Noon-O-Kabab
4661 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL; 773-279-8899
Date of Review: January, 2009
Noon-O-Kabab is a quaint store front restaurant located on Kedzie Avenue in a neat part of Albany Park. The restaurant is located across the street from the Kedzie brown line stop.
This neighborhood restaurant has a more formal and very pleasant atmosphere than I expected with table cloths on each table and a nicely decorated dining area. The cuisine is Persian, which means the owners are from Iran. The restaurant is quite large and features Persian design and décor throughout.
Noon, the restaurant's name, means bread, and the house bread is a soft and flavorful lighter version of naan ideal for making your own sandwich with kebab pieces, or for mopping up any juices or bits of food left on the plate. A complimentary basket of this naan is served with a plate of radishes, sweet white onion, parsley and nice feta cheese. For appetizers, the hummus is covered with a generous portion of olive oil and is also served with naan. The hummus was solid and even better when you sprinkled some of the feta over the top (unless you ate it all already). On another visit, we ordered a sample of spreads and dips for $13.50. This included hummus, some excellent smoky baba ghanoush, another smoky and spicy eggplant spread and 2 types of yogurt dips with bread. I am not usually a big fan of baba ghanoush but I found the variations at Noon O Kabab very good and the yogurt dips were excellent.
Our first visit was for lunch so we both opted to go for sandwiches although they have a big menu with over 50 menu items ranging from meat to seafood to vegetarian entrees. We also ordered a side order of dill rice. It is a large portion for the price ($3.95) and is very flavorful with loads of dill throughout the white rice which is topped with a bit of yellow saffron rice. As for our kabab sandwiches, we ordered the chicken kabab and the rib eye kabab. Priced at $5.95 and $6.95, this is great value. They aren’t served with anything but the portion is very large. Wrapped in more naan bread, there was a skewer of beef or chicken with onions, tomatoes and lettuce inside. The chicken and beef both had a nice char broiled flavor and they did an excellent job of cooking the meat perfectly as there wasn’t even a hint of dryness which is tough to do with chicken. On another visit, I ordered lamb and chicken kabobs and experienced the same thing. I don’t know what they put in the marinade but the meat is incredibly flavorful and tasty! The fresh and tasty spicy sauce (you must request it) made our kababs taste all the better (and spicier). On another visit, I tried the ghormeh sabzi which is a stew of fresh spinach, parsley, green onions, cilantro, Persian dried lime, chunks of choice beef and red beans. This dish had a lot of interesting flavors and went well over their excellent dill rice. What was best about this dish it is that I knew I was eating something that I would have a tough time finding at any other restaurant in Chicago. They also have some excellent vegetarian menu options that are full of interesting flavors including the very sweet shirin polo which includes things like orange peel jam, golden raisins and shredded carrots.
Noon-O-Kabab offers great value with the entrees ranging from 8-16$ for a voluminous amount of food. On 1 visit, we had 1 cup of flavorful Persian hot tea, a small order of hummus, 2 kabab sandwiches and a plate of dill rice for $28 including tax and tip for a large portion of outstanding food. On another visit, I dined with a friend whose family is from Tehran and she assured me that the food at Noon-O-Kabab is authentic as what many Persians have in their own home. Noon-O-Kabab does have a full bar.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Chicago (American) - Café Too
Café Too
4715 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-275-0626
Date of Review: January, 2009
Good food, cozy atmosphere, and all while helping the greater good. How can you pass on that? Café Too helps individuals gain valuable employment skills in Inspiration Café’s endeavor to end homelessness in Chicago. Run by the Inspiration Corporation -- the nonprofit behind neighboring Inspiration Cafe and Woodlawn's Living Room Café -- Cafe Too is designed to provide culinary training and job skills to the social-service organization's clients. At Café Too, you can eat well and help the community at the same time.
