You’re hungry. You don’t have the ingredients to make what you crave or lack the desire to cook. And you don’t feel like eating at one of your go-to neighborhood joints. Sound familiar?
If you live in one of the South Loop apartments that has recently sprung up or been converted, you may be in luck. Here are five recently opened South Loop restaurants whose food you may not have yet tried, at least not at these locations.
Aurelio’s
As Chicago’s oldest franchise pizza chain, the Aurelio’s brand is anything but new. What is new about Aurelio’s is its long-anticipated South Loop location. The 5,000-square-foot parlor made its debut in June 2015, and its double-decker patio with awe-inspiring views of Lake Michigan was a hit throughout the summer. It’s a good thing Aurelio’s new location can seat more than 200 people. Check out the South Loop location, just a half-mile from AMLI 900 and AMLI Lofts. Choose from thin crust, thick crust, and stuffed crust pizza. And pair your meal with one of more than 20 carefully selected draft beers.
Burger Bar Chicago
If there’s a meal Chicago loves as much as pizza, hot dogs, or Italian-style beef, it might be the burger-fries combo. The South Loop alone has more than a dozen high-quality options for anyone determined to eat a decent burger. Burger Bar, an active participant in Chicago’s burger renaissance, opened shop in the neighborhood in early 2015. The menu is loaded with options, from the spicy Firehouse and Hot & Smokey to the Borrega Lamb and Wild Bill bison. Alternatives for vegetarians, pescatarians, and white-meat-only eaters include a veggie burger, turkey BLT, baja shrimp, and chicken burger. Burger Bar’s shake of the month is a big hit, seducing some fans of the restaurant to visit a minimum of once a month. Housed in The Columbian, Burger Bar Chicago is also a half-mile from AMLI’s South Loop apartments.
Chop Chicago Steakhouse
Established in 2014, Chop Chicago had a banner first full year in 2015. Since opening its doors on July 15, 2015, the South Loop Roosevelt Collection has been one of the busiest new South Loop restaurants around. Chop’s South Loop location is sophisticated, but has a distinctly casual atmosphere. If you’re craving a steak but someone you’re going to dinner with wants a burger, Chop can please you both. Chop’s oysters, crab sliders, craft cocktails, and draft beer selection also get lots of praise. It’s a ten-minute walk from AMLI 900 and AMLI Lofts.
Portillo’s
Portillo’s, Portillo’s, Portillo’s. This much beloved purveyor of Chicago-style eats has no shortage of locations, but only one in Chicago proper. That should change next month, when a two-floor Portillo’s is expected to open at 520 W. Taylor Street. Portillo’s hot dog lovers living in South Loop apartments will no longer have to venture up to River North to get their fix. The new location plans to serve beer, and both floors will have spacious patios where you can savor the weather this summer.
Latinicity
Although not quite in the South Loop, Latinicity is close enough and it’s a new dining option we’re pretty excited about it. Judging by the overwhelming crowds that turned out in the three days following Latinicity’s November opening, you are too. The brainchild of chefs Jose Garces and Richard Sandoval, Latinicity hosts 12 food stalls, a tapas restaurant, and a full bar. Keep it in mind the next time you’re around Millenium Park and craving a bite to eat.
Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood has had some good food for a long time. The neighborhood’s revitalization, however, has been accompanied by a culinary big bang that makes it more of a gastronomic powerhouse than it’s been in a long time. If you’re looking for new places to eat near your Printers Row apartments, check out one of these recently opened South Loop restaurants.
Are there any new South Loop restaurants you love? Sing their praises in the comments below!
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