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.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Chicago (Mediterranean) - Roti
Roti
10 South Riverside Plaza # 141, Chicago, IL 60606; (312) 775-7000
Date of Review: October, 2008
Roti is a great spot in the Loop for lunch. While I figured that it would be a good spot for a shawarma or falafel, I was surprised to find out how good some of their other options were, including the salmon kabobs.
Located next to Café Baci on Riverside Plaza, this place is very popular. I either go at 11:30 or wait until closer to 1 PM after the lunch crowd as the line (while it does move quickly) can extend outside the door. They have a fair amount of seats inside and have a pleasant outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant.
They have a full range of typical Mediterranean fare with solid hummus and baba ghannoush, great shawarma and even better kabobs. Everything is very fresh here as the grill is fired up in the back and knowing that your chicken, steak of fish is cooking over an open fire makes you even hungrier as you stand in line. Freshness is one of the beauties of Middle Eastern food. Sandwiches are filled with your choice of chicken, steak, falafel, kabob meat or roasted vegetables inside of a wheat pita or piece of excellent roti flatbread. You then top your sandwich with whatever you want. It is almost like subway as you have an assortment of items before your eyes, including 3 types of hot sauce, hummus, baba ghannoush, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and feta or asiago cheese. The sandwich is good size and filling enough for lunch. It is served with a small portion of capri cous-cous salad which is good in its own right if you order it as your lunch. It is different than other cous-cous I have had as it is large grain and is served with scallions, chopped peppers, pine nuts, orange segments and currants and is tossed with olive oil. If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, the venetian platter is a good option. It includes hummus, baba ghannoush, cous-cous, tomato, onion & cucumber salad and choice of fire roasted chicken or steak roti with pita.
The kabobs are freshly cooked and outstanding. They have steak, chicken and salmon or halibut. On one visit, I had 2 salmon kabobs and while a bit pricey (11-12$), there was a lot of food on the platter (rice, choice of sauce, tomato, onion and cucumber salad and pita). I have to admit that I did not expect the salmon kabobs to be nearly as good as they were. They had outstanding flavor and it was after this visit that I became a Roti regular.
On the downside, their falafel is average at best. It just isn’t crunchy enough for me. I like that fried falafel that makes a crunch sound when you bite into it and I find their falafel tasty but too mushy for me.
Roti offers decent size portions of good food at prices that are a bit high but not outrageous. For a make your own sandwich, it is $6.50 plus tax (7.50 for steak). That isn’t horrible except that a falafel sandwich is not worth 6.50 anywhere. Kabob platters run $6.50 to $12 depending on portion (1 or 2) and choice (chicken, steak, fish). Overall, the food is worth the price as it feels good to eat healthy and enjoy so much taste at the same time.
They are in the process of opening a second location in Northbrook and it is a fair bet that they will continue to expand.
10 South Riverside Plaza # 141, Chicago, IL 60606; (312) 775-7000
Date of Review: October, 2008
Roti is a great spot in the Loop for lunch. While I figured that it would be a good spot for a shawarma or falafel, I was surprised to find out how good some of their other options were, including the salmon kabobs.
Located next to Café Baci on Riverside Plaza, this place is very popular. I either go at 11:30 or wait until closer to 1 PM after the lunch crowd as the line (while it does move quickly) can extend outside the door. They have a fair amount of seats inside and have a pleasant outdoor dining area in front of the restaurant.
They have a full range of typical Mediterranean fare with solid hummus and baba ghannoush, great shawarma and even better kabobs. Everything is very fresh here as the grill is fired up in the back and knowing that your chicken, steak of fish is cooking over an open fire makes you even hungrier as you stand in line. Freshness is one of the beauties of Middle Eastern food. Sandwiches are filled with your choice of chicken, steak, falafel, kabob meat or roasted vegetables inside of a wheat pita or piece of excellent roti flatbread. You then top your sandwich with whatever you want. It is almost like subway as you have an assortment of items before your eyes, including 3 types of hot sauce, hummus, baba ghannoush, kalamata olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, roasted peppers, caramelized onions and feta or asiago cheese. The sandwich is good size and filling enough for lunch. It is served with a small portion of capri cous-cous salad which is good in its own right if you order it as your lunch. It is different than other cous-cous I have had as it is large grain and is served with scallions, chopped peppers, pine nuts, orange segments and currants and is tossed with olive oil. If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich, the venetian platter is a good option. It includes hummus, baba ghannoush, cous-cous, tomato, onion & cucumber salad and choice of fire roasted chicken or steak roti with pita.
The kabobs are freshly cooked and outstanding. They have steak, chicken and salmon or halibut. On one visit, I had 2 salmon kabobs and while a bit pricey (11-12$), there was a lot of food on the platter (rice, choice of sauce, tomato, onion and cucumber salad and pita). I have to admit that I did not expect the salmon kabobs to be nearly as good as they were. They had outstanding flavor and it was after this visit that I became a Roti regular.
On the downside, their falafel is average at best. It just isn’t crunchy enough for me. I like that fried falafel that makes a crunch sound when you bite into it and I find their falafel tasty but too mushy for me.
Roti offers decent size portions of good food at prices that are a bit high but not outrageous. For a make your own sandwich, it is $6.50 plus tax (7.50 for steak). That isn’t horrible except that a falafel sandwich is not worth 6.50 anywhere. Kabob platters run $6.50 to $12 depending on portion (1 or 2) and choice (chicken, steak, fish). Overall, the food is worth the price as it feels good to eat healthy and enjoy so much taste at the same time.
They are in the process of opening a second location in Northbrook and it is a fair bet that they will continue to expand.
Chicago (Middle Eastern) - Sultan's Market
Sultan’s Market
2057 W North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647; (773) 235-3072
Date of Review: October, 2008
Sultan’s Market empire continues to grow as they have a spot in Lincoln Park and a supposed full service restaurant planned for Logan Square. For me though, the original Wicker Park establishment is all I know. I remember this place from years ago when it seemed that it was just a spot those in the neighborhood frequented. My friend Santiago used to live across the street as he is good pals with the owner. As I grew older and my culinary tastes continued to expand, I found myself frequenting Sultan’s Market more and more often. Over that time, I saw the place change too as the owner did a great job reinventing the place and making it feel like a real Middle Eastern destination. He added comfortable booths to dine in, put a neat ceiling up and even added a pleasant al fresco dining area. What has never wavered has been the quality of the food.
Their menu is pretty typical Middle Eastern with shawarmas, falafel, rice and lentils, hummus, baba ghannoush and so forth. Everything is wonderful, authentic and full of flavor. I eat Middle Eastern food often and find Sultan’s Market value and quality to be nothing short of outstanding.
On my last visit, we shared a large Lentil soup ($4) as a starter which is almost enough for a meal for one with a piece of pita bread. The flavors are complex as this filling flavorful combination has a bit of heaven inside that is enhanced with a squeeze of lemon (wedge is provided). Ivy had the chicken shawarma sandwich ($4). As always, the freshly cooked and chopped chicken is piled into a large pita and stuffed with their fantastic hummus, Jerusalem salad and some spicy sauce. This is great value as the pita was packed so full, a bit of hummus burst through the pita pocket. It makes things a bit messier but she didn’t complain. This sandwich is so good I could eat it every day. I opted for the chicken shawarma dinner which had chicken piled on top of rice and lentils (with caramelized onions), a good portion of hummus and a large pita. This is a lot of food ($6) and is very good. The rice and lentils alone is a great vegetarian option as it is so yummy that I just kept eating it until it was all gone, ignoring my full stomach. With free water, out total bill was $16.40 for this feast. You really can’t beat the value here.
I have eaten at Sultan’s Market so many times it is hard to count. Their falafel is the best I have had as their falafel balls are huge and crunchy and they make it the same way they make the shawarma sandwich, piled full of goodies. The basmati rice is recommended as is the lamb kefta kabob.
You absolutely cannot go wrong here whether you swing in and grab some hummus to go or fill up a container with some goodies off of their innovative and wonderful salad bar (very popular with vegetarians). This place is a winner in every way and they even deliver.
2057 W North Ave., Chicago, IL 60647; (773) 235-3072
Date of Review: October, 2008
Sultan’s Market empire continues to grow as they have a spot in Lincoln Park and a supposed full service restaurant planned for Logan Square. For me though, the original Wicker Park establishment is all I know. I remember this place from years ago when it seemed that it was just a spot those in the neighborhood frequented. My friend Santiago used to live across the street as he is good pals with the owner. As I grew older and my culinary tastes continued to expand, I found myself frequenting Sultan’s Market more and more often. Over that time, I saw the place change too as the owner did a great job reinventing the place and making it feel like a real Middle Eastern destination. He added comfortable booths to dine in, put a neat ceiling up and even added a pleasant al fresco dining area. What has never wavered has been the quality of the food.
Their menu is pretty typical Middle Eastern with shawarmas, falafel, rice and lentils, hummus, baba ghannoush and so forth. Everything is wonderful, authentic and full of flavor. I eat Middle Eastern food often and find Sultan’s Market value and quality to be nothing short of outstanding.
On my last visit, we shared a large Lentil soup ($4) as a starter which is almost enough for a meal for one with a piece of pita bread. The flavors are complex as this filling flavorful combination has a bit of heaven inside that is enhanced with a squeeze of lemon (wedge is provided). Ivy had the chicken shawarma sandwich ($4). As always, the freshly cooked and chopped chicken is piled into a large pita and stuffed with their fantastic hummus, Jerusalem salad and some spicy sauce. This is great value as the pita was packed so full, a bit of hummus burst through the pita pocket. It makes things a bit messier but she didn’t complain. This sandwich is so good I could eat it every day. I opted for the chicken shawarma dinner which had chicken piled on top of rice and lentils (with caramelized onions), a good portion of hummus and a large pita. This is a lot of food ($6) and is very good. The rice and lentils alone is a great vegetarian option as it is so yummy that I just kept eating it until it was all gone, ignoring my full stomach. With free water, out total bill was $16.40 for this feast. You really can’t beat the value here.
I have eaten at Sultan’s Market so many times it is hard to count. Their falafel is the best I have had as their falafel balls are huge and crunchy and they make it the same way they make the shawarma sandwich, piled full of goodies. The basmati rice is recommended as is the lamb kefta kabob.
You absolutely cannot go wrong here whether you swing in and grab some hummus to go or fill up a container with some goodies off of their innovative and wonderful salad bar (very popular with vegetarians). This place is a winner in every way and they even deliver.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Chicago (American Diner) - Lou Mitchell's
Lou Mitchell’s
565 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-939-3111
Date of Review: August, 2008
When it comes to diner style breakfast, Lou Mitchell’s is on top and no one else is even in the picture. This “typical” American style diner is actually about as atypical as it gets. This is the kind of place that tourists visiting Chicago come to and, quite frankly, I usually try to avoid those places as I find them often overhyped. That is not the case with Lou Mitchell’s. Struggling to find a more emphatic adjective, this place is fucking awesome!