I had lunch on a cold, wintery day in January prior to heading over to a meeting at the Inspiration Corporation office on Broadway. I found parking without too much of a problem on the street although I imagine parking could be a challenge depending on the time of a day. I felt a sense of calm and cozy relaxation in the restaurant. They were playing cool, enjoyable music at just the right volume and the servers and cooks were interested in what I thought about the food. They wanted my opinion and that felt good. It also made me want to read another section of the paper, have another cup of their very good coffee and stay awhile. With a street side view of Sheridan, I saddled up to a seat at the bar surrounding the exterior of this 39 seat restaurant and did just that.
I planned to have lunch but since I skipped breakfast, I was tempted enough to precede my lunch with a cup of chicken soup. The server told me it was excellent. The soup was flavorful and savory with chunks of whole chicken (not just breast pieces) and slight undertones of lemon and garlic. There was a lot of it too as I was offered a bowl size portion for $2. They offered some kind of home-made chip/cracker in a paper cone that went well with the soup. For lunch, I had the black bean burger with a side salad (other side options include soup, regular fries or sweet potato fries). Twelve different ingredients go into this burger and it was excellent. An interesting aspect of the burger is that the exterior was crispy indicating some slight pan frying before serving. This sandwich had flavor in every bite and the toppings of red pepper mayo, cheddar and avocado on a Kaiser roll only added to this tasty and very filing sandwich. The salad served with the burger was typical and average with assorted lettuce served with shredded carrots, lettuce and tomato. The home-made feta chive dressing was decent but wasn’t as tasty as the description sounded. On another visit for brunch, I had the Frittata Rosso. This large baked open faced omelet was studded with chicken sausage, peppers and onions and was topped with farmers cheese and a roasted red pepper sauce. The frittata was satisfying and the home fry like hash browns were crispy and tasty.
During my lunch visit, my total bill came to an extremely reasonable $12.79 for coffee, soup and a sandwich and I left full and content. They offer a dinner special of 3 courses for $16.50 or 5 courses for $22.50. For innovative food in a pleasant atmosphere, Café Too is hard to beat. This is also a BYOB restaurant (no corkage fee), they offer free Wi-Fi and just got a visit from Check, Please!
4715 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-275-0626
Date of Review: January, 2009
Good food, cozy atmosphere, and all while helping the greater good. How can you pass on that? Café Too helps individuals gain valuable employment skills in Inspiration Café’s endeavor to end homelessness in Chicago. Run by the Inspiration Corporation -- the nonprofit behind neighboring Inspiration Cafe and Woodlawn's Living Room Café -- Cafe Too is designed to provide culinary training and job skills to the social-service organization's clients. At Café Too, you can eat well and help the community at the same time.
I had lunch on a cold, wintery day in January prior to heading over to a meeting at the Inspiration Corporation office on Broadway. I found parking without too much of a problem on the street although I imagine parking could be a challenge depending on the time of a day. I felt a sense of calm and cozy relaxation in the restaurant. They were playing cool, enjoyable music at just the right volume and the servers and cooks were interested in what I thought about the food. They wanted my opinion and that felt good. It also made me want to read another section of the paper, have another cup of their very good coffee and stay awhile. With a street side view of Sheridan, I saddled up to a seat at the bar surrounding the exterior of this 39 seat restaurant and did just that.
I planned to have lunch but since I skipped breakfast, I was tempted enough to precede my lunch with a cup of chicken soup. The server told me it was excellent. The soup was flavorful and savory with chunks of whole chicken (not just breast pieces) and slight undertones of lemon and garlic. There was a lot of it too as I was offered a bowl size portion for $2. They offered some kind of home-made chip/cracker in a paper cone that went well with the soup. For lunch, I had the black bean burger with a side salad (other side options include soup, regular fries or sweet potato fries). Twelve different ingredients go into this burger and it was excellent. An interesting aspect of the burger is that the exterior was crispy indicating some slight pan frying before serving. This sandwich had flavor in every bite and the toppings of red pepper mayo, cheddar and avocado on a Kaiser roll only added to this tasty and very filing sandwich. The salad served with the burger was typical and average with assorted lettuce served with shredded carrots, lettuce and tomato. The home-made feta chive dressing was decent but wasn’t as tasty as the description sounded. On another visit for brunch, I had the Frittata Rosso. This large baked open faced omelet was studded with chicken sausage, peppers and onions and was topped with farmers cheese and a roasted red pepper sauce. The frittata was satisfying and the home fry like hash browns were crispy and tasty.
