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Only 136 restaurants to go . . .

Only 136 restaurants to go . . .
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  • Only 136 restaurants to go . . .

    Post #1 - December 30th, 2018, 7:55 pm
    Post #1 - December 30th, 2018, 7:55 pm Post #1 - December 30th, 2018, 7:55 pm
    That's how many local places I've never been to that still appear on my want-to-try list. They range from get-your-grub on hot dog stands to fine-dining establishments. And the list is dynamic, so it's certain that more will appear even as I'm checking some off the list. *Sigh*

    Also on the list are 167 places to which I'd happily return (though, there are obviously far more in this category that I never bothered to track), as well as 74 places that I've permanently banned and 118 that have closed since I originally put them on my list (some of which I tried, and some of which I never managed to visit).

    The bottom line is that I guess I need to get out more in 2019.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2 - December 30th, 2018, 8:12 pm
    Post #2 - December 30th, 2018, 8:12 pm Post #2 - December 30th, 2018, 8:12 pm
    You will also need to look after your health so will have the energy to pursue your goal. It is also important to extend your healthy life time as you will need many years to fulfill your destiny.

    As diet is essential factor in health and vigor, in order to be able to eat out more you will need to eat less.

    Ain’t life grand?
  • Post #3 - December 30th, 2018, 8:25 pm
    Post #3 - December 30th, 2018, 8:25 pm Post #3 - December 30th, 2018, 8:25 pm
    scottsol wrote:You will also need to look after your health so will have the energy to pursue your goal. It is also important to extend your healthy life time as you will need many years to fulfill your destiny.

    As diet is essential factor in health and vigor, in order to be able to eat out more you will need to eat less.

    Ain’t life grand?

    Haha, so true but I have no actual intention of hitting all these places or even trying to. It'll be a successful year in dining if I can hit 1-2 new places a month.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #4 - December 30th, 2018, 8:42 pm
    Post #4 - December 30th, 2018, 8:42 pm Post #4 - December 30th, 2018, 8:42 pm
    The sad yet wonderful reality of enthusiastically trying restaurants in Chicagoland is that, no matter how hard you try, not only won't you get to try all the ones on your list, but your list will never shrink, only grow.
  • Post #5 - December 30th, 2018, 8:53 pm
    Post #5 - December 30th, 2018, 8:53 pm Post #5 - December 30th, 2018, 8:53 pm
    Can you share your lists?
  • Post #6 - December 30th, 2018, 10:14 pm
    Post #6 - December 30th, 2018, 10:14 pm Post #6 - December 30th, 2018, 10:14 pm
    While there are places I haven’t visited I try to find some reason to visit.

    That narrows the list and makes it manageable.

    The list will be continuously in flux and sometimes an entire section will be ignored.

    I try to roll with the punches as good as I can.
    "Very good... but not my favorite." ~ Johnny Depp as Roux the Gypsy in Chocolat
  • Post #7 - January 4th, 2019, 12:04 am
    Post #7 - January 4th, 2019, 12:04 am Post #7 - January 4th, 2019, 12:04 am
    JoeChicago wrote:Can you share your lists?

    It'd be hard because they're basically scrawled in chicken scratch. But I did manage to move one from Category 1 (want to try) to Category 2 (would return) earlier this week. So, at least for now, only 135 to go . . . :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #8 - January 6th, 2019, 3:26 pm
    Post #8 - January 6th, 2019, 3:26 pm Post #8 - January 6th, 2019, 3:26 pm
    Down to 134 . . .

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #9 - January 6th, 2019, 4:37 pm
    Post #9 - January 6th, 2019, 4:37 pm Post #9 - January 6th, 2019, 4:37 pm
    Hi,

    Your interests are so dynamic, this list could increase as you eat your way down it.

    Good luck!

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #10 - January 6th, 2019, 8:33 pm
    Post #10 - January 6th, 2019, 8:33 pm Post #10 - January 6th, 2019, 8:33 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Your interests are so dynamic, this list could increase as you eat your way down it.

    I'm guessing you're right. Like so many of us here, my food interests are pretty varied. And like so many of us here, inspiration, tips, leads etc. for places to try come not only from reading LTH but also through all sorts of other conduits, even when I'm not actively trying to solicit them.

