Originally Posted by
chgoeditor
TAC Quick: (3930 N Sheridan) Family owned Thai restaurant serving a lot of dishes you won't find at the average Americanized Thai restaurant. Ask for the translated menu if it's not freely offered.
Conversely, ask for the "Thai Menu", which won't be offered, and has a lot of more authentic dishes that aren't tuned for Western palates. The "Thai Menu" is in English.
Originally Posted by
M60_to_LGA
Eeeeeh, no. Chicago's got so much excellent Mexican food, but for the love of god don't eat in a Wrigleyville frat boy place.
Also, you could take the Pink Line to 18th St or Damen and get amazing, cheap Mexican food down there. I'm a big fan of Los Comales on 18th just east of Ashland.
In general, the better restaurants are not in the Loop or River North (there are some good places, but very touristy and generally expensive) or Lincoln Park/Lakeview (very gentrified neighborhoods with disappointingly bland food catering to drunk ex-frat boys & sorority girls who grew up in Ohio). Chicago has many outstanding ethnic restaurants, but they're mostly in neighborhoods with lots of immigrants and relatively low real-estate costs.
Agreed on all counts. I love Nuevo Leon in that neighborhood...I think it's on 16th and Ashland. Like eating in a Mexican family's house. You can almost see grandma cooking in the kitchen.