Julius Meinl
3601 N. Southport, Chicago, IL; Phone 773-868-1857
4363 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL; Phone 773-868-1876
Date of Review: May, 2009
http://www.meinl.com/northamerica/home.html
Julius Meinl is an Austrian coffee shop, café and restaurant with a U.S. presence. It has been one of my favorite Chicago cafes for sometime but I discovered its’ roots during a visit to Austria in 2006 when I saw what seemed to be the same café I knew from Southport Avenue in central Vienna. Boasting one of the best tea menus in Chicago, outstanding coffee and good food this is a great place to enjoy an alcohol free evening. They currently have locations on Southport Avenue and right off of Lincoln and Montrose in Lincoln Square.
Each location is full of style from the silver trays used to serve each coffee and tea beverage to the individual pots used to serve tea and the cookies offered with each drink. This is all very European. The front of each location has tables spaced out appropriately with a relaxed feel that make it perfect for a quiet dinner, an after dinner dessert (very popular) or some studying or reading. The back of each restaurant is a bit more private and quiet but is still open to the front. The symbol of Julius Meinl which you will see outside the Lincoln location is referred to as the coffee boy and is a 6-foot-2-inch bronze sculpture of a lad wearing a fez and looking into the bowl of coffee he's carrying. The symbol is meant to pay homage to the Turkish Ottoman Empire and its contributions to the coffee world.
Meinl is known for their desserts but don’t underestimate the rest of their menu. They have a nice brunch menu highlighted by pastries, a variety of crepes and 6 different variations of baked eggs served with items like smoked salmon, pancetta or spinach, mushroom and feta. For lunch and dinner, they have excellent freshly prepared salads and a variety of sandwiches on tasty rolls and breads (yummy brioche, pretzel rolls, raisin-sunflower, etc.). Each sandwich has a twist with a garlic mayo, tapenade or specialty mustard to zest things up and is served with and excellent side salad with a tasty, light dressing. They also feature many European specialties including Roasted Lamb & Spätzle, Austrian Goulash and a tasty, generous portion of Chicken and Fontina filled crepes.
Julius Meinl is a decent value with almost everything on the menu under $10. They also have free live music on Friday’s and Saturdays at both locations. I have seen Spanish Guitar and a Serbian Violinist and Cimbalom. Other types of music offered include Bossa Nova and Irish Harp music. There is music every Friday and Saturday from 8 PM to 11 PM.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Chicago (American) - Hot Doug's
Hot Doug’s
3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-279-9550
Date of Review: May, 2009
Was waiting in line for 1 hour before I got to the counter to put in my order on a beautiful Spring Saturday worth it? That is an impossible question to answer as there are many variables. Had I dined at Hot Doug's before? Did I know what I was getting into? How hungry was I? What else did I have to do with my time?
The answer to the 1st question is yes but all I ordered were hot dogs and while Hot Doug’s has excellent hot dogs, people are not waiting in line for 1 hour for hot dogs. Sausage is king here. The answer to question 2 is definitely yes. I live in the area and have driven by enough times to see the long lines. The question to answer # 3 is pretty hungry, but a bit less than famished. By the time I took my 1st bite, it was noon and I hadn't eaten a thing. The answer to question # 4 is that I am 35, engaged to be married in a few weeks, have no children and my fiancé was at some work out seminar in Grant Park. This day was free as it gets at least for a few hours.
Despite arriving 10 minutes prior to opening time at 10:20 AM, I was still faced with 40+ people in front of me. I brought a newspaper to read and finished it while standing in line and didn't submit my order until approximately 11:15 AM. Hot Doug’s is not very big inside but I commend them on efficiently managing the flow of people into the restaurant as you would expect a mad house inside with a place this popular. However, once you arrive inside there are ample seats to sit and feast on a specialty sausage and some duck fat rendered french fries (only available on Friday and Saturdays).
My last visit was over 3 years ago and I had 2 hot dogs and duck fat fries the day before I ran the 2005 Chicago Marathon. The hot dogs were very good but not worth the wait. Years later, I can say that getting premium sausages is worth the wait. And the duck fat fries, well, will get to those.
