Restaurant Reviews Chicago

Best Steak in the Subrubs

2011-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

The city gets a lot of attention when it comes to steakhouses. Gibson's Morton's and all the rush street establishment's get their fare share of press but seldom do we hear about the suburbs. There's some great place's to get a steak in the suburb's but you have to know where to go.

The Trib reviewed some of the best places to grab a steak in the burbs. Check out the video review after the jump.

First Slide Cafe

2011-01-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! A new year brings a new post of a new restaurant or a cafe in this case, First Slice Cafe.

View Larger Map
163 E Pearson
Chicago, IL 60611

4401 N. Ravenswood
Chicago, Illinois 60640

Quick Review: Stopped in at the Downtown location of First Slice and now I have a favorite cafe for pie and coffee.

Long Review: After a quick tip from a friend I decided to check out the downtown location of First Slice inside the Old Water Filtration Building (across the street from the Water Tower) on Michigan Avenue. The entrance was a bit hidden as it's in the middle of the building on Pearson, removed from the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue.

I walked in and saw the cafe laid out inside the entrance. The interior space is very nice, quite and calming. Couches and chairs are off to the for patrons to sit and read a book while sipping their coffee. There's also a couple of large tables near the counter so finding a seat shouldn't be a problem. Though, when I stopped by it was around 5pm a couple of days before Christmas and wasn't very crowded to my surprise.

Said friend and I walked up to the counter and wondered what to order. Since I wasn't in the mood for coffee I just grabbed a Pelligrino from their case that offers cold beverages; a Chai latte for her. I noticed the case with pies in it turning around- so many different pies to choose from. I grabbed a mint pie and my friend got a slice of Pumpkin Cinnamon. We then noticed the large lemon bars stacked up on a cake platter. We couldn't resist and picked one of those up to.

Since it was around dinnertime (and we didn't want to just get sweets) we looked over their other food items they had to offer. I got a spinach quiche and my friend an arugula and spinach leaf salad tossed with walnuts and cranberries. The total came to around $17 dollar for everything.

The Spinach Quiche was delivered to the table once it was heated up. Tasty and not too eggy or runny. Well made, as was the salad. I took a sip of the Chai latte, it was alright. The pies were the highlight of the whole meal though. Both of them were delicious and I would come back just for a slice of pie (or two slices).

All in all a nice cafe Downtown to stop and relax. They are a vegan cafe (which I didn't even notice being a non-vegan) and donate a portion of their profits to local charities. They also have two other locations in the city so be sure to check them out.

Overall Rating: 4 out 5 stars

* I've recently moved to New York so for NYer's and visitors alike be on the lookout for New York Restaurant Review soon*

Chicago's Best Ribs

2010-09-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Chicago's Best Margaritas

2010-09-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Chicago Best Resturants by Occasion

2010-08-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of great places in the city to go to eat but here to the top six places to go to sorted by occasion. From brunch to drinks to drinks here's "the list."

Weekend Brunch-

North Pond
2610 N Cannon Dr
Chicago, IL 60657

This Lincoln Park locale serves up sweet onion veloute soup with crab from a weekend prix fix menu ($29) The food is as good as anything you'll find during dinnertime.

Lunch Downtown-
1028 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611

Gibson's - Big portions, big steaks and big deserts. Gibson's is the place to go for lunch (to avoid the dinner crowd and the long waits) If you're savoring some grilled steak or fish than head up Rush Street to one of Chicago's best steakhouses.

For the Foodies-

Moto-
945 W Fulton Market
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Most foodies will be impressed if they don't realize you're truing to impress them. Though, you wont just impress a foodie Moto will outright baffle them with entrees that look like they're from the next century.

Good Date Spot-

Tango Sur-
3763 N Southport Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613

Dim lighting, great drinks and great food makes this a top date spot. This BYOB Argentinean spot in Lakeview offers great entrees such as the churrasco, a slab of chimichurri-topped beef.

Late Night-

Japonais-
600 W Chicago
Chicago, IL 60610

With glamorous indoor and outdoor spaces it's hard to choose which one to pick. The restaurant serves until 11pm.

Favorite Cafe-
3601 N Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60613

Julius Menil- Vienna in Chicago. This place has a great relaxed European cafe vibe to it and some of the best coffee, sandwiches, and pastries in the city. The Mozart cake is absolutely delicious.

D's Haute Dogs Review

2010-08-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

551 Lincoln Ave
Winnetka, IL 60093

View Larger Map

Short Review: Went up to the North Shore for some hot dogs and came across D's Haute Dogs. Even though this place is not as good as Mustard's Last Stand (which will have it's own review next week) it is still has some great food to serve up. Who knew? Hot dogs in Winnetka.

Long Review: I stepped in when I went out to lunch with a friend. My standard yellow flags were raised when I noticed no one was inside on a Saturday at noon. There was just one family sitting outside. (However, this is standard for many North Shore restaurants as it is hard to run a restaurant there)

After pondering over the menu for a while I settled on the Chicago Dog with fries. $7.50. A bit on the pricey side without a drink but then again the North Shore property taxes are what drive the prices up.

