Third Floor over Yonder (Closed)

I love Wabash Avenue. Under the girders of the El walk a mix of impatient jewelers, disaffected SAIC kids, clueless tourists, and crispy critters (Erik's term for the especially rough-looking homeless). Three of my favorite lunch joints reside there- Heaven on Seven, Oasis, and The Pittsfield Cafe. 

Not many restaurants can succeed above street level, besides maybe Tilted Kilt, but I hope Yonder is one of them. Going through the "Mallers Building" at 5 S. Wabash is a fun treasure hunt that ends in a theater tech nerd's pastoral breakfast dream.

Photo from Eater.Com

Yonder is brought to you by the Wishbone people, so you'll find the some similar soul food staples like jambalaya and cornbread muffins.
Shown below under purple theater lights and in the shade of the 'bacon tree' are the black bean cakes, mac and cheese, and a side of greens (though the greens look poop-brown in this light). Looking equally unappetizing below is the brisket. Though fatty, it was quite succulent and flavorful.  

Tips: Always get the mac and cheese as a side and don't skip the unsweetened iced tea. It's not too watery, not too bitter. Enjoy the fried egg clouds and pretend you're in the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. 

Rating, each category out of 5: 

Taste           * * * *

Value           * * 
Atmosphere  * * * * (Extra credit for featuring multiple Spuds Mckenzie dogs!)
Service         * * * *

Links: Yelp, Yonder Website

Dillman's in River North

So many expensive floor and wall treatments, so little time!  

After we were brought to a dark corner and seated in cushy club chairs around a big, low table, my first thought was, should we just get cocktails and forget lunch?  Then I saw the cocktail menu. $14 for a Negroni? It has three ingredients! The gin wasn't even specified! 

Half a corned beef sandwich was more than a full meal, as it should be, but I'm not sure it was any better than Perry's Deli. The potato pancakes were tasty, but almost over-fried. 

"Dillman's- bringing New York prices to Chicago." - Erik Glass

I guess they have to pay for this ridiculous build out somehow. (Photo via Eater.com)

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * 

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

Links: Yelp

The Pastoral Sandwich

The $10 (or higher) Loop Sandwich Phenomenon is no longer shocking, but it's still annoying. At Pastoral though, the ingredients are top notch probably worth more than that. Sometimes I can even make two meals out of my Pig and Fig sammy (god there's so much bread).

Blue Pig n' Fig:
Jamon Serrano, Aderkase Reserve blue cheese, local fig and black tea preserve, whole grain dijon mustard and field greens. $9.57

The Serrano is perfect, even though the fat strands stuck in my teeth are still driving me crazy. It could use more fig and less blue cheese - which I never thought I'd say - but the thing is just a tad too salty. 

A fancy bottle of cider to split between the three of us would have been the perfect accompaniment, but Pastoral doesn't have a Consumption on Premises License. "I ain’t openin’ your cider red-headed girly!" is how Erik remembers it. Since it was lunch and not Downtown Sound, I didn't want to wander around Millennium Park asking for a bottle opener. The whole meal all I could think about was cold delicious cider (Pastoral had about three varieties).

It gets pretty crazy in there and the sandwiches take about 10 minutes to make, so Erik recommends pre-ordering, "like all of the really expensive clothes horses in line ahead of us."


Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * 

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

Links: Pastoral Website, Yelp

U.B. Dogs on Franklin

They had me at aioli dipping sauces- peppercorn, chipotle, and  garlic wasabi, for example. There are few things I love more than mayonnaise- based condiments.

UB Dogs is a traditional hot dog joint that isn't afraid to experiment. Take their bizarre 'Joey Dog' with wasabi sauce, Tabasco, and fries on top. 

The homemade chili was just the right amount of tomato-y and tangy and beanless (which I happen to prefer) and the dog had a great snap to go with it.

Next time we're getting the Merkt's cheese dog. It's not everyday you find such a perfect Wisconsin/Chicago fusion dish. 

The owner's happiness was contagious, his smile said, "Yes, I'm living the Chicago hot dog joint owner dream". Even the cashier was disarmingly upbeat during a 1:15 p.m. rush. 

There's a surprising lack of places in the Loop to get a Chicago Dog with a properly steamed Rosen's bun and where the tables are full of friendly regulars with mullets and/or feathered hair.  

Thank you to our friend and coworker Pete Strazzabosco of Greasefreak.com for the tip.

