Where to Find Great Comfort Food in the Windy City

By Bob & Sue

In addition to three of our favorite fine dining restaurants in Chicago—Grace, Alinea and 16 at the Trump—we enjoyed several first time places for memorable comfort food:

Credit: Huge Galdones

Momotaro

This large Japanese restaurant offers delicious sushi and high-quality small plates such as a crunchy crab salad with mustard mayo, quail egg yolks wrapped in bacon with a black pepper yuzu sauce, crab and black truffles on egg custard with a dashi broth, and beef wagu curry with udon noodles.

820 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60607  /  312.733.4818  /  momotarochicago.com

Credit: Paul Fehribach

Big Jones

Chef Paul Fehribach brings a level of great southern cooking, which is unique in the Windy City, with his gumbo ya ya, pimento cheese and relish, classic fried chicken on a sandwich or with hopping john, collard greens and creamy Nashville slaw.

5347 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640  /  773.275.5725  /  bigjoneschicago.com

Credit: Lisa Predko

Purple Pig

James Beard winner Jimmy Bannos serves a highly diverse menu to a cult following. Among the memorable dishes were the salt and vinegar beef tendons, the roasted bone marrow with Sicilian sea salt, ricotta gnocchi with oxtail ragu, pig ears with crispy kale, lamb ribs with harissa and Israeli couscous, and a signature house made Chicago hot dog (beef and pork) with cornichon relish and yellow mustard.

500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611  /  312.464.1744  /  thepurplepigchicago.com