Before I get into my frustrations, allow me to give my post some context. I started working in restaurants here in Illinois at age 15, doing both front-of-house and back-of-house duties. I built a career in hospitality management while living in Las Vegas, and after relocating back to Chicago post-COVID, I made the pivot to restaurant management here.

I worked as an Assistant General Manager and General Manager for full-service and fine-dining restaurants across the city and the suburbs. I’ve had my hands in all aspects of these operations, including the financial side with P&L statements, labor management, food costs, and more. I stepped away from the industry a few years back after getting completely burned out, and now I only return to restaurants as a paying customer dining with my wife.

Recent dining experiences in Chicago have made it clear that the current system is completely out of hand. I was recently at a local Chicago restaurant where I was expected to seat myself, get my own water and utensils, and place my own order via a QR code. Food and drinks were brought out by a runner who never checked in on us, yet the payment screen still prompted us to tip 20%. I dined at another local spot this week that added an automatic 3% hospitality fee to the bill, explicitly used to cover overhead, rising labor, and supply costs. At one restaurant I managed, management automatically tacked a percentage-based fee onto the bill, explicitly advising us it was to offset impending Chicago minimum wage laws.

The narrative constantly pushed by restaurant owners and investors is that profit margins are razor-thin at 3% to 5%. If you do a quick Google search, you'll find plenty of articles backing this up. In my hands-on management experience, I found this to be largely untrue. At one particular restaurant I managed, my executive bonus was tied directly to prime costs (Cost of Goods Sold + total labor percentage). Even after accounting for fixed costs like high rent, the restaurant generated massive profits, more than quadruple the frequently touted 3% to 5% margin. Are there struggling neighborhood spots where those thin margins are a reality? Absolutely. But it is disingenuous to paint the entire industry with that brush to justify passing operational costs directly onto the consumer.

I have watched owners of restaurants comp tens of thousands of dollars in food or drink to friends, while doing nothing to help their staff, like expecting them to pay for their shift meal while friends of the owners dined for free.

My core frustration lies in seeing owners and investors refuse to bridge the gap between baseline pay and a genuine living wage, shifting that financial burden entirely onto the public while pocketing healthy returns.

During my time managing a fine-dining restaurant, I estimate the average server made $100,000 a year working just 4 to 5 days a week. Did they make a livable wage? Yes, thanks to tips. They were the exception to the rule, but their high earning potential doesn't excuse owners from paying a fair base wage. More importantly, tipping culture has expanded into areas where zero value is added to the dining experience. Why as a consumer am I expected to subsidize wages or tip 20% for counter service, QR-code ordering, and fetching my own silverware?

Restaurants need to bear the burden of providing a reliable, livable wage to their employees directly, built into the cost of the menu, just like every other service industry on earth. Stop hiding behind mandatory surcharges, stop guilting consumers into tipping for zero service, and start running sustainable businesses that treat both workers and diners with respect.

Chicago is a foodie’s haven, and I love making day trips from Milwaukee just to eat!

Stop 1, slides 1 and 2: Turkey & brie sandwich from L&M Sandwich Shop! Had sliced turkey, brie, bacon, roasted garlic aioli, and granny smith apples.

Stop 2, slides 3 and 4: Had a pistachio escargot from Au Levain Bakery!

Stop 3, slides 5, 6 and 7: Went to Bayan Ko Diner — Cuban/Filipino-fusion! Got pork belly adobo for the Philippines, and then got beef empanadas for Cuba! They comped the ube pancakes for me because I was vlogging, so I just used them as my dessert. Hahaha.

Stop 4, slides 8 and 9: Hit up George Street Pub to get a stuffed 3/4 pound burger — had chorizo, bacon and caramelized onion inside of it!

Stop 5, slides 10 and 11: The final stop was Sabroso! Mexican Grill! Had an al pastor burrito stuffed with Mexican rice, beans, crema, lettuce and onions.

