The 13 Best Comfort Food Dishes In Chicago
By Staff in Best Of on Nov 27, 2013 7:00PM
Thanksgiving not only marks the official beginning of the holiday season. It also heralds what we like to call "comfort food season," that period between late November and whenever summer decides to arrive in Chicago where we fill ourselves with hearty, tasty dishes to stave off the cold.
You'll be inundated with comfort food post-Thanksgiving leftovers but they won't last long so we compiled a list of 13 of our favorite comfort foods across Chicago. As always, we encourage debate, dissent and discussion with this.
Amitabul's famous "Cure-all" soup.
Dr. K’s Cure-All Noodle Soup at Amitabul
Chicago winters are known for, among other things, their ability to challenge even the stoutest of constitutions. Almost everyone is down with the sickness at least once between October and April, and many of us fall victim to the weird idea that you can sleep (or drink) away the bug. Don’t wait for nature to take its course - fight back with a steaming bowl of the Korean juggernaut known as Dr. K’s Cure-All Noodle Soup from Amitabul in Norwood Park. The spicy, garlicky concoction gleans its secret healing powers from the fiery red miso broth, delicate ginger undertones and restorative wakame seaweed. Order it as spicy as you can handle, curl up under a blanket on the couch and feel the warmth permeate your poor, achey, mucus-laden corpus. Add a cup of green tea and the entire West Wing series on DVD and you’re well on your way to showing the winter cold who’s boss. —Lizz Kannenberg
Amitabul is located at 6207 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Vegetable Soup at Icosium Kafé
Of all the considerable vittles at Andersonville’s quiet, cozy Algerian crepe restaurant Icosium Kafé, located at the otherwise busy intersection of Foster and Clark, none may be more delicious than their vegetable soup. Served as an appetizer to their crepes, which are larger than their French contemporaries, the soup is a rich, zesty compliment to what will become a delicious meal. The soup, warm and spiced just right, is a puréed medley of seemingly simple ingredients done up in such a way that will leave your tongue tantalized. Every time my wife and I go to Icosium, we become more excited for the soup than we do for the crepes. And the marvelous, mysterious blend of spices and vegetables will keep us that way for all seasons to come. —Jon Graef
Icosium Kafe is located at 5200 N Clark St
Spicy Miso Ramen at Wasabi
As it gets colder and colder I’m reminded more and more why the spicy miso ramen at Wasabi is my go-to when I need my insides to feel all warm and cozy. It might seem an odd choice from this decidedly picky eater and non-foodie, but after a bowl of this you’ll feel like you're sitting by a bustling fire wrapped in a heated blanket with the companion of your dreams. The broth is fiery when it hits you—they will take it down a notch or two at your request but I prefer it’s hottest setting—and I like to sip a bit of that before slurping down the egg and then the berkshire pork with a healthy swatch of noodles. And then the true joy comes as I leisurely sip and slurp the remainder of the noodles and the broth, often ending the meal beaded in sweat due to the heat of the dish. I can’t think of anything more satisfying and comfortable than that at any time of year, but it certainly has a more pronounced soothing effect during the Chicago winter. —Jim Kopeny / Tankboy
Wasabi is located at 2115 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicken Tetrazzini at Nancy's Pizza
One of the things I look forward to each winter is meeting up with friends for dinner at Nancy’s. The dining room is invariably close to empty, since Nancy’s does most of its business in the evening from delivery and carry-out, and the small TV in an upper corner of the dining room is somehow invariably tuned to “The Simpsons.” We order an inexpensive but hearty bottle of Chianti for the table, and at least one of us orders the Chicken Tetrazzini. Try it. A massive portion of spaghetti is tossed with chicken, mushrooms, ham, cheese, and heavy cream, then baked in the oven for a golden brown crust. Once you dig into it with a knife and fork you discover a piping hot interior that banishes all dread of the subzero temps outside. Use those garlic breadsticks that come with your meal to sop up the beautiful cream sauce on your plate. Ultimate comfort. Even more comforting? Knowing that one order of Chicken Tetrazzini will last for another two meals--leftovers are a given. —Rob Christopher
Nancy's Pizza is located at 2930 N. Broadway St. along with multiple locations in the Chicago area.