The counter person was very nice and served us professionally. It's also decorated similar to Mustard's with local sports photos on the walls of the various organizations in the area. They have a nice little outdoor seating area which is good for the summertime.

All in all a nice little hot dog/ burger joint in the area.

4 out of 5 stars.

Greek Islands West Lombard Review

2010-06-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map300 E 22nd St
Lombard, IL 60148

There aren't that many places to go for Greek food in Lombard so it's no surprise this place gets packed on weekends. Actually, all the restaurants get packed in the western suburbs after a certain hour on the weekends.

Went for an early dinner, arriving early because the wait can be 20-30 minutes during the diner rush hour, and it can be hard to seat anyone if you arrive too late. It was just starting to fill up when we arrived.

After a short wait we got a table by a window in the bar section of the restaurant which is the first time I've sat there. We pondered over the menu for appetizers and we greeted by our waiter. We ordered the usual: Greek Salad, Taramasalata and Calamari

Flaming Saganaki's and the accompanying "Opah!" were going of around us, we were use to it by now and too concerned with our food (it's also kind of gimmicky but people who have never seen it enjoy it)

The appetizers were good as usual.

Our waiter was attentive and made his best effort in checking up on our table despite the place filling up quickly and having other tables to wait on.

I ordered the Arni Fournou, or the roast lion of lamb.I always order the lamb, that's one of meats of Greece.

It was a little overcooked yet still juicy, and good as usual. It comes with roasted potatoes which are good but a bit salty. The portions here seem larger than at the Greektown location.

During our dinner the bar area filled up quickly and the dining area became so loud we couldn't hear the other person sitting across from us unless we shouted. The main dining area is more quite in general.

For desert I ordered the Tiramisu. Good but slightly dry, it had probably been sitting in the case for a couple of days. I could barely finish it as I was filled up from the large portions.

Near the end of desert I looked out the window saw a mouse run across the dining terrace outside and watched as he slipped into a crack in the building. Presumably going into the basement or headed toward the kitchen. This is the first time I've seen anything like at here and I've been a lot over the years.

Despite that, if you want some pretty good Greek food in the western suburbs than Greek Island's is the place.

Overall rating 3.5 out 5

Best Chicago Hot Dog: Hot Doug's

2010-06-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

Owner Doug Sohn speaks about his famous hot dog and "encased meat emporium" and this favorite Chicago hot dog joint.

Mama Thai Review

2010-05-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

52 W Roosevelt Rd
Lombard, IL 60148

View Larger Map

Short review: Stopped by Mama Thai today and had a good Thai meal with eve better service. Though is is more important to have great food or great service?

Full Review: Wanting to try a different Thai place in the western burbs we stopped by Mama Thai.

The restaurant was pretty empty considered it was nearly five thirty. We were seated quickly and while pondering over the menu the chatty server caught my attention. She was talking with other diners across the room ad seemed unusually gregarious (Sidebar: I know some servers outgoing to diners because they want to receive a large tip but something told me this was just part of her personality)

A very nice gentleman waited on us and periodically the woman would come around and chat with us. She was chatting up a storm with us and engaged the table well, while not bothering us. I almost felt like a guest in her home, which is always a good thing at any restaurant.

I ordered the duck and when it came out I noticed how small it was, the chatty server (who could have also been the owner or the manager) also mentioned how small it was. It was quite tasty as a dish and left me wanting more.

I also made sure to taste everyone else's dish and when I tasted my dining companions chicken dish, there small pieces of rib bones which took away from an otherwise good dish. Hopefully, this was just a rare occurrence.

Everything got better once I had the "sweet sticky rice." The owner/manager made sure to save us the last one and told us she would be doing so every time she came to the our table. That was one of the best Thai deserts I've had and would go back along just for that. Sure enough it was the last one as we were leaving the owner told another table they were out of it. Extra points for that.

Overall I would go back to if I am out this way as there is good food with genuine service.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Chicago's Best Ribs

2010-03-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Where do you go to get the best ribs? Check out these spots below.

Peet's Coffee & Tea Review

2010-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

A long overdue review about Peet's in Evanston about my original visit back in November

1622 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201

View Larger Map
Short Review:

Pete's is not life Starbuck's, it's actually a nice refreshing throwback to the days when real coffee houses existed in this nation. With locations in 5 states this small chain actually doesn't feel like a chain at all.

Long Review:
Stopped by Peet's Evanston location on a cold blustery day and was a bit overwhelmed by the choices of coffee. This location is extremely quite as there are Northwestern students studying, professors reading, many people writing on labtops, etc... The loudest noise in there is the coffee maker and many times it's the only noise in there.

I ordered a Pumpkin Spice Latte with a Pumpkin muffin. It was very good, approaching Intelligensia's level of quality. The muffin was a decent size for the price and was tasty as well.

The service is good also, the baristas don't rush or bark "next customer" if there is a line. They don't have that rushed retail feel about them either, very relaxed and polite. They also really know a lot about the different types of coffee beans and can answer questions with some actual knowledge. Which can't be said of Starbuck's baristas.