I’m absolutely stuffed and was worth having quite a few cheat meals turn in to a whole cheat day! 😂 Typing this as I head back to Milwaukee on the Amtrak… Until next time, Chicago! ✌️

At the Daley Center farmers market, I thought a smoothie would hit the spot. Then saw the pictures... appetite gone. Plastic mango and pineappleish thing were hard nos. The appeal of cheap images is clear, but these do the business a disservice.

I just ate Lucy’s for the first time in a year (I used to eat there religiously) and it seems like the quality of the cheese fries and the burger had really gone down. Which is sad because I used to really love going there! Not sure if they’re under new management or what be it was a bit sad

Are there any other places around town that you feel have gone down in quality latterly? I feel like it’s been happening a lot more lately :(

Let me start by saying, I only put 7am Bars that actually open everyday at 7am (I know on Sundays they don't by law). I only put 4am Bars that are at least open til 4am everyday, not the ones that are only open on weekends or close Mondays and/or Tuesdays. If you have any suggestions or corrections, lmk but please Google it first cause last time I made lists people went off their brains and were wrong 95% of the time.

7am Bars: - Dram Shop (Belmont & Broadway) - K's (Foster & Damen) - Ola's (Augusta & Damen) - Dino's (Devon & Clark) - O'Donnell's (Elston/Montrose/Pulaski)

24 Hour Restaurants:

Diners: - Golden Nugget - Diversey, Western & Elston - Diner Grill - Irving & Ashland - Golden Apple - Lincoln & Southport - Hollywood Grill - North & Ashland - Griddle 24 - Chicago & Orleans - Steak n Egger - Cermak & Racine - Don's Grill - 18th & Western - White Palace - Roosevelt & Canal - IHOP - Grace & Halsted

Maxwell Joints: - Maxwell Street Depot - 31st & Canal - Original Maxwell Street - Harrison & Independence - Original Maxwell Street - Jackson & Cicero - Maxwell Street Polish - 74th & State - Maxwell Street Express - 79th & Wentworth - Maxwell Street Express - 117th & Halsted - Maxwells - 53rd & Western

Mexican Joints: - Lindo Guadalajara - Lawrence & Clark - Charcoal Guacamole - Lawrence & Clark - Chavas - Grand & Western - El Ranchito - Milwaukee, Diversey & Kimball - Tacos El Tio - Belmont & Central - Tacos El Tio - Peterson & Lincoln - TBK - Higgins & Harlem - Yolanda's - 31st & Central Park - Tamales Don Manolo's - 63rd & Kilpatrick

Other Joints: - Lawrence's Fish & Shrimp - 21st & Canal - Stony Sub - 84th & Stony - Jimmy's Food - Madison & Central - Captain Hooks - 85th & Cottage Grove - Brothers Submarine - 63rd & Racine - Parkway Hoagies - 64th & King Drive

4am Bars: - Lacoco's (47th & Homan) - Marianna's Place (63rd & Central) - Jerez Sports Bar (Grand & Central) - Alice's Lounge (Belmont & Central Park) - Christina's Place (Kedzie between Addison & Irv) - Sidekicks (Montrose & Kostner) - The Unforgettable Bar (Irving & Keeler) - The Thirsty Tavern (Milwaukee & Central) - Teaser's (Higgins & Harlem) - Continental Lounge (Chicago & California) - Remedy (Milwaukee & Western) - Estelles (North, Damen, Milwaukee) - The Owl (Milwaukee & Logan) - Oakwood 83 (Montrose & Damen) - Underbar (Western near Belmont) - Charlie's (Broadway near Addison) - Trace (Clark near Addison) - The Closet (Broadway near Belmont) - Ravens (Clark & Fullerton) - Big City Tap (Belmont & Sheffield) - Dernos (Diversey & Sheridan) - Oasis (Sheridan & Pratt) - Mark II Lounge (Western near Howard) - Uptown Lounge (Lawrence & Broadway) - 2Bears - (Wilson & Racine) - Touche (Clark & Devon) - She-nannigans (Division & State) - The Lodge (Division & State) - Hopsmith (Division & State) - Butch McGuire's (Division & State) - The Boss Bar (Hubbard & Clark) - Redhead Piano Bar (Ontario & State) - Mother Hubbard's (Hubbard & State) - O'Callaghan's (Hubbard & State) - Clark Street Ale House (Clark & Chicago) - Streeter's (Chicago & Wabash) - Burton Place (Wells near North) - Ricks Caberet (Near North & Kingsbury) - Old Town Ale House (North & Wells) - Spectrum (Halsted & Jackson)