The original downtown location has a neat al fresco dining area on a quiet slice of downtown somewhere between the Financial District and the West Loop. There is typically a bit of a line but feel free to slide into a stool at the counter if you are alone or with 1 other person. By the way, while you wait in line, they offer free homemade donut holes. You can taste the butter in these things and they are damn good. If someone isn’t handing them out from a basket, look for the basket near the area where you wait to get seated and take one yourself.
Everything is homemade here and their coffee is outstanding (they boast it is the best in the world). All pastries are homemade (they emphasize this) and this includes the gigantic cookies and muffins sitting by the counter waiting to leave with a customer eyeing an afternoon snack.
I have only had breakfast at Lou’s at this point but look forward to lunch as their sandwiches and entrees sound great and the home cut fries look excellent. I have focused on the omelets and they are outstanding. All breakfast items are served in a skillet with t he most wonderful potatoes I can remember. They should patent the potato recipe because I have never had better. The potatoes are sliced thinly, tender (not overcooked) and are still glistening with the butter they were cooked in when they arrive in front of you. Throw some hot sauce and ketchup on if you like and enjoy. I have had the spinach, feta, onion and turkey sausage and Greek special omelet (Greek sausage, onion, tomato, green pepper). The omelets are large and outstanding. The ingredients are fresh and the omelets are in front of you piping hot right after they are cooked. They are very generous with the sausage and other ingredients loaded into the omelet and they are cooked perfectly. These things are big too. Don’t plan on eating lunch.
The service is good as the servers know how to systematically work in a very busy atmosphere. They are busy but they make their way around to you and they are all business so be ready to order.
Lou Mitchell’s is on the high end of the price list for breakfast. Omelets are $9.95 but you do get a lot of food with toast and potatoes. On my last visit, I had an omelet (I added spinach for an extra $1) and coffee and my bill was just over $14 including tax but not tip. While pricey, these really are the best omelets I have ever had and the portions are so large that you covered 2 meals. When you look at it that way, I guess it isn’t all that expensive after all.
Lou Mitchell’s is a simple place. It is far from fancy and it lauds itself on basic, home style cooking. They emphasize that everything is cooked in butter and you can certainly taste that they are not lying. They don’t even take credit cards as this is CASH only. They use quality ingredients and truly care about what comes out of their kitchen as you can taste it in every bite.
565 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-939-3111
Date of Review: August, 2008
When it comes to diner style breakfast, Lou Mitchell’s is on top and no one else is even in the picture. This “typical” American style diner is actually about as atypical as it gets. This is the kind of place that tourists visiting Chicago come to and, quite frankly, I usually try to avoid those places as I find them often overhyped. That is not the case with Lou Mitchell’s. Struggling to find a more emphatic adjective, this place is fucking awesome!
The original downtown location has a neat al fresco dining area on a quiet slice of downtown somewhere between the Financial District and the West Loop. There is typically a bit of a line but feel free to slide into a stool at the counter if you are alone or with 1 other person. By the way, while you wait in line, they offer free homemade donut holes. You can taste the butter in these things and they are damn good. If someone isn’t handing them out from a basket, look for the basket near the area where you wait to get seated and take one yourself.
Everything is homemade here and their coffee is outstanding (they boast it is the best in the world). All pastries are homemade (they emphasize this) and this includes the gigantic cookies and muffins sitting by the counter waiting to leave with a customer eyeing an afternoon snack.
I have only had breakfast at Lou’s at this point but look forward to lunch as their sandwiches and entrees sound great and the home cut fries look excellent. I have focused on the omelets and they are outstanding. All breakfast items are served in a skillet with t he most wonderful potatoes I can remember. They should patent the potato recipe because I have never had better. The potatoes are sliced thinly, tender (not overcooked) and are still glistening with the butter they were cooked in when they arrive in front of you. Throw some hot sauce and ketchup on if you like and enjoy. I have had the spinach, feta, onion and turkey sausage and Greek special omelet (Greek sausage, onion, tomato, green pepper). The omelets are large and outstanding. The ingredients are fresh and the omelets are in front of you piping hot right after they are cooked. They are very generous with the sausage and other ingredients loaded into the omelet and they are cooked perfectly. These things are big too. Don’t plan on eating lunch.
The service is good as the servers know how to systematically work in a very busy atmosphere. They are busy but they make their way around to you and they are all business so be ready to order.
Lou Mitchell’s is on the high end of the price list for breakfast. Omelets are $9.95 but you do get a lot of food with toast and potatoes. On my last visit, I had an omelet (I added spinach for an extra $1) and coffee and my bill was just over $14 including tax but not tip. While pricey, these really are the best omelets I have ever had and the portions are so large that you covered 2 meals. When you look at it that way, I guess it isn’t all that expensive after all.
Lou Mitchell’s is a simple place. It is far from fancy and it lauds itself on basic, home style cooking. They emphasize that everything is cooked in butter and you can certainly taste that they are not lying. They don’t even take credit cards as this is CASH only. They use quality ingredients and truly care about what comes out of their kitchen as you can taste it in every bite.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Chicago (Italian) - Buona Terra
Buona Terra
2535 North California, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-289-3800
Date of Review: August, 2008
It is hard for me to admit that I have lived in Logan Square for the last 6 years and have never set foot in this restaurant. Not even one time. I thought about it and planned on it many times, but somehow it never happened even though I love local, neighborhood establishments. Well, I finally made it (twice in 2 weeks) and found out what I have been missing. Buona Terra is a true find.
Buona Terra is on California Avenue off of Logan Boulevard in one of Logan Square’s restaurant “lanes” if you prefer to define it that way. It is next to Starbucks, Hachi’s Kitchen and Rustik. It is a small restaurant with a decent size al fresco dining area out front and a small bar. The dining area is probably 40-50 inside the restaurant, not counting the patio. The tables are close together making for an intimate dining environment and they have impressive artwork.
The menu descriptions jumped out at me as everything sounded like something I want to try. The complimentary bread takes a while to come out but it is worth the wait as it is warm and crusty and is served with a tasty minced garlic, olive oil and cheese mixture. For appetizers, the good sized portion of grilled baby octopus with a tri color salad in a balsamic sauce is excellent. It has a wonderful grilled flavor in a nice sauce and the endive and radicchio in the salad are a great accompaniment to the grilled octopus. The grilled calamari is also solid and is served with some nicely picked greens and sauce. The mista is a simple mixed salad in a red wine vinegar dressing.
For entrees, the linguine with white clam sauce is amazing. It is served with bits of garlic amid nice linguini with perfectly cooked, chewy clams. The Spaghetti al Gamberetti includes rock shrimp, tomatoes, spinach, olive oil and garlic. There was nothing over the top about this dish but I loved it. It was simple with good ingredients and great taste. The Fettucine Primavera is out of this world. Served with perfectly cooked vegetables and a wonderful spicy marinara sauce, I was blown away by this pasta dish. We also had the grilled, pounded chicken breast with herbs, tomatoes, mozzarella and arugula and the Vitello Monte Carlo which had sautéed veal medallions with prosciutto and fontina cheese in a sherry wine sauce. Both were excellent and the veal dish could compete with veal dishes from any of Chicago’s top Italian restaurants. I have also tried the salmon served with an avocado relish and roasted potatoes and vegetables. Wow! This was a daily special and I was impressed with a large piece of salmon cooked perfectly with a refreshing avocado relish on top. The roasted vegetables were excellent and the potatoes were roasted so firmly you would have thought they were fried. They were almost like a little potato cake.
For desserts, the profiteroles with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce are solid and the sorbet served in a peach (or a lemon, coconut or orange) is fantastic.
I have been impressed with the friendly and helpful servers. On once occasion, our server took the liberty of splitting the salad for us (without asking) and they seem to be on top of things as they always seem to arrive with what we need at precisely the right time.
The prices at Buona Terra are quite reasonable with pastas in the $10-15 range and only 1 entrée over $20. On one visit, we had a bottle of white wine, 2 beers, 1 appetizer, 2 salads and 4 entrees and paid $170 with tax and tip. Overall, the price and quality of the food is fantastic. The $22 3 course price fixe Thursday special is one of the best values in Chicago as the entire menu (including specials) is available for selection. You cannot beat this value.
2535 North California, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-289-3800
Date of Review: August, 2008
It is hard for me to admit that I have lived in Logan Square for the last 6 years and have never set foot in this restaurant. Not even one time. I thought about it and planned on it many times, but somehow it never happened even though I love local, neighborhood establishments. Well, I finally made it (twice in 2 weeks) and found out what I have been missing. Buona Terra is a true find.
Buona Terra is on California Avenue off of Logan Boulevard in one of Logan Square’s restaurant “lanes” if you prefer to define it that way. It is next to Starbucks, Hachi’s Kitchen and Rustik. It is a small restaurant with a decent size al fresco dining area out front and a small bar. The dining area is probably 40-50 inside the restaurant, not counting the patio. The tables are close together making for an intimate dining environment and they have impressive artwork.
The menu descriptions jumped out at me as everything sounded like something I want to try. The complimentary bread takes a while to come out but it is worth the wait as it is warm and crusty and is served with a tasty minced garlic, olive oil and cheese mixture. For appetizers, the good sized portion of grilled baby octopus with a tri color salad in a balsamic sauce is excellent. It has a wonderful grilled flavor in a nice sauce and the endive and radicchio in the salad are a great accompaniment to the grilled octopus. The grilled calamari is also solid and is served with some nicely picked greens and sauce. The mista is a simple mixed salad in a red wine vinegar dressing.
For entrees, the linguine with white clam sauce is amazing. It is served with bits of garlic amid nice linguini with perfectly cooked, chewy clams. The Spaghetti al Gamberetti includes rock shrimp, tomatoes, spinach, olive oil and garlic. There was nothing over the top about this dish but I loved it. It was simple with good ingredients and great taste. The Fettucine Primavera is out of this world. Served with perfectly cooked vegetables and a wonderful spicy marinara sauce, I was blown away by this pasta dish. We also had the grilled, pounded chicken breast with herbs, tomatoes, mozzarella and arugula and the Vitello Monte Carlo which had sautéed veal medallions with prosciutto and fontina cheese in a sherry wine sauce. Both were excellent and the veal dish could compete with veal dishes from any of Chicago’s top Italian restaurants. I have also tried the salmon served with an avocado relish and roasted potatoes and vegetables. Wow! This was a daily special and I was impressed with a large piece of salmon cooked perfectly with a refreshing avocado relish on top. The roasted vegetables were excellent and the potatoes were roasted so firmly you would have thought they were fried. They were almost like a little potato cake.
For desserts, the profiteroles with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce are solid and the sorbet served in a peach (or a lemon, coconut or orange) is fantastic.
