June 17, 2025 • 22 mins
John and Amy discuss their favorite spots for outdoor dining in Chicago, the dishes and drinks they look forward to each summer, and the best places for seasonal cooking.
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Amy Cavanaugh (00:00):
I think that summer hasn't really started
(00:02):
until you have a Negroni slushieon the Parson's patio.
John Kessler (00:04):
Yeah, I got the recipe, made a pitcher of them
once, and tried to serve them onour patio, and it was like 100
degrees that day, so we just sataround the kitchen and drank
(00:36):
them right out of the blender.
But they were good.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:43):
Welcome to Dish From Chicago Magazine. I'm Amy
Cavanaugh, Chicago magazine'sdininge ditor.
John Kessler (00:48):
And I'm John Kessler, Chicago magazine's
dining critic.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:51):
And John, I think summer is here finally.
John Kessler (00:53):
Praise the Lord.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:54):
Well, we felt like today was a good time to
dig into some of our favoritethings about dining in Chicago
in the summer. We're going totalk about our favorite places
to dine al fresco. We're alsogoing to talk about restaurants
that are doing a great jobcooking seasonally and take
advantage of all the summerproduce. Finally, we're going to
share the best things we'veeaten lately, which includes a
(01:15):
crab dish at a restaurant with anewly revamped menu.
All right, so John, when you'rethinking about patios, what are
you looking for when picking aplace to dine out
John Kessler (01:36):
Shade and sun at the same table, because I am
married to a human lizard whojust likes to bask. And I love
being outdoors, but I need somecovering. So that is the first
thing is we have to find thattable, if a patio offers that
table, we're set. But that isour weirdness. How about you?
Amy Cavanaugh (01:58):
I am totally with you. I love umbrellas. I love to
be outside, but I don't like tobe like in full sun. So
definitely looking for some ofthose that really offer that,
you know, shade in the sun. Soall right, what are some of your
favorite go tos?
John Kessler (02:12):
So I always feel like a patio is kind of like a
neighborhood bar, neighborhoodtacos. Like, it's gotta be
something kind of close. Like,you know, if you're lucky and
you plan ahead, maybe you canget into that great patio at
Piccolo Sogno. But
Amy Cavanaugh (02:30):
That's a great one.
John Kessler (02:31):
It is great, but you've really gotta, like, plan
for that thing. So I live inBucktown. I know the Bucktown
patios inside-out, and I knowthe places that you wouldn't
think had a great patio, but do,such as Chengdu Bistro.
Amy Cavanaugh (02:46):
I didn't know they had one.
John Kessler (02:47):
Yeah, have you ever been there?
Amy Cavanaugh (02:49):
I actually have not, but that is high on my list
of places to get to soon.
John Kessler (02:53):
It's really fun.
We go, honestly, we like to goin the summer when we could eat
out on the patio, because thedining room itself is kind of
like, I don't know, shinyservices and blare-y noises, and
it's perfectly fine, but thepatio is amazing, and it's just
a good place to like, kind ofslurp noodles. And then what
else do I like? I love, alsojust right down the street from
(03:16):
there, is Handlebar, that old,kind of hippie, quasi-vegetarian
bar with a bike theme place, youknow that one?
Amy Cavanaugh (03:26):
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 Kessler (03:32):
It really is. I mean, the food there is really
good, particularly if you wantsomething that is kind of
hearty, but vegetarian, whichis, you know, a mood I find
myself in a lot, so they've gota great patio. And that's always
our kind of fall back when we'relike planning during the last
moment, and look around andcan't find any place that can
(03:55):
take us. And usually we can getinto Handlebar at night. So what
are some of your favoritepatios?
Amy Cavanaugh (04:02):
Think one of my favorites is Best Intentions,
which is in Logan Square. It's areally big back space. It is
much bigger than the main baritself. And whereas the main
bar's really, like, dark andreally cramped, out back there
is just so much space, you canspread out. There's a bar back
there, but then there's also alot of tables, and so I feel
(04:25):
like it's really kind of like asummer party vibe back there.
You order a sack of burgers, youorder some of their horchata
margaritas. It's, I always runinto people I know there. It's
really like a great just low-keysummer hangout. Parson's is, of
course, you know, an eternalclassic, as is Big Star. But I
think that Best Intentionssomehow still feels a little bit
(04:48):
under the radar, like I knowthose two can be hard to get
into, but you can usually grab atable at Best Intentions. So
that's a must. I live in BuenaPark, so the Long Room is one of
my personal favorites. It's notthe largest outdoor space, but
it's tucked to the side, andthey have some tables there, and
so I have been there before,like, you can work from there
(05:11):
during the day, or, you know,just hang out with beers at
night. It's a really just kindof chill outdoor space that I
think doesn't get a lot of buzz.