The only slight complaint I have is the atmosphere is a bit sterile. The counter-tops are clean and clear of product displays and this location is big so it the environment can seem slightly cold at times. There are even security cameras hidden in the corner. Despite that this is a coffee chain that I would be willing to return to as they have some very good coffee.

Overall rating 4.5 out 5

Thai Classic Review

2010-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

3332 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Short Review: Went to one of the top Thai places in the city but I may have been expecting too much. Need to back because I love Thai food.

Long Review: We went out in the frigid cold to Thai Classic to meet a couple friends for dinner. I've walked past the Wrigleyville spot a couple of time but didn't know how large it really is on the inside, it looks small and narrow from the sidewalk. In fact, it's easy to miss if you're walking down the street.

When we got into the restaurant it seemed everyone gave us death stares which was very odd but also could have been attributed to our letting the extremely cold wind in. The host was very nice and asked if we would like to sit at a table or on the floor, we opted for a table in the back of the restaurant far away from the front door that lets the cold in every time people enter or leave. (To be fair to the frigid patrons those death stares were more like looks of regret)

We were seated and I opened the menu- there are pictures of dishes on the menu. Like Gordon Ramsey I'm always a bit suspicious of restaurants that show pictures of the food they are going to serve me on their menu due to some bad experiences at those sort of restaurants. I went into alert mode.

The interior is nothing to rave about, this isn't Le Colonial. Just a normal interior with a carpeted floor and with some tables and floor seating around the walls. The front of the restaurant is nicer looking and has wood flooring and a bar but I wasn't going to sit up there with the cold coming through the door.

The El rumbled over head and since it was quite in the back dining area (for now) it got a bit distracting after the second time a train went by minutes later.

We ordered Thai Spring Rolls and Calamari for an appetizer. Despite my advice not to order calamari at a Thai place it wasn't that bad. The Thai spring rolls are cold (this is how many Thai restaurants serve spring rolls so if you order them don't expect Chinese or Japanese spring to come hot from the oven) They were alright also. Just the amount of sweet in the sauce drizzled over it.

It came time to order the main dishes. I ordered Lad Nar- a mistake on my part. From my experience of Lad Nar at Joy's Noodle and Rice. I ordered it wondering if it was any better than the one I had a year ago at Joy's.

Lad Nar is a dish made with wide noodles and either pork or chicken in a gravy. It is a common Thai dish so I wasn't quite expecting what I got. Some of the noodles were a bit too crispy and even burned around the edges and the gravy was too salty. Lad Nar is supposed to be crispy but some of the noodles were downright crunchy. Just like Joy's Noodle and Rice Lad Nar. Before I about to write off the restaurant I tasted everyone else's dish to make sure it was me. Everyone said their dishes were good.

Their dishes were better than mine. Maybe something happened in the kitchen when the cook was making the Lad Nar as the restaurant got very busy very quickly. Maybe this is their variation on Lad Nar?

I gave Thai Classic the benefit of the doubt and decided whoever made my dish was having a bad day because their service is very good.

The waitress was very nice and attentive. Not so attentive that you felt the servers are hovering around the table and refilling your glass every time you take a little sip but just the right amount of watchfulness from a distance kind of attentive.

I will be back to try something else.

4 out of 5 Stars

Chicago Restaurant Reviews: Best of 2009

2009-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

As the year draws to a close it's time to do a restaurant roundup and mention some awards for a few places which not only caught my attention but have been consistently good places to eat in the city.

Best Lunch Spot in the Loop: Hannah's Bretzel
233 N Michigan Avenue and 190 W Washington St
Chicago, IL 60605

View Larger Map

This is the best place for lunch in the loop in my opinion. Despite it being a bit on the expensive side($9-10) it is a great healthy option. A wall of Swiss and Belgium chocolate, organic ingredients, freindly staff and a choice of kettle chips or carrots. Beats fast food.

Best Italian: Trattoria Trullo

4767 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

View Larger Map

Quick Review:

Anterprima came close but this Lincoln Square spot is hands down the best (authentic) Italian restaurant I've been to in the city.

This isn't a pasta house with heavy tomato sauces, it's where the Italians go when they are on vacation. Go and enjoy.

Best Cafe: Julius Meinl

4363 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL, 60613

and

4363 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Yes, you can go to Intelligensia to get a decent cup of coffee but Menil's has some great European coffee's and dishes. People complain about the long waits to get in during lunch rush on the weekends but I like to go at night, especially in the fall or winter. Just like Vienna in Chicago.

Really, on my last visit there were a group of French friends all talking (in French) lively about various topics and behind me was a lone Italian man speaking on the cellphone. When the Europeans gather here, you know it's good.

If you cut out your to trip to Europe this year travel to Meinl's instead, almost the same thing.

Best Hot Dog: Jim's Original

1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607

View Larger Map

This Near West Side Spot takes the prize for great hot dogs and burgers. People were lined around the block for their 70th Anniversary deal and I can see why; they have some of the best polish sausages in town.

