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  • Post #31 - April 26th, 2014, 6:08 pm
    Post #31 - April 26th, 2014, 6:08 pm Post #31 - April 26th, 2014, 6:08 pm
    it's really great when high expectations are met. i loved my dinner last night seated at the bar. i went with a friend and got there shortly after 6. the bartender (i didn't get her name) was just the best- friendly, unpretentious and clearly knew what she's doing. my one drink was so strong that i never even considered another (the sensation fix), it really knocked me for a loop (though it was delicious). i loved the dirty rice a whole lot- it was quite spicy and i had a chance to talk to the chef, alfredo, to tell him how much i appreciated it as well as the chicken sandwich. toasted bread, IMO, definitely beats out a biscuit (too crumbly) and a bun (too much dough) as the perfect vehicle for the chicken. analogue really has that indefinable something that lets you feel like the place has legs and will be standing long after other bars of its ilk have bitten the dust. at least i hope so.
  • Post #32 - April 27th, 2014, 1:55 pm
    Post #32 - April 27th, 2014, 1:55 pm Post #32 - April 27th, 2014, 1:55 pm
    i forgot to say that chef alfredo told me his dirty rice recipe came from paul prudhomme. i looked it up in his 'louisiana kitchen' cookbook, and it certainly seems similar to what is served at analogue. 2 t. of cayenne to start… if anyone decides to make this, or another prudhomme version before i find time to do it, please post about your success. the recipes i've used in the past for dirty rice were fine, but afredo's spicy version is much, much better.
  • Post #33 - June 29th, 2014, 4:18 pm
    Post #33 - June 29th, 2014, 4:18 pm Post #33 - June 29th, 2014, 4:18 pm
    During another great dinner at Analogue yeterday, chef Alfredo informed me that Analogue would be starting Sunday brunch service today. In the way of a preview, we were served a gratis sample of sweet-savory-tender-steamy corn bread right out of the oven . . . great stuff.

    Dinner and cocktails were tremendous. This place really scratches the itch for me like just about nowhere else. Everything we ate was delicious. This was my first time having their fries (when not on the mushroom debris po'boy) and they're right up there with Scofflaw's as the best I've had in town -- hand-cut, fried hard and almost impossible to stop eating. Gumbo, smoked fish spread, boucherie plate (headcheese, rillette, boudin balls, house-made pickles and mustard), biscuits, fried chicken sandwich on ultra-buttery white toast, cochon du lait po'boy, chaurice dog and braised greens were all immensely satisfying. There's not one item on that list I wouldn't eagerly order again. And the 4 of us also had 2 orders of dirty rice . . . which is still the single best thing I've eaten in a Chicagoland restaurant this calendar year.

    I cannot wait to try their brunch and I still need to hit them on a Tuesday night for their fried chicken special.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #34 - June 30th, 2014, 2:54 pm
    Post #34 - June 30th, 2014, 2:54 pm Post #34 - June 30th, 2014, 2:54 pm
    http://chicagoist.com/2014/06/30/one_sh ... reated.php
  • Post #35 - June 30th, 2014, 3:00 pm
    Post #35 - June 30th, 2014, 3:00 pm Post #35 - June 30th, 2014, 3:00 pm
    Lerdawg wrote:http://chicagoist.com/2014/06/30/one_shot_trump_treated.php

    Yes, the sign was very amusing! :lol:

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #36 - July 20th, 2014, 12:58 pm
    Post #36 - July 20th, 2014, 12:58 pm Post #36 - July 20th, 2014, 12:58 pm
    I wish there were 6 more Analogues throughout the city. While very hipsterific, I loved the dark vibe, the bartender's awesome beard, and the genuine friendliness that we encountered from the host to the bartender to those serving our food. We ate at the bar, and had what I can say without question was the best gumbo I've ever eaten. Loved our cocktails, and the fact that even though they're making top notch drinks, they make them without flair or pretense.

    Really great spot that I would not have made a point to visit without LTHForum. Gracias!
  • Post #37 - July 20th, 2014, 8:45 pm
    Post #37 - July 20th, 2014, 8:45 pm Post #37 - July 20th, 2014, 8:45 pm
    A couple of Tuesdays ago I met some friends at Analogue for their weekly fried chicken night -- and ran into a few other LTH'ers in the process. As much as I love Analogue, I'd never been there for fried chicken before. It did not disappoint. One in our group had never been there before, so we ordered a few other items for sharing, too . . .

