Weirdest Foods In Chicago

Some might pat themselves on the back for trying the various obscure cuisines to be found in Chicago. But really, you can do better. Ethiopian restaurants with bread instead of utensils? Piece of cake. Bone marrow? So last year. Ketchup on hot dogs? Just kidding, that's never happened in Chicago. But for those seeking a truly odd meal, we've rounded up five of the most bizarre foods you can find in Chicagoland.

Eyeball Tacos

Maxwell Street Market
640 W. Roosevelt Road

Maxwell Street Market's endless line of tents and tables is a place where you feel like you can find anything. And if you're looking for whole-hog…er, goat cooking, they have that too. The stand also offers tacos made from the brains and from cheek meat – try a whole goat head sampling!

Natto Sushi

Cocoro Restaurant
668 North Wells Street
www.cocorosushi.com

Kimchi is the most famous fermented dish from the east, but on occasion you can run into it's slightly more intimidating cousin, Natto. Natto is composed of soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis, leaving them sticky, slippery, and very smelly. Cocoro and a few other restaurants will serve it up in sushi rolls if you want to try a savory, musky bite.

Crispy Pata

Ruby's
3740 West Montrose Avenue
www.rubysfastfood.com

Fried. Pork. Knuckles. Shank, hoof, foot and all is deep fried and served at Ruby's, and while it's probably not going to shock your taste buds, it's a delicious experience hard to find at most other restaurants. Be warned though – deep frying the former limb is no small task, and can take up to forty-five minutes.

Durian Freeze

Joy Yee
2139 S. China Place
www.joyyee.com

The Durian is known as "King of Fruit" in much of Southeast Asia. Whether that's because it's the greatest snack or it's simply the most powerful is a tough question. Durian's rotting, musky scent is so powerful that eating it in public is subject to fines in Singapore. So where can one find the king of acquired tastes in Chicago? Several groceries carry the fruit, but if you'd rather not commit to a whole durian -and the odors it might inflict on your home – you can just try a blended version at Joy Yee's.

Fried Bamboo Caterpillars

Sticky Rice
4018 N. Western Ave
www.stickyricethai.com

Probably the one part of cuisine America has never gotten the hang of is edible insects. A traditional Northern Thai dish, the bugs look pretty much like you'd expect – there's no gussying them up or hiding them inside wraps or dumplings. But picky eaters might actually fare well with this dish – the flavor is as mild as you can ask. And if you really need some help, wash them down with the beverage of your choice, since Sticky Rice is BYOB.

Dan Morgridge is a writer in Chicago's Ukranian Village. He enjoys eating and drinking above his means, finding new music, and socially conscious hedonism.