    In less than one week I tried -- both, for the first time -- an Indian street food place and a high-end fine dining establishment. This makes me very happy to live in Chicagoland. We're truly blessed with a wealth of culinary riches.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #11 - May 7th, 2019, 10:58 pm
    Post #11 - May 7th, 2019, 10:58 pm Post #11 - May 7th, 2019, 10:58 pm
    I started out pretty strong. I was making progress. We were getting out quite a bit after the holidays and not a lot of new places were popping up at that time of year. Now, just over 1/3 into 2019, I've not been going out quite as often and plenty of new (and new to me) places have appeared on the radar. Even though I've made first visits to a number of places over the past few months, I'm actually losing ground. As of today, there are 143 places I've never been that I want to visit. The more you know, the more you don't know. *Sigh*

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #12 - May 8th, 2019, 7:54 am
    Post #12 - May 8th, 2019, 7:54 am Post #12 - May 8th, 2019, 7:54 am
    Sounds like you're proving my point... :D

    nsxtasy wrote:The sad yet wonderful reality of enthusiastically trying restaurants in Chicagoland is that, no matter how hard you try, not only won't you get to try all the ones on your list, but your list will never shrink, only grow.
  • Post #13 - May 8th, 2019, 7:59 am
    Post #13 - May 8th, 2019, 7:59 am Post #13 - May 8th, 2019, 7:59 am
    I seem to recall that when I first joined LTH there were only 50 or so GNRs. Seemed like an easily attainable goal.

    I had loaded them into my GPS along with several other lists and whenever I was in a new are I would call one up.

    Now with the list over 150 it seems more difficult. Ever changing.
    "Very good... but not my favorite." ~ Johnny Depp as Roux the Gypsy in Chocolat
  • Post #14 - May 8th, 2019, 10:01 am
    Post #14 - May 8th, 2019, 10:01 am Post #14 - May 8th, 2019, 10:01 am
    nsxtasy wrote:Sounds like you're proving my point... :D

    nsxtasy wrote:The sad yet wonderful reality of enthusiastically trying restaurants in Chicagoland is that, no matter how hard you try, not only won't you get to try all the ones on your list, but your list will never shrink, only grow.

    Well, I think that's been clear from the beginning. And once you start keeping a list, if it wasn't already obvious, it becomes so. In the past 14 days, I've gone to Flat & Point, Mima's Taste of Cuba, Tied House, Korean Spoon, MCCB and the new, fried chicken iteration of Split Rail -- all places I'd never been before. And yet the list still grows. I mean, you can only knock 'em down so fast.

    But I'll admit to having an ulterior motive. That is to continually remind myself (and everyone who reads this silly thread) that we who live here are lucky to have such endless choices, and that we should never take them for granted.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #15 - May 8th, 2019, 11:54 am
    Post #15 - May 8th, 2019, 11:54 am Post #15 - May 8th, 2019, 11:54 am
    ronnie_suburban wrote:In the past 14 days, I've gone to Flat & Point, Mima's Taste of Cuba, Tied House, Korean Spoon, MCCB and the new, fried chicken iteration of Split Rail -- all places I'd never been before. And yet the list still grows. I mean, you can only knock 'em down so fast.

    But I'll admit to having an ulterior motive. That is to continually remind myself (and everyone who reads this silly thread) that we who live here are lucky to have such endless choices, and that we should never take them for granted.

    =R=


    Ronnie,

    That's quite a dent for just two weeks, 6 new for you places. Impressive.

    The tough thing about trying to hit a lot of new places is I feel guilty about not going to the 'old' or existing restaurants that I do like and want to see stay in business.

    Someone just brought this up to me yesterday, regarding how hard it is for restaurants in Chicago. Your comment about the endless options is so true, and since we tend to live in culture of people only wanting to go to new places, I feel bad for people who are doing things right and still have a hard time drawing people in. I do think this is more prevalent in hot neighborhoods, which is what drew the restaurant owners there in the first place.
  • Post #16 - May 8th, 2019, 12:19 pm
    Post #16 - May 8th, 2019, 12:19 pm Post #16 - May 8th, 2019, 12:19 pm
    Ronnie you've inspired me to finally make a spreadsheet for all my to-try places. :D
  • Post #17 - May 8th, 2019, 5:35 pm
    Post #17 - May 8th, 2019, 5:35 pm Post #17 - May 8th, 2019, 5:35 pm
    I finally threw my list into Google maps so I can randomly find places to knock out while I'm out! Only 3 years in the making...

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