Restaurants
Backyard BBQ
Anthony Bourdain spends an evening with Chicago chef and restaurateur Paul Kahan, owner of two of Chicago’s more popular restaurants, Blackbird and Avec. Paul invites Tony to join him and some of his fellow chefs at a backyard BBQ, where they enjoy some homemade specialties like sausage, creamed corn and beans while discussing Chicago’s restaurant scene.
Avec Restaurant
Address: 615 W Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60661
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Blackbird Restaurant
Address: 619 W Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60661
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Burt’s Place
In the popular Morton Grove neighborhood, Tony visits the artisanal pizza joint Burt’s Place where he meets up with friend and fellow foodie Louisa Chu. Tony discovers the wonders of the amazing Chicago deep-dish pizza.
Address: 8541 N. Ferris, Morton Grove, IL
Calumet Fisheries
Louisa Chu later takes Tony to the south side of Chicago to Calumet Fisheries -- what she refers to as “destination smoked fish” on the Calumet River. Since 1928, Calumet Fisheries have been serving up some of the best smoked fish, shrimp and fried seafood in the area
Address: 3259 East 95th Street, Chicago, IL 60617
Fat Johnnies Famous Red Hots
Tony meets with Chicago resident Peter Engler who, aside from studying mouse genetics for a living, also makes a hobby as a foodie, seeking out strange and delicious foods in little-known places. They visit Fat Johnnies for a taste of the heart-attack-inducing “Mighty Dog,” a tamale and chili on a bun along with the accompanying beverage “the Suicide,” a combination of every fountain drink possible.
Address: 7242 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60636
Hot Doug's
Tony loves hot dogs, or any other meat in tube form for that matter. So who has the better hot dog, Chicago or his hometown, New York? Tony discovers that Chicago takes the blue ribbon in this competition at Hot Doug’s, the home of hot dog perfection. Not only does Hot Doug’s serve the best of the best in hot dogs, but they also serve french fries fried in pure duck fat and of course the foie gras dog. Can’t beat that!
Address: 3324 North California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60618
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L2O Restaurant
Tony, Louisa Chu and fellow chef Eric Ripert experience some Chicago fine dining at L2O, a seafood wonderland owned and run by acclaimed chef Laurent Gras. Laurent understands the complexities and flavors of fresh seafood and demonstrates those in a delectable tasting menu.
Address: 2300 North Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL
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Moto Restaurant
Avant-garde chef Homaro Cantu has been torching, deconstructing and reinventing food for years at his restaurant Moto. He introduces Tony to some of his creations such as “Road Kill,” edible menus, “Cuban Cigars” and a new twist on barbecue.
Address: 945 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
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Ramova Grill (in Chicago’s Missing Scene)
Anthony Bourdain meets up with a 10-year Chicago Police Detective to talk about the history of Chicago over breakfast.
Address: 3510 S Halsted Street, at 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609
Silver Palm Restaurant
Tony pays a visit to Chicago’s own shock jock, Mancow Muller, and after a lively discussion of the dos and don’ts of various worldly cuisines, the two hit the The Silver Palm restaurant for the house specialty: “Three Little Pigs,” a gigantic sandwich made with three kinds of pork.
Address: 768 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622
Activities
Tom Tom Tamales and Bakery (in Chicago’s Missing Scene)
Peter Engler takes Tony on a tour of the Tom Tom Tamales factory, which first opened its doors in the 1930s.
Address: 4750 S Washtenaw Avenue, Chicago Il 60632
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