Birchwood Kitchen

I was inspired to write about my latest byob adventure after receiving a link from a friend today, for "the top 30 best sandwiches in Chicago." I have admittedly eaten about 10 of the 30, and while spending my afternoon daydreaming of sandwiches, I remembered Birchwood Kitchen.

Birchwood Kitchen's menu consists of fresh soups, salads and sandwiches.  I've wanted to stop by for some time, especially because I am a fan of any restaurant that uses local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients.  I grabbed my guy, a bottle of our favorite red, and we walked the short distance from his apartment to our foodie adventure.

While you wait in line for your sandwich, you can view the day's specials which are written on a chalkboard atop the glass refrigerator housing the cold salads.  I immediately spotted a garbanzo bean salad that made my mouth water.  After a few minutes of reading (and rereading, and changing my mind) I finally decided on a lamb meatloaf sandwich with spinach, eggplant, and gremolata yogurt.  My boyfriend ordered the sandwich the guy at the counter said was their "best seller," the wine braised pot roast atop a toasted baguette covered with roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions.  He also ordered the lentil soup, which he received immediately when we sat down, and so I stared at him intently until it provoked him to let me sample some.  (It was delicious - worth being creepy).

Unfortunately, my sandwich was surprisingly bland.  I think it's one of the less popular choices at Birchwood, because the bread tasted really stale.  The lamb meatloaf and eggplant had zero flavor, both lacked seasoning, and the yogurt disappeared somewhere into the sandwich never to be seen or tasted again.  However, I sampled my boyfriend's choice, and immediately considered waiting in line again so I could order the same exact thing.  The beef was really tender, and the roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions were still really warm and made it hard to stop after a couple of bites.  He was kind enough to offer the split, but my conscience wouldn't allow it.

Birchwood closes at 9 p.m. M - F, and 4 p.m. Sat & Sun so plan accordingly (and take me with... I want that braised pot roast sandwich like RIGHT NOW).

Birchwood Kitchen
2211 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 276-2100
http://www.birchwoodkitchen.com/

Lucia's

I have driven past the green awning of Lucia’s quite possibly 100 times, always wondering “what is this place?” I assumed it was a little deli, but in the back (hidden from street view) is what I like to call “heaven.”

My friend and I went on a Tuesday night. You enter through the kitchen, where I was tempted to pull up a chair and be the chef’s “taster,” but a waiter spotted me staring at the food and kindly led me to the dining room. Finding my friend was not difficult, as she was sitting at one of the TEN tables. I was immediately confused with the décor and was led to believe Lucia’s was undergoing an identity crisis, but I quickly pushed my confusion aside and my main focus became FOOD!

Being a very indecisive duo, we chose to split two entrees. We ordered the Ravioli Di Zucca con Prosciutto e Noci (a much more beautiful way to say pumpkin ravioli) and Linguine alla Pescatora (linguine with seafood). We debated ordering an appetizer, but chose not to after our waiter informed us that our entrees included salads.

Moment of truth… Our food was amazing. I was practically dancing in my seat throughout dinner. Not only do I love Italian, but make it a byob and I’m va in brodo di giuggiole (happy as a clam). Our pastas were perfectly al dente, and the portions generous. Maybe it was the entire baguette we managed to eat before our meal arrived, but we definitely had leftovers.

After dinner we wandered towards the deli part in front where I purchased some delicious biscotti which we had for dessert on the ride home!
Overall, Lucia’s is definitely a hidden gem worth visiting. Just don’t expect them to let you stand in their kitchen drooling… (and trust me, you will).

Lucia’s Gourmet Italian
1825 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL
(773) 292-9700
http://www.luciaschicago.com/

Duck Walk

Few things are as scary as walking in to a restaurant at 8 p.m. in Chicago on a Friday night and finding it empty.  My first thought was "what does everyone know that I don't?," but despite a few minor criticisms, I never really found out the answer to that question.  We originally ordered fish cakes and shrimp shumai for appetizers, but after the fish cakes arrived the other three decided to order pot stickers and leave the fish cakes to me.  Although these small, unusually red little cakes taste more like sponge than fish, I can't stay away!  In the end, we agreed that the pot stickers stole the show... they were really fresh and a little crispy on the outside from being pan fried, and came with a traditional pot sticker dipping sauce.

I ordered tom kha but I think they entirely forgot to add broth to the mixture, so the end result was a warm, overly sweet bowl of coconut milk with shrimp and vegetables that made me gag.  Edyth & Patti ordered lard na and goey see me, and each enjoyed their meal, but our friend Diane's entree caused her to eat with her nose plugged because she said it smelled like "hamster."  This led to a thorough investigation (ie. passing the plate around the table and taking turns smelling it) which abruptly ended when Patti realized the smell was probably the boiled chicken, since boiled chicken tends to have a "hamster" smell.  We are so weird.

Duck Walk is not the best BYOB Thai place in the city, but their super reasonable prices and great appetizers make it worth visiting.  Plus, we're pretty confident that no hamsters will be harmed in the making of your meal.

Duck Walk
1217 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, IL 60604
http://www.duckwalkchicago.com/

Sapore di Napoli

An intense craving for an authentic, Italian-style pizza led my sister, our friends, and me to Lakeview one Friday night to try Sapore di Napoli.  Although the four of us managed to polish off four bottles of wine, I am certain the wine did not influence all of our decision that this is an incredible pizza place.

