Rate-A-Restaurant #353: Perennial Virant (Chicago)

Restaurant: Perennial Virant

Location: 1800 N Lincoln Ave. (Chicago)



Type of restaurant: New American

We stipulated: For our last day in Chicago, we decided to finally try the restaurant at our hotel (Hotel Lincoln) for brunch.



They stipulated: "Chef Paul Virant's restaurants are built upon his guiding philosophy of making the ingredients – their origin, production and quality – the full focus of his culinary approach. Embracing the Midwestern seasons and utilizing methods of preservation allow guests to always expect a menu that showcases local flavors and ingredients in abundance."



What we ordered: Housemade Doughnut ($5), Chicken sandwich ($13), Kids french toast ($4), Biscuits and gravy (gunthorp farm chicken sausage, two egg whites scrambled - $13), Housemade Sausage (two eggs cooked your way, homefries with cheese curds, toast - $13), side bacon ($6)



High point:  The doughnut, and the biscuit and chicken gravy.



Low point:  The boys' French toast was too burnt. We sent it back... and the replacement French toast was less burnt (see above), but still kind of burnt.



Overall impression: Brunch is a hard way to tell a restaurant's worth. Ultimately, it was spotty -- some good, some not-so-good.



Will we return: If we stay at the Hotel Lincoln again, perhaps we'll try another meal.

Rate-A-Restaurant #351: Ampersand Wine Bar (Chicago)

Restaurant: Ampersand Wine Bar

Location: 4845 N. Damen Ave. (Chicago)



Type of restaurant: Wine bar/small plates



We stipulated: Date night in Chicago! While my sisters looked after the boys, Maria and I looked for a nearby place to eat.



They stipulated: "Back in Chicago, just miles from where his command of the kitchen began, Darren McGraw is taking on a new adventure - Ampersand Wine Bar. Ampersand’s intimate environment will offer refined service of accessible wines, delicious small plates and the desserts he has developed over decades and in many kitchens."





What we ordered: Polenta with marscapone and maitake ($6), Short rib with cauliflower and chile ($15), scallop with sweet peas and picked allium ($16), charred summer succotash ($6), crab





High point:  The polenta with marscapone and maitake was so amazing, we ordered it twice!

Low point:  It was a hot night, and I'm afraid the wine was too warm. Not good for a wine bar.



Overall impression: Small space, which means you might be waiting for a table for a while, but you can wait with a glass of wine. Cozy spot, tasty small plates.



Will we return: If we lived in Chicago, we might visit again.

Rate-A-Restaurant #350: Frango Cafe (Chicago)

Restaurant: Frango Cafe

Location: 111 N State Street (Chicago)



Type of restaurant: Sandwiches/Ice Cream



We stipulated: A friend suggested that during our time in Chicago we visit the Frango Cafe at the State Street Macy's (R.I.P. Marshall Fields) to get a taste of the Frango mint ice cream.

They stipulated: This is one of the few, if any, retailers that sell Frango ice cream. Per Metromix: "Chicago shopping devotees who remember Marshall Field's Crystal Palace gleefully recall an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor and soda fountain that provided frosty shopping respite. The Crystal Palace may be history, but its heart is alive in the Frango Cafe, a restaurant and ice-cream counter that shares the seventh floor at Macy's with the Seven on State food court and the Walnut Room. The enclosed seating area allows a bit more room to spread out than the food court. The shakes and sundaes are still on the menu, along with a selection of salads and sandwiches."



What we ordered: Ice cream cones, of course! (Small $1.95, Large $2.95).



High point:  When they ran out of ice cream before my sister could get a cone, they offered her a slice of Frango pie ($5.95 value) for free.

Low point:  Limited hours. We had visited Macy's a few days earlier to try the Frango ice cream, but we were there too late in the afternoon.

Overall impression: Still not ready to forgive Macy's for eliminating iconic brands like Marshall Field's. But the Frango mint ice cream helps. Now, if they would only make it available in more spots!

Will we return: Absolutely.

Rate-A-Restaurant #349: Furious Spoon Ramen (Chicago)

Restaurant: Furious Spoon Ramen

Location: 1571 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Chicago)

Type of restaurant: Ramen



We stipulated: We were meeting a few of Maria's high school friends, and first walking down the new "606" elevated park. After looking at restaurants in nearby Wicker Park, Furious Ramen sounded the most kid-friendly (and a nice change from everything else we were eating in Chicago).



They stipulated: Cold ramen, hot ramen, add-on toppings.



What we ordered: Maria: "Furious Ramen": spicy miso, chashu pork belly, white pepper chicken, poached egg, marinated mushrooms, garlic relish, fury sauce ($12.45); Mike: "Chicken Shio Ramen": white pepper chicken, naruto, bamboo, fury sauce ($9.75 + 75 cents for the fury sauce); kids: Shared another chicken ramen, without the fury sauce.

High point:  The chicken had a great flavor and the ramen was a perfect size -- big for tremendous appetite, or perfect to split and share.

Low point:  Not the best place for a big group, as it's a loud spot, which made it a bit hard to carry on conversation.



Overall impression: It was my favorite meal of our Chicago trip. Highly recommended.

Will we return: If back in Chicago, yes.

