Be sure to pick up a copy of this week's Reader which just hit the streets today. The lead story of the "Restaurants" section (section 2, page 3) is a comprehensive discussion about Chicago food message boards.
The article features an interview with the moderators of LTHForum.com and a discussion of how the board was formed from dissatisfaction with the policies of the moderators at Chowhound.com.
Personally, I admire the creators of LTHForum. They were (justifiably) unhappy with the policies of Chowhound and, after complaining, were told to go build their own site. So they did. The result is a message board that truly fosters a community of like-minded individuals. The conversation is interesting, the people are engaging, and the information is top-notch.
If you're ever looking for a new place to eat, spend a little time lurking through the posts in the "Eating Out in Chicagoland" section on LTHForum. If you don't find a dozen places to try, you're just not hungry.