chicago – Man Knows Food

I’ve been to Rica Arepa a few times and I always forget to take some pictures or write about it. They have multiple locations but I frequent the one on North Lincoln here in Chicago. Their staff is always friendly and you can’t help but have a good time.

I started the meal with Mini Cachapas Con Queso

This simple fried maize flour dish is like little pancakes folded over with cheese in the middle. They are slightly sweet and make for a great snack.

Being that I had a long day ahead of me, my second dish was the Rica Arepa Breakfast

This dish comes with an arepa, scrambled eggs, ham, avocado, and cheese. I combined all of these with bites of the arepa and it is deceivingly filling.

I forgot to snap a picture of it but Rica Arepa’s Venezuelan Lemonade is a must at this stop. It is easily one of my favorite drinks on a hot day.

I hope you get the chance to stop by Rica Arepa as they are one of my favorite spots in Lincoln Park.

https://www.ricaarepachicago.com/

I can’t say that I’ve ever sought out barbeque in Chicago but recently I had a hankering for some slow cooked meats. Doing some research I landed upon Chicago Q. Chicago isn’t the place I think of when I think about having good barbeque. I tend to think first of Texas then maybe to Kansas City but almost never do I think of Illinois let alone Chicago.

Anyway, I stopped by Chicago Q early on a rainy Saturday night. The place was pretty much empty which to me either means it is not good or I showed up way too early for the dinner rush.

I ordered the ”Flight” from the Low and Slow section on their menu as well as some wings and cornbread. I had mashed potatoes as my side with the flight.

The Flight is served with three meats. Pulled chicken, pulled pork and chopped brisket. You also get to select one side. The mashed potatoes were amazing and came in this nice little cast iron skillet. I also had a piece of corn bread which was a little bit too dry for my liking but not horrible. With enough butter it was pretty good. All of the meats were fantastic. I wish the portions in the flight were slightly larger. I would have liked to see a little bit more meat and less potatoes personally. The chicken wings were dry rub, cooked perfectly and had just the right amount of heat for my pale complexion.

Overall, the food here is great. The drink menu is spectacular and the service was top notch. The barbeque itself will never compare to that of Texas or Kansas City but when I have the desire to consume smoked and slow cooked meats this will definitely be one of the places I visit in Chicago again.