I Am Still COVID-19 Eligible! Guess I Need to Celebrate With Chicago's Best Chicken Wings
Cheerio fellow pandemistas!
I am still COVID-19 eligible. I was convinced I had the virus back in February when I got back from an international conference in Las Vegas. I had never been so sick and was struck with respiratory ailment. But, after a blood test this week, it has been confirmed I have zero antibodies to COVID-19 flowing through my veins (they did find a high concentration of ribeye, tho). I shudder to think what I had and how bad COVID-19 actually is based on whatever I did endure.
Anyways, now that I know I am still virus-free, I feel even more vulnerable than I did when I didn’t know. Then again, this is good, because it’s amazing how a commitment to self-preservation makes one ever vigilant, except of course if you live in Florida or are a particular resident of The White House.
I find going to grocery stores, once an act I relished like some people anticipate a trip to Disney World, now feels like a high stakes game of Pac-Man. You gotta gobble up whatever paper products, carbs, cheese, and pints of ice cream you can before the other patrons, aka the potentially disease vector-possessing ghosts eat your face off. I hate this because I don’t want to see humanity as a threat. But, it’s hard not to, especially now that we all are masked like Tom Hardy’s Bane in Batman. So, how best to avoid the grocery store? Takeout and delivery, of course! Here’s your twice weekly Chicago guide. Also, as sometimes happens, there’s one of my vintage bonus essay/reviews linked somewhere below.
Bourbon-soaked,
Mike
Logan Square
Table, Donkey, Stick – The pizza dinners which feature unique toppings like n’duja or grilled ramps on top of an artisanal grandma-style pizza bread are good, but don’t sleep on a side order of the duck confit Buffalo wings. I ate at ten wings spots one night a few years ago to find the best wings in Chicago, and none were better than the ones TDS is serving now.
http://www.tabledonkeystick.com/reservations/
Daisies – Maybe the best pasta-focused restaurant in Chicago. Don’t miss out on the mushroom ragu with pappardelle home kit plus a side of onion dip and the spring veg with romesco dipping sauce.
https://www.daisieschicago.com/online-ordering/daisies/menu
West Loop
Bonci – It’s like high-quality Sbarro from Rome. Order any ingredient variant pizza by the pound. The lemon ricotta is like eating a citrus-kissed cloud. I dig the fried onion, and sausage and mushroom options as well.
Lincoln Park
Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder – People either love or hate the infamous pizza pot pie served here. I happen to love it so much I wrote one of my favorite reviews ever about the place a few years ago. The oven grinders and Mediterranean bread are awesome too.
http://chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com/
Uptown
Demera – Ethiopian is the ultimate in communal dining. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to restrict this version to the community you’re quarantined with. You want the beef sambussa (like an Ethiopian samosa featuring crispy pastry stuffed with meat), doro wot (braised chicken), misir wot (spicy red lentils), and awaze tibs (spicy pepper steak).