Sayat Nova Armenian Restaurant

Sayat Nova
157 East Ohio St.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Streeterville
Sayat Nova's website

We always try to experience new food and culture here in Chicago, and recently we gave Armenian food a try. We decided to go to Sayat Nova, an Armenian restaurant in the Streeterville neighborhood. Armenian food is similar to Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. A sampling of Sayat Nova's menu includes kebabs, cous cous and lots of lamb.


Seeing as I've never had Armenian food before, I decided to try a little of everything with the Armenian Combo, which consists of cheese boereg (baked phyllo bread stuffed with creamy melted cheese), sarma (grape leaves stuffed with minced lamb and vegetables), eggplant and kufta (Armenian-style meatballs made of minced lamb and topped with a yogurt sauce). It may not sound very appetizing, but the kufta was actually pretty amazing. The sarma was also delicious and the boereg was flaky and gooey, a perfect combination. The one thing I didn't care for was the eggplant which was soggy and bland.

Armenian Combo

Jenn got the Vegetarian combo: cheese boereg, Armenian spinach, taboule, rice pilaf and hot plaki (a sort of pureed tomato soup with beans). Each dish was flavored with the right amount of spices and all the vegetables were fresh. Each of our meals also came with a house salad of fresh greens topped with a unique mint vinaigrette dressing.

Vegetarian Combo

We also had to try the Armenian beer known as Kotayk, and while it was a pretty ordinary tasting lager, we can at least say we've tried Armenian beer. We finished off our meal with some pretty amazing paklava.

Paklava (aka baklava)

Our only complaint was in the value department. The dishes were each $16, which wasn't too bad because it was quite a bit of food and very filling, but we had ordered the cheese boereg appetizer, thinking it could adequately be shared by two people. The $5 appetizer consisted of a single measly boereg, and needless to say, we were a little disappointed. While it may not be the best value out there, Sayat Nova offers an authentic and delicious array of Armenian cuisine that is definitely worth checking out. We give Sayat Nova an 8.3 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.4
Value: 7.7
Atmosphere: 8.4
Customer Service: 8.6
Overall: 8.3

Best Chicago Restaurants of 2010

Although our blog has only been in existence for about 8 months, we'd like to take a moment to give further praise to some of our favorite Chicago restaurants we visited in 2010.

Best Burger
The Bad Apple: Great tasting, innovative burgers at a reasonable price.

Best Thai
Opart Thai: Hip Thai restaurant with excellent curry.

Best Pizza
Pequod's: Deep dish that's not too deep, plus great sauce and carmelized-cheese crust.

Best Mexican
Garcia's: Generous portions for a great price. Massive burritos and great guacamole.

Best Bakery
Bleeding Heart: Organic bakery with creative line of cupcakes.

Best Breakfast/Brunch
Coobah: Creative Cuban take on brunch that's not too pricey.

Best Lunch Special
Pequod's: Personal one topping pizza plus drink for $5.00!

Our top 5 favorite restaurants of the year:
1. Opart Thai
2. Pequod's
3. The Bad Apple
4. Margie's Candies
5. Garcia's

Portillo's

Portillo's
100 West Ontario St.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: River North
Portillo's website
Every once in awhile we get a craving for fast food burgers and fries, and instead of settling for low quality garbage like McDonalds and Burger King, we go to places like Portillo's. Portillo's is a fast food joint with multiple locations throughout the Chicagoland area, and specialize in hot dogs, hamburgers and Italian beef. While we normally don't review chain restaurants, we thought Portillo's would be an exception.


I got the bacon cheeseburger and crinkle fries. The burgers are pretty good for fast food. Nothing great, but certainly a step up from typical fast food burgers. All ingredients tasted fresh, which is often uncommon for fast food. They also had a number of vegetarian options on the menu including veggie sandwiches, tuna sandwiches and a number of soups and salads. Jenn got the grilled veggie sandwich: veggies, including grilled portabella mushrooms along with fresh mozzarella piled on grilled focaccia bread. The bread was fresh and chewy and the cheese was warm and gooey (sandwich not pictured).

Bacon Cheeseburger with Crinkle Fries

So next time you have a craving for fast food in Chicago, choose Portillo's instead of the usual junk. While you may have to pay a few dollars more than for something similar from McDonalds or Burger King, Portillo's is well worth it. We give Portillo's an 8.4 out of 10
Quality of Food: 8.4
Value: 8.6
Atmosphere: 8.4
Customer Service: 8.2
Overall: 8.4

Noodles in the Pot

Noodles in the Pot
2453 North Halsted St.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Noodles in the Pot website
We've discovered that there are several decent Thai restaurants here in Chicago, but because they are so abundant, even the pretty good ones become average while the REALLY good ones are few and far between. One example of the good but not great Thai places is Noodles in the Pot, located near Depaul University in the Lincoln Park area.