I have been impressed with the friendly and helpful servers. On once occasion, our server took the liberty of splitting the salad for us (without asking) and they seem to be on top of things as they always seem to arrive with what we need at precisely the right time.
The prices at Buona Terra are quite reasonable with pastas in the $10-15 range and only 1 entrée over $20. On one visit, we had a bottle of white wine, 2 beers, 1 appetizer, 2 salads and 4 entrees and paid $170 with tax and tip. Overall, the price and quality of the food is fantastic. The $22 3 course price fixe Thursday special is one of the best values in Chicago as the entire menu (including specials) is available for selection. You cannot beat this value.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Chicago (Greek) - Greek Islands
Greek Islands
200 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-782-9855
Date of Review: July, 2008
In the heart of Greektown, there is no better place to enjoy a meal than at Greek Islands restaurant. Located on the corner of Adams and Halsted, this large restaurant is a perfect place for a dinner for two or a larger dinner party. In addition, they have adequate banquet facilities for rehearsal dinners, large parties and outings of this type.
This large, casual restaurant has the feeling of a Greek tavern. I would imagine you would find something similar in Greece, although the sea instead of the Chicago city skyline would serve as the backdrop. They have a large bar area with a long bar that is great for casual dining or drinks. The bar features quite a few circular tables and some high tops for 2 lining the windows providing a great up close view of the Chicago city skyline and Halsted Street.
The seafood display cases across from the host / hostess desk that you pass as you enter the restaurant speak to the outstanding quality of the seafood at Greek Islands. I have had the grilled octopus and found the charbroiled flavor of the octopus excellent. This dish is a great starter or entrée and it is served cooked in some outstanding olive oil. I mention the olive oil because everything is high quality here and that definitely includes the Greek olive oil served on your table with basic, complimentary Greek bread (from one of the Greek bakeries up the street). The fried calamari is lightly pan friend and served with simple cocktail sauce. It is some of the freshest calamari I have had in a restaurant that does not border the sea or ocean. The fresh flavor reminds me of calamari I had on the Mediterranean in Croatia and Portugal. The home made gyros at Greek Islands are outstanding. You can order a healthy appetizer portion for ($5.95) or have the gyros over an Athenian salad or as an entrée. On my last visit, I chose the Gyros Salad. This dinner size salad features homemade gyro meat served over the Athenian salad which is excellent in its own right if ordered alone ($4.75). What makes the gyro meat home made? I can’t explain the details but the taste for one. The slices of slow roasted, wholesome lean lamb and beef gyros have a rich, succulent flavor that comes from the meat and cooking style. This is not the same type of gyro meat you get at your typical fast food spot. Not even close. The Athenian salad it is served over features beautiful fresh ingredients including imported feta, cucumbers, flavorful kalamata olives, red vine tomatoes, pepperocini’s and red onions in a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing that doesn’t take away from the fresh taste of the vegetables. I was especially impressed with the flavor of the tomatoes as they tasted like they were grown in someone’s backyard. The salad was served with a good size order of tzatziki (also good as an appetizer) which was thick, zesty and creamy.
You can’t go wrong with eating tapas style here either as the garlicky skordalia, imported feta and any of the appetizers are all good. The spanacorizo is a nice side dish that features spinach and rice in tomato sauce.
Greek Islands offers unbelievable value for the quality and quantity of the food. On my last visit, I had the gyros salad (which was more than sufficient as an entrée) and my total bill was $14 including tax and tip. Some of the best values on the menu include the Gyros appetizer at $5.95 and the Grilled Octopus appetizer at $7.75.
200 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-782-9855
Date of Review: July, 2008
In the heart of Greektown, there is no better place to enjoy a meal than at Greek Islands restaurant. Located on the corner of Adams and Halsted, this large restaurant is a perfect place for a dinner for two or a larger dinner party. In addition, they have adequate banquet facilities for rehearsal dinners, large parties and outings of this type.
This large, casual restaurant has the feeling of a Greek tavern. I would imagine you would find something similar in Greece, although the sea instead of the Chicago city skyline would serve as the backdrop. They have a large bar area with a long bar that is great for casual dining or drinks. The bar features quite a few circular tables and some high tops for 2 lining the windows providing a great up close view of the Chicago city skyline and Halsted Street.
The seafood display cases across from the host / hostess desk that you pass as you enter the restaurant speak to the outstanding quality of the seafood at Greek Islands. I have had the grilled octopus and found the charbroiled flavor of the octopus excellent. This dish is a great starter or entrée and it is served cooked in some outstanding olive oil. I mention the olive oil because everything is high quality here and that definitely includes the Greek olive oil served on your table with basic, complimentary Greek bread (from one of the Greek bakeries up the street). The fried calamari is lightly pan friend and served with simple cocktail sauce. It is some of the freshest calamari I have had in a restaurant that does not border the sea or ocean. The fresh flavor reminds me of calamari I had on the Mediterranean in Croatia and Portugal. The home made gyros at Greek Islands are outstanding. You can order a healthy appetizer portion for ($5.95) or have the gyros over an Athenian salad or as an entrée. On my last visit, I chose the Gyros Salad. This dinner size salad features homemade gyro meat served over the Athenian salad which is excellent in its own right if ordered alone ($4.75). What makes the gyro meat home made? I can’t explain the details but the taste for one. The slices of slow roasted, wholesome lean lamb and beef gyros have a rich, succulent flavor that comes from the meat and cooking style. This is not the same type of gyro meat you get at your typical fast food spot. Not even close. The Athenian salad it is served over features beautiful fresh ingredients including imported feta, cucumbers, flavorful kalamata olives, red vine tomatoes, pepperocini’s and red onions in a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing that doesn’t take away from the fresh taste of the vegetables. I was especially impressed with the flavor of the tomatoes as they tasted like they were grown in someone’s backyard. The salad was served with a good size order of tzatziki (also good as an appetizer) which was thick, zesty and creamy.
You can’t go wrong with eating tapas style here either as the garlicky skordalia, imported feta and any of the appetizers are all good. The spanacorizo is a nice side dish that features spinach and rice in tomato sauce.
Greek Islands offers unbelievable value for the quality and quantity of the food. On my last visit, I had the gyros salad (which was more than sufficient as an entrée) and my total bill was $14 including tax and tip. Some of the best values on the menu include the Gyros appetizer at $5.95 and the Grilled Octopus appetizer at $7.75.
Chicago (Seafood) - Half Shell
Half Shell
676 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-549-1773
Date of Review: July, 2008
In the heart of Lakeview right on busy Diversey Parkway, Half Shell is a little gem that serves excellent, reasonably priced seafood. This tiny restaurant has a basement entrance and the entire restaurant is located in the basement. It is like a little dungeon inside and it has the feeling of an Irish bar where you slip inside and walk out after many beers not knowing what hit you. In this cavernous basement though, they churn our large quantities of impressive seafood. To be honest, after walking into the place, you would never think they could serve up seafood of the quality that they do.
There is a dining area for maybe 30-40 inside the restaurant (including the bar) and they have a nice patio out front that nearly doubles the size of the restaurant during the summer. On our visit, we sat out front and enjoyed the weather.
While the menu does offer a few non-seafood items, you are not coming to Half Shell to eat anything but seafood. For appetizers, we had the half-shell sashimi, steamed mussels and sauce and crab cakes. The crab cakes were 2 large typical fried crab cake patties. I found them to be decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. The mussels were a generous portion but again nothing special. The garlic butter sauce the mussels were served with didn’t add much to the dish. The sashimi plate was excellent. It featured 7 thin slices of fresh and tasty salmon, 2 raw oysters and 2 pieces of shrimp cocktail. This was great value with a decent amount of fresh seafood.
For entrees, Mike and Ivy had the steamed King Crab legs. Served atop a generous portion of basic French fries and with a cup of coleslaw, these were the hit of the meal. The crab legs were huge and the meat was tasty and, importantly, very easy to get out of the shell. There wasn’t too much work involved which is always a concern for me with crab legs. The garlic butter sauce went well with the sweet crab meat and you cannot beat the value (26$) for the quality of the crab. It seemed everyone in the restaurant ordered the crab legs except for me. I had the deep fried scallops which were served atop fries with coleslaw. The scallops were large, tender and lightly fried. The portion of scallops was large and they were tasty.
Half Shell offers excellent value for the quality and quantity of food the offer. At $26.40 for jumbo King crab legs, you cannot beat the price. Our total bill including tax and tip came out to $180 and that included 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, 5 beers and 3 glasses of wine.
676 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-549-1773
Date of Review: July, 2008
In the heart of Lakeview right on busy Diversey Parkway, Half Shell is a little gem that serves excellent, reasonably priced seafood. This tiny restaurant has a basement entrance and the entire restaurant is located in the basement. It is like a little dungeon inside and it has the feeling of an Irish bar where you slip inside and walk out after many beers not knowing what hit you. In this cavernous basement though, they churn our large quantities of impressive seafood. To be honest, after walking into the place, you would never think they could serve up seafood of the quality that they do.
There is a dining area for maybe 30-40 inside the restaurant (including the bar) and they have a nice patio out front that nearly doubles the size of the restaurant during the summer. On our visit, we sat out front and enjoyed the weather.
While the menu does offer a few non-seafood items, you are not coming to Half Shell to eat anything but seafood. For appetizers, we had the half-shell sashimi, steamed mussels and sauce and crab cakes. The crab cakes were 2 large typical fried crab cake patties. I found them to be decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. The mussels were a generous portion but again nothing special. The garlic butter sauce the mussels were served with didn’t add much to the dish. The sashimi plate was excellent. It featured 7 thin slices of fresh and tasty salmon, 2 raw oysters and 2 pieces of shrimp cocktail. This was great value with a decent amount of fresh seafood.
For entrees, Mike and Ivy had the steamed King Crab legs. Served atop a generous portion of basic French fries and with a cup of coleslaw, these were the hit of the meal. The crab legs were huge and the meat was tasty and, importantly, very easy to get out of the shell. There wasn’t too much work involved which is always a concern for me with crab legs. The garlic butter sauce went well with the sweet crab meat and you cannot beat the value (26$) for the quality of the crab. It seemed everyone in the restaurant ordered the crab legs except for me. I had the deep fried scallops which were served atop fries with coleslaw. The scallops were large, tender and lightly fried. The portion of scallops was large and they were tasty.
Half Shell offers excellent value for the quality and quantity of food the offer. At $26.40 for jumbo King crab legs, you cannot beat the price. Our total bill including tax and tip came out to $180 and that included 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, 5 beers and 3 glasses of wine.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Chicago (American) - Cafe Fresco
Café Fresco
1202 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-733-6378
Date of Review: June, 2008
I am not sure how well known this relatively simple neighborhood storefront restaurant is to most, but it is well known to me and my friends and has one of the best outdoor dining areas in Chicago. Café Fresco is conveniently located on a busy section of Grand Avenue close to downtown. It is surrounded by one of the best small Italian grocers in the city (Bari foods) and one of the better Italian bakeries I have been to (Damato’s).