John Kessler (05:19):
I really didn't know that Best Intentions had a
patio. I have, I think the lasttime I went there, my friend
Scott made me eat too manyburgers, like he kept ordering
another round of burgers becausethey're kind of small and and
pretty tasty, yeah. But it like,I remember walking out of there
feeling like, Okay, I don't needa burger for another year. But
(05:40):
it's great. Yeah. What else hasa great patio, up in
Andersonville, if we're talkingup the North Side, is Minyoli.
Amy Cavanaugh (05:48):
Oh, okay, yeah.
Is it out back?
John Kessler (05:50):
It's out back.
It's pretty big, and it's gotlike, you know, kind of nice
little alcoves and stuff. It's,if I remember correctly, there's
some parts that are prettyshaded with trees, which are,
you know, a hot commodity inChicago, and it's super, super
pleasant. Um, also up inAndersonville, Lost Larsen has a
really kind of nice patio.
Amy Cavanaugh (06:14):
Oh, wow, yeah. I haven't been to either of those
two, but yeah, I'm a big fan ofMinyoli also, yeah. Not too far
from there, one of, another oneof my go tos is a rooftop:
Gene's Sausage Shop, which youcan order sausages and beers up
there and take in the view ofLincoln Square. So that's like a
fun summer afternoon.
John Kessler (06:31):
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 abig bar and it's a little swank.
It kind of feels like a, youknow, an event space for a
wedding or something. But it'sreally nice. It was so pleasant
(06:51):
up there that I want to try andgo back and get not-bad food.
You know, the, what we orderedwas not great, but we both kept
saying, like, oh, wow, this isso nice to be up here. We should
try this. We should try that. Sodefinitely want to give it the
benefit of the doubt.
Amy Cavanaugh (07:08):
Yeah, and they also have some house-made beers
there, which are really prettygood. I had a couple last time I
ate there. Yeah, you know, Ithink that I really tend to go
more for these more casualneighborhood patios than I do
for like, the downtown rooftops.
Yeah, there's something tograbbing a drink at, you know,
the Cindy's patio. And really,you know, drinking with a view
(07:30):
of Millennium Park and the lakeis— there's something special
about that. But I feel like whenI want to eat and drink outside,
I want something that feels moreapproachable, and it was a
little bit more casual. Anothergood one that really, you know,
feels like a summer party, isthe Kimski and Maria's patio.
John Kessler (07:50):
Oh, yeah. That's awesome.
Amy Cavanaugh (07:51):
Yeah. So that's a really fun one, because you can
get drinks from Maria's and thenyou can get food from Kimski and
just hang out. And it's, it's areally fun one, definitely worth
checking out the summer.
John Kessler (08:04):
Yeah, and I know what you mean, Amy about those
downtown places, becausesometimes it's like, you know, a
lot of, like, really loud,flirty groups of people and
cocktail dresses and that kindof scene. And I think the thing
about patios in Chicago is allof these restaurants that open
(08:25):
up in old homes and storefrontshave patios out back, and I
think there're just a lot ofhidden patios here. So I feel
like the best practice is kindof just find the restaurant, ask
if they have a patio, becausethey'll surprise you. I mean,
that's kind of how we discoveredthe one at Chengdu Bistro, which
is, like, didn't even know theyhad a patio. And I think I said
(08:47):
to the waiter, it's a shame youdon't have a patio. And he's
like, Oh, we do. So.
Amy Cavanaugh (08:51):
Yeah, I think there's, there's a lot that have
those tucked in back, like, youknow, Giant has one. And every
time I dine at Giant, I like tosit at the chef's counter, and I
always like, look through theback door at their patio. And
I'm like, I should try that onenext time. Well, we also, we
also have the spots that, youknow, maybe don't have a patio
exactly, but they open up all oftheir windows, and they really
(09:13):
kind of achieve that summerbreezy feel. I'm thinking about
Estereo, which is one of my gotos all year round. But you
know, in the summer, when all ofthe doors are up and you can
drink, you know, a tequilacocktail in the breeze is, is
really appealing to me.
John Kessler (09:29):
Yeah, it really is. I like going there kind of
early before it gets toocrowded, and just, it's also
because you're inside, but yougot that, like, you know, view
out to the street, so you'rekind of part of the street life
too. You know, a place inBucktown that's like that is
Bartaco. It's part of a bigchain out of the Northeast. And
(09:50):
again, I sound like such a jerkhere, because I'm always talking
about these places I like to goto where I don't like the food
and I really don't like the foodat Bartaco. So, but, I mean, how
bad can chips and salsa be? Butthey have really good margaritas
made with freshly squeezedjuices, and they have, like, a
juice squeezer to do it toorder. And so their margaritas
(10:12):
are great, and the whole placejust kind of opens up. So
there's a little patio in front,but then the entire front of the
restaurant is like open air. AndI love sitting at that bar
having a margarita and, youknow, some weird chips and
salsa. And I'm very happy withthat.
