You say a taste of Taste goes a long way? You’d rather have your dinner served on a plate than on a stick? Good news: You can skip the street fest (or at least make it a quick stop) and head straight to several local eateries that deliver carnival-like food without the crowds. Or the standing. Or the sweating. Don’t get us started.
PRETZELS
Big knots of twisted dough at street fairs are tasty, but they can’t hold a candle to the Loop’s newest take-out spot. There’s no white flour or yellow mustard at Hannah’s Bretzel, only 100 percent organic ingredients and whole-grain goodness. Hannah’s offers three types of “bretzels,” as well as salads, soups and “bretzel”-based sandwiches like the Black Forest ham with Gruyere ($5.95). 180 W. Washington St. 312-621-1111.
POPCORN
Long a staple of amusement parks and street fairs, popcorn has lost a bit of its luster because of the proliferation of microwave bags and soggy movie-theater servings. Happily, our friends at HB make it fun again by featuring the snack in their special summer salad: a blend of mixed greens, dried figs, Spanish peanuts and fresh popcorn tossed with homemade sherry vinaigrette ($8). 3404 N. Halsted St. 773-661-0299.
COTTON CANDY
Chicago’s home for upscale desserts is also your destination for the ultimate carnival food: cotton candy. Sugar serves skewers of spun sugar with every Orange Dandy Martini ($10), a concoction of Bacardi O, mango puree, orange juice and champagne. To ensure a sugar high that’ll keep you up all night, pair it with the spot’s Tiramisutra: traditional brandy-soaked madeleines with mascarpone cheese, topped with Baileys ice cream and candied kumquats ($12). 108 W. Kinzie St. 312-822-9999.
DOGS
Some like ’em hot; some like ’em corny; and some like ’em loaded with beans and cheese, called a Coney. No matter how you ate them as a kid, they’ve come a long way, and Lakeview vegetarian outpost Chicago Diner offers a flavorful chili-cheese dog unlike any other. This tofu pup comes topped with black bean-seitan chili on a whole wheat bun, served with your choice of vegan soy-jalapeno cheddar or plain-old cow cheddar cheese ($7.95). If that’s not enough to take care of your nostalgia craving, try a Dreamcicle milkshake made with fresh-squeezed orange juice and real vanilla ice cream ($5.95). 3411 N. Halsted St. 773-935-6696.
FRIED DOUGH
What’s affectionately known as an elephant ear in the U.S. is known by a much more exciting name in Jamaica: festival! This treat is generally served at street fairs, picnics and roadside stands in the tropical nation, and is made with cornmeal, flour, sugar and other sweeteners, including vanilla, cinnamon or brown sugar. Enjoy your authentic festival ($1.50) at Jazmyn’s Jerk Chicken in Evanston, where you can pair it with a jerk chicken sandwich ($3), jerk chicken salad ($5) or half a jerk chicken ($5). 1164 Dodge Ave., Evanston. 847-570-4811.
SNO-CONES
A Sno-Cone by any other name is a slushee. Or flavored ice. Or a snowball. Whatever you call it, this chilly treat screams summer. Try the grown-up version in the form of an Italian Ice Martini ($10) from River North’s newest Italian spot, Ballo. This adult-rated Sno-Cone features Effen vodka, Chambord, Blue Curacao, and splashes of sweet and sour and 7-Up. To indulge other childhood fancies, food runners frequently pass through the bar on weekends with platters of free homemade Ding Dongs and Ho Hos. 445 N. Dearborn St. 312-832-7700.
Taste of Chicago
Still want the authentic street-fest originals? Taste of Chicago runs 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily through July 4. Free. Grant Park, 300 S. Columbus Drive. 312-744-3315.
