Chicago is in the midst of its annual restaurant week, a time when local restaurants offer specially priced menus to draw people in on cold winter days and nights. It’s a good time to try new places but can you find healthy offerings? Well, sort of.
Restaurant food is notoriously high in salt, fat and sugar. So you need to be picky, and also know you’ll likely go off your healthy menu more than once.
My wife and I so far have gone to two restaurants, Pescadero, a suburban seafood place; and Big Jones, a Cajun restaurant in Chicago. We also plan a trip to L Woods, another suburban spot, since we live in the suburbs.
Seafood dishes tend to be healthier per se, assuming they aren’t loaded with sauces heavy in fat and salt.
I opted for the oysters to start my Pescadero meal, they’re served raw, so aren’t mucked up with salt or fat. I had the octopus for my main course. It was grilled and wonderfully tasty, if you love octopus as I do.
Big Jones is a place to forget healthy for a bit. We went there specifically for the fried chicken lunch special.
Our waiter said he’d sell his family for it, the chicken was just that good.
It was very good, moist, tender, all the things friend chicken should be, including fatty from frying. I love fried chicken but have it sparingly these days. Big Jones’ chicken was worth going off my diet for.
Our last stop this week will be L. Woods, a noted suburban barbecue place. I’m likely getting the ribs there despite their unhealthy attributes.
The special menu does feature filets as well, a leaner cut of red meat I probably should opt for, but it’s tough to pass on the ribs.
At least they will be a smaller portion than usual for the restaurant week menu.
The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal 
Leave a comment