Amy Cavanaugh (10:38):
Well, one of the wonderful things about being in
Chicago in the summer is theabundance of produce from all
the farms in the area. And, youknow, going to the farmers
markets and then going torestaurants and seeing what the
chefs are doing with it. There'sno better season, in my opinion,
to dine out. And so it's, youknow, we're still kind of early
(11:00):
summer here, but it's just beenreally great to be seeing the
asparagus and the peas and thestrawberries and all of that
coming onto menus. Do you havesome restaurants that you look
to who do a good job withseasonal cooking?
John Kessler (11:14):
Oh yeah, for sure.
And they're like, honestly,they're the restaurants that are
always kind of my go tos formenus that change that, menus
where the chefs are tryingthings out. So gonna sound like
a broken record here, but DearMargaret is always super
seasonal. You know, I think lasttime I went they had a nettle
pasta dish, which I love. I lovethe flavor of fresh nettles, but
(11:38):
you just don't see that a lot.
Cellar Door Provisions cookseasonally, year round. And so a
couple of months ago, there werea lot of, like, big, enormous
beats and things like that. Nowthere's going to be a lot of
just asparagus and peas, andthey just do a really, like,
interesting job with it.
Superkhana I have noticedsometimes has some really good
(12:01):
seasonal stuff on the menu. Howabout you?
Amy Cavanaugh (12:06):
Lula Cafe, of course, you know, does an
incredible job with their Mondayfarm dinners. I go to the
farmers' market every Wednesday,I go to the Green City Market,
and I haven't been this yearbecause it's rained every single
Wednesday that the market's beenopen, but I like to go and, you
know, see chefs there. You know,last year, I would see Jake
(12:28):
Potashnick from Feld thereregularly. And I don't know that
anyone is embracing seasonalityas much as he is on his tasting
menu there. So for sure, I'mdefinitely thinking that I need
to plan a summer visit to Feld.
But Daisies also really does agreat job with seasonality. We
all wait for Joe Frillman'soverpriced tomato toast every
summer. When that makes it ontothe menu, it's so good, it's
(12:51):
fantastic. It's worth everypenny. But Leah Omilinsky, on
the pastry side, really does afantastic job incorporating
seasonal fruits and vegetablesinto her pastries. I remember
this, like, strawberry dessertthat I had there two years ago
that I'm like, still thinkingabout, that was just like, so
ridiculously good. So she'salways a person I look to to see
(13:13):
how she's incorporating fruitsand veggies into her dishes.
John Kessler (13:19):
I was back home in Atlanta for a quick weekend, and
there's one pastry shop therethat every summer or late
spring, with the firststrawberries, makes this
strawberry galette. And it'sjust a very, very simple thing
of strawberries that are justcooked inside some laminated
(13:41):
pastry with very little sugar,but it's so fresh tasting. And I
was wondering, do you know ofsome bakeries here that have
good seasonal pastries likethat?
Amy Cavanaugh (13:52):
Yeah, that dish is speaking my language. I love
anything strawberry. Del Sur isdoing a good job. They keep
changing the jam on their basquecake depending on what fruits
are in season. When I had it,had rhubarb, and I know that
they're in the process ofchanging that up. So that's a
way to really keep a dish onyour menu year round, but also
(14:13):
make it really reflect theseasons, is by swapping out kind
of the central flavor componentthere, which is very cool.
Bellbird Bakeshop, which Iactually haven't been to, but
Cate Huguelet, who does ourrecipe editing and has a degree
in pastry, she's kind of mypastry guru, she was raving
about the pastries from BellbirdBakeshop, and I was looking at
(14:34):
their Instagram, and yeah,they're talking about, like, all
the things that they'reincorporating into their
pastries. So I'm eager to getout there.
John Kessler (14:42):
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 fruitcomes in, like, particularly
when it's peach season andthere're peach donuts and things
like that. Oh, my God. I'm like,yeah, that season.
Amy Cavanaugh (14:59):
Bang Bang does a nice job with their seasonal
pies and bringing in new flavorsand things like that. So they're
always ones to, you know, go geta slice. Same with Hoosier Mama.
I love the flavors that shecomes up with there, too. And
you know, they really tap theseasonal fruits and veggies.
(15:27):
John, do you have any go-toChicago summer foods?
John Kessler (15:29):
Yeah, I mean, gonna have to say that I always
look forward to Miko's ItalianIce opening up and just walking
over there and getting like atriple Italian ice, like three
flavors and feeling—
Amy Cavanaugh (15:42):
What's your go-to flavor?
John Kessler (15:44):
I mean, I'm such a basic B, but lemon, you know,
lemon
Amy Cavanaugh (15:49):
Classic.
John Kessler (15:50):
I like passion fruit a lot. I like those super
sour ones. Cantaloupe, when theyhave it, I think they get that
more at Ava's. We'll docantaloupe, and that's good.
Ava's is good too. And they'relike, kind of more natural
flavors, but Miko's are really,like, super tart, which I like.