Onion Soup Au Gratin and Mussels Mariniere at Mon Ami Gabi
For almost a decade now, we have a little holiday-time tradition. After bundling up and braving the cold to take in the spectacle of Lincoln Park Zoo's Zoo Lights, we head over to Mon Ami Gabi in the elegant Belden-Stratford for a warm, comforting meal to fight off the hypothermia. We already know what we're going to order before entering the cozy bistro dining room -- Onion Soup Au Gratin and Mussels. Their proper French onion soup includes a rich broth, plenty of sweet onions, slices of baguette floating on top and a nice, thick layer of oozing melted Gruyere cheese. The best part is picking the burnt cheese baked onto the rim of the bowl. Once we've brought our core body temp back into the safe zone with the soup, we move on to a big bowl of mussels, steamed with white wine and herbs. Well into mussel season this time of year, (any month with an "R" in the name) they're usually nice and plump served in a pot of fragrant broth. On the side are crispy frites, and for some reason French bistros always seem to have the best ones. Don't forget to ask for some extra baguette to dip in the leftover broth. —Benjy Lipsman
Mon Ami Gabi is located at 2300 N. Lincoln Park West.
Lobster Mac and Cheese at Lady Gregory’s
I’m a gluten-free eater, so traditional comfort food staples like breads, noodles and other carb-heavy soothers don’t do much for me. Cheese is where I get my comfort. And thanks to the gluten-free menu at Lady Gregory’s in Andersonville, I can get my dose of pasta, too. When I need some stick-to-my-ribs, nap-inducing comfort food, I order the Lobster Mac and Cheese from Lady Gregory’s. This is the real-deal baked mac and cheese with buttery chunks of lobster, rich truffle cream and a crunchy cornbread bread crust. For those of you lucky enough to be able to eat gluten, there’s a regular version, too. But gluten avoiders won’t miss a thing from this cheesy bowl of happiness. Tuck yourself into one of the cozy wood-trimmed booths at Lady Gregory’s and make sure to ask for the beverage book. I’m sure one of the 300 whiskeys available will go nicely with the Lobster Mac and Cheese. —Jennifer A. Freeman
Lady Gregory’s Irish Bar & Restaurant is located at 5260 N Clark St.
Gravy Chips at Pleasant House Bakery
Few dishes kick winter in the ass quite like a poutine. This dish from the popular Bridgeport pie house is the cockpunch to all other poutines in town. Save the fries for the wimpy poutines. Pleasant House uses thick-cubed potatoes deep-fried to a golden brown and top them with skirt steak, a savory brown gravy and aged cheddar, all for a cool $5. You can order these with one of Pleasant House's signature pies but I recommend eating the gravy chips on their own. —Chuck Sudo
Pleasant House Bakery is located at 961 W. 31st St.
Wednesday Chicken Special at Belly Shack
There are those days when all I want to do is dive into a pile of chorizo-smothered sweet potatoes. If I’m lucky, I get that hankering on Wednesday and head down the street to Belly Shack, a neighborhood eatery serving the best Korean & Puerto Rican fusion street food in town. Everything on the menu is immediately satisfying, but there is nothing quite like the Wednesday special: moist chicken with a crispy skin on a bed of roast sweet potatoes and crumbled Mexican chorizo sprawling about the bowl like a hash - and all of it is covered in Chimichurri. It’s a ridiculously delicious and hefty meal for only $12. Belly Shack is BYOB too, so bring a farmhouse ale and you’ve got yourself a party. —Erika Kubick
Belly Shack is located at 1912 N Western Ave.
