I recently started working in Skokie one day a week and I was really excited to be able to get lunch at new (to me) and old favorite restaurants in the area. 2 Lanterns, Great Beijing, Hoanh Long, Renga Tei, NY Bagel and Bialy, Larsa’s, Wholly Frijoles, Pho Nam Lua, Libanais were/are all on my list.
The hitch in my plans? 2 Lanterns. We went there first and now it's been 6 weeks and I haven't gone anywhere else. This place is a gem! Thanks, Gary, for posting about it. My favorite dishes so far are: lemongrass chicken (not on the online menu--made with sliced chicken, and very finely chopped lemongrass), honey garlic roast pork, spicy chicken, green beans, wings with tamarind powder. I brought home dinner for my family and my daughter loved the orange chicken (I agree it's a good version but I'm more interested in the southeast Asian items on the menu) and strawberry smoothie. On my list to try are the guan mein, shrimp noodle soup, and basil chicken (my coworker who doesn't really like basil said it was great).
Also, Jenny, the proprietor, is one of the nicest people! She's been greeting me by name since my second visit and she makes great recommendations. Sooner or later, I'll try lunch at some other spots in the area but for now I'm hooked on 2 Lanterns. To quote Gary-- 2 Lanterns, CMAF