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Amy Cavanaugh: Welcome to Dish From Chicago Magazine. I’m Amy Cavanaugh, Chicago magazine’s dining editor.

John Kessler: And I’m John Kessler, Chicago magazine’s dining critic.

Amy: And John, I think summer is here finally. 

John: Praise the Lord. 

Amy: Well, we felt like today was a good time to dig into some of our favorite things about dining in Chicago in the summer. We’re going to talk about our favorite places to dine al fresco. We’re also going to talk about restaurants that are doing a great job cooking seasonally and take advantage of all the summer produce. Finally, we’re going to share the best things we’ve eaten lately, which includes a crab dish at a restaurant with a newly revamped menu.

Amy: All right, so John, when you’re thinking about patios, what are you looking for when picking a place to dine out

John: Shade and sun at the same table, because I am married to a human lizard who just likes to bask. And I love being outdoors, but I need some covering. So that is the first thing is we have to find that table, if a patio offers that table, we’re set. But that is our weirdness. How about you?

Amy: I am totally with you. I love umbrellas. I love to be outside, but I don’t like to be like in full sun. So definitely looking for some of those that really offer that, you know, shade in the sun. So all right, what are some of your favorite go tos?

John: So I always feel like a patio is kind of like a neighborhood bar, neighborhood tacos. Like, it’s gotta be something kind of close. Like, you know, if you’re lucky and you plan ahead, maybe you can get into that great patio at Piccolo Sogno. But 

Amy: That’s a great one. 

John: It is great, but you’ve really gotta, like, plan for that thing. So I live in Bucktown. I know the Bucktown patios inside-out, and I know the places that you wouldn’t think had a great patio, but do, such as Chengdu Bistro.

Amy: I didn’t know they had one. 

John: Yeah, have you ever been there? 

Amy: I actually have not, but that is high on my list of places to get to soon.

John: It’s really fun. We go, honestly, we like to go in the summer when we could eat out on the patio, because the dining room itself is kind of like, I don’t know, shiny services and blare-y noises, and it’s perfectly fine, but the patio is amazing, and it’s just a good place to like, kind of slurp noodles. And then what else do I like? I love, also just right down the street from there, is Handlebar, that old, kind of hippie, quasi-vegetarian bar with a bike theme place, you know that one?

Amy: Yes, I’ve always liked Handlebar. It’s been a minute since I was last there, but I think that’s such an undersung place.

John: It really is. I mean, the food there is really good, particularly if you want something that is kind of hearty, but vegetarian, which is, you know, a mood I find myself in a lot, so they’ve got a great patio. And that’s always our kind of fall back when we’re like planning during the last moment, and look around and can’t find any place that can take us. And usually we can get into Handlebar at night. So what are some of your favorite patios?

Amy: Think one of my favorites is Best Intentions, which is in Logan Square. It’s a really big back space. It is much bigger than the main bar itself. And whereas the main bar’s really, like, dark and really cramped, out back there is just so much space, you can spread out. There’s a bar back there, but then there’s also a lot of tables, and so I feel like it’s really kind of like a summer party vibe back there. You order a sack of burgers, you order some of their horchata margaritas. It’s, I always run into people I know there. It’s really like a great just low-key summer hangout. Parson’s is, of course, you know, an eternal classic, as is Big Star. But I think that Best Intentions somehow still feels a little bit under the radar, like I know those two can be hard to get into, but you can usually grab a table at Best Intentions. So that’s a must. 

I live in Buena Park, so the Long Room is one of my personal favorites. It’s not the largest outdoor space, but it’s tucked to the side, and they have some tables there, and so I have been there before, like, you can work from there during the day, or, you know, just hang out with beers at night. It’s a really just kind of chill outdoor space that I think doesn’t get a lot of buzz.

John: I really didn’t know that Best Intentions had a patio. I have, I think the last time I went there, my friend Scott made me eat too many burgers, like he kept ordering another round of burgers because they’re kind of small and and pretty tasty, yeah. But it like, I remember walking out of there feeling like, Okay, I don’t need a burger for another year. But it’s great. Yeah. What else has a great patio, up in Andersonville, if we’re talking up the North Side, is Minyoli.

Amy: Oh, okay, yeah. Is it out back?