I had the Salma Hayek which is a hot andouille sausage with everything which includes caramelized onions, pickle, celery salt, mustard, relish, tomatoes and celery salt. I got the sausage char grilled and it was moderately spicy with a nice grilled flavor. It was good size and the condiments (especially the caramelized onions) were perfect on top of a nice soft bun. As good as this was, the real winner was the celebrity sausage of the day which was a Ribeye Steak Sausage with Chimichurri and Formaggi Podda. This was outstanding with steak stuffed in a casing topped with garlicky chimichurri sauce (olive oil, garlic and parsley sauce typically served in Argentine steak houses) and slices of parmesan like cheese. The duck fat fries (a huge portion enough for 3-4 for 3.50) are as good (actually much better) than I remember. They are outstanding, right there with Smoque for best fries in Chicago. Hot Doug’s actually has many specialty sausages like the Ribeye steak sausage making it very hard to pick 1 or 2 to feast on.
It is almost hard to admit it but Hot Doug's is a destination restaurant but it definitely is and the proprietor is making a fortune off of this place. This is a place that you will see on the news (if you haven't already) or on a food network special. Dining here is an event and is something worth putting in the effort to do at least once if you don't live in Chicago and at least once a year if you do. It isn't cheap (my tab was $16.50 for 2 sausages, ducks fat fries and a small fountain soda) but it is good. If you are going to go through all the effort to dine here though, don't waste your time with a hot dog. Focus on the sausage as this is what makes Hot Doug’s worth the wait.
3324 N. California Ave., Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-279-9550
Date of Review: May, 2009
Was waiting in line for 1 hour before I got to the counter to put in my order on a beautiful Spring Saturday worth it? That is an impossible question to answer as there are many variables. Had I dined at Hot Doug's before? Did I know what I was getting into? How hungry was I? What else did I have to do with my time?
The answer to the 1st question is yes but all I ordered were hot dogs and while Hot Doug’s has excellent hot dogs, people are not waiting in line for 1 hour for hot dogs. Sausage is king here. The answer to question 2 is definitely yes. I live in the area and have driven by enough times to see the long lines. The question to answer # 3 is pretty hungry, but a bit less than famished. By the time I took my 1st bite, it was noon and I hadn't eaten a thing. The answer to question # 4 is that I am 35, engaged to be married in a few weeks, have no children and my fiancé was at some work out seminar in Grant Park. This day was free as it gets at least for a few hours.
Despite arriving 10 minutes prior to opening time at 10:20 AM, I was still faced with 40+ people in front of me. I brought a newspaper to read and finished it while standing in line and didn't submit my order until approximately 11:15 AM. Hot Doug’s is not very big inside but I commend them on efficiently managing the flow of people into the restaurant as you would expect a mad house inside with a place this popular. However, once you arrive inside there are ample seats to sit and feast on a specialty sausage and some duck fat rendered french fries (only available on Friday and Saturdays).
My last visit was over 3 years ago and I had 2 hot dogs and duck fat fries the day before I ran the 2005 Chicago Marathon. The hot dogs were very good but not worth the wait. Years later, I can say that getting premium sausages is worth the wait. And the duck fat fries, well, will get to those.
I had the Salma Hayek which is a hot andouille sausage with everything which includes caramelized onions, pickle, celery salt, mustard, relish, tomatoes and celery salt. I got the sausage char grilled and it was moderately spicy with a nice grilled flavor. It was good size and the condiments (especially the caramelized onions) were perfect on top of a nice soft bun. As good as this was, the real winner was the celebrity sausage of the day which was a Ribeye Steak Sausage with Chimichurri and Formaggi Podda. This was outstanding with steak stuffed in a casing topped with garlicky chimichurri sauce (olive oil, garlic and parsley sauce typically served in Argentine steak houses) and slices of parmesan like cheese. The duck fat fries (a huge portion enough for 3-4 for 3.50) are as good (actually much better) than I remember. They are outstanding, right there with Smoque for best fries in Chicago. Hot Doug’s actually has many specialty sausages like the Ribeye steak sausage making it very hard to pick 1 or 2 to feast on.
