More food from Chicago! This place is in Avondale (neighborhood, around California and Elston) and is always busy. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you at communal tables (all the rage these days. Restaurants can fit more people in at communal tables than individual ones).
The restaurant is also tiny (we were sitting at the end of the first table):
I’ve been twice now to Urban Belly, and both times the food was great. Something to definitely get is their Chinese Eggplant with Thai Basil:
It’s served cold and is super refreshing and a great way to cut the spice in some of their other dishes.
Other dishes we’ve gotten (from both times) are the pork dumplings:
Asian Egg Noodles with Eggplant and Tofu:
Here’s the pescatarian version:
Rice Cake Soup with Chicken and Mango:
Short-Rib Rice:
Organic Pea Shoot and Thai Basil Rice:
Red Curry Udon Noodles with Chorizo (the special for one of the days we went):
And the Wrinkle Beans:
All of the food is excellent and it’s best to come with a group of friends, order a bunch of stuff and share. Then you can try a lot of the food without feeling bad that you ordered half the items off the menu.
