5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat Out-Of-Date, November 9, 2006
This review is from: Slow Food Guide to Chicago (Slow Food Guide to Chicago: Restaurants, Markets, Bars) (Paperback)
The reviews are a few years out of date and some of the restaurants no longer exist. Much of the space dedicated to expensive restaurants where I was looking for more reasonably-priced places.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unique and informative guide book for Chicago, October 29, 2004
This review is from: Slow Food Guide to Chicago (Slow Food Guide to Chicago: Restaurants, Markets, Bars) (Paperback)
I have to admit that I generally do not buy guide books, but after seeing The Slow Guide to Chicago in a book store, I knew I had to buy it. It reads more like a great inside story to some really interesting spots in Chicago. They give a snail to the "best" spots - that support the local, sustainable, traditional.... ways - but they also open up a whole new world to some of the much smaller mom and pop stores that you would never know about unless a friend told you about it. A really wonderful book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic guide for eating your way through Chicago, August 23, 2006
This review is from: Slow Food Guide to Chicago (Slow Food Guide to Chicago: Restaurants, Markets, Bars) (Paperback)
Whether you're a serious foodie or someone who loves to eat, this book is invaluable (if you're in Chicago...) It's quite different from Zagat's (no democratic process), cheap-good-real-food guides like Streets and San Man (which is also great) or Roadfood, or any Fodor's-style restaurant or travel guide. It's just about good food, of all prices, in any location, from tacos to truffles. The "slow food" monkier refers not to the speed of service but to the anti-fast food philosophy/movement (the "Slow Food Foundation") behind this series of books. The philosophy is sort of similar to the Chowhound guides, but I personally prefer the Slow Food ones.
Many famous restaurants far above my budget, such as Charlie Trotter's, are included (especially in the French and American sections), but many (most?) entries focus on affordable options, sit-down or takeout, serving dozens of cuisines in dozens of neighborhoods throughout this vast city. The writers must be well tuned-in to Chicago foodie circles, as the exterior appearance of some recommended places leaves you unsure whether the restaurant still exists, much less prepared for the excellent food about to be served.
On their recent visit to Chicago, two friends and I spent three days basically eating or recuperating from meals at places recommended by this book. We had Costa Rican, Polish, Ukranian, Lithuanian, Indian, Soul Food, German, Cuban, American (diner) and Mexican, all of which were excellent. The indices (by neighborhood and cuisine) and detailed maps make choosing your next target a breeze.
The one drawback we had was that some of the places recommended turned out to no longer exist, despite the book being written the year before. This isn't necessarily the authors' fault (given the lifespan of many restaurants), but do make sure you call ahead first, as some restaurants here are pretty isolated.
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