Café Fresco has a small and basic interior with a few high and low top tables in bar like interior. They have a downstairs area where larger parties and events can take place but the real gem of this restaurant is the patio area. You walk through the restaurant, past the kitchen into what seems like another world. Café Fresco looks like it used to be a small home and this was the backyard. There are wild grape plants and lots of trees and ivy covering the walls and garage door. When I sit in Café Fresco’s backyard, I feel like I am in an oasis of sorts.
Café Fresco has a menu that is half “high-end” bar food (e.g. excellent sandwiches) and half Italian. I have eaten here probably 20 times and have come to favor a few things. For appetizers, the artichoke fritters are great. I do not like artichokes usually but when they are peeled off like onion peels, lightly fried and served with a spicy remoulade dipping sauce, they are very good. The bruschetta is also an excellent way to start your meal.
They have a great burger that is served with fries. The burger is good size and is topped with onions and tomatoes on a sesame seed bun with a large portion of basic, but decent french fries. The chili ancho chicken sandwich and fresco club are also good bets. The fresco club is loaded will all sorts of Italian lunch meats and cheeses on a nice focaccia bun. The Steak Au Poive sandwich is also a winner. They do offer specials and on my last visit I had the Italian veggie sandwich. The sandwich was huge and had sautéed eggplant, squash, zucchini and onion topped with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce on an Italian roll. The sandwich was good, but not great.
There are some excellent pasta dishes with my favorite being the rigatoni. There are huge rings of thick rigatoni noodles with goat cheese, spicy red sauce and Italian sausage mixed in throughout the dish. When the dish arrived, I thought it was just one big ring of pasta because the noodles were so big. This is my favorite pasta dish on the menu. The gemelli pasta was the pasta special on my last visit and it consisted of gemelli pasta with grilled chicken, spinach and asparagus in a tomato sauce. The combination of ingredients went well together with the tasty sauce and the portion was large. Their entrees are also solid and they usually have a fish special that features tilapia or salmon.
The prices at Café Fresco are about average. Sandwiches are in the $8 to $10 range and most pasta dishes are anywhere in the $11 to $13 range. The specials and fish dishes can get up to $15 to $17. They do have a full bar. On my last visit, we had the Italian veggie sandwich, gemelli pasta and 2 lemonades (free refills) and the total price was $28.90 plus tax and tip.
This is a pleasant place to enjoy a casual meal. You could really salt away an evening in their fantastic garden area over some solid food and quite a few drinks. I know I have on many occasions.
1202 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-733-6378
Date of Review: June, 2008
I am not sure how well known this relatively simple neighborhood storefront restaurant is to most, but it is well known to me and my friends and has one of the best outdoor dining areas in Chicago. Café Fresco is conveniently located on a busy section of Grand Avenue close to downtown. It is surrounded by one of the best small Italian grocers in the city (Bari foods) and one of the better Italian bakeries I have been to (Damato’s).
Café Fresco has a small and basic interior with a few high and low top tables in bar like interior. They have a downstairs area where larger parties and events can take place but the real gem of this restaurant is the patio area. You walk through the restaurant, past the kitchen into what seems like another world. Café Fresco looks like it used to be a small home and this was the backyard. There are wild grape plants and lots of trees and ivy covering the walls and garage door. When I sit in Café Fresco’s backyard, I feel like I am in an oasis of sorts.
Café Fresco has a menu that is half “high-end” bar food (e.g. excellent sandwiches) and half Italian. I have eaten here probably 20 times and have come to favor a few things. For appetizers, the artichoke fritters are great. I do not like artichokes usually but when they are peeled off like onion peels, lightly fried and served with a spicy remoulade dipping sauce, they are very good. The bruschetta is also an excellent way to start your meal.
They have a great burger that is served with fries. The burger is good size and is topped with onions and tomatoes on a sesame seed bun with a large portion of basic, but decent french fries. The chili ancho chicken sandwich and fresco club are also good bets. The fresco club is loaded will all sorts of Italian lunch meats and cheeses on a nice focaccia bun. The Steak Au Poive sandwich is also a winner. They do offer specials and on my last visit I had the Italian veggie sandwich. The sandwich was huge and had sautéed eggplant, squash, zucchini and onion topped with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce on an Italian roll. The sandwich was good, but not great.
There are some excellent pasta dishes with my favorite being the rigatoni. There are huge rings of thick rigatoni noodles with goat cheese, spicy red sauce and Italian sausage mixed in throughout the dish. When the dish arrived, I thought it was just one big ring of pasta because the noodles were so big. This is my favorite pasta dish on the menu. The gemelli pasta was the pasta special on my last visit and it consisted of gemelli pasta with grilled chicken, spinach and asparagus in a tomato sauce. The combination of ingredients went well together with the tasty sauce and the portion was large. Their entrees are also solid and they usually have a fish special that features tilapia or salmon.
The prices at Café Fresco are about average. Sandwiches are in the $8 to $10 range and most pasta dishes are anywhere in the $11 to $13 range. The specials and fish dishes can get up to $15 to $17. They do have a full bar. On my last visit, we had the Italian veggie sandwich, gemelli pasta and 2 lemonades (free refills) and the total price was $28.90 plus tax and tip.
This is a pleasant place to enjoy a casual meal. You could really salt away an evening in their fantastic garden area over some solid food and quite a few drinks. I know I have on many occasions.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Chicago (Mexican) - El Cid 2
El Cid 2
2645 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-395-0505
Date of Review: June, 2008
This is a staple Logan Square spot that has undergone some changes recently. They recently added a chic upstairs lounge that has brought in a bit more of the new Logan Square “yuppie” crowd. They have also dressed up the menu, though it remains to be seen as to how this goes over. What El Cid does offer is good, solid authentic Mexican food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is located on Kedzie Boulevard across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line stop. There is another El Cid restaurant on 2115 N. Milwaukee Avenue about a mile away. One thing no one may know by looking at the restaurant is that they have a large, splendid garden off the back of the restaurant that makes you feel like you are dining in someone’s backyard.
I have had many a Burrito De Arracera (Grilled Skirt Steak Burrito) at 1 AM or 2 AM as I walked back to my apartment from where the cabbie dropped me after a night out at the bars. That happens when you live 1/10th of a mile from a decent Mexican restaurant. However, El Cid is much more than a late night place to soak up liquor. The burritos are very good though at any time of the day as the chicken and steak are both fresh and tasty.
Some good breakfast options on the menu are the Huevos Rancheros and Huevos a la Mexicana. For lunch and dinner, El Cid is known for their fish tacos. Personally, I think they are good but a little lacking in flavor. I think there are better options on the menu like the tortas, burritos or a platter of enchiladas. A couple of good appetizers include the guacamole (portion is huge), the Coctel De Camaron (Shrimp Cocktail) or the Coctel "vuelve a La Vida " (Oyster, Octopus, and Shrimp Cocktail). The seafood is tasty and the cocktail sauce is a perfect accompaniment to the seafood. El Cid offers complimentary chips with 2 different types of salsa. There is the green tomatillo salsa which is good and the pico de gallo which is excellent. This pico de gallo is the best salsa I can remember having. It has just the right combination of sweetness and fresh tomato, onion and jalapeno. It is out of this world as I have swung by El Cid to pick up a container to bring home on many occasions.
The prices at El Cid are about average. They used to be very reasonable but with the addition of the new lounge, they have rightfully raised their prices. An order of guacamole is $6.95 while an order of shrimp cocktail is $9.95. The fish tacos dinner (3 fish tacos with rice and beans) is a good bargain at $9.95 as is the grilled skirt steak burrito (not served with anything) at $5.75. The margaritas are big and expensive and draft beers are $3 a piece.
El Cid has solid Mexican food at reasonable prices in a nice environment. It is the kind of place you would frequent regularly if it was in your neighborhood.
The upstairs lounge is a great place for private (e.g. birthday) party for 25-40 people.
2645 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-395-0505
Date of Review: June, 2008
This is a staple Logan Square spot that has undergone some changes recently. They recently added a chic upstairs lounge that has brought in a bit more of the new Logan Square “yuppie” crowd. They have also dressed up the menu, though it remains to be seen as to how this goes over. What El Cid does offer is good, solid authentic Mexican food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is located on Kedzie Boulevard across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line stop. There is another El Cid restaurant on 2115 N. Milwaukee Avenue about a mile away. One thing no one may know by looking at the restaurant is that they have a large, splendid garden off the back of the restaurant that makes you feel like you are dining in someone’s backyard.
I have had many a Burrito De Arracera (Grilled Skirt Steak Burrito) at 1 AM or 2 AM as I walked back to my apartment from where the cabbie dropped me after a night out at the bars. That happens when you live 1/10th of a mile from a decent Mexican restaurant. However, El Cid is much more than a late night place to soak up liquor. The burritos are very good though at any time of the day as the chicken and steak are both fresh and tasty.
Some good breakfast options on the menu are the Huevos Rancheros and Huevos a la Mexicana. For lunch and dinner, El Cid is known for their fish tacos. Personally, I think they are good but a little lacking in flavor. I think there are better options on the menu like the tortas, burritos or a platter of enchiladas. A couple of good appetizers include the guacamole (portion is huge), the Coctel De Camaron (Shrimp Cocktail) or the Coctel "vuelve a La Vida " (Oyster, Octopus, and Shrimp Cocktail). The seafood is tasty and the cocktail sauce is a perfect accompaniment to the seafood. El Cid offers complimentary chips with 2 different types of salsa. There is the green tomatillo salsa which is good and the pico de gallo which is excellent. This pico de gallo is the best salsa I can remember having. It has just the right combination of sweetness and fresh tomato, onion and jalapeno. It is out of this world as I have swung by El Cid to pick up a container to bring home on many occasions.
The prices at El Cid are about average. They used to be very reasonable but with the addition of the new lounge, they have rightfully raised their prices. An order of guacamole is $6.95 while an order of shrimp cocktail is $9.95. The fish tacos dinner (3 fish tacos with rice and beans) is a good bargain at $9.95 as is the grilled skirt steak burrito (not served with anything) at $5.75. The margaritas are big and expensive and draft beers are $3 a piece.
El Cid has solid Mexican food at reasonable prices in a nice environment. It is the kind of place you would frequent regularly if it was in your neighborhood.
The upstairs lounge is a great place for private (e.g. birthday) party for 25-40 people.
Chicago (Peruvian) - Taste of Peru
Taste of Peru
6545 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-381-4540
Date of Review: June, 2008
Located in Rogers Park far North, Taste of Peru is one of a few of Chicago’s Peruvian restaurants. This discreet storefront BYOB (5$ corkage) restaurant is located in a strip mall on Clark Street. It is a simple place with basic tables and seating for 60-70. The décor is focused entirely Peru except for some photographs in the back of famous people (who the owner either admires or have visited the restaurant) and some articles from local magazines and papers praising some of the restaurants dishes. The rest of the restaurant décor features travel articles on Peru, Peruvian artifacts, Peruvian pipe music playing overhead and pictures of Peru.
