The Half Shell, Chicago - Review

Ah, the Half Shell, I love this place - one of first places I ever went to in Chicago on my first visit. It's a dark, dingy hole-in-the-wall joint that serves the best king crab legs ever. They give you 6-7 huge limbs/claws, steamed to perfection, on a bed of frites, with a garlic-butter sauce into which to dip the rich, sweet flesh of the beast that has sacrificed itself so that I might be sated - and trust me, after all that meat one truly is sated. It costs around $27 for this ethereal experience, but it is worth every penny. The service is excellent too, our man was great - you order a drink and he shouts at the bar and you have your drink in 20 seconds. The only downside of the place is the abysmal oysters they have, absolutely tasteless and very rubbery, but I'm not going to dwell on that, I'm just not going to order them again. They also only have a few wines by the glass, but it doesn't matter either, it's really not the kind of place that should have a big list - not least because the servers wouldn't be interested in selling them to you, they're too casual and too 'Chicago' for that! In the summer they put tables outside on the pavement (sidewalk) too for the full-on Chicago dining experience. Fortunately, also, it's the kind of place that, unless you live in Chicago and you know about it, you would never go into, which is fine by me as it would be busier than it already is. Highly recommended.

Comments

[Nahthern]

Good review Fatboy - Im so easily influenced I really really want to eat crab now, off to Dublin for a couple of days so guess Ill just have to make do with potato soup and a drop of the black stuff - it is the best in the world so rest assured I will consume heartily - I shall report my findings forthwith