The city of Chicago has been mainly been known for the violence that erupts throughout the city which causes people that to be scared to even visit. With the city being under constant scrutiny it’s hard to see or hear the good that there actually is in the great Windy City. Ranked as one of the top ten food places in America by the Washington post the cities great culinary qualities are often overshadowed by the culinary genius that is Chicago. The city has a lot to offer in many different aspects that need to shine just a little brighter for the rest of the world to see. There a lot of hidden gems in Chicago you just have to be willing to find them.
One of the best-kept secrets of the city of Chicago is definitely the locally infamous Chicago mild sauce. Now when it comes to the aloof condiment most Chicago natives don’t know how the sauce came to be they just know that life wouldn’t be the same without it. This sauce has been a hidden Windy City gem for about 54 years now. The creator, however, can be debated with some people arguing that the restaurant Uncle Remus created the sauce while others say that it was started at Harold’s Fish and Chicken shack. No matter where it started the sauce has been a staple ever since. With currently living in Georgia mild sauce isn’t the same as Chicago mild sauce making me miss it a lot and I had to put it on my food list for when I came back to visit. Honestly, I missed the sauce so much I bought a gallon of it just so that I could always have a piece of it while at home.
This sauce can be found at just about any restaurant in the city especially when it comes to the restaurants that sell fried fish and chicken. What is in this sauce? No one really knows due to it not being sold in stores but also no one cares too much. I believe that it is due to the mystery of just not knowing what is in this sauce and being able to guess the ingredients has definitely contributed to its longevity of the sauce other than its great taste. One of the key ingredients of the sauce that everyone knows that one of the main ingredients is barbecue sauce. KaNesha McGee, a Chicago native, says “Mild sauce is a taste that you can’t explain because there isn’t another taste quite like it which is why we love it so much. You should definitely put trying mild sauce on your Windy City bucket list, trust me your taste buds will thank you and be forever grateful that you did.
Now the city isn’t just about the mild sauce there are restaurants that everyone can enjoy, and you are guaranteed not to find anywhere else. With over half of the city being different ethnicities there are a lot of fusions of cultures in every part of the city. The city has a restaurant for every taste bud and palate so there is absolutely no reason for anyone to go hungry. These restaurants range from weird to ethnic and will definitely leave you wanting for more when you leave.
Vermiliona Latin- Indian restaurant that fuses the two countries known for their spicy cuisines and comes up with a delectable combination that doesn’t disappoint. Two entrees that are a must try are the Chicken Tikka Masala and Tandoori Skirt Steak. For those who have different dietary needs, there are vegan options available and the desserts are absolutely to die for. This restaurant located at 10 W Hubbard has been named one of the best restaurants in the city by different journalists and critics.
Parachute Chicagolocated at 3500 N Elston Ave is a Korean- New American fusion location located near the Avondale neighborhood. This restaurant is like down south cooking meets traditional Korean cuisine that has been driving its customers wild. The most popular dish is the Baked Potato Bing Bread. The potato bread is baked with bacon, scallions, and cheddar cheese and brushed with sesame oil before its skillet fried and oven baked.
The only restaurant in Chicago with “Macanese” food is Fat Rice. Their menu consists of a fusion of cuisine from Macau (the Portuguese province of China) along with Chinese and Portuguese if you are looking to try something new then look no further than the Arroz Gordo or “Fat Rice in English. The dish is similar to paella and is usually reserved for special celebrations in Macau. The bottom layer is made up of jasmine rice is mixed so Frito, chorizo, and salted duck and is topped with curried thighs, char Siu pork, linquica sausage, jumbo prawns, manila clams, tea eggs, croutons, Portuguese olives, pickled chilies. Sauces (mushroom soy and diablo hot sauce) are served on the side. This located at 2957 W Diversy.
Grace is one of the top African restaurants in the city where no matter who you are you are treated like family. Located in Uptown/Edgewater neighborhood this restaurant specializes in bringing traditional Ghanaian home cooking to the city of Chicago. Their fried plantains are to die for and the fufu and soup never disappoints. Although Grace has temporarily closed due to the untimely passing of the owner there has been talks to open this delectable restaurant back up so when it does make sure that you are one of the first people in line.
In most Chicagoans opinion it is a lot better to go to restaurants like these instead of the big chain restaurants. Chessica Doss, a Chicago native, describes the feeling that she gets from these restaurants as having a sense of family. Most natives will say that this is something that you just cannot get from big chain restaurants because there are always more rules and regulations around how to treat the customers that they lose sight of the personal effect that needs to come along with it. Each restaurant has something that makes them stand out from the rest. Some succeed in this effort while others fall by the wayside never to be remembered. With there already being so many different things that make the city of Chicago stand out from the rest like the bean or the music the restaurants have to stand out as well. Between having dinner in a train car to eating without any utensils at all these restaurants take the cake on having some of the most out their themes that you just have to experience at least once in your life. These are just a few of the amazingly different and delicious restaurant that you can only get in the Windy City.
To find out more about these restaurants as well as other different restaurants in the Windy City or other restaurants around the world follow me on all my pages listed below.
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