Jeff Eats Chicago

Great Sea Chinese Retaurant

2013-05-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

Location: 3254 W Lawrence
Cost: About $15 per person

Like many of my dine out driven friends, I've got a laundry list of places to hit up. When someone recommends that I check out their favorite spot, I jot it down on this list. In the rare case that I get to pick where we go to dinner I reference the list. There was this one spot that my buddy Alex told me about a week or two after I first started JEC. He told me this was his favorite place to get chicken wings and that the Chinese food wasn't bad either. When my parents wanted to meet somewhere north in the city to "split the distance" I told them to meet me at Great Sea.

Logistics
Great Sea is this dinky little spot on Lawrence in Albany Park. You'd easily miss it if you weren't looking. There's plenty of street parking, and driving is probably your best bet. I don't think they take reservations, and we got in at just the right time. There's not really a hostess. Rather, the owner hollers at you from a counter in the back of the restaurant to ask how many are in your party. It can be rather confusing, especially since so many people take out chicken wings from that back counter. The cost is what you'd expect with most entrees in the $12 range and a huge platter of wings at $16.

The Food
We got the ball rolling with a small order of the Egg Drop Soup. To be clear, the small bowl was way more than enough for the three of us. We also got the Spring Rolls and the Egg Rolls. The soup was rich and salty. The spring rolls were bland and dry so I would avoid them. The egg rolls were crispy, well stuffed, and flavorful.

The Egg Drop Soup

The Spring Rolls

The Egg Rolls

We split the Mongolian Beef, the Cashew Chicken, the Shrimp Fried Rice, and of course the Chicken Wings. The wings are the house specialty and if the rest of the meal had been garbage, it would still be worth going for the wings. They're lollipopped and dressed in a sweet and spicy sauce. Everything else was standard and possibly too oily. The cashew chicken was missing cashews, but we were so content with everything else we didn't bother sending it back.

The Shrimp Fried Rice

The Mongolian Beef

The Chicken Wings

The "Cashew" Chicken

Overall
Great Sea may just have some of the best wings in the city. The other food is solid too. The trek to Albany Park isn't convenient by any means, but I'll be making it again soon. I'm giving them 4 out of 5 Pearls.

Max's Deli

2013-05-15T14:59:00.000-05:00

Location: 191 Skokie Valley Road, Highland Park
Cost: About $18 per person

I played a lot of baseball growing up. I was a pitcher and third baseman for the most part because I had a strong arm. I would hit a lot of singles because I didn't have that powerful of a bat for home runs, and I was too slow to stretch anything into a double. Now I play 12 inch softball in the suburbs on the weekends and the tables have turned. Well, it's more like I have less back and knee problems than the majority of 40 year olds in the league. Either way, I play center field now and often throw out some over ambitious guy hobbling around third. Because half of our team lives or works in the suburbs, we play our games in Highland Park.

After a practice a few weekends back, Ian, Ryan, and I piled into the car to make the short trek back to the city. Ian suggested we grab some food first which is how we ended up at Max's Deli.

Logistics
Max's Deli is a rather large deli in the middle of this strip mall right off the highway. When you walk in, there's a deli counter and take out area to the left and a large dining room to the right. It looks just like Zweig's Deli used to look in Buffalo Grove. I don't think you can make a reservation, and with the exception of the morning weekend brunch rush, you're probably not in for a long wait. The cost is relatively cheap with half pound sandwiches just breaking $10

The Food
To nosh before our sandwiches got there, they gave us some complimentary dill pickles. They were round cut, large, and medium salty. I also ordered the Matzo Ball Soup to get started. The broth was simple and the ball was a little dense.

The Pickles

The Matzo Ball Soup

Ryan got the Corned Beef on Challah, Ian got the Lean Corned Beef on Rye, and I got the BBQ Brisket on Challah. Although this may be sacrilegious, I've come to realize that I'm just not that fond of corned beef. These guys loved their sandwiches, but I would suggest you go for the brisket. It was juicy and doused in entirely too much of a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. The toasted challah soaked it all up nicely. It also had this excellent texture where I didn't end up tugging at the meat at all.

The BBQ Brisket on Challah

The Corned Beef on Rye

The Corned Beef on Challah

Overall
Max's Deli has solid sandwiches at very reasonable prices. Amongst many other great north suburban delis, I think it holds its own nicely. If you live in the city, it's probably closer to go to Manny's which I would strongly suggest, but if you're in the area, Max's isn't bad either. I'm giving them 3.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Kings

2013-05-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Location: 5505 Park Pl, Rosemont
Cost: About $30 per person

My friends Amanda and Sal moved out to Arlington Heights together a few months back. Since many of their friends (myself included) live in the city, Amanda picked a restaurant in Rosemont to celebrate her birthday. She wasn't sure exactly where we should go, as long as it was in MB Financial Park. I got there a bit early and walked around to check the area out. I was nothing short of blown away. I'd never seen a group of restaurants pander to poor American taste before in my life. There was a corny themed Greek, Irish, American, BBQ, German, and Mexican restaurant. Like one article in the Tribune put it, its the "Epcot of Eats." Thankfully, instead of choosing My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, Amanda decided on Kings, the bowling alley / sports bar / 60's American soda shop themed spot.

Logistics
Like all of the neighboring restaurants, Kings is huge. We were situated in the bar area at a long table for our party of 12. We had a reservation which wasn't really necessary. If we'd gone bowling that might've been required. As far as parking goes, there's this one gigantic, confusing, communal garage where I got to relive that one Seinfeld episode.

The service was great. The beer list was one of those that looks like it's extensive but really just has a variety of InBev products. They do have frosted mugs though. The cost is reasonable with lots of burgers and sandwiches around $12. As expected, the portions are large and befitting of the setting.

The Food
To start we split a few of the Appetizer Samplers which had some spinach and artichoke dip, wings, buffalo chicken wontons, and cheeseburger spring rolls. The best item was the dip but there were only 4 crackers, making for somewhat of an issue. The other items mostly just made me feel bad about myself but tasted alright because they were properly fried.

The Appetizer Sampler

The entrees I got to try were the Loaded Potato Pizza, the Steakhouse Burger, and the Steak Tip Sandwich. Amanda liked her pizza, but I don't know if mashed potatoes on top of crust will ever taste good to me. It was dry and salty. The burger had mushrooms, onion strings, and a horseradish mayo. If it hadn't been cooked past my liking it would've been great. The steak tip sandwich had a sweet glaze with plenty of jack cheese and sauteed onions on a thick ciabatta bun. The bread was somewhat crunchy and the steak was hard to bite off cleanly making the sandwich a mess to eat. The taste, however, was spot on.

The Loaded Potato Pizza

The Steakhouse Burger

The Steak Tip Sandwich

Overall
You can tell from my intro that I was biased from the beginning of the meal. Each dish was solid except for one or two significant flaws. I'll go anywhere to celebrate a birthday with Amanda, but if you don't have to, I wouldn't haul out there for the food. I'm giving Kings 1.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Fat Rice

2013-05-08T09:26:00.001-05:00

Location: 2957 W Diversey
Cost: About $35 per person

My long time best friend, Josh, and his fiance, Lonnie, are two of the more frequently appearing people on JEC. They both don't like Mexican food, typically stay away from treif, and Lonnie admittedly is somewhat less adventurous. The other night she was busy with school, and Josh and I took the chance to hit up somewhere with some menu items that were a little out there. That's how we ended up at Fat Rice.

