44th Ward Dinner Party

44th Ward Dinner Party
3542 N Halsted St., Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Lakeview

44th Ward Dinner Party.  Photo Credit: Mike Howes.

The 44th Ward Dinner Party is tucked inside the Boystown area of Lakeview and they are known for their grilled cheese.  Yes, you read that right.  The classic American sandwich is the focal point of the 44th Ward Dinner Party menu.  You can build your own grilled cheese, choosing from 7 bread types, 10 cheeses, 4 spreads and more than a dozen extras.  If you’re not into that, the 44th Ward Dinner Party also offers their own signature sandwiches.  I had The Rooftop, which included hickory smoked ham, aged sharp cheddar, chihuahua cheese and stone-ground mustard served on a pretzel roll.  It was amazing and I highly recommend trying it.  Overall, the 44th Ward Dinner Party is very cozy and has a Victorian era feel to its aesthetic.  Also, after midnight you can get grilled cheese sandwiches served the old fashion way on Wonder bread for $1!

-Rob

Anna’s Red Line sandwich with mac and cheese (foreground) and Anna’s friend Stephanie’s grilled cheese (background).  It’s really dark inside the restaurant, hence the blinding use of flash.

My Rooftop sandwich, with parmesan garlic mashed potatoes.

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Bentonara

Bentonara
1156 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Lakeview

Bentonara Sushi.

NOTE: There was no post last week due to both of us being out of town for Thanksgiving.  We hope all of you had a great holiday!

After being obsessed with the House of Sushi and Noodles for a long time (and then having several bad experiences there), Rob and I have been in search of a new sushi place for the past six months or so.  Right down the street from the House of Sushi and Noodles is Bentonara, which we decided to try on Friday night due to a friend’s suggestion.  The sushi was pretty reasonably priced ($5-7 for basic rolls and $8-15 for special rolls) and tasted really fresh.  Unlike the House of Sushi and Noodles, the service was great too.  We ordered enough sushi that they served it to us in a boat, which was awesome.  I don’t know if we found a new favorite sushi place, but Bentonara is definitely worth checking out if you’ve never been.

-Anna

Sushi in a boat!

Rob would have given Bentonara’s sushi two thumbs up, but he was too busy holding chopsticks.

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Coalfire Pizza

Coalfire Pizza
1321 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: West Town

Coalfire Pizza.

Anna and I decided to skip making dinner tonight and opted to try Coalfire Pizza in West Town instead.  Coalfire’s claim to fame is serving Neapolitan style pizza, hot and ready from an 800° F coal fired oven.  Tonight we started off by sharing a house salad that was huge and delicious, then we had a medium prosciutto pizza that had fresh mozzarella cheese and Coalfire’s signature tomato sauce.  The pizza was really good and the perfect size for two people.  The crust was really crispy, and had a perfect balance of sauce and toppings as well.  Coalfire is very cozy and a perfect place for a first date or even for a family outing.  Unexpectedly, Coalfire also played some great music during our dinner, including The Cure and The Ramones, so big ups for that as well.

-Rob

Straight from the coal fired oven, the prosciutto pizza we shared.

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Las Palmas

Las Palmas
1835 W North Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Wicker Park

The bar area in Las Palmas.  Photo credit: Las Palmas’ website.

Rob and I have been to Las Palmas many times, but only for their amazing modern, up-scale Mexican cuisine.  Rob had eaten their brunch a few years ago and has been telling me for awhile how good it is, so we decided to venture over there and check it out this weekend.  The restaurant was almost entirely empty when we walked in around 12:30.  We snacked on their addictive chips and salsa and then feasted on our brunch selections.  I had the El Benito, which was a Mexican version of eggs benedict with chipotle hollandaise sauce and Rob had Huevos Rancheros.  Both were excellent and as you can tell from the pictures below, they were plated beautifully.  The best kept secret about Las Palmas’ brunch is how cheap it is.  My meal was $10 and Rob’s was $7.  For all of the food we received, you can’t beat a deal like that.

-Anna

El Benito.

Huevos Rancheros.

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Margie's Candies

Margie’s Candies
1960 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Bucktown

Margie’s Candies has been serving ice cream and candies since 1921, making it a Chicago landmark.  I have passed by Margie’s Candies so many times and never stopped in, so tonight during the 5th inning of game six of the World Series, Anna and I decided to take quick break from the ball game and head over to the legendary ice cream shop for sundaes.  Anna ordered a hot fudge sundae, while I had the hot butterscotch sundae.  The sundaes were huge, relatively cheap ($4 each), and fantastic.

Quick Fun Fact: The Beatles went to Margie’s Candies in 1965 after their concert at Comiskey Park!

-Rob

Butterscoth sundae on the left and hot fudge sundae on the right.