It is almost hard to admit it but Hot Doug's is a destination restaurant but it definitely is and the proprietor is making a fortune off of this place. This is a place that you will see on the news (if you haven't already) or on a food network special. Dining here is an event and is something worth putting in the effort to do at least once if you don't live in Chicago and at least once a year if you do. It isn't cheap (my tab was $16.50 for 2 sausages, ducks fat fries and a small fountain soda) but it is good. If you are going to go through all the effort to dine here though, don't waste your time with a hot dog. Focus on the sausage as this is what makes Hot Doug’s worth the wait.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Chicago (Japanese) - Tampopo
Tampopo
5665 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-561-2277
Date of Review: May, 2009
Tampopo is an authentic sushi spot far up Lincoln Avenue past Bryn Mawr. It is worth the drive as the fish here is fresh, tasty and served in generous portions. The atmosphere is pleasant and very typical of a Japanese restaurant with a small sushi bar, tables in the middle and booths on the perimeter of the restaurant. They do offer beer, wine, sake and soju but are BYOB on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The complimentary miso soup was solid and they offered 3 side dishes much like they do at a Korean restaurant (I think Tampopo is run by Koreans). The dishes (bean sprouts, pickled vegetables and strangely, macaroni salad) were nothing noteworthy but a nice touch. We ordered one excellent appetizer which consisted of 2 broiled mussels with crab meat and masago. Additionally, we ordered 2 sashimi appetizers which consisted of 10 half size pieces of salmon and tuna for $12.50 each. The healthy size slices of tuna and salmon were tasty and fresh. With our bellies filling up quickly, we decided to only go for 3 maki rolls. A word of warning: be careful when ordering maki rolls here as the portions are large (2 bite large). We ordered the spicy tuna, Amazon maki and the fire dragon. The Amazon has real crab, jalapeno, spicy mayo and cucumber stuffed inside with thick slices of tuna, salmon and avocado on the outside and is topped with cilantro and masago. This was outstanding as was the fire dragon which features unagi and avocado wrapped around spicy tuna, cucumber and green onion. These are some of the best rolls I have had in Chicago. The specialty rolls are pricy ($13.95) but they are worth it.
Our food bill and one beer came to a total of $62.50 and that included tax and tip.
I highly recommend purchasing a $25 gift certificate for $10 from the restaurant.com website ahead of time. It will reduce a bill by $25. Our waitress gladly accepted the certficate by saying "Of Course!" with a plesant smile.
5665 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-561-2277
Date of Review: May, 2009
Tampopo is an authentic sushi spot far up Lincoln Avenue past Bryn Mawr. It is worth the drive as the fish here is fresh, tasty and served in generous portions. The atmosphere is pleasant and very typical of a Japanese restaurant with a small sushi bar, tables in the middle and booths on the perimeter of the restaurant. They do offer beer, wine, sake and soju but are BYOB on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The complimentary miso soup was solid and they offered 3 side dishes much like they do at a Korean restaurant (I think Tampopo is run by Koreans). The dishes (bean sprouts, pickled vegetables and strangely, macaroni salad) were nothing noteworthy but a nice touch. We ordered one excellent appetizer which consisted of 2 broiled mussels with crab meat and masago. Additionally, we ordered 2 sashimi appetizers which consisted of 10 half size pieces of salmon and tuna for $12.50 each. The healthy size slices of tuna and salmon were tasty and fresh. With our bellies filling up quickly, we decided to only go for 3 maki rolls. A word of warning: be careful when ordering maki rolls here as the portions are large (2 bite large). We ordered the spicy tuna, Amazon maki and the fire dragon. The Amazon has real crab, jalapeno, spicy mayo and cucumber stuffed inside with thick slices of tuna, salmon and avocado on the outside and is topped with cilantro and masago. This was outstanding as was the fire dragon which features unagi and avocado wrapped around spicy tuna, cucumber and green onion. These are some of the best rolls I have had in Chicago. The specialty rolls are pricy ($13.95) but they are worth it.
Our food bill and one beer came to a total of $62.50 and that included tax and tip.
I highly recommend purchasing a $25 gift certificate for $10 from the restaurant.com website ahead of time. It will reduce a bill by $25. Our waitress gladly accepted the certficate by saying "Of Course!" with a plesant smile.
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