Logistics
Fat Rice is a small corner spot in Logan Square. They've got a bunch of bar seating and a few tables in the crowded L shaped dining room. We took the bar spots to avoid any wait. There was no problem parking on the street.

The bar tender took care of us nicely. The beer list wasn't all that extensive, but with Lion Stout I was good to go. Our food took a really long time, but we got the largest, most complex dish on the menu which made the whole thing very understandable. It will probably run you around $35 per person with lots of splitting to be done.

The Food
The menu is broken down by dish size. We started with some of the small, in house pickled dishes. The Sichuan Eggplant was our favorite, followed next by the thick slices of pickled Smoky Tofu and Mushrooms, and then the Sour Chili Cabbage.

The Sour Chili Cabbage

The Smoky Tofu and Mushrooms

The Sichuan Eggplant

A large dish is probably good for 2 people to split for the whole meal. We decided to go with the extra large item, The Fat Rice. This cast iron dish came packed with sausage, roasted pork, chicken, prawns, salted duck, littleneck clams, and a tea egg over a bed of sofrito rice. I thought it would be a mess, but there was plenty of each item and all of them were identifiable. The duck was moist with some crispy skin left on. The prawns were gigantic (heads on). The sausage had a kick and was probably my favorite item. All of the ingredients married well and left a base of rice soaked in pure deliciousness. Plus, when the cast iron crisped up the rice on the edges, it made me want to chip off any remaining scraps I could find.

The Fat Rice

Overall
The food at Fat Rice is great for sharing, and they've got some combinations that you might not try elsewhere. My only regret was that we didn't have more people to try the rest of the menu with. I guess that's what going back is for. I'm giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Top 10 Mexican Restaurants

2013-05-03T00:06:00.001-05:00

My original thought for a May themed post was to talk about outdoor dining options, but anyone in Chicago right now can see that that’s just ridiculous thinking. I think it snowed last week right after the 70 degree showing the day prior. It's been 80 the past two days, but we've got some days in the 50's in the forecast. That being said, Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and I’m going to give you my Top Ten Mexican Restaurants instead.

You can also check out this post on a new site I've been contributing to, Menuism.com.

10. Flo

They’ve got some of my favorite chilaquiles in the city without question. It’s not in the most popular part of the city, but the food will bring you over anyways. It’s a great option for Mexican brunch that doesn’t require you to wait too long or push over a pregnant woman while fighting for a table (not that I’d ever do that).

9. Nuevo Leon

Many of my friends call this their favorite spot. It’s probably the champion of tex-mex in Pilsen, one of the most heavily Mexican populated neighborhoods in town. There’s no flash or flare, just big plates of heavy flavors.

8. Antique Taco

An excellent place to get cheap tacos and drinks. If you want to stray from the tacos, I’d go with the duck enchiladas. Opening a taco joint in Wicker Park leaves one open to the criticism of “it’s not Big Star.” Well, I’d need to go a few more times before making that comparison, but my ranking speaks for itself. Still, it’s a great spot to kick back and unbutton your pants.

7. Wholly Frijoles

My only suburban stand out on the list. I think Chimichangas are my favorite Mexican dish, and although they call them Fried Burritos, they make em mean. You’re probably more apt to sit next to a family with crying children, but it’s worth the risk.

6. Frontera Grill

The only pricey option on this list, so don’t go expecting any tacos or burritos. You probably won’t be able to find the dishes on this menu elsewhere in the city. Rick Bayless makes his annual trip to Mexico to fill his saddle bag with ways to show off Chicago’s take on these classics. The only catch is the popularity makes it a real logistical nightmare to both get a reservation and to walk in.

5. El Barco Mariscos

This animated spot promises huge portions at minimal prices. I’d go with one of the whole fried red snappers or the skirt steak. Make a reservation, bring a huge group, and go crazy. The margaritas could use a bit more booze though, so make sure to be liberal when you order.

4. Big Star

Who doesn’t love enjoying their taco amongst a sea of hipsters in a converted gas station? If you’re in the drinking mood they always have a $3 whiskey shot, and Schlitz goes for $1. The chips, guac, and pickled onions make for a great snack if you’re not in the mood for a huge meal either.

3. Chilam Balam

This garden apartment turned insanely popular Mexican restaurant has some of the best seasonal small plates in Lakeview. Make sure to bring a bottle of tequila or wine to have them make margaritas or sangria for you. The menu is anything but traditional, but you’ll be happy with the twists.

2. XOCO

Brought to you by Chicago’s biggest name in the kitchen, Rick Bayless, this little sandwich shop brings creative flavors that hit home every time. The menu changes seasonally and has some killer sopas on it too in case you don’t want a sandwich. The churros, soft serve, and hot chocolate make for some of the better Mexican dessert around too. I’d suggest getting there early because the lines get loooooong.

1. Cemitas Pueblas

These spicy sandwiches have kept me braving the drive west for some time now. With a toasted bun Chihuahua Cheese, and your choice of meat (I’d go with the Atomica or Al Pastor) you really can’t go wrong. Be forewarned that your clothes will stink like delicious Mexican food, so leave your jacket in the car. You can probably leave your wallet there too since it’s so darn cheap.

A Tavola

2013-04-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

Location: 2148 W Chicago Avenue
Cost: Around $50 per person

Back in March, Lisa and Noam came to Chicago to celebrate Lisa's birthday. Although it was a few weeks early, timing was tough to fit in a celebration around her busy residency schedule and passover. I used to think that I got shorted by having a summer birthday when kids missed my parties because they were away at summer camp. I realize though that there's not much worse than having to eat matzah based birthday cake or have people buy you potato vodka shots. Ricky has the same issue, but anything to help cut down on the drinks am I right? Anyways, Lisa chose to have the family go out to dinner at one of her favorite Italian restaurants, A Tavola.

Logistics
A Tavola is a converted house on Chicago Avenue. If you're not looking for it, you'll drive right past since there's no major street sign. There's plenty of parking nearby. There are two dining areas, a small gathering of tables on the first floor and a party room of sorts upstairs. We had this cozy table perfectly off to the side but within shouting distance of the bar.

Our waiter treated us like we were eating in his living room (which we practically were). The drinks were strong, the food came out quickly, and he played well to the intimate setting of the restaurant by letting us take our time and relax. The cost is a what you'd expect of a fine Italian restaurant with starters in the $12 range and entrees around $25. The portions were plenty.

The Food
We got things started with we got a plate of Italian Cured Meats, the special salad with mixed greens, apples, and parmesan, and the homemade pasta appetizer. The pasta was extremely thin and delicate. The sauce was peppery and balanced the richness of the egg yolk pasta nicely.

The Italian Cured Meats

The Salad

The Homemade Pasta

We ran the table for the main courses although the selections are somewhat limited. The short rib was tender and juicy, served over a bed of risotto with just the right texture. The gnocchi (the most popular dish) was light with a decent chewiness and a brown butter and sage sauce. The beef tenderloin was cooked properly to order with basic flavors and a nice sear. The whitefish was flaky, buttery, and simple.