During our visit, we had the papa rellena ($7) as an appetizer. This mashed potato is filled with all sorts of nice bits and pieces including beef, olives, raisins and red peppers and is then fried. It almost looks like a baked potato until you break into it with your fork. It is full of interesting flavors and is even better with a bit of the onion salad in a ceviche style lime dressing and some of their spicy, avocado colored spicy sauce. The flavor of the sauce comes from what I think is cilantro and jalapeno and it has a kick. For entrees, we had the Arroz con Mariscos (seafood paella) and the Seco de Cordero (stewed lamb). The seafood paella features tasty golden yellow saffron flavored rice loaded with crab legs, clams, mussels, shrimp and squid. The portion is large and seafood is plentiful and tasty. The only part of this dish I didn’t like was the crab legs. Oddly, the crab meat was salty and dry. The Seco de Cordero features lamb stewed with red wine, pumpkin, beer, chile ancho and red peppers. The lamb was tasty and tender and was definitely the highlight of the dish. You could taste the flavor of the beer in the lamb and its juices throughout the dish. The rice and beans served with the dish were bland to say the least. While I could taste the beer/lamb juices in the rice because the lamb was sitting on top of the rice, I couldn’t pick up much else in terms of seasonings in the rice. The beans had literally no flavor but I found myself enjoying the rice with the lamb much more after I turned to the spicy green sauce. A funny thing my guest highlighted is that the dishes look exactly like the pictures on the large menu. This was particularly applicable to the Arroz con Mariscos.
The server was a friendly Peruvian man who seemed genuinely interested as to whether we enjoyed our meal and he offered good suggestions.
Taste of Peru offers good value. Our appetizer was $7 and the paella was $16.95. The lamb dish was $12. We did not have any drinks and didn’t bring wine and our total bill came to $38.15 plus tip.
6545 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-381-4540
Date of Review: June, 2008
Located in Rogers Park far North, Taste of Peru is one of a few of Chicago’s Peruvian restaurants. This discreet storefront BYOB (5$ corkage) restaurant is located in a strip mall on Clark Street. It is a simple place with basic tables and seating for 60-70. The décor is focused entirely Peru except for some photographs in the back of famous people (who the owner either admires or have visited the restaurant) and some articles from local magazines and papers praising some of the restaurants dishes. The rest of the restaurant décor features travel articles on Peru, Peruvian artifacts, Peruvian pipe music playing overhead and pictures of Peru.
During our visit, we had the papa rellena ($7) as an appetizer. This mashed potato is filled with all sorts of nice bits and pieces including beef, olives, raisins and red peppers and is then fried. It almost looks like a baked potato until you break into it with your fork. It is full of interesting flavors and is even better with a bit of the onion salad in a ceviche style lime dressing and some of their spicy, avocado colored spicy sauce. The flavor of the sauce comes from what I think is cilantro and jalapeno and it has a kick. For entrees, we had the Arroz con Mariscos (seafood paella) and the Seco de Cordero (stewed lamb). The seafood paella features tasty golden yellow saffron flavored rice loaded with crab legs, clams, mussels, shrimp and squid. The portion is large and seafood is plentiful and tasty. The only part of this dish I didn’t like was the crab legs. Oddly, the crab meat was salty and dry. The Seco de Cordero features lamb stewed with red wine, pumpkin, beer, chile ancho and red peppers. The lamb was tasty and tender and was definitely the highlight of the dish. You could taste the flavor of the beer in the lamb and its juices throughout the dish. The rice and beans served with the dish were bland to say the least. While I could taste the beer/lamb juices in the rice because the lamb was sitting on top of the rice, I couldn’t pick up much else in terms of seasonings in the rice. The beans had literally no flavor but I found myself enjoying the rice with the lamb much more after I turned to the spicy green sauce. A funny thing my guest highlighted is that the dishes look exactly like the pictures on the large menu. This was particularly applicable to the Arroz con Mariscos.
The server was a friendly Peruvian man who seemed genuinely interested as to whether we enjoyed our meal and he offered good suggestions.
Taste of Peru offers good value. Our appetizer was $7 and the paella was $16.95. The lamb dish was $12. We did not have any drinks and didn’t bring wine and our total bill came to $38.15 plus tip.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Chicago (Mexican) - Fonda del Mar
Fonda del Mar
3749 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-868-1857
Date of Review: May, 2008
This quaint Mexican fish house restaurant offers excellent Mexican seafood dishes in a colorful atmosphere. Nestled on Fullerton Ave. past Central Park deep in the heart of Logan Square, many people would never venture into this particular area of Chicago if it weren’t for this restaurant. This unassuming restaurant would be easy to pass by.
The restaurant has great pictures of Puerto Escondido, a Mexican surfing town, and has colorful paintings and décor that make you feel like you are eating at a restaurant on the coast in Mexico. The use of brick and bright colors throughout the restaurant and the exquisite attention to detail make dining in this small (15-20 tables) restaurant an intimate and invigorating experience.
Fonda del Mar’s menu is just large enough to provide enough options but not too large to overwhelm. While they offer roasted chicken and lamb chops with authentic mole in addition to pork and steak dishes, fish and shellfish dominate the menu.
For appetizers, we tried the chips and salsa (not complimentary – 2$ per order), mango salad and fresh masa sweet corn tamales. The chips were firm, crispy and had a rich corn flavor. They were served with a mild green tomatillo salsa and a red salsa that had a kick to it. The salad was unimpressive as this bare bones mixture had only some mango with lettuce and a bit of cheese. The guava dressing did not have a lot of flavor. The sweet corn tamales were an order of 2 good size tamales drizzled with a poblano cream sauce and chihuahua cheese. The sweet corn was music to my taste buds and the sauce gave a nice contrast to the flavor of the sweet corn.
For entrees, three of us went for fish dishes and my father opted for the pork. The whole tilapia I ordered was mind bogglingly large and full of garlic flavor. It must have been a 1.5 to 2 lb fish and it was marinated in garlic and roasted with garlic, avocado, black beans, tomato, green onion and cilantro. I usually don’t have a tough time finishing a fish entrée but this fish was so large that I didn’t even look at the side of rice it was served with and found myself forcing my dining guests to help me try and finish this wonderfully flavored fish. The flavorful and filling arroz a la tumbada had an assortment of shellfish and white rice served in a casserole dish in a tomato sauce prepared using a traditional molcajete (mortar and pestle). The cochinita pibil is braised pork in achiote, sour orange and assorted spices. This dish had a unique flavor and was served with black beans and a very spicy habanero sauce that I would advise one to be careful with. The salmon en chileatole was the last dish we had and it was outstanding like all the others. This complex dish featured marinated roasted salmon filet served in a tomatillo-serrano infused broth with sweet corn, sliced poblanos and epazote (a herb native to Central America, South American and Southern Mexico that has a distinct flavor and is even used for medicinal purposes).
We had 2 bottles of Portuguese Vinho Verde wine (young white wine with a bit of fizz to it) that I was pleasantly surprised to find on the small, but diverse wine menu that features wines from 10 different countries which span 4 continents.
Fonda del Mar is a good value for the quality of the food and the portion. All entrees (except 1) are in the $15-20 range. My tilapia was $15 and the portion was really almost enough for 2 people. The other portion sizes weren’t as large but were still good size. Our total bill with tax and tip was $158 for 2 baskets of chips, a salad, 1 appetizer, 4 entrees and 2 bottles of wine. That is pretty good value when you are dining in a gourmet restaurant.
3749 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-868-1857
Date of Review: May, 2008
This quaint Mexican fish house restaurant offers excellent Mexican seafood dishes in a colorful atmosphere. Nestled on Fullerton Ave. past Central Park deep in the heart of Logan Square, many people would never venture into this particular area of Chicago if it weren’t for this restaurant. This unassuming restaurant would be easy to pass by.
The restaurant has great pictures of Puerto Escondido, a Mexican surfing town, and has colorful paintings and décor that make you feel like you are eating at a restaurant on the coast in Mexico. The use of brick and bright colors throughout the restaurant and the exquisite attention to detail make dining in this small (15-20 tables) restaurant an intimate and invigorating experience.
Fonda del Mar’s menu is just large enough to provide enough options but not too large to overwhelm. While they offer roasted chicken and lamb chops with authentic mole in addition to pork and steak dishes, fish and shellfish dominate the menu.
For appetizers, we tried the chips and salsa (not complimentary – 2$ per order), mango salad and fresh masa sweet corn tamales. The chips were firm, crispy and had a rich corn flavor. They were served with a mild green tomatillo salsa and a red salsa that had a kick to it. The salad was unimpressive as this bare bones mixture had only some mango with lettuce and a bit of cheese. The guava dressing did not have a lot of flavor. The sweet corn tamales were an order of 2 good size tamales drizzled with a poblano cream sauce and chihuahua cheese. The sweet corn was music to my taste buds and the sauce gave a nice contrast to the flavor of the sweet corn.
For entrees, three of us went for fish dishes and my father opted for the pork. The whole tilapia I ordered was mind bogglingly large and full of garlic flavor. It must have been a 1.5 to 2 lb fish and it was marinated in garlic and roasted with garlic, avocado, black beans, tomato, green onion and cilantro. I usually don’t have a tough time finishing a fish entrée but this fish was so large that I didn’t even look at the side of rice it was served with and found myself forcing my dining guests to help me try and finish this wonderfully flavored fish. The flavorful and filling arroz a la tumbada had an assortment of shellfish and white rice served in a casserole dish in a tomato sauce prepared using a traditional molcajete (mortar and pestle). The cochinita pibil is braised pork in achiote, sour orange and assorted spices. This dish had a unique flavor and was served with black beans and a very spicy habanero sauce that I would advise one to be careful with. The salmon en chileatole was the last dish we had and it was outstanding like all the others. This complex dish featured marinated roasted salmon filet served in a tomatillo-serrano infused broth with sweet corn, sliced poblanos and epazote (a herb native to Central America, South American and Southern Mexico that has a distinct flavor and is even used for medicinal purposes).
We had 2 bottles of Portuguese Vinho Verde wine (young white wine with a bit of fizz to it) that I was pleasantly surprised to find on the small, but diverse wine menu that features wines from 10 different countries which span 4 continents.