During my lunch visit, my total bill came to an extremely reasonable $12.79 for coffee, soup and a sandwich and I left full and content. They offer a dinner special of 3 courses for $16.50 or 5 courses for $22.50. For innovative food in a pleasant atmosphere, Café Too is hard to beat. This is also a BYOB restaurant (no corkage fee), they offer free Wi-Fi and just got a visit from Check, Please!
Chicago (American) - Publican
Publican
837 W. Fulton Market (at N. Green Street), Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-733-9555
Date of Review: April, 2009
A new restaurant by the owners of Blackbird and Publican, this is one hot West Loop spot. You will be impressed by the décor and layout of the restaurant immediately and while your road may have some twists and an occasional bump in the road, your dining experience is likely to be one you would like to repeat.
Publican reminds me of something from my travels but I am not sure what. The 100 plus large round bulb lights hanging from the ceiling provide uniformity to the place that feels like Germany. However, the long wooden beer pulls for the draught beer remind me of a monastery in Belgium. The large wooden communal dining tables remind me of pictures of the last supper. The wooden booths with private closing doors that take up one wall of the restaurant are like nothing I have ever seen. For someone who sits all day, the bar tables void of chairs are a refreshing way to enjoy a drink while you wait for your guests and the seats at the bar are actual settings, plate and silverware in place and all. All of the servers are knowledgeable about the diverse menu and many beer options available and they have an air of professionalism as they are all dressed in doctor like jackets adorned with the name of the restaurant in the upper right hand corner. They add more chic to an already cool place and this doesn’t even mention the bathroom area which is one of the best in Chicago.
The beer list is extensive with 10-12 very unordinary draught options and a bottle list loaded with high alcohol content beers that would appeal to anyone who is a fan of the Map Room or Hopleaf. The menu is a mix of tapas style appetizer sharing plates and larger plates that can be shared communally or taken as a personal entrée. This restaurant is definitely the sort of place where you order a few things and sample them amongst a group. The menu is anything but ordinary making it somewhat difficult to comment positively or negatively on some of the menu items. If you have never had any reason to think you would eat pork brain and never have, it is hard to say whether you like it or not. We did order the pork rinds (prepared with cider vinegar and salt) and some cheese and bread to munch on while having a beer. Pork rinds are an acquired taste but I found this version to be tasty, well seasoned and freshly fried. The cheese was outstanding and was served with some warm, chewy brown bread that was out of this world.
The tasty house pickles include a cabbage pickle, sweet bread and butter pickle and a jicama like pickle and go great with a beer. The assortment of 3 hams included Serrano ham and 2 others. One was outstanding and the other 2 were average but it was way overpriced at $18. The seafood dishes including the mussels and Basque stew (salt cod, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels, tomatoes, oranges, etc.) are outstanding and not to be missed. The country rib was absolutely succulent as it looks like 2 big pork chops and tastes like heaven. The steak tartare was very good (much better then when I had it in Paris) and was served with their outstanding frites. By the way, the full order of fries is served in a cone just like in Amsterdam or Belgium along with some tasty garlic mayonnaise although the version of fries with eggs served on top offers a different variation that is just as good. The pork brain was OK. I have never had it before so it is hard to say much about it but after a few bites, I had enough. The half (or whole) chicken with summer sausage served on top of fries is scrumptious. Like many, chicken has a tendency to bore me at times, but not here. The chicken was juicy and full of flavor. It is one of the best dishes I’ve had at the Publican. We were all excited about the Potee which features pork loin, sausage and oxtail shoulder with carrots and pearl onions. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. For $25, we expected a good size portion but this would have not even sufficed as an entrée for one person. The pork loin and oxtail shoulder were good but the sausage was average and the dish overpriced. Another dish we tried that I highly recommend is the beets with walnuts and mozzarella. The beets were sweet and so fresh that could see their veins (almost like a tomato) and the mozzarella was some of the best I have ever had as the taste was so pure it was hard to describe. The bread pudding for dessert was good, but nothing worth elaborating on.