The Gnocchi

The Short Rib

The Whitefish

The Beef Tenderloin

For dessert we had the chocolate cake and the lemon tart. They were both heavy hitters on the back end of the meal. My family has never objected to an all chocolate dessert, and the tart had a sweet crust to balance out the tangy lemon filling.

The Chocolate Cake

The Lemon Tart

Overall
The takeaway at A Tavola is simplicity and intimacy. The setting is great for a date or quiet get together. The food is straight forward and flavorful. I'm giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Top 10 Hot Dogs in Chicago

2013-04-26T10:26:00.000-05:00

So I've started posting for this website called Menuism. It's going to be a way for me to get the word out on some of my favorite places. Check out the post I did this month. Below is a somewhat more JEC version for those native Chicagoans out there. Hope you like it.

I had some trouble with the inspiration for this months Top 10 list. In all fairness, I haven't eaten out in like 2 weeks between passover and a busy surgical rotation. Then, when I came home to see the Cubs take care of business in their first game of the season, I thought it would good timing to go over my favorite hot dogs. I would like to preface this post by saying that I haven't written about everywhere on this list. I've been eating hot dogs for as long as my dad could sneak me food behind my mom's back, and I can remember which of these are my favorites. It's also worthwhile to mention that there are a ton of hot dogs in this city and only so many arteries to go around. Finally, Ron, before you voice your inevitable disagreement with this list, please take a deep breath.

10. Wiener Take All
- You might have your favorite neighborhood spot growing up, and this one is mine. Ask for Drew and you'll get the V.I.P. treatment (that everyone else in Buffalo Grove gets for knowing Drew). Bring your little league jersey and try to score some free stuff.

9. Mustard's Last Stand
- Before watching a college football team in a high school stadium, gorge yourself on one of these bad boys (but only if you don't want Buff Joe's).

8. Jim's Original
- Stronger with the Polish than the dog, but I'm going to count all encased meats with this list.

7. Portillos

6. The Wieners Circle

5. Chicago's Dog House

4. Franks N' Dawgs

The Brunch Dog

3. Phil's Last Stand
- Just try and get Phil to stand up!

2. Hot Doug's

The Boar Sausage

1. Superdawg

Least Favorite (just to rub some salt in the wound): Odges

The Grid

2013-04-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

Location: 351 W Hubbard
Cost: Probably around $25 per person

Noam's still in town for business, and he's really had the opportunity to rake in some free food with me. This time we were invited to check out the menu at The Grid. So, last Friday night we braved the sleet and the cold to the border of River North to give this new spot a try.

Logistics
The Grid is in the basement of its sister restaurant Baume and Brix. It's got a dark, trendy feel with a collection of gorgeous waitresses. When I told my buddy Marc we'd gone there, his response was, "The place with the fire pits?" What he meant was that one side of the bar was setup as couches surrounding these little indoor chimneys while the other half was filled with raised communal tables. We could've gotten away without a reservation, but if we'd gone any later that might have been different. The cost is very reasonable with the priciest entree on the menu coming in at $18 and the majority closer to $12.

The Food
Our first bites included the Tuna Poke Jar, the Warm Crab Jar, and the Arancini. The jars are actually these miniature mason jars filled with a spread and a bunch of crackers of sort on the side. The tuna poke was fresh and heavy on the ginger, the way I like it. The crab was in the creamy dip ballpark. The Arancini were these little deep fried, cheesy risotto balls on top of an eggplant marinara. This was my favorite appetizer.

The Tuna Poke Jar

The Arancini

The Warm Crab Jar

From there we split the Foie Dog and the Big Kahuna Burger. The dog came on a french bun of sorts with creamy goat cheese, truffle mayo, caramelized onions, and candied apricots. The burger was actually a combo pork and bacon patty that came on a really soft bun and was topped with some pineapple-jalapeno chutney.

The Big Kahuna Burger

The Foie Dog

For dessert they brought out a plate of their Milk and Cookies. Not like we could do any damage to the 6 jumbo cookies they'd brought out after all of the food we'd had, but they were sugary, chocolatey, and warm with a gooey center.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies

Overall
The menu at The Grid was creative, fun, and inexpensive. They've got a good cocktail selection to go along with the food too. For Noam and I, it was the perfect spot before a night out in River North. I suggest you give it a go yourself.

Ay Ay Picante

2013-04-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

Location: 4569 N Elston
Cost: About $25 per person

It was a Sunday night and another edition of Pearl Family Dinner at 5PM was about to take place. As usual, my dad was trying to use some of his many Lettuce Entertain You gift cards but was also willing to go anywhere that meant a more convenient drive than going all the way east to Mon Ami Gabi. I mentioned this Peruvian place not too far off the highway. There was some hemming and hawing, but when I pointed out it was BYOB that tilted the scales. That's how we ended up at Ay Ay Picante.

Logistics
Ay Ay Picante is this little neighborhood place with a very homey vibe. The seating is limited to a few large tables, but there was enough room to pack in an eclectic mix of local families, young couples, and a few buddies out for dinner. You can make reservations, but I think you'll get away without one most of the time. There's plenty of street parking nearby too.

The service was perfect. By that I mean that they were quick and spoke just too little English to laugh at my dad's corny jokes. Like I mentioned before, it's BYOB. The cost of the food is low and the portions are huge. This is the place where you can get a large steak for $20 or a whole fish for $15.

The Food
We got the ball rolling with some Empanadas and some Shrimp Stuffed Avocados. The empanada was crispy, not too heavy, and filled with piping hot and spicy pulled meat. The avocado dish was on the blander side but came with plenty of large, garlic heavy shrimp on the side to make up for it.

The Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

The Empanadas

For our entrees we got the Shrimp Fried Rice, the Salmon Special, and the Steak Special. The fried rice was excellent with tons of shrimp and a tangy spice mix. The salmon was coated in this thick brown sauce that overshadowed the fish a bit too much, but otherwise the dish was spot on. The steak was gigantic, cooked the appropriate medium rare, and dressed with just a little salt and pepper. It wasn't too fatty either.

The Salmon Special

The Steak Special

The Shrimp Fried Rice

The waiter was rather insistent that we try the Flan and one of the Alfajor (peruvian cookie). The flan had enough chocolate to make anyone in my family happy. The Alfajor had an interesting, somewhat sticky texture with plenty of sweetness.

The Flan

The Alfajor

Overall
Ay Ay Picante gets my nod over The Taste Peru, which I was also a big fan of. It has this great neighborhood feel, huge portions, cheap prices, and strong ethnic flavors. It's exactly what I hoped it would be. There were small flaws in a few dishes, but otherwise I waddled out of there a happy man. I'm giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Devon Seafood

2013-04-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

Location: 39 E Chicago
Cost: About $40 per person

For those of you keeping track of Jeff Eats Chicago time, we're now entering the middle of March. The posting every 3 days gets backed up sometimes with weekends where I go a little crazy and then some promotional posts, but we're back on track. I already told you about my Bub City outing on match day, but one meal wasn't going to do the trick. By late evening, a lull in the partying had been reached and stomachs were growling. KVG, Arif, Anthony, and Shanika wanted to get a bite before making a push for our night out. Someone tossed out the idea of seafood and we ended up at Devon.

