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Chicago-GAF OT of Not the Second City, the BEST damn city.

T

Talon

Member
The Hopleaf carries a bunch of ciders.

Uptown has recently started to become more gentrified. The Hopleaf has been there forever, but the some of the more acclaimed restaurants there like Big Jones are only a few years old.

I've had no issue walking around there at night, but it's definitely a matter of being smart. The weird thing is, there's a stretch of homes on Balmoral that is one of the five most expensive streets in the city.
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
Meier said:
I lived in Andersonville my first year there.. the borders of it and Uptown are fairly blurry I suppose but we were at Winnemac and Clark across from the bar that ultimately turned out to be a lesbian one (can't recall the name, but great burgers.. not Hamburger Mary's).

I'm not a huge beer fan so Hopleaf didn't really do much for me personally (I don't believe they had any cider) but it's definitely a fan favorite. We loved the area but taking the red line home on nights when the Cubs played was just an absolute nightmare so we moved to the South Loop for our 2nd and 3rd years in the city.

Chicago is great but the winters are very, very long. We moved from FL as well and that component was ultimately what made us leave. My fiancee simply could never get adjusted to it. It frequently snows in April and can still be quite cold in May.
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I live in Andersonville still (14 years now). Uptown is where it gets a little less nice to the South-- but when we moved in, it got a lot less nice. It's really come up in the last decade.

Big Jones is in Andersonville. North of Foster = Andersonville, South = Uptown. Balmoral is Andersonville (and Lakewood/Balmoral East of Glenwood, that's where the expensive homes are... not mine!)
 
I

Ignatz Mouse

Banned
Viewt said:
A buddy of mine lives in Logan Square and he's letting me crash in his spare bedroom for a couple months while I get settled and find the right place. So I'll be commuting from there for a while. The routes from Google Maps seem crazy simple - shouldn't be a problem at all.
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Logan Square should be comprable to Uptown in rents, for when you get your own place. But are on the upswing for costs.
 
J

Jugendstil

Member
Uptown represent! I love my neighborhood but be aware there are a lot of different groups living in a relatively small area, including a distinct population of mentally ill people from the hospitals and halfway houses. I've never had any problems but its something to be aware of - they are just trying to get by like anyone else. It's just another aspect of the neighborhood and kind of a hot button issue at the moment, as access to housing and resources becomes more and more limited.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Having visited a handful of times beforehand, there are a few restaurants and bars that I already know I like, but any recommendations would be super welcome.

These are some of the places I've been to and liked:

- Lockdown Burger: Really great! I had the "Cruelty to Animals," which is a 10 Oz patty, white cheddar, thick cut bacon (the best kind of bacon!) and braised pork, all of which on a pretzel bun. Also, instead of fries, I got the mac-n-cheese, which included some cool spices and a healthy portion of bacon. I couldn't actually eat the mac after the burger (way, way too filling), but even after reheating it the next day, that mac-n-cheese was fucking heavenly. Having it fresh must be awesome.

- Big & Littles: Also good, if a tad pricier than I was expecting. I had a friend pork belly po boy. Check it:

387a9cf282bb11e2942122000aaa0535_7.jpg
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- The Boiler Room: I got a couple slices and an Allagash White. The friend I was with got the PB&J special (a slice, a PBR and a shot of Jameson for $7). Really solid pizza and a great atmosphere.

- Longman & Eagle: The wait to eat was crazy long, but the meal was good. I tried their pork belly, which was really tasty (if a bit on the small side). Considering the wait time, portion size and price, I dunno if I'd be in a rush to go back.

- Revolution: Loved this place! They brought some really tasty bacon-and-cheese covered popcorn while we waited for our meal. I got this intense pulled-pork burger that felt like a ball of cement in my stomach for the rest of the night. Their beers were awesome, too - we got a growler filled with their stout and had a grand ol' time. I'll definitely be heading back:

77399f52c24e11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg
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- Scofflaw: I went here back in like July, and apparently it's blown the fuck up since then. I liked it well enough - affordable drinks, good service and a nice atmosphere. I'd like to go back, but word is that it's ten kinds of packed now.

- Emporium: This was a fun barcade. Friendly staff and plenty of cabinets to throw down on. We played so much Simpsons Arcade that night it was crazy.

- Double Door: One of my friends was playing a show here one night back in July. The drinks were cheap, but the crowd was kind of so-so. Luckily, the downstairs area was way more relaxed.

- Hot Doug's: I made a point to go here the very first time I went to Chicago so I could try the foi gras dog. Unbelievably rich, but tasty:

e5ea5e2ec2d411e19c6622000a1e89ba_7.jpg
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There were a bunch of others, but that's all that's coming to mind right now. So I'll leave you with a nice picture I took at Lake Michigan. :)

f1f204f0c56e11e1be6a12313820455d_7.jpg
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EDIT: Oh, damn! I nearly forgot about Crisp, the Korean chicken place. Good lord was that delicious.
 
V

Viewt

Member
dark_chris said:
HA! you work just down the street from where I live practically.
Nice building.
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Hah, nice! What's funny is that it's a very old, classic-looking building. So when you walk in, you've got that awesome architecture and a really flashy, granite-and-marble lobby. But where I am up on the ninth floor, it's the most normal-looking office/floor ever. Carpet, fogged-glass doors, etc.

Apparently there's a great Korean restaurant nearby called Jin Ju - I might hit that up for lunch on Monday.
 
