The other day, a friend of mine told me about her excursion to Trader Joe’s. Alongside the Brazilian nuts and Colorado lamb, she spotted a kiwi. This kiwi, however, wasn’t grown in some tropical place, picked fresh from the vines of a tree in the rainforest. Instead, her kiwi was plucked from a tree growing out of the Mediterranean soil in Italy. Tasty? Yes. Strange? Absolutely. But with the world getting smaller and our palettes evolving, foods from around the world are showing up in our backyard. These days, gardens of far-flung fruits and vegetables are available in local supermarkets and savory meats from every part of the animal are prepared by the restaurant down the street. Food has become an adventure; every diner should relinquish routine and experience something new. But who are we kidding? We’re college kids – we roll out of bed at noon, pour questionably fresh milk over boxed cereal for breakfast and pack an energy bar for lunch. Eating out for many of us means heading to Norris for something along the lines of Sbarro’s stuffed pizza specialty: artery-clogging sausage and pepperoni stromboli. Northwestern students tend to live (and eat) in a purple-tinged bubble, rarely leaving to satisfy our curiosities and our taste buds.
We aren’t the only demographic guilty of being stuck in a gastronomic routine. In a world rife with easy, appealing and familiar choices, most people forgo riskier foods and opt for their favorite burrito from Chipotle. But there is an increased tendency to value genuine over commercial and stimulation over mundane in food. Still, many approach new foods with reactions ranging from mild horror to complete confusion. Although the average American’s palette has become more discerning in the past decade, diners squeal at the sight of unusual foods.
What we sometimes forget is eating can pique our sense of adventure. It can be about tantalizing taste buds instead of filling stomachs, or about the quest for something new. There’s nothing more delightful than when eating becomes an expedition itself. I’ve spent much of my time reaching beyond Evanston in search of Chicago’s culinary gems, both hidden and more mainstream. Everyone feels that bit of excitement stumbling across treasures, and food is no exception. I’ve traversed the El to every corner of Chicago in search of new things to try, converting friends into foodies along the way. Most recently, I ventured to three different Chicago neighborhoods and challenged myself to find the most bizarre, noteworthy and unconventional foods out there. My first stop was to a forgotten area of the South Side, where boarded-up storefronts and bored teenagers line the streets. Next, I headed to a stretch of Lincoln Square considered an ethnic melting pot, where locals pining for a taste of home flock. In the few blocks I walked, I was tempted by Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Korean, German and French cuisines – a true testament to Chicago’s ethnic (and epicurean) diversity. Finally, I traveled on the El to a gentrified area of Chicago that often defines the city to visitors, where skyscrapers meet the river and shoppers find delight. I found that even this cosmopolitan neighborhood – home to cold hotel lobbies, eager tourists and striking architecture – has peculiar eats.
LINCOLN SQUARE
El stop: Rockwell [Brown Line]
Off of the Brown Line, Lincoln Square is a humble neighborhood tucked into Chicago’s northern corner. Removed from the hustle and bustle of other parts of town, the streets surrounding the square are lined with mom and pop shops and restaurants, tied into a variety of cultures. Walking down the streets with storefronts boasting a variety of cuisines, I was enticed by treats from around the world.During my most recent trip, it was the flavors of Vietnam that beckoned. Nhu’ Lan Bakery is a nondescript shop, serving up authentic Vietnamese sandwiches called bánh mì. The bánh mì experience begins with tender baguettes drawing on French techniques for inspiration and South-Asian ingredients for execution, replete with a wonderfully crackly crust encasing delicate, tender innards. The bread, however, is only a vehicle for flavor, and is usually filled with a combination of vegetables, herbs, tender meat and spicy chilies. Order what is simply listed as “Number 5” on the menu: a baguette stuffed with fatty pork belly, creamy pâté, crunchy daikon, crisp cucumber and carrots, fiery peppers and a heap of cilantro. Best of all, though, are the prices for these hearty bundles. The eight bánh mì on the menu ring up for a bargain – each costs less than $4. Lincoln Square is celebrated for being one of the city’s melding crossroads, both in terms of sociology and cuisine. The fact that you can find authentic bratwursts boiling in a shop across the street from one baking genuine spanakopita and next to a traditional bánh mì store is truly a testament to how adventurous you can be when exploring the city. [Nhu Lan Bakery is located at 2612 W Lawrence Ave off the Brown Line at Rockwell]
SOUTH DEERING
El stop: 95th/Dan Ryan [Red Line]
The 95th Street/Dan Ryan stop off the Red Line seems like a faraway land. Stripped of the comforting blanket that covers the north suburbs, the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago is raw. On the bank of the Calumet River off the otherwise deserted East 95th Street sits a tiny, unnoticeable shack. Calumet Fisheries is a cash-only dive that’s been serving delectably fried and delicately smoked seafood since 1948. The atmosphere is that of a no-frills, bare-boned joint on the side of the road, and fittingly, the clientele is mainly motorcycle dudes decked out in shiny black leather. The parking lot is even a “no-tow” zone tucked behind the dingy shack. But it’s all about the seafood in this joint; plump oysters emerge from the deep fryer still sizzling. The briny flavor and creamy texture of the oyster encased in crisp batter makes these popably addictive. Trout, smelt and salmon come directly from the outdoor smokehouse, imparted with the bracing scent of oak wood and salty before you can even flake off the first bite. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a chance on the more unusual option of frog’s legs. Succulent and juicy, these critters shouldn’t be feared – rather, dipped into one of the tangy sauces Calumet Fisheries offers and sucked right off the bone.
