Where to Dine - Chicago 2005 - page 120

Ethnic Dining near the Loop

Finds

CHINATOWN
Chicago's Chinatown is about 20 blocks south of the Loop. The district
is strung along two thoroughfares, Cermak Road and Wentworth
Avenue as far south as 24th Place. Hailing a cab from the Loop is the
easiest way to get here, but you can also drive and leave your car in
the validated lot near the entrance to Chinatown or take the Orange
Line of the El to the Cermak stop, a well-lit station on the edge of the
Chinatown commercial district.
The spacious, fairly elegant Phoenix, 2131 S. Archer Ave. ( & 312/
328-0848 ), has plenty of room for big tables of family or friends to
enjoy the Cantonese (and some Szechuan) cuisine. A good sign: The
place attracts lots of Chinatown locals. It's especially popular for dim
sum brunch, so come early to avoid the wait. Late night, stop by the
more casual Noodle and Dumpling House downstairs, which is open
until midnight.
Penang, 2201 S. Wentworth Ave. ( & 312/326-6888 ), serves mostly
Malaysian dishes, but some lean toward Indian and Chinese (they've
even added a sushi bar, to complete the pan-Asian experience). Sink
your teeth into the kambing rendang (lamb curry in 11 spices) or the
barbecued stingray wrapped in a banana leaf.
The eclectic menu at Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant, 232 W. Cermak
Rd. ( & 312/808-1318 ), doesn't include as many authentic Vietnamese
dishes as one might want. The spring rolls are Vietnamese style, though,
and go down nicely with a bottle of Chinese beer. A popular dish is
shabu shabu, a kind of Japanese fondue in which you construct a soup:
To a steaming bowl of hot broth, you add the shrimp, fish, and veggies.
In this mezzanine-level dining room of Won Kow, 2237 S. Wentworth
Ave. ( & 312/842-7500 ), you can enjoy dim sum from 9am to 3pm daily.
Most of the items cost between $1.50 and $2 an order. Other house spe-
cialties include Mongolian chicken and duck with seafood.
LITTLE ITALY
Convenient to most downtown locations, a few blocks' stretch of Tay-
lor Street is home to a host of time-honored, traditional, hearty Ital-
ian restaurants. If you're staying in the Loop (an easy cab ride away),
the area makes a good destination for dinner.
Regulars keep coming back for the straightforward Italian favorites
livened up with some adventurous specials at Francesca's on Taylor,
1400 W. Taylor St. ( & 312/829-2828 ). I recommend the fish specials
above the standard meat dishes. Other standouts include eggplant
ravioli in a four-cheese sauce with a touch of tomato sauce and shaved
parmigiano, as well as sautéed veal medallions with porcini mush-
rooms in cream sauce. (This is part of a local chain that includes the
popular Mia Francesca, p. 158.)
Expect to wait well beyond the time of your reservation at Rosebud
on Taylor, 1500 W. Taylor St. ( & 312/942-1117 ), but fear not—your
hunger will be satisfied. Rosebud is known for enormous helpings of