Dee's

About a year after moving to Chicago, a friend invited me to dine at Dee's one evening. Now I had been to many Chinese restaurants over the years - you know the kind - egg foo young, fried rice, etc. that pretty much tasted the same no matter which restaurant, but Dee's was a revelation. The lemon chicken (still a favorite 20 years later) was marvelous. The breaded chicken was crisp and the lemon sauce had a freshness that I had never experienced before. The chicken with cashew nuts contained mostly fresh, as opposed to canned, ingredients and was wonderful. On subsequent visits I've found other favorite dishes at Dee's including General Tso's chicken, Szechwan green beans, and spinach sautéed with garlic. As with nearly any restaurant, there are always a few "so what" or "never again" dishes, but in general I've found most of Dee's dishes to be good to excellent. On busy nights you can park yourself in Dee's nice little bar area and share a drink with friend while waiting for a table. In general the staff have been good on the average in terms of service and attitude. Even though I've found other Chinese restaurants that are as good or better as Dee's, I get a little sentimental and have to make a visit now and then. It's always a treat.