(16:10):
So that's, how about you? Do youhave a, like, a summer drink you
go for?
Amy Cavanaugh (16:14):
Yeah, I think that summer hasn't really
started until you have a Negronislushie on the Parson's patio.
John Kessler (16:19):
Yeah, I got the recipe, made a pitcher of them
once, and tried to serve them onour patio, and it was like 100
degrees that day, so we just sataround the kitchen and drank
them right out of the blender.
But they were good.
Amy Cavanaugh (16:30):
Huge fan of that drink. What's something else you
look forward to?
John Kessler (16:34):
Well, you know, soft shell crab season is always
the loveliest time of year. AndI had a great soft shell crab
the other day at Maxwell'sTrading. It was tempura fried,
and I can't remember it had abunch of stuff on the plate.
That was, just bunch of yummybusiness on the plate, but it
was just so fresh, like it wasso so so so fresh, so it was
(16:58):
great. How about you?
Amy Cavanaugh (17:00):
I remember having a soft shell crab there last
season, last year, that was justincredible. Like, so good. So
they, they are really doing agreat job with that. I love
going to Gene's rooftop for aradler and a grilled sausage.
That is very summer to me.
John Kessler (17:15):
That sounds awesome. I gotta try that.
Amy Cavanaugh (17:17):
How about one more.
John Kessler (17:18):
You know, squash blossom stuffed, fried. I don't
know what it is I like so muchfried food in summer, but I do.
But like fried, stuff, squashblossoms filled with ricotta
cheese and Monteverde, I recall,makes an excellent version of
that dish. How about one morefor you?
Amy Cavanaugh (17:35):
I love a fried squash blossom. You know what? I
just thought of, one of myfavorite summer foods, lobster
roll. We don't have a lot ofgreat lobster rolls in Chicago,
but my favorite one is The HappyLobster truck. Couple guys from
Maine, so they know what's up.
That is definitely the bestversion in town, although you'll
also find some good ones atShaw's and RL. But The Happy
(17:56):
Lobster one is hands down myfavorite.
John Kessler (18:00):
Wait, I don't know about this Happy Lobster truck.
Where do I, where do I find, youknow, this happiness? Where does
it park?
Amy Cavanaugh (18:08):
Their truck, so you'll have to look on
Instagram. And so they'll do alot of like, pop ups at like,
breweries. So like, you know,they might go say, like, the
Begyle, Dovetail area. They'llgo do one there, and so you can
order them in advance. They doone version that has
giardiniera. That's the AngryLobster roll. I like the classic
(18:30):
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 myopinion, is the best way to do
it. And the lobster isexcellent. And they also sell
like real-deal whoopie pies,which is one of my favorite
(18:50):
Maine desserts. And so they havea 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 onethere.
John Kessler (18:58):
But it's not like, it's not like an ice cream
truck. It's not like they godown the streets, you know,
emitting a blow horn. Or like,
Amy Cavanaugh (19:06):
No, it's not.
John Kessler (19:07):
Like they go down the streets with the foghorn.
And you know that, you know thelobsters are in. That would be
great. And they are less than$50 a sandwich, hopefully?
Amy Cavanaugh (19:17):
Yeah, they are.
In fact, the regular is $22 sothat's an absolute steal. As a
person who eats lobster rolls inMaine every summer and spends
quite a bit more than that, $22is a real bargain.
(19:41):
I just had dinner at Proxi,which has newly revamped to
focus more on they're calling itcoastal Asian, but it really has
like a steakhouse vibe now, likethey have a few different kinds
of steaks and sauces that arereally great. And, you know,
they have some fun seafood andmeat dishes to start like, I
love the steak tartare, but Ithink my favorite dish was the
(20:02):
king crab motoyaki, which had aponzu aioli. And it was just
like I could have eaten a wholeone myself, like it was just
really rich and decadent anddelicious. What's the best thing
you ate lately?
John Kessler (20:13):
I just had, in fact, just today, had a pombazo
at Taquizas Valdez, a newishtaco 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 avegetarian dish, but filled with
(20:38):
like mushrooms, black beans,salsa macha, crema, cheese,
lettuce, you know, they and thepombazo, the breads are dipped
in— the bread halves are dippedin red chile, and then griddled.
And also, there were Frenchfries in it. And I told myself I
was gonna just eat a quarter,and I probably ate about half.
(21:03):
And so I have not fallen asleepyet, but I'm tempted to, but it
was great.
Amy Cavanaugh (21:09):
Our writer Titus Ruscitti wrote about this for in
a recent issue. He absolutelyloved that sandwich as well. So
very excited to go check thatout soon.
Thanks for joining us for thisepisode of Dish From Chicago
Magazine. Your hosts are diningeditor Amy Cavanaugh and critic
(21:31):
John Kessler, editing by SarahSteimer and music by Bill
Harris. You can find us onlineat Chicagomag.com Please be sure
to follow, rate, and review uswherever you get your podcasts.