In fact, they claim to be the home of original Chicago polish. Either way this is a spot to stop by.

If you're looking for a more comprehensive guide to Chicago restaurants check out Zagat 2009/10 Chicago Restaurants: Celebrating 30 Years (Zagatsurvey: Chicago Restaurants)

Chicago Resturant Deals and Steals

2009-10-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Eating out in Chicago doesn't need to be expensive, especially in these times. There's many restaurants where you can eat on the cheap or even for free. In fact if you go to certain restaurants on the right day you can find yourself a deal.

Here's a big list of restaurants that offer dining deals, happy hour, or buffets around Chicago to save you some money.

Downtown

Brasserie Joe- Happy hour 5-7pm every Tuesday
59 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60610

View Larger Map

The Buzz- Free buffet from 5-6pm with free salsa lessons from 6:30-7:30pm
308 W Erie St Bsmt
Chicago, IL 60610

View Larger Map

Golden Buddha Chinese Restaurant- Don't be put off by entering through a lobby of an office building as they offer free appetizers every Friday evening.

312 W Randolph St Chicago, IL 60606

View Larger Map

Mezito Latin Bistro and Wine Bar- Free tapas on Tuesday from 5-10pm

710 N Wells St,
Chicago, IL 60606

View Larger Map

Northside

Big Chicks- This popular GLBT spot in Uptown offers a free full Sunday brunch buffet from 3-4pm. Salad, pasta, sandwiches, and deserts are included.

5024 N Sheridan Rd,
Chicago, IL 60640

View Larger Map

Celtic Crown-
Free pizza 5-8pm on Fridays

4301 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Franks'- Free food on St Patrick's Day and Fat Tuesday

2503 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

Full Shilling Pub- This Wrigleyville bar offers free food Fridays 5-7pm during Cubs games

3724 N Clark St,
Chicago, IL 60613

View Larger Map

Clybar- Free pizzas from 5-8pm on Fridays

2417 N Clybourn Ave,
Chicago, IL‎ 60614

View Larger Map

McGee's Tavern and Grille- Free pizza at Midnight on Fridays

950 W Webster Ave,
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

North End- This Lakeview sports bar has Sunday buffets during Bears season. GLBT

3733 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613

View Larger Map

Sedgwicks- Free Friday buffet at 10:30pm Saturdays around midnight.
1935 N Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

West Side

Cleo's- You can get your late night free food fix with free appetizers Saturday 11-1:00 am at this Ukrainian Village spot

1935 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

View Larger Map

The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave
(between Homer St & Armitage Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647

View Larger Map

International night, 2 drink minimum strictly enforced on Tuesday night. Local from around the world chefs gather at this Bucktown spot to cook ethnic dishes from their country.

Free samples around town

Fox and Obel- Offers free samples of food everyday, free wine samplings Thursday and Friday evenings from 5-8pm and Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm

Godiva Chocolates- Free samples on weekend (double check website to see upcoming offers)

Trader Joes- Free samples offered everyday

Whole Foods- Samples offered weekend afternoons

Happy Hours

Cucina Paradiso
814 North Blvd
Oak Park, IL 60301

View Larger Map

Half price wine bottles every Monday and $5 signature martinis every Wednesday
Enjoy $3 appetizers at the bar only Tuesday

Cafe Selmarie
4729 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

View Larger Map

Enjoy a three-course meal for only $20 every Thursday Night at Cafe Selmarie. 4pm until closing.

Sushi X
543 W Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

Half price on all sushi rolls Sunday through Wednesday from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.

Mirabell Restaurant & Lounge
3454 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Drink specials Monday thru Thursday

Va Pensiero
1566 Oak Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201

View Larger Map

Turquoise Cafe Review

2009-10-12T18:46:00.001-07:00

2147 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Short Review: My new neighborhood favorite. This is a great neighborhood spot for some good Turkish food in a nice dining atmosphere in a great area.

Long Review:
Just got back from a good spot in Roscoe Village for with a laid back Mediterranean cafe feel to it- Turquoise Cafe. This place is a neighborhood favorite based on how quickly it filled up by 7pm on a cold Monday night- during a very bad recession too.

The atmosphere is my one of favorite types of atmospheres- small, intimate, low lighting, white table, clothes, framed art on the wall, large selection of wine and champagne stocked behind the bar, and lots of full tables with happy people talking and laughing. It already got two points by the time I walked up the hosts booth. Most of the waitstaff is Turkish which makes it very authentic. It has a nice Euro/ Mediterranean vibe about it. On to the food.

They menu is mainly focused on Turkish dishes but there are some Italian and Greek dishes on there also. It has a very nice selection of Mediterranean fare.

We started out with mussels steamed in wine. They were so good I could have made a meal out of them on their own.
Despite being at a (mostly) Turkish restaurant I decided to go a little Italian tonight and order the Osso Buco. It was very good and came with Polenta with shaved Parmesan cheese.

My dining companion had Rack of Lamb. The lamb was just as good- if not better than lamb I've had in Greektown. And the roasted vegetables which came with the dish, delish! I ate what she couldn't finish and was grateful for it.