Fonda del Mar is a good value for the quality of the food and the portion. All entrees (except 1) are in the $15-20 range. My tilapia was $15 and the portion was really almost enough for 2 people. The other portion sizes weren’t as large but were still good size. Our total bill with tax and tip was $158 for 2 baskets of chips, a salad, 1 appetizer, 4 entrees and 2 bottles of wine. That is pretty good value when you are dining in a gourmet restaurant.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Chicago (Eclectic) - Lula Cafe
Lula Café
2537 North Kedzie Boulevard, Chicago, IL; 773-489-9554
Date of Review: May, 2008
Lula is a chic spot located right at the junction where the Kedzie and Logan Boulevards meet in burgeoning Logan Square. They have a neat outdoor dining area and draw a crowd of hipsters and dining aficionado’s alike. The entrance to the restaurant features a tiny bar with a small, casual but modern dining area in the adjoining room of about 15 or so tables. Lula features a standard café menu in addition to a daily changing dinner menu. They are known for their organic focus as they use locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Lula is a great spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Some of my favorite brunch items include the Moroccan couscous and the breakfast burrito. They also have excellent coffee. The breakfast burrito is simple with avocado, onion, pepper, potato, eggs, and cheddar, (with sour cream and salsa) but the taste is far from simple. Given the basic ingredients, I almost had to wonder whether they sprinkled msg on top. The flavors were that savory. It is served with potatoes and the hot sauce they offer as a condiment is out of this world. I couldn’t put it down. The Moroccan chickpea sweet potato tagine includes arugula, saigon cinnamon, and couscous. It is a nice combination of flavors and is nice option for brunch or dinner as this dish (and anything on the café menu) is served all day. The roast turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with avocado, chile aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sprouts is excellent as is the large grilled chicken torta sandwich with sweet tamarind mustard.
As for the daily changing menu, I found the cheeses, nuts and honeycomb on the artisan cheese plate appetizer to be a bit too exclusive (and small) for me given its $10 price tag. I thought the focus was on style over substance in relation to this dish. However, the special appetizer - duck filled ravioli in a brown butter sauce – features a large circular ravioli that was succulent. It was outstanding as is the complimentary bread they offer before your meal.
For dinner, anything on the café menu is available in addition to 5-6 changing entrees including things like Atlantic Cod, 24 Hour Lamb Shoulder and a top notch vegetarian selection. On my last visit, I had the excellent locally raised organic wood roasted chicken (from the café menu). Again, a simple dish that was fantastic. Served with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes, this is a definite winner.
For desserts, we had the banana cream pie. I could do without a bit of the whipped topping but the crust and filling is out of this world. The bananas are fresh and tasty and the crust is decadently good.
At Lula, you can eat for cheap or spend a fair bit of money. On our last visit, our party of 4 had 3 appetizers, 6 glasses of wine, 2 beers, 4 entrées and 2 desserts. That is a big haul and it costs $200 including tax and tip.
Lula is a gourmet restaurant in every sense of the word and it deserves all the accolades it receives. Many of the dishes are simple but the attention to detail by the chef and the fresh ingredients make for incredibly flavorful and innovative menu options.
2537 North Kedzie Boulevard, Chicago, IL; 773-489-9554
Date of Review: May, 2008
Lula is a chic spot located right at the junction where the Kedzie and Logan Boulevards meet in burgeoning Logan Square. They have a neat outdoor dining area and draw a crowd of hipsters and dining aficionado’s alike. The entrance to the restaurant features a tiny bar with a small, casual but modern dining area in the adjoining room of about 15 or so tables. Lula features a standard café menu in addition to a daily changing dinner menu. They are known for their organic focus as they use locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Lula is a great spot for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Some of my favorite brunch items include the Moroccan couscous and the breakfast burrito. They also have excellent coffee. The breakfast burrito is simple with avocado, onion, pepper, potato, eggs, and cheddar, (with sour cream and salsa) but the taste is far from simple. Given the basic ingredients, I almost had to wonder whether they sprinkled msg on top. The flavors were that savory. It is served with potatoes and the hot sauce they offer as a condiment is out of this world. I couldn’t put it down. The Moroccan chickpea sweet potato tagine includes arugula, saigon cinnamon, and couscous. It is a nice combination of flavors and is nice option for brunch or dinner as this dish (and anything on the café menu) is served all day. The roast turkey sandwich on multigrain bread with avocado, chile aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sprouts is excellent as is the large grilled chicken torta sandwich with sweet tamarind mustard.
As for the daily changing menu, I found the cheeses, nuts and honeycomb on the artisan cheese plate appetizer to be a bit too exclusive (and small) for me given its $10 price tag. I thought the focus was on style over substance in relation to this dish. However, the special appetizer - duck filled ravioli in a brown butter sauce – features a large circular ravioli that was succulent. It was outstanding as is the complimentary bread they offer before your meal.
For dinner, anything on the café menu is available in addition to 5-6 changing entrees including things like Atlantic Cod, 24 Hour Lamb Shoulder and a top notch vegetarian selection. On my last visit, I had the excellent locally raised organic wood roasted chicken (from the café menu). Again, a simple dish that was fantastic. Served with sautéed spinach and roasted potatoes, this is a definite winner.
For desserts, we had the banana cream pie. I could do without a bit of the whipped topping but the crust and filling is out of this world. The bananas are fresh and tasty and the crust is decadently good.
At Lula, you can eat for cheap or spend a fair bit of money. On our last visit, our party of 4 had 3 appetizers, 6 glasses of wine, 2 beers, 4 entrées and 2 desserts. That is a big haul and it costs $200 including tax and tip.
Lula is a gourmet restaurant in every sense of the word and it deserves all the accolades it receives. Many of the dishes are simple but the attention to detail by the chef and the fresh ingredients make for incredibly flavorful and innovative menu options.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Chicago (Italian) - Venice Cafe
Venice Cafe
Sears Tower, Lower Level One, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Il
500 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Il
Date of Review: May, 2008
Venice Café is one of the best spots in the Loop for a quick sit down or carry out lunch. They have 2 locations. One is in the Sears Tower and the other on Monroe Street near Union Station. The Monroe Street location has a decent size dining area with a few tables outside offering some al fresco dining. The Sears Tower location has a larger dining area with no outside seating as the restaurant is located in the lower level of Sears Tower.
The food at both locations is very good. They have a full range of Italian options for lunch including pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches. I have eaten here on many occasions and everything is solid. You can’t go wrong with the special calzone and a medium salad (served with a large herbed garlic roll) is enough of a portion for a lunch. Their vegetable salad is a fresh combination of assorted vegetables in a nice sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing. The Cajun chicken pasta salad isn’t as healthy, with its creamy cajun dressing, but it is awful good. If you order a large salad, you can split the huge bowl and sample 2 of their salads. All of the portions are large and the sandwiches are no exception. The char broiled chicken sandwich is served on an Italian roll with tasty, garlicky marinara sauce on top. The smoked turkey sandwich is piled high between an Italian roll with romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers and onions. The pasta dishes are a dinner size portion at a lunch size price. Whether you opt for their special of the day, the tortellini or some penne with one of the 5 sauces offered, they are all good.
Venice Café offers large portion of good Italian food at great prices. On my last visit, I had the chicken sandwich (sandwiches come with a decent size side salad) for $6.51. You could easily feel full after having a medium salad (comes with garlic roll) for a little over $4 including tax. They have a tortellini special everyday that costs $6.50 and the daily Chef’s special runs at $6.95 for something like cavatappi in homemade plum tomato sauce with ricotta cheese and sliced Italian sausage. Yum!
Breakfast is served at the Monroe location only from 7 AM – 10:30 AM. Both locations close at 3 PM.
Sears Tower, Lower Level One, 233 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Il
500 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Il
Date of Review: May, 2008
Venice Café is one of the best spots in the Loop for a quick sit down or carry out lunch. They have 2 locations. One is in the Sears Tower and the other on Monroe Street near Union Station. The Monroe Street location has a decent size dining area with a few tables outside offering some al fresco dining. The Sears Tower location has a larger dining area with no outside seating as the restaurant is located in the lower level of Sears Tower.
The food at both locations is very good. They have a full range of Italian options for lunch including pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches. I have eaten here on many occasions and everything is solid. You can’t go wrong with the special calzone and a medium salad (served with a large herbed garlic roll) is enough of a portion for a lunch. Their vegetable salad is a fresh combination of assorted vegetables in a nice sun-dried tomato vinaigrette dressing. The Cajun chicken pasta salad isn’t as healthy, with its creamy cajun dressing, but it is awful good. If you order a large salad, you can split the huge bowl and sample 2 of their salads. All of the portions are large and the sandwiches are no exception. The char broiled chicken sandwich is served on an Italian roll with tasty, garlicky marinara sauce on top. The smoked turkey sandwich is piled high between an Italian roll with romaine lettuce, roasted red peppers and onions. The pasta dishes are a dinner size portion at a lunch size price. Whether you opt for their special of the day, the tortellini or some penne with one of the 5 sauces offered, they are all good.
Venice Café offers large portion of good Italian food at great prices. On my last visit, I had the chicken sandwich (sandwiches come with a decent size side salad) for $6.51. You could easily feel full after having a medium salad (comes with garlic roll) for a little over $4 including tax. They have a tortellini special everyday that costs $6.50 and the daily Chef’s special runs at $6.95 for something like cavatappi in homemade plum tomato sauce with ricotta cheese and sliced Italian sausage. Yum!
Breakfast is served at the Monroe location only from 7 AM – 10:30 AM. Both locations close at 3 PM.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Chicago (Italian) - Rosal's
Rosal’s
1154 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-243-2357
Date of Review: May, 2008
Rosal’s is on a nice stretch of Taylor that has homes interspersed with restaurants and other businesses and this helps to give the restaurant a neighborhood feel. Rosal’s is a no frills spot and doesn’t have the imposing feel of the larger restaurants in the area (Tuscany, Rosebud) but offers a homey, simplistic alternative. This is the kind of place where they occasionally play Dean Martin or the theme from the move the Godfather as you enjoy your meal. It is the kind of place you take someone special. It is old school and you feel it as soon as you walk through the door and look to the right and see the 10-12 tables amid 2 walls covered with pictures of the owner’s childhood friends. You will feel it even more when you make your first trip to the bathroom walking across the uneven wooden floor and get to peak into the kitchen to see their wonderful home cooked food being prepared.
As is customary at many Italian restaurants, a basket of warm crusty bread is placed on your table with a little plate of olive oil and fresh parmesan. For some, this is more than enough of an appetizer as the pasta dishes are fairly large. Speaking of appetizers, the massive portion of bruschetta is outstanding and features a heaping file of fresh tomato “relish” piled on top of that same wonderful bread. The portion is so large I saw one woman eating it as her dinner. For a lighter option, the special salad is $4.95 per person and features quartered tomatoes, olives, peppers and onions served over assorted lettuce in a nice, slightly sweet Italian dressing. There are bits and pieces of pepperoni and cheese in the salad, but they are few and far in between.