We'll see you next time you
I think that summer hasn't really started
(00:02):
until you have a Negroni slushieon the Parson's patio.
John Kessler (00:04):
Yeah, I got the recipe, made a pitcher of them
once, and tried to serve them onour patio, and it was like 100
degrees that day, so we just sataround the kitchen and drank
(00:36):
them right out of the blender.
But they were good.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:43):
Welcome to Dish From Chicago Magazine. I'm Amy
Cavanaugh, Chicago magazine'sdininge ditor.
John Kessler (00:48):
And I'm John Kessler, Chicago magazine's
dining critic.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:51):
And John, I think summer is here finally.
John Kessler (00:53):
Praise the Lord.
Amy Cavanaugh (00:54):
Well, we felt like today was a good time to
dig into some of our favoritethings about dining in Chicago
in the summer. We're going totalk about our favorite places
to dine al fresco. We're alsogoing to talk about restaurants
that are doing a great jobcooking seasonally and take
advantage of all the summerproduce. Finally, we're going to
share the best things we'veeaten lately, which includes a
(01:15):
crab dish at a restaurant with anewly revamped menu.
All right, so John, when you'rethinking about patios, what are
you looking for when picking aplace to dine out
John Kessler (01:36):
Shade and sun at the same table, because I am
married to a human lizard whojust likes to bask. And I love
being outdoors, but I need somecovering. So that is the first
thing is we have to find thattable, if a patio offers that
table, we're set. But that isour weirdness. How about you?
Amy Cavanaugh (01:58):
I am totally with you. I love umbrellas. I love to
be outside, but I don't like tobe like in full sun. So
definitely looking for some ofthose that really offer that,
you know, shade in the sun. Soall right, what are some of your
favorite go tos?
John Kessler (02:12):
So I always feel like a patio is kind of like a
neighborhood bar, neighborhoodtacos. Like, it's gotta be
something kind of close. Like,you know, if you're lucky and
you plan ahead, maybe you canget into that great patio at
Piccolo Sogno. But
Amy Cavanaugh (02:30):
That's a great one.
John Kessler (02:31):
It is great, but you've really gotta, like, plan
for that thing. So I live inBucktown. I know the Bucktown
patios inside-out, and I knowthe places that you wouldn't
think had a great patio, but do,such as Chengdu Bistro.
Amy Cavanaugh (02:46):
I didn't know they had one.
John Kessler (02:47):
Yeah, have you ever been there?
Amy Cavanaugh (02:49):
I actually have not, but that is high on my list
of places to get to soon.
John Kessler (02:53):
It's really fun.
We go, honestly, we like to goin the summer when we could eat
out on the patio, because thedining room itself is kind of
like, I don't know, shinyservices and blare-y noises, and
it's perfectly fine, but thepatio is amazing, and it's just
a good place to like, kind ofslurp noodles. And then what
else do I like? I love, alsojust right down the street from
(03:16):
there, is Handlebar, that old,kind of hippie, quasi-vegetarian
bar with a bike theme place, youknow that one?
Amy Cavanaugh (03:26):
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 Kessler (03:32):
It really is. I mean, the food there is really
good, particularly if you wantsomething that is kind of
hearty, but vegetarian, whichis, you know, a mood I find
myself in a lot, so they've gota great patio. And that's always
our kind of fall back when we'relike planning during the last
moment, and look around andcan't find any place that can
(03:55):
take us. And usually we can getinto Handlebar at night. So what
are some of your favoritepatios?
Amy Cavanaugh (04:02):
Think one of my favorites is Best Intentions,
which is in Logan Square. It's areally big back space. It is
much bigger than the main baritself. And whereas the main
bar's really, like, dark andreally cramped, out back there
is just so much space, you canspread out. There's a bar back
there, but then there's also alot of tables, and so I feel
(04:25):
like it's really kind of like asummer party vibe back there.
You order a sack of burgers, youorder some of their horchata
margaritas. It's, I always runinto people I know there. It's
really like a great just low-keysummer hangout. Parson's is, of
course, you know, an eternalclassic, as is Big Star. But I
think that Best Intentionssomehow still feels a little bit
(04:48):
under the radar, like I knowthose two can be hard to get
into, but you can usually grab atable at Best Intentions. So
that's a must. I live in BuenaPark, so the Long Room is one of
my personal favorites. It's notthe largest outdoor space, but
it's tucked to the side, andthey have some tables there, and
so I have been there before,like, you can work from there
(05:11):
during the day, or, you know,just hang out with beers at
night. It's a really just kindof chill outdoor space that I
think doesn't get a lot of buzz.
