Iguana Cafe

Location: 517 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60642

A Quick Word:
Searching for great study spots in Chicago has become more and more difficult.  For several years, I have heard about Iguana Cafe, but for some reason, I never stopped by.  Finally, my friend and I decided to give it a shot.  This European style cafe serves their own coffee blend and all the different coffee drinks you can imagine (yes, including alcoholic ones).   They have an extensive list of food items, surpassing the typical muffins, oatmeals, and cold sandwiches the other coffee shops in the city offer.  One of my favorite food items is their crepes, which are stuffed with a variety of ingredients and can range from sweet to savory.  Unfortunately, the waiters and waitresses is what prevents this place from getting a perfect rating.  At least in the afternoons, they try to get you out as soon as possible so trying to study here turns more into a "how can I avoid the waitress" session.  The mornings are similar, but not as bad.  I think they realize more people study or do work in the AMs.  Anyway, for that reason along with amazing food, I decided on a 4-mile rating for this cafe in Chicago's West Loop.

What We Ate:

Create-Your-Own Crepe

I absolutely loved this crepe.  We created our own with prosciutto, sauteed spinach, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and feta cheese.  At first I was hesitant ordering this for breakfast... but I couldn't have been happier.  The crepe was huge and double stuffed.  The actual crepe was buttery and had the perfect crisp, yet soft texture that was reminiscent to my favorite crepe man in Paris.  They only disappoint (which was a big disappointment) was their prosciutto.  It was more like deli ham.  I wish we just had a vegetarian crepe.  They fold them into a triangle shape and serve it with a garlic aioli.

Olive Cheese Spread

So when this dish arrived at the table, my friend and I were surprised on what we ordered.  Personally, I read the menu wrong... I thought we ordered more of an olive/cheese plate rather than a spread.  But anyway, it was tasty and addicting.  The spread was made with kalamata olives, feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and pita bread.  The pita was served toasted and was very plentiful.  I wasn't sure if we would run out of pita or spread first... but we figured out that we could eat the spread plain... yes it is that good.  Maybe serve it with some carrots as well?

Irish Coffee

Nothing like having their signature blend coffee with Jameson Whiskey and whipped cream!  They definitely do not skimp on the whiskey which was surprisingly strong for my friend and I.  I mean, she was trying to do questions and I was trying to read and drinking these coffees was probably not the greatest idea... but it was tasty.

Double Shot Espresso

The double shot espresso actually arrives in a small sippable mug as opposed to a regular cup like at starbucks or caribou coffee.  The coffee has a perfect amount of crema on top and had more of a mild-to-moderate boldness.  I really enjoyed their espresso because it wasn't burnt like other places.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- What to do:  After entering the cafe, find the hostess and she will seat you at a specific table that doesn't have a "reserved" sign.  You will get menus and they will take your order and bring everything to your table.  If you are getting coffee to go, then just go to the quick service bar area and order.
- Do share food.  The portions are larger than expected and very filling.
- Be aware that they can add a $3.00 charge per person for people not ordering.  I think this is similar to the European surcharge for people using the cafe.

DON'T:
- Don't come here to study at night... the place gets busy, loud, and not as friendly.

Interior of Iguana Cafe

How far would I walk for this food?

Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Location: 737 West Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60661

A Quick Word:
Two of my friends arrived in the city late Friday night and we knew Saturday would be a perfect day for day drinking.  We decided on Haymarket Pub & Brewery to enjoy a couple of drinks while sitting on their outdoor patio.  The service was excellent and the variety of beers was extensive.  They offer several sizes which allows customers to try a variety of beers without dipping too deep into their wallets or losing their minds.  I haven't had the food yet, but from the beers and service, I am confident with a 3.5 mile rating.  I hope the food will bump this bar even higher!

Disclaimer:  I just started to learn more about beers and still do not consider myself adequate at rating them or describing them.  I certainly tried, but like all my other posts, these thoughts are just my opinions!

What I Drank:

3 - 4oz. Sampler

After arriving at Haymarket, I noticed they had a huge selection of IPAs and wheat ales.  These were great for summer drinking and where else would be better to drink than the outdoor street patio.  I ordered several of the 4oz. samplers to give more of their beers a chance.   (Described from L to R)

Unfortunately, I forgot the first beer I chose.  I know it was Haymarket's try at a Hefewiezen which is also a wheat beer.  It was crisp and I believe had some lemon flavors that shined through.  I probably would prefer the other two over this beer.

A Mash Made in Heaven VI - White Peach Wit.  This beer is a belgium style wheat ale that reminded me of a blue moon but even lighter.  Rather than just an orange flavor, a few peach notes were tasted by both myself and my friends.  It was lighter and sweeter than expected and an incredible beer for the summer.

Mathias Imperial I.P.A. was a higher alcohol content beer at 10%.  It is extremely hoppy, but does have a few citrus notes that made it a little more palatable.  I am starting to love the hoppiness of I.P.A.s, but my friends weren't big fans.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do come for sports games.  They have plenty of TVs and lots of seating both indoor and out!