Unfortunately, I didn't have desert since we were full but we will definitely be back soon as this is now my favorite spot in Roscoe Village. Too bad I came in the Fall, I would have liked to sit outdoors and dine al fresco.

4.5 out of 5 stars

BTW, our tab came out to about $50 for the two of use for dinner so while I wouldn't put it in the expensive category it may be a place to save for special occasions in this economy but definitely worth the visit for any occasion.

Greek Islands' Review

2009-10-03T20:39:00.001-07:00

200 S Halsted St
(between Adams St & Quincy St)
Chicago, IL 60661

View Larger Map

There are so many good places to go for Greek food in Greektown but after multiple visits to the one in Oak Brook and Chicago the Greek Islands is one of the better Greek restaurants in Chicago. Plus, there is free valet parking.

Went for lunch to Greek Island's because they get extremely busy during the diner rush hours and strolled in for some authentic Greek eats. The place was busy despite my plans to avoid the crowds. I was half expecting that though.

When we got a table and they must have a wait staff of 50 people or more. You'll find both family-style and individual catered plates on the menu. Tons of appetizers and main course selections.

We opted out of the flaming Saganaki and the accompanying "Opah!". They were going off all around us and we weren't impressed by the pyrotechnics anymore. But at $5.50 it is a deal and a sight to see if you have never been or have out-of-towners.

Their Avgolemeno soup (lemon soup) was thick 'n creamy - texture-wise, just the way I like it, however it was a bit bland on that day and not full of the explosive lemon flavor I'm use to. The Gyros was a plate-full. I always order the lamb, that's one of meats of Greece.

It is usually tender and juicy, this time it was good as usual. It comes with garlic roasted potatoes which are very good.

All and all a nice meal at Greek Islands was had. But the only thing which takes away from the experience is the rushed service. The servers tend to bring out entrees when your finishing up your appetizer. They may be trying to hurry people in and out or there may be too many servers hovering around each table.

Nonetheless, if you want some pretty good Greek in a busy restaurant close to the hussle and bussle of Downtown than Greek Island's is the place.

Overall rating 3.5 out 5

Mount Everest Restaurant Review

2009-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

630 Church St
(between Chicago Ave & Orrington Ave)
Evanston, IL 60201

View Larger Map
Quick Review: The best place to go for Indian food in Evanston and one of my favorite restaurants in the North Shore. Hands down.

Long Review: We first tried out Mount Everest a couple of years ago and it's really a great place for Indian and Pakistani food beyond Devon Avenue.

One of the things I like about the restaurant is it has good service with great food. The owner is very nice and freindly and she makes sure every table is content with their experience at her business.

Everything is very good here. The Curry is not that spicy, a plus for people who don't like spicy food and the Naan (Indian bread) is perfectly warm and soft. Their Mango ice cream is creamy and delicious.

Devon is a good place to go for Indian but Mt Everest is worth the trip.

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

Hannah's Bretzel Review

2009-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

233 N Michigan Avenue and 190 W Washington St
Chicago, IL 60605

View Larger Map

Quick Review: From greasy spoon Greektown diner to luxurious lunch spot in the loop. While working in the Loop (interning actually) last year I stopped over at Hannah's Bretzel on Washington for lunch and had one of the best (and most expensive) European sandwiches in a long time.

Long Review: While interning at an investment firm (bad place to be in this economy) I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch. Why should all the executives enjoy great lunches while I ate bagged lunches from home? I deserved something nice once in awhile too. So I grabbed my coat and headed out to Hannah's Bretzel.

Unfortunately, the Loop doesn't offer that many good places to grab a sandwich (yes, there's Panera and Cosi but the lines are so long by the time lunch rolls around) Then there's fast food chains which I won't go to unless there are no other options and there are at least a few better options in the Loop than fast food. Besides they serve entirely organic ingredients and it's healthy too.

I had done my research on Hannah's Bretzel after seeing a segment on the news about it. I knew how expensive it would be but was still uncertain of the quality. (Price does not always equal quality)

The location is not exactly a hole in the wall but the narrow building it's located in makes it easy to miss. I've walked by it a thousand times before but only now have I noticed it. I walked in the shop which is very small and has a very European feeling. The wall (the entire wall) has an enormous shelf gourmet chocolate bars from Belgium and Switzerland. Two giant TV's mounted on the wall behind the counter were showing a downhill skiing event and marble countertopsr rounded out the theme. I think I even heard classical music playing. The only thing missing were chandlers. How highbrow.

There wasn't much of a line but everyone in line was dressed well, including myself. I did my homework before hand and made sure to look the part so I wouldn't get any snooty looks from people. But actually the customers were more focused on what to order than who was walking through the door and the staff is very nice.

I ordered the Black Forest Turkey sandwich with chips. It came out to $10.25 with tax.

The place is very small and it only has one or two tables so I had to eat lunch somewhere else. I felt like Nick Cage in the movie the Family Man (specifically the part where he describes getting his coffee at Dean and DeLuca) as I walked down Wacker with my Hannah Bretzel sandwich bag and wearing my winter coat. The only thing I was missing were black leather power broker gloves.

