Dining out, as if I need to tell you, remains expensive.
While the word “inflation” has been thrown around a lot in recent months, as far as I’m concerned, the only inflation happening should involve your stomach.
Back by popular (?) demand, here’s another round of knockout dishes around Chicago that you can get for $12 and under.
Twenty years ago almost to the week, I wrote about the Hyde Park restaurant Rajun Cajun. Technically, the first word is pronounced Rah-joon, because the counter restaurant—a favorite of University of Chicago students since 1993—is an intriguing blend of Indian and the American South. Which means half the menu features butter chicken, saag paneer and parathas, the other half collard greens, corn bread and fried chicken.
That crispity-crunchity fried chicken positively crackles, and it’s a highlight (3-piece dark plus sides is $10.99), but the Indian stews—much of it vegetarian—is filling, satisfying, and inexpensive.
1459 E. 53rd St., Chicago
I’ve been returning to Nhu Lan for at least 15 years now, home of my favorite Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches in town. (One big reason: They bake their shatteringly crisp baguettes in-store.) So when I drove by over the summer, my heart sank at the sight of the Lincoln Square storefront papered over. I expected the worst. But then, a gift from above: I drove by earlier this month and the paper was down. Inside: Brighter, more spacious, now with chairs and tables for dining in.
The sandwiches are just as I remembered. I always get the No. 5, featuring pate and luscious slices of pork belly, alongside the crunchy accoutrements of cucumbers and pickled daikon. At under $9, this sandwich is a miracle.
2612 W. Lawrence Ave. and 4810 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago
Hagen’s Fish Market, a Portage Park mainstay, just turned 80 this year. Even better news is the business remains in the same family—Hagen’s was just taken over by Eric Johnson, whose great-grandfather was a founder of the smokehouse in 1946. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned off on the Montrose exit of the Kennedy Expressway and headed west for a bite of its buttery smoked fish. But recently I got to sample their fried fish sandwich. It’s rather generous for $8—the fish is Alaskan pollock—and with a $4 side of fried cheese curds, it’s a great one-two punch that’s among the better deals in town.
5635 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Tallowing in Glenview is an intriguing new entry to the fried chicken field. Here, the pitch is the jumbo wings are brined overnight, smoked, then fried in beef tallow (arguably the most delicious of chicken frying oil). They’re especially savvy on social media, but most importantly, they have the goods to back it up.
The wings are crunchier than most, and the sauces are thoughtful and made in-house. My 10-year-old requested the honey butter fried chicken, and what arrived was a sandwich that overflowed with a sweet-and-spiced butter. It’s a three-napkin sandwich.
2628 Waukegan Rd., Glenview