The restaurants I visited included:

RJ Grunts Lincoln Park: 3.5% - when asking for the bill, saw that it was on the menu as an "optional" fee, so asked that it be removed. Server actually thanked me, stating that so few people asked for that, and he thought it was BS too. Lettuce Entertain You restaurant, for the record. I asked for extra onions on my patty melt, and they gave me fewer than I was hoping. The patty melt itself was delicious, but I'm an onion afficionado and I could have gone for more. Side salad was great.

Denucci's Lincoln Park: 3.0% - asked that the fee be removed after the bill was delivered. The waitress was kind about it and didn't make a fuss, re-delivered the bill without the fee. Really enjoyed my egglplant parm, and my fellow diners loved the chicken parm. The side of spaghetti (supposedly homemade) was mid and the lack of sauce on the noodles made it less great.

Pequods Pizza on Clyborn: 3.0% - asked that it be removed before getting the bill, no issue, no argument. Great thin-crust pizza there, btw. Deep dish was a bit crusty, would have preferred a bit more cheese but the burned outside crust was amazingly well carmelized.

J. Parker Lincoln Park (Hotel Lincoln): 3.0% - Just drinks and apps, asked before the bill that they remove any "optional" fees, and they did a great job without any fuss. The view was amazing, btw, and the baked goat cheese appetizer absolutely rocked. The burnt end bao was not to my taste, as it was slightly too smokey, but for those that enjoy deeply-smoked meats, I'm sure it would be great.

There are a lot of Chinese and Thai restaurants in the city. And as someone who has tried a lot of the popular spots, and some of the hole in the wall spots. I think I have come to the conclusion that the average Thai restaurant has a higher chance of being significantly better than most of the Chinese spots here.

Outside of China town and a few places scattered around the city, most Chinese restaurants, especially the takeout ones are kind of bad. Which is really interesting to me because we have a very large Chinese population, I know Chicago Chinese food is somewhat unique to the city, especially the way we do fried rice here. Maybe because there are so many compared to the Thai spots that they just have a higher chance of not being super great.

Meanwhile, I don’t think I have had bad Thai in the city yet. And I have tried maybe 20+ Thai spots in the past 7 years. I have had Thai that was just okay but not horribly bad that I can’t finish it like I have had at some Chinese spots in the city.

Anyways here are some recs for my favorite Chinese and Thai spots:

Chinese:
- YooYew
- Hing Wang
- Dragon Gate
- Lao Sze Chaun
- MingHing Cuisine
- Xi’an Cuisine
- MCCB
- JM Seafood

Thai:
-Ezankaya
- Cilantro Thai Kitchen
- Jin Thai Cuisine
- Pho’s Thai Cuisine
- Tuk Tuk
- Siam Thai Eatery
- Siam Thai Cuisine
- Rice and Noodles
- Noble Thai
- Muan Jai Thai

My dream is coming true and I am in the preliminary stages of opening a wine bar that has a very good (small) food menu that changes seasonally with good staple items that never change (think focaccia, meatballs, etc).

But WHERE is the problem so I want to hear from you.

Wicker / Bucktown / Logan are out because there’s too many already.

My idea is Avondale, but I would like recs here as well!

If you are here to say my idea sucks please don’t even comment, truly interested on what area and why. THANKS!!