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * * 

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

Links: UB Dogs Website, Yelp

Wonton Off - Siam vs Siam

Ruby of Siam and Siam Rice reside on the same square block of Washington and Wells.  Which establishment has better wonton soup?  Guest lunch-er Emilie Jager and I attempt to pick the winner:

Siam Rice - Emilie claims I'm biased, which we can't entirely rule out; their wonton soup has been my favorite appetizer for years. The garlicy, clear broth is delicate, the napa cabbage is crunchy, and the cilantro is refreshing.  Unfortunately, the wontons vary. Some days they're too chewy and won't come apart with a spoon after many tries. That creates a domino effect when the now mangled wonton tops float off and are too slippery to catch. On a good day, they're a great mix of doughy and light, and the salty chicken and shrimp filling is satisfying. 

Ruby of Siam - This soup is a full meal, and at $4.79, the only dish in the joint that doesn't seem marked up for downtown. In addition to the chicken wontons there's a big spoonful of  ground chicken on top. The broth is on the oily side and has a full, homemade chicken flavor (and as you can see, it not very clear). And it has lots of onion, delicious, delicious onions. I like the generous number of wontons, but there was something 'from the freezer' about them. Biting into it was a workout; they're just too chewy and the dough is too thick. 

Siam Rice's soup is light appetizer, and Ruby of Siam's soup could be your whole lunch. They almost can't be compared.

I say Siam Rice wins- Emilie refuses to agree because she doesn't like cabbage.  

PS Siam Rice wins the unofficial mango and sticky rice dessert contest.

If you want a $13 Sandwich: Hannah's

Sergio's Special is unparalleled:

French Madrange ham and Swiss Gruyère cheese with avocado, sliced jalapeños and mango chutney on organic bretzel.

It's sweet and salty, spicy and soft, but also crunchy and creamy. It's perfect.

They also sell $8 chocolate bars.

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * * *

Value           * *  
Atmosphere  * * 
Service         * * * 

Links: Hannah's Bretzel Website, Yelp

Lunch with a View

You can find me glued to the north facing window at the Macy's 7th floor food court once a week, maybe more. On Tuesdays I spy on the Joffrey Ballet company doing barre work in slick leotards and ratty legwarmers. Other days they rehearse for an upcoming performance, which mostly means understudies marking the steps with attitude, standing around with their hands on their hips, and generally looking sexy as hell. If you're lucky, Joffrey's hottest principal dancer Fabrice Calmels will throw an explosive tour jete in the floor to ceiling window. 

And back to lunch; I've eaten at every place on the 7th floor over the past 10 years (Marshall Fields used to make an exquisite butternut squash soup that has since been discontinued). Here are my reviews:  

Frontera Fresco:
This is a great way to get your Rick Bayless fix for half the price. The huaraches and quesadillas are cooked slowly, and should not be rushed. As is always our advice, go early or late to avoid lines (it is the LONGEST lunch line in all of the Loop). My go-to is the steak and mushroom huarache; it's filling but not overly so. The lightly dressed frizze salad on top provides the illusion of a healthy meal.

Marc Burger:
It used to be ostrich, but now the exotic burger is buffalo. These are the best seasoned fries downtown. Don't get the Kobe beef sliders- there's too much truffle oil. Also, note: milkshakes with whipped cream.

Noodles by Takashi:
Takashi (also of Slurping Turtle) is here for you. It's great when you're sick and you need a quality bowl of ramen without walking outside -Macy's is arguably the epicenter of the Loop pedway system. I frequent this place the least- I'm still not sure it's worth the wait and the money ($11 for a bowl of ramen- without tax), but when you need ramen you need ramen. The toppings are authentic, if a little inconsistent. Do not waste your money on the fried rice or the gyoza. (Update: Erik says, the fried rice with pickled ginger on top is a good value and I probably just don't like fried rice and I agreed.)

Soup Place:
MMMM! This place is my fav because the line is short and the soup/half sandwich option is around $8.50. The best soup is the chicken & wild rice and I recommend either the chicken salad sandwich which has mango and avocado, or their new salmon salad sandwich (sounds gross but try it) which has crispy cucumbers and on a perfect brioche bun.

Salad Bar:
The best steak salad I've had anywhere and not just because it comes with shoestring potato chips. And look at that horseradish cream sauce on top. Not to mention the grilled-to-order steak (so it's still warm) and blue cheese crumbles. 

The nicoise salad is a close second, with olive aioli and fluffy hard boiled egg halves. All salads come with a pretzel bread roll (yes!).

You get what you pay for- a (freakin) $13 salad. I don't even really like salads, but in this case I might even pay more.

I think that about covers it. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Rating, each category out of 5:

Taste           * * * *

Value           * *  Get the punch card, you only have to buy 7 for a free meal!
Atmosphere  * * * * *
Service         * * * 

Links: Macy's Seven on State Website, Yelp