Nick Kindelsperger

I'm trying to eat at every restaurant in the Loop. Follow my progress at Nick in the Loop.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

The Chicago Riverwalk is a civic treasure. On warm evenings, the views border on too photogenic. So it's fine that most of the food found is expensive and average. But after a few visits, I did find some genuine standouts, including some absolutely top-notch fried shrimp.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/CAaHeHPsD9

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

The Chicago Riverwalk is a civic treasure. On warm evenings, the views border on too photogenic. So it's fine that most of the food found is expensive and average. But after a few visits, I did find some genuine standouts, including some absolutely top-notch fried shrimp.

[WestLoopTom @WestLoopTom]

Some guy ordered a thin crust sausage for 61 days in a row and these are his rankings. Hopefully his cardiologist is highly ranked. I still need to get to Oh Boy. I know @CheapSeats411 has been there.

[Guy Selga @guyselga]

I still can’t believe a watchdog group successfully got this canceled in Chicago to save a parking lot.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

@FredipusRex What a strange world. Kind of wish I could have seen it back in the day, but sort of glad I didn't.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

Did you know that Ceres Cafe has a happy hour? And that it runs from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., which is the middle of the workday for most people? I brave the crowds, plus look at two other happy hour spots in this week's post.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

@mnkenwood Ah, that does explain so much.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/3dQKHwmWpk

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/joKy1GJwjx

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

The view from Cindy’s Rooftop is unparalleled, which also means a meal here isn't cheap. But when you’re dining in the sky in downtown Chicago, that’s a given. What isn’t expected, and what makes Cindy’s shockingly still vital, is the good food.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/oz4qLSY1nB

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

Gochujang in The Italian Village? It's all thanks to Sotto, the subterranean spot that's shaking up this 99-year-old institution. It has a great chef and a wild new menu. Dishes maintain the coziness of Italian-American cuisine, while adding punchy, unexpected flavors.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/JhYQ2iFwON

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

Da Local Boy's mochiko is among the most irresistible things I’ve eaten in the Loop. Plenty of places downtown can fill you up; very few can actually blow you away.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/tcCm0CywKi

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

Look at this! Fatback Butcher is a brand new restaurant in the Loop with a real-deal chef (Charlie McKenna) and the backing of an established restaurant group (The Fifty/50 Club). As befits a man who knows his way around a whole pork shoulder, the sandwiches aren’t shy.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/UbPOp3Chmn

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/UbPOp3Chmn

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

Order Maharaj's tandoori chicken lunch special and you'll get nearly half a chicken that’s dyed neon red by the marinade, along with rice, naan, and a cooling bowl of raita. Though charred aggressively on the grill, the chicken stays astonishingly tender.

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

https://t.co/7xP42TKYfo

[Nick Kindelsperger @nickdk]

The Gage isn’t cheap. But while you’ll pay for the ludicrously good location, you also get something far more important. You get hospitality.

The Gage’s secret weapon is its drink program, and essentially everything I tried was a knockout.