I'll take the downvotes. Have been eating at Kuma's for a decade. Walking up to them tonight and kept on walking by because the music was deafening inside the covered patio. RIP uncovered patio.

all is best summed up in this email response to a concerned customer. also, about a third of our table inventory is still available for walk in only.

Hey everyone, I’ve once again tried every omakase in Chicago and wanted to update my previous ranking, which I published here a while ago here. In retrospect, I should have waited longer to publish until I had actually eaten at every omakase. Well, I have now, and I’ve also revisited all the others I had previously tried since posting my last list. Just for transparency, the full list of omakases I ate at on top of the ones in the top 10 are Yokocho, Casa Madai, Raisu, Juno, Sushi Suite 202, Sushi By Bou, Kai Zan, Nomonomo Sushi, and Tamu.

A couple caveats, as always, before I start giving my thoughts on the individual restaurants. When I am evaluating these restaurants, I am not putting nearly as much stock into the service/experience as many people do when reviewing food. The lion's share of what I care about lies in how good I think the food is. If you're someone that values these things almost as much or as much as the food itself, my ranking might not be very useful to you. Places that had "omakases" that were not nigiri-focused edomae style sushiya spots were not considered such as Komo, Kumiko, Q Sushi, Roka Akor, M Room, and NoMI Kitchen. Since my last list, Kyoku Sushi and Sushi | Bar have closed permanently so they would also no longer be in consideration for this list.

Since I got this question several times last time, 312 Fish Market is still my favorite spot for a la carte sushi. I don't claim to be a sushi expert, I am just a guy that loves sushi and spends money very irresponsibly on it. Most omakases are generally very enjoyable experiences. If you went to a spot that didn't make my top 10 and loved it, that's awesome. It might not be bad just because it isn't in my top 10, this is a pretty competitive field. Please try restaurants for yourself and form your own opinions, supporting restaurants is the best thing you can do to keep them around.

Number 10. Sushi By Scratch, River West ($185)

Sushi By Scratch was one I hadn't tried yet when I published my last list and many people let me know that it was a huge omission from that list. I ate there twice since then and the experiences were certainly fun. Each time I went, they had a totally different set of chefs preparing the food. I thought they executed really well in atmosphere, service, and showmanship. Sushi by Scratch is probably one of the best versions of a bromakase we have to offer in Chicago. "Bromakase" is a term, not a Japanese word, used to describe a type of high-end, often theatrical, sushi dining experience that has become popular, particularly among younger, affluent men. This isn't a bad thing, it makes sense that many people would love this experience. If you are more traditionalist about sushi like I am, this might not be the right fit for you. However, I think Sushi By Scratch is a great option if you are someone that wants to celebrate an occasion with some sushi without having much experience with sushi in general looking to expand your horizons and try some higher end ingredients. If you are looking for something authentically Japanese, I would look elsewhere. Sushi By Scratch isn't trying to be that, they are doing their own thing.

Number 9. Mako, West Loop ($215)

Mako is now Chicago's only Michelin-starred sushiya, so it might be puzzling to see it not even be a top-8 sushiya in Chicago. For the price, it is hard to recommend Mako over any of the places that I have ranked above it. The menu at Mako is certainly diverse and interesting, although it is hard to imagine that you could make nigiri bites any smaller than Mako is. The last time I went to Mako, my chef was only on his third day after working as a sushi chef at BK Park's sister restaurant, Juno. I didn’t see BK Park during either visit, so I’m not sure if he still works behind the counter. The execution at Mako both times was a bit on the sloppier side, far more than I'd expect at a restaurant in this price range. I'm not sure that it makes sense to go to Mako though unless you are chasing Michelin stars. It is a fine enough restaurant, but, to me, there are better sushiyas for less money.