Logistics
This was actually my second time at Devon. I went once with Carrie a few years back and oddly enough we got the same table. They've got this funky setup with a bar on the top floor and a basement with a more private / romantic feel. If that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest making a reservation. Little did they know that 5 rowdy medical students would get put right in the middle of their quiet dining room.

The service is what you'd expect from a nice steak or seafood restaurant. There are a few unnecessary pass offs between an upstairs an downstairs hostess, but no biggie. The cost is very reasonable for seafood. Most entrees run in the low $20 range while there are plenty of bigger appetizers and salads that you can get in the $15 area if you're not as hungry. The portions are plenty, and besides me, I don't know if anyone finished their whole plate (because of size not taste [and this is the norm as I'm a card carrying member of the clean plate club]).

The Food
The first mention needs to go to the dinner rolls. They're no Bob Chinn's garlic rolls or anything, but these biscuits have a subtle buttery honey goodness that makes them some of the best around. From there we had a rather diverse order. Arif got the Salmon, KVG got the Shrimp Enchiladas, Anthony got the Lobster Cobb Salad, and I got the Lobster Roll. The salmon was nicely prepared with a sweet glaze and mango salad. The enchiladas were definitely on the heavier side but had some huge shrimp that you could pick out when you start to get too full. The salad was a bit heavily dressed for my taste, but the large, cold chunks of lobster were great. My roll was served with an appropriate amount of mayo and butter. The bun was also very buttery and soft. The fries were too mealy though.

The Dinner Biscuit

The Salmon

The Shrimp Enchilada

The Lobster Cobb Salad

The Mini Lobster Rolls

Overall
I've had a surprising amount of people ask me for seafood recommendations in River North lately. I usually point them toward GT Fish and Oyster, but if they've already been there I'm not slow to recommend Devon next. It's no Glenn's Diner, but I'll give them 3.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Graham Elliot Bistro and Apothic Wines

2013-04-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Location: 841 W Randolph
Cost: Complimentary meal, probably about $60 per person

Apothic Wines was hosting a promotional dinner at Graham Elliot Bistro (G.E.B) the other night to help get the word out about their new Rose wine. Their head wine maker, Boyd Morrison, came out into Chicago's miserable spring weather to join in too. They were generous enough to give me a plus one and Noam just so happened to be in town on business.

Logistics
G.E.B is on Randolph amongst many of Chicago's trendier spots. The vibe fits right in. There are a few bar seats near the front door. The whole restaurant takes on this dark, private feel as you go further back into the dining room. Also, no matter where you sit, you get a decent look into the kitchen, providing some life to the room. Our service was excellent although it's hard to judge when you're with a special party. The courses were well spaced, and everyone's wine glasses were kept full.

The Food and Wine
Our first wine was the Rose. It was a semi-sweet blend that had strong fruity flavors, the most predominant of which was watermelon. I kept thinking how much my mom would love it, and fortunately, they sent me home with a bottle for her. It went great with the appetizer and fish course.

The Apothic Rose

To that point, the first dish was an Onion Bisque. It was very creamy and had almost a cream of broccoli feel. The croutons maintained some crunch despite soaking in the soup for a little while. The dish was rich, but I've never had an issue with that.

The Onion Bisque

My next course was the Whitefish. It went well with both the Rose and the White which was also moderately sweet with strong fruity notes. The fish was bread crusted and served over some potatoes and leeks. The crust provided nice contrast to the flaky fish.

The Whitefish

I chose the Veal for my main course. It came with some crunchy pancetta over the top. The tender and fatty cut went nicely with the much bolder Red blend.

The Veal

For dessert they served Stuffed Beignets and Banana Splits. The beignets were light and stuffed with a nutella like chocolate sauce. The banana split came in a mason jar of sorts with some candied nuts on the bottom and plenty of fudge.

The Banana Split

The Beignets

Overall
G.E.B. has a befitting seasonal menu with some surprises hiding behind what appear to be rather classic dishes. It was great to be the guest of Apothic Wines. Their three options paired nicely with the whole meal. As the meal was complimentary, there will be no Pearl rating, but it was quite enjoyable.

Bub City

2013-04-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Location: 435 N Clark
Cost: About $25 per person

For match day Northwestern threw us this big party at the Gino's East on campus. Despite the excess of pizza available to us, many of my friends were too busy celebrating to eat. We continued on from the Gino's party to our friend Mark's apartment before people started to get cranky about their hunger. So Mark, Ryan, Dave, Mike, Kacey Rachel, Stephanie, Leslie, and I trekked a few blocks West to find somewhere to eat. Mark, being from Peoria and all, has one of those southern but not from the south attitudes. I mentioned my general tolerance of country music earlier in the day, and he ran with it. Before I knew it, we were walking into Bub City for some mid day BBQ.

Logistics
We went on a Friday for lunch which was no logistic issue, but I think it requires a little planning to go on most reasonably busy nights. You can make a reservation, and I strongly suggest it. It's a pretty cool setup with live music on multiple nights of the week. The bar vibe is strong with a sweet beer can American flag on the wall. If you don't like country music, this isn't your place.

Our waiter was very tolerant of our unbearably indecisive group. The food took a while to come out, but the whiskey flights kept us plenty busy. The cost is a little more than it should be for BBQ but becomes more reasonable when you consider that it's in River North. The sandwiches are around $12, and a full slab of ribs is $23. The main BBQ items are a la carte though, meaning you'll have to spend another $3-5 on sides.

The Food
We started off with some Fried Pickles and Chicken Wings. The pickles were smaller and very crispy. They were almost turned into chips with their consistency which I wasn't so fond of. The wings were dry but packed some smoke.

The Fried Pickles

The Smoked Chicken Wings

For entrees we had the Pulled Pork Sandwich, Pulled Chicken Sandwich, the Grilled Cheese, the Brisket Sandwich, the Hickory Smoked Turkey, and the BBQ chicken. The smoked turkey was one of my favorites. It was moist despite being a wide slice of breast. The pulled pork was mushy and the sauce was too sweet for my liking. I'd make a crack at the stale grilled cheese, but I don't think they should be judged to thoroughly on that. The chicken was great though. I really want to go back and try the friend chicken. It was quite the redemption from the smoked wings.

The Grilled Cheese

The Pulled Pork Sandwich

Some sides that stood out were the Buffalo Blue Cheese Tater Tots and the Corn off the Cob. The tots were crispy with an unhealthy helping of cheese and sauce. The corn was like an elote with cilantro, lime, and mayo. This is the side I'd go with again.

The Corn off the Cob

The Blue Cheese and Buffalo Tater Tots

Overall
I didn't get the ribs but still feel like I had enough items to pass some judgement. Some of the dishes like the chicken and the turkey were impressive while the pork and brisket let me down. It used to be that Chicago was missing any BBQ semblance, but with a group of heavy hitting restaurants now available, I'm not sure that Bub City holds its own. I'm giving them 2.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Hema's Kitchen

2013-04-06T20:01:00.003-05:00

Location: 2439 W Devon Avenue
Cost: About $20 per person

This post is on Hema's Kitchen on Devon Avenue. Way back in the early days of JEC, I wrote about the location in Lincoln Park. You can refer to that post for more detail. This time though, I was joined by my good friends Anthony, KVG, and Arif. In general, the differences between the two restaurants are the differences between any restaurant on Devon and in Lincoln Park. On Devon it was less crowded, more authentic, and more confusing (the waiter's English and general demeanor were much worse).