John: It’s out back. It’s pretty big, and it’s got like, you know, kind of nice little alcoves and stuff. It’s, if I remember correctly, there’s some parts that are pretty shaded with trees, which are, you know, a hot commodity in Chicago, and it’s super, super pleasant. Um, also up in Andersonville, Lost Larsen has a really kind of nice patio.

Amy: Oh, wow, yeah. I haven’t been to either of those two, but yeah, I’m a big fan of Minyoli also, yeah. Not too far from there, one of, another one of my go tos is a rooftop: Gene’s Sausage Shop, which you can order sausages and beers up there and take in the view of Lincoln Square. So that’s like a fun summer afternoon. 

John: The last rooftop we went to was Bixi Beer in Logan Square. And it was really, yeah, yeah. It was super pleasant. It was like, there’s a big bar and it’s a little swank. It kind of feels like a, you know, an event space for a wedding or something. But it’s really nice. It was so pleasant up there that I want to try and go back and get not-bad food. You know, the, what we ordered was not great, but we both kept saying, like, oh, wow, this is so nice to be up here. We should try this. We should try that. So definitely want to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Amy: Yeah, and they also have some house-made beers there, which are really pretty good. I had a couple last time I ate there. Yeah, you know, I think that I really tend to go more for these more casual neighborhood patios than I do for like, the downtown rooftops. Yeah, there’s something to grabbing a drink at, you know, the Cindy’s patio. And really, you know, drinking with a view of Millennium Park and the lake is— there’s something special about that. But I feel like when I want to eat and drink outside, I want something that feels more approachable, and it was a little bit more casual. Another good one that really, you know, feels like a summer party, is the Kimski and Maria’s patio. 

John: Oh, yeah. That’s awesome. 

Amy: Yeah. So that’s a really fun one, because you can get drinks from Maria’s and then you can get food from Kimski and just hang out. And it’s, it’s a really fun one, definitely worth checking out the summer.

John: Yeah, and I know what you mean, Amy about those downtown places, because sometimes it’s like, you know, a lot of, like, really loud, flirty groups of people and cocktail dresses and that kind of scene. And I think the thing about patios in Chicago is all of these restaurants that open up in old homes and storefronts have patios out back, and I think there’re just a lot of hidden patios here. So I feel like the best practice is kind of just find the restaurant, ask if they have a patio, because they’ll surprise you. I mean, that’s kind of how we discovered the one at Chengdu Bistro, which is, like, didn’t even know they had a patio. And I think I said to the waiter, it’s a shame you don’t have a patio. And he’s like, Oh, we do. So.

Amy: Yeah, I think there’s, there’s a lot that have those tucked in back, like, you know, Giant has one. And every time I dine at Giant, I like to sit at the chef’s counter, and I always like, look through the back door at their patio. And I’m like, I should try that one next time. Well, we also, we also have the spots that, you know, maybe don’t have a patio exactly, but they open up all of their windows, and they really kind of achieve that summer breezy feel. I’m thinking about Estereo, which is one of my go tos all year round. But you know, in the summer, when all of the doors are up and you can drink, you know, a tequila cocktail in the breeze is, is really appealing to me.

John: Yeah, it really is. I like going there kind of early before it gets too crowded, and just, it’s also because you’re inside, but you got that, like, you know, view out to the street, so you’re kind of part of the street life too. You know, a place in Bucktown that’s like that is Bartaco. It’s part of a big chain out of the Northeast. And again, I sound like such a jerk here, because I’m always talking about these places I like to go to where I don’t like the food and I really don’t like the food at Bartaco. So, but, I mean, how bad can chips and salsa be? But they have really good margaritas made with freshly squeezed juices, and they have, like, a juice squeezer to do it to order. And so their margaritas are great, and the whole place just kind of opens up. So there’s a little patio in front, but then the entire front of the restaurant is like open air. And I love sitting at that bar having a margarita and, you know, some weird chips and salsa. And I’m very happy with that.

Amy: Well, one of the wonderful things about being in Chicago in the summer is the abundance of produce from all the farms in the area. And, you know, going to the farmers markets and then going to restaurants and seeing what the chefs are doing with it. There’s no better season, in my opinion, to dine out. And so it’s, you know, we’re still kind of early summer here, but it’s just been really great to be seeing the asparagus and the peas and the strawberries and all of that coming onto menus. Do you have some restaurants that you look to who do a good job with seasonal cooking?

