Skip to main content

Naperville Foodies

Join us as we eat our way through all 68 restaurants in Downtown Naperville.  We'll share our favorite spots and food that makes each restaurant so great.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Naperville Farmer's Market--Now OPEN

Don't let the summer pass you by without a trip to Naperville's Farmers' Market.  It's open every Saturday (rain or shine) in the Fifth Avenue Station parking lot and definitely worth the trip. Location:  Fifth Avenue Station, 200 E 5th Ave, Naperville, IL Hours:  Saturdays 7:00AM -12:00PM (Rain or Shine) Parking:  Parking is free and there is plenty of it. Naperville's open-air market is sponsored by local farmers who bring their fresh fruits, vegetables, perennials, honey, baked goods, and so much more to sell. There are over 40 vendors with samples and stories about how their products were grown or made. The market is open every Saturday, beginning the first week of June through the last week of October. FOODIE PRO-TIPS:  -Most of the vendors take credit cards, but you can also bring cash. -As the summer starts to wind down, many of the berries and fruits seasons will also end. So go soon to get what's left from this year's harvest.

Northcott--A Cool Speakeasy in Downtown Naperville

Northcott Liquorette 40 W Chicago Ave, Naperville, IL 60540 Northcott is a cool new Speakeasy in Downtown Naperville. It's hidden away at the top of Empire restaurant. You need a reservation and come prepared to enjoy old fashioned mixed drinks and liquors along with appetizers. Visit their  Website  &  Menu What we ordered:  Absinthe fountain and Northcott 75 Cheese tray and a burger (from Empire) How was the food/drinks? Great Price:  Pretty expensive drinks, but you are paying for the atmosphere as well. Atmosphere: Great atmosphere. The eclectic furniture provides a variety of seating arrangements. The music is good and not overpowering. The atmosphere provides a unique experience Service: The service was great. The bartenders were entertaining.

Meson Sabika--What to Order at Our Favorite Restaurant

Meson Sabika is one of our favorite restaurants (period.) We love the food, the service, the Sangrias and the setting. Over the years we've had many awesome meals here with friends and family. You need to make a reservation well in advance for this one though. Visit their  Website  &  Menu After much experimenting and countless trips, here is a list of our top 10 favorite plates. This is a ranked list of our favorite plates, but the style of this restaurant is to order a few at a time and see how far you get. So we typically start with some of the lighter plates (olives, cheese, shrimp, etc) and work our way to the heavier plates until we're full. Top 10 Favorite Plates 1. Aceitunas Alinadas--Spanish Olives  You'll get a free sampler of these, but you'll want more. 2. Tostada con Centollo --Alaskan king crab toast points topped with avocado 3. Pipiranna de Buey- -Skirt steak, sautéed onions, and potatoes in a blue cheese sauce 4. Gamas a la Plancha

St. Patrick's Day--What to do in Downtown Naperville!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's going to be a balmy 40 degrees out today so its a perfect day to head to Downtown Naperville to enjoy a celebration of all things Irish. Join the parade or just visit one of the many restuarants that are celebrating the holiday with special Paddy's day cuisine. Here is a list of some of the special events. Bar Louie – Opens 11am – 1am. $4 Green Beer (Miller) Empire Burgers & Brew: Opens at 9AM, serving brunch items and Live Band at night. Features Bar & Grill – Will open from 11AM – 1AM Jackson Avenue Pub – We will be open 11AM – 1AM. Jimmy’s Grill – We will be open 11am – 1am! Stop by! Lantern – We will be open 10am – 1am. Food specials too! Potter’s Place – Heated Tent will be open at 12noon. $3 Miller Lite Draft, $4 Harp Draft, $5 Guinness Draft, Gleeson Irish Band/Stone Ruckus 4pm-7pm, SODA 9pm-12am Q-BBQ – Q-BBQ Smoked corned beef is the March special! The beef is smoked for 22 hours, then served on a brioche bun

10 Best Ethnic Food Restaurants in Downtown Naperville

We have a varied taste with an appreciation for foods from different cultures. After study-abroads, various trips through Europe and living 5 years in Japan, we developed an appreciation for foods from many cultures. We love going to restaurants with atmosphere and flavors that transport us to another time and place. The list below is our top spots for Ethnic Food in Downtown Naperville so far. Feel free to add your suggestions. 10. Green Basil     Vietnamese  Basil's authentic Vietnamese cuisine is delicious. This quaint restaurant is tucked away in east of Main Street with plenty of parking. The Pho Ga, chicken soup with bean sprouts and the Bun Bo Xao are favorites. This isn't the flashiest, but a great place to go for a nice lunch or dinner. Menu 9. Q-BBQ Southern-Style BBQ BBQ may be stretching the "ethnic food" category, but authentic southern style BBQ isn't always easy to find in the Chicago-land area. This spot features Memphis, Texas and Sou