On one visit, we had 16 beers (some quite expensive), 2 desserts and an assortment of appetizers and entrees and we ended up with a bill of $290 which included tax, but not tip. On another visit, a party of 10 shared an assortment of dishes and the bill came to $77 a head with everything included. You can eat for cheaper at the Publican but you do pay for the quality of the ingredients which are mostly local and organic. All in all, I really liked the place and am looking forward to another visit.
837 W. Fulton Market (at N. Green Street), Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-733-9555
Date of Review: April, 2009
A new restaurant by the owners of Blackbird and Publican, this is one hot West Loop spot. You will be impressed by the décor and layout of the restaurant immediately and while your road may have some twists and an occasional bump in the road, your dining experience is likely to be one you would like to repeat.
Publican reminds me of something from my travels but I am not sure what. The 100 plus large round bulb lights hanging from the ceiling provide uniformity to the place that feels like Germany. However, the long wooden beer pulls for the draught beer remind me of a monastery in Belgium. The large wooden communal dining tables remind me of pictures of the last supper. The wooden booths with private closing doors that take up one wall of the restaurant are like nothing I have ever seen. For someone who sits all day, the bar tables void of chairs are a refreshing way to enjoy a drink while you wait for your guests and the seats at the bar are actual settings, plate and silverware in place and all. All of the servers are knowledgeable about the diverse menu and many beer options available and they have an air of professionalism as they are all dressed in doctor like jackets adorned with the name of the restaurant in the upper right hand corner. They add more chic to an already cool place and this doesn’t even mention the bathroom area which is one of the best in Chicago.
The beer list is extensive with 10-12 very unordinary draught options and a bottle list loaded with high alcohol content beers that would appeal to anyone who is a fan of the Map Room or Hopleaf. The menu is a mix of tapas style appetizer sharing plates and larger plates that can be shared communally or taken as a personal entrée. This restaurant is definitely the sort of place where you order a few things and sample them amongst a group. The menu is anything but ordinary making it somewhat difficult to comment positively or negatively on some of the menu items. If you have never had any reason to think you would eat pork brain and never have, it is hard to say whether you like it or not. We did order the pork rinds (prepared with cider vinegar and salt) and some cheese and bread to munch on while having a beer. Pork rinds are an acquired taste but I found this version to be tasty, well seasoned and freshly fried. The cheese was outstanding and was served with some warm, chewy brown bread that was out of this world.
The tasty house pickles include a cabbage pickle, sweet bread and butter pickle and a jicama like pickle and go great with a beer. The assortment of 3 hams included Serrano ham and 2 others. One was outstanding and the other 2 were average but it was way overpriced at $18. The seafood dishes including the mussels and Basque stew (salt cod, shrimp, octopus, clams, mussels, tomatoes, oranges, etc.) are outstanding and not to be missed. The country rib was absolutely succulent as it looks like 2 big pork chops and tastes like heaven. The steak tartare was very good (much better then when I had it in Paris) and was served with their outstanding frites. By the way, the full order of fries is served in a cone just like in Amsterdam or Belgium along with some tasty garlic mayonnaise although the version of fries with eggs served on top offers a different variation that is just as good. The pork brain was OK. I have never had it before so it is hard to say much about it but after a few bites, I had enough. The half (or whole) chicken with summer sausage served on top of fries is scrumptious. Like many, chicken has a tendency to bore me at times, but not here. The chicken was juicy and full of flavor. It is one of the best dishes I’ve had at the Publican. We were all excited about the Potee which features pork loin, sausage and oxtail shoulder with carrots and pearl onions. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. For $25, we expected a good size portion but this would have not even sufficed as an entrée for one person. The pork loin and oxtail shoulder were good but the sausage was average and the dish overpriced. Another dish we tried that I highly recommend is the beets with walnuts and mozzarella. The beets were sweet and so fresh that could see their veins (almost like a tomato) and the mozzarella was some of the best I have ever had as the taste was so pure it was hard to describe. The bread pudding for dessert was good, but nothing worth elaborating on.