John: Oh yeah, for sure. And they’re like, honestly, they’re the restaurants that are always kind of my go tos for menus that change that, menus where the chefs are trying things out. So gonna sound like a broken record here, but Dear Margaret is always super seasonal. You know, I think last time I went they had a nettle pasta dish, which I love. I love the flavor of fresh nettles, but you just don’t see that a lot. Cellar Door Provisions cook seasonally, year round. And so a couple of months ago, there were a lot of, like, big, enormous beats and things like that. Now there’s going to be a lot of just asparagus and peas, and they just do a really, like, interesting job with it. Superkhana I have noticed sometimes has some really good seasonal stuff on the menu. How about you?

Amy: Lula Cafe, of course, you know, does an incredible job with their Monday farm dinners. I go to the farmers’ market every Wednesday, I go to the Green City Market, and I haven’t been this year because it’s rained every single Wednesday that the market’s been open, but I like to go and, you know, see chefs there. You know, last year, I would see Jake Potashnick from Feld there regularly. And I don’t know that anyone is embracing seasonality as much as he is on his tasting menu there. So for sure, I’m definitely thinking that I need to plan a summer visit to Feld. But Daisies also really does a great job with seasonality. We all wait for Joe Frillman’s overpriced tomato toast every summer. When that makes it onto the menu, it’s so good, it’s fantastic. It’s worth every penny. But Leah Omilinsky, on the pastry side, really does a fantastic job incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables into her pastries. I remember this, like, strawberry dessert that I had there two years ago that I’m like, still thinking about, that was just like, so ridiculously good. So she’s always a person I look to to see how she’s incorporating fruits and veggies into her dishes.

John: I was back home in Atlanta for a quick weekend, and there’s one pastry shop there that every summer or late spring, with the first strawberries, makes this strawberry galette. And it’s just a very, very simple thing of strawberries that are just cooked inside some laminated pastry with very little sugar, but it’s so fresh tasting. And I was wondering, do you know of some bakeries here that have good seasonal pastries like that?

Amy: Yeah, that dish is speaking my language. I love anything strawberry. Del Sur is doing a good job. They keep changing the jam on their basque cake depending on what fruits are in season. When I had it, had rhubarb, and I know that they’re in the process of changing that up. So that’s a way to really keep a dish on your menu year round, but also make it really reflect the seasons, is by swapping out kind of the central flavor component there, which is very cool. Bellbird Bakeshop, which I actually haven’t been to, but Cate Huguelet, who does our recipe editing and has a degree in pastry, she’s kind of my pastry guru, she was raving about the pastries from Bellbird Bakeshop, and I was looking at their Instagram, and yeah, they’re talking about, like, all the things that they’re incorporating into their pastries. So I’m eager to get out there.

John: I don’t frequent the pastry shops as often as I’d like to, because, you know, gotta keep my figure. But I do love it when, like, fresh fruit comes in, like, particularly when it’s peach season and there’re peach donuts and things like that. Oh, my God. I’m like, yeah, that season.
Amy: Bang Bang does a nice job with their seasonal pies and bringing in new flavors and things like that. So they’re always ones to, you know, go get a slice. Same with Hoosier Mama. I love the flavors that she comes up with there, too. And you know, they really tap the seasonal fruits and veggies.

Amy: John, do you have any go-to Chicago summer foods?

John: Yeah, I mean, gonna have to say that I always look forward to Miko’s Italian Ice opening up and just walking over there and getting like a triple Italian ice, like three flavors and feeling— 

Amy:   

What’s your go-to flavor? 

John:  

I mean, I’m such a basic B, but lemon, you know, lemon 

Amy:   

Classic. 

John:  

I like passion fruit a lot. I like those super sour ones. Cantaloupe, when they have it, I think they get that more at Ava’s. We’ll do cantaloupe, and that’s good. Ava’s is good too. And they’re like, kind of more natural flavors, but Miko’s are really, like, super tart, which I like. So that’s, how about you? Do you have a, like, a summer drink you go for?

Amy:   

Yeah, I think that summer hasn’t really started until you have a Negroni slushie on the Parson’s patio. 

