Hello Fellow Foodies!
Chicago is your kind of town!
One town that won’t let you down, Chicago is…
Please enjoy Frank’s singing while taking a bite of Chicago!
This is my kind of town.
Chicago is,
My kind of town,Chicago is,
My kind of people, too;
People who smile at you,
And each time I roam, Chicago is,
Callin’ me home, Chicago is,
One town that won’t let you down;
It’s my kind of town.
Uncle Julio’s Hacienda
Border-style Mexican food with Hacienda-style decor. Try Uncle Julio’s signature drink, The Swirl, which is a frozen concoction of layered margarita and home-made sangria.
I loved the heart healthy mesquite grilled salmon filet served with sautéed vegetables and fresh pineapple pico de gallo. Their light crispy chips and zippy salsa are the best around. Uncle Julio’s is located on North Avenue near Clybourn.
EPIC
EPIC is housed in a transformed early 20th century mill building. The new space combines elements of exposed brick, steel and concrete, together with textiles. The tables incorporate wood from the old mill floors.
Halibut Ceviche and King Crab with Meyer Lemon Mousseline Sauce
Chef Stephen Wambach created a contemporary American Menu rooted in French technique. We enjoyed the professional relaxed service, creative yet unstuffy menu, and the chic industrial yet warm atmosphere. Epic is located on Hubbard near Clark Street.
XOCO
Rick Bayless’s XOCO, a quick service cafe serving rustic Mexican street food.
Empanadas, take-out.
Flaky carnitas empanada with tomatillo salsa, 3-chile salsa, and cotija cheese for breakfast, this ROCKED!
Hot-from-the-fryer churros.
Frothy Mexican hot chocolate ground from Mexican cacao beans.
We have been long-time fans of Rick Bayless’s other restaurants, Frontera Grill and Topolobambo, now we add their little sister restaurant XOCO (which means “little sister” in Aztec dialect) to the list! XOCO is located at the corner of Clark Street and Illinois.
MACKU
Macku Sushi – a unique palette of ingredients, textures and flavors. Macku Chan’s Japanese inspired cuisine is innovative, exciting, every dish a surprise. Macku is located in Lincoln Park at 2239 N. Clybourn Avenue.
Our favorite: White Asparagus Soup with Monkfish Liver
Flying Fish!
We were big fans of their Kaze Sushi in Roscoe Village. So glad to see Macku open in Lincoln Park!
Julius Meinl Coffee House
THE JULIUS MEINL GROUP was founded in Vienna 1862 by a boy from the country who came to Imperial Vienna looking for work. He opened a small store and started to sell green coffee. In those days coffee beans were roasted at home on wood burning stoves. This process required a lot of care because the risk of burning the beans was considerable. It was young Julius Meinl who had the ingenious idea of selling fresh roasted coffee.
Smoked Salmon with dill crème fraîche, sliced tomato, red onion,
lemon, capers, open-faced on dark rye
Kaiserschmarren Austrian “pancake” with golden raisins, cinnamon,
powdered sugar, Meinl plum compote
Highlight of the Day!
I had the absolute pleasure to share this lunch with Two Fabulous Chicago Food Bloggers!
If you haven’t already, be sure to visit my friends and their exceptional blogs for inspiration.
Courtney
Marie
Thanks for a lovely afternoon ladies! You rock!
Julius Meinl is located on the corner of Southport and Addison.
NoMI
High above the Magnificent Mile, NoMI’s awe-inspiring views of the Chicago skyline.
Jamison Farms Rack of Lamb
Diver Scallops, Spring Pea, Truffle Vinaigrette
Extending the biggest thank you to my dear brother and sweet sister-in-law for another eating extravaganza in Chicago.
As always, Love You!
NoMI is located in the Park Hyatt Chicago on Michigan Avenue.
More favorite Chicago restaurant posts:
What are your favorite Chicago restaurants?
Girlfriend, It was such a pleasure to meet you! We had so much fun chatting the day away, time went by too fast. It’s midnight here and I want to jump in my car and drive over to XOCO for some Mexican street food. I might just have to make a visit there this weekend for sure. I have to say I absolutely love your last photo with your brother and SIL, it could be featured in Chicago Magazine, along with ours of course. 😉
Ha! We’ll have to submit it! They look so cute, don’t they? And that is the view to die for…Thanks for organizing that wonderful lunch. Looking forward to meeting you there again next time, and to TOP CHEF!
An eating extravaganza, indeed! That view from NoMI is glorious… though it’s hard to drag your eyes away from all of those beautiful food shots. If I ever go to Chicago, I’ll have to allow plenty of time for grazing.
You’ll have plenty of subjects for your fabulous artwork, Shell!
Aaaahhh, so many beautiful cities in the USA to visit; so many great restaurants to have dinner at; so many fellow bloggers I’d like to meet too 😀
What a great time! Thanks for sharing.
This makes me want to get back to Chicago! It’s been way too long.
Oh am I ever envious – not just of the great eating you had in Chicago – but getting to spend time with Coco and my favorite Italian food blogger – Marie! I’ve have got to get to the windy city soon.
It was great Linda! Meeting fellow food bloggers is the best. We are instant friends! I am hoping Courtney and Marie make it to our TOP CHEF dinner this summer.
nice that you got to eat through Chicago. I might have a chance to go back and make a stop in Chicago en route to Paris some time in June. I really love that city.
Cool you’re going to Paris. Want to hear where you eat in both cities!
I wanted to eat at XOCO sooo badly but somehow I never found the time. I also passed by Nomi but I chickened out when I saw how expensive it was! Something for another (life)time perhaps, but thanks for showing us all your delicious Chi-town meals 🙂
Chi-town! Thanks for the fabulous tour!
Chicago is my type of town. Dont we make an elegant trio! It was so wonderful meeting you. Love Nomi and Uncke Julios( havent been in ages but will revisit this summer). XOCO is on my to do list.
I’m a huge fan of Chicago. Love another of Bayless’ restaurants, Frontera Grill, and Spiaggia, owned by Tony Montuano, currently a competitor on Top Chef Masters.
Don’t forget the skirt steak at Uncle Julio’s!
What an exciting list of restaurants! You have been all over the place! Each of the restaurant you visited offerings something unique and stunning. Love the decor of EPIC, imagine each entree at Xoco was fab, Macku – this is definitely going on my list of must visit next time I’m in Chicago, and how great was it to meet local bloggers while you were in town. Fabulous!
I love living near Chicago, this post pretty much spotlights what’s so great about the city. SO much to see and eat!
I love the Rigatoni at a restaurant called Coco Pazzo Cafe. It’s near Streeterville- might be in Streeterville for all I know! It’s rich in flavor and deliciously creamy
Oh my gosh!! What an awesome time you must have had.. I am so jealous that you got to finally meet Marie and Courtney!! 🙂 (but happy too.. hehe)