Rate-A-Restaurant #348: Nookies (Chicago)

Restaurant: Nookies

Location: 1746 N. Wells (Chicago)

Type of restaurant: Coffee Shop/Diner



We stipulated: Looking for a simple, late lunch near our hotel in Lincoln Park.



They stipulated: "Situated in the Heart of Chicago’s Old Town, Nookies Restaurant first opened its doors as 'Nookies Snack Shop,' in 1973. Two co-workers, Spiros Alexopoulos, a recent immigrant from Greece, who used to work as a server in a Lincoln Park restaurant, and Ralph Fisher, a cook, joined forces to open what was to become one of Chicago’s favorite diners. The original snack shop was equipped with a deli and an ice cream parlor, and seated only a handful of patrons. Spiros and Ralph named it “Nookies” as in a breakfast nook, although the innuendos of the name where not lost on passersby and local patrons."



What we ordered: Maria: Chicken Piccata (Lightly breaded, sauteed with tomatoes and a lemon caper sauce) $12.45; Mike: Blackened Chicken (Coated with cajun spices, topped with mango chutney) $12.45; Kids: Burger (Lightly seasoned charbroiled and served with lettuce, tomato and pickle) $8.95; kids' spaghetti $3.95



High point:  The blogger kid 2.0's spaghetti with meat sauce was delicious and extremely cheap. Also, loved the '70s/'80s music soundtrack.

Low point:  They didn't accept American Express.



Overall impression: Old fashioned diner, complete with comfort food. Nice vibe.



Will we return: If we stay at the Hotel Lincoln again, I'm sure we'd stop by at some point.

Rate-A-Restaurant #347: Good Stuff Eatery (Chicago)

Restaurant: Good Stuff Eatery

Location: 22 South Wabash Ave (Chicago)

Type of restaurant: Burgers





We stipulated: Looking for a quick dinner after an afternoon at Millennium Park, Maggie Daley Park and Grant Park, we decided to find a spot to eat in the Loop.



They stipulated: "Top Chef" alum Spike Mendelsohn is behind the eatery. "Good Stuff Eatery was inspired by Cathy Mendelsohn's vision for a place where people can enjoy the nostalgia of eating the best of their American favorites: handcrafted burgers, handcut fries, handspun shakes and farm fresh salads made with the highest quality ingredients. The pilot store of Good Stuff Eatery opened on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. in July, 2008." Also: any burger can be ordered as chicken instead.





What we ordered: Maria: Spike's Sunnyside (Dairy Fresh Cheese, Applewood Bacon A Farm Fresh Fried Egg On A Brioche Bun With Good Stuff Sauce) $6.98; Mike: Blazin' Barn with chicken (Pickled Daikon & Carrots, Mint, Cilantro, Thai Basil & Spicy Mayo) $6.98; Kids: Farmhouse Burger $6.50 each; plus we splurged on shakes (chocolate and blueberry/raspberry, $5.95 each) and fries (3.75).







High point:  The dipping sauces. Sriaicha mayo, chipotle mayo, mango mayo, etc. The kids liked their shakes and Maria liked the egg in her burger.



Low point:  I thought my chicken sandwich looked limp, and didn't pack the spice as promised.





Overall impression: Maria liked it more than I did. We splurged and spent $50 on what is essentially fast food, but I'm not sure I was feeling it.





Will we return: I might be willing to try the turkey burger instead next time.

April Fool's Day: The Time We Punked Chicago's Alternative Radio Station (LISTEN)

It's the 20th anniversary of the April Fool's Day that Maura Johnston and I spent several hours on WNUR-FM in Chicago, pretending to flip to the all-Pearl Jam format "Q89.3." It was a parody of Chicago's alternative radio station Q101, and we jabbed at its playlist, its over-reliance on Pearl Jam and its cheesy DJ presentations. I first wrote about this in 2004:

Ahh, nothing says April Fool's like a cheesy radio stunt. Back when I ran WNUR in college (yeah, I know, another college radio story -- Mike, it's been almost ten years! Move on!), we freaked our listeners out on April Fool's by yanking our regular programming (you know, the usual college fare-- indie rock bands that you've never heard of) and pretended to flip the station's format to mainstream alternative.

We called ourselves "Q89.3" -- a dig at Chicago's big time commercial alternative station, Q101 -- and played nothing but Pearl Jam for an hour (another dig at Q101, which was so obsessed with the band it actually had adopted as its slogan "This Is Not For You," the name of a Pearl Jam song).

A friend and fellow DJ, Maura, pretended to be the hyperactive British DJ "Sammy Jo" -- a staple of alternative stations back then (and a parody of Q101's Samantha James) -- while I played the clueless DJ "Fisher Stevens" (a play on Q101's Steve Fisher), who thought everything was ooh, soooo alternative while rattling off obvious trivia ("Did you know that Kurt Cobain was the lead singer of Nirvana?!").

Some listeners called in and freaked out, wondering what happpened. Others were wise to the parody and played along: "Hey, you know that Red Hot Chili Peppers song you just played? Could you play it again in about 40 minutes?"

It was a proud moment. Illinois Entertainer magazine called our prank the best of the year.

I finally uploaded an edited version of our "Q89.3" moment -- listen below!

Embed Music Files - Play Audio - Q893 (WNUR April Fool's Paro...