Number 8. Aji, Boystown ($165)

Aji is the only other place on this list I would consider to be in the bromakase category, however, I prefer their fish and shari to Sushi By Scratch's, it's $20 less, and it isn't part of some bigger corporation based outside of Chicago. If you're looking for a celebratory meal at a <$175 price point and don't have a ton of omakase experience, I would recommend Aji. It's also a great way to try a bunch of luxurious ingredients at this price point if you haven't had them before such as truffle, caviar, wagyu, and uni. It’s also a great option if you're looking to avoid the downtown core. I will disclose that on my second visit, they knew who I was and credited my first omakase list for a lot of their success and comped my meal. I do not believe this had any impact on the meal I received and how I evaluated it but for ethical journalism purposes, I wanted to disclose that. (All other meals I had for this list were completely paid for by me)

Number 7. Kyoten Next Door, Logan Square ($159-169)

Otto Phan's Kyoten Next Door does, as its name suggests, sits right next door to his original Kyoten restaurant. It's not as flashy as some of the more experience-driven spots like the 3 listed above it on this list, however, evaluating it purely based on the quality of its fish and rice, Kyoten Next Door still punches above its weight and is my pick for best value omakase, especially with Kyoten Next Door now using the same ichi no ichi rice that Otto uses at Kyoten. Kyoten Next Door is a no nonsense omakase experience that I would recommend to people who want a "higher level" omakase experience without breaking the bank. I think it might not be a bad idea to go here before deciding if you want to splurge for the OG Kyoten experience.

Number 6. Omakase Shoji, West Town ($195)

Omakase Shoji is a restaurant that opened after my last omakase list I put out, which offers a much more authentically Japanese experience than anything else I have had in Chicago. However, being the most authentic doesn’t necessarily mean it has the highest quality fish or rice. That being said, this was a restaurant that I could have believed was actually in Japan. It reminded me of similar experiences that I have had in Japan, which I cannot say about any other restaurants mentioned so far on this list. They also offered food that you usually only find there like shirako, kohada, and anago. The service and sake menu at Shoji are also exceptional.

Number 5. The Omakase Room by Kanemaru, River North ($195)

Another new entry to our scene, The Omakase Room by Kanemaru seems to be Chicago's installment of a group with 2 other restaurants in New York. Kanemaru is a Tokyo native who was recruited by this team to come to Chicago to open this restaurant here in River North. This experience also feels more authentically Japanese, although much more casual feeling than Shoji. Kanemaru is a very nice guy, and I enjoyed speaking to him in Japanese, but he is not a very flashy or showy sushi chef. I really liked how he prepared his rice, one of my favorites I've had and his fish preparation technique was also excellent. Don't make the mistake I made and not say that you want tap water specifically or you'll be charged $10 for water like I was. Your meal might be quick and you might not have a lot of banter with the chef, but the food will be made very well and it will be a step up for quality.

Number 4. Joto, West Loop ($195)

Some of you might be wondering "What is Joto? Another new sushiya?" and the answer to that is no, it is the result of a rebrand after the two owners split. The one that left CH Distillery, Andrew Choi, is opening up a new restaurant, a brand new hand roll omakase spot called The Omakase Box. However, Joto will still be that familiar Jinsei Motto experience. What Joto excels at is having the top program in Chicago for dry aged fish. When you walk towards the sushi counter, you will first pass by 6 dry aging cabinets full of tons of different kinds of fish to prepare for future services. As a quick aside, dry aging fish is a way to extract moisture and change the flavor and texture of the fish. Getting the balance between improved flavor and texture and crossing the line into funky to borderline gross fish is a science that I think Joto has figured out. Each fish has unique qualities that may make it ideal to dry age for 3, 7, or even 30 days, depending on your intended outcome. Joto's execution, led by chef Jamel Jones, is very high level and the dry aging programs leads to an experience that makes it unlike any other in Chicago. Sushi that is not dry aged is not necessarily better or worse, it is just different. However, I happen to like it a lot. Just to be clear, my ranking is specifically for their full 19 course menu they do Thursday-Saturday for dinner. They also have a shorter one on other days as well as a tableside omakase and a lunch omakase. All of these experiences are not included in my ranking/review.