The Food
To start we got Beef and Veggie Samosas and a Raita. The samosas had a great crisp with a burning hot and spicy filling (sorry for the blurry picture).

The Raita

The Veggie Samosa

For our meal we split the Saag Paneer, the Shrimp Biryani, the Tandoori Chicken, the Dum Ki Gobi Matar, and some naan / garlic naan. The paneer was in moderate quantity while the spinach was slightly too oily for my taste. The Biryani had plenty of shrimp and was surprisingly the spiciest thing on the menu. The tandoori chicken stayed nice and moist which is often a problem. The spice rub was dry and strong, doing a nice job of clearing any sinus issues remaining from the long winter. The Dum Ki Gobi Matar was basically a mix of cauliflower, potato, and peas in a spice mix. It was a wonderful option, especially since Anthony needed to keep vegetarian (this was on a Friday during Lent). Also, I'd vote for the Garlic Naan over the regular which was moderately dried out.

The Tandoori Chicken

The Dum Ki Gobi Matar

The Saag Paneer

The Garlic Naan

The Shrimp Biryani

For dessert we ordered the Kheer and the Gajar Halva. Neither was all that special. The kheer was too runny for my taste and Arif is to blame for the Halva. I mean, who really likes a dessert based on shredded carrots?

The Kheer

The Gajar Halva

Overall
When comparing the two locations, Hema's on Devon gets the clear edge. The general feel and the liberty with the spice profile are a significant improvement over the Lincoln Park spot. Besides some tude from our waiter, I thought the experience was spot on. I'm giving it 4 out of 5 Pearls.

Tempo

2013-04-03T06:45:00.000-05:00

Location: 6 E Chestnut
Cost: About $15 per person

I just finished up this rotation in the ER at Northwestern. In the middle of that month I had a bunch of overnight shifts and accordingly was trying to switch around my sleep schedule. After a long night of celebrating Jitty's birthday at Bub City, Scottie, Jeremy, and I made a short trek up to Tempo. We figured if the goal was to stay up as late as possible, a long, greasy meal while observing some of the funnier remnants of Chicago's late night party scene was just what the doctor ordered.

Logistics
We rolled in at around 3AM and still had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The restaurant was basically a recreated club scene, only sadder, hilarious, and with fried food. There was no shortage of crying women or men in sport coats with too much cologne. I'm pretty sure it's open 24 hours.

Our waitress was really friendly, and I felt bad since this group of gorillas one table over wasn't treating her so well. The food took much longer than expected, but it wasn't like we were in a hurry. The cost is reasonable for diner food and brunch with most main dishes running somewhere around $10. The portions are huge, and despite the alcohol fueled crowd, each table seemingly had a graveyard of leftovers.

The Food
Although the platters of steak fries and burgers looked appetizing, we all went for the breakfast route. J.R. got the Spinach, Feta, and Mushroom Omelet, Scottie got the Bacon and Egg Sandwich, and I went with the Continental Breakfast. Jeremy thought his omelet was "decent." The eggs were light but it was somewhat greasy. The potatoes were "hidden" underneath the omelet which threw him for a curve ball. Scottie was livid about his sandwich. The bacon was dry, the bread was stale, and the egg was overcooked. Supposedly there was some confusion over whether or not there was supposed to be cheese too. My dish, the Continental, was a platter of chicken livers, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onions, and peppers. The livers were tasty, but a bit much. If you don't love chicken liver you should stay far away. I was impressed with how well prepared the eggs and veggies were too.

The Egg and Bacon Sandwich

The Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Omelet

Overall
Tempo is a great place to go for late night food and a show. I thought they performed well on the egg dishes, but my expectations were set pretty low to begin with. Ricky wanted me to mention that he loves their grilled cheese sandwich. Scottie still talks about this being the worst meal he's had in a really long time. Despite all of that, I'm giving Tempo 3 out of 5 Pearls.

Carriage House

2013-03-31T11:54:00.000-05:00

Location: 1700 W Division
Cost: About $40 per person

My friend Sophia wanted to get together for another one of our Tuesday night dinners. The reason we go out on Tuesday nights is because she works pretty much every other night of the week. Given that her schedule seems worse than mine, I usually let her guide where we go. She decided on Carriage House. The concept of small plate southern food seemed somewhat wrong to me, but I'll go pretty much anywhere with fried chicken on the menu. Marissa tagged along for good measure too.

Logistics
Carriage House is right on the corner of Division and Paulina (right between my sister's old apartment and my yarn store). The interior has a cool look with many little tables and counters throughout, not to mention some of Stu Pearl's favorite communal tables. The kitchen is relatively exposed too which feeds the vibrant feel. I'd heard the wait can build up, but on a Tuesday night we didn't have any issues. I would avoid driving over there too because parking is a real pain.

Our waiter helped decipher the small plate menu well. The big issue was that all of our small plate items showed up at the same time. It made for some cold eating and an appetizer and entree course that melded together. I thought it was too pricey too. Most small plates were in the low teens. That's a reasonable amount for small plate restaurants, but when I get southern food, my expectations are usually set on lower prices and hefty portions.

The Food
We got started with the Skillet Cornbread, the Mushroom Truffle and Eggs, the Fried Chicken Thigh, and the Carolina Gold Rice Balls (which, like I was saying, all came out together). The cornbread had a sweetness and uniform texture. The whipped butter and jam on top smoothed things over real nicely too. The mushroom, truffle, and egg dish was my favorite of the meal. The baked grits and oyster shrooms made for a killer combo. The fried chicken thigh was disappointing. The skin wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped, and the acidity from the pickle topping just didn't pair well. They had a few homemade hot sauces that none of us could get on board with. The rice balls didn't win anyone over either. The pimento cheese rang through but the texture of the fried rice ball was off putting.

The Mushroom Truffle and Egg

The Skillet Cornbread

The Fried Chicken Thigh

The Carolina Gold Rice Balls

Our second course, dessert, included the Beignets and the Pistachio Sundae. The beignets were a little dense but soaked up the chocolate sauce on the side well. The sundae had plenty of nuts and caramel sauce.

The Sundae

The Beignets

Overall
I don't think I was able to overcome my issues with having small plate southern food. I was hoping for bigger portions and stronger flavors. Given that it was small plate anyways, I was hoping for reasonable coursing. Still, the cornbread and mushroom, truffle, and egg dish were really something. I might be on an island with this opinion, but the fried chicken wasn't anything special. I'm giving them 2.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Wildberry Cafe

2013-03-28T08:55:00.001-05:00

Location: 1783 N Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville
Cost: About $12 per person

As many of you know, I've logged plenty of time as a suburban breakfast waiter. It wasn't that long ago that I donned the polo and apron of Egg Harbor. Accordingly, I don't love going back and getting my cheeks pinched by the slightly older waitresses that still view me as this little high school kid. My parents wanted to grab a bite with my cousin Natalie the other weekend for a bit of a birthday celebration / brunch. Given the aforementioned restrictions and that we had recently gone to Walker Brothers, Wildberry Cafe seemed like a logical choice.