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    Analogue - 2523 N Milwaukee Ave


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    Open at 6 pm daily


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    The View from Inside
    This is especially nice now that the front window can be opened. It was just perfect on this warm, breezy evening.


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    Pressure Drop | Banks 5 Island Rum, lime, banana falernum, pineapple, mint*


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    Who Loves The Sun? | Corazon Blanco, lime, Aperol, orange juice, Peychaud's bitters*


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    Scott, LA Egg
    Love that perfectly runny egg nestled inside the sausage coating.


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    Smoked Fish Dip
    Highly addictive. Just spectacular. Smokey, savory and ever so slightly sweet.


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    Boucherie Plate
    Those are boudin balls in front, rillettes on the left and some smoked meat in back. Accompaniments include toast, house-made mustard and house-made pickles.


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    House-Made Hot Sauce
    Liquid Gold.


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    French Fries
    As described above, fried hard yet fluffy on the inside.


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    Greens
    Tender, earthy and nicely accented with a hit of vinegar.


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    Cochon Du Lait Po' Boy
    Tender-crispy pork, dressed delectably in a Po' Boy. The crusty bread, which gives way to the bite is completely righteous in this application.


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    Fried Chicken Dinner
    Ostensibly, the reason for our visit. The 2 pieces of dark meat were crispy and flavorful. Sides, which were all outstanding, included Analogue's legendary dirty rice and biscuit, plus some excellent cole slaw and mashed potatoes & gravy.


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    Sensation Fix | Rittenouse Rye, Punt e Mes, Campari, St. Elizabeth Allspice dram*

    *I was taking pictures of drinks ordered by my companions, so I'm not entirely sure if the names match the pictures but the ingredients do match the names.

    All in all, it was another great visit to Analogue. I think I've eaten here more times than at any other restaurant in 2014. But even if you're not eating, the cocktails are excellent, too. The drinks remind me a lot of TVH in its early days. They're boozy but also range tart, boldly-flavored, juicy, etc. These are not necessarily the types of drinks I typically seek out but they are terrific and add to Analogue's destination-worthiness.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #38 - July 26th, 2014, 10:12 pm
    Post #38 - July 26th, 2014, 10:12 pm Post #38 - July 26th, 2014, 10:12 pm
    My First motivation to learn to cook was the April 1974 issue of Bon Appetit which featured then Commanders Palace Head Chef Paul Prudehomme. The cover showed The Chef with a huge pot of his "rouxless" Gumbo which I made the following weekend including the stock made from fish heads and bones saved for me by my local Dominick's fish guy. I have not seen this recipe in anywhere including his cookbooks. It was awesome. I will defiantly be heading to Analogue this week.
    "I drink to make other people more interesting."
    Ernest Hemingway
  • Post #39 - August 2nd, 2014, 10:58 am
    Post #39 - August 2nd, 2014, 10:58 am Post #39 - August 2nd, 2014, 10:58 am
    That fried chicken dinner is dangerously good. I don't understand how this place keeps getting left off the lists for best fried chicken in Chicago.
  • Post #40 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am
    Post #40 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am Post #40 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am
    mgmcewen wrote:That fried chicken dinner is dangerously good. I don't understand how this place keeps getting left off the lists for best fried chicken in Chicago.

    Maybe because they only serve it 1 night per week. That's the only reason I can think of.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #41 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am
    Post #41 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am Post #41 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:00 am
    Marshall K wrote:My First motivation to learn to cook was the April 1974 issue of Bon Appetit which featured then Commanders Palace Head Chef Paul Prudehomme. The cover showed The Chef with a huge pot of his "rouxless" Gumbo which I made the following weekend including the stock made from fish heads and bones saved for me by my local Dominick's fish guy. I have not seen this recipe in anywhere including his cookbooks. It was awesome. I will defiantly be heading to Analogue this week.



    wow... that's pretty inspiring. Looks like I need to pay a visit to Analogue.
    "People are too busy in these times to care about good food. We used to spend months working over a bonne-femme sauce, trying to determine just the right proportions of paprika and fresh forest mushrooms to use." -Karoly Gundel, Blue Trout and Black Truffles: The Peregrinations of an Epicure, Joseph Wechsberg, 1954.
  • Post #42 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:03 am
    Post #42 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:03 am Post #42 - August 2nd, 2014, 11:03 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    mgmcewen wrote:That fried chicken dinner is dangerously good. I don't understand how this place keeps getting left off the lists for best fried chicken in Chicago.

