Not only is Fat Rice’s namesake (when translated) dish a dazzling introduction to the melting-pot appeal of Macau’s cuisine, it’s also a ridiculous feast. A massive pot overflows with char siu (barbecued Chinese pork), linguiça sausage, and other meats and shellfish, all of it atop a paella-like layer of sofrito-scented jasmine rice. And yet every … Read more
You’d better arrive early if you want to try some of owner Constance Simms-Kincaid’s weekends-only shrimp and grits at this de facto South Side community center. No dish flies out of the kitchen faster, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Simms-Kincaid’s grits, never watery, are a hearty backdrop for well-seared shrimp with a dusting of … Read more
Quail can sometimes feel a bit spartan, but in chef Mark Steuer’s hands it goes from scrawny to brawny. A pair of juicy, golden-brown legs soak in a hearty corn soubise sparked with tart peach relish and tingly Fresno pepper, sending your taste buds sideways. The little bird’s skin is neither crispy or soft, but … Read more
If you have always found uni to be an acquired taste you haven’t quite acquired yet, Giant has the solution. The chefs here pulse the briny sea urchin innards into butter with gochujang and sweetened condensed milk before deep-frying it all, smearing it with pineapple jelly, and bedding it on lightly dressed cucumber shreds. The … Read more
This neighborhood anchor embraces a dual identity as both an old-school Chicago tavern slinging Malört shots and a restaurant dishing some of the most soul-satisfying vegetarian and vegan food in the city. It’s the kind of place that serves breakfast until 3 p.m., which also happens to be the cutoff point for ordering this giant, … Read more
Owner Robert Evans Sr. is one of the last barbecue elders who knows how to work the aquarium smoker, that glass-walled icon of the genre that’s only really used in our city, to its full potential. His rib tips — chewy, fatty, and more satisfying than bacon — have a craggy bark and toothsome bite, … Read more
A lesser chef might be a little nervous around monkfish. Its lean meat can dry out at the slightest suggestion of overcooking, and the prehistoric-looking anglerfish doesn’t have the sex appeal of, say, salmon. Luckily Ellison Park (pictured) is fearless, taking the fish’s hearty tail flesh and basting it in butter infused with a curry-like … Read more
These puffy steamed buns — fist-sized and generously stuffed — float through the supermarket’s walk-up window seven days a week. A team of dogged women makes the Korean street-food staple from scratch in three flavors: velvety red bean, zesty kimchi with pork, and a milder mix of juicy pork nubs and shredded veggies. Your first … Read more
The next time you’re ready to commit to securing a spot in that interminable queue at Brendan Sodikoff’s moodily lit diner, resist the urge to order the burger that everyone else is eating and turn your attention instead to the fried bologna sandwich. At this point, just about anyone in town can make a great, … Read more
For the uninitiated, think of lengua, or beef tongue, as a secret second short rib: It’s all tenderness and fat, the perfect foil for a piquant salsa or two. Cesar Castillo, the remarkably chill taquero at this grocery-store counter joint, never overcooks the delicate meat, working with it on its own terms. Order extra.
