Sarah C.'s Profile

Based on how I feel about this place, you would never guess that I was a vegetarian for nearly 20 years. Thank goodness I'm a meat eater again, because Paulina Market RULES! We have taken to stocking up there monthly. They have artisanal sausages and really high-quality meats there. We had their steak burgers this week, and they were some of the best I've ever had.

It's a little pricey, but if you eat meat sparingly and care more about quality than quantity, it is worth spending a little more money. They have a nice selection of cheese there, too, though I think you can do better price-wise elsewhere. And I agree with what others have said here, the customer service is great, and sometimes they are quite silly.

One thing I would like to know is the source of their meats. While I won't think twice about supporting a locally owned family business, it is also important to me to know that the meat I buy is sustainably raised. In many ways, green is local so I will continue to shop there, but I do hope that they will in the future say more about where and how the meat is raised.

This is my new favorite place! Great southern style food, sweet little mom-and-pop place. The friend chicken was nice and crispy, not too greasy. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked. We got a ten-piece meal with generous sides of collard greens and coleslaw and four fluffy homemade biscuits, all for less than $15. I wish the chicken had a touch more seasoning and the greens a touch less, but other than that I was VERY happy with my meal there. The flavors and textures were savory and satisfying. A mother and young daughter were there to greet me when I picked up my food, and they were super nice. They also have deliver on Friday and Saturday nights.  I will definitely eat here again. I stopped at the little quickie mart on the way home for a six-pack. Headed home with fried chicken and beer, it was the end of a good day.

I don't come here often, but I really like this neighborhood cafe.

The atmosphere is the best part. Exposed brick, comfy chairs and couches, tables, shelves filled with books, old lamps, funky art by local artists, cool music...it all makes for a very comfortable and inviting environment.

Oh! And free wifi, which isn't offered everywhere in Chicago, much to my surprise.

The patrons are all busy at work on something or engrossed in a book. Lots of writers, I expect, and you can here the occasional hushed conversation about a play someone is producing or their latest short story.  I suppose some might say it's pretentious, but IMHO it's not over the top, and I feel inspired by places like this.  Brings me back to my college days when I loved to study in coffee shops.

The coffee drinks are inconsistent. I've had GREAT coffee and mediocre coffee here. Today I enjoyed a very good latte.  I also had a very expensive, but really good, smoked turkey sandwich with bacon and watercress made by Eat Green Foods.  Also had the coconut cream pie, which was yummy...not too sweet, fresh coconut. I'm not big on sweets, but this was good.

This will be a regular hang out for me through the spring and summer.

We were so happy to find this place! Good to great sushi walking distance from home. A little dangerous and tempting, perhaps, but after some serious jonsing for good sushi, this place was like an oasis in the desert. The fish here is clean, had a lovely texture, and was just great quality. Standards of hamachi and fresh salmon were great, and we even liked the uni there. If the uni is good, you know they have good fish. The uni was creamy and just a little funky (and I mean that in a good way), with a hint of bitterness. Delicious (if you're into it. I know it's not for everyone).

The rolls are nice, too. Spicy tuna of course, very good. I would stay away from the soft shell crab roll. It wasn't bad, but is wasn't great. The scallop roll was quite tasty. The specialty rolls are a little pricey, and you can have a perfectly enjoyable and less expensive meal sticking with the standards. Also, the wasabi could be a little stronger.

The wait staff is very friendly and helpful. Nice people there. The overall ambiance of the place is not exactly my cup of tea. Industrial decor, big screen TVs, it smacks of a hipster sports bar, which on a crowded evening would be loud. But its clean and open and perfectly pleasant. We have been going on weeknights, which has been very pleasant and quiet. I'm sure that on the weekends this place is overrun with the tragically hip, so if you like that in big crowds, go on a Friday or Saturday night. Go other nights of the week if you just want great sushi without the scene.

A great local group, focusing on acoustic music from around the world. They play mostly around Oak Park at some pretty mellow venues where you can have a glass of wine and some appetizers. Well worth checking them out.

I really like this wine store. They have many of our favorites, and always introduce us to new wines that become our favorites. The staff is very helpful and friendly. They know their stuff, and I find many of their tastes compatible with what I like (earthy, mineraly, dry). Great wines in every price range. Their "value" every-day wines are all really delicious. There is something for everyone here, and you can easily learn about new wines, trying things that you would never know about.

I was delighted to find this little gem in our neighborhood. A lovely local watering hole, very friendly and mellow atmosphere, at least on a Saturday afternoon. I'm sure it's more lively on a Friday or Saturday night, and that could be fun. Really nice staff, very good beer selection. I can't wait to go back for a tasting. We had a burger and fries. The burger was slightly overcooked, but satisfying nonetheless, and the fries were quite lovely; thin, crispy, not greasy at all. I'm grateful to know there is an unpretentious community pub in walking distance from our home.

I've been to three shows this year, and realized that you really need to get a spot way up front or in the balcony in order to enjoy the show. The first two times I went there, we were a little late (though arrived before the show started), and we couldn't find a place to stand where we could hear, much less see the act. It was so frustrating! I would rather have been at home listening to the CD! When we did finally get a seat in the balcony (for which we had to show at least an hour before the opening act started), the view and the sound were fine. Not great, but fine.  And the seats are old and uncomfortable, and some of them are even broken.

Also, the security guards there don't seem to give a crap about people smoking. Folks standing all around security were smoking, and they simply ignored them. Why even have a no-smoking policy if you're not going to enforce it?

I will likely continue to go to show here because it features a lot of artists that I love and want to support. Also, it's a great old theater with a lot of charm.  Too bad it's so poorly managed and not better maintained.

Being new to Chicago, we're still trying to find "our" burrito place.  I know there has to be a place to get a good, down-home burrito in Chicago! This is not it. The food is not fresh; it tasted of refrigerator and mold. I usually like to give restaurants three strikes before they're out, but this one I know I don't even need to bother.

What a great store! This isn't Crate and Barrel. No frills or fancy window displays, just great kitchen ware and supplies. Totally unpretentious, a great place to browse, get ideas for your kitchen, acquire must-have items for the serious chef, or get your knives sharpened. My wife was so happy after we went to there with our knives. It took them less than 15 minutes to sharpen the whole set (about 10 knives or so). They did a great job.