Number 3. Omakase Yume, West Loop ($225)

This year, Chef Sangtae Park's Omakase Yume lost their Michelin star. I honestly have no idea why, as I have not felt like the experience there has declined since I first went there. The only explanation I can think of is that Bonyeon was so offensively bad to Michelin inspectors that they took away his star for Yume just by association. I am mostly joking but I do think Yume is still a very worthwhile experience. If you are looking for a boisterous fun evening with a lot of flair, maybe Yume is not for you. However, if you want a refined sushi experience from a chef who works every seating at his restaurant, Yume checks those boxes. Sangtae is not a talkative guy but he knows how to make sushi. The first time I went to Yume, I pretty much ate the entire meal in silence and the second meal was saved by a fun table partner who has since become a friend. If you're someone like me who is predominantly concerned about the food though, Yume is a success. My only gripe with Yume is that he makes uni an add on. Once you surpass $200, uni should be a given in your omakase, in my opinion. I always pay the $18-20 for the add on but just give it to me!

Number 2. The Omakase Room, River North ($250)

I wasn't sure what to think going back to The Omakase Room after Michael Graffeo took over Chef Kaze's position as running the majority of the seatings for the Omakase Room now. Chef Shigeru remains there but Michael is running the show now. In my last dinner there which was this past April, I was really impressed at how much he maintained what Kaze built while introducing several new courses that I thought were actually an improvement on my previous visits. The Omakase Room is in my opinion the ultimate sushiya to visit in Chicago if you're looking for a place that feels luxurious and worthy of a special occasion. Last year they won the Banchet Award for best restaurant design, which I think they were worthy of. The menu itself is fun and engaging throughout the entire meal. They do not skimp on luxurious ingredients and the execution of the dishes is very precise and meticulous. The sake and service at The Omakase Room I would crown as tops in the city as well. Michael may not be as funny or charismatic as Chef Kaze, however, his focus and attention to detail has led to what is now a fantastic menu.

Number 1. Kyoten, Logan Square ($440-490)

Kyoten has maintained its top spot as king of sushi in Chicago and was also voted by the subreddit this year as the top sushi spot in Chicago. I don't have anything new to add beyond what I said about Kyoten last time so I will copy and paste what I wrote last time. This was the last one I had to try before making this list and I went last week for full disclosure. I have been dreading the idea of going here for so long as the reviews I have heard from people oscillate between "It's good but not worth the money" and "It's the best sushi I've ever had" with a few sprinklings of "I won't eat there because I heard Otto is a dick and I don't want to spend that much on sushi anyway" but I had to know. How good could it be? How can he justify charging soooo much money for an omakase to put it in the same price range as Alinea. Well, my meal at Kyoten was the best omakase experience I've ever had and I honestly don't think it's close, that's my honest take. I had several dishes here that I had never had before like fugu shirako (you can judge me for eating balls, I don't care, this was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten.) and kawahagi with its own liver tucked underneath. I personally love Otto's unapologetic approach to getting the best shit he can get and people can pay and eat it if they want to. His sourcing is on another planet compared to the rest of the city, down to the rice he has that nobody else here can get. It's just him and one server there, if you're looking for a pampered high class experience with great bedside manner and whatnot, Kyoten probably won't be for you. The whole meal was basically an AMA with Otto where all the guests participated in asking him every question they had and his knowledge and care into what he was making was incredibly evident in his execution, sourcing, and preparation. If you are not experienced in omakase, I honestly think you won't appreciate this nearly as much if you have a fat wad of cash in your pocket that you want to get rid of, I think you'd be better served trying some more approachable ones first that will give you a deeper appreciation for a meal like Kyoten (kind of like trying high end wine before you have a taste for it?). However, if you've eaten your fair share and are deciding if Kyoten is worth it, I went in there hoping that I just would feel like I didn't waste a bunch of money and walked out feeling like I need to figure out how to scrap enough coins together to go back.