B

Bollocks

Member
OK Chicago GAF, I'm in a dilemma sort of.
So looks like I'll be in town around September 17(First time in Chicago, btw :) )
However the release date for GTA 5 is September 17. So it would be cool if I could join someone who is going to the midnight release and then play it together at their place.
Chicago Gaming GAF can you help a brother out?
 
I

IAmtheFMan

Member
Timurid said:
I got the souvenir passes. :D
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Lucky bastard. I was able to F5 the hell out of the system yesterday at 10 and scored and Early Bird.

Lineup is April 9th right? So far, from what I've read the headliners are rumored to be Mumford and Sons, Killers, Vampire Weekend, Phoenix and The National?
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
T

Thug Waffle

Member
Is it me or does Lolla's lineup get worse every year? On another note, I think it's shameful that they sold tickets before releasing the lineup.

Then again, anyone who bought some, saw the roster and decided "fuck that" can turn around and make $100-$200+ reselling their ticket, so whatever.
 
S

Shaundakahl

Member
My lady and I went out to catch Big Fish at the Oriental. Good musical! I haven't read the book nor seen the movie and I enjoyed the hell out of it. First time to the theater too, and it was pretty spiffy. Highly recommended if you are looking for a musical.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Shaundakahl said:
My lady and I went out to catch Big Fish at the Oriental. Good musical! I haven't read the book nor seen the movie and I enjoyed the hell out of it. First time to the theater too, and it was pretty spiffy. Highly recommended if you are looking for a musical.
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I literally just heard about this last Friday. I absolutely adore the movie (one of like two Burton flicks I can say that about), so I might try and wrangle some tickets for this. What was the price range on it?
 
J

joelseph

Member
Thug Waffle said:
Is it me or does Lolla's lineup get worse every year? On another note, I think it's shameful that they sold tickets before releasing the lineup.

Then again, anyone who bought some, saw the roster and decided "fuck that" can turn around and make $100-$200+ reselling their ticket, so whatever.
Click to expand...

Lolla Opening Day at Double Door w/ Supreme Cuts is tonight. Free with RSVP and has hosted bar.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Anyone have opinions on the best seafood place in Chicago?
 
S

Sai-kun

Banned
shintoki said:
I got one for Friday. I really wanted to see both NIN and Daft Punk in concert once, so this gets one out of the way. + I can see the Killers too. ^_^
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I'm gonna guess that NIN and The Killers are gonna be playing in the same time slot, Friday. :x Sucks, but getting fucked over on scheduling is an unfortunate reality of festivals.
 
T

Talon

Member
ChiTownBuffalo said:
Anyone have opinions on the best seafood place in Chicago?
Click to expand...
GT Fish & Oyster is good, but it's not a seafood bar in the purest sense. More along the lines of Avec, Publican with most of the menu being seafood-centric. Maude's Liquor Bar has a pretty sweet seafood spread. Actually, same with Publican. I don't eat much red meat, so I usually get seafood and veggies at Publican.

There used to be this place in Uptown that used to be good, forget the name, but I think it closed up.

Did not love Hugo's Fish Bar. It's very...Viagra Triangle-y, if you get what I'm saying.
 
J

joelseph

Member
ChiTownBuffalo said:
Anyone have opinions on the best seafood place in Chicago?
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El Barco seafood platter. A touch greasy but the snapper is really good and it's a ton of seafood. Add an extra person to their recommendations, ie. the 2 person platter feeds 3. The wait can be a bit much and the service is sketchy but the seafood is decent and it's the westside.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
Talon said:
GT Fish & Oyster is good, but it's not a seafood bar in the purest sense. More along the lines of Avec, Publican with most of the menu being seafood-centric. Maude's Liquor Bar has a pretty sweet seafood spread. Actually, same with Publican. I don't eat much red meat, so I usually get seafood and veggies at Publican.

There used to be this place in Uptown that used to be good, forget the name, but I think it closed up.

Did not love Hugo's Fish Bar. It's very...Viagra Triangle-y, if you get what I'm saying.
Click to expand...

Fish Bar is out then.

Well, apparently someone in the group doesn't eat any seafood besides fried shrimp, so Joe's Stone Crab is where I made the reservation.
 
S

Shaundakahl

Member
Viewt said:
I literally just heard about this last Friday. I absolutely adore the movie (one of like two Burton flicks I can say that about), so I might try and wrangle some tickets for this. What was the price range on it?
Click to expand...

We got some promo tickets to check out the preview. For the seats we had (balcony, left side) the base price seems to be $95. PM me if you're interested in getting some tickets, I work for a concierge company downtown.

I haven't seen the movie, but I did love the play. The witch scene in particular was pretty damn cool.
 
T

Talon

Member
Has anyone here dined at any of the hotel restaurants - like the Pump Room? Seems very old hat in modern days, and the constant chef turnover based on Eater, ChicagoMag, and Grubstreet seems to reflect that they aren't doing too well.

I've heard great, great things about the Peninsula's brunch program though.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
IAmtheFMan said:
Shaw's would've been a pretty benign choice then too.
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Yeah, this one guy makes it hard for groups to try new places. He eats two vegetables, corn and potatoes.
 
C

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
B

bucknuticus

Member
Chicago! Im coming to visit you again to catch a reds/cubs game. Going with a group of friends and were staying near the loop. Any suggestions for bars that have a shit load of different beers on tap?
 
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