Fork Fantasy

★★★★★ 4.5 (8)

"For years, I had passed by the Holiday Inn Express near the main downtown post office and thought nothing of any restaurant being in that location. Only recently did I think of any kind of eatery there after a friend had mentioned Fork Fantasy.I stopped in one Saturday just as they opened. There was just the bartender who was working the front of the house. She informed me that I could sit wherever I pleased and followed me to my seat with a menu. Since I was meeting a friend there, I had a whiskey sour while I waited. I found out that the bartender made the sour using lemon and simple syrup. I kept wondering why the cocktail tasted way better than any sour that I had drunk before.For our meal, we started with the soul muffins. These were miniature cornbread dressing muffins topped with turkey, greens, cranberry sauce, and gravy. This was nothing short of Thanksgiving on a platter. One thing I will note about this dish is that it could have been hot coming to the table. The other appetizer was the skewered bourbon chicken. Served over yellow and green bell pepper slices with purple onions, the colors screamed Mardi Gras, and the flavor screamed, "Eat me!" We wiped both plates clean.The entrees were truth serum. My friend had ordered the Cajun salmon with greens and string beans. She was silently into the dish until there was mention of possibly trying dessert. The silence was all I needed to know that she was enjoying all of what she ordered. As to me, the mustard fried catfish with greens and Cajun rice was a dish I would have devoured in one setting, but I had to set some aside for later so that I wouldn't have regrets about eating everything like it was my last supper.The finale was peach cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was a real peach cobbler. There was no attempt with biscuits. There was no compote from a can. There was proper juice, homemade crust, and peaches that did not taste like they had been drowned in sugar. The bowl was not so large that there was a struggle to finish it all either. It was just blooming delicious.The food was outstanding. The service was top, and this may very well be because the restaurant was not crowded. It was certainly an enjoyable experience for my friend and me. I definitely have to get back at some point in the near future. Their good cooking deserves and encore."

Brunch Factory - Riverwoods

★★★★☆ 4 (113) • $$

"This was our first visit to the Brunch Factory, and it was a good experience. There's a large parking lot, ample seating, extensive menu, friendly service. I saw that starting May 7 they will be serving from 4:30-9 pm, too. We started with Loukoumades, Greek fried donuts with cinnamon honey and walnuts. We loved these - they came 8 to an order, hot and fluffy and light.They have carafes of ice water at the table, along with napkins and placesettings. Our server was friendly. I ordered one of the signature items -- Factory Croque Madam croissant. It wasn't how I expected a croque madam -- everything was layered on top of the croissant instead of inside with bechamel sauce covering. It did come with a very generous serving of hash browns. My companion enjoyed the French onion soup. Another friend ordered the chicken tenders -- and it came with four large chicken breasts -- and fries. The chicken tenders were 4x the amount that we were expecting. The waffle fries were crisp. This was supposed to come with a side of Cole slaw but it was left off -- and this made for a very large plate of fried food -- all the same color.Overall, our meal was fine. I didn't love my breakfast but there are other items on the menu I'd like to try."

Erik's Deli

★★★★☆ 3.6 (20)

"Almost missed this place while walking to the old post office. Decided to stop here and save myself some $$. Great food! Great prices! My wrap was $9.99, which would have easily been $13.99 at the old post office.... If you could even find something like it. Hardly any line at 12:15. I had the Buffalo chicken wrap, and it was spicy and delicious! The chicken was WARM which was a pleasant surprise. Also tried one of these Nitro Pepsi things, as I hadn't had one before. Super tasty! Will def come back!"

Goddess And Grocer

★★★★☆ 3.6 (573) • $$

"Ask for Kalen she's the best!! Always welcoming you to the place with nice smile and a great customer service. Today I ordered a yogurt parfait with a caramel latte and it was delicious!! The place alway have nice relaxing music!!"

Tastebudz

★★★☆☆ 3 (4)

"Love this place!!!! Wish it were a restaurant as well. We order at least twice a month and the food is consistently excellent. Wish the delivery time were a little shorter, but I would recommend TasteBudz for delivery any and every time."

Nesh Mediterranean Grill

★★★★☆ 3.7 (218) • $

"Finally got to check out this place in the Loop. It seemed like it was always closed, but they've been open more often recently. Nesh has a lot of counter service Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food such as falafel and shawarma. Make an order and get it fast. The prices aren't that cheap, but not that bad for around here for the most part. Came at lunch to get some falafel. It's a pretty limited time you can come here. This place is only open weekdays. One of those places that's order at the counter. Seems pretty casual, but the food is better than that. It's about $11 for a typical wrap or something. The signature item is the Shawafel Shrock, which is a big wrap. Has a lot in it. There's falafel, and they typically put steak. If wanting to get it vegetarian, they put in more falafel. There's typical toppings like Jerusalem salad, onions, and pickles. Also whatever else to put on it. They also have loaded fries with Mediterranean types of stuff. Good place to come in at lunch for a casual bite. It's pretty easy to make an order, and it's usually fast getting it. There's meaty items like steak, and vegetarians can get falafel and whatever other toppings."

