Originally Posted by chgoeditor

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* Yes, Chicago's known for hot dogs, deep dish pizza and steaks. No, we don't all eat at Gino's, Giordano's, Gibson's and Hugo's Frog Bar. (In fact, most of us never eat there, even when our out-of-town visitors try to steer us their because their friend who visited Chicago a few months ago said it was fantastic.) Chicago's largely a city of ethnic neighborhoods, which restaurants that cater to the local ethnic populations. So if you go to Lincoln Square for Thai food, you can find way more than pad thai and satay--you'll find Thai food that actual Thai people eat. Ditto for "new" Chinatown, which has a thriving Vietnamese population. (Bahn mi seems to be on the verge of surpassing Italian Beef as Chicago's favorite sandwich.) Whether you want Korean or Polish, Indian or Italian...get away from Michigan Ave. to find the best ethnic eats.
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