John Kessler (05:19):
I really didn't know that Best Intentions had a
patio. I have, I think the lasttime I went there, my friend
Scott made me eat too manyburgers, like he kept ordering
another round of burgers becausethey're kind of small and and
pretty tasty, yeah. But it like,I remember walking out of there
feeling like, Okay, I don't needa burger for another year. But
(05:40):
it's great. Yeah. What else hasa great patio, up in
Andersonville, if we're talkingup the North Side, is Minyoli.
Amy Cavanaugh (05:48):
Oh, okay, yeah.
Is it out back?
John Kessler (05:50):
It's out back.
It's pretty big, and it's gotlike, you know, kind of nice
little alcoves and stuff. It's,if I remember correctly, there's
some parts that are prettyshaded with trees, which are,
you know, a hot commodity inChicago, and it's super, super
pleasant. Um, also up inAndersonville, Lost Larsen has a
really kind of nice patio.
Amy Cavanaugh (06:14):
Oh, wow, yeah. I haven't been to either of those
two, but yeah, I'm a big fan ofMinyoli also, yeah. Not too far
from there, one of, another oneof my go tos is a rooftop:
Gene's Sausage Shop, which youcan order sausages and beers up
there and take in the view ofLincoln Square. So that's like a
fun summer afternoon.
John Kessler (06:31):
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 abig bar and it's a little swank.
It kind of feels like a, youknow, an event space for a
wedding or something. But it'sreally nice. It was so pleasant
(06:51):
up there that I want to try andgo back and get not-bad food.
You know, the, what we orderedwas not great, but we both kept
saying, like, oh, wow, this isso nice to be up here. We should
try this. We should try that. Sodefinitely want to give it the
benefit of the doubt.
Amy Cavanaugh (07:08):
Yeah, and they also have some house-made beers
there, which are really prettygood. I had a couple last time I
ate there. Yeah, you know, Ithink that I really tend to go
more for these more casualneighborhood patios than I do
for like, the downtown rooftops.
Yeah, there's something tograbbing a drink at, you know,
the Cindy's patio. And really,you know, drinking with a view
(07:30):
of Millennium Park and the lakeis— there's something special
about that. But I feel like whenI want to eat and drink outside,
I want something that feels moreapproachable, and it was a
little bit more casual. Anothergood one that really, you know,
feels like a summer party, isthe Kimski and Maria's patio.
John Kessler (07:50):
Oh, yeah. That's awesome.
Amy Cavanaugh (07:51):
Yeah. So that's a really fun one, because you can
get drinks from Maria's and thenyou can get food from Kimski and
just hang out. And it's, it's areally fun one, definitely worth
checking out the summer.
John Kessler (08:04):
Yeah, and I know what you mean, Amy about those
downtown places, becausesometimes it's like, you know, a
lot of, like, really loud,flirty groups of people and
cocktail dresses and that kindof scene. And I think the thing
about patios in Chicago is allof these restaurants that open
(08:25):
up in old homes and storefrontshave patios out back, and I
think there're just a lot ofhidden patios here. So I feel
like the best practice is kindof just find the restaurant, ask
if they have a patio, becausethey'll surprise you. I mean,
that's kind of how we discoveredthe one at Chengdu Bistro, which
is, like, didn't even know theyhad a patio. And I think I said
(08:47):
to the waiter, it's a shame youdon't have a patio. And he's
like, Oh, we do. So.
Amy Cavanaugh (08:51):
Yeah, I think there's, there's a lot that have
those tucked in back, like, youknow, Giant has one. And every
time I dine at Giant, I like tosit at the chef's counter, and I
always like, look through theback door at their patio. And
I'm like, I should try that onenext time. Well, we also, we
also have the spots that, youknow, maybe don't have a patio
exactly, but they open up all oftheir windows, and they really
(09:13):
kind of achieve that summerbreezy feel. I'm thinking about
Estereo, which is one of my gotos all year round. But you
know, in the summer, when all ofthe doors are up and you can
drink, you know, a tequilacocktail in the breeze is, is
really appealing to me.
John Kessler (09:29):
Yeah, it really is. I like going there kind of
early before it gets toocrowded, and just, it's also
because you're inside, but yougot that, like, you know, view
out to the street, so you'rekind of part of the street life
too. You know, a place inBucktown that's like that is
Bartaco. It's part of a bigchain out of the Northeast. And
(09:50):
again, I sound like such a jerkhere, because I'm always talking
about these places I like to goto where I don't like the food
and I really don't like the foodat Bartaco. So, but, I mean, how
bad can chips and salsa be? Butthey have really good margaritas
made with freshly squeezedjuices, and they have, like, a
juice squeezer to do it toorder. And so their margaritas
(10:12):
are great, and the whole placejust kind of opens up. So
there's a little patio in front,but then the entire front of the
restaurant is like open air. AndI love sitting at that bar
having a margarita and, youknow, some weird chips and
salsa. And I'm very happy withthat.
