Anyone with any good suggestions for pho? Yes I am an odd one

Try up on Argyle (between Broadway and Sheridan - you can get off the Red Line right there). Numerous joints serving pho - just walk around and see which one strikes you as what you want.

Cool thanks for the tip Chi. Doesn't sound like it is too far from where I will be staying and where I'll spending most of the afternoons Navy Pier.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Um, yes it's a long train ride from Navy Pier. If you do go, walk east from the station (ie toward the high rises) as there's more variety.

Downtown completely lacks good Asian fast food, sadly.

Edit: _Time Out Chicago_ has a cover feature on BYOB dining this week, including a writeup of Tank Noodle, one of the better reviewed of the Argyle pho joints:
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/Detai..._the_block.xml

(I can never remember the names of the places I've been there, usually remembering them only by their location or other characteristics -- one has faceted wall mirrors, another a ten-year-old waitress, etc.)

Argyle is about 20 minutes North once you are actually on the L.

Alternatively, you can take the Red Line south to Chinatown, which is more of a touristy area than Argyle and a pretty nice way to spend a few hours.

You can get a good bowl of Pho at Pho Hoa, 2336 S. Wentworth.

Mmmm my mouth is watering right now thinking of all the hot dogs, pizza, hot italian beef sandwhichs and pho i am going to be consuming. I better book another seat and bring some elastic wait band jeans for the trip back home

What do you mean? There are several Pandas downtown!

Depending on where you are at, it may be faster to take a bus to the area. The Red Line has been plagued by slow zones on the north side lately so the ride takes closer to 30 minutes these days. On Michigan Ave (on the northbound side of the street), you can take a 147 Outer Drive Express bus. It will get on Lake Shore Drive and go express to Foster. Get off at the second stop (or third?) - right after the bus has turned on Sheridan and you are in front of the Dominicks supermarket. From there, it is a short two block walk south to Argyle (where you will take a right).

No matter where you go or how you get there, I hope you enjoy it!

BTW - I cannot understand why the Panda near my work in the Loop is always packed???

I haven't been to the Panda's out in Chicago but the one that was open here briefly dished up HUUUUGE servings so maybe that is why they are busy? I'll be staying at the Indigo Hotel but will be starting out most of the days at the Navy Pier which I know is a bit of a walk from d/t.

Plenty of suburbanites with no taste buds (who think Olive Garden is great Italian) in the Loop during the week.

I don't know about that. Ever meet some of the folk out here in Seattle I am one of the few that has good taste in foods

The new noodle joint at Seven on State sounds promising (not that the old one was bad), but I'm still not willing to enter this "Macy's" thing.

The Indigo is a few short blocks from the Red Line (Clark & Division) and the last stop for the northbound express buses (Walton & Michigan).

Directions:

1) Take the blue line towards ORD.

2) Get off at the ORD station.

3) Buy a ticket to either LAX, SNA, SGN, or HAN