Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
115
Tuscany,
1014 W. Taylor St. (btw. Morgan and Miller sts.;
&
312/829-1990
),
is one of the most reliable Italian restaurants on Taylor Street. In contrast to the
city's more fashionable I talian spots, family-owned Tuscany has the c omfort-
able feel of a neighborhood r estaurant. The menu f eatures large por tions 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 sec-
ond location is across from Wrigley Field at 3700 N. Clark St. (at Waveland Ave.;
&
773/404-7700
).
GREEKTOWN
A short cab ride fr om the L oop across the south branch of the Chicago R iver
will take you to the city's Greektown, a row of moderately priced and inexpen-
sive Gr eek r estaurants clust ered on Halst ed Str eet bet ween Van Bur en and
Washington str eets. M any r estaurants ha ve w onderful out door seating and
spectacular views of the city—plus, long tables of families and shouts of “Opa!”
make quite a ruckus that will keep your kids entertained.
To be honest, there's not much here to distinguish one restaurant from the
other: They're all standar d Gr eek r estaurants with similar looks and similar
menus. That said,
Greek Islands,
200 S. Halsted St. (at Adams St.;
&
312/782-
9855
);
Santorini,
800 W. Adams St. (at Halsted St.;
&
312/829-8820
);
Parthe-
non,
314 S. Halst ed St. (bt w. Jackson and Van Buren sts.;
&
312/726-2407
);
and
Costas,
340 S. Halst ed St. (bt w. Jackson and Van Buren sts.;
&
312/263-
0767
), are all good bets f or gyros, Greek salads, shish kebabs , and the classic
moussaka. On warm summer nights , opt for either
Athena,
212 S. Halst ed St.
(btw. Adams and Jackson sts .;
&
312/655-0000
), which has a huge out door
seating ar ea, or
Pegasus,
130 S. Halst ed St. (bt w. M onroe and A dams sts .;
&
312/226-3377
), with its r ooftop patio ser ving drinks, appetizers, and des-
serts. Both ha ve wonderful views of the L oop's skyline.
Artopolis,
306 S. Hal-
sted St. (at Jackson St.;
&
312/559-9000
), a mor e r ecent addition t o the
neighborhood, is a casual option offering up Greek and Mediterranean special-
ties, wood-oven pizzas, breads, and French pastries, all of them tasty.
5
PILSEN
Just south of the L oop and c onvenient to McCormick Place and Chinat own,
Pilsen is a colorful blend of Mexican culture, artists and bohemians, 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. (at Laflin St.;
&
312/421-1517
), is a popular
Mexican r estaurant ser ving the standar d off erings. A cross the str eet,
Playa
Azul,
1514 W. 18th St. (at Laflin St.;
&
312/421-2552
), serves authentic Mexi-
can seafood dishes, salads, and soups.
On the more bohemian side, linger over a salad, sandwich, or refreshing fruit
milkshake
(liquado)
at
Café Jumping B ean,
1439 W. 18th St. (at Bishop St.;
&
312/455-0019
), or k ick back with a cup of c offee at ar tsy
Café Mestizo,
2123 S. Ashland Ave. (btw. 21st St. and Cermak Rd.;
&
312/942-0095
).