Since I almost always focus on the pasta here (the other dishes are also good), I will focus on the dishes that I have particularly enjoyed. The Broccoli & Shrimp Olio e Aglio consists of Gulf shrimp, shells & broccoli tossed with fresh peeled garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This dish had just the right mix of each ingredient and the home made shell pasta was perfect. The Scallops & Sweet Roasted Red Peppers features 6 gigantic bay scallops and roasted red peppers over pasta in a sauce of garlic & extra virgin olive oil. The scallops were sweet and tender and the roasted red peppers were plentiful as they were threaded through the perfectly cooked home made linguini. The only area of concern I had regarding the dish is that there was a bit too much olive oil in the sauce for my taste. Usually, I would be taking an extra piece of bread and sopping up the left over sauce on the bottom of my dish. However, on this evening, I looked down at my plate and decided I had enough. The Rigatoni Diablo features wonderful flavored sautéed shrimp (but only 3) with a generous portion of juicy chicken amid fresh rigatoni in a spicy, chopped tomato plum sauce. The portion was large (their portions are large but not obnoxiously large like at Maggiano’s) but I finished everything on my plate. My girlfriend's favorite Italian dish is seafood pasta as she tries some variation of this dish religiously (despite my objections) at every Italian restaurant we visit. Naturally, she chose the Linguine Ai Frutti di Mare which features sautéed Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels & Clams in marinara. She found the fresh tomato sauce to be a touch creamier than what she is used to having, but really enjoyed the thickness and richness of the sauce which was a nice compliment to the seafood. The only thing that was a bit disappointing to her was the pasta noodles. She found the home-made linguini to be a touch soggy, (not al dente) although I found it to be to my liking. Ivy claims that, “with linguini cooked al dente, this would have been the best seafood pasta I have ever had in Chicago.”
The price of the entrees is about what you would expect. On one occasion, we had two $18 pastas entrees, 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine and the total bill was $75 including tax and tip. On another occasion, we had the special salad for 3, 3 pasta entrees and 3 glasses of wine for $99 not including tip.
On the last Tuesday of each month, Rosal’s has an 11 course Big Night meal for $65. This meal features some of the dishes prepared in the movie Big Night and is a tribute to that film which shows 2 Italian brothers in the run up to opening their own restaurant.
The pictures on the wall in the dining room are of the owner’s childhood friends and of other important events in their lives. There is a beautiful picture of the Dolomite region of Italy (which my family hails from) hanging in the bathroom.
1154 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-243-2357
Date of Review: May, 2008
Rosal’s is on a nice stretch of Taylor that has homes interspersed with restaurants and other businesses and this helps to give the restaurant a neighborhood feel. Rosal’s is a no frills spot and doesn’t have the imposing feel of the larger restaurants in the area (Tuscany, Rosebud) but offers a homey, simplistic alternative. This is the kind of place where they occasionally play Dean Martin or the theme from the move the Godfather as you enjoy your meal. It is the kind of place you take someone special. It is old school and you feel it as soon as you walk through the door and look to the right and see the 10-12 tables amid 2 walls covered with pictures of the owner’s childhood friends. You will feel it even more when you make your first trip to the bathroom walking across the uneven wooden floor and get to peak into the kitchen to see their wonderful home cooked food being prepared.
As is customary at many Italian restaurants, a basket of warm crusty bread is placed on your table with a little plate of olive oil and fresh parmesan. For some, this is more than enough of an appetizer as the pasta dishes are fairly large. Speaking of appetizers, the massive portion of bruschetta is outstanding and features a heaping file of fresh tomato “relish” piled on top of that same wonderful bread. The portion is so large I saw one woman eating it as her dinner. For a lighter option, the special salad is $4.95 per person and features quartered tomatoes, olives, peppers and onions served over assorted lettuce in a nice, slightly sweet Italian dressing. There are bits and pieces of pepperoni and cheese in the salad, but they are few and far in between.
Since I almost always focus on the pasta here (the other dishes are also good), I will focus on the dishes that I have particularly enjoyed. The Broccoli & Shrimp Olio e Aglio consists of Gulf shrimp, shells & broccoli tossed with fresh peeled garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This dish had just the right mix of each ingredient and the home made shell pasta was perfect. The Scallops & Sweet Roasted Red Peppers features 6 gigantic bay scallops and roasted red peppers over pasta in a sauce of garlic & extra virgin olive oil. The scallops were sweet and tender and the roasted red peppers were plentiful as they were threaded through the perfectly cooked home made linguini. The only area of concern I had regarding the dish is that there was a bit too much olive oil in the sauce for my taste. Usually, I would be taking an extra piece of bread and sopping up the left over sauce on the bottom of my dish. However, on this evening, I looked down at my plate and decided I had enough. The Rigatoni Diablo features wonderful flavored sautéed shrimp (but only 3) with a generous portion of juicy chicken amid fresh rigatoni in a spicy, chopped tomato plum sauce. The portion was large (their portions are large but not obnoxiously large like at Maggiano’s) but I finished everything on my plate. My girlfriend's favorite Italian dish is seafood pasta as she tries some variation of this dish religiously (despite my objections) at every Italian restaurant we visit. Naturally, she chose the Linguine Ai Frutti di Mare which features sautéed Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels & Clams in marinara. She found the fresh tomato sauce to be a touch creamier than what she is used to having, but really enjoyed the thickness and richness of the sauce which was a nice compliment to the seafood. The only thing that was a bit disappointing to her was the pasta noodles. She found the home-made linguini to be a touch soggy, (not al dente) although I found it to be to my liking. Ivy claims that, “with linguini cooked al dente, this would have been the best seafood pasta I have ever had in Chicago.”
The price of the entrees is about what you would expect. On one occasion, we had two $18 pastas entrees, 2 beers and 2 glasses of wine and the total bill was $75 including tax and tip. On another occasion, we had the special salad for 3, 3 pasta entrees and 3 glasses of wine for $99 not including tip.
On the last Tuesday of each month, Rosal’s has an 11 course Big Night meal for $65. This meal features some of the dishes prepared in the movie Big Night and is a tribute to that film which shows 2 Italian brothers in the run up to opening their own restaurant.
The pictures on the wall in the dining room are of the owner’s childhood friends and of other important events in their lives. There is a beautiful picture of the Dolomite region of Italy (which my family hails from) hanging in the bathroom.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Chicago (European Style Cafe) - Julius Meinl
Julius Meinl
3601 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-868-1857
Date of Review: December, 2007
This Viennese style café is a Vienna institution and is as European as it gets. Located on busy Southport Avenue, the open spacing and classy décor in this café make it one of the better breakfast and lunch options in all of Chicago. The ambience is purely European and I feel at home here as if I am still living in Amsterdam. They have an impressive pastry case and coffee bar with shiny coffee containers and an assortment of Austrian pastries for sale if you decide to take something away with you.
The real charm is in the pleasant ambience of this cafe (more than a few customers may be studying). The décor is so charming and the Julius Meinl symbol, a child’s head leaning forward with a red hat and top on, is ever present throughout the café including on the coffee cups. With neat lamps and coat hooks on the pseudo booths near the windows, you will find it tough to find a more charming place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. Even the leather bound menus add a touch of class.
Julius Meinl’s large Austrian accented menu is split evenly between breakfast and lunch. Sweeter breakfast options include croissants, pancakes and crepes. More savory options included baked eggs mixed with things like smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill, bacon and Swiss cheese or tomato, basil and goat cheese.
For lunch, the menu includes and impressive array of sandwiches and salads in addition to traditional Austrian style soup (frittaten) and European specialties like goulash. They also offer finger sandwiches and cheese and cured meat plates. On my last visit, I had the chicken salad sandwich. The sandwich consists of roasted chicken, red grapes, dried apricots and toasted walnuts mixed together with a yogurt-tarragon dressing and served on toasted walnut bread. From the wonderful bread to the fantastic way the sweet flavors (grapes and dried apricots) combine with the chicken and mayonnaise alternative (tarragon-yogurt mixture), this sandwich is outstanding. All sandwiches are served with mesclun greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.
They have an exclusive coffee, tea and non-alcoholic drink menu and an impressive assortment of wonderful pastries for here or to go. The coffee is some of Chicago’s best and it is served on a small silver tray accompanied by a glass of chilled water (no ice just like in Europe) and a cookie.
The prices at Julius Meinl are decent. A cup of coffee is $2.06 (no refills) and almost every breakfast or lunch option on the menu is between $6 and $9. On my last visit, I had the roasted chicken salad sandwich and 2 cups of coffee and my total bill was $12.03 and that includes tax.
Classical music is played on many Friday and Saturday evenings.
3601 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-868-1857
Date of Review: December, 2007
This Viennese style café is a Vienna institution and is as European as it gets. Located on busy Southport Avenue, the open spacing and classy décor in this café make it one of the better breakfast and lunch options in all of Chicago. The ambience is purely European and I feel at home here as if I am still living in Amsterdam. They have an impressive pastry case and coffee bar with shiny coffee containers and an assortment of Austrian pastries for sale if you decide to take something away with you.
The real charm is in the pleasant ambience of this cafe (more than a few customers may be studying). The décor is so charming and the Julius Meinl symbol, a child’s head leaning forward with a red hat and top on, is ever present throughout the café including on the coffee cups. With neat lamps and coat hooks on the pseudo booths near the windows, you will find it tough to find a more charming place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. Even the leather bound menus add a touch of class.
Julius Meinl’s large Austrian accented menu is split evenly between breakfast and lunch. Sweeter breakfast options include croissants, pancakes and crepes. More savory options included baked eggs mixed with things like smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill, bacon and Swiss cheese or tomato, basil and goat cheese.
For lunch, the menu includes and impressive array of sandwiches and salads in addition to traditional Austrian style soup (frittaten) and European specialties like goulash. They also offer finger sandwiches and cheese and cured meat plates. On my last visit, I had the chicken salad sandwich. The sandwich consists of roasted chicken, red grapes, dried apricots and toasted walnuts mixed together with a yogurt-tarragon dressing and served on toasted walnut bread. From the wonderful bread to the fantastic way the sweet flavors (grapes and dried apricots) combine with the chicken and mayonnaise alternative (tarragon-yogurt mixture), this sandwich is outstanding. All sandwiches are served with mesclun greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette.
They have an exclusive coffee, tea and non-alcoholic drink menu and an impressive assortment of wonderful pastries for here or to go. The coffee is some of Chicago’s best and it is served on a small silver tray accompanied by a glass of chilled water (no ice just like in Europe) and a cookie.
The prices at Julius Meinl are decent. A cup of coffee is $2.06 (no refills) and almost every breakfast or lunch option on the menu is between $6 and $9. On my last visit, I had the roasted chicken salad sandwich and 2 cups of coffee and my total bill was $12.03 and that includes tax.
