Lula Cafe By: Laura Young

Laura Young is an English teacher from Roscoe Village. Her favorite type of food is Indian cuisine and her favorite dish is either Malai Kofta from Essence of India or Chile Relleno from El Tapatio. Laura enjoys dining out for three main reasons: it gets her dressed and out of the house with other grown-ups, ambiance is part of the enjoyment and there is nothing to clean up at home.

When I first moved back to Chicago after a ten-year hiatus, it was bittersweet.  Though I had told my mother I would only come back in a body bag, here I was, single and living in Lincoln Square, a neighborhood thankfully devoid of the vanilla track-everything that I lived in while in Southern California.

I had not ever really experienced “nightlife” or “dating” or “socializing” or being a “hipster” as it were, so when I went on a first date to Lula Café in Logan Square, I was immediately taken by the intimate unique atmosphere, the Radiohead playing in the background, the multitude of thick-rimmed glasses and skinny jeans and ink.  I thought to myself that I had found my home and I didn’t know what had taken me so long to get here.

The boy I was with is long since gone, but my love for Lula’s remains. Yes, there is a long wait and I do suppose it is kind of a scene, but where else can you eat knowing that the food, the service, the farming, the prep are all done in such an impeccable and ethically superior way? Business practices matter much to me, and I have been a fan of “is it local?” long before “is it trendy?" To be able to go out to eat somewhere and know that the food I am ingesting is both good for me and our world? I’ll pay for that. And I’m a picky eater who doesn’t like duck fat, truffle oil, goat cheese or portabella mushrooms. When you couple that with my desire to support local establishments that have good business practices, well, it becomes obvious why I eat at home much of the time.

The last time I was there was with a girlfriend who works in the city, so the Logan Square Blue Line stop across the way means easy access to the restaurant. We shared the chickpea and sweet potato tagine with arugula, cinnamon, harissa, and cous cous, and roasted organic half chicken with olive oil poached fingerling potatoes, garlic spinach, thyme, and pan jus. While we ate, a server came around with samples of a new salad the chef had just come up with, served in chilled spoons with the teeny-tiny lettuce. Later on in the meal, he came back, asking for feedback about the new dish. I’m not certain whether he gave all of the feedback to the chef, but it was a nice gesture. The food was impeccably prepared and delicious, and the wine we had was great, creating the perfect mood for our catch-up dinner as we sat next to the piano, which my girlfriend advised me not to play after we finished off our first bottle.

Lula Café keeps me coming back because I can count on it; it is a restaurant that I often suggest to people, it’s easily accessible by train or car and despite the long lines, does truly meet its hipster reputation.

 

Lula Cafe

2547 North Kedzie Ave.

Chicago, IL 60647-2655

(773) 489-9554

www.lulacafe.com

La Scarola By: Sharon Feldman

Sharon Feldman is the Grant Manager at UIC. She enjoys going to the movies, gardening and drawing. As a foodie who is also a Weight Watcher, Sharon thinks it is important to distinguish whether the experience is going to be about food or the social experience prior to dining out. She says when it is all about the food, it is also about the social aspect. However, it can be about the social aspect where the food isn't important. 

Ever have a meal you can’t get out of your head?  Maybe at a little out of the way place you found on vacation, and you just keep thinking of how you wish you could get back there?  Well, luckily for me, La Scarola is just blocks away.  But from my brother and nephews, it is an annual pre-camp meal that they look forward to from one summer to the next, when they come to town for a weekend with Aunt Sharon before heading up to Wisconsin.   It’s not just the incredible food that rounds out the memories, but the buzz in the air, the way it just invites you in to its aura.  Woody Allen couldn’t shoot a NY Italian restaurant any more lovingly than this place feels the moment you walk in.

The warm ambiance created by the hip host; the familiar red table cloths on tables pushed so close you practically dine with your neighbors; where, if you’re sitting in the front room, every steaming hot dish practically passes under your nose, and really you can’t believe the size of the portions and how amazing each one looks. If you can tear your eyes away from the food, the people-watching is also a feast.  Some are well healed, others like they just finished up at their Teamsters job. Big groups of guys; business men; families; north side; side south side.  Big hair and jewelry; mullets on women. It all works here. The menu features predictable Italian fare, but it’s done well, with my favorite, oft-overlooked ingredient:  all served piping hot. Food faves: hands down, the veal chop “Gabe,” grilled calamari, eggplant parmesan; pasta fagiole soup. Specials reasonably priced, always with a fresh fish and an interesting pasta in the offing. Caveat: Reservations, especially during peak times, are a suggestion. Patience required.

