A good friend of mine mentioned Argo Tea when he knew I was heading to Chicago. I didn't happen to see any Argo Tea locations during my time in the city, but when we were heading back home, it appeared. After getting through (kinda tedious) security, this Argo Tea stand was like this sparkling beacon of happy that was calling my name.


I really don't drink much tea, so I stood in front of the menu for a bit trying to get my bearings. I ultimately setting on a Hibiscus Tea Sangria, which is a sparkling tea with hibiscus flowers and medley of fruits. I can easily say this is the tastiest tea I've ever had, and now I may be a tea convert. Sweet - but not too sweet - and floral and just crazy refreshing. Perfect for the long day of traveling that was ahead of me.

Grade: A

I think we saved the best meal for last in Chicago - unintentionally.

Bon Appetit named Au Cheval the best burger in America, sooooo, of course I'm going here. Check out that write-up here:

There’s no shortage of burgers in this country. As a result of The Great Gourmet Burger Boom of 2011, nearly every burger we come across has some sort of pedigree (how many Trotter/Boulud/Keller alum-created burgers do we need?). Can’t a burger just be a burger? Yes, and we’ve found one in the perfect griddle burger at Chicago’s Au Cheval. 

Sure, Au Cheval chef-owner Brendan Sodikoff has cooked in some top-notch kitchens under guys like Keller and Ducasse, but there’s zero pretension at Au Cheval when it comes to the restaurant’s burger. What are we working with, here? The first thing you’ll notice is the soft, lightly toasted bun from Chicago’s Z Baking. And the all-important bun-to-burger ratio is spot on–none of that brioche bun nonsense. 

Next: Your single burger is actually packing two patties. If you’re brave enough to order a double, you’ll have to fight your way through three patties. According to the burger obsessives over at A Hamburger Today, Au Cheval’s burger is comprised of four ounce, pre-formed (gasp!) prime beef patties. Nope–no chuck/shortrib/bone marrow custom patty blend happening here. 

We liked this burger so much that we dropped by the restaurant two nights in a row post-dinner with our very own Foodist Andrew Knowlton (at his insistence) to sample it. For the money ($9.95 for a single, $11.95 for a double), Au Cheval’s burger might be our favorite in the country.

We arrived right at Au Cheval at 11 a.m., when it opens. What I didn't realize is how long the line would be before it even opened. They must have opened a few minutes early, because the entire restaurant had been full, and there was a line cycling through for the waitlist. All at 11 a.m. So, long story short, we arrived at 11 a.m., and we weren't seated until about 12:30 p.m. That's how insanely busy this place gets. Fortunately, they text you when your table is ready, so we went across the way to have a beer while we waited.

I impatiently checked what place we were in line, and finally breathed a sigh of relief when it trickled down really quickly. We ran over, and told them we were called. There was a bit of confusion, and I guess their system went down. But, after some brief back-and-forth, we were seated at the bar. This place is quite small, so I can see why there's such a wait.

We were placed right next to the guy who was expediting, since it's an open kitchen, and it was kind of cool. He was a total boss, and I decided that if I were to work in the restaurant industry, I want to be him.

I ordered a "cheeseburger a cheval," which is two pre-formed medium-cooked patties with a slice of Kraft cheese in between. The patties are topped with dijonnaise (lemon juice, mayo, Dijon mustard) and housemade pickles. I opted to add thick-cut peppered bacon (a fried egg or three-ounce slab of foie gras are also available). All of this is plated on a toasted bun from a local bakery.

It is large, towering, a little messy and very, very good. The drooping mayo mixes with cheese and that thick-cut bacon was to-die-for. Together, it combines for this incredibly rich, tasty burger. Simple, but done well.

We also ordered a side of the crispy potato hash with duck heart gravy. I was so stuffed with the burger, I could barely shovel any of this down. But, it was really good, too. It was a bit salty, but I was all about it. The potato hash was perfectly crispy, and if you want the perfect savory combination of everything in life? Get this.

Grade: A

There was a long wait at the restaurant we planned to have lunch at, so we walked across the street to Haymarket Pub & Brewery to wait until our number was up.

We perused the list of beers and picked out a few that looked appealing. We just went for four samples this time, because I wasn't sure how long the wait for lunch would be (it ended up being like an hour and a half).

We ordered a Speakerswagon Pilsner, a Red Sock Monkey Tart Cherry Wit, the Mathias Imperial American I.P.A. and The Defender American Stout.

Most of these were fairly harsh on my palate. I didn't take to many of them, but I did love the Tart Cherry Wit. I saved it for last so I could finish on the tastiest note. Except, I ended up spilling half of it on the table. And, here I was, thinking I could go a whole trip without spilling a beer.

This space is cool, and I'd like to try some of the other beers on the list. I'd definitely come back for the Tart Cherry Wit. Otherwise, might try some of the other options!

Grade: B

On our last day in Chicago, we didn't have any plans until lunchtime. But, that didn't stop my belly from grumbling "donuts" early that morning. A quick search turned up a donut place right next to our hotel: Do-Rite Donuts & Chicken (yep).


There was a bit of line, which I took as a good thing. Once I got to the front, I ordered one of their maple bacon donuts and a "Blueberry Lemon Duffnut," which is a collaboration they did with Duff Goldman, known from Food Network's Ace of Cakes and Cake Masters.

The maple bacon donut was delicious, of course. I do with the bacon was crispier, because chewing through the fatty pieces weren't my favorite. But the flavor? Yes. Sweet, salty, perfect.

The blueberry lemon cake donut was SO good. It was these muffin-like crumbles with sweet blueberries and a thick cake donut to host it all. Very good. Both tried and true, delicious flavor combinations that work even better in donut form.

I was so pleasantly surprised with this place since it wasn't really planned. Sometimes those places tend to be the best.

Grade: A

A few people who I work with are from the Chicago area, and one in particular has a family restaurant: Pizzeria da Nella.

We were stuffed from dinner, but I didn't wanna pass up the opportunity to check out this restaurant. So, we ordered dessert. We ordered a Baba' Napoletana, which is a homemade baba' filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries (it's noted as the most famous dessert in Napes Italy). We also ordered Delizia alla Fragola, which is a homemade sponge cake filled with limoncello and strawberry cream.

The Baba' Napoletana, which I didn't realize contained rum, was amazing. The fresh whipped cream, sweet strawberries and nice little strawberry drizzle made for the perfect top of this cake soaked in rum. Oh my gosh.

The Delizia alla Fragola was also quite good. A thick layer of strawberry cream covered a delicious spongecake.

I wish we were able to try even more, because judging by the dessert alone, it's amazing. That, combined with the friendly, family atmosphere (which varied from the very touristy places we were going otherwise) made for an excellent evening.

Grade: A