Noon O Kabab - Pick Up, Delivery & Catering

★★★★☆ 4.4 (129) • $$

"Oh, My. Stars. This is it. This has been added to our list of Go To restaurants when we have a craving for kabobs. We went with the two skewers of Koubideh (ground sirloin) MEAL and then added a skewer ofJoujeh Koubideh (ground chicken). We also picked up the vegetarian eggplant dish. So much yummy food including plenty of rice. The only thing we'd probably add is some additional cooked tomatoes. Wait was a little long because it being our first time, we didn't call in our order and it was made to order so after coming off of a 4 hour plane ride, I was antsy.The sirloin and eggplant were delicous that night. Leftover meat has heated up in the airfryer really well at about 325 for 3-4 minutes. The parking lot adjacent to the restaurant AND street parking were packed. But about half a block away is a smaller lot affiliated with their name on it. We will definitely be back and may try eating at the restaurant although both the counter side and the fancy sit down full service side were both packed."

Helfeld's Delicatessen & Catering

★★★★☆ 4.4 (27)

"Solid little Jewish deli. Great for pick up as there are no actually seats. Their egg salad is wonderful and great to bring home for a midweek lunch. Their sandwiches also look amazing but have yet to try them."

Frannies Beef & Catering

★★★★☆ 4.3 (250) • $

"I am an Italian beef enthusiast. Possibly even an aficionado.This was perfection.Perfect beef - awesome giardiniera. Maybe the best I've ever had on both counts. Lean, tasty, and juicy and the hots were fresh tasting and vibrant. Supreme tamales - as good as Tom Toms, old brand. Necessity for an old school beef place.Actual cut potatoes for fries!Italian ice solid.The owners were there (husband / wife) when we visited, which was very nice.I wish this was near to me because I'd probably never go to another beef place again!"

Hel’s Kitchen Catering

★★★★★ 4.7 (64)

"Hel's Kitchen catered our dinner for 29 people on Xmas eve. I didn't love all the food, but I'm giving five stars because every person I interacted with there was so nice, responsive, and competent. I would absolutely recommend them, I'm thrilled they are here in Northbrook.As for the food, taste is so subjective and it is hard to please all the people with every dish. Everyone thought the Thai chicken skewers with peanut sauce were delicious. The Mediterranean chicken was also very good (loved the artichokes). The sweet potato mini pancakes were also a hit.The Tangine vegetables were too bland. I like more flavor, spices. To their credit, they use very little salt. The bourbon chicken skewers went untouched. The Jerusalem salad desperately needed dressing, it was also untouched (but of good quality).Having them cater saved us days of time preparing and cooking, it was well worth the money. They are super organized and, as I mentioned above, great people to do business with. We'll certainly try them again now that we know what we like."

Soul & Smoke

★★★★☆ 3.8 (56) • $$

"Great atmosphere and lovely setting and seating. Food is a bit salty and pricey but the Mac and cheese, cornbread, and collards were tasty. Staff were nice. You can sit in a quiet space over looking the water and marina and then also get a beer at the next door brewery or Metropolitan Taproom. Or you can go to the distillery called Judson & Moore next door. Dogs are allowed on leashes here and there a lot of space. Also free parking both for the stores area and in the street. Enjoy!"

Clumsy Cow BBQ

★★★★☆ 4.2 (20)

"I stopped by on a whim with my girlfriend. We were walking down Wabash and saw "BBQ"...and after a quick glance at the menu we went in. The staff members were friendly and efficient. The location itself is inviting. It's hard to go wrong with red and black. The food tho. All of the above were great, but the food is why we will be back. It was just that good. My girlfriend had baby back ribs-they were good. I had a brisket sandwich and fries which were great. I see us coming back within a month to try more items for a weekend lunch."

Amber Agave

★★★★★ 4.5 (20)

"A perfect addition to the Wicker Park neighborhood! I've seen them at a few event pop ups and excited to see them open up their own brick and mortar! It's filled with friendly staff and great snack and drink options. Came opening day and everything looked great! There's plenty of free parking on the surrounding streets so that wasn't an issue. There are kiosks to speed up ordering which was very nice. There's plenty of space with comfy seating and multiple tables. It looks like they partnered with a few local Asian owned businesses (for pastries and a drink collab) which is always a plus!When ordering your drinks you can choose your sweetness level (for most of the drinks) and choose toppings. Highly recommend the fruit teas and purple roots! Definitely worth checking out!"