John: Yeah, I got the recipe, made a pitcher of them once, and tried to serve them on our patio, and it was like 100 degrees that day, so we just sat around the kitchen and drank them right out of the blender. But they were good.

Amy: Huge fan of that drink. What’s something else you look forward to?

John: Well, you know, soft shell crab season is always the loveliest time of year. And I had a great soft shell crab the other day at Maxwell’s Trading. It was tempura fried, and I can’t remember it had a bunch of stuff on the plate. That was, just bunch of yummy business on the plate, but it was just so fresh, like it was so so so so fresh, so it was great. How about you?

Amy: I remember having a soft shell crab there last season, last year, that was just incredible. Like, so good. So they, they are really doing a great job with that. I love going to Gene’s rooftop for a radler and a grilled sausage. That is very summer to me.

John: That sounds awesome. I gotta try that. 

Amy: How about one more. 

John: You know, squash blossoms stuffed, fried. I don’t know what it is I like so much fried food in summer, but I do. But like fried, stuff, squash blossoms filled with ricotta cheese at Monteverde, I recall, makes an excellent version of that dish. How about one more for you?

Amy: I love a fried squash blossom. You know what? I just thought of, one of my favorite summer foods, lobster roll. We don’t have a lot of great lobster rolls in Chicago, but my favorite one is The Happy Lobster truck. Couple guys from Maine, so they know what’s up. That is definitely the best version in town, although you’ll also find some good ones at Shaw’s and RL. But The Happy Lobster one is hands down my favorite. 

John: Wait, I don’t know about this Happy Lobster truck. Where do I, where do I find, you know, this happiness? Where does it park?

Amy: They’re a truck, so you’ll have to look on Instagram. And so they’ll do a lot of like, pop ups at like, breweries. So like, you know, they might go say, like, the Begyle, Dovetail area. They’ll go do one there, and so you can order them in advance. They do one version that has giardiniera. That’s the Angry Lobster roll. I like the classic Happy Lobster roll. It’s on, like a more of a bun than like a hot dog roll, and it’s toasted, it’s buttery. They do the combo of mayo and butter, which, in my opinion, is the best way to do it. And the lobster is excellent. And they also sell like real-deal whoopie pies, which is one of my favorite Maine desserts. And so they have a truck, but then they also have a location at Washington Hall, so if you don’t want to track down the truck, you can get one there. 

John: But it’s not like, it’s not like an ice cream truck. It’s not like they go down the streets, you know, emitting a blow horn. Or like, 

Amy: No, it’s not. 

John: Like they go down the streets with the foghorn. And you know that, you know the lobsters are in. That would be great. And they are less than $50 a sandwich, hopefully?

Amy: Yeah, they are. In fact, the regular is $22 so that’s an absolute steal. As a person who eats lobster rolls in Maine every summer and spends quite a bit more than that, $22 is a real bargain.

Amy: I just had dinner at Proxi, which has newly revamped to focus more on they’re calling it coastal Asian, but it really has like a steakhouse vibe now, like they have a few different kinds of steaks and sauces that are really great. And, you know, they have some fun seafood and meat dishes to start like, I love the steak tartare, but I think my favorite dish was the king crab motoyaki, which had a ponzu aioli. And it was just like I could have eaten a whole one myself, like it was just really rich and decadent and delicious. What’s the best thing you ate lately?

John: I just had, in fact, just today, had a pombazo at Taquizas Valdez, a newish taco torta restaurant up in Irving Park. And it was insane. I mean, it was, first of all, like, you know, the size of a manhole cover. And it was a vegetarian dish, but filled with like mushrooms, black beans, salsa macha, crema, cheese, lettuce, you know, they and the pombazo, the breads are dipped in— the bread halves are dipped in red chile, and then griddled. And also, there were French fries in it. And I told myself I was gonna just eat a quarter, and I probably ate about half. And so I have not fallen asleep yet, but I’m tempted to, but it was great.

Amy: Our writer Titus Ruscitti wrote about this for in a recent issue. He absolutely loved that sandwich as well. So very excited to go check that out soon. 

Amy: Thanks for joining us for this episode of Dish From Chicago Magazine. Your hosts are dining editor Amy Cavanaugh and critic John Kessler, editing by Sarah Steimer and music by Bill Harris. You can find us online at Chicagomag.com Please be sure to follow, rate, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll see you next time you