STITCH's Guide to Friendsgiving
Before you pack up your bags and leave campus for a short (but extremely necessary) Thanksgiving break, choose a day and have a Thanksgiving dinner with your friends in Evanston or in Chicago. This year more than ever, we all need to be thankful for those who make your support system and bring us joy even in the toughest times, so let’s be thankful around some fantastic food while looking spectacularly fabulous.
Here are my top 5 places to have a Thanksgiving dinner in Evanston and Chicago:
1) Ten Mile House
Located on Central Street (the same road as Ryan Field, where you ~sometimes~ make it to a football game after tailgates), Ten Mile House is full of comfort food and warm people, making it the perfect place for a your Thanksgiving dinner.
Menu Standouts: TMH prime burger, fried chicken sandwich, and the catch of the day THM fish tacos.
How to Get There: Uber Pool for about $3-5 or UberX for $5-7
What to Wear: We all know too well just how cold Evanston nights can be, so to match the cozy decor and food of Ten Mile House, wrap up in a nice sweater. This one below from Madewell has a detachable turtleneck, so you won’t sweat off all your make-up at dinner.
Madewell, $79.50
2) Mon Ami Gabi
Ever catch yourself watching Midnight in Paris and dreaming of an elegant time of fun and glitz? It might be impossible to make it to Paris anytime soon, but the French bistro Mon Ami Gabi, located in Lincoln Park, perfectly supplements all of our Parisian desires.
Menu Standouts: Any of the TWELVE Steak Frites options on the menu, the mussels marinière, and wild escargots de bourgogne
How to Get There: Sadly, the closest El stops is Fullerton off the Red Line, so you still have to walk 18 minutes. BUT, grab your friends and split your Uber or Uber Pool. With Uber Pool you can get there in as cheap as $5, and Uber will run from $15-25 based on surges.
What to Wear: Though the name is French, La Ligne was started by two Americans, Meredith Melling and Molly Howard. The perfect place to find striped attire that won’t make you feel like a toddler, this brand will manage to make you feel undeniably chic.
La Ligne, $225
3) Strings Ramen
Nothing warms the soul better than a bowl of soup, or in this case, ramen. Located in Armour Square, Strings Ramen has 5 different varieties of Ramen ranging from Miso Ramen to Hell Ramen, testing even the biggest spice lover’s threshold. Besides the out-of-this-world ramen, Strings Ramen won’t break the bank with prices ranging from $10-20.
Menu Standouts: The Tonkotsu Ramen and the Level 3 Hell Ramen.
How to Get There: Though, this restaurant is the farthest one from campus (about a 40 to 45 minutes drive) the El also runs directly to that area. Begin on the Purple Line, transfer at Howard, and get off at the Cermak-Chinatown stop.
What to Wear: Get ready for a night of fun and a bit of slurping. I recommend a hilarious graphic tee.
Urban Outfitters, $39
4) Girl and the Goat
This restaurant is known for two things: the Top Chef fan favorite, head chef Stephanie Izard, and the luxury of out-of-this-world food, in an endearing and homey establishment. Located in the Randolph Restaurant Corridor, Girl and the Goat is surrounded by great company, making it the perfect area for Northwestern students to explore.
Menu Standouts: Hamachi crudo with crispy pork belly and the Kohlrabi salad.
How to Get There: Though not the easiest route on the El, you can take the Purple Line to Howard, transfer to the Red and get off at the North-Clybourn station. Though you are still about a 15 minute walk away, plan to get there about an hour early and journey through the center of Chicago, before making your way to dinner.
What to Wear: We all know how the wind becomes aggressive as you get closer to the lake. If you aren’t trying to look like a human marshmallow in your Canada Goose, a nice wool trench coat is the way to go.
Zara, $169
5) Chicago's Dog House
Before you go home for the holidays and have all your relatives bombarding you with questions about Chicago, from the food to the sports, take a trip to Chicago’s Dog House, so you can tell your nosy aunt about authentic Chicago cuisine.
Menu Standouts: The Chihuahua Hot Dog covered in hot sauce, avocado, chihuahua cheese, onions and cilantro and the Snoop Dog Hot Dog, covered in homemade chili, colby cheese and onion.
How to Get There: Take the El on the purple line, transfer to Howard on the red line, and get off at Fullerton.
What to Wear: Match Chicago’s Dog House style of adding your own flair to a classic staple by wearing a pair of boyfriend jeans with splattered paint.
