Baby-on-Board Review: Ta Tong

By Elizabeth Shapiro in Food on Nov 30, 2007 7:00PM

After cooking our Thanksgiving dinner from scratch while holding our toddler, we’d like to never see the inside of a kitchen again. Thankfully, Chicago is rife with take-out deliciousness. Our new favorite is Ta Tong, a local Thai and sushi dive in Lakeview.

Most Chicago neighborhoods have one: a hole-in-the-wall place that serves up some awesome Asian food. Ta Tong makes one of the best Pad Kee Mao ($6.95) dishes we’ve eaten in Chicago. We also love their sticky sweet chili chicken (8.95), and can’t stop eating their green tea calamari ($5.95). Although there is no set kid menu, there is plenty to pick from here. Our kid devours their chicken satay appetizer ($5.95), and we’ll try their veggie maki dishes for a funky twist on toddler finger foods. They’ll even put together a generous side dish of steamed veggies or plain noodles for kids who aren’t able to handle the stronger Thai flavors. Their Thai dishes are their strong suit; pass on their sushi.

Take out isn’t the only reason we love Ta Tong. The restaurant’s funky decor (TVs! Lights! Fountains!) keeps our kid enthralled while we wait for our food. During the warmer months their outdoor seating has a fantastically distracting view of street traffic around St. Alphonsus church. The people who run the place are exceedingly patient with us and friendly to our toddler, qualities that are rare and extremely appreciated.

Ta Tong will be a staple in our house when we’re avoiding cooking… although we can’t stop singing this song.

Ta Tong is located at 2964 N. Lincoln. Call 348-6500 for hours.