It was a great sandwich, the kettle chips were a bit salty but all in all a good organic European sandwich. The bag it came in was even made of biodegradable plastic.

Though, in this economy it's probably better to go once in a while as special treat unless you have have a trust fund. And if anyone calls you a snob for buying a Hannah's Bretzel sandwich, tear off a piece and give it to them because they serve up some very good sandwiches here.

4 out of 5 stars

Mr Greek Review

2009-08-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

234 S Halsted St
(between Adams St & Jackson Blvd)
Chicago, IL 60661

View Larger Map

Quick Review: Went to grab some gyros in Greektown and got a big messy gyros for about $5, a good deal for a good meal.

Long Review: All rhyming aside, this greasy spoon is a great place for gyros. Possibly one of the best in Greektown for Gyros. After reading rave reviews about it I decided to stop in with my lunch companions. It was a typical diner style/ fast food atmosphere. It not about the looks, it's about lunch.

Went up to the counter and ordered the "combo #2" which was gyros with fries and a drink- $5.45.

After waiting for a little while my number was called and I got my lunch. The gyros are very big, very messy and very good. Half of mine spilled out onto the paper lining of the tray. Despite the initial awkwardness of trying to eat it I'd say this was some of the best gyros I've had in a while. I was so filled I couldn't finish my fries and had to throw the rest out (I don't like throwing out food) Bring a take out container you might need it ;)

All in all a good greasy spoon in Greektown to come for gyros. (Yes I know I sound like Dr. Seuss)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Jim's Original Hot Dog Review

2009-07-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607

View Larger Map

Quick Review: Drawn partly by curiosity and also by a very good deal I went to Jim's a couple weeks ago but didn't want to wait in line. Went back this week beat the lunch crowd and got a great Polish with some very good (free) fries.

Long Review: Looking to grab a hot dog I went to Jim's Original for their 70th Anniversary celebration. Everything on their menu was 70 cents. Unfortunately, I didn't expect the entire city to also be there. The lines (there were two lines actually) were around the block and traffic was backed up on the streets around Jim's. This was 10x worse than the lunch lines at Hot Doug's.

I took my place in the back of the line- a block away from the counter. After 15 minutes and not much progression of the line I decided to give up my spot in line and come back when there wasn't a 45-50 minutes wait.

I returned yesterday with a group of people and we arrived before the lunch crowds mobbed the counter. This is an old school Chicago hot dog joint, literally right next to the Dan Ryan with sizzling grills on all the time in the back, smells of meat and fries wafting around in the air and sometimes gruff employees who can be intimidating to no-regulars. I ordered my Polish with free fries (all sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers, come with free fries) and wondered we were going to sit.

There isn't an outdoor eating area, no chair and tables in the back, just a metal counter bolted to the side of the building. Mustard and ketchup stains dotted the sidewalk underneath the counter. We ate old school style standing up at the "lunch counter" with the cars rushing by on the expressway and the skyline behind us.

The Polish Dog is really good, people aren't hyping anything up about it when they say so. It's loaded up with Sauerkraut and the fries are also very good. Their double fried to give a brown crunchy texture (at least I'm told).

It all only cost around $3.50 and Ddspite the unique experience eating while standing on the sidewalk along the Dan Ryan this is a great old place to go for hot dogs and especially the Polish Dog. Probably the best Polish Sausage I've had in Chicago.

Jim's Original Website

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Costello Sandwich & Sides Review

2009-07-12T21:59:00.001-07:00

2015 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Short Review: Went to Roscoe Village to grab a nice lunch but left Costello's in a not so nice mood.

Long Review: Here's why

I walked into Costello's Sandwich Shop after walking up and down Roscoe Street figuring out where to go, it was getting late so I popped in. There were barely any people in the store... on a Saturday at 1:00... right after a Cubs Game let out.

Something shiny in the corner near the window caught my attention. It was a... tin foil robot? Hmmm... quirky.

Nonetheless, I was hungry anyway and decided to order a Turkey Club sandwich after mulling over the sandwich board for a minute. The man behind the counter rang me up-

"$7.50." He told me.

I thought I was heard him wrong and looked at the cash register, it displayed $7.50 also. G

God! that's a bit expensive for a sandwich I thought. I pulled out all my money- all of it meaning my wallet was empty when I handed over all my money to him. He asked if I wanted a drink.

No, just water. I don't think I want to be charged an extra two dollars for a Pepsi. "This better be a good sandwich." I thought.

I sat at one of the empty tables and flipped through The Onion trying to get my mind off of how much I paid for a turkey sandwich.

I took a bit after what seemed like an unusually long wait.

It arrived and it was a bit- bland. Something like what your would receive in a college cafeteria. There was more chopped lettuce on the sandwich than Turkey meat. And don''t Lay's Potato Chips only cost $1? 6.50 for a sandwich? That price is almost as bad as when I went to grab an $9 dollar burger from Busy Burger. I support local businesses and want to see them stick around the neighborhood but the price for this sandwich was $2 too much.

