Taste of Chicago

This afternoon, we went to Taste of Chicago. It wasn't nearly as packed as people told me it would be. Granted, it was a weekday (albeit Friday), and during daylight. I mapped out a plan in advance of stuff we might be interested in, and how many tickets I should buy. We entered at the Monroe St entrance, and I bought 60 tickets. My partner and I are cruisers when it comes to events (we move quickly, mainly because I plan so hard), and we spent about 2 hours at the event. Here's the rundown of what we tasted, and your SKIP IT or EAT IT suggestions:

Cubby Bear: Garlic Fries.
My partner loved them. I thought they were good. Next time we're in Wrigleyville, we may swing by the Cubby Bear. After all, that's what Taste is for, right? To make us want to visit the restaurant? I didn't find these fries to be great myself, but I think we'll come on by sometime to see what else they've got. EAT IT.


The Noodle Vietnamese: Taste of Crab Rangoon.
It was good since it's crab rangoon, but it wasn't our favorite. It was more cheesy and less crabby than most, and the sweet and sour sauce was standard and nothing special. (Our favorite crab rangoon is in St Louis at Blue Ocean Sushi.) SKIP IT.

Kasia's Deli: Taste of Pierogi Potato, and Potato Pancake with Sour Cream.
My partner loved her latke. For me, it didn't compare to Katz, but there's always that asshole that unfairly compares everything to the very best, right? However, I can say the pierogi was cooked to perfection. Any time we're near Chicago and Hoyne during a meal time, stopping here might be a must. EAT IT.


Star of Siam: Taste of Pad Thai Noodles.
This one was for my partner. She loves Thai food, and judges Thai restaurants based on their basic Pad Thai dish before trying more. For her, if you can't do Pad Thai right, then everything is wrong. For me, the dish wasn't very pretty. The noodles are thinner than most Pad Thai's I've seen. I tried a bite though, and it tasted better than it looked. My partner said that we "might" try the restaurant. I'm still figuring out what this means. Relationships are hard. SKIP IT.

Connie's Pizza: Taste of 1/2 Slice Sausage Pizza.
I've tried many Chicago deep-dish pizzas (a post reflecting on all of them is soon to come). For me, Connie's sausage topping and cheese was great, the sauce was good, and the dough was fair. Even so, it's a bargain for a 1/2 slice, EAT IT.


The Smoke Daddy: Taste of Pulled Pork Mini.
This one was just for me as my partner's a vegetarian of sorts. It was adorably tiny, and perhaps too tiny for the price, but it was very good. The Smoke Daddy is also in my neighborhood. I may swing by. EAT IT.

Franco's Ristorante: Italian Watermelon Ice.
After a hot day in downtown Chicago, we desperately needed to eat something cold. There are quite a few Italian ice and ice cream spots at Taste. It's nothing great, but it'll help make your summer cool. SKIP/EAT IT.


Beat Kitchen: Taste of Veggie Empanada
I grabbed this on my way out with our last tickets in an attempt to keep me full for the rest the day (I had work in the evening). It was huge, and it was good, but not great. SKIP IT.