Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pasta, most of which lean toward heavy Italian-American favorites: deep-
dish lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo that defines the word
rich.
But I
highly recommend any of the pastas served with vodka sauce. A newer
location is near the Mag Mile at 720 N. Rush St. (
&
312/266-6444
).
Tuscany,
1014 W. Taylor St. (
&
312/829-1990
), is one of the most reli-
able Italian restaurants on Taylor Street. In contrast to the city's more
fashionable Italian spots, family-owned Tuscany has the comfortable
feel of a neighborhood restaurant. The menu features large portions of
Tuscan pastas, pizzas, veal, chicken, and a risotto of the day. Specialties
include anything cooked on the wood-burning grill and Tuscan sausage
dishes. A second location is across from Wrigley Field at 3700 N. Clark St.
(
&
773/404-7700
).
GREEKTOWN
A short cab ride across the south branch of the Chicago River will take
you to the city's Greektown, a row of moderately priced and inexpen-
sive Greek restaurants clustered on Halsted Street between Van Buren
and Washington streets.
To be honest, there's not much here to distinguish one restaurant
from the other: They're all standard Greek restaurants with similar looks
and similar menus. That said,
Greek Islands,
200 S. Halsted St. (
&
312/
782-9855
);
Santorini,
800 W. Adams St. at Halsted Street (
&
312/829-
8820
);
Parthenon,
314 S. Halsted St. (
&
312/726-2407
); and
Costas,
340
S. Halsted St. (
&
312/263-0767
), are all good bets for gyros, Greek sal-
ads, shish kabobs, and the classic moussaka. On warm summer nights,
opt for either
Athena,
212 S. Halsted St. (
&
312/655-0000
), which has a
huge outdoor seating area, or
Pegasus,
130 S. Halsted St. (
&
312/226-
3377
), with its rooftop patio serving drinks, appetizers, and desserts.
Both have wonderful views of the Loop's skyline.
Artopolis,
306 S. Hal-
sted St. (
&
312/559-9000
), a more recent addition to the neighborhood,
is a casual option offering up tasty Greek and Mediterranean specialties,
wood-oven pizzas, and tasty breads and French pastries.
PILSEN
Just south of the Loop and convenient to McCormick Place and China-
town, Pilsen is a colorful blend of Mexican culture, artists and bohemi-
ans, and pricey new residential developments. The area's nascent
restaurant scene is showing signs of life, but, for now, the local fare is
decidedly casual.
Nuevo Leon,
1515 W. 18th St. (
&
312/421-1517
), is a popular Mexican
restaurant, serving the standard offerings. Across the street,
Playa Azul,
1514 W. 18th St. (
&
312/421-2552
), serves authentic Mexican seafood
dishes, favorites being the salads and soups.
On the more bohemian side, linger over coffee and eggs at
Bic's
Hardware Café,
1733 S. Halsted St. (
&
312/850-2884
), or a salad, sand-
wich, or refreshing fruit milkshake
(liquado)
at
Café Jumping Bean,
1439 W. 18th St. (
&
312/455-0019
).
