Tag Archives: Andys Thai kitchen

Lady Gregory’s in Andersonville; Andy’s Thai Kitchen (again); Santorini in greektown: Chicago

we were not really hungry when we went to lady Gregory’s Pub and grille in Chicago’s Andersonville on Friday night but that is part of the reason I made a reservation there? We would be coming from a college reception At Northwestern where I wasn’t sure whether we would be fed. Turns out we were  – open bar, tons of appetizers and desserts. Lady Gregory’s had a the kind of menu where you could eat a lot or a little for not much. So I split a salad with rotisserie chicken with another diner; others had serviceable burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches and what looked like good tomato soup. we had an excellent very peppy waitress who took our shared dessert off our tab when she learned we were celebrating my sons college graduation.

The next night we went to an old favorite in Greektown, Santorini. food is fine but mostly drawn there because there were 20 of us and I knew they could handle that. A rather assertive veteran waiter did indeed! And everyone was happy with thei meals… Greek chicken, taramasalata, Greek salad, lamb kebabs et. Al. Also another trip to Andy’s Thai Kitchen which has become a tradition. Food still great. JUst wish they took credit cards.

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Dark Matter, Andy’s Thai Kitchen, the best photo location – Chicago

chicagoskylinephoto 5Went to a very good coffee house – if you like your coffee very strong and dark –  in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village on Saturday called Dark Matter. Classic hipster hangout – edgy decor and clientele (except, perhaps for me…). Also returned to Andy’s Thai Kitchen which continues to impress. Only wish Andy accepted credit cards. Yet again, we were scrounging around for cash to pay. But for four of us, the bill was a remarkably reasonable $15 each. (The crispy pork belly is to die for; also the icky-sounding pork neck is delicious; also liked the squid appetizer with a tangy dipping sauce and the very spicy panang curry).darkmatterphoto 3

I took my adorable almost 2-year-old niece Lucy, who was visiting from Los Angeles, on a long walk on a beautiful Sunday morning, north on Astor Street, past all the lovely old homes with beautiful tulips, hydrangea, pansies and rhododendrons in orange, red, yellow, dusty blue-purple and pink into the park and across the bridge that goes above the rushing traffic on Lake Shore Drive. Along the lake front we watched all the action – a large group of people doing odd calisthenics, very fit shirt-less guys pounding volleyballs, runners, bikers, and I took a photo of Lucy (looking somewhat befuddled or irritated) at my favorite quintessential Chicago skyline location! City never looked better!chicagopix

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Hubbard street dance, Andy’s Thai kitchen, eataly, Chicago

We are unexpectedly encountering snow on our return home from Chicago but it didn’t start until we were west of Davenport and so far it hasn’t been as bad as our outbound trip Friday night. Right now, at 6:43 pm about 10 miles east of Iowa city the flurries have stopped. But we don’t know what lies ahead.

Before this I was going to write that our Chicago trip had been worth the sometimes harrowing drive. Easy for me to say since I am not the driver. Still, we had a really good albeit brief visit to Chicago. Hubbard street’s Saturday night performance of “One thousand pieces” was among the best I have seen during decades as a Hubbard street fan. The dancing, choreography, staging was superb and there were some “firsts” for this dance fan, notably the dancers performing on the equivalent of a giant slip n’ slide, with the water adding all kinds of interesting effects, from the sound of the water splashing to the sight of the water on the darkish stage with white clouds of drifting white smoke/dry ice, to the added challenge for the dancers of executing challenging moves on a slippery surface. The second act of the piece began with a solemn line of 20 some dancers staring out into the dark theater, then executing one twitchy move after another in unison. that gave us in the audience a lot to watch and ponder. I was also pleasantly surprised be the Phillip Glass score which was less monotonously repetitive and more stirringly melodic than expected. I do think they could have turned the lights on just a little – I’m not the only viewer who got a bit sleepy…

      Earlier in the day we had yet another excellent meal at Andy’s Thai kitchen in Lakeview. The crispy basil pork belly, yum. We tried a few different dishes and they were well done. The panang had excellent quality chicken and eggplant well cooked and a not too heavy, well seasoned sauce.

Before the ballet, we braved the crowds at the new Eataly that just opened on Ohio Street just west of Michigan Avenue (next to Room and Board, one of my favorite furniture stores. Eataly Chicago seemed brighter and less chaotic than its cousin in New York City. It was a perfect place to get a light bite before the ballet. We decided on a plate of well picked Italian cheeses served with some
Candied fruit, figs in balsamic, honey and olive oil. We were swiftly served and our plucky Midwestern server made sure we were on our way when need be to make our show on tome.

Now back to now-snowy interstate 80. (postscript: we made it home safely – and slowly…)

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Andy’s Thai Kitchen …excellent find in Chicago

On a sloshy February day, we were cheered up by a superb lunch at Andy’s Thai Kitchen, a brand new cheerful little storefront beside the Wellington Street Brown Line El stop in Lincoln Park. I went with some tough customers from the foodie hotspot of Brooklyn ( soon to be from the foodie outpost of Los Angeles) and even they were impressed. Everything we ate was delicious – and often unique. My favorite entree was basil crispy pork, which was a mound of rice with thick crunchy bits of salty pork in a slightly sweet sauce, with withered basil, sliced mushrooms, garlic and chili. We also enjoyed the pork neck (sounds icky but isn’t), slices of marinated grilled pork that is served with a brown lime dipping sauce. Other good picks, Thai spring rolls, panang curry, pad Thai, pad see ew with perfectly cooked tofu, crispy on outside and moist inside. Good service and cheerful unassuming ambiance. The restaurant is near several others at Wellington and Sheffield, including Fish Bar and DMK Burgers.

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