Irazu

Oatmeal Milkshake better than ambrosia. The food here is great, but that's not important. Not when it's a melting humid day and I'm sweating like a pig in a sauna. On these instances, which happen all too often in Chicago, all I want is an Avena Shake sprinkled liberally with cinnamon. These oatmeal shakes are heavenly and unlike anything I have tasted anywhere else. Like an horchata and DQ blizzard lovechild on steroids.

Imagine the best oatmeal cookie you've ever had, blended up and chilled. You pretty much get the idea. This shake is rich and flavorful, but never overpowering. I'm always able to finish the entire thing in just a few gulps. Try the oatmeal banana if you're in the mood for something a little tropical.

If you know a poor teenager who has braces and chewing hurts so bad that they are on a bizarre liquid diet - bring them to Irazu for an oatmeal shake and they will be eternally grateful.…

Good, cheap and fast. This afternoon, a wormhole opened up at Irazu Restaurant and delivered this unsuspecting diner straight to Buca Di Beppo. Now it is unusual indeed for a wormhole to masquerade as a bowl of chicken soup but evidently, adding enough garlic to a bowl of liquid can create strange phenomena. And this wasn’t all. It would appear that the soup pot doubles as the restaurant’s grease trap since there was more of it floating on top than actual ingredients. I guess during these economic times, anything to save a penny is worthwhile.

However, it would be unfair to withhold the positives of which there are many. Not even at Subway can one still get a giant sandwich for $4.95, on great bread and bursting with beef. The burritos are bizarrely good and the empanadas the greatest deal on the menu.

This place has been around for years and you owe it yourself to go the next time a burrito craving strikes you. Just hold the soup and save everyone around you from holding their noses.…