Note: They have a location on Randolph in the Loop, but this post really only speaks to the one in Libertyville.

Logistics
In standard fashion, Wildberry Cafe has a large seating area that is constantly full on the weekends. The waiting area is packed full of families with crying babies, but at least they have free coffee. It was freezing cold out, and the crowd was so large we almost had to wait outside (which would've been just awful). That being said, the turnaround is relatively quick, and even with the crowd, we were sat within a half hour.

Our waiter put up with my dad's corny jokes and they bevy of substitutions that came with our order (I felt his pain). The food came out really quickly (hence the fast turnaround on tables). The cost is what you'd expect with most main dishes just under $10.

The Food
Our order was very standard. My cousin went for a Lox Omelet of sorts, my mom got the Eggs Florentine, my dad got the French Toast with a side of Bacon, and I got the Southern Chicken Salad. The eggs are touted to be farm fresh and all, but I can seldom tell the difference. I did notice the broken hollandaise sauce though. The omelet was light and fluffy, and they didn't let the lox get all dried out. The french toast was soft with plenty of cinnamon, but I thought the bacon was overcooked. My chicken salad was a bust. The fried chicken had a coating that separated from the meat too easily. The pecans were a nice sweet touch, but otherwise all it did was make me miss the fried chicken salad that they used to have at the Buffalo Grove Village Tavern. They did do a nice job with the crispy, grated hash browns though.

The Side of Bacon

The Eggs Florentine

The Lox Omelet

The French Toast

The Southern Chicken Salad

Overall
There's no question that it's not worth the trek from downtown to go eat at Wildberry Cafe (but then again, they have a spot on Randolph). The whole meal felt very average besides my salad that I was disappointed with. I'm giving them 2 out of 5 Pearls.

Balena

2013-03-25T08:17:00.004-05:00

Location: 1633 N Halsted
Cost: About $50 per person

It's funny to think back to when small plates were a rare thing to come by. You used to pick up this diverse looking menu of interesting dishes at low prices and think, let's get a bunch of everything. Now you can hardly go somewhere without the waiter asking you if you need an explanation on how to order. I remember thinking that Quartino was this wildly inventive place for serving little bits of risotto at a time, but now the thrill is gone. Diatribe aside, I had some more small plate Italian food with my parents the other night at Balena.

Logistics
Balena moved in where Landmark used to be on Halsted across from the Steppenwolf Theater. So it's basically right around the corner from my apartment. The restaurant itself is huge, but you'll still need a reservation most nights. The place is bustling, but we got this rather quiet table in the back. If you need to drive, parking isn't that tough, but the red line and plenty of buses go right by there.

Our waiter was helpful with the menu, but we had to ask for things like water refills and clean silverware on multiple occasions. The bus boys were impressive though, stacking up more plates at a time than the guy at El Toro. Cost wise, it's what you'd expect. Most small plates of pasta and 12'' pizzas run around $16 while the protein based dishes are in the low 20's.

The Food
Our first course included the Kale Caesar Salad, the Focaccia Bread, and the Cheese Platter. The caesar had the rough texture of kale with a heavy load of sardines (big points with the Pearl family). It was lightly dressed and well put together. The focaccia bread was mostly an extra surface for the cheese platter, but on it's own it was crusty with a soft center and heavy on the herbs. The cheese platter was a cheese platter. I'm never sure how much credit to give a place for arranging cheese.

The Assorted Cheeses

The Kale Caesar Salad

The Herb Focaccia Bread

After that, we got the Hen Egg Tajarin with Sage and Brown Butter and the Spicy Sausage Pizza. The pasta was very "yolky" and rich despite the buttery sauce. It was light and had an intriguingly chewy texture. The pizza had a snap to the crust and a decent burn. The sausage packed some heat too. The sauce had a mild sweetness that brought everything together nicely.

The Hen Egg Tajarin

The Sausage and Red Onion Pizza

For dessert we went with the Affogato and the Pistachio Gelati. The affogato was a plate of chocolate espresso and donuts. The donuts were piping hot, soft as could be, and doused in sugar. When we dipped it in the chocolate espresso mixture they soaked up every last drop. The gelati had a pleasant orange syrup and marshmallows stuffed with pistachios. As most desserts go with my family, we weren't hungry when they got there, but they didn't last for more than five minutes.

The Affogato

The Pistachio Gelati

Overall
Don't take my disenfranchisement with small plate food as a slight to Balena. Each plate was interesting and well executed. With the pizza, pasta, and dessert options, I don't think you can go wrong. I'm giving them 4.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Fleming's

2013-03-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

Location: 25 E Ohio
Deal: $37.95 for Lobster Tail, 6oz Filet, Side, and Starter from now through April 7th

Fleming's is probably well known to many of you. They've got many locations including one right in the middle of River North. I was lucky enough to be asked to try out a special they're currently running on their Filet and Lobster Tail. The gist of the deal is that you get a 6oz filet, a lobster tail, soup/salad, and a side for $38. The special is off menu, and you'll need to ask for it specificaly. Without surprise, the service was spot on and the food was delicious. My steak was a perfectly prepared medium rare with a peppery coating. I went with the wedge salad to start which was hefty on the blue cheese, gorgonzola, and bacon. Jeremy went for the french onion soup which a normal adult male would be able to eat, but he got all tied up in how stringy the cheese was. The meal was plenty as it stood, but they wanted to roll us out and brought out a side of the lobster mac n' cheese. It was heavy on the lobster and very creamy.

The Filet and Lobster Tail

The Wedge Salad

The Lobster Mac N' Cheese

It's hard to imagine going to a place like Fleming's and coming away at less than $40 per person. If you think about what a typical restaurant week deal offers you, you could argue this is even better than that. Considering you get all this food it seems like a great chance to check it out. Enjoy.

Floriole

2013-03-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

Location: 1220 W Webster
Cost: About $10 per person

My good friends Josh and Lonnie got engaged a few weeks ago, and it seemed impossible to get some time in with them. I felt like there was this critical window in which I needed to look at the ring, tell Lonnie congrats, and give Josh a pat on the back or I would suddenly disappear from the sphere of acceptable friendship. The problem was that they were booked with plans. I was able to get them to join me for brunch before heading back to the suburbs to celebrate with their families .Since I'm on their way and all, we hit up a spot in Lincoln Park. I'm often drawn into places by the smell they emit, and accordingly we decided to check out Floriole.

Logistics
Unlike many bakeries with their small seating area and display case of goodies, Floriole is relatively huge. They've got two floors of seating and a beautiful woody interior. They've still got the display case with plenty of daily product. We went at midday on Saturday without having to elbow our way for a croissant and a table.

Even with the counter, you can mostly place your order, take a number, and get your food brought out. It took kind of a long time for our sandwiches, but we bought a croissant to tide us over. The cost is totally reasonable with pastries around $4 and sandwiches around $10.

The Food
So we split this croissant that was delicious and embarrassing By that, I mean that it was so flaky that it ended up all over me.

The Chocolate Croissant

From there, Josh got the B.A.D (bacon, arugula, and dates), Lonnie ordered the Grilled Cheese, and I got the Ham and Cheese Quiche. Across the board the bread products were impressive. The B.A.D. had a little bit of everything with the sweet dates, savory bacon, and peppery arugula. The grilled cheese had just the right ooziness. The quiche held together nicely (not like the one at Local Root). It was just the right balance of eggs and cheese.