DON'T:
- Don't drink bottled beers or other draft... stick with Haymarket's brand!

How far would I walk for this beer?

Toni's Pizza & Organic Pasta

Location: 455 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60654

A Quick Word:
So, I have been living in Chicago for the past six years of my life and I thought I had heard about or tasted every deep dish pizza slice ever created.  Somehow I missed the organic option.. Toni's Pizza.  This small, mainly take-out, restaurant is located in West Loop.  Upon walking in, you see they have about 6 stools and a small TV for those Blackhawks games!  The best part about this restaurant is the pizza by the slice option.  They have a warmer including three or four pizzas--a mixture of both deep dish and thin crust.  The deep dish option tastes great.  It actually reminds me of a healthier slice, making me feel better about eating a couple extra slices.  The only main problem was the lack of butter did make the crust a little less tasty.  I can't consider it the best of Chicago's deep dish, but it is definitely up there and that is why this healthier option gets a 4-mile rating.

What I Ate:

Spinach Deep Dish Pizza

After stumbling across Toni's, I heard the spinach deep dish pizza was their specialty.  This organic style deep dish pizza is just as it sounds... lots of spinach, cheese, chunky tomato sauce, and deep, thick pizza crust.  It comes with a side of extra sauce if you ask.  After my first bite, I finally found a slice of deep dish pizza that has a crust not full of butter.  It actually tasted somewhat healthy, but I knew I was still splurging.  The spinach flavor is much stronger than most places because I think their cheese to spinach ratio favors the latter.  The crust is like a thinner version of Giordano's... lacks a little flavor, but when dipping into the side of marinara it was great.  And at $4.50 a slice, you can't go wrong.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Pizza by the slice!  If you are craving deep dish pizza, but don't want to purchase an entire pizza, this places is the best.

DON'T:
- Don't forget to ask for extra sauce on the side.

How far would I walk for this food?

BellyQ

Location: 1400 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Work:
Good Asian restaurants are hard to come by outside of the Chinatown or other ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago.  And on Randolph, I have tasted some of the worst Asian food ever.  Luckily, at the very end of this "restaurant row," BellyQ continues to bring a great reputation to Asian cuisine.  I believe BellyQ is influenced by several Asian countries cuisines, but mainly Thailand and Korea.  The menu consists of a huge selection of "cook-it-yourself" Asian BBQ alongside dozens of twists on traditional meals.  Upon entering, you encounter both a beautiful dining room and an excellent, friendly staff.  I came for lunch and found most of the food to be incredible.  Keyword: Most... unfortunately, some of it was more on the bland side.  I am confident, however, in declaring them the home of my ALL TIME FAVORITE ice cream, but for rating purposes, I couldn't look beyond the lack of flavors in a couple of the main dishes we ordered.  And for that reason, I could only give them a 4 mile rating at this time.  I know I will be back for dinner and their ice cream so watch for an update and a possible increase in their rating!

What We Ate:

Marinated Curly Kale

To start of the meal, my friend and I decided on the marinated curly kale salad.  Kale is the newly popularized vegetable now, right?  This salad is simply kale sliced into bite sized pieces, curried cauliflower, toasted almonds, and a little oil/vinaigrette mixture.  The kale was more on the bland side and the cauliflower didn't add much either.  The toasted almonds gave a nice crunch.  If it wasn't for the thai style chicken (listed below), I probably wouldn't have been too happy with this choice.  However, in the end, it was addicting and I found myself reaching for additional bites.

Thai Style Chicken

This may be the weirdest categorized dish I have ever come across.  Rather than being listed under the appetizer or entree section, the Thai Style Chicken was listed as a side... alongside french fries, kimchee, and grilled veggies.  But anyway, this dish consists of three boneless pieces of chicken that have been lightly breaded, deep fried, and covered in their sweet and sour thai chili sauce.  I absolutely loved this dish.  The chicken was crispy and the sauce had just enough heat to make the tip of my nose sweat.  The portion size was perfect and the cost, even better.  At only $6.00 for three of these chicken breast pieces, I can't see any reason not to order the dish.  It accompanies any of the salads really well.

Rice Cake Pad Thai

The pad thai was probably the most interesting dish of the day.  Surprising since everyone thinks pad thai is such a standard dish.  At BellyQ, they take pad thai to the next level.  Rather than the typical rice noodles, their pad thai has sliced rice cake mixed with olive oil poached shrimp, chili dusted peanuts, and fresh cilantro.  The typical bean sprouts and carrots are also mixed into the dish.  Initially, I was confused on what the rice cake actually was.  It has a firm, chewy consistency and is extremely addicting.  The shrimp on the other hand were boring and bland.  I did enjoy the chili peanuts, but I prefer double or triple the amount in my pad thai.  It doesn't compare to the noodles I had in Thailand, but it was a clever twist to spice up this classic meal.