On one visit, we had 16 beers (some quite expensive), 2 desserts and an assortment of appetizers and entrees and we ended up with a bill of $290 which included tax, but not tip. On another visit, a party of 10 shared an assortment of dishes and the bill came to $77 a head with everything included. You can eat for cheaper at the Publican but you do pay for the quality of the ingredients which are mostly local and organic. All in all, I really liked the place and am looking forward to another visit.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Chicago (Italian) - Terragusto Cafe
Terragusto Cafe
1851 W. Addison Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-248-2777
Date of Review: January, 2009
Terragusto Café serves the best Italian food I have had outside of Italy. On top of it, I can’t think of another restaurant in Chicago that has delivered so emphatically on every aspect of the meal including atmosphere, quality and taste of food, value and service. With home-made pasta, sauces made the way they are made in Italy and a romantic atmosphere, I am thoroughly disappointed that this was the first time I visited this restaurant after 3 years of its existence.
The atmosphere in Terragusto is very romantic. We sat at the table that faces Addison Avenue and looked out onto the snow covered streets. It felt even better that we could look each other in the eyes and that we were eating on the same table that is used to make all of the restaurant’s homemade pasta. The back of the restaurant is spacious and has seating for about 40.
As a complimentary starter, they offered a few slices of bread with some olives sitting in olive oil. The olives were excellent and we used the oil they were sitting in to dip the bread into. This was just a taste and you wouldn’t want to get filled up with what was to come. We went for the Italian meal option which must be ordered by the entire table. It allows each diner to pick an appetizer (antipasti) and a pasta (primi piatti) and they pick one main course (secondi) to share. For $38.50 per person, this seemed like a good option for us. You can also order dish by dish a la carte or can go for 2 courses and skip the 3rd. We selected the polenta and the crostini. Both were fantastic and large in portion. There were 3 slices of 3 different types of crostini all served on wonderful grilled slices of bread. One featured buffalo mozzarella nearly with a tiny anchovy in a bit of olive oil on top. A second had nice deeply flavored smoked ham with a rosemary aioli. The third had a tarragon chicken salad that was full of flavor. As good as these were, the polenta was even better. We were presented with an entrée size portion of polenta squares that had just the right consistency of crispiness outside and softness in. The mushroom ragu was hearty and had such a deep flavor that it brought back memories of a forest mushroom soup I had years ago in Rhineland Germany. After this 1st course, Ivy and I were both blown away and were excited about the pasta course to come.
We ordered the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Tartufato. This is the Bolognese of Bologna with only a hint of tomato. This version was rich with meat and cheese throughout and a touch of white truffle. The pasta was melt in your mouth good as I put one forkful after another into my mouth. When our third course came out and I still had some pasta left, I made sure to continue to pay attention to this dish despite the fact that I was trying to fillet a whole fish. The second pasta we ordered was a black linguini pasta that was dyed with squid ink and served with shrimp. There was a slight hint of spiciness in this dish but the majority of the flavor came from the equally perfect pasta and its flavor of squid. At this point, we were both stuffed and thoroughly convinced that this would be a place we would be coming to for a long time to come, yet we still had a whole sea bream looking at us. This large fish was prepared with a simple rub and topped with lemon. It had a gorgeous fresh taste and was served with sautéed spinach and another chunk of wonderful polenta. The fish was as good as everything else although I don’t know if we enjoyed it as much as we should have given out state of fullness.
We did opt for dessert which wasn’t included in the Italian Meal price. We had the gelato and sorbet combination. This included one scoop of vanilla gelato flanked by one scoop of apple cinnamon sorbet and another of berry sorbet. The gelato was creamy and the sorbet solid but I have had better and for $8.50, the portion didn’t justify the price. We should have just stuck with coffee for dessert as the beans are grinded in house and I don’t know if I have ever had a more flavorful cup in my life.