    Maybe because they only serve it 1 night per week. That's the only reason I can think of.

    =R=


    True. You can get the boneless fried chicken on a sandwich every night. That's even pretty darn good, though admittedly not as good as the bone-in.
  • Post #43 - August 4th, 2014, 2:44 pm
    Post #43 - August 4th, 2014, 2:44 pm Post #43 - August 4th, 2014, 2:44 pm
    My first experience here pretty much mimics all else. Outstanding chicken sandwich, fries, biscuits. The drinks certainly showed their linage to Violet Hour (in a very good way). Service outstanding all around the house, as good as the food, really. Still, since the place is so darn good, I feel the need to call out a couple of things.

    First of all, beginning of August and those were the tomatoes served*. Feh. Second, I've seen above that Ronnie S has commented favorably on the bread. Not me. I found it drab and without much crunch at all. I guess I was expecting the light, crisp bread of my NOLA years. As in nearly every po boy/oyster loaf around town, the bread failed.

    Hey, I'm not complaining about the place. I'm eager to return, especially for the fried chicken, but hey I'm complaining.

    *Speaking of what the hell, admits everything great Boston Seafood puts out, you think they could find a better tomato or two. And man, what chaos on a Saturday night.
    Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.
  • Post #44 - August 14th, 2014, 7:42 pm
    Post #44 - August 14th, 2014, 7:42 pm Post #44 - August 14th, 2014, 7:42 pm
    Man, I love this place so much. Some of my favorite drinks in the city (admittedly weak, imo, but very flavorful regardless). And the food, man, what a treat. I love the fried chicken special, love the whitefish dip, love the biscuits, love the presentation and preparation of New Orleans-ish cuisine with none of the kitsch, great unpretentious atmosphere, pleasant service and really respectable prices. I had a perfectly fine meal at Avec the other night, but my most recent visit to Analogue just casually blew it away. It's a lil' gem.
  • Post #45 - August 15th, 2014, 7:09 am
    Post #45 - August 15th, 2014, 7:09 am Post #45 - August 15th, 2014, 7:09 am
    Vital Information wrote:.... Outstanding chicken sandwich, fries, ....


    Is the chicken sandwich spicy? I have reservations for next weekend and am planning to bring my spice-averse 9-year-old.

    Thanks, Jen
  • Post #46 - August 15th, 2014, 7:15 am
    Post #46 - August 15th, 2014, 7:15 am Post #46 - August 15th, 2014, 7:15 am
    Pie-love wrote:
    Vital Information wrote:.... Outstanding chicken sandwich, fries, ....


    Is the chicken sandwich spicy? I have reservations for next weekend and am planning to bring my spice-averse 9-year-old.

    Thanks, Jen

    Not at all if I recall correctly. While they put a dab of hot sauce on the Tuesday special fried chicken, they don't put any on the sandwich. But to be on the safe side, I would specify when ordering. Also, the house made hot sauce is terrific, so you can add as you like.
  • Post #47 - August 15th, 2014, 8:02 am
    Post #47 - August 15th, 2014, 8:02 am Post #47 - August 15th, 2014, 8:02 am
    Ill chime in with the chorus.

    stopped in last night & that dirty rice is something special.

    Id like to find a way to stop in on a Tuesday for the fried chicken - curious to see how it stacks up - but coming from where I live I have a hard time ordering fried chicken when I come into Chicago.
  • Post #48 - August 15th, 2014, 8:31 am
    Post #48 - August 15th, 2014, 8:31 am Post #48 - August 15th, 2014, 8:31 am
    BR wrote:
    Pie-love wrote:
    Vital Information wrote:.... Outstanding chicken sandwich, fries, ....


    Is the chicken sandwich spicy? I have reservations for next weekend and am planning to bring my spice-averse 9-year-old.

    Thanks, Jen

    Not at all if I recall correctly. While they put a dab of hot sauce on the Tuesday special fried chicken, they don't put any on the sandwich. But to be on the safe side, I would specify when ordering. Also, the house made hot sauce is terrific, so you can add as you like.


