been known for their eclecticism with restaurants ranging from the namesake sports bar to Roots Handmade Pizza to craft cocktail lounges like the Berkshire Room. With the recent opening of Steadfast in the Loop’s business...
Madison Public House – A Logan Square Essential

Madison Public House – A Logan Square Essential

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Logan Square, Reviews

Madison Public House has been in business for nearly 3 years. Upon opening, they wanted to create an atmosphere that provided an all-in-one experience; they have succeeded. They may possess a bar appearance, but that is not strictly what they are. Rather than going to...
Butcher & the Burger – the Perfect Burger, Created by You

Butcher & the Burger – the Perfect Burger, Created by You

by Chicago Traveler | Chicago Eats, Lincoln Park, Reviews

While fun in concept, build-your-own burger places like Meatheads or Five Guys have always left me feeling a little let down. Either the toppings are good but the meat hovers around McDonald’s quality, or the toppings are pretty basic. Lincoln Park’s Butcher &...
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Reviews

  • Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint
  • Logan Square’s Ugo’s Offers New Takes on Italian Favorites
  • Flagship Chicago – You Don’t Need To Be A Sports Fan
  • Pizzeria Serio’s New Breakfast Pizza Gives You an Excuse to Eat Pizza Three Times a Day
  • Municipal Bar + Dining Co. – River North’s Affordable Sports Bar


Recent Posts

  • Top 5 Chicago Basketball Courts
  • Love Is In The Air or Maybe It’s Roses? Chicago Florists Work Magic
  • Bars With Outdoor Games in Chicago – Do More Than Just Drink
  • Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint
  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Frequent Farmers Markets

 

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Reviews

  • Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint
  • Logan Square’s Ugo’s Offers New Takes on Italian Favorites
  • Flagship Chicago – You Don’t Need To Be A Sports Fan
  • Pizzeria Serio’s New Breakfast Pizza Gives You an Excuse to Eat Pizza Three Times a Day
  • Municipal Bar + Dining Co. – River North’s Affordable Sports Bar

Recent Posts

  • Top 5 Chicago Basketball Courts
  • Love Is In The Air or Maybe It’s Roses? Chicago Florists Work Magic
  • Bars With Outdoor Games in Chicago – Do More Than Just Drink
  • Parts and Labor is Logan Square’s Hippest Burger Joint
  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Frequent Farmers Markets
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