Oak Park Snubbed on Great Restaurants List?
Readers of popular local food website compile a list of best neighborhood restaurants — Oak Park is noticeably absent.
View LTHForum.com Great Neighborhood Restaurants in a larger map
Photos
Go ahead and zoom in on the embedded map. We'll wait.
Notice anything?
We did. It's the giant gap from the West Side to the far west suburbs on LTHForum's annual list of Great Neighborhood Restaurants, which debuted last week.
Nineteen new Chicago and suburban eateries were added to this year's list, compiled by the popular culinary chatter website's community, reportedly 11,000 strong. Each year, members of the site nominate a slew of restaurants and a committee ratifies those picks "based on the degree of discussion and community-wide enthusiasm evidenced on the site." Here's the complete list.
If you didn't know any better, you'd think Oak Park doesn't have a single noteworthy restaurant. Our neighbors apparently do — Cicero's got Freddy's Pizza, Forest Park has Gaetano's, Elmwood Park has Johnnie's Beef, and Chicago's nearby Island neighborhood has the Depot Diner.
But nothing in our zip code. Eleven thousand LTH Forum contributors can't be wrong.
Or can they?
Emily Paster
10:36 am on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
C'mon! Marion Street Cheese Market is worth a mention as is Sen Sushi, which was on the Michelin Guide's list of good values. I'd also put New Rebozo up there.
Karen Kiddo
11:52 am on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
I know its not Oak Park- but the Golden Steer was no where to be found. BOOOO! You know what Oak Park is missing- is a great pizza restaurant for families. Anyone else agree? (Sorry- Giardano's and Gepetto's)
Dominic Armato
2:32 pm on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Any LTH member can make a nomination. And anyone can be an LTH member... the only bar to entry is a few seconds to register and a willingness to discuss food in an enthusiastic and civil manner.
Rather than complain about the results, why not participate in the process?
David Gulbransen
1:06 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
@Karen: Absolutely! The family pizza options around here are really weak. Actually, the _pizza_ options around here are weak, period!
I'd put New Rebozo on the list... O.M.G. I love the things Chef Paco creates! MSCM is hit or miss--I've had great stuff there and not-so-great, but I think it still probably deserves to be on the list.
Melissa Reynolds
4:45 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Frankly, I feel this account is accurate. MSCM and Sen Sushi are it. After getting food poisoning at three different establishments (New Robozo being one) in Oak Park and trying 98% of the restaurants in town, the food in Oak Park is sub par at best. When I think of a place to go out and get a bite to eat, unfortunately it isn't in Oak Park.