A mile away and west of the river lies an authentic Mexican dive called Taco Mex. Plating up heaps of traditional, spicy fare, Taco Mex has gained its rightful reputation as a place to cure all troubles caused the night before. Hangovers, beware: Taco Mex’s menudo is the ultimate cure. Soft honeycomb tripe floats in a spicy stew thickened with starchy hominy and flavored by the heat of ancho, green and poblano chili peppers. A lime wedge smiles as it sticks out over the edge of the bowl, coyly smirking at you – daring you not to enjoy. If you happen to remember what actually happened the previous evening – and wish you hadn’t – one spoonful of Taco Mex’s dense, delicious menudo will melt your troubles away.
The blistered neighborhood of South Deering may be tough for some to swallow; its deserted streets and crumbling buildings feel like a skeleton of a thriving community. The trek from Evanston is interrupted constantly by construction on the El. But don’t let these distances stop you from journeying down. They say the local food is the heart of a community. If this is so, South Deering’s is gaining momentum with each bite. [Calumet Fisheries is located at 3259 E 95th St. and Taco Mex is at 10658 S Torrence Ave. Both are a walk off the Red Line at 95th/Dan Ryan.]
RIVER NORTH/LOOP
El stop: Chicago/Grand [Red Line]
The wealthy area of River North is aglow with bright lights, full of tourists craning their necks at the skyscrapers and home to dreamy shopping locales. It’s hard to imagine that unusual food would be served here – after all, the area su
rrounding Michigan Avenue has to feed the masses, not satisfy a craving. If you know where to look, though, you can uncover hidden gems.
At Chef Rick Bayless’ Xoco, would-be eaters stand in a line wrapping around the corner for a bite of Mexican-inspired street food. The “Top Chef Masters” champion’s menu is simple: breakfast in the morning, tortas, a tasty riff on the humble sandwich, for lunch, and caldos, which are steaming bowls of soup, at dinnertime. Bayless takes some liberties regarding authenticity, but the scrumptious medley of traditional Mexican flavors is there. The tortas are comprised of various meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables encased in crunchy bread and emerge from a wood-burning oven. Take one bite of the Cochinita Pibil sandwich – stuffed with sweet, suckling pig braised overnight and so tender it falls off the bone, and you’ll be transported to the streets of Mexico. Or try the Seafood Caldo, a piping hot red-chile broth teeming with shrimp, mussels, catfish and vegetables, buried under a pile of tangy cilantro. But the best thing served at Xoco is the weekend-special sandwich: Head Cheese and Tongue Torta. Head cheese is a combination of offal meats, spices and vinegar, cooked together to form a gelatinous loaf. It sounds revolting, but when piled atop charred bread alongside meaty tongue, creamy black beans, spicy pickled vegetables and an even spicier salsa, this torta becomes a classic comfort food to be savored. Be warned: Even though the prices for these simple yet succulent sandwiches and soups are reasonable, the two-hour line spent waiting for them is not.
If you get to Xoco and the hoards of people are too long to penetrate, head south on Michigan Avenue to The Gage, a masculine and elegant gastropub. Sure, there are traditional bar foods like the burger (juicy, with melted camembert trickling down the sides), fries (crisp on the outside with a creamy center) and fish and chips (flaky haddock dipped in tartar sauce with the requisite tang of malt). But after the warm, complementary loaf of Soda Bread – traditional Irish bread with notes of buttermilk – arrives with its salted butter, try something out of the ordinary. The Poached Swan Creek Duck Egg is served on a crispy mushroom toast with cheese delicately shaved over it. Richer and creamier than a regular poached egg, the soft yolk leaks onto the toast when poked, forcing a messy bite. Or try The Gage’s take on the Canadian classic, Poutine, which substitutes elk gravy for turkey gravy. This rich, thick sauce comes smothering the heap of French fries and softened cheese underneath it.
Chicago’s ethnic identity still comes through in River North despite the more conventional options and typical crowd. Even here, where traveling businessmen spend their nights in swanky hotels and young girls traipse the city in search of fun, there are still places to taste the ethnicities, taste the cultures — and taste the town. [Xoco is located at 449 N Clark St. off the Red Line at Grand and the Purple Express/Brown Lines at Merchandise Mart. The Gage is off the Purple Express/Brown Lines at Madison and Wabash and off the Red Line at Monroe]