The B.A.D.

The Grilled Cheese with Arugula

The Ham and Cheese Quiche

Overall
You don't always have to make some huge production out of brunch, and Floriole is the perfect example of that. Go for a quick sandwich, quiche, or coffee and a pastry. If it's a carb then you just can't go wrong there. I'm giving them 4 out of 5 Pearls.

Uncommon Ground

2013-03-13T10:37:00.000-05:00

Location: 3800 N Clark
Cost: About $25 per person

This post is Part 2/2 of my Lakeview night out with Dr. and Mrs. Dave Jahangir and my friend Renee. After splitting a bunch of beers, chips, fries, a burger, and a gyro at Indie Burger, we took a medium length trek up the road. Now it might be hard to believe, but I'm on a huge delay with these posts. This meal took place in late January, but because I like to space out my posts over three days, this is just how it worked out. It might be in the 40's right now, but it was freezing cold that night. Nonetheless, we walked, and when we finally made it to Uncommon Ground, we'd re-worked up an appetite.

Logistics
Uncommon Ground is a pretty big space on Clark with a whole variety of seating options. You can pull up to the bar or right by the fireplace, but the table they'd reserved for us was against the windows (which could've been better insulated). Dave and I did the right thing and sat in the cooler seats. The reservation came in very handy by the way, and I suggest you make one. In somewhat reverse fashion, we ordered a bunch of appetizers and smaller entrees for our meal which all ran around $10-$15.

The Food
We started with the Fried Avocado Taco, the Pumpkin Ravioli, and the Seasonal Pizza. The fried avocado in the taco was interesting, but I was hoping for more of a crunch. I was worried since avocados can be plenty bland, but the spicy chipotle aioli took care of that. The tortilla was really dry though. The ravioli was sweet had some hazelnuts for textural variability. The sage butter cream sauce was a bit excessive, bordering on soup vs. sauce. The seasonal pizza had chicken sausage, red peppers, spinach, and cheddar. The crust was very soggy under the weight of the ingredients, but the cheese had this pungent unctuous flavor.

The Pumpkin Ravioli

The Seasonal Pizza

The Fried Avocado Taco

For dessert we had the Bread Pudding. It had blueberries and a goat cheese gelato. The flavors were new and different for me, but the body of the bread pudding was a little tough. Still, we wolfed it down and practically licked the plate.

The Bread Pudding

Overall
Uncommon Ground has the fresh, local vibe going for it, and it's definitely vegetarian friendly (great for Renee). I liked but wasn't in like with all of my dishes. I'd go back to try more meaty options. For now, I"m giving them 3 out of 5 Pearls.

Indie Burger

2013-03-09T11:41:00.001-06:00

Location: 1034 W Belmont
Cost: About $10 per person

When I wrote about Bar Pastoral, my good friend Renee pointed out that I was basically eating in her backyard without letting her know. I couldn't tell if she was unhappy or just trying to lay some guilt on me (by the way, if she knew the kind of guilt I get from my mom on a regular basis, she wouldn't even try). Serendipitously, another Lakeview resident / friend, Dr. Dave suggested that I come get a bite with him and Kayleen at one of his new favorite places, Indie Burger. Between Indie Burger's vegetarian options, Renee's fondness for Kayleen, and my general distaste for being the lone third wheel, this was the perfect meal for the four of us.

Logistics
Indie Burger is a simple setup off Belmont, just west of the red line. They've got the whole order at the counter and put your number at your table thing going on. We rolled in on a Friday night at 7 and had no trouble getting four seats. I wouldn't try and drive to those parts, but you can probably track down a street spot if you need to. The room is decked out in recycled wood, which feeds into the local theme.

The service isn't really a factor since all they do is bring you your food. It took a while to get the food though. I know this because I was able to make my way through plenty of a beer before getting my meal. Oh, it's BYOB too. Dave brought a variety pack with plenty of solid choices. The cost is reasonable with burgers running around $7 and fries at $3. I've always disliked ordering fries separately from my burger, but $10 for the two doesn't seem too bad.

The Food
This meal was actually part one of two. We went to Indie Burger with the intention of getting food at Uncommon Ground afterward (because we couldn't decide on one place [this will be the next post]). Thus, our order was somewhat light. We split the Indie Burger and the Vegan Gyro. The burger was griddled with a delicate crisp. The bun was flaky but not substantial enough. The cheese was melted but not oily. The onions were nice and soggy, and who doesn't like some mysterious secret sauce? The gyro was made out of seitan and the tzatziki was good and creamy. I'm not the biggest seitan guy, but the vegetarian in the crew was a fan. Our sides were the sweet potato chips and the regular french fries. Both were crispy but not at a loss for flavor secondary to the deep frying process.

The Burger and Beers

The Indie Burger Close Up

The Vegan Gyro

Overall
Indie Burger is one of many new places popping up with griddle burgers. I dig the BYOB option and the locally sourced ingredients which gives a slight edge over a few other similar places. The burger fell apart on me a little bit, but the fries were spot on. I'm giving them 3.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Local Root Cafe

2013-03-06T08:36:00.000-06:00

Location: 601 N McClurg Ct.
Cost: About $15 per person

KVG and I had a final exam for our rotation in the intensive care unit (ICU). There was a multiple choice test at 7AM followed by individual skills exams throughout the day. We happened to draw the shortest of many straws, making us wait until the 3:30 and 4PM time slots. It was freezing cold out that day, and I wasn't about to trek back to Lincoln Park between tests. We both headed to Arif's place to warm up, make him get out of bed, and go to brunch with us. Despite our enthusiasm, we could only muster up enough strength to brave the five degree weather around the corner. That's how we ended up at The Local Root Cafe.

Logistics
Local Root filled in for the empty spot left by what was Tutto Pronto next to that BYOB mani/pedi place and the Starbucks. The space is open and welcoming with a ton of space for a decent weekend brunch crowd, but given that we were there on a Friday morning all we had to compete with were the cafe bums nursing a big coffee mugs in the corner.

It's easy to provide quick service when no one else is eating in the restaurant. The whole restaurant from the name to menu screams local sourced ingredients. Given that, the cost is totally reasonable. Most dishes are in the $10 range which is what you pay pretty much anywhere for brunch in the city.

The Food
They've got a decent amount of specialty drink options, but KVG had just finished making tea before we went to brunch. Arif went for the Biscuits and Gravy, KVG got the Ham and Cheese Quiche, and I got the Mushroom Quiche. The biscuits were coated in gravy and topped with ground lamb. The meat was tasty and the biscuits were somewhat light and fluffy. Still, I couldn't help but notice the plate looked like vomit when it came out. Both quiches had near perfect crusts. They made a flaky mess with each bite and were not short on the butter. The filling was problematic with both. It was loose and runny. The sauce on top was broken when it came out. It was salty and not the least bit creamy. As far as the potatoes went, they were like bland and soft. Interestingly, they came with a side of local, organic ketchup (which was also runny and bland). I'd give it a break, but Heinz makes an organic ketchup that doesn't taste like red water.

