Sausage Fest at the Sausage Place

I don't mind that Westminster Dogs is always only full of dudes, and neither does Erik. 

I love a lobster roll bun, but the 'Southwest' chicken sausage was a tad mealy and the casing was tough. On previous trips my Chicago Dog had a stale bun and the 'Steak Fromage' was cold in the middle. Couple that with lots of fluorescent lighting and a "counter" made out of shallow Home Depot bookshelves and there's no mystery why there are only a few ladies frequenting this joint.  

And as Erik said, "Doug Sohn has absolutely nothing to worry about."  

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * *

Value           * * 
Atmosphere  *
Service         * *

Links: Westminster Dogs Website, Yelp

Ba Le with Jen Le

Finally! Ba Le is open! And my favorite Vietnamese friend Jen approves.

The Banh Mi bread is perfectly crusty and French. 

Both the beef and chicken Pho are equally delicious. 

The BBQ pork rice bowl was so good, I had it twice last week.  

There's THREE fish options on the menu.

And if that's not enough check out what epicurean Erik Glass blurted out, "I bet we could eat here every day."

I've been told by multiple sources to stay away from their bland-ass spring rolls, but the bar has been set so low (by the only other Loop Vietnamese place Saigon Sisters) that I might give them a shot.

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * *
Value           * * * 
Atmosphere  * *
Service         * * * *

Links: Ba Le Website, Yelp

More Middle Eastern

Falafill is a trusting and generous establishment. They give you the base, meat or falafal, and get this-- the toppings are self-serve! Toppings like hummus and couscous and baba ghanouge. The mezze bar is a meal in itself! Falafill is the opposite of Roti- where onions are in the same category as feta, olives, and cucumber salad but you only get two.

Don't miss the Toum and all its garlicy mayonaisey glory.

Rating, each category out of 5:


Taste           * * * * 
Value           * * * * *
Atmosphere  * * * *
Service         * * * *

Links: Falafill Website, Yelp

Green Apple Gomtang

Green Apple has mediocre Korean food in the 'Korean Food Desert' that is downtown (Lai Lai over on Van Buren and Wells has a Korean Express but that's the only other one I can think of).  The bulgolgi is sub-par and the portions are usually small, but we'll take what we can get. For some reason they also have Pho and it's not bad at all. 

However, there is something else special about Green Apple Grill & More and that's the cloudy, sour, nutrient-rich Gomtang i.e. Korean tripe soup. It's got a strong flavor like all tripe soups and I had to dig out the below photo from last year because I'm not quite ready to eat it again.  

"Gomtang is a traditional beef brisket and tripe soup...in translation means bear soup but in this case gom refers to the extensive boiling which depicts the hearty flavors and nutrients that this dish provides. It is commonly said that consuming this soup will provide excellent strength much like a bear."

So when you are stuck at work and inevitably craving Korean food, go to the second level of the Clark and Lake food court. The kimchi is excellent. Your clothes will smell like Popeye's for the rest of the day, but it's worth it.

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * *   
Value           * * * 
Atmosphere  * 
Service         * * * *

Links: Green Apple Grill and More

The one and only Siam Rice

Pictured above is Siam Rice's Plik Khing in all its spicy, oily, lemon grassy glory. The Roasted Duck with Chinese Broccoli (crispy skin-on duck with a soy/vinegar/jalapeno sauce) and the Karry Curry are also in my regular rotation.

The Siam Rolls are better than the Spring Rolls, the Bamee Noodles come with a fried BBQ pork wonton, and the chicken broth with fresh cilantro in the Wonton Soup will cure whichever type of hangover ails you.

Siam Rice is THE best Thai place in the Loop. Arrive at 11:30 or 1pm and never in between.  Or go once a week for 7 years to achieve the "Meg Effect", as Erik calls it, and get seated immediately every time.

The most unhealthy (and delicious) dish on the menu, and a Benet Haller favorite, is the Panang Noodle, a curry dish with nary a vegetable save for the red pepper garnish, deep fried wide noodles, and piles of your choice of meat. 


Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste          * * * * *  
Value          * * * * *
Atmosphere * * *
Service        * * * *


Links: http://www.siamricethai.com/menu.html, Yelp 

The Pittsfield Cafe

Where can you get four kinds of cottage cheese plates, a fried smelt entree, a francheezie, and breakfast all day? 

Do you also want to enjoy a beer in an 'outdoor' seating area inside a 1927 Spanish Gothic/art deco atrium?  Pittsfield Cafe has it all. Cash Only. 

Links: Yelp, Landmark info

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste          * * *  
Value          * * * * 
Atmosphere * * * * *
Service        * * * * *

A Fancy Japanese Lunch

"Well that was an expensive lunch," Erik and I say every time we go to Slurping Turtle. This time though, we reevaluated the $18 bento box.  

It is the perfect amount of food, flavors, textures, and temperatures. The short ribs warrant gnawing to the bone and the sashimi was exactly what I wanted. Neal's Tan Tan Men Ramen was well balanced, meaty, and spicy, but too many noodles were taking up prime real estate in the bowl.(Don't worry they are now in my work fridge and will be a perfect evening snack.) 

As the most fun-looking building on the block Slurping Turtle begs you to come inside, even though the ultra-modern door makes you feel like an idiot. 

Another fun building- a remnant of old Hubbard street from the seedy 70s and 80s still resides across the street in case you need to pick up any adult novelties on your lunch break.  

Links: http://slurpingturtle.com/, Yelp

Rating, each category out of 5:
Taste              * * * *  
Value              * * * 
Atmosphere     * * * *
Service            * * * * *