La Scarola 

721 West Grand

Chicago, IL 60610

(312) 243-1740

www.lascarola.com

Mana Food Bar By: Maggie Duplace

Maggie is a special education teacher who enjoys going out to eat, being with friends, crafting and riding her scooter. Maggie considers a restaurant worthwhile if it has delicious and interesting flavors delivered with consistency. She also appreciates a restaurant that has inventive and thoughtful vegetarian dishes. One of the reasons Maggie watches Check, Please! is to encourage her to leave her neighborhood and try new places. 

The restaurant that keeps me coming back is Mana Food Bar. As a vegetarian, I am willing to try anything that doesn't contain any meat or stock in the dish; dairy will do. There are a variety of cold, hot, small, and large plate, sides and drinks to choose from that make me feel like I really have entered a restaurant that actually tries to make vegetarian food outstanding.
The hummus is creamy and smooth, spiked with garlic and is served with an endless supply of pitas and veggies for dipping. Toast points make the perfect spoon for delicious baked goat cheese in spicy marinara. The sliders delight even my carnivorous friends, made of brown rice and mushrooms topped with spicy mayo and served on a sweet little bun. The sweet potato pancakes are one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. It's a pairing of sweet and salty magic topped with a seasonal chutney and fresh cream. A sprinkling of green onion brightens the rich flavor. The small is enough for 1, but I order the large because they are just that good.
Anyone's hand that comes near my plate is swiped away when they reach for a bite- my friends have learned. The cool and natural decor and outside seating make the restaurant a comfortable spot and provides great Wicker Park people watching. Add a glass a wine and I am definitely the happiest vegetarian in the 60622 zip code, maybe even the city. 

Mana Food Bar

1742 West Division Street

Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 342-1742

http://www.manafoodbar.com/index.html            

Perfect Meal By: Emilie Yount

Emilie is an editor from Andersonville. She loves to read, travel and considers herself a fan of everything Harry Potter. Emilie watches Check, Please! to see how different people view things in different ways. She thinks its interesting to see how the food, especially spicy food, tastes to other customers. Some people may think something is too spicy, but Emilie says, bring it on!

Twist is a restaurant in Chicago in the oddest of areas. When you think of Wrigleyville, you likely imagine 20-somethings stumbling down Clark Street in a drunken haze to the next sports bar that smells of stale beer. In the case of Twist, a plethora of delights are encased in a tiny storefront just near the corner of where Clark intersects with Sheffield. I have been back dozens upon dozens of times to savor in what this quaint tapas restaurant has to offer. It can get super-crowded due to its size, and although I have spotted quite a few first dates there, it isn't ideal in terms of romance. It is, however, an excellent place for a group to converge over an array of red and white sangrias and chat the night away.

Tapas are the best way to get to know the people around you or reconnect with your dinner party. Sharing food allows people to converse and discuss and, of course, allows you the chance to dabble when it comes to your meal. How many times have you ordered an entree that you were unhappy with and spent the majority of the meal eyeballing the lovely entree your dining partner has ordered? Tapas allow you to sample, which means you will be happy with most items, but more than likely, there will be standouts to remember for your next visit.

Twist has a price per plate that can't be beat. I have definitely been to my fair share of tapas places, and there is no silly gimmick here. They have quick service and bring the items out as they become available. You can sit in the front section, which rises upon the rest of the restaurant and looks out onto Sheffield or at the tables that line the restaurant wall. You also have the choice to sit in front of the cook station, which smells like heaven. Some of the items are are continuously stellar are subtly spicy jalapeno gnocchi, the tuna cannelloni stuffed with tuna, asparagus and basil in a white wine vinaigrette and tomato basil sauce, the lobster ravioli with sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed mushrooms roasted with sauteed spinach and Monterey Jack cheese, the beef tenderloin crusted with delicious blue cheese and the Paella Twist, which combines chicken, calamari, mussels and shrimp with saffron rice. I can honestly say I have never had a disappointing visit here. Your options are endless, from cold to hot tapas (veggies, meat, cheese- whatever you are craving) and a full bar selection. People who don't like small spaces need not apply, but I am all about the food. If it's good, I will come back, and in this case, it's great. The sangria selection doesn't hurt, either (red being a mainstay but always in addition to a summer option). If you want to meet up with old friends or meet new ones, this is the place.

Twist

3412 North Sheffield

Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 388-2727

twistinchicago.com