I was about to go out on the street and tell someone to call the police because I was robbed. I was even tempted to tell the other patrons who were now filling up the store to run while they still have their money.

Though, I didn't. I finished my sandwich and left a bit peeved I had emptied my wallet for a turkey sandwich I could make at home- at better quality.

2 out of 5 stars

Eating Organic in Chicago

2009-06-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Eating organically is not only healthy for you it's good for living a low impact lifestyle and influences agricultural production (if enough people eat organically that is) but soapbox comments aside, where do you go out to eat an organic meal in Chicago? It's sometimes it's even hard to find spots use organic meat in their dishes.

Here's a great big list of the highest rated organic cafes, restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores to eat organically in Chicago:

Restaurants

Uncommon Ground
3800 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613

View Larger Map

MK
866 N Franklin
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Cousin's Incredible Vitality
3038 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Chocolate Grape
2113 W Division St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Lula Cafe
2537 N Kedzie Blvd
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Big Jones
5347 N Clark St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

M. Henry
5707 N Clark St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Sweets & Savories
1534 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Bistro Campagne
4518 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Crust
2056 W Division St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Hot Doug's
3324 N California Ave
Chicago, IL
(One of Chicago's best places to get a hot dog, there's always lines out the door)

View Larger Map

Bakeries

Alliance Bakery
1736 W. Division,
Chicago, IL
(Charming Old Eastern European bakery)

View Larger Map

Artopolis Bakery, Cafe and Agora
306 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL
(excellent Greektown bakery, nice assortment of treats)

View Larger Map

Judy's Bakery
706 Main St., Evanston, IL
(the bakery I grew up with)

View Larger Map

Leitza's
2218 N. California Ave
Chicago, IL
(doesn't use margarine in their baked goods)

View Larger Map

Bleeding Heart Bakery
1955 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657-2024

View Larger Map

Sweet Dreams Bakery
1107 Waukegan Rd
Glenview, IL 60025

View Larger Map

Cafes

Coffee and Tea Exchange
3311 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL
(good coffee and tea)

View Larger Map

3123 N. Broadway,
Chicago, IL 60657
(great local coffee, has several locations and are selling coffee in grocery stores now)

View Larger Map

53 E Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60602

amp;cbp=12,15.17,,0,-0.01" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map

Bridgeport Coffee Company
3101 S Morgan St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

1640 S Blue Island Ave,
Chicago, IL 60608

View Larger Map

My Place for Tea
3210 N Sheffield Ave,
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Grocery Stores

Treasure Island
2121 N. Clybourn, Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

75 W Elm St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Fox & Obel
401 E. Illinois,
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Hyde Park Produce
1226 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Farmers Pride
756 N Western Avenue
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Paulina Market
3501 N Lincoln Ave,
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Green Grocer
1402 W Grand Ave,
Chicago, IL 60642

View Larger Map

Don't forget about the farmer's market

Green City Market
1750 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL
7am-3pm Wednesdays

Daley Center Farmer's Market
50 W Adams
Chicago, IL 60606
Tue. 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

61st Street Farmer's Market
6100 S Blackstone Ave
Chicago, IL 60637

Do you know of any other organic spots in Chicago? Let me know. More next time.

Anteprima Review

2009-06-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

Quick Review: With the tasty memories of Trattoria Trula still in my mind (I still can't wait to go back) we headed to Anteprima in Andersonvillefor my mother's birthday to do a comparison. It close behind Trattoria and has become one of my favorite Italian Restaurants. And not just because of the food.

Long Review: Trattoria Trulo is still my favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago, through AntePrima follows closely behind. We all arrived there for my mothers birthday at around 5:30 and they only had three tables open- Andersonville is becoming a restaurant hot spot but AntePrima has made a name for itself already.

The host was very nice and seated us quickly as the restaurant was nearly empty. We sat down and on the table was a bottle of water (not just any bottle but a bottle with a flueted opening with a blue gel/rubber cap) Very nicely presented and the bottle made the water look refreshing. And it was (I'm glad I didn't need to drink polluted Chicago tap water) It was nice to see AntePrima take the extra step.

Another extra step I enjoyed were the four Quiche Lorraines waiting for me on the table. Another inviting extra step.

Our waiter came over and was genial and pleasant as he explained the specials to us. He left us to mull over the menu. I decided to get the Veal meatballs for an appitizer and the Spagehtti with Anchovies for the main course. My mother went for the beat salad for an appitizer and Halibut with Fugami mushrooms for a main course.

The veal meatballs were smaller than I expected but still there were enough of them to be eaten as an appetizer. I was expecting three or four large meatballs to be placed in front of me similar in size to ones served at pasta houses- AntePrima is not a pasta house.

The restaurant started ti fill up quickly as we finished our appetizers, although this is Andersonvile.

Our main courses came out and my spaghetti was the best non-sauce spaghetti I've had. I had Watercress sprinkled on top, grated cheese, and of course anchovies tossed in. Although, I couldn't taste the anchovies that much maybe because they were thinly sliced or there weren't that many of them. The spaghetti was still very good, I nearly melted into my chair.

