Here’s a look back at some of our favorite Cheap Eats places and dishes, gleaned from reviews in 2009 by Tribune reporters. All items mentioned — favorites are in bold type — follow the Cheap Eats guideline of being less than $13.
Tub Tim Thai: Sure, the menu hits familiar chords with pad thai, lad nar, three types of curry. But it also features harder-to-find treats like meang kum. Spoon a little sweet sauce on the dish of fresh chapoo leaves topped with peanuts, dried shrimp, toasted coconut, ginger, lime and shallot — then add a smidge of Thai bird peppers and you have a leafy, tacolike creation and mix of flavors and textures that feel so odd yet so familiar. Run by the super-friendly Panya family, the place feels elegant yet relaxed with its curving peach walls, gurgling fountain and rotating exhibitions by local artists. 4927 Oakton St., Skokie; 847-675-8424
— Monica Eng
Green Prairie Bakery & Cafe: This sweet dream of the husband-and-wife team of Scot Cameron and Marsha Hong boasts glass cases of muffins and pastries and cookies. The bonus? The cafe’s focus on organics, fresh-as-can-be sandwiches and salads plus an eggs-to-pancakes breakfast lineup. Among veggie sandwiches, the chickpea sandwich deserves special praise. Cameron piles sunflower-and-flax-seed-studded housemade bread with a mix of pureed garbanzos, chopped almonds and celery, with lettuce for more crunch, tomatoes for color. But whether you opt for an a.m. curry- accented tofu scramble or stop by for that sandwich, leave a smidgen of room for dessert. 279 Evergreen Drive,Vernon Hills; 847-918-7005
— Judy Hevrdejs
The Little India Restaurant: Before you fill up on pappadum and samosas, order some bhel puri, a crunchy-tangy-sweet mountain of crisped rice tossed with onion, tomato, cilantro, dried mango powder and tamarind sauce. Order a few other things (vindaloo, biryani, rogan josh and severa; breads) but leave room for dessert: rasmalai and badami kheer. Badami kheer tops delicately sweet rice-cooked-in-milk with almonds and pistachios while rasmalai is a so-decadent sweet of an almost-whipped-cream thick cardamom milk hiding two half-dollar-size paneer patties. 1109 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.,773-728-7012
— Judy Hevrdejs
Clucker’s Charcoal Chicken: Is it wrong to order vegetarian fare at a chicken emporium? So be it. As marvelous as the chicken is at Clucker’s Charcoal Chicken, I would happily order the chopped veggie salad: Charcoal-roasted yellow squash, onions, sweet corn, bell pepper and tomatoes on mixed greens team up with generous dabs of goat cheese and a heavenly pesto vinaigrette. Toss in one of the joint’s delectable mini-muffins, and you have an entree that can take or leave that bird. An extra $1.50 gets you an ample portion of grilled skinless chicken breast to augment your salad. This is a clean, comfortable fast-food operation that wowed us with its diverse, chicken-centric menu, so takeout might be your preference. Every item we tried — including an array of complex sauces and the fudgy giant brownie — proved cluck-alicious. Plus, for those who care (and we do), the chicken is hormone-free and cage-free, says owner Reed Merdinger. 760 Sheridan Road, Highwood, 847-432-2582; cluckerscharcoalchicken.com
— Renee Enna
Belly Shack: Bill Kim’s follow-up to his slurp-happy Urban Belly is Belly Shack, wedged beneath the Western Blue Line stop and defying one-word categorization. It’s Asian, it’s Puerto Rican; they serve soft serve, but it contains bacon; they serve sandwiches, but they’re in pita, and the pita has noodles inside. Forget it, just try the Asian meatball “sammich” — four complex Vietnamese-style pork meatballs, almost no teeth resistance, except for the fantastic toothsome pita from Rogers Park’s Eastern Breadstone Bakery. 1912 N. Western Ave., 773-252-1414
— Kevin Pang
Union Pizzeria: The best thing I ate all year? Huh. Griddled focaccia, squashed with La Quercia prosciutto and a fried egg, at Naha? The charming “Toast and Jam” at Billy Dec’s Sunda — wedges of shrimp toast with tuna tartar spread over the top? Or every pizza I ordered (and waited 90 minutes for) this year at Great Lake in Andersonville? Let’s go modest. What springs to mind immediately is the tiny starter bowl of squash agrodolce with mint at this Evanston pizzeria. A sweet and sour Palermo classic: large roasted chunks of squash, charred across the top, coated in a syrupy reduction with hints of vinegar and garlic, then topped with fragrant shards of torn mint. 1245 Chicago Ave., 847-475-2400
— Christopher Borrelli
Chi Cafe: As a member of the ethnicity, I’ll admit bias, but I’m convinced the Cantonese do fried chicken wings better than anyone. Maybe it’s the “salt & pepper” treatment, the delicate fry job or the vampire-repelling amount of garlic some restaurants heap on. Whatever the reason, I’m smitten by the fried chicken wings at Chi Cafe in the Chinatown Square complex. They taste even better, for some reason, when you come here at 3 a.m. 2160-A S. Archer Ave., 312-842-9993
— Kevin Pang
90 Miles Cuban Cafe: The seating at this popular sandwich hut is all stools, paired with a counter that lines the room’s borders. That’s not to say the place feels like a hot dog stand. Its rustic counters, old-fashioned shutters, wallpaper made from vintage Cuban periodicals and a lush island soundtrack fill it with a warm charm. Still, you’re not going to want to linger here. The draw: the lechon sandwich, with tender, juicy roasted pork sharing a warm, crispy roll with grilled onions and sweet, silky sauteed plantains. It’s a dynamite combo of sweet and salty that shows care in every aspect of the ensemble. 3101 N. Clybourn Ave.; 773-248-2822
— Monica Eng
Pierogi Place: Winter is prime pierogi season. We can think of nothing better to help protect us from the cold winds and subzero temperatures than the spinach or sauerkraut Polish dumplings at Pierogi Place. Sold in groups of six or 12, the pierogis’ tender dough encases perfectly seasoned fillings, made more wonderful with the accompanying mounds of caramelized onion and sour cream. 1665 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows; 847-734-6811, pierogi-place.com
— Renee Enna
