Andersonville Dinner Crawl | chicago foodie girl

8.12.2013

Andersonville Dinner Crawl


As I've mentioned numerous times over the last year and a half, I have hardcore love for Andersonville. It is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Chicago - it's filled with adorable shops, amazing restaurants, and a fabulous community (Swedish/LGBT/Middle Eastern/young professionals). Andersonville has the perfect blend of diversity, oodles of delicious food options, and some of the best festivals & events in the city (e.g. multiple food & wine crawls, Midsommarfest, St. Lucia festival).

While the Dessert Crawl is my favorite of Andersonville's festivals, the Dinner Crawl isn't far behind (how could you not love an event that involves strolling through an awesome neighborhood with friends & sampling all sorts of delicious goodies?!). The 2013 Taste of Andersonville Dinner Crawl took place last week, and of course, Diana and I were all over it! After scrutinizing the options, we eventually decided to go with the Pepper Route, as we were both fixated on the idea of salmon tartare wontons. We definitely made the right choice - we had a fantastic time and walked away with several new favorites! Correction: we actually waddled away, as we were totally stuffed to the brim. :-)

Stop #1: Chicken Chops & Rice Pilaf at Konak
Skinless chops seasoned with mint, black pepper & oregano, and broiled. Both Diana and I were surprised by how much we enjoyed this, as neither of us are big fans of dark meat. The chop was crispy on the outside and tender inside - yum!

Stop #2: Koval Seasonal Cocktail & Whiskey Tasting at Urban Orchard
Fun fact: Koval is the first distillery within the city limits since Prohibition.

I chose one of the seasonal cocktail offerings: Koval Midwest Wheat Whiskey, blueberries, and possibly some other things... it was quite delicious, but I was slightly tipsy by the end of it. :-)

Stop #3: Mac & Cheese, Truffled Kettle Corn, Thai Chile Deviled Eggs at Lady Gregory's
Can you ever really go wrong with mac & cheese and kettle corn?! The kettle corn is actually one of my favorite items on their menu (along with the Ultimate Grilled Cheese: three types of cheese + candied bacon). 

A quick stop at the ever popular & adorable Puppet Bike (carb break!). 

Stop #4: Pizza Slices at Homemade Pizza Company
There were several options to choose from - I went with the Chicken Pesto Parm (spinach, pesto grilled chicken, marinated tomatoes & aged Parmesan on an herbed crust). I've spent the last few years avoiding HPC, as I'm opposed to the idea of having to bake my own carryout pizza; however, after finally trying their pizza, I am totally on board. The crust was perfect (thin & crispy) and I loved the combination of flavors.  

Stop #5: Salmon Tartare & Caviar on a Crispy Wonton at Vincent
This was the stop I was looking forward to the most and the one that ultimately was my favorite of the entire crawl. Vincent is one my of favorite restaurants in the neighborhood - the food is consistently delicious & they have some of the best Bloody Marys on the north side of the city.

Stop #6: Mini BBQ Pork Sliders at Jerry's Sandwiches
Jerry's (upscale sandwich shop) is one of the newest restaurants in Andersonville & I was excited to finally have the chance to check it out. Based on the pork slider, I definitely need to stop in ASAP! Actually, I think I need to make a few stops, considering they have over 100 sandwiches on their menu.

Stop #7: Corned Beef Sandwich & Chicken Salad Wrap at JB's Deli
I love their corned beef & pastrami sandwiches, but I have to say I wasn't a fan of the chicken salad (mostly because I'm a celery hater). However, Diana loved it - so much so that she's planning to go back to buy some. 

Stop #8: Pizza & Arancini at Johnny Brown Bag
Breaded rice balls with peas and red sauce. I typically shy away from Arancini, as it tends to be too heavily breaded for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that JBB's version was very lightly breaded - it made it so much better!


Stop #9: Traditional Apple Pie at First Slice Pie Cafe
Double crust top with layers of Granny Smith apples and cinnamon. This was my second favorite stop - really, I cannot say enough good things about First Slice! They always have a wide variety of available pies & I've loved everything I've tried. I'm particularly fond of the Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pie (it's like a giant peanut butter cup), the Fresh Strawberry Peach Pie, and the Chocolate Mint Pie. 

Not pictured (it was too dark for photos):
Fireside Restaurant: Build Your Own Smoked Gouda Mac n' Cheese Bar & Cajun Meatloaf
Hamburger Mary's: Mini Burgers

We also skipped a stop (Pickled Herring at Svea Restaurant) - as my brilliant friend mentioned on Facebook, "herring is probably only good for Fish-Slapping Dances." ;-)

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7 comments

  1. Thanks for this and we are so glad you enjoyed it. I can't believe you skipped the herring though - your last name is Nordgen! :-)

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  2. @Andersonville: LOL! I know, I know. My grandparents are shaking their heads in their graves. ;-)

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  3. Everything you posted about it looked delicious!

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  4. The herring was awesome. Vincent's was by far the best along the whole route. The food at Konak was barely edible though.

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  5. We eat a lot of it this time of year. We love to try them all

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  6. @Anonymous: Aww, bummer! I was actually surprised by Konak, as I never really thought they were all that great. Vincent was definitely the best -- it is hard to make a fair comparison though because most of the restaurants that were on the route aren't the same league as Vincent.

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  7. I was checking out those different foods. Eew......

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