Hello to all out there in readerville. As my devoted readers know (From reading my first blog) I spend every other weekend in Chicago visiting my lovely girlfriend. She and I have really developed a love for going out to eat which is easily satisfied in a city the size of Chicago. Thankfully, she is generally willing to try everything at least once, so we go to restaurants of all different types. Here are a list of Ten Chicago Eateries that every Greater Milwaukee food lover should try when they visit the big city to the south (In No Particular Order)

1. Le Colonial (http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/) (Downtown).This is without a doubt my favorite restaurant of all time (Sorry Sanford's). It is a Vietnamese restaurant, with a heavy French influence. As many know Vietnam was a French colony formerly. Anyway, it is a bit on the pricey side, but there is no topping the food. The interior is decorated to make you feel like you are at a French Restaurant in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle. If you like Vietnamese food, or are just someone who is willing to taste exquisitely prepared unique dishes this should be your first chi-town stop. Get the Sup Do Bien which is a seafood bouillabaisse with coconut milk and a noodles giving it its Vietnamese flair it is too good to even explain. 

2. Sura (http://www.surachicago.com/) (Boy's Town). If I were to open a restaurant of my own I would pattern its menu after Sura's. It's Thai food Tapas style. There are about twenty small plates to choose from ranging between $5-$12. There are also a few entree sized options at a more entree-esque price $14-$18. When I go, we normally just get a bunch of small plates and share. You can stuff your face for under $20 per person. It used to be BYOB, and unfortunately they are phasing that out, but the food is still worth it. The interior is ultra-modern-chic, but that goes with the fashionable aura of the "Boystown" area of Chicago. 

3. Tavern On Rush (http://www.tavernonrush.com/) (Downtown). Located on Chicago's signature Rush St. this is your quintessential steak place. With steaks as their specialty they also serve some mean seafood. The whitefish was a big hit when I went. It is not a place to go everytime you visit as it is quite pricey, but if you ever want to accidentally run into someone famous dining out on the town this would be the place to go.  

4. Shine Morida (http://www.shinemorida.com/Shine/) (Lincoln Park). We got our first sushi sighting. Shine is a fantastic Japanese restaurant, and sushi therefore, is their specialty. If you like sushi, and are in Lincoln Park (near DePaul) this is a must visit spot. My favorite sushi spot in a city crawling with them.

5. Charlie Trotter's. (http://www.charlietrotters.com/) (Lincoln Park). I had to mention Trotter's or I would have been missing perhaps the most renowned restaurant in the city. I took my girlfriend there for dinner for her birthday, and to be honest it just really wasn't worth it. Get ready to spend around $300-$500 for dinner for two. The menu changes daily, but you basically choose from three different tasting menus of varying cuisine and course numbers. The food was very good, but everything was tiny, and some of the food was just to creative to be good. The desert was Sour Cream Sorbet. It tasted like frozen sour cream, gross. If you want to do the tasting thing go to Sanford's here in Milwaukee. It is cheaper, and the food is better. If you can afford it is certainly worth a stop for the experience. It has been voted the best restaurant in America by a number of polls a number of times. 

6. Bricks Pizza. (http://www.brickspetaluma.com/chicago/menu.html) (Lincoln Park). It's Chicag. You gotta have a pizza place. I am a thin crust guy, and so this is a thin crust place. The pizza is great, and so are the combinations of toppings you can get. I recommend the Ditka (Meatlovers), and the Painful (pepperoni, onion, Jalepeno, and garlic). The price is right, and the place is cozy. A great spot to go with a group of people. 

7. Quartino (http://www.quartinochicago.com/) (Downtown). I almost wish I didnt wait til number seven to mention this place. It is the best place to go in Chicago no matter the occasion because it is pretty inexpensive. They even expressly advertise "where the wine is as cheep as water". The house wine comes in huge carafes and is almost actually as cheap as the water. It is small plate dining, so most of the time when we go we order a bunch of stuff to share at the table. They have a ton of options pasta, pizza, salted meats, even different types of olives and olive marinades. Everytime I'm in town and we need a place to go with a few people I suggest Quartinos. It is a can't miss winner for good Italian food and tons of fun for a reasonable price. 

8. The Wiener's Circle. (no website) (Lincoln Park). This would be your Chicago Hot Dog stop. The food is good, and the service is terrible on purpose. It is pretty funny. It reminds me of the old Ed Debevicks (Sp?) where the staff basically makes fun of you while you order. The unique experience and Vienna Beef makes it worth a visit.

9.  Minnies (no website) (Lincoln Park). This place is so awesome. All the food is mini. A ton of mini-sandwich options (burgers, tuna melts, cuban, etc.), and ice-cream to fits its 40s diner decor. They also have a late night carry-out window where i have often gotten a box with 4 or 5 mini-sandwiches. Great place to go with kids, or if you are only just a little hungry.

10. Nookies Too. (No website) (Lincoln Park). Nookies Too brother of the original Nookies is you breakfast hot spot. It is not uncommon for there to be a wait of over an hour, with people actually waiting. The food is that good. They even had to build a back porch to get more tables in. I am not always a breakfast guy, but they have some great egg-meat-potato combinations. Any food you can put hot sauce on is good food in my book.

All of the places in Lincoln Park are about a $12 cab ride from downtown. All the downtown spots are about a $6 or less ride from anywhere else downtown. Boy's Town is a little north of downtown, but not as far as wriggleyville. It's about a $16 cab ride from downtown. If you ever are going to Chicago check some of these places out and let me know what you thought. Tomorrow check out my travel blog about the best vacation I ever went on.