The server was excellent as he got us excited about each dish and talked intelligently about the restaurant, its evolution and its menu. The total bill came to $100.86 including tax but not tip. This was for 2 Italian meals, 1 dessert and 2 cups of coffee. The restaurant is BYOB and they only charge $1 for a recycling fee to open the bottle. For the quality of the food, ambience and service, I think one will be hard pressed to find a better dining experience in Chicago.
1851 W. Addison Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-248-2777
Date of Review: January, 2009
Terragusto Café serves the best Italian food I have had outside of Italy. On top of it, I can’t think of another restaurant in Chicago that has delivered so emphatically on every aspect of the meal including atmosphere, quality and taste of food, value and service. With home-made pasta, sauces made the way they are made in Italy and a romantic atmosphere, I am thoroughly disappointed that this was the first time I visited this restaurant after 3 years of its existence.
The atmosphere in Terragusto is very romantic. We sat at the table that faces Addison Avenue and looked out onto the snow covered streets. It felt even better that we could look each other in the eyes and that we were eating on the same table that is used to make all of the restaurant’s homemade pasta. The back of the restaurant is spacious and has seating for about 40.
As a complimentary starter, they offered a few slices of bread with some olives sitting in olive oil. The olives were excellent and we used the oil they were sitting in to dip the bread into. This was just a taste and you wouldn’t want to get filled up with what was to come. We went for the Italian meal option which must be ordered by the entire table. It allows each diner to pick an appetizer (antipasti) and a pasta (primi piatti) and they pick one main course (secondi) to share. For $38.50 per person, this seemed like a good option for us. You can also order dish by dish a la carte or can go for 2 courses and skip the 3rd. We selected the polenta and the crostini. Both were fantastic and large in portion. There were 3 slices of 3 different types of crostini all served on wonderful grilled slices of bread. One featured buffalo mozzarella nearly with a tiny anchovy in a bit of olive oil on top. A second had nice deeply flavored smoked ham with a rosemary aioli. The third had a tarragon chicken salad that was full of flavor. As good as these were, the polenta was even better. We were presented with an entrée size portion of polenta squares that had just the right consistency of crispiness outside and softness in. The mushroom ragu was hearty and had such a deep flavor that it brought back memories of a forest mushroom soup I had years ago in Rhineland Germany. After this 1st course, Ivy and I were both blown away and were excited about the pasta course to come.
We ordered the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Tartufato. This is the Bolognese of Bologna with only a hint of tomato. This version was rich with meat and cheese throughout and a touch of white truffle. The pasta was melt in your mouth good as I put one forkful after another into my mouth. When our third course came out and I still had some pasta left, I made sure to continue to pay attention to this dish despite the fact that I was trying to fillet a whole fish. The second pasta we ordered was a black linguini pasta that was dyed with squid ink and served with shrimp. There was a slight hint of spiciness in this dish but the majority of the flavor came from the equally perfect pasta and its flavor of squid. At this point, we were both stuffed and thoroughly convinced that this would be a place we would be coming to for a long time to come, yet we still had a whole sea bream looking at us. This large fish was prepared with a simple rub and topped with lemon. It had a gorgeous fresh taste and was served with sautéed spinach and another chunk of wonderful polenta. The fish was as good as everything else although I don’t know if we enjoyed it as much as we should have given out state of fullness.
We did opt for dessert which wasn’t included in the Italian Meal price. We had the gelato and sorbet combination. This included one scoop of vanilla gelato flanked by one scoop of apple cinnamon sorbet and another of berry sorbet. The gelato was creamy and the sorbet solid but I have had better and for $8.50, the portion didn’t justify the price. We should have just stuck with coffee for dessert as the beans are grinded in house and I don’t know if I have ever had a more flavorful cup in my life.
The server was excellent as he got us excited about each dish and talked intelligently about the restaurant, its evolution and its menu. The total bill came to $100.86 including tax but not tip. This was for 2 Italian meals, 1 dessert and 2 cups of coffee. The restaurant is BYOB and they only charge $1 for a recycling fee to open the bottle. For the quality of the food, ambience and service, I think one will be hard pressed to find a better dining experience in Chicago.
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