Food Court Press

In yet another effort to get out of the office, I've decided to do a tour of food courts around the city Chicago. Unlike some major cities, you don't have to leave the county to go to a mall. They bring indoor shopping right to you in the very heart of the Windy City. My first stop is the Westfield Northbridge Mall at 520 N. Michigan Avenue.

Home to one of my favorite department stores, Nordstrom, I am partial to this particular mall. There's a lot of good browsing to be had at Northbridge. Sephora, with it's maddening array of creams and tints, on the first floor is a favorite stop as is, dare I say it, Forever 21 upstairs with its racks of slightly trashy trends.

But it's just in the last few weeks that I've discovered the food court. Though set in the glass and steel confines of a mall, the dining atmosphere is quite cheery and bright with lots of natural light. My first meal was at Cafe Typhoon a little sushi stand by the escalator. It was a cold day so I opted for a bowl of Udon noodle soup. It was pretty good, though bland and adorned with too many carrots. Diners next door were feasting on plates of pasta and oversized salads at Tuscany Cafe. I was a little jealous, especially when I caught sight of someone sipping on a glass of Chianti.

The next time I stopped in for lunch I left nothing to chance. I marched up to Potbelly's, that grand Chicago favorite, and ordered one of my favorites, a hot roast beef with everything, no hot peppers. Potbelly's definitely had the edge since I've been ordering that sandwich for close to 20 years, but the toasty little meal accompanied by the petite chocolate malt was the perfect compliment to the casual atmosphere of the food court.

The nicest thing about eating at Northbridge is that you feel like your having a proper sit down meal, instead of chowing down in a busy hallway. Stewards constantly clear and clean tables and seating is spread out so there is air of civility, an element of privacy. I give this mall dining experience a fork up!

Good Luck, and Good Eating!