Categories
Best Bites

Recap: 30 More Best Bites of 2013

For the second year in a row, I’ve spent all December celebrating the rest of my favorite bites and sips from 2013. These are all dishes that I didn’t have a chance to cover as Best Bites when I originally enjoyed them. You can check out the full list of 30 below in chronological order.

View the full 2012 list here.

Choco Taco sundae
Choco Taco sundae

English breakfast
English breakfast

Peanut butter-bacon pancakes
Pancakes

Pan pizza
Pan pizza

Goat cheese chilaquiles
Goat cheese chilaquiles

PB&J ice pop
PB&J ice pop

Hush puppies and shrimp toast
Hush puppies & shrimp toast

Basil + Cream + Roasted Strawberries
Basil + Cream + Roasted Strawberries

Soft-boiled egg biscuit sandwich
Soft-boiled egg biscuit sandwich

Risotto al forno
Risotto al forno

Brioche french toast
Brioche french toast

Black Cat milkshake
Black Cat milkshake

Roasted corn fundido
Roasted corn fundido

Fried green tomato benedict
Fried green tomato benedict

Hawaiian pizza
Hawaiian pizza

Half and half sandwich
Half & half sandwich

Brown butter & blueberry pie
Brown butter & blueberry pie

Bourbon Bloody Mary
Bourbon Bloody Mary

Sandwich trio
Sandwich trio

Breakfast sandwich
Breakfast sandwich

Birthday cake doughnut
Birthday cake doughnut

Fried sweetbreads
Fried sweetbreads

Ham biscuit sandwich
Ham biscuit sandwich

Beignets
Beignets

Marshmallow latte
Marshmallow latte

Bacon parfait
Bacon parfait

Pumpkin stout
Pumpkin stout

Soft-serve gelato
Soft-serve gelato

Fried chicken & sides
Fried chicken & sides

Elk sausage & duck-fat fries
Elk sausage & duck-fat fries

Here’s to another great year of eating and drinking! See you in 2014!

Categories
Best Bites Chicago

This week’s Best Bite: Potstickers, pickles, noodles & more, Fat Rice

Trio of pickles: ginger lime cauliflower, sichuan eggplant, and Charlie's peanuts
Trio of pickles: Charlie’s peanuts, sichuan eggplant, and ginger lime cauliflower

Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: I’d been anxious to try this restaurant for months now, totally intrigued by the idea of blending Portuguese, Macau, and other global street-food influences, and further convinced by the owners’ other ventures – much-lauded underground dinners and irresistibly delicious nuts that are beloved at my neighborhood farmers’ market. Perhaps predictably at this point, I was so blown away by the whole meal that I couldn’t pick just one best bite. I loved my cocktail, sweetened by vanilla and tamarind with a licorice kick from star anise. I loved the colorful trio of pickles, giving eggplant, peanuts, and cauliflower a new sweet-and-sour character. I loved the potstickers, with an eye-catching lattice of crispy dough still holding them together on the plate, and the silky, spicy pumpkin soup. There was enough going on in the fat noodles and Portuguese chicken to keep my palate constantly engaged, and the serradura dessert’s dreamy guava-banana layers made for spoonful after spoonful of happiness.

We did pass on the eponymous fat rice dish, which can be ordered as a prix-fixe meal with soup, vegetable, and dessert, so I already have a built-in excuse to go back. If you go, plan to arrive as close to the 6 p.m. opening time as possible (or even join the line that forms beforehand) to avoid long waits in the already crowded space.

Callan Club, with rum, tamarind, vanilla, and star anise
Callan Club, with rum, tamarind, vanilla, and star anise
Pumpkin soup with tofu, mushrooms, fried bread, and calamansi pickle
Pumpkin soup with tofu, mushrooms, fried bread, and calamansi pickle
Pork and shrimp potstickers
Pork and shrimp potstickers
Fat noodle with X.O. sauce
Fat noodle with X.O. sauce
Portuguese chicken with mussels, mild curry, parrano, coconut, and chorizo
Portuguese chicken with mussels, mild curry, parrano, coconut, and chorizo
Serradura dessert, with guava, banana, sweet cream, and cookie crumb
Serradura dessert, with guava, banana, sweet cream, and cookie crumb

The details: Fat Rice, 2957 W Diversey Ave., Chicago.