Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
this good. Even non-meat eaters may be swayed if they allow themselves one bite
of the enormous slabs of tender baby back pork ribs. (Go for the zesty sauce.)
Hamburgers will keep kids happy. Ribs and other entrees come with coleslaw and
dark rye bread, plus your choice of baked potato, tasty fries, and the even-better
crisp onion rings. For dessert, there's a daily cheesecake selection.
1655 N. Sedgwick St. (1 block north of North Ave.).
&
312/266-1616.
www.twinanchorsribs.com. Kids'
menu, high chairs, boosters. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $9.95-$20; sandwiches $6.75-$8.75;
kids' menu around $5. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 5-11pm; Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat noon-midnight; Sun
noon-10:30pm. Subway/El: Brown Line to Sedgwick.
7 Wrigleyville & the North Side
Families visiting the area surrounding Wrigley Field will probably be in the neigh-
borhood for that very reason—Wrigley Field. The area, however, has a long his-
tory of being a neighborhood of working-class families. Lately, it's gentrified as
developers have built new town houses and apartments, and with that affluence
has come a group of new, very popular restaurants spanning a range of culinary
offerings and price ranges. Throughout the North Side you'll find a wealth of eth-
nic restaurants that allow diners to embark on further gastronomic globetrotting.
MODERATE
Buca di Beppo
ITALIAN Always fantasized about being part of a wacky,
extended Italian family? You'll feel you've found your home at this Italian-Amer-
ican restaurant (part of a national chain). The restaurant serves humongous fam-
ily-style dishes in a catacomb-like setting of six cozy rooms. (The decor is
eclectic, covered with garage-sale-type mementos gathered by the owners in
Italy.) The restaurant is a loud, high-energy place with large groups of diners.
Request the “Pope Room,” which features pontiff memorabilia and one special
thronelike chair at its round table that has room for a pope and his 13 bishops.
Portions are huge—one order of chicken cacciatore serves up to five people, piz-
zas are measured in feet, not inches, and meatballs weigh a half-pound each.
Even the smaller portions of pasta serve up to three people.
2941 N. Clark St.
&
773/348-7673.
High chairs, boosters. Reservations not accepted, but you can call ahead
to put your name on the list before you arrive at the restaurant. Main courses $7.95-$21. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Mon-Thurs 5-10pm; Fri 4-11pm; Sat 2-11pm; Sun noon-10pm. Subway/El: Brown Line to Wellington. Bus: 8.
INEXPENSIVE
Ann Sather
SWEDISH/AMERICAN/BREAKFAST A sign hanging by
Ann Sather's door bears the following inscription:
ONCE ONE OF MANY NEIGH
-
BORHOOD SWEDISH RESTAURANTS
,
ANN SATHER
'
S IS THE ONLY ONE THAT
REMAINS
. Ann Sather is a real Chicago institution, where you can enjoy Swedish
meatballs with buttered noodles and brown gravy, or the Swedish sampler of
duck breast with lingonberry glaze, meatball, potato-sausage dumpling, sauer-
kraut, and brown beans. All meals are full dinners, including appetizer, main
course, vegetable, potato, and dessert. It's the sticky cinnamon rolls served at
breakfast, though, that make addicts out of diners. Weekend brunch here can
get frenzied, so get here before 11am, but the people-watching is priceless: a
cross-section of gay and straight, young and old.
There are several other branches that serve only breakfast and lunch: a restau-
rant in Wicker Park, at 1448 N. Milwaukee Ave. (
&
773/394-1812
), and
smaller cafes in Lakeview at 3411 N. Broadway (
&
773/305-0024
) and 3416
N. Southport Ave. (
&
773/404-4475
).