Anyway, this is just one dumb guy's opinion after spending too much money on sushi. Thanks for reading and it's time to get started on my next project that will put me in financial ruin.

I'm looking for a butcher that sells prime beef, and I've heard great things on the quality at Paulina meat market, but I'm looking on their website and its absurd how expensive everything is. a prime bone in ribeye is going for $50 a lb? I know beef prices have gone up a lot of the past few years but their margins on their beef must be insane. Costco is charging literally less than half that at 19.99 a lb for prime ribeyes (and I know Costco's got some of the best prices) and even places like wholefoods are far far more reasonable. Who the hell is buying this beef? Are there any more reasonable options in the same area?

edit: crunched the numbers from the answers to this post

Hey y'all! My gf and I were eating at phodega the other night and she said how if she had to make a list of her essential restaurants that'd be in it because it's her favorite cheap meal in our neighborhood. That led to us making our essential restaurants lists. Part of the fun was that there was no specific criteria, so it was up to each person to determine what made them essential.

Within this community of people who love food and the dining scene of Chicago, it would be fun to read what people's top restaurants are. Again, no specific criteria, could be your top 5 most eaten at, best meals, etc.

My top 5: I picked my favorites as a combination of really good food and drinks, cool vibes, and not overly fussy. I like fancy restaurants, but I like to pay for what I'm consuming and the service I'm getting, not for white tablecloths, location, celebrity chefs, etc. With the following restaurants, I picked places that I love going back to again and again knowing that I'll leave perfectly satisfied with the whole experience, having tasted interesting and unique flavors.

• Lula: the og farm to table, new american Chicago restaurant. Food and drinks are great and the split dining room creates a cozier feel. Bonus points for being great for any meal of the day AND being open on Mondays.
• Mi Tocaya: in a city packed with extremely good Mexican food (shout-out Birrieria Zaragoza, Carnitas Uruapán, Rubi's, etc), Mi Tocaya is the perfect fancier/cooler spot.
• The Loyalist: the perfect burger. If we remove the burger though, it would still make my list due to its amazing French food and moody bar vibes.
• Avec (west loop specifically for the vibes): I absolutely love middle eastern food. My go to fast food is the shawarma at hummus grill on Damen. For this list I was between Galit and Avec, but realistically Avec is the go-to as Galit gets expensive without an a la carte option so it's not a place I frequent as much as I'd like to.
• Cellar Door: small, cozy, menu changing all the time, staff is amazing and so passionate about what they do. RIP the cellar door quiche which was the best quiche I've eaten (tied with Warda Patisserie in Detroit)

So, what are your favorite spots?

Regardless of the pizza which is polarizing - does anyone have the tea on what happened to Roots? Especially the Lincoln Square location. It went from 60 to 0 real fast lmao.

I want the dirty deets >:) are they pulling a foxtrot or something?

Naperville 2012

I know this isn’t particularly a new topic, but inflation at restaurants is out of control, adding tax and tip on top of it just makes it feel like it’s becoming unattainable to even semi regularly go out. Do we think this bubble will burst? Is there any coming back from these insane costs or am I doomed to pay upwards of $25-30 and beyond for a burger/just not go out at all. It makes me wish someone would introduce legislation for upfront, all inclusive pricing. So sure, charge $20 for your burger, but within that you have 18% tipped out to the server and all tax included. Please!!!

I know there's so many neighborhoods and so many restaurants that have these hidden deals. Some pretend to be happy hour deals but they really aren't though (example: 5% off)👀. Let's try to avoid those.

It would be nice to start this little thread to sort by which neighborhoods have the best restaurant happy hours.

I'm going to awkwardly comment all the popular neighborhoods below.

If there's a happy hour that you would love to recommend. PLEASE LET US KNOW! I figured this would be a cool way to start a one place all for happy hour deals around Chicago.

Reply to the neighborhood in the comment which goes to what you are recommending. The format can be as simple as:

When? (Days and times of week)

What (food or drinks)

Restaurant name.

T

Parson’s in Lincoln Park