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Lincoln Hall

Lincoln Hall
2424 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park

If you’re from New York, new venue openings probably don’t excite you much since it happens all the time.  But if you’re an obsessive Chicago show-goer like Rob and myself, new venues are an occasion to celebrate.  In tonight’s case, Rob and I went to see Ted Leo & The Pharmacists play the grand opening event at Lincoln Hall, a new venue from the fine folks behind Schubas.  Ted Leo and his band of Pharmacists put on a great set (as always), but the real issue at hand here was how does Lincoln Hall stack up against Chicago’s many other music venues?  In two words: it’s perfect.  The sound was crisp and clear and still sounded great from the back of the room.  Speaking of the room, the capacity for the floor section is about 200 people.  Rob and I stood on the small staircase at the back near the soundbooth (mainly because I’m 5’2”) and had an amazing view of the stage.  We ventured up to the balcony as well (which has another bar and a flatscreen TV showing the stage action) before the show but the railing was blocked and it was too crowded to get a decent spot.  The bar in the front room of Lincoln Hall is decorated great, with sleek wood tables and a view of The Biograph Theater across the street.  If there are upcoming shows you’re interested in seeing at Lincoln Hall, Rob and I both highly recommend it.  I’ve honestly never heard live music sound that good in my life.  Lincoln Hall is a wonderful new addition to Chicago’s music scene.

-Anna

Ted Leo and his new mohawked hair at Lincoln Hall.

The stage at Lincoln Hall.

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Pequod's Pizza

Pequod’s Pizza
2207 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park

When people think about Chicago, immediate thoughts include Bears football, Barack Obama, and deep dish pizza.  Everyone knows about well known pizza spots like Gino’s East or Pizzeria Uno, which are fine and all, but tonight Anna and I visited Pequod’s in Lincoln Park to try their deep dish pizza for dinner.  Pequod’s has been in business since 1970 and is known for their famous caramelized crust, that looks burnt, but is purposely baked in cast iron pans that have been “blackened by decades of seasoning,” according to their website.  We ordered a 12” medium deep dish pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms.  It was pretty amazing, and one of the best deep dishes I have ever tried.  If deep dish pizza isn’t your thing, Pequod’s also serves thin crust pizza, sandwiches, and pasta.  Their prices are pretty reasonable, our entire meal (after tax and tip) was $25.  Plus, their kitchen is open until 2am and they have a decent beer selection, thus making Pequod’s a great spot for late night cravings.

-Rob

Check out that carmelized crust.  So good!

Pequod’s mascot is a whale that wears underwear on its head.  Don’t ask.  Also the pizza is served in a pan that is on top of a whale-shaped cutting board, which Rob is holding.

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Adler After Dark

Adler After Dark
Adler Planetarium - 1300 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Near South

Music, cocktails, and appetizers at Adler After Dark.

Starting tonight, Adler Planetarium kicked off their new Thursday night event, Adler After Dark, a nighttime walkthrough of their various exhibits for the 21+ set.  Because the kickoff event was free, and I had never been to the planetarium, Rob and I decided to check it out.  We arrived around 7pm (the event goes from 6-10pm) and walked around the upper level and bought drinks.  A DJ was spinning and people were mingling around the various exhibits.  Rob and I got sort of bored walking around, so we decided to watch a planetarium show at 8:15 about constellations.  It was pretty interesting, especially after a few drinks.  I would definitely recommend Adler After Dark as a fun Thursday night alternative to the typical Chicago bar scene.  Adler After Dark is the third Thursday of every month and is $15 for non-members and $10 for members.

-Anna

Rob checking out a moon crater exhibit.

Just hanging out on the moon, no big deal.

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Hamburger Mary's

Hamburger Mary’s
5400 N Clark St, Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Andersonville

Outside Hamburger Mary’s.  Photo Credit: Anna.

Chicago is home to many great brunch spots, so this afternoon Anna and I ventured north to the Andersonville neighborhood to try Hamburger Mary’s take on the popular meal.  Hamburger Mary’s is a LGBT friendly restaurant that includes a sports bar (The Rec Room) and even a dance club (The Attic).  Anna and I had been to Hamburger Mary’s once before for their burgers (which are amazing), but what drew us back for brunch today were the mimosas, as the first one is on the house and after that they are only $2.  Anna ordered the Breakfast Sandwich with ham and potatoes and I went with the Big Boy B’Fast Burrito.  Our food wasn’t bad, it was very filling, and our check was under $20 and the receipt was delivered inside the sole of a high-heeled shoe.  However, I recommend sticking with what Hamburger Mary’s is known for: their excellent burgers.

-Rob

Rob’s breakfast burrito tasted a lot better than it looked.  Photo Credit: Anna.

Anna’s breakfast sandwich (note the hamburger bun) and awesome potatoes.  Photo Credit: Anna.

The check in its high-heeled shoe.  Too funny.  Photo credit: Anna.

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The Rocking Horse

The Rocking Horse
2535 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Logan Square

Photo Credit: Anna

I swear Rob and I do venture outside of Logan Square, but tonight we decided to stay in our neighborhood because who really wants to travel far in rainy weather?  Before we went to New Wave, we stopped by The Rocking Horse bar and restaurant for a quick bite to eat and to watch the Yankees/Twins game.  Rob and I both got different types of burgers and beers (cheeseburger and Bell’s two-hearted ale for me and chili cheeseburger and Lagunitas pilsner for him).  Unfortunately, the food left a bit to be desired for.  At $8-$10, we could’ve gotten better food at a different restaurant for the same price.  Oh well.  Bar-wise, Rocking Horse is really nice, with its dark interior, sleek leather boothes, great beer selection, and awesome jukebox.  If Rob and I decide to come back, it will probably be only for the drinks and not for the food.  At least one good thing came out of this evening though: the Yankees won!

-Anna

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