Summer in Chicago is my absolute favorite season. But I can’t lie: After the extreme heat the last few months, I am ready for fall. I’m experiencing extreme urges to take afternoon strolls wrapped in camel-colored cashmere, sipping pumpkin spice lattes as orange and red leaves fall to the ground. I’m ready to drink in (and eat!) everything autumn has to offer. And with the threat of having to appear at Hollywood Beach in Speedos and bikinis officially off the table for the next eight to nine months, a few extra calories won’t kill us. Autumn is all about getting warm and cozy, so this week I bring you, my dear readers, some of my favorite spots for classic comfort foods in Chicago:
—Pick Me Up Café: There is no food more comforting than grilled cheese, and you can get one made with five—count ’em—five different kinds of cheese and fresh tomato smushed between two thick slices of crisp grilled bread at Pick Me Up. And this quirky Wrigleyville diner is open 24 hours, so if you find yourself in desperate need of a grilled cheese at 2 a.m. (totally sober, of course), they’ve got you covered. Pick Me Up has plenty of other sammies and entrees that sound good, but I wouldn’t know because I can’t go there an order anything other than the grilled cheese. They also serve breakfast around the clock—nothing not to love about this place. Pick Me Up Café is at 3408 N. Clark; call 773-248-6613.
—Eleven City Diner: Classic Jewish deli meets urban chic at Eleven City, and the result is the ultimate comfort food experience. Owner Bradley Rubin has overlooked no detail at his kitschy yet hip South Loop hot spot. From the stunning antique bar, gleaming white tiles and mahogany booths to the oversized jars of old-school sweets and the comical signs dotting the walls (my favorite it the chalkboard menu that lists “guilt” as a side dish—for free), there is not shortage of eye candy here. Start with the Jewish cure-all—matzo-ball soup. I know, I know, everyone’s Bubbie makes the best matzo-ball soup in the world. But if Bubbie’s not available, Eleven City has an acceptable facsimile made with flavorful matzo balls the size of a fist. I could go on and on about the dishes I love at Eleven City, but here’s a short list of my favorites: Reuben, lox and latke, buttermilk pancakes, challah French toast. Oh, and if you’re really in need of comfort, order a milkshake! Eleven City Diner is at 1112 S. Wabash; call 312-212-1112 or visit www.elevencitydiner.com/.
—La Creperie: I think that having the means to hop on a flight to Paris every time I felt like sipping wine in a French café would be the ultimate in comfort … but, for now, La Creperie will have to do. It’s small, dark and is just on the cusp of being dingy (in a good way). Back before the smoking ban, you could puff away while you drank Beaujolais at a corner table with your petit ami (e), making a night at La Creperie the closet thing to a Parisian café this side of the Seine. The food (mostly crepes, obvi) doesn’t knock my socks off, but the French onion soup is perfection in a tiny bowl. Once you break through the scrumptiously thick layer of melted Emmental cheese on top, you will find huge chunks of soft bread and tender onions swimming in a rich broth. Order the soup and a bottle of red wine, and I promise that you’ll leave warmer (and happier!) than when you arrived. The dessert crepes outshine their savory counterparts, so order the crème caramel or Suzette if you’ve got a sweet tooth. La Creperie is at 2845 N. Clark; call 773-528-9050 or visit www.lacreperieusa.com/index.html.
—Chicago Diner: You definitely don’t have to be a vegetarian to fall in love with all of the comfort foods at this meat-free diner in Boystown. All the classic diner foods you already love—Philly cheese steaks, bacon cheeseburgers, chili cheese dogs and sloppy joes—are magically made without meat at Chicago Diner. I’ve seen the most committed of carnivores chow down at this place. My favorite is the Reuben, which is made with seitan somehow fashioned to look at taste startlingly like real corned beef. The milkshakes can be made vegan if that’s how you roll, but dairy or non, if you leave this place without a cookie dough and peanut butter milkshake, you are making a huge mistake. Chicago Diner is at 3411 N. Halsted; call 773-935-6696 or visit www.veggiediner.com/wp/.
—Schuba’s Harmony Grill: You might go to Schuba’s for the great line-up of live music performed almost every night of the week in a small and initiate space. I go there for the mac and cheese. I’d gladly scalp my ticket to any show for a bowl of this stuff, which is served at Schuba’s adjoining restaurant, Harmony Grill. The ratio of elbow macaroni to rich, creamy sauce (made with a “secret blend” of cheeses) is spot on, and it’s topped with a generous smattering of buttery breadcrumbs and baked until it is piping hot, bubbling and golden brown. Just a warning for pre-concert diners: You may get so caught up in this cauldron of bliss that you will forget what brought you to Schuba’s in the first place and miss the show. Schuba’s Harmony Grill is located at 3159 N. Southport; call 773-525-2508 or visit www.schubas.com/Harmony+Grill/Harmony+Grill.