Amy Cavanaugh (10:38):
Well, one of the wonderful things about being in
Chicago in the summer is theabundance of produce from all
the farms in the area. And, youknow, going to the farmers
markets and then going torestaurants and seeing what the
chefs are doing with it. There'sno better season, in my opinion,
to dine out. And so it's, youknow, we're still kind of early
(11:00):
summer here, but it's just beenreally great to be seeing the
asparagus and the peas and thestrawberries and all of that
coming onto menus. Do you havesome restaurants that you look
to who do a good job withseasonal cooking?
John Kessler (11:14):
Oh yeah, for sure.
And they're like, honestly,they're the restaurants that are
always kind of my go tos formenus that change that, menus
where the chefs are tryingthings out. So gonna sound like
a broken record here, but DearMargaret is always super
seasonal. You know, I think lasttime I went they had a nettle
pasta dish, which I love. I lovethe flavor of fresh nettles, but
(11:38):
you just don't see that a lot.
Cellar Door Provisions cookseasonally, year round. And so a
couple of months ago, there werea lot of, like, big, enormous
beats and things like that. Nowthere's going to be a lot of
just asparagus and peas, andthey just do a really, like,
interesting job with it.
Superkhana I have noticedsometimes has some really good
(12:01):
seasonal stuff on the menu. Howabout you?
Amy Cavanaugh (12:06):
Lula Cafe, of course, you know, does an
incredible job with their Mondayfarm dinners. I go to the
farmers' market every Wednesday,I go to the Green City Market,
and I haven't been this yearbecause it's rained every single
Wednesday that the market's beenopen, but I like to go and, you
know, see chefs there. You know,last year, I would see Jake
(12:28):
Potashnick from Feld thereregularly. And I don't know that
anyone is embracing seasonalityas much as he is on his tasting
menu there. So for sure, I'mdefinitely thinking that I need
to plan a summer visit to Feld.
But Daisies also really does agreat job with seasonality. We
all wait for Joe Frillman'soverpriced tomato toast every
summer. When that makes it ontothe menu, it's so good, it's
(12:51):
fantastic. It's worth everypenny. But Leah Omilinsky, on
the pastry side, really does afantastic job incorporating
seasonal fruits and vegetablesinto her pastries. I remember
this, like, strawberry dessertthat I had there two years ago
that I'm like, still thinkingabout, that was just like, so
ridiculously good. So she'salways a person I look to to see
(13:13):
how she's incorporating fruitsand veggies into her dishes.
John Kessler (13:19):
I was back home in Atlanta for a quick weekend, and
there's one pastry shop therethat every summer or late
spring, with the firststrawberries, makes this
strawberry galette. And it'sjust a very, very simple thing
of strawberries that are justcooked inside some laminated
(13:41):
pastry with very little sugar,but it's so fresh tasting. And I
was wondering, do you know ofsome bakeries here that have
good seasonal pastries likethat?
Amy Cavanaugh (13:52):
Yeah, that dish is speaking my language. I love
anything strawberry. Del Sur isdoing a good job. They keep
changing the jam on their basquecake depending on what fruits
are in season. When I had it,had rhubarb, and I know that
they're in the process ofchanging that up. So that's a
way to really keep a dish onyour menu year round, but also
(14:13):
make it really reflect theseasons, is by swapping out kind
of the central flavor componentthere, which is very cool.
Bellbird Bakeshop, which Iactually haven't been to, but
Cate Huguelet, who does ourrecipe editing and has a degree
in pastry, she's kind of mypastry guru, she was raving
about the pastries from BellbirdBakeshop, and I was looking at
(14:34):
their Instagram, and yeah,they're talking about, like, all
the things that they'reincorporating into their
pastries. So I'm eager to getout there.
John Kessler (14:42):
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 fruitcomes in, like, particularly
when it's peach season andthere're peach donuts and things
like that. Oh, my God. I'm like,yeah, that season.
Amy Cavanaugh (14:59):
Bang Bang does a nice job with their seasonal
pies and bringing in new flavorsand things like that. So they're
always ones to, you know, go geta slice. Same with Hoosier Mama.
I love the flavors that shecomes up with there, too. And
you know, they really tap theseasonal fruits and veggies.
(15:27):
John, do you have any go-toChicago summer foods?
John Kessler (15:29):
Yeah, I mean, gonna have to say that I always
look forward to Miko's ItalianIce opening up and just walking
over there and getting like atriple Italian ice, like three
flavors and feeling—
Amy Cavanaugh (15:42):
What's your go-to flavor?
John Kessler (15:44):
I mean, I'm such a basic B, but lemon, you know,
lemon
Amy Cavanaugh (15:49):
Classic.
John Kessler (15:50):
I like passion fruit a lot. I like those super
sour ones. Cantaloupe, when theyhave it, I think they get that
more at Ava's. We'll docantaloupe, and that's good.
Ava's is good too. And they'relike, kind of more natural
flavors, but Miko's are really,like, super tart, which I like.
(16:10):
So that's, how about you? Do youhave a, like, a summer drink you
go for?
