Any Halloween dilettante can go through the motions of buying a costume, visiting haunted houses and going to scary movies. But true aficionados know that to do Halloween right, you’ve got to go all in. That means dressing scary, talking scary and–of course–eating scary. So with ghoulish gourmands in mind, we’ve dug up five of the city’s most unsettling dining options.
Not just for early birds
Thomas Rockwell’s popular preteen novel told us how, but we’ve always been in the dark about exactly where to eat fried worms. Sticky Rice (4018 N. Western Ave. 773-588-0133) answers that question with rok deun, a serving of salty, crunchy meal worms, also known as bamboo caterpillars ($4.95). If a plate full of grubs doesn’t sufficiently mortify your date, the eatery’s other Northern Thai oddities include cubed pork and blood served over rice vermicelli, a spicy soup made with beef intestines and an omelet stuffed full of juicy ant eggs (all $5.50).
‘fisky business
What’s not to love about lutefisk? Norway’s unofficial favorite dish–literally, “lye fish”–takes its name from the preparation process. Cod is soaked in lye for several days, then skinned, boned and boiled into a translucent, gelatinous mass. Cooked properly, lutefisk produces an intense fishy odor that sinks into the deepest fibers of your upholstery–but it’s all worth it for the gastronomic rush of a wet-newspaper flavor. Lutefisk is, understandably, a hard item to find in restaurants, but $12 gets you a 1 3/4-pound pack of the frozen stuff at Wikstrom’s (5247 N. Clark St. 773-275-6100). Cook up some yourself, and learn just what a high threshold for pain the ancient Vikings had.
Let’s hear it for the soy
Natto is sort of like lutefisk’s Asian, vegetarian cousin: another vile-smelling, strangely prepared dish that defines the term “acquired taste.” Basically a mound of fermented, spore-riddled soybeans, natto’s rotting cheese odor alone is enough to drive away less adventurous diners. If the aroma doesn’t scare you, the texture might. The aging process produces a slimy, sticky film, so that a bowl of natto roughly resembles peanuts in a savory rubber cement sauce. It’s commonly served straight up as a breakfast food in Japan, but variations such as CoCoRo’s (668 N. Wells St. 312-943-2220) natto roll ($4.50) are a good option for novices, providing a small dose of soybeans with a cushion of rice and seaweed to ease the pain.
Bloody good show
First, the good news: Blood pudding is not quite what it sounds like. Now, the bad news: It’s the “pudding” part that’s inaccurate. Essentially, it’s pig’s blood mixed with meat and oatmeal and boiled down until it’s congealed enough to form into a sausage. Also known as black pudding, it’s a centuries-old staple across the pond. Stateside, you’re most likely to find it as a side dish in meals like the Abbey Pub’s (3420 W. Grace St. 773-478-4408) traditional Irish breakfast ($8.95).
The eyes have it
Everybody has that one friend who loves to try the hottest peppers, the greasiest burgers and the weirdest ethnic dishes–and at least force a smile as he gulps them down. Test his mettle with a Sunday drive to the New Maxwell Street Market (7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday 500 W. Roosevelt Rd. 312-922-3100), where a thorough search through the stalls will usually turn up at least one vendor peddling eyeball tacos. That’s right: tortillas stuffed with the ocular spheres of goats or cows ($1.50 each). If the concept isn’t enough to quell your buddy’s hunger, he should know that the texture is reportedly exactly as slimy and viscous as you’d assume. It sounds pretty scary, but if you take into account . . . Well, culturally speaking, they’re . . . OK, maybe with the right seasoning . . . Oh, who are we kidding? Eyeball tacos are easily the scariest thing we’ve ever heard of.
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metromix@tribune.com