Noodles had a pretty decent crowd on the Friday night that we went. The interior is simple but a little more hip than traditional Thai restaurant decor. I got the Chicken Coconut Curry and some Crab Rangoon. The curry is prepared with golden noodles (instead of traditional rice) and is topped with crispy chow mein noodles. I wasn't a huge fan of the golden noodles but liked how the chow mein added a welcome texture of crunchiness. The chicken was a little fatty but the curry sauce was very flavorful. The crab rangoon was decent but awfully small. Jenn got the green curry with tofu and a side of spring rolls. The spring rolls were filled with fresh and crunchy vegetables while the curry was pretty good but nothing too special. The portions are fairly large and most of the dishes are around $8 a piece. One thing we really liked about this place is that every table has its own variety of peppers and hot sauces so that customers can control the spiciness of their dishes.

Chicken Coconut Curry

Green Curry with Tofu

Noodles in the Pot offers decent but fairly typical Thai cuisine. Not to say that the food or experience were subpar, but we would certainly not rank Noodles among the Oparts and Spoon Thais in this Thai-abundant city. Still, pretty decent food and great service at a very reasonable price. We give Noodles in the Pot an 8.5 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.6
Value: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8.4
Customer Service: 8.6
Overall: 8.5

Spacca Napoli

Spacca Napoli
1769 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Ravenswood
Spacca Napoli's website

As much as we love Chicago-style pizza, it's good to know that there are a plethora of thin-crusted pizza options in this city. One of those options is Spacca Napoli, a Neapolitan-style pizzaria in Ravenswood.


While Chicago-style pizza is thick, heavy and ultra-caloric, Neapolitan-style is perhaps the exact opposite: a light, extremely thin and often simplistic pie. We went to Spacca on a Sunday evening with my parents, and the large crowd (both inside and outside) told us that the pizza here must be pretty good. We got some Italian sodas and ordered two Margherita pizzas. As previously stated, the Neapolitan-style pizza is thin, light and simple. The pizzas are made in a large, custom-built wood-burning fire oven, creating a light char on the outer edge of the crust, while keeping the inside soft and chewy. We really loved the mixed texture of crunchy and chewy. The cheese was light and did not overpower, while the sauce was a unique blend of Italian herbs and spices.


Keep in mind that the pizzas come in one size (we think 12"), and while you may think (as we did) that one pizza can be adequately shared by two people, think again. We got two to split between four people, and were slightly unsatisfied. Perhaps an appetizer or two would have done the trick. We must admit though that the customer service was very good. Upon leaving the restaurant, we were each given a free pistachio canoli by the owner himself. Although the experience lacked in the value department, the free canolis were a nice added touch. If the pizzas would have been a little bigger or cheaper ($12.50 each) this place would really impress. Nonetheless, Spacca Napoli makes some tasty, traditional Neapolitan pizzas that are a far cry from Chicago's usual deep dish offerings. We give Spacca Napoli an 8.4 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.4
Value: 7.8
Atmosphere: 8.6
Customer Service: 8.8
Overall: 8.4

The Bad Apple

The Bad Apple
4300 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: North Center
Bad Apple's website

Craving burgers and beers last Saturday night, we ventured to The Bad Apple, a fairly new bar on Lincoln Avenue in North Center. The Bad Apple is known for their creatively topped burgers and an immense and impressive beer menu. There are 15 burgers (2 are veggie) to choose from such as Elvis's Last Supper (bacon & peanut butter) and The Edmund Fig-Gerald (Edmund Fitzgerald porter, fig and bacon relish, goat cheese and smoked onion).


I had a hard time choosing from the many creative burger choices, but ended up picking the El Dorado, a burger topped with spicy corn and black bean salsa and freshly sliced avocado. The burgers are crafted with hormone-free all-natural beef, and despite the wide array of toppings, the the flavor of the beef was not overwhelmed. The burger was juicy and flavorful and the toppings worked excellently with the beef. This was one excellent burger.

El Dorado Burger

Jenn got the Strange Famous, a house-made wild mushroom, seitan, chick pea and corn burger topped with spinach, goat cheese, carmelized onion and Sage marmalade. The "burger" tasted freshly homemade and not frozen or pre-packaged. All burgers are served with house-cut fries, which can be upgraded with seasonings such as curry, creole and sweet & spicy chipotle. We somehow overlooked this on the menu, so we only got the regular non-seasoned fries, which were ok.

Strange Famous veggie burger

In addition to the great burgers, the customer service was also excellent and the beer menu was immense and reasonably priced for a hip, up-and-coming bar (several micro-brew bottles were around $4). The burgers are reasonably priced as well, with most around $8 or $9. Hopefully they will stay reasonably priced as this place will undoubtedly become more and more popular if they continue doing things right. We will certainly be back for more. We give The Bad Apple an 8.6 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.9
Value: 8.3
Atmosphere: 8.5
Customer Service: 8.8
Overall: 8.6

Lucky's Sandwich Company

Lucky's Sandwich Company
3472 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Lakeview (Wrigleyville)
Lucky's website

Lucky's Sandwich Company in Wrigleyville is home of the overstuffed sandwich (common in Pittsburgh and Cleveland): a sandwich stacked high with meat (or veggies), coleslaw and french fries. Yes, fries come ON the sandwich. We first heard of Lucky's after seeing the Chicago episode of Man vs. Food (Watch the segment here). While Adam attempted (and succeeded) to eat 3 sandwiches, we each made a valiant attempt to finsh just one.


