Twist

3412 N. Sheffield
Chicago
773.388.2727
Tapas

I thought this Tapas restaurant was a refreshing change from the standard Iberico and Ba-ba-reeba. I thought the place was cute and cozy... really small, so make sure you get there early, as they do not take reservations. When I looked at the menu, there were at least 10-15 things I wanted to try! That means I will have to go back! The best ones we ordered were the sea scallops and the jalepeno gnocchi. There was a special sangria that night--guava flavored. It didn't do it for me. I hope that the regular sangria is better. I would definitely recommend this place for a date or going out with a few friends.

Hachi's Kitchen

2521 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60686
(773) 276-8080
www.hachiskitchen.com

So I'm addicted. Just ask anyone who answers the phone. They know who I am and exactly what I want. I was ashamed at first to be calling so often, but I got over it. I tried a number of rolls, but always go back to my favorites - Spicy White Tuna Crunch and Halloween Maki. Sometimes I throw in the Tempura Udon. It's a beautiful restaurant, but I've never eaten there. I either pick up or have it delivered. For my sake just give it a try and I know you'll like it. I'm not sure what I would do if they closed down. Did anyone say withdrawal?

Chalkboard

4343 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60689
(773) 477-7144

Chalkboard was a great experience except for taking 20 minutes to find a parking space. However, Angela from the restaurant was nice enough to call and warn me that there was a street fair nearby so extra points for consideration. The whole menu was a little confusing with some items in a really menu and some on the chalkboard and some kind of on both. We started with the antipasto which consisted of some tiny bites of prosciutto and another meat (?), watermelon, the best almonds I ever tried, and a big hunk of blue cheese which was incredible. It was an excellent starter. My friend had the pork tenderloin which was perfectly cooked and I had the halibut with garlic greens, hen of the wood mushrooms and the best tasting heirloom tomatoes. The fish was very tasty, but needed more salt for my taste. For dessert, my friend had the cherry pie a la mode and I had the bread pudding du jour which was blueberry in a vanilla infused sauce with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts were good, but the bread pudding was my favorite. The sign of a good restaurant for me - would I go back - and I would. How could I forget the Mac N Cheese. OMG it was heaven. Of course it is extremely rich so be sure to share.

Quartino

626 N. State Street
312.698.5000
Italian

I was pretty impressed with the food here. I was a little skeptical since it was right downtown and in the midst of touristy restaurants. The have smaller plates here so it is like Italian tapas. (That is a great concept!) We tried a bunch of different plates and my favorite was definitely the gnocchi. I think it was served in a basil/olive oil sauce and it was just amazing! Their slogan here "Where wine is cheaper than water..." and their wine is pretty good. We just got the regular table red wine and I thought it was decent AND I bought a bottle to bring home for only $5!
There were, however, two things that I did not like about this place: 1. It was SO loud. This place is big and it was CROWDED and you could barely talk to the person sitting next to you, let alone the person sitting across from you. I would not recommend going on a first date there. 2. They have a bathroom attendant. I just don't like places that have those. It makes me feel awkward b/c I don't need someone in the bathroom to give me soap and hand me a towel. I can do that myself.

Crust

2056 W. Division Street
773.235.5511
Wicker Park

SO TASTY! And it is organic, which makes you feel as if it is so much better for you! My favorite pizza that I tried was the one with bacon and carmelized onions. The nice thing is you can go back and try different pizzas every time. It is in the old Cafe Settimana space so they took over the nice back patio. I would recommend sitting there and enjoying the weather and the good food.