North Shore Catering & Events

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"We hired North Shore for our wedding and it was one of the best decisions we made! Lisa was so amazing to work with! I knew I didn't want traditional and she worked with me to figure out the most amazing wedding menu ever! She and her staff were so professional and helpful night of. They kept things running smoothly and the food always fresh and hot! And on top of that, their decorating is top notch that looks like you paid a designer for it! I truly can't recommend them enough!!!(Photos by Danielle Heinson Photography)"

Hometown Coffee & Juice

★★★★☆ 4.4 (21)

"This place is more convenient than others in the area due to carrying both juices and food- being time efficient when running on a time crunch. I was greeted when entered, it was not very busy, the ambiance is calm, clean and great to meet friends. However, my order was wrong BUT delicious. I had originally asked for the salami, egg and cheese and believe they heard sausage, egg and cheese? Cause that's what I got. Nonetheless, it was great, served with chips and a slice of apple definitely going back for the salami, egg and cheese."

An Apple A Day Catering & Meg's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (80)

"Had lunch at this classy yet casual little cafe in Glencoe. It's one of those pretty quiet places where if it's not coffee, it's usually some brunch cocktails or that kind of stuff along with some pretty good food such as salads and sandwiches. An Apple A Day also does catering. Pretty good prices for a small cafe like it. The atmosphere can be kind of too quiet though. A pretty simple looking cafe. It really doesn't have much ambience to be honest. There's a few tables inside and not much else besides that. Has alcohol. It's about $13 for a cocktail. Those are the cheapest ones. A lot are the brunch kind such as mimosas. Guess it fits with the crowd as most seem to be the soccer mom types. I got a Paloma. This is grapefruit, lime, and tequila. Food menu is kind of limited. We got one of the few vegetarian options: the Sesame Asian Salad. It's $14, which wasn't that bad because the salad was big. This had almonds, carrots, cucumbers, mandarin oranges, red peppers, sesame seeds, and tomatoes. Kind of sweet but not too much. This was light but filling for a salad. Could try it again some time at lunch. It also does catering for parties. The food isn't the most impressive and there's not too many vegetarian choices besides salads but besides that it's okay for brunch, lunch, and whatever."

Zoe’s Soul Food

★★★★☆ 3.6 (5)

"Everything we have had has been delicious! The fish tacos are a must, the blackened salmon is bomb, the blackened catfish was good, the macaroni, and the garlic mashed potatoes were all good. I recommend these items."

Arturo Express

★★★★☆ 4.2 (119) • $

"Casual little place good for lunch. It's just a basic deli with salads and sandwiches. Arturo has most of the classic favorites of an Italian deli. Prices are kind of high for things that are pretty basic to be honest. This is a good stop not far from Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, so it's convenient for travelers. Basic looking place with a counter and a few tables inside. It wasn't busy when I stopped in before getting on a train. This was lunch time but no one else was inside besides the workers. It's open at breakfast and lunch. The lunch menu is pretty much salads and sandwiches. Greek Salad looked pretty good. It's about $12, which seemed like a lot. The salad was a pretty good size. It had the classic ingredients. The rest of the menu has stuff like hoagies, and Italian meats like salami. Good place to get okay Italian food. It's just too expensive for what you get. This place is only open at breakfast and lunch and it's closed on weekends."

The Fat Shallot - Lincoln Park

★★★★☆ 4.4 (209) • $$

"Cute little sandwich spot right in Lincoln Park. I stopped in mid-afternoon, after a doctor's appointment in the area, and it was pretty empty. Note: there's no designated parking lot - just street parking. I ended up taking my order to go, but there are a few tables inside to enjoy the fare in a simple, laid-back atmosphere.I ordered the truffle BLT and it was ready in just a few minutes. They stacked the sandwich full of bacon goodness, so it was quite decadent but very delicious. It was around $12 for the sandwich (w/o tax or tip) but given the portion size and ingredients, I thought this was a fair value. I would definitely swing by again if in the neighborhood."

Butterfield Kitchen

★★★★★ 5 (9)

"These guys have done food for my company's holiday party the last two years. The food has been outstanding across the board and at a fair price. The proprietor is pleasant and easy to work with. Highly recommended."

Nohea Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (265) • $$

"As I was heading to Mary Bartleme Park, I spotted this coffee shop and cafe. It was getting to be around lunch time, and this was good timing because they have a pretty nice sandwich menu. Nohea Cafe is a small place that's only open at breakfast and lunch, and closed weekends. By that information, it's obviously geared toward downtown employees. The cafe though is good for anyone who happens to be here. Being kind of hungover and not fully awake, I certainly needed a boost. I came in and got a coffee. They have a pretty basic coffee menu. It's $2.75 for a cup. More impressive are the salads and sandwiches. Good amount of these and they start to serve these pretty early. The one I got was the Mediterranean Veggie. It's about $10 for a pretty big sandwich. This came with cucumbers, feta, which I left off, greens, hummus, olives, tomatoes, and vegetables. It was vegan by leaving off feta. This has a good amount of toppings and was a good price for the big portion. Gets busy. It's a small place so it gets crowded easily. They have basic breakfast stuff but at lunch there's Mediterranean salads and sandwiches."