I got the turkey sandwich and Jenn got the veggie. The sandwiches consist of either fried deli meat or fried veggies, and are topped with tangy coleslaw and a heap of french fries. It is a memorable sandwich, but more so for the gimmick and less for the actual taste. Not to say that it is a bad sandwich, but we did have a few complaints. It is a bread-heavy sandwich, which makes it very dry. We suggest asking for a side of mayonnaise or mustard (which we should have done) to alleviate the parchedness. I wasn't too fond of the tangy coleslaw although Jenn gave it a thumbs up. One thing we both really liked were the french fries, which were fresh cut and reminded me of Norm's Famous French Fries (for those familiar with the Upper Peninsula french fry staple).

Turkey Sandwich

All in all, it was a pretty fun experience. The sandwiches were pretty decent, but again, Lucky's is more about gimmick than anything. Still, Lucky's Sandwiches offers a great value (only $7 per ginormous sandwich) and a fun, laidback environment. We give Lucky's an 8.4 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.4
Value: 8.9
Atmosphere: 8.5
Customer Service: 7.7
Overall: 8.4

Jury's

Jury's Food & Drink
4337 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: North Center
Jury's website
We ventured to Jury's last week with our friends Brad and Lindsey in search of a delicious burger. Jury's has been awarded with several "Chicago Best of.." awards and lists, so we knew we were in for a treat. It was even listed as one of the top 10 hamburgers in the world according to National Geographic.


We sat in a cozy enclosed patio area in back of the restaurant. Jenn ordered the veggie burger and I got "The Judge", a 1/2 pound burger topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, sliced avocado and the usual trimmings of raw onion, roma tomatoes and romaine lettuce. I honestly thought I might have trouble downing a half pounder, but when a burger is this good, it's easier than expected. The burgers are cooked to order and all toppings were fresh. I don't think I've ever had an avocado on a burger before, but it has quickly become one of my new favorite toppings. Jenn's veggie burger was very good, but not great. She's had better she said. In addition to the burgers, we recommend Jury's onion rings, which are HUGE and fried to perfection.

The Judge

Veggie Burger (half eaten)

In all, our meal was about $20 total (sans drinks). Not bad for some above average burgers and some pretty amazing onion rings. While our burgers were delicious, I'm not sure we would agree with National Geographic that they are one of the 10 best in the world. But still worth checking out! We give Jury's an 8.5 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.5
Value: 8.0
Atmosphere: 8.8
Customer Service: 8.7
Overall: 8.5

Coobah

Coobah
3423 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Coobah's website

We walked past this lively Latino restaurant on Saturday afternoon and noticed that they served brunch til 2:00 p.m., so we decided to stop by. Coobah is known for its "Latino fusion" take on brunch and dinner and serves everything from breakfast burritos to fried calamari.


We stepped inside and it was a bit too loud and dark for us, so we decided to sit outside and enjoy the perfect late summer weather. The brunch menu contains traditional breakfast dishes with a unique twist. I got the french toast, which was topped with powdered sugar, strawberry compote and whipped cream and was served with delicious cinnamon butter. The french toast was good but what made it great was the cinnamon butter. Jenn got something called the strata grande: a layered egg dish similar to a frittata or quiche and consisting of layers of eggs, roasted potatoes, vegetables, french bread and chiuahua cheese. The dish is then topped with a tomato sauce and served with pita bread. The dish was excellent but probably would have been better without the tomato sauce.

French Toast

Strata Grande

Coobah also offers many exotic alcoholic fruity drinks and is also known for their mojitos and sangria. The service was friendly and fast and the bill was only about $20 (sans drinks) total. We were more than pleased with our brunch and will probably come back again. We give Coobah an 8.5 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.9
Value: 8.0
Atmosphere: 8.6
Customer Service: 8.6
Overall: 8.5

Spoon Thai

Spoon Thai
4608 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: North Center
Spoon Thai's website
Spoon Thai is one of the 5 or 6 Thai restaurants along a 2-3 block stretch on Western Avenue and along with Opart Thai, it may be one of the best.


The interior is similar to Opart, with an emphasis on wooden surfaces, although it is less spacious. I ordered the necessary crab rangoon, and although very tasty, they were much smaller than typical crab rangoon. For entrees, I ordered the ginger chicken. The vegetables were large and fresh and the chicken was tender. It was pretty good, but the ginger flavor was a little weak. Jenn got the pad thai. Again, all ingredients were fresh and the portions were large for the price of about $7 per dish. They also have a weekday lunch special with $4.95 dishes.

Ginger Chicken

Pad Thai

Spoon Thai offers delicious Thai cuisine at a very reasonable price. We liked Opart Thai slightly better than this place, but it was still very tasty, authentic Thai food. We give Spoon Thai an 8.6 out of 10.
Quality of Food: 8.7
Value: 8.9
Atmosphere: 8.3
Customer Service: 8.5
Overall: 8.6