    Thank you very much, I will! Also great news on the hot sauce-- husband loves hot sauce. Looking forward to trying yet another new Logan Square restaurant.
  • Post #49 - June 4th, 2015, 6:53 am
    Post #49 - June 4th, 2015, 6:53 am Post #49 - June 4th, 2015, 6:53 am
    Looking forward to a first visit to Analogue. Any word on when their outdoor seating might be ready?
  • Post #50 - June 4th, 2015, 7:45 am
    Post #50 - June 4th, 2015, 7:45 am Post #50 - June 4th, 2015, 7:45 am
    Pretty sure it is now but nor 100%. They also open the front windows when weather permits which is pretty close to outside seating and really nice.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #51 - June 4th, 2015, 11:26 am
    Post #51 - June 4th, 2015, 11:26 am Post #51 - June 4th, 2015, 11:26 am
    rtb178 wrote:Looking forward to a first visit to Analogue. Any word on when their outdoor seating might be ready?

    It was open, though not entirely finished, on the day of their recent crawfish boil - Sunday May 24.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #52 - June 19th, 2015, 10:12 am
    Post #52 - June 19th, 2015, 10:12 am Post #52 - June 19th, 2015, 10:12 am
    Has anyone tried the Sunday brunch at Analogue recently? Heading there on Sunday, any recommendations would be appreciated!
  • Post #53 - June 19th, 2015, 12:14 pm
    Post #53 - June 19th, 2015, 12:14 pm Post #53 - June 19th, 2015, 12:14 pm
    Beignets are solid . . . so was my chicken fried pork chop, though there's plenty more on the menu I'd like to try. I'm also a big fan of their cocktails.
  • Post #54 - June 19th, 2015, 12:45 pm
    Post #54 - June 19th, 2015, 12:45 pm Post #54 - June 19th, 2015, 12:45 pm
    BR wrote:Beignets are solid . . .

    They were great at their crawfish boil over Memorial Day weekend . . .

    Image
    Beignets at Analogue

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #55 - June 20th, 2015, 9:20 am
    Post #55 - June 20th, 2015, 9:20 am Post #55 - June 20th, 2015, 9:20 am
    We had a fantastic dinner with friends last night at Analogue. We shared plates, which gave us a good look at a smallish menu. Highlights were all of the specials: beef sweetbreads with sherry, peas, and mushrooms; buttermilk fried soft-shell crab with asparagus and hollandaise; and strawberry shortcake with whipped mascarpone.

    Well, pretty much everything was a highlight. The biscuits were outstanding and the fried chicken sandwich was stellar. Smoked fish dip and crawfish stuffed red peppers were a perfect mix of comfort and execution. Oh yeah, and the cocktail list was an excellent mix of classic and (cocktail-)geeky.

    Two things: first, we had some service issues--esp. ordered drinks not coming even though two or three people stopped by to ask if we wanted more. Second it was a bit of a pain to split three pieces (e.g., biscuits, peppers) for four diners.

    Even after reading LTH members' comments on Analogue, I was fairly well blown away. Not food I can eat all the time, but when I want it, I know where I'm going.
  • Post #56 - June 20th, 2015, 1:16 pm
    Post #56 - June 20th, 2015, 1:16 pm Post #56 - June 20th, 2015, 1:16 pm
    randy77 wrote:Has anyone tried the Sunday brunch at Analogue recently? Heading there on Sunday, any recommendations would be appreciated!


    The beignets are amazing as already pointed out. I've had the shrimp and grits, the chicken and waffles, the B.E.A.T. and the sausage and biscuits., there wasn't a clunker in the bunch. I had a friend in town and he chose Analogue for brunch because I'd been raving about it. He decided to order the chicken and waffles and after seeing an order go by thought it was big so he asked if I could take the leftovers home because he was leaving town. As you can guess there were just a pile of bones on his plate 15 minutes after it came, never did get my leftovers.

    I particularly like the B.E.A.T. breakfast sandwich, Nueske's Bacon, farm egg, arugula, and pickled green tomatoes on toast with fries, it's become one of my favorite BLT's. The shrimp and grits are also great, the quality of the shrimp combined with some of the best grits in Chicago make it a tasty dish any time. When I'm not very hungry I've had just an order of biscuits and a side order of sausage which I found very satisfying. Report back.
    For what we choose is what we are. He should not miss this second opportunity to re-create himself with food. Jim Crace "The Devil's Larder"
  • Post #57 - June 21st, 2015, 7:40 am
    Post #57 - June 21st, 2015, 7:40 am Post #57 - June 21st, 2015, 7:40 am
    mbh wrote:shrimp and grits

    Heads or no heads?

