It’s no secret that I’m always on the hunt for the best mac and cheese. Sharing this love with others like Jamie, Ben, Lacey, Erin, & Renee, we (with others) took to the streets of Chicago while we were there for the 20SB Summit last weekend and found ourselves at The Southern in Wicker Park.

Now, this place should be noted for waaaaay more than the mac and cheese, but as it’s Mac & Cheese Monday, I’ll highlight that and then share at least four other reasons you should get your butt in a booth there.

But first! The mac and cheese.

The Southern Mac & Cheese

If you’re ordering Mac & Cheese at the Southern, you’re ordering the Mac Truck Special, which (according to the menu) is a “new creation everyday from the best restaurant on wheels, the Mac & Cheese Truck” (YES, there is a Mac & Cheese food truck in Chicago). In our case, the “new creation” was glorious cheesey perfection included truffle oil and was topped with breadcrumbs.

Say it with me now:

Breadcrumbs separate the good mac and cheese from the extraordinary mac and cheese.

Good job.

So, why else should you visit The Southern? Well, if you love Southern food at all, you should check it out. If you like restaurants that take creative and innovative license with traditional favorites, then you absolutely must eat at The Southern, because that’s exactly what they’ve done with Southern food as we know it (and having lived in Alabama and Tennessee until middle school, I know a little bit about Southern food).

Fried Green Tomatoes?

Sure, topped with fresh watermelon and local goat cheese and sitting on a bed of watercress, mint, and crushed pecans.

Gorgeous, no?

How about…

Shrimp and Grits

Southern-style shrimp just wouldn’t be right without Old Bay seasoning and The Southern does not neglect that.

Spice that up with the slow-cooked peppers and cheddar cheese added to the homestyle grits, and you’ve got yourself a tasty spin on a Southern favorite.

Speaking of seafood a lá Gulf of Mexico, The Southern offers an appetizer choice of Hush Puppies that are to die for.

Corn meal with some chopped jalapeños in for spicy measure, with an artichoke and smoked trout dip. Get in my mouth.

My favorite Southern-food-meets-fancy-dining is the Fancy Cheese Plate.

Sliced French baguette with traditional pimento cheese dip. Ahhh…. just like my Southern grandmothers make.

Abita Purple Haze

The Southern also boasts a selection of Southern beers including a number from Abita, which I’d heard about for years but hadn’t ever tried. A round or two of Purple Haze later, plus all of the cheese and hot sauce spice, and we were in a happy, happy food coma place.

If you love all things Southern food, I was also recently in Boulder, Colorado – home of Lucile’s Creole Cafe, and I got my grits on there as well.

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

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Where to Eat in Chicago’s Boystown Neighborhood

Known as Chicago’s “gayborhood,” Boystown runs up Halsted and Broadway from Belmont to Addison. It’s where the annual Gay Pride and Market Days festivals are held; where you can’t walk more than a block without passing a gay bar, adult shop, or erotic window display; and where you’ll find some of the city’s nightlife. It’s also home to some excellent restaurants. If you find yourself in Boystown, check out these top spots for dining.

MiniBar
For a light snack, MiniBar is my go-to in Boystown. Lively but not loud, sophisticated but not intimidating, it’s a great place for happy hour with friends or a drink and appetizer before dinner. The wine list is well-curated and reasonably priced, and the food is creative but not fussy, with large portions for the price tag. The panninis, pizzas and salads are all good, but I put my money towards the bruschettas. For $12 you get four thick pieces of crusty bread piled with your choice of toppings. My favorites are the proscuitto with figs, brie and mint; the ricotta with dates and pistachios; and the cambazola with pear and honey. On Sundays, they offer one of the best brunch deals in Chicago – entrees with bottomless mimosas for $20 per person.

HB Home Bistro
One of the best places for a casual and inexpensive date-night (or a great place to take visiting family), HB is one the few Chicago BYOBs that allows patrons to save money by bringing their own wine without sacrificing an upscale service and ambiance. Service is always spot-on – available but not intrusive – and the faded yellow walls, antique mirrors and candlelight up the intimate feeling of the small space. Menu highlights include artichoke and Edam fritters served with a garlicky aioli, almond-stuffed dates with brown sugar, and thehouse specialty: Amsterdam-style mussels in beer broth with anise, dried basil, and garlic, served with truffle fries.

Angelina Ristorante
On the north end of the Broadway Boystown strip, Angelina is best known for its raucous Sunday brunch (entree and bottomless mimosas for $20). But at night, it feels like an entirely different place. Quiet, dark and romantic, it’s perfect for date-night dining. The wine list is long with a heavy emphasis on affordable (under $35 per bottle) Italian options. Standout dinner entrees include the spicy Italian sausage with creamy polenta in a balsamic reduction, beef shoulder braised in Peroni with garlic whipped potatoes, and butternut squash risotto simmered with white wine, mushrooms and goat cheese.