Classical music is played on many Friday and Saturday evenings.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Chicago (Lebanese) - Semiramis
Semiramis
4639 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago IL; Phone 773-279-8900
Date of Review: December, 2007
This quaint, romantic Lebanese restaurant is a great BYOB with healthy portions of innovative Lebanese cuisine at reasonable prices. The entrance features the carry out area of the restaurant which has a relaxing waiting area with cushions that fit the traditional Lebanese décor of the restaurant. In the adjoining room, there are 12 tables, exposed duct work, Lebanese paintings and wall hangings. The music is just loud enough to hear but doesn’t interrupt with whatever you may be doing (talking to your companion or reading). The lights are dim making for an intimate and romantic dining environment.
I have eaten at Semiramis on many occasions (dine in and carry out) and have tried a variety of different dishes. All have been solid, if not excellent.
As a complimentary snack, they offer marinated turnips and olives. Both are full of flavor and are nice to nibble on while you wait for your meal. For appetizers, the creamy hummus goes well with the wheat (and white) warm pita bread that it is accompanied by. Feel free to add a bit of the flavorful and complex spicy sauce (complimentary, but must be requested) to your hummus or other appetizer. The fattoush salad is also a good way to start a meal. This refreshing salad has cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, green peppers, radishes, mint and toasted pita bread, mixed with olive oil and lemon juice.
The hummus and chicken shawarma is a filling entrée that hits the spot. Chicken shawarma is served on top of a bed of hummus and is topped with onions, pickle spears and tomatoes. There is a bit of yogurt sauce on top of the chicken that is a nice twist. The chicken is the real highlight as it isn’t the typical chicken shawarma I am used to. While I do like the typical shawarma meat, Semirami’s version is better as the slices of roasted chicken are fresh, well seasoned and tasty.
On another occasion, I had the whole chicken which is a large chicken wrapped in lavash (thin Lebanese style bread) and is served with rice or salad and garlic sauce. The chicken is very good and the portion is large enough for two. The rice and lentils with caramelized onions is a good vegetarian option. This dish is excellent with lots of flavor and is served with a house salad making for quite a feast.
The service is excellent. I have had the same server each time and she is warm, friendly and passionate about the food. Her passion is obvious in the way she describes the specials. While I haven’t tried the specials, everything she has described to me has really sounded fantastic.
The appetizers range from $3 to $6, sandwiches $5 to $6 and entrees $8 to 14$. On my last visit, I had the chicken shawarma and hummus entrée and my total bill was $11.74 including tax but not tip.
4639 North Kedzie Avenue, Chicago IL; Phone 773-279-8900
Date of Review: December, 2007
This quaint, romantic Lebanese restaurant is a great BYOB with healthy portions of innovative Lebanese cuisine at reasonable prices. The entrance features the carry out area of the restaurant which has a relaxing waiting area with cushions that fit the traditional Lebanese décor of the restaurant. In the adjoining room, there are 12 tables, exposed duct work, Lebanese paintings and wall hangings. The music is just loud enough to hear but doesn’t interrupt with whatever you may be doing (talking to your companion or reading). The lights are dim making for an intimate and romantic dining environment.
I have eaten at Semiramis on many occasions (dine in and carry out) and have tried a variety of different dishes. All have been solid, if not excellent.
As a complimentary snack, they offer marinated turnips and olives. Both are full of flavor and are nice to nibble on while you wait for your meal. For appetizers, the creamy hummus goes well with the wheat (and white) warm pita bread that it is accompanied by. Feel free to add a bit of the flavorful and complex spicy sauce (complimentary, but must be requested) to your hummus or other appetizer. The fattoush salad is also a good way to start a meal. This refreshing salad has cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, green peppers, radishes, mint and toasted pita bread, mixed with olive oil and lemon juice.
The hummus and chicken shawarma is a filling entrée that hits the spot. Chicken shawarma is served on top of a bed of hummus and is topped with onions, pickle spears and tomatoes. There is a bit of yogurt sauce on top of the chicken that is a nice twist. The chicken is the real highlight as it isn’t the typical chicken shawarma I am used to. While I do like the typical shawarma meat, Semirami’s version is better as the slices of roasted chicken are fresh, well seasoned and tasty.
On another occasion, I had the whole chicken which is a large chicken wrapped in lavash (thin Lebanese style bread) and is served with rice or salad and garlic sauce. The chicken is very good and the portion is large enough for two. The rice and lentils with caramelized onions is a good vegetarian option. This dish is excellent with lots of flavor and is served with a house salad making for quite a feast.
The service is excellent. I have had the same server each time and she is warm, friendly and passionate about the food. Her passion is obvious in the way she describes the specials. While I haven’t tried the specials, everything she has described to me has really sounded fantastic.
The appetizers range from $3 to $6, sandwiches $5 to $6 and entrees $8 to 14$. On my last visit, I had the chicken shawarma and hummus entrée and my total bill was $11.74 including tax but not tip.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Chicago (Thai) - Sticky Rice Thai Restaurant
Sticky Rice Thai Restaurant
4018 North Western Avenue, Chicago IL; Phone 773-588-0133
Date of Review: December, 2007; updated May, 2008
I love Asian food and I love every kind of it. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai! I have probably had Thai most frequently over the years and have always held Thai cuisine in high regard – both before my 2 visits to Thailand and even more so afterwards. That said, with a Korean girlfriend, I have almost neglected Thai cuisine over the last few months. Well, after a chance meeting at work with a woman from Bangkok, I was offered a suggestion and found a special place that promises to be a destination for me as long as their doors are open.
This is a small, casual Thai BYOB restaurant offering great food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is almost unrecognizable if you don’t look for it. While they do have a red and yellow sign, the restaurant comes up on you quickly after you turn off of Irving Park onto Western Avenue. The atmosphere is colorful inside and there are about 12 or so tables in the restaurant.
For starters, the Tom Yum soup is outstanding. This is a Thai restaurant run by Thais and the woman taking my order asked if I wanted my soup mild, medium or spicy. She said those terms were by American standards, not Thai ones. I ordered it hot and it was hot. The overall flavor of this chicken, onion and fresh mushroom laden Thai hot and sour soup was outstanding and the portion was good size. The grilled calamari is refreshingly non greasy and is served with a tasty lime and fish based sauce that includes about a hundred tiny chopped pieces of garlic floating in the sauce. The Thai spring rolls were decent, but no better than those I’ve had elsewhere.
For entrees, the steamed sole fish with lime sauce is the best item I have had on the menu. A large sole filet arrives sitting in a bed of sauce on a plate. I never could have imagined how good this dish would turn out to be. The sauce consisted of fresh slices of garlic, hot pepper and spicy Thai lime fish sauce. It was garnished with lime wedges, some carrot and red pepper strands and a bit of lettuce. I ate everything and used every bit of the very sticky rice the dish was accompanied with to soak up every bit of the sauce. Other entrees I have tried include the Num Prik Ong. This spicy, tasty dish consists of ground pork, tomato and onion cooked with red chili paste and is served with carrots, cucumbers and of course sticky rice. The large portion of gigantic prawns cooked in a clay pot with glass noodles and button mushrooms wasn’t quite as tasty as the other dishes I’ve tried but still hit the spot. The Pad Thai is average.
Most of the items on the menu are under $8. On my last visit, the Tom Yum soup was $3.25 and my fish dish was $7.95. I didn’t order a drink and my total bill came to $12.24.
Sticky Rice Restaurant was recommended to me by a woman who spent most of her life in Bangkok. She was very honest with me in telling me that some of the Thai restaurants I have frequented are pretty average. After eating at Sticky Rice, I understand what she means.
Stick Rice features exquisite dishes from Northern Thailand in addition to the already known Pad Thai noodle dishes and the like that are featured on most Thai menus around the city. The name of the restaurant comes from Northern Thailand's consumption of glutinous rice with every meal in substitution of jasmine rice. According to the web site, Northern Thais eat sticky rice with their hands, very much like how bread is dipped in soup. I used mine the same way I use bread at an Italian or French restaurant – I soaked up all that wonderful sauce.
4018 North Western Avenue, Chicago IL; Phone 773-588-0133
Date of Review: December, 2007; updated May, 2008
I love Asian food and I love every kind of it. Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai! I have probably had Thai most frequently over the years and have always held Thai cuisine in high regard – both before my 2 visits to Thailand and even more so afterwards. That said, with a Korean girlfriend, I have almost neglected Thai cuisine over the last few months. Well, after a chance meeting at work with a woman from Bangkok, I was offered a suggestion and found a special place that promises to be a destination for me as long as their doors are open.
This is a small, casual Thai BYOB restaurant offering great food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is almost unrecognizable if you don’t look for it. While they do have a red and yellow sign, the restaurant comes up on you quickly after you turn off of Irving Park onto Western Avenue. The atmosphere is colorful inside and there are about 12 or so tables in the restaurant.
For starters, the Tom Yum soup is outstanding. This is a Thai restaurant run by Thais and the woman taking my order asked if I wanted my soup mild, medium or spicy. She said those terms were by American standards, not Thai ones. I ordered it hot and it was hot. The overall flavor of this chicken, onion and fresh mushroom laden Thai hot and sour soup was outstanding and the portion was good size. The grilled calamari is refreshingly non greasy and is served with a tasty lime and fish based sauce that includes about a hundred tiny chopped pieces of garlic floating in the sauce. The Thai spring rolls were decent, but no better than those I’ve had elsewhere.
For entrees, the steamed sole fish with lime sauce is the best item I have had on the menu. A large sole filet arrives sitting in a bed of sauce on a plate. I never could have imagined how good this dish would turn out to be. The sauce consisted of fresh slices of garlic, hot pepper and spicy Thai lime fish sauce. It was garnished with lime wedges, some carrot and red pepper strands and a bit of lettuce. I ate everything and used every bit of the very sticky rice the dish was accompanied with to soak up every bit of the sauce. Other entrees I have tried include the Num Prik Ong. This spicy, tasty dish consists of ground pork, tomato and onion cooked with red chili paste and is served with carrots, cucumbers and of course sticky rice. The large portion of gigantic prawns cooked in a clay pot with glass noodles and button mushrooms wasn’t quite as tasty as the other dishes I’ve tried but still hit the spot. The Pad Thai is average.
Most of the items on the menu are under $8. On my last visit, the Tom Yum soup was $3.25 and my fish dish was $7.95. I didn’t order a drink and my total bill came to $12.24.
Sticky Rice Restaurant was recommended to me by a woman who spent most of her life in Bangkok. She was very honest with me in telling me that some of the Thai restaurants I have frequented are pretty average. After eating at Sticky Rice, I understand what she means.
Stick Rice features exquisite dishes from Northern Thailand in addition to the already known Pad Thai noodle dishes and the like that are featured on most Thai menus around the city. The name of the restaurant comes from Northern Thailand's consumption of glutinous rice with every meal in substitution of jasmine rice. According to the web site, Northern Thais eat sticky rice with their hands, very much like how bread is dipped in soup. I used mine the same way I use bread at an Italian or French restaurant – I soaked up all that wonderful sauce.
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