Calumet Fisheries

Smelting The Day Away

by Rob Tallia

We once again will give the nod to the great Anthony Bourdain for giving us a great south Chicago tip (we're not proud at NFT: just because we didn't find something first, we'll still eat it and write about it if it's good). The smoked colossal shrimp at Calumet is everything Mr. Bourdain said it was, as were the fried smelts, the smoked salmon, the fried fish, the onion rings, etc. As a take-out-only joint, your eating options are: (1) pull up in your car, order your food, take it back to the c ... Continue

Jin Ju

Jin and Ju

by Brendan Keating

For too long, Korean cuisine has been the red-headed stepchild of East Asian cooking. Somewhere between the panoply of Chinese and the austerity of Japanese, Korean is a wholly different animal: a riot of spicy, savory, and soul-pleasing dishes. Although not exactly a mom-and-pop ethnic hole in the wall, Andersonville's Jin Ju dishes out the peninsular fare with an extra helping of savoir faire. Most of Jin Ju's dishes are traditional Korean favorites with a 21st century twist: bi bim bap, paj ... Continue

Filichia's Food and Imports

Lunch With Nonna

by Joseph Hernandez

If your idea of Italian is wrapped up in the romance of a trattoria--or prosciutto--don't come to Filichia's. If you like good, honest food at affordable prices, though, this corner deli counter is sure to satisfy your tomato sauce-cravings. There's a smattering of side options (orzo, pasta salads, various soups) as well as pizza by the slice, but the real draws are the hot and cold sandwiches. From eggplant parm to hefty sliced cold cuts, they've got a literal corner on the 'hood's sandwich mar ... Continue

Gene and Jude’s

Hot Dog Minimalism

by Brendan Keating

At Gene and Jude's, only these remain: hot dogs, fries, and drinks, but the greatest of these are fries. Made before your eyes, these golden strips of joy are cut from huge spuds and dropped right into the fryer. Then they're enrobed around your hot dog, imparting their scent and flavor into the bun. Go ahead and eat the fries right on top of the dog. Consider them a substitute for ketchup, the condiment of the damned. The fries are Gene and Jude's secret. That, and a fixation on doing only ... Continue

In Fine Spirits Wine Lounge

One Fine Evening

by Brendan Keating

Feeling a little weary of beer? Interested in experimenting with cocktails? Are you vine-curious? Andersonville's In Fine Spirits will slake your thirst for something new. This slightly upscale lounge specializes in unique but affordable wines, classic cocktails, and yes, even a few microbrews (though mostly bottles). The cocktail menu reads like a Smithsonian of spirits: Moscow Mule, Sazerac, Sidecar, Highball, and of course, Old Fashioned. The 21st century twist is that these cocktails a ... Continue

M Henry

Breakfast of Champions

by Brendan Keating

Every Sunday morning, rain, sleet, or snow, on an obscure stretch of Clark Street north of Andersonville, you'll find a crowd gathered in front of a small storefront. Some will be clutching mugs of coffee. Some will be waiting over an hour. All of them are there for one reason: m.henry. In a brunch-mad 'hood, m.henry takes all comers and leaves them in the powdered-sugar dust. Their seasonally inspired Sunday brunch menu rotates but stays true to a few cornerstone ingredients: crème and berry-s ... Continue

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Sumomarket

by Brendan Keating

The Whole Foods mothership in Lincoln Park may be larger than Kanye West's ego, but for a grocery shopping good time, you can't beat Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights. No mere produce stand, Mitsuwa is a shopping complex complete with groceries, a bookstore, liquor store, small appliance section, ceramics shop, sushi market, video store, bakery, and food court. There's even a travel agency where you can get a ticket to Tokyo to go with your 20-pound bag of rice. Mitsuwa is like shoppi ... Continue

Cosina Grill

Mount St. Mole

by Brendan Keating

Attention BYOBers: Cosina Grill deserves to be your next destination. This eatery just west of Andersonville is a culinary adventure deep into the heart of Mexico. The friendly owners, a chef/hostess couple, welcome you not only into their restaurant, but into the culinary legacy of their family. Their mole dona esperanza--grandma's recipe--is based on 19 different ingredients, takes three days to prepare, and tastes like the inside of a volcano. It really puts the ole in mole. The sauce parad ... Continue