We started off with their Antipasto Misto platter and their Mediterranea salad.  Both were good, but in my opinion it’s not worth taking up the extra tummy space when you could fill it with their pizza instead. Our group decided on a ‘red’ and a ‘white’ pizza.  We originally did not consider their Pizza Bianco, as one of our friends isn’t a fan of the intense-smelling truffle oil the pizza is topped with, but our waitress’s “don’t even consider anything else” advice (well, that was the gist of it, at least) swayed us into ordering.  We also ordered the Quattro Stagioni in hopes of recreating the flavor of a pizza we had eaten in Puerto Vallarta a few months back, since the toppings seemed similar.  While the pizza was nothing like the one in our Mexican fantasy, it was just as good in its own way. 

We finished off the meal with a sampling of gelatos... pistachio, pumpkin and nutella.  We kept tossing around which was our favorite, and I think ultimately we each chose something different, but you couldn't go wrong with any of the choices!

Sapore di Napoli has fresh ingredients, a GREAT crust, and I am almost positive they sprinkle cocaine on top of every slice to give it that addictive quality.  All this, and a great wait staff, makes me wonder why anyone would go anywhere else. 

And in case you’re wondering, the truffle pizza has now surpassed the Mexican pizza in my pizza fantasy.

Sapore di Napoli
1406 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
http://www.saporedinapoli.net/

Mariscos El Veneno

Mexican seafood anyone?

Mariscos El Veneno is probably a restaurant you've never heard of before, and neither had I, until my friend suggested it.  After his glowing review, I could hardly wait to try it!

We went on a Thursday night, dressed very casually.  I appreciate a hole-in-the-wall as much as the next gal... the food can be suprisingly amazing and you can throw on a pair of jeans and boots and still be overdressed.  When we arrived, the place was pretty empty, except for a few regulars.  We picked a table and were greeted with some fresh fish ceviche and a little bowl of the spiciest salsa my poor mouth had ever experienced.  While I was screaming in pain, my friend conveniently told me "El Veneno" translates to venom.  I gave him a very lovely "thank you" with my finger.

Thankfully, he took control of ordering our dinner, as I was a little put off by the creepy food pictures on the menu.  We ordered an octopus dish, Mexican rice, and garlic prawns.  Octopus is my favorite meal, but restaurants always give the smallest portions!  Not El Veneno; the plate was filled to the brim with seafood goodness (octopus, mussels, shrimp).  Our prawns were soaked in olive oil and garlic, one of the best prawn dishes I've ever had.  The only downfall:  you can't possibly look cute while eating them.  I have yet to master the proper way of eating prawns (using your hands and sucking the meat out like you have no manners) but I am determined to be an expert one day!

Overall, El Veneno is a great and unpretentious restaurant with really good seafood!

Mariscos El Veneno
1024 N. Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 252-7200

Coast Sushi Bar

If you're a sushi lover, (we definitely are!) then you have probably already been to Coast.  This Bucktown gem is commonly referred to as the best byob sushi spot in Chicago... and in terms of food and price, we agree.

Our last Coast visit took place on a Thursday evening. Not having reservations, I called ahead to put our name down. This is a very nice perk, as they reserve a portion of their restaurant to "call-ahead" - a.k.a. "procrastinators." We still had to wait a little while, but nothing compared to the wait on a Friday or Saturday night!

We ordered the exotic tempura and gyoza for appetizers... both were good, didn't knock our socks off (see "Tampopo" if you're looking for great tempura!) For our main course, we ordered some nigiri and a few rolls - crunchy, ebi q, spicy tako, and spider. The nigiri was very fresh and the rolls can't be beat in regards to value.

Although the wait staff at Coast is very friendly, the downside to dining here is always feeling rushed.  I understand there are massive lines and they're trying to keep a steady turnover; however, your wait shouldn't have to be longer than your actual meal. 

If you are looking for a great date spot or a trendy restaurant for a girls night out, Coast is the place to go.  Remember - make a reservation and don't forget your poison!

Coast Sushi Bar
2045 N. Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 235-5775
http://www.coastsushibar.com/

Tampopo

We decided to try this place one weeknight because we saw it on Check, Please and became completely obsessed with the idea of ordering a humongous bowl of ramen noodles.  Even though it is way out there, we feel it is worth the trip.  Please note, Tampopo is only BYOB on Thursday. 

At first, the weathered interior scared us a little but we stayed because of the reviews.  We started off with a tako maki, which is both our favorite roll and one we order frequently.  The chunks of octopus in the sushi were so delicious and fresh... it definitely stood out from all the other tako rolls we've had!  We could have eaten ten more (each) but instead chose to save our appetites for dinner... boo to not being piggies.  (Ok, who are we kidding, boo to pretending we aren't piggies).

Originally, we planned on ordering the sukiyaki as one of our entrees, but instead ordered the Tanmen Ramen and Teriyaki Beef & Tempura. The Tanmen Ramen is not recommended.  It was very bland and had a fishy aftertaste since it is made with a fish broth... gross!  However, the Beef & Tempura was delicious.  We both felt the tempura was the best. tempura. ever.  It was not greasy and had a ton of crunch.  The beef teriyaki = also A+.

We would go back again, not for the ambiance, but for the food.  It should also be noted that Tampopo is a little on the pricy side.  Normally you expect these kind of prices in the city... but not so far outside of the city.

Tampopo
5665 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60686
(773) 561-2277
http://www.tampopochicago.com/