The Best Thing to Eat at Giordano's of Naperville

When you have friends from out-of-town, it's always fun to make a stop at a traditional Chicago-style Pizza place, and the Giordano's in Downtown Naperville is the perfect spot. Three of our daughter's friends made the 12 hour drive from their homes in Texas and Oklahoma to Naperville so we took a brisk walk to Giordano's. We tried three different pizzas and two salads and after an official vote, we can rank the best Chicago-style pizza and salad to have with out-of-town college students. Salads The Wedge Salad House Salad Tie: We tried two salads and the vote was a tie for the best. (But since I write the review, I'll say that the wedge salad was the best.) 1) Wedge Salad: This is not your traditional 1/4 head of lettuce wedge. It's spears of lettuce with fresh bacon bits and onion shallots. The ranch dressing isn't too over-powering and compliments the ingredients. 2) House Salad: An assortment of lettuce types, including arugula, which I lik

Great Options for Outdoor Dining in Downtown Naperville--Potter's Place

 Potter's Place This is the perfect season to enjoy some great outdoor dining at Naperville's downtown restaurants. Many restaurants, with outdoor seating options, are starting to re-open. Here is a list of the current restaurants that are open. While the pandemic has brought disruption to many parts of our lives, it has also brought an appreciation for the simple things we took for granted. We really appreciate the restaurants and all of the staff who support this industry, and so we were especially glad to be able to return to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants-- Potter's Place (see full review here.) We Recommend: This trip we tried the Volcano Nachos, which were some of the best nachos we've eaten. The ingredients are mixed and brought to the table in a metal can that is then mixed and emptied onto a platter. The sauce, cheese, fresh chips and other ingredients, blend to form a perfect combination of spice and crunch. 3 Pro-Tips: 1. Potters is a

Allegory--A Foodie's Dream "Farm-to-Table" Restaurant

Allegory 224 S. Main St.,  Naperville, IL Phone:   (630) 536-8862 Website  |  Menu HOURS Mon  Closed Sun,Tue-Thur 11:00am - 9:00pm Fri-Sat 11:00am - 10:30pm Allegory is a newer restaurant in the heart of Downtown Naperville. It is a farm to table restaurant that brings the freshest sourced ingredients to the table in a comfortable atmosphere. You know you are in for a treat when the chef can tell you where the grass-fed beef comes from and how many hours ago the trout was caught, and gets excited about the fresh greens that are a few weeks away! It's a foodies dream to find a restaurant that combines both the art and science of creating the perfect meal. The flavors are fresh and balanced and the presentation is flawless. After several years in the food industry, chef/owner, Chris Mason, opened Allegory in Downtown Naperville where he is able to bring his passion for creating the perfect meal and giving his patrons a comfortable dining experience. He's also be

Aloha Poke

Address: 215 S. WASHINGTON STREET PHONE: 630-857-9090 HOURS  Daily: 10AM - 10PM Website / Menu $$ One of the newer restaurants in Downtown Naperville is Aloha Poke. Every time I walked by the restaurant on Washington when it was being built, I wondered what Poke (it’s pronounced “POH-keh”) was. Poke means “to slice or cut” in Hawaiian and refers to chunks of raw, marinated fish — usually tuna — which is then tossed over rice and topped with vegetables and umami-packed sauces. It’s a new kind of sushi but easier to eat. I love sushi, so I anticipated that I would love poke, too.  When walking into the restaurant, you see a big menu that takes you through five steps: Size - Little, Big or Kahuna Base - White rice, brown rice or greens Poke - Ahi tuna, salmon, tofu, chicken or shrimp Ingredients - Pick their suggested recipes of Aloha, Crunch or Volcano or choose any of their available ingredients Sauces - Pick their suggested sauces forAloha, Crunch or Vo

The Best Ice Cream, Gelato and Cookie Dough in Downtown Naperville

Approximately 20 friends of Naperville Foodies joined a walking tour of Naperville’s Ice Cream and Gelato spots. The tour brought us to the conclusion that Downtown Naperville definitely has its share of great dessert shops. Below is a list of some the group favorites and our recommendations that any ice cream or gelato lover shouldn't miss. MIDICI In addition to great Neapolitan pizza and calzones, MidiCi offers real “Italian Ice” (Gelato.) The flavors are authentic and nicely cap off a great Italian meal. But if you still have a little extra room for dessert after your pizza, you really HAVE TO TRY the Nutella Calzone. It's a warm dessert filled with Nutella and fresh berries, wrapped in the same Neapolitan Pizza crust that makes the pizzas so great. It's then baked for 90 seconds at 900 degrees in the brick ovens. Then it's lightly frosted with powdered sugar and.. drizzled in even more Nutella. It’s really so delicious that it’s hard to describe and a mu