Eating My Way Through My Last Month In Chicago

Tomorrow will mark the one month to go mark until I bid Chicago a semi-fond adieu.  While I haven't even started the physical process of moving, I know exactly what the first thing I need to do is.  I need to clean out almost everything from my apartment.  All the furniture has to go since I'm not paying to ship that stuff and it won't fit in a car.

But I think the first thing that I'm going to do is separate my books into the ones that I want to bring (for sentimental reasons or for the fact that I haven't read them, but plan to) and those that I'm giving to charity (probably Open Books).

It's more the mental attachments that I have to get rid of than the physical ones I think.  And, along this vein, as I've mentioned before, I'm going to try to clear a lot of my Yelp Chicago bookmarks.  Right now I have 272 of them.  Not all of them are in Chicago and not all of them are places I'll ever review.  But I'm trying to hit up the favorites of them that I want to hit one last time and write a parting review of.

But, even more in line with cutting the ties are 40 bookmarks of places that I never tried while I lived here.  20 of them I can live without but these 20 I really want to try in the following order (from most desired to least desired):

1. La Bocca Della Verita - Named after my favorite tourist attraction in Rome, it's supposed to be one of Chicago's best hidden Italian restaurants in Ravenswood. (TRIED: 4/27) YELP REVIEW: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-bocca-della-verita-chicago#hrid:TmsYiA61QkxiH4rSDCdwOQ/
2. Moe's Tavern - It's a Simpson themed tavern in Avondale.  They even have a Flaming Moe on the mixed drink menu.
3. Zebda - A Mediterranean place that I've been wanting to try for a couple of years in Irving Park.
4. Victory's Banner - Pretty much the only vegetarian restaurant in Chicago I haven't visited.  It's only open for brunch. (TRIED: 3/23)
5. gastro-wagon - A new (but legendary) Naanwich place in Edgewater.
6. Dee's Place - Soul food in Wicker Park that isn't The Southern. But I'm not going to hold it against them.
7. Indie Cafe Thai & Sushi - A sushi place in Edgewater that I've been stalking from a distance for years.
8. Drew's Eatery - They've got a veggie dog in North Center that's supposed to rival the one at Hot Doug's without the line. (TRIED: 3/14) YELP REVIEW: http://www.yelp.com/biz/drews-eatery-chicago#hrid:TLFepGyCx9K2pq5R3r-pWw/
9. The Breakfast Club - A brunch place in the West Loop that is supposed to be worth waking up early for.
10. Ian's Pizza - I was just by its sister place in Madison this weekend, but this one in Lakeview has pasta pizzas that I want to try. (TRIED: 4/16)
11. First Slice - This North Center places serves pie.  Lots of kinds of pie (and a few other things).  How amazing is that? (TRIED: 3/14)
12. Huck Finn Donuts & Snack Shop - Wherever McKinley Park even is, this place is supposed to have the best doughnuts in town.
13. Cemitas Puebla - Cuban sandwiches merely blocks from my gym in Humboldt Park featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  It's actually more amazing that I haven't made it here yet. (TRIED: 4/14) YELP REVIEW: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cemitas-puebla-chicago-2#hrid:cWZryS0vmtz4PNioVXOOfQ/
14. Taste Of Peru - When I was supposed to go to Peru a couple of years ago, the Rogers Park place basically at the top of the city was top on my list of Peruvian places to go.
15. Queen Albert Diner & Lounge - This place is supposed to have the most screwed up, hilarious karaoke in town.  A friend of mine put the idea in my head to go here a few year ago, but we never went.
16. Baladoche - A storefront crepe place in Lakeview that is supposed to use only the finest European ingredients served with attitude.
17. Urban Belly - The only of the "Avondale three" (along with Kuma's Corner and Hot Doug's) that people are willing to wait in line for I haven't been to.  Though I've heard mixed things about it.
18. Taqueria Traspada - Supposedly, this place in Noble Square has the best tacos in the entire city.  I've been told this by multiple people.
19. Tripoli Tap - A Lincoln Park bar that's devoted to the Red Sox.  I think I'll probably hit this one to open up the baseball season. (TRIED: 4/1)
20. Istanbul Restaurant - One of many Lakeview Turkish restaurants, but this is one that's not supposed to be missed.

I'm on my way to scratch off two of these in North Center as I type.  It's Pi Day, so I planned on going to First Slice regardless.  While I'm in the neighborhood, I figured I might as well go to Drew's Eatery as well to get a veggie dog before this treat.

So that means about 18 more in the 31 days before I move.  Which is, oddly enough, nearly the same amount of times until I need to go to the gym.  The two will probably end up being closely related.