    -
    -
    "We eat slowly and with gusto." - Paul Bäumer in AQOTWF
  • Post #58 - June 21st, 2015, 11:08 pm
    Post #58 - June 21st, 2015, 11:08 pm Post #58 - June 21st, 2015, 11:08 pm
    Sweetbread wrote:
    mbh wrote:shrimp and grits

    Heads or no heads?

    -
    -


    No heads on the shrimp in this dish.
    For what we choose is what we are. He should not miss this second opportunity to re-create himself with food. Jim Crace "The Devil's Larder"
  • Post #59 - June 22nd, 2015, 8:23 am
    Post #59 - June 22nd, 2015, 8:23 am Post #59 - June 22nd, 2015, 8:23 am
    First, thank you to all that gave brunch recommendations for Analogue. I made a reservation for Sunday at noon, and we got a nice table near the middle of the front room directly across from the bar. I would say that they were around half capacity overall, with a few at the bar.

    Food: We started with an order of the beignets, based off of others' recommendations here and also the relative lack of availability of them around the city. They are a little smaller and darker than what you get at Cafe Du Monde, and also have maybe a little different slightly more chewy texture that I really enjoyed. They also came with a small jar of caramel sauce on the plate. This was a very nice start to the brunch.

    The menu predictably was updated and tweaked from what they had online as of Saturday. There was no crawfish hash option, or fried chicken & waffles. There were two soft shell crab options, which we didn't give much consideration due to ordering a soft shell crab po' boy at Big & Little's on Orleans Saturday. I also did not have a taste for bacon, as we are going through a five pound bag I got at Neuske's over Memorial Day weekend. I saw a lot of other diners going with the Eggs Analogue, which looked terrific. My wife a taste for fried chicken & waffles, which as stated above was not on the menu. She went for the fried chicken sliders, and was very happy with her choice. Three, nicely fried chicken tenders served on Analogue's biscuits. The sliders also had b&b pickles, andouille sausage gravy, hot sauce and I thought possibly a jalapeno flavor in there too. She said she'd order this again.

    I had the bbq shrimp & grits, and it was fantastic. Different variation than what was described online as a tomato okra stew sauced dish. This version on Sunday came with three large, head-on shrimp on a pile of pillowy soft grits. The best part of the dish was the intensely shellfish flavored sauce on the shrimp and grits. I would have licked my plate clean, if I weren't with my wife and daughter at the time.

    Drinks: I'll start by saying that they are doing some amazing brunch cocktails at Analogue, and for $8 a pop it's more than worth trying a couple. I asked our server for a couple drink recommendations. I saw that they offered a sazerac on the menu, but didn't really have a taste for that at noon. Our server suggested The Pimm's Royale and the Purple Sky Mall, along with a caffeinated Italian drink (I passed on that because I already had the shakes from too much morning coffee). The Pimm's Royale was refreshing, strong, highly drinkable and exactly what I wanted to be drinking on a muggy day. It had Pimm's #1, honey, lemon, cucumber and sparkling wine and was served in a tall glass over ice. I guess I wouldn't have typically ordered this, but I am so glad that I did. Second drink was the Purple Sky Mall, with Leatherbee's gin, lemon and lilac syrup (also had spring bitters). This was also a very strong, and flavorful drink. Not too bitter, but had a nice floral flavor overall. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Pimm's Royale at that particular time.

    Service: From start to finish, this was what really set Analogue apart from some other spots we've been to recently. I should say that I was with my wife and our 10.5 month old daughter. The host was very accommodating, got us a high chair for my daughter, and set us up with a four-top so we could be comfortable. Our waiter was very personable, and also made some great drink suggestions for me. The staff overall was very cool to us, interacting with our daughter, and really just making us feel very comfortable and at home. Our waiter was excited that I liked the drinks that he suggested, and everyone working there that we came across seemed to appreciate our business and genuinely enjoyed being there. Very refreshing.

    All in all, this was a great Sunday brunch at Analogue, and they are doing amazing stuff with the food and drinks. We are already planning a Tuesday night for fried chicken night. Thanks again to everyone that had suggestions. I would highly recommend the brunch for any and all, crazy that they aren't packed all the time.
  • Post #60 - June 22nd, 2015, 9:42 am
    Post #60 - June 22nd, 2015, 9:42 am Post #60 - June 22nd, 2015, 9:42 am
    randy77 wrote: head-on shrimp


    Thanks for the update. I'm a sucker for shrimp heads.

    -
    "We eat slowly and with gusto." - Paul Bäumer in AQOTWF

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