Taco of the Day (Pork Belly)

Each day, BellyQ changes up their taco.  They offer a combination of the taco of the day and the soup of the day for a reasonable price of $4 and $2, respectively.  I just stuck with the taco, which happened to be pork belly.  Two white corn tortillas were lightly steamed before being topped with a fried pork belly mixture, pickled red onion, a little cilantro, and a sweet, almost hoisin-like, sauce.  It was great.  My friend only wanted to try a bite, but ended up eating half of it.  The pork belly had a perfect crunch, but the sauce made it feel more like a stew.  I prefer tacos with simple toppings so the pickled onion and cilantro is ideal.  Maybe a couple slices of fresh jalapeño would make it better.  Another great option to try!

Nuoc Cham Vinegar Fries

How could anyway resist a side of $3 french fries?  I couldn't and that is how this dish came to the table.  The french fries were supposedly covered with a nuoc cham vinegar sauce, which is a classic vietnamese dipping sauce that consists of spicy, sweet, sour, and salty components.  Honestly, these fries had nothing of that nature, but the crispiness was addicting.  I was disappointed in overall flavor, but I found myself even dipping them into the soft serve ice cream.  Obviously I enjoyed them.

Kimchi

Whenever kimchi is on the menu, I tend to order a small side of it.  The pickled/fermented cabbage dish has plenty of Korean spices and is fairly acidic.  This kimchee had both cabbage and cucumber giving it great crunch and freshness.  It definitely breaks up the meal with more of a fresh dish (despite being fermented).  The smell is pretty strong, so I only suggest ordering it if you have had it in the past or if you consider yourself to have a strong stomach.  And, definitely do not bring it home... the smell is just weird.

Passion Fruit Ice

ABSOLUTELY A MUST HAVE DESSERT... at least the ICE CREAM!!!  BellyQ is now home to my all-time FAVORITE ice cream.  Unbelievable is an understatement.  For this dessert, their vanilla soft serve is topped with a passion fruit ice (almost like a granite) and a few young coconut jelly cubes. The passion fruit ice was strongly flavored and the consistency was like shaved ice.  But the star was that vanilla soft serve.  The creaminess was perfection and I found out that a coconut water was mixed into the ice cream as it is made... giving it that extra depth and complexity that makes it incredible.  I asked to buy just the soft serve, but they don't sell it in "to go" containers.  Hopefully they will reconsider next time, otherwise I will be order several desserts for take out!  Don't miss out!

Passion Fruit and Coconut Vinegar Drinks

Once I heard vinegar drinks, I knew I was going to order them.  One was passion fruit and the other coconut.  And, they taste exactly how their name describes... vinegar.  The acidity from the vinegar was strong enough to make my eye twitch.  It wasn't really refreshing, but at the same time, I wanted to keep drinking more of it.  The waitress said the drinks are great for cleansing the GI system so I figured sounds like a great idea.  Would I order them again?  Maybe... depending on the day's flavors.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Parking is ridiculous in this area... even at lunch time, it took me at least 10 minutes to find a parking spot.  Do valet park your car at dinner time.
- Share food family style!
- BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER EATEN!

DON'T:
- I probably wouldn't order the vinegar drinks again. It is tempting to try something new, but after a few drinks, it isn't worth it.

How far would I walk for this food?

The Tamale Spaceship

Location: Mobile... location varies each day.  Follow them on Twitter to find their location!
Twitter: Tamalespace101

A Quick Word:
Another well-established food truck in Chicago is The Tamale Spaceship.  Home to the masked-sombrero-wearing owner, this silver vehicle parks in various locations of downtown Chicago to serve homemade tamales to city goers.  They have a huge variety of tamales from vegetarian to the typical shredded pork ones.  Each comes with some kind of sauce that adds much needed moisture to the tamale.  I was disappointed in the fact that each order came with two of the same tamale.  I wish you could do a mix and match so I could try more than one type of tamale.  When it comes to all the food trucks in the city, I would consider this to be above average, thus giving them a 3.5 mile rating.

What I Ate:

Picturesque de Puerco

After staring at all the different tamale options, I just went ahead and asked for a recommendation.  The masked man in a sombrero recommended the Picturesque de Puerco (which happened to be the first item on the menu).  This roasted pork tamale was made with traditional massa and wrapped in a corn husk.  It comes with a tomato-habanero sauce and supposed to have a side of purple pickled onions.  After unwrapping both of the tamales, dump the sauce all over.  The massa will quickly absorb most of the sauce, giving that spicy mexican flavor we all love.  Unfortunately, my order lacked the advertised purple pickled onion.  That was disappointing because I truly thought some kind of acidity was needed to complement the dish.  The pork was nothing special, just shredded and a little chewy.  When comparing to other tamales I have had the past... I thought these were a little on the dry side still.  They are good size, so one order is all that is needed for a filling lunch.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do follow them on twitter.  This is the only way to find their location.

DON'T:
- Don't come by yourself... the tamales come with two in a container and no mixing and matching allowed.  It is very disappointing if you don't share with someone.

How far would I walk for this food?