Amy Cavanaugh (16:14):
Yeah, I think that summer hasn't really
started until you have a Negronislushie on the Parson's patio.
John Kessler (16:19):
Yeah, I got the recipe, made a pitcher of them
once, and tried to serve them onour patio, and it was like 100
degrees that day, so we just sataround the kitchen and drank
them right out of the blender.
But they were good.
Amy Cavanaugh (16:30):
Huge fan of that drink. What's something else you
look forward to?
John Kessler (16:34):
Well, you know, soft shell crab season is always
the loveliest time of year. AndI had a great soft shell crab
the other day at Maxwell'sTrading. It was tempura fried,
and I can't remember it had abunch of stuff on the plate.
That was, just bunch of yummybusiness on the plate, but it
was just so fresh, like it wasso so so so fresh, so it was
(16:58):
great. How about you?
Amy Cavanaugh (17:00):
I remember having a soft shell crab there last
season, last year, that was justincredible. Like, so good. So
they, they are really doing agreat job with that. I love
going to Gene's rooftop for aradler and a grilled sausage.
That is very summer to me.
John Kessler (17:15):
That sounds awesome. I gotta try that.
Amy Cavanaugh (17:17):
How about one more.
John Kessler (17:18):
You know, squash blossom stuffed, fried. I don't
know what it is I like so muchfried food in summer, but I do.
But like fried, stuff, squashblossoms filled with ricotta
cheese and Monteverde, I recall,makes an excellent version of
that dish. How about one morefor you?
Amy Cavanaugh (17:35):
I love a fried squash blossom. You know what? I
just thought of, one of myfavorite summer foods, lobster
roll. We don't have a lot ofgreat lobster rolls in Chicago,
but my favorite one is The HappyLobster truck. Couple guys from
Maine, so they know what's up.
That is definitely the bestversion in town, although you'll
also find some good ones atShaw's and RL. But The Happy
(17:56):
Lobster one is hands down myfavorite.
John Kessler (18:00):
Wait, I don't know about this Happy Lobster truck.
Where do I, where do I find, youknow, this happiness? Where does
it park?
Amy Cavanaugh (18:08):
Their truck, so you'll have to look on
Instagram. And so they'll do alot of like, pop ups at like,
breweries. So like, you know,they might go say, like, the
Begyle, Dovetail area. They'llgo do one there, and so you can
order them in advance. They doone version that has
giardiniera. That's the AngryLobster roll. I like the classic
(18:30):
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 myopinion, is the best way to do
it. And the lobster isexcellent. And they also sell
like real-deal whoopie pies,which is one of my favorite
(18:50):
Maine desserts. And so they havea 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 onethere.
John Kessler (18:58):
But it's not like, it's not like an ice cream
truck. It's not like they godown the streets, you know,
emitting a blow horn. Or like,
Amy Cavanaugh (19:06):
No, it's not.
John Kessler (19:07):
Like they go down the streets with the foghorn.
And you know that, you know thelobsters are in. That would be
great. And they are less than$50 a sandwich, hopefully?
Amy Cavanaugh (19:17):
Yeah, they are.
In fact, the regular is $22 sothat's an absolute steal. As a
person who eats lobster rolls inMaine every summer and spends
quite a bit more than that, $22is a real bargain.
(19:41):
I just had dinner at Proxi,which has newly revamped to
focus more on they're calling itcoastal Asian, but it really has
like a steakhouse vibe now, likethey have a few different kinds
of steaks and sauces that arereally great. And, you know,
they have some fun seafood andmeat dishes to start like, I
love the steak tartare, but Ithink my favorite dish was the
(20:02):
king crab motoyaki, which had aponzu aioli. And it was just
like I could have eaten a wholeone myself, like it was just
really rich and decadent anddelicious. What's the best thing
you ate lately?
John Kessler (20:13):
I just had, in fact, just today, had a pombazo
at Taquizas Valdez, a newishtaco 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 avegetarian dish, but filled with
(20:38):
like mushrooms, black beans,salsa macha, crema, cheese,
lettuce, you know, they and thepombazo, the breads are dipped
in— the bread halves are dippedin red chile, and then griddled.
And also, there were Frenchfries in it. And I told myself I
was gonna just eat a quarter,and I probably ate about half.
(21:03):
And so I have not fallen asleepyet, but I'm tempted to, but it
was great.
Amy Cavanaugh (21:09):
Our writer Titus Ruscitti wrote about this for in
a recent issue. He absolutelyloved that sandwich as well. So
very excited to go check thatout soon.
Thanks for joining us for thisepisode of Dish From Chicago
Magazine. Your hosts are diningeditor Amy Cavanaugh and critic
(21:31):
John Kessler, editing by SarahSteimer and music by Bill
Harris. You can find us onlineat Chicagomag.com Please be sure
to follow, rate, and review uswherever you get your podcasts.
We'll see you next time you
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