If you have read some of my other blogs you know that my son lives in Chicago near Wrigley Field.  On a recent weekend he showed us around his neighborhood.  It was a game weekend so honestly most of what I saw was wall-to-wall people.  What I really enjoyed was dining in the local neighborhood restaurants.  Our first night we had a traditional Chicago deep-dish pizza at D’Agostino’s at 1351 West Addison.   This is a casual restaurant without a lot of frills.  The pizza was amazing. It was thick, with two crusts.  The sauce was wonderful and it really hit the spot.

Breakfast on Saturday morning was at Salt and Pepper Diner (3537 N Clark St).  It had a traditional 50s diner feel with lots of chrome but updated with flat screen TVs showing the latest sporting events.  On warm days you can grab a booth by the open window.   I enjoyed a veggie omelet with grits and raisin toast.   It was a lot of food and all enjoyable.  My son told me that you could get mini-pancakes as a side-item with the omelet.  That would have been enjoyable, but way too much food.  They also serve a tasty bloody Mary or vodka lemonade for those of you who might need a little pick-me-up in the morning.

On our second night we had dinner at Andalous Morrocan Restaurant at 3307 N Clark St.  We arrived early and there were plenty of seats in this narrow restaurant.  In what I was beginning to understand was a neighborhood tradition, it also had large windows that were opened to give a sidewalk café feel to the restaurant.   I will warn you now; I intend to rave about this restaurant.  First, because my son is a regular customer and we were treated like old friends.  A complimentary appetizer was delivered to our table. I’m not sure what it was, other than some kind of bean dip.  It was served with pita bread.  We ordered Chicken Pastilla.  All we knew about it was that it was chicken in filo dough.  Our son recommended it so we took a chance.   He told us that the entrée would be plenty of food but we wanted to be sure so we ordered a side of couscous.

This restaurant, like many in Chicago, doesn’t serve alcohol but allows you to bring your own wine.  So, like the locals, we brought our own.  They opened it for us (no corkage fee) and provided lovely glasses.  We waited patiently for our entrees sipping our wine.  When our meals arrived, they were beautifully presented on a white plate.  The pastille was in the center and cinnamon was sprinkled artfully around the plate.  This dish was marvelous.   I couldn’t have imagined how all the flavors would combine to such a delightful dish, but they did.  The couscous was a nice accompaniment.  After our meal the owner brought over a pot of hot tea.  I’m not a fan of hot drinks, but I am newly converted.  It was hot, sweet mint tea.   Next time we go to see our son, this will be a must-go place.

Dinner our last night in Chicago had the best location.  We cooked bison burgers on the deck of my son’s condo.  The weather was pleasant and we heard the crowd cheer for the Cubbies and sing “Take Me Out to the ballgame.”   Life doesn’t get much better than this.   

  I only had time to sample a few of the local restaurants.  Which ones would you recommend for my next trip?