Mangia Roma

Dinner. Spinach salad w/ bacon and cashew vinaigrette: not very good. Side of Roman focaccia: not very good. Thin-crust pizza w/ pepperoni, onion, green peppers, and fresh tomato: fine.

We wanted Kabul House, but they were closed, and we were under time pressure from the Steppenwolf's "The Pain and the Itch" ... so this was fine, considering our options, but otherwise not worth visiting again.

Mangia Roma Pizzeria & Roman Eatery
1623 N Halsted St
312-475-9801

Noodles in the Pot

Lunch. Pad thai lunch special: very good, lots of food. With egg rolls: good, not great ... weird meat mash inside. Cashew chicken lunch special: good, not a ton of food, but decent amount, not spicy at all.

Five pieces of gristle in the chicken. Blah.

Noodles in the Pot
2453 N. Halsted St.
773-975-6177

Park Grill

Dinner. Grilled peaches salad: good, not great. Kobe beef burger, medium-well: way too red, and very dry, and the cheese was not even close to melted ... not worth anywhere near the $18 it costed.

This place is a tourist trap for sure. Very crowded patio, very crowded inside.

Park Grill
11 N Michigan Ave
312-521-7275

Chipotle

Lunch. Chicken fajita burrito: delicious.

At 1:00, the line was literally out the door!

Chipotle
316 N Michigan Ave
312-578-0950

HomeMade Pizza

Dinner. Large sausage, pepperoni, onion, and tomato: very good, crust slightly thicker than Pizza Metro, definitely fresh made, just slightly chewy. Reheats poorly.

HomeMade Pizza
1953 W. Wabansia
773-342-9600

Fogo de Chao

Lunch. "House special" rump roast was the best, top sirloin second, and filet third. Polenta was delicious.

The place was almost empty at this late afternoon time.

Fogo de Chao
661 N. LaSalle St.
312-932-9330

Keefer's

Dinner. Crab cakes: good, maybe great? Fried onions and fries: just OK, and a ton of it. Hamburger w/ Swiss, medium well: way too red, and cold -- not very good.

Keefer's
20 W Kinzie
312-467-9525

Settimana Cafe

Dinner. Bruschetta: delicious. Some salad: good. Some pasta with tomato cream sauce and sausage and peas: pretty good, but the sausage was fatty.

Settimana Cafe
2056 W. Division St.
773-394-9789

Salud

Dinner. Salud nachos: good, but kind of too black beany -- guac was great. Quesadilla w/ chicken: very good -- guac was great. Scallops con mango: delicious. Salud pizza: good, maybe great? -- avocado was nice.

Salud
1471 N Milwaukee
773-486-0686

Think Cafe

Dinner. Think salad w/o bleu cheese: delicious. Don't remember what else I had.

Think Cafe
2235 N Western Ave
773-394-0537

Karyn's Cooked

Dinner. Hummus: very good. "Barbecue ribs": good.

Lost my sunglasses clips. :-(

Karyn's Cooked
738 N. Wells St.
312-587-1050

Pizza Metro

Lunch. Sausage pizza: delicious.

Pizza Metro
1701 W Division St
773-278-1753

Sonic

Snack. Tater tots: delicous. But "Sonic-size" is not very big at all.

Eckert Orchards

Lunch. "Biscuits": delicious -- more like beignets -- espeically with apple "butter". All-you-can-eat fried chicken: delicious, especially the dark meat thighs and wings, the breasts were enormous and a bit dry. Corn: bland. Green beans: overcooked.