7 Restaurants For Breaking New Year's Resolutions in Chicago
Rules are made to be broken. Especially rules that double as New Year’s resolutions. Since we all know those pesky resolutions only last a few days anyway, it makes sense to treat yourself to some comfort food during the frigid time of year when you need it most. From butter-slathered fried chicken to gigantic sandwiches, here are some of the best places in town to break your New Year’s resolutions.
Considering how warming and summery s’mores are, there’s no better time than January to feast on one of the signature desserts at Prime & Provisions. Their version of s’mores is a novel one, taking each component of the classic all-American confection and turning it on its head. Finished table side, the dessert arrives as a chocolate dome on a bed of graham cracker. The dome is then doused with melted warm fudge, which dissolves the dome and releases a plume of aromatic campfire smoke.
One could be more hearty and comforting than a good steakhouse? How about a steakhouse that serves beignets? And how about one where those beignets are studded with beef? Savory short rib beignets are a standout starter at Boeufhaus, one of the more innovative and interesting steakhouses in Chicago. The savory little fried pillows are served with natural jus for dipping.
When you can’t pick between a sweet or savory craving, Cookies & Carnitas is the answer. The Green City Market vendor-turned-Edgewater cafe features pork throughout its varied menu, from tacos and pizza to some of the most succulent carnitas sandwiches in town. For something sweet, cookies are the obvious choice. These tire-sized treats feature an addictively chewy, soft interior with a crispy, caramelized exterior. The bacon-flecked chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate indulgence.
A mountain of meat stacked between two thick rolls is as good as it gets when it comes to shattering that New Year’s resolution. Treat yourself at Cemitas Puebla, which serves their signature cemitas sandwiches and more in the West Loop, Logan Square and Hyde Park. The namesake cemitas are torta-like, but substantially bigger and layered with Oaxacan cheese, avocado, chipotle sauce and meats like ham and breaded pork loin. They’ve also got great tacos, chalupas and quesadillas.
Few things can top a burger when it comes to belt-busting indulgence. It’s an apt time to seek out one of the best, beefiest versions in town at Owen & Engine. The Logan Square restaurant features a deceptively simple version that’s pure succulent beef, served on house-baked potato bap with nothing but a few caramelized onions for a pinch of sweetness. The spotlight is clearly on the thick patty, which is so tender and juicy that it’s practically tartare.
One definitive way to raise the stakes on fried chicken is by slathering it with butter. The aptly dubbed Honey Butter Fried Chicken does just that, breaking resolutions with a menu full of fried chicken, corn muffins, pimento mac & cheese, sandwiches and chocolate-toffee-cocoa nib cookies. It’s a veritable wonderland of excess, and there’s no better way to begin 2017.
Another surefire way to boost fried chicken’s innate decadence? Pair it with doughnuts. You can do so by visiting the Streeterville outpost of Do-Rite Donuts. Here, they take those crowd-pleasing doughnuts to the next level by outfitting their menu with fried chicken sandwiches. If you’re really feeling saucy, you can even get a fried chicken sandwich served on a sliced glazed doughnut.