Tag: chicago

Savor Chicago: Unique Burgers You Must Try

While some people argue that the hamburger originated in Germany, there is no doubt that in the United States it has been perfected. A simple dish to prepare but very hard to master; getting that right combination of ingredients with a flavorful patty that will make people come back again and again is not an easy feat. Since arriving to Chicago this summer, we have taken the opportunity to explore the city and enjoy the many great places to eat including finding that perfect burger place.

Chicago is a cool city to explore, how the river blends into the city priceless

Before we talk burger shop, let me will put some spiciness on what a great burger should include. For some less is better just bun-patty-cheese will do the trick, others say that the more toppings the better. For me a great burger should have: bun-patty-cheese a good sauce (elevate the umami) plus a veggie (preferred onion). When going to a burger, try their signature as the chef intended it. However, it is your money, so order it the way you like it.

Finding a good place place that you can get by public transportation is a must… You get to enjoy all the nice things the city offer

After trying different places this 3 are currently at the top of the list, they food and service makes them unique and repeatable. All of them present unique proposals, with their own signature sauces, or caramelized onions with beer. One common denominator is the use of high quality ingredients, cooked the right way. On top of spot on service that will make you want go again.

Now here the top 3 places we have found…

  1. BITTER POPS (OFF Paulina Station – Brown Line)

More than a burger shop, here you will find a great selection of Liquor and Beer on their shop. The bar has a nice selection of beer on tap to pair with their specialty burger called Pop’s Double Smash-burger. Ingredients for the burger are Courage Lager caramelized onions, American cheese, Honeycup dijonnaise, and house made pickles on the side. The burger brings the right level of messiness. When you top it with fries and beer, we have the BFF combination (Burger / Fries / Frosty Beer). Just take the brown line to Paulina Station and a 2 minute walk to land in Bitter Pops, surroundings are nice for taking a walk after your meal.

Great neighborhood place…Very nice surroundings

2. NADC Burger (OFF Grand Station – Blue Line)

What happens when a pro skater and a Michelin Chef get together to create the perfect burger… You get 720 of awesomeness. It took them 2 years to get to the right recipe and what a great product it is. A short 4-minute walk from Grand Station-Blue Line, the place has a nice selection of beers and monitors showing skating action. It is a small place, but when the only dish is their signature burger for sure the wait is worth it.

This simple menu is da bomb…

They made ordering food very simple, just one burger available the NADC burger and fries. If you dare and ask to make your own burger this will be the response “NADC” (Not A Damn Chance). The NADC is a Double patty of 100% Texan Ranch wagyu beef, American cheese, secret sauce, onions, pickles, slightly tamed jalapeños. The Smash-burger has the right level of messiness, with the selection of toppings delivering a huge Umami bomb of flavor. When your menu has only one main entree and the place is full, you found a winner place.

3. DIEGO (OFF Grand & Ogden Bus Stop)

Before Smash-burger was a thing, there was the big burger patty. Diego one of the best Bar and Restaurant in West Town has a good burger to offer. During the summer the place has a nice outdoor patio, where you can sip some good drinks while enjoying music. Easy to get there by Train or Bus. One nice feature is the great Chicago Skyline if you walk 5 minutes in Ogden.

Their burger is called the TJ, a good size single patty with melted onion, pickled jalapeños, white cheddar, and a mayo macha salsa. Diego gets this burger right with a nice combination of ingredients plus a nice seasoned patty. The meat is delicious and the melted onions really adds a good element to the dish. You will find a good selection of beer on tap plus some Mexican favorites like Cerveza Victoria. They also specialize in cocktails and one of the favorites is the Flor Morada a Mezcal based drink.