The Biscuits and Gravy

The Mushroom Quiche

Overall
Between the lamb sausage on the biscuits and gravy and the crust on the quiche there were some flashes of genius on our plates, but I couldn't get past the overarching flaws in each dish. I appreciate the local sourcing and reasonable pricing of ingredients, but I'm not heading back anytime soon. I'm giving Local Root 1.5 out of 5 Pearls.

Top 10 Sandwiches in Chicago

2013-03-03T10:03:00.000-06:00

I've been getting heckled by some of my readers to mix it up a bit. I get that the same four sections and my lack of writing prowess can get somewhat mundane. The other day, my buddy McNamara suggested I start making some lists. More specifically he suggested I make a list of places for people to go on Valentine's Day. Given that I spent V-day in a bar with my roommates and neighbors, I didn't think it was really my place (but I think there's something in the list idea). So what do I know more about than romance?... jokes about my Jewish identity.

Passover comes early this year which means that you only have the first few weeks in March to get in as much chametz (bread products) as possible. So the inaugural (possibly monthly) list will be my Top 10 Favorite Sandwiches in Chicago (excluding burgers):

10. Sultan's Market

The Falafel Sandwich

9. Conte di Savoia

The Frank

8. Jake Melnick's

The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

7. The Bourgeois Pig

The Walden

6. Al's #1 Italian Beef
Specifically the location on Taylor St.

The Italian Beef Sandwich

5. The Birchwood Kitchen

The Gruyere and Salami Sandwich

4. 11 City Diner

The Woody Allen

3. Capt'n Nemo's

The Seafarer

2. The Brown Sack

The Meatball Sub

1. Manny's Delicatessen

The Corned Beef on Rye

Uncle John's BBQ

2013-02-27T15:25:00.000-06:00

Location: 337 E 69th
Cost: About $12 per person

Twas a dark and stormy night, and Dweiss and I were on an adventure for rib tips. The rain was heavy, and the Suze (my car) had one headlight out. That wasn't about to stop us. You might recall Dweiss's blockbuster post on Honey 1 BBQ, and word on the street was that Uncle John's had the leg up. We had to go give it a try.

It should be noted that since I ate at Uncle John's, ownership has changed hands. I assume things are pretty similar.

It should also be noted that Jeremy was invited to come along but had his weekly date at the Green Mill.

Logistics
Uncle John's is a little shack with nothing around it on the south side. We parked right out front with a few shady characters eyeing my valueless automobile. You walk in and are immediately surrounded by some of the thickest glass around. You order through a slot in the window like you might see at a movie theater. When your food is ready, they put it on a rotating turn style.

A big thing to note is that you can't eat at the restaurant. This might have changed with ownership, but I think a lot of people take their food to local bars to eat. We packed up shop and headed back north to my place to chow down. As far as the cost goes, it's really cheap. $12 will land you a ton of rib tips, sausage links, and chicken wings.

The Food
Like I was just saying, we got the Rib Tips and Sausage Link combo plus a few Chicken Wings on the side. The whole thing comes in an overflowing styrofoam container with wax paper and white bread over the top. Both Dweiss and I agreed that the links were the strongest part of the meal. They came as two large whole links. There was a balanced snap to each bite which was packed with plenty of spice. The spice was balanced nicely by the juiciness of the link too. It may have been one of the best sausage links I've ever had.

The Presentation

Sans wax paper

Chicken Wings on Top

A closer look at one of the rib tips

The Sausage Link

I thought the tips were good but not great. Unlike the ones at Honey 1, these had much more bone to maneuver around. In general they were difficult to eat and less tender. The meat was still tasty and coated in plenty of house BBQ sauce. We went with the mild sauce which had a decent kick as is. My only qualm with the sauce was how grainy it was. The chicken wings were thickly breaded, not that crispy, but coated in just the right spice combo. Considering they're only a buck or two more, I'd recommend tossing them onto your order.

Overall
Stu Pearl always says that he hates crab because you have to work really hard to get the meat and most of the time it's just alright. I'd say the same applies for BBQ, especially in Chicago. Uncle John's might be a little more work with the drive and the tips, but the BBQ is totally worth it. The links are what it's all about. I'm giving Honey 1 the slight nod though. Uncle John's gets 4 out of 5 Pearls.

Tubby's Too

2013-02-24T06:01:00.004-06:00

Location: W8497 County Rd A, Delavan, WI
Cost: About $10 per person

People often ask why I bother writing posts about restaurants outside of Chicago. I mean, the title is Jeff Eats Chicago and all. Who really cares about a place in the north suburbs or for that matter NYC? My answer to that is that it is totally reasonable that people in Chicago that read my blog might visit one of those places in the near future and want to know how the restaurants in that area compare to their local favorites.

This post on the other hand serves little to no purpose to most of my readers. It is purely an interesting memory that I'd like to relive while I write this up and is possibly entertaining to the other 9 folks that were there (D, Jitty, Jessie, Mcnamara, Sid, Nomi, Mari, Brittany, and Evan).

So the 10 of us went up to Jitty's lake house for the weekend. It's just outside of Lake Geneva, and although this is a typical biannual occurrence for my friends, this was the first time I'd gotten around to the trip. I was introduced to such traditions as the Walmart run before the weekend, filled with entirely junk food purchases. We bought enough chips, Merkts, cheese curds, pretzels, and frosting to last a day and a half, but by Saturday night's dinner we needed to venture outdoors to clog our arteries. The plan was to hit up Tubby's Too.

Logistics
Tubby's Too is a local dive bar in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. The walls are decked out in Green Bay Packers garbage with a few surprising Chicago sports banners to appease the inevitable visitors. We rolled and started putting together tables for a large group when a portly, bearded gentleman (who I can only assume was "Tubby") came out to criticize us for coming into his home and moving his furniture. His wife promptly came out and let us do as we pleased. Tubby went back to the array of surly regulars, chain smoking and downing Spotted Cow at the arched bar in the center of the room.

Once Mrs. Tubby was in charge of our table the service was impeccable. We had plenty of room and were in earshot of the deep fryer. I asked if there were any specials, and she laughed before explaining beers were in the $3 range. Food didn't break the bank either.

The Food
Some things were fried, some things were baked, but everything was definitely frozen. We had Broccoli Cheddar Bites, Onion Rings, Mac N Cheese Bites, Chicken Tenders, Fried Cheese Curds, Potato Skins, Sausage Pizza, and Cheese Pizza. The best items were the tenders, the curds, and the pizza. The broccoli cheddar bites were still a little frozen on the inside. We also liked noting the nutritional fact label left on the clearly externally purchased frozen pizza. Still, each item might have run $5.

The Onion Rings

The Chicken Tenders

The Fried Cheese Curds

The Broccoli Cheddar Bites

The Mac N Cheese Bites

The Potato Skins

The Sausage Pizza

The Pizza Label

The Cheese Pizza

Oh, and of course, there was plenty of ranch dressing to go around.

Overall
Tubby's Too is exactly what you'd expect when you drive by it on County Road A. It was extremely cold outside, but with the excess of fried food and general Wisconsin hospitality, it was very warm inside. I suggest that you not move the tables on your own, ask for Mrs. Tubby, stick to the least healthy menu options, and not complain about people smoking indoors.