Random Low-Effort Food Around Chicago
New Aircraft, Old Friends
Why yes, I’m trying to avoid writing something else. Or is it booking something else? So, a quick food adventure before I get back to booking something…
In this Trip Report:
- Well, this year has been a pile of toilet so far
- Take the National Express, when your life is a mess, it will make you smile
- Heathrow Terminal 3 Lounges, featuring The Cathay Pacific and American Airlines Business Class Lounges
- AA087 London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare – Main Cabin Extra
- Into the USA… and dealing with a Credit Card Fraud Call
- HOTEL: Holiday Inn/Staybridge Suites, Rosemont
- Airplane Art Extra from the Holiday Inn/Staybridge Suites, Rosemont
- HOTEL: Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Airplane Art Extra from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare
- Playing with the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Camera around Chicago
- More Random Low-Effort Food Around Chicago
- Back to O’Hare Terminal 3
- American Airlines Flagship Lounge, H-K Lounge, Terminal 3
- BA296 Chicago O’Hare to London Heathrow, World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy)
- Buses and More Buses
- The Way Old Friends Do
It’s time for a poor-quality, unplanned food adventure post. Because people like food photos, ideas and my bad planning going up in flames.
Some plans fell through the floor (be it from exhaustion from overstimulation or being awake for way too many hours), others… I’ll go into in-depth.
Chiu Quon Bakery
I tend to stop here to stock up for a weekend, as filled Chinese meat buns are never a bad thing to have to nibble during quiet moments.
I’ve written about this bakery before – and it’s a place I return to for supplies and snacks, since i learned about it in the Eater Documentary.
Put it like this, it’s one of the main stops on my Chicago trips.
Paris Baugette, Chicago Chinatown
I remember Paris Baguette (and quietly laughing at the name) when I went to Seoul in 2009 (and yes, it’s a South Korean Company). It seems the company has spread out since then, opening branches around the world. It sells a mixture of sweet and savoury items… and your author was in a savoury mood that day.
The branch I visited was on the main street in Chinatown.
But strangely, Paris Baguette was out of baugettes.
Lonely baguette stand is lonely.
I had a crab and a meat croquette. They were warm and filling for the price of $9.
China Kitchen (via Uber Eats)
This is one I can’t review fairly, mainly because whilst uten siles were requested, they never turned up. Thus, all I could get was the Wonton soup, which was hot and passable.
The Mongolian Beef was passable when it was cold, but I suspect it would have been better hot. It didn’t help that I couldn’t find my chopsticks to eat with.
You’d think that at this point, I’d have multiple pairs of chopsticks within grabbing distance.
Nope. Not a chance.
Pequods Pizza
Exhaustion got the better of me during this trip (again), so by 9 pm I had a choice – a disappointing order-in pizza, or head out to a decent pizza joint. And Peaquods Pizza is a decent and well-priced pizza joint.
I grabbed one with Cheese, Sausage, Pepperoni and Giardiniera, with the meat adding protein, the Giardiniera adding acid to cut through the grease.
And yes, it took me most of the week to polish it off when I got home.
Billy Goat Tavern
For those who remember the classic Olympic Grill sketch from Saturday Night Live, the Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger! comes from The Bill Goat Tavern.
I visited the “original” branch, which is under North Michigan Avenue. It’s not hard to find, head to the Plaza of Americas (behind The Wrigley Building) and take the right-hand stairs down. Turn around on yourself, and you’ll find the Tavern. They’ve got other branches in the area, so it might be worth seeking out one if you’re looking for a particular branch near you.
I was basic. I had a single cheeseburger with Coke.
The place had the atmosphere of a thousand conversations held, hushed or otherwise, with tales to tell. And it felt those stories were genuine, compared to larger chain places.
As for the burger – well, a solid burger. With fixings to help yourself to (that I missed), with a Kaiser bun and a freshly cooked patty with melted cheese… It’s a pretty nice burger, at a reasonable price.
And reasonable price is something that you don’t get sometimes in Central Chicago, unless you’re going to the big fast-food chains.
Next
Right. Onto normal travels. Time to head back to O’Hare.
Economy Class and Beyond is brought to you by Kevin. They provide a no-nonsense guide to aviation network news, passenger experience insights, honest reviews, in-depth coverage, unique research, as well as the humour and madness I only know how to deliver.
Our Social Media pool has expanded. You can find us across most networks as @economybeyond on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon and Instagram!
Also, remember that we are part of the BoardingArea community, bringing you the latest frequent flyer news from around the world.
Leave a Reply