Will continue the search for other great burgers, but don’t miss any of these places. Try them and have a great food experience in Chicago. If you have a great place for burgers, please share…

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Just moved to Chicago… Uncovering some Food Treasures: Italian Beef, Deep Dish Pizza, and Puerto Rican Flavors

After almost 3 years living in Dubai, and exploring some of the best cities in that part of the world, we have now the opportunity to live in the continental USA. It is in the top 3 cities to live and the name is CHICAGO aka – The Windy City. Chicago a city that host more than 2.7 million people, making it one of the biggest in the USA after New York and Los Angeles.

Chicago Skyline is Iconic…

It is the food, culture, sports, parks, and architecture offers that makes this place a great tourist attraction and more important a great place to live. Situated in the midwest in front of Lake Michigan on 1871 the city had the great fire a tragic event that left more than 100,000 residents homeless and 17,000 structure destroyed; but after the event Chicago literally rise from the ashes and from the ruins of the previous wooden structures arose more modern constructions of steel and stone including the world’s first skyscraper in 1885 using steel-skeleton.

Architecture in Chicago is truly amazing, so many buildings with their own story… Also lots of landmarks

Got transferred here in early June a good time to enjoy the Chicago summer at its fullest, the offer available is huge and you can do something different every day of the season. Landing in June presented the opportunity to explore the city and making it our new home, one key decision has been moving downtown to take advantage of living close to my work and to some of the best attractions the city has to offer.

Chicago a great city for sports and music fans…

In this post will share some of the best finds from a culinary offering the city has to offer, this places are must do in my opinion to get a local food experience. You will find many other places that offer similar food, for us this 3 have make a difference in get us to connect with the city quicker.

  • Portillo’s Italian Beef

This Roast Beef sandwich dipped in their gravy and served in a Turano French Bread is sooooo goood. When you order it, include the giardiniera peppers and dipped in the gravy while eating. There are many locations to go, but be prepared to make a big line to order since is always full. Maybe they were not the first, to do the Italian Beef but they sure have cracked the Italian Beef recipe.

  • Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Chicago Classic

The founder started working in 1940 at Pizzeria Uno, where story says he invented the original Deep Dish Recipe, in 1971 Lou opened his first store and now it has more than 60 stores across 4 states. They have many varieties of their deep dish but my recommendation is to go with the Malnati Chicago Classic, this pie has their own Sausage recipe covering the entirety of the pizza with a great sauce and cheese. When you order is important to tell them to make it just right, the additional time is worth it, the crust and the mix of ingredients where you will have a mix of all the ingredient is a superb experience.

Lou Malnati Pizza ingredients including the sauce makes it a winner

After 10 years of living outside Puerto Rico finding a place to have home food was not easy; first finding your at home ingredients and second you don’t find big Puerto Rican population in Queretaro and Dubai. Settling in Chicago we are now living in one of the cities with the biggest communities of Puerto Ricans in the USA, currently Puerto Ricans is the second biggest latino group in Chicago after Mexicans. People have come from our beautiful island to Chicago since 1950 and the owner of this place landed here after the 2017 big hurricane that impacted the totality of the island generating a crisis that as of today we have not fully recovered.

THis tasted like home!!!! Very good food…

Found the place while talking with someone in a store, this person was a Puerto Rican that move here more than 15 years ago and of course we started having the new kid on the block conversation, We started talking about our stories and how we both landed here in Chicago, then I asked him where he goes to eat and feel back home and luck struck with the answer being Janellie´s kitchen. The following day we went looking for a good lunch but our surprise wads that we were transported HOME; My wife ordered Serenata de Bacalao (Codfish with Root Vegetables) and I got Rice and Beans with beefsteak, as an appetizer we got alcapurrias (fritter with green plantain, pork) and it was AWESOME, my wife described the experience as going back to her grandma house for a friday early dinner with family!!!

(BYOB) I enjoyed a cold Medalla beer!!!

Don’t miss any of these places, they will be a great stop in your visit to Chicago and will add to the experience of this incredible city. We are shifting now to autumn, but there is still time to enjoy Chicago weather and will continue sharing some of the best things to do in Chicago. Thanks for reading the post, please share it with your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, and Facebook search for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….