Chicago Diner
For the vegan and veggie crowd, Chicago Diner may be the very best option in the city. Dishing up quality vegetarian fare in Chicago for nearly 30 years, the place is always busy (expect a wait on weekends) and it’s easy to see why, even if you’re a meat-lover. With a menu that is all vegetarian and mostly vegan – with several gluten-free options -  there’s an emphasis on using real, fresh ingredients rather than subbing chemical-laden products for meat.

Some of my favorites include the pumpkin ravioli, black bean burger, and “cheeze” and mushroom quesadillas. Beer and wine are on offer, and don’t skip the heavenly (so good you can’t tell it’s vegan) peanut butter and chocolate cake.

[Photo credit: 1, 2, 3, 4]

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Katie

Katie Hammel writes BootsnAll's Chicago travel guide from her home in the Lakeview 'hood. She loves hanging out at Chicago's summer festivals, taking advantage of free museum days, and visiting the many Chicago farmers markets. Follow Katie on Twitter at @WhyGoChicago,

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[Photo courtesy of Flickr*]

Welcome to Street Food Friday! Street Food Friday is a new series, brought to you in rotation by yours truly, and three of my darling blogger friends: Lacey, Gretchen, and Jess. Jess kicks off this Friday series today at her place, Everyday Adventures of Me in the City, featuring Chicago’s Tamale Spaceship.

Check her out! Then stop by here every 4th Friday for my take on the local food cart scene here in Portland’s scene, follow Lacey for the NYC beat, and Gretchen’s got the south covered in tasty Austin, TX.

Happy Street Food Finding!

[*Photo used/modified via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License]

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

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This is going to be a quick and dirty recap post.  I had the chance to try LOTS of great little neighborhood places while visiting Chicago this fantastic Labor Day weekend, but this visit was more about hanging out and catching up with friends than it was exploring Chicago’s culinary offerings.  However, because the locals here know where to hang – and have great taste in eats and imbibes, the places we did eat deserve a nod here.

Breakfast/Brunch

Moonshine Food, Music, Spirits, and Brewery
1824 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622
I tried this place on an earlier trip to Chicago this summer, and I instantly fell in love with their HUGE mimosas:

Yeah, count me IN.  We were all a little hungover from the previous night at Mac’s, so were looking for greasy brunch.  I opted for a veggie omelet (perfect!), breakfast potatoes (OMG!), and toast (hard to screw up toast).

DELICIOUS!

Sunshine Cafe
2012 W Chicago Ave, Chicago,IL 60622

Finding ourselves hungover again on Sunday morning (what? we’re on vacation!) and all craving different things, we headed over to the diner-like Sunrise Cafe.  I had their banana pecan shortstack, which was AMAZING, but the best thing about this place was the kickass waitress we had.  She was on top of everything, totally laid back, funny, and just all-around awesome.

Dinner/Bar Food

Zen Noodles and Sushi
1852 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
This was a GREAT find (thanks, D!) that was the perfect place for Saturday night’s blogger hang.  I had the fried tofu app and the Aloha maki roll (tuna, avocado, and mango).  The food was insanely awesome, but the best part was that this place was BYOB.  Um, YES please.

Cleo’s
1935 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

This was the perfect place for late night drinks and apps on Saturday night.  There were 8 of us – new friends and old – and we spent a couple of hours outside on the patio, enjoying wines and $3 Modelos and sharing stories that had me literally on the floor I was laughing so hard.  I snacked on their spinach and goat cheese quesadilla (awesome) and tried a bite of their cheese-stuffed portabella mushrooms, which were TO DIE FOR.

The server was super cool, even gave us a round of shots on her.  Thanks!

Mac’s
1801 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

LOVE this place.  Noteworthy – their mac and cheese is ABSOLUTELY UNREAL.

It was fun to stay in pretty much one neighborhood the whole time.  We did make our way downtown to check out a little bit of jazz fest and to do a little site-seeing, but for the most part we all stayed in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area.  I enjoy how much of a chance this gave me to really get the feel of a truly awesome neighborhood.

Nicole and I at Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park

Until next time, Chi!

doniree

Doniree Walker is the Nomadic Foodie. She loves the exploration and community of food, and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, and loves the region's focus on local and seasonal food, daily farmers' markets and food carts at seemingly every turn. She's on twitter as @doniree and @nomadicfoodie, and blogs her adventures and life in general at doniree.com.

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