Tots at Rocking Horse
In the battle of tots vs. fries I will always choose the superior quality potato product. I mean isn’t it obvious that tots are superior? If done right, they have a crispy golden exterior and creamy inside just like they are at Rocking Horse, one of my favorite spots to grab a plate. But Rocking Horse elevates their simple tots by adding a bevy of toppings to choose from. I like them simple but if I need some extra comfort, I’m getting my tots loaded. There are five options on the menu, but I stick to my two favorites; chili cheese tots and white truffle. Their chili cheese tots are loaded with Texas style chili and a mound of shredded cheddar. They don’t skimp on the toppings so you will have to opt for a fork when eating a large portion of tots. But the true indulgence is the white truffle tots. Topped with parmesan, parsley and a very pronounced heaping of white truffle aioli they are full of bold and rich flavor. If you aren’t a fan of truffles, skip this option because the truffle flavor is strong in this one. Whatever your choice grab a beer and a plate of tots and enjoy. —Lisa White
Rocking Horse is located at 2535 N Milwaukee.
Hush Puppies at Parson’s Chicken & Fish
Comfort food to me is stick-to-your-ribs food, food that is on the heavier side and full of fried, buttery or cheesey goodness usually. The equivalent of a heavy warm blanket meal. And although I enjoy the chicken and the fish even more at Parson’s, the first thing I’m grabbing off the menu is an order of their hush puppies. These aren’t your typical cornmeal fried balls at Parson’s. They inject these suckers with Slagel Farms ham hock, cream cheese and scallions to make them a magical bite. Each bite reveals a tangle of molten cheese and ham, just make sure to let them cool down since they come fresh out of the fryer. They come with a side of harissa aioli that adds a nice punch of flavor, but I could eat a giant batch of these alone, popping them like popcorn as my arteries cry for help. A cocktail and a basket of these put me in a very happy place, just like comfort food should do. —Lisa White
Parson’s Chicken & Fish is located at 2952 W Armitage.
Chuck Sudo/Chicagoist
Baked Cavatelli at Gio’s Cafe & Deli
Who needs to visit the Rosebud restaurants when you live a couple blocks away from one of Chicago’s great hidden Italian restaurants? Owner Ignacio Bautista and chef Victor Quezada are Rosebud veterans so they know their way around a good red sauce dish. One dish I cannot get my fill of during the cold months is Gio’s baked cavatelli, a bubbling hot glorious mess of homemade marinara sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. It exactly the type of Italian cooking that will stick to your ribs and provide warmth as the mercury dips into single digits and the day lengths shorten. —Chuck Sudo
Gio’s Cafe & Deli is located at 2724 S. Lowe Ave.
Chili at Lindy’s Chili
When Ramova Grill closed last year Chicago lost a classic diner and its best chili. Among the contenders to claim Ramova’s place, the one that stands out is McKinley Park mainstay Lindy’s Chili. The chili here has a few things in common with Ramova’s recipe, although it has more tomato in the mix and a more pronounced spice and heat that lingers long after you’ve licked your bowl clean. Have it with or without beans and pasta, but I prefer to eat Lindy’s chili plain or with tamales. Lindy’s chili also makes an ideal dish to eat after a vigorous skate at the nearby McKinley Park outdoor ice rink. —Chuck Sudo
Lindy’s Chili is located at 3685 S. Archer Ave.
Mark’s Big Boy at Chicago’s House of Chicken and Waffles
It takes a lot to get me to wait in line for chicken and waffles but this Bronzeville restaurant delivers the goods, to paraphrase the legendary Rob Halford. My favorite dish at Chicago’s House of Chicken and Waffles is “Mark’s Big Boy,” a half-chicken deep fried to crispy, tender perfection smothered in sausage gravy and onions and served with two golden, pillowy waffles. This is stunt eating by any definition and as I get older I find myself having to prepare to eat this; it is a food coma but a tasty one. —Chuck Sudo
Chicago’s House of Chicken and Waffles is located at 3937 S. Martin Luther King Dr.