My mothers Halibut was a bit "too salty" for her taste. Maybe it's because she often doesn't put salt on her food. Everyone else enjoyed their dishes thoroughly.

The deserts were very good also, my Chocolate Hazelnut cake was a nice way to end a good meal.

The bathrooms were clean and designed in a similar theme as the restaurant, they felt as if you were in someones guest bathroom instead of a bathroom at a restaurant. The were no florescent lights buzzing above your head and the towels were refreshingly ample enough to dry you hands. (Go to AntePrima and you'll see what I mean)

The other great thing I like about AntePrima is the diversity of its patrons. There were young and old, couples on dates, families out for a special Sunday night and there was even a large tables of three families sitting all together. It reminded me of families sitting together at long tables in Italy.

The quality of the food is part of what makes a resturant but the experience is the other key factor. Both were great at AntePrima. A great restaurant for a special occasion or just about any occasion, I will be back.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Dining Out For Free in Chicago

2009-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Eating out in Chicago doesn't need to be expensive. There's many restaurants where you can eat on the cheap or even for free. In fact if you go to certain restaurants on the right day you can find yourself a deal. Here's a big list of restaurants that offer dining deals, happy hour, or buffets around Chicago.

Downtown

Brasserie Joe- Happy hour 5-7pm every Tuesday
59 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60610

View Larger Map

The Buzz- Free buffet from 5-6pm with free salsa lessons from 6:30-7:30pm
308 W Erie St Bsmt
Chicago, IL 60610

View Larger Map

Golden Buddha Chinese Restaurant- Don't be put off by entering through a lobby of an office building as they offer free appetizers every Friday evening.

312 W Randolph St Chicago, IL 60606

View Larger Map

Mezito Latin Bistro and Wine Bar- Free tapas on Tuesday from 5-10pm

710 N Wells St,
Chicago, IL 60606

View Larger Map

Northside

Big Chicks- This popular GLBT spot in Uptown offers a free full Sunday brunch buffet from 3-4pm. Salad, pasta, sandwiches, and deserts are included.

5024 N Sheridan Rd,
Chicago, IL 60640

View Larger Map

Celtic Crown- Free pizza 5-8pm on Fridays

4301 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Franks'- Free food on St Patrick's Day and Fat Tuesday

2503 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

Full Shilling Pub- This Wrigleyville bar offers free food Fridays 5-7pm during Cubs games

3724 N Clark St,
Chicago, IL 60613

View Larger Map

Clybar- Free pizzas from 5-8pm on Fridays

2417 N Clybourn Ave,
Chicago, IL‎ 60614

View Larger Map

McGee's Tavern and Grille- Free pizza at Midnight on Fridays

950 W Webster Ave,
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

North End- This Lakeview sports bar has Sunday buffets during Bears season. GLBT

3733 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613

View Larger Map

Sedgwicks- Free Friday buffet at 10:30pm Saturdays around midnight.
1935 N Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

West Side

Cleo's- You can get your late night free food fix with free appetizers Saturday 11-1:00 am at this Ukrainian Village spot

1935 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

View Larger Map

The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave
(between Homer St & Armitage Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647

View Larger Map

International night, 2 drink minimum strictly enforced on Tuesday night. Local from around the world chefs gather at this Bucktown spot to cook ethnic dishes from their country.

Free samples around town

Fox and Obel- Offers free samples of food everyday, free wine samplings Thursday and Friday evenings from 5-8pm and Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm

Godiva Chocolates- Free samples on weekend (double check website to see upcoming offers)

Trader Joes- Free samples offered everyday

Whole Foods- Samples offered weekend afternoons

Meson Sabika Review

2009-05-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Quick Review: Went all the way out to Naperville to Meson Sabika today for diner (in rush hour traffic on 294) for some Tapas and had a reasonable meal when we finally got there.

Long Review: After seeing Mason Sabika on Cheak Please we decided to go and check it out for ourselves and also to enjoy the springtime weather outside Spanish style in la sol (which was quickly receding below the horizon)

We arrived and ordered some cold tapas to start out. They were pretty good, the bacon wrapped prunes. They were good but after a few the sauce seemed too sweet and some water was needed to dilute the taste.

We moved onto the hot tapas and I ordered the lamb chops with cous cous. It was good not the best lamb I've had, the cous cous was good and was large grain which absorbed the sauce well.

We moved onto deserts and I had Tarimsu. It was alright for the price. All in all I had high expectations for Meson Sabika since I heard so many great things about but it didn't quite live to expectations. Maybe it was the phenominal meal we had at Trattoria Trullo but I was expecting more. It's still a nice resturant with good quality tapas for the suburbs.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Trattoria Trullo Review

2009-04-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

4767 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

View Larger Map

Quick Review: One of the best non-pasta Italian restaurants I've been to- if not the best I've ever had.

Long Review: We braved the rain storm and went to Trattoria Trullo for my birthday. It was one of the greatest birthday dinner I've had in a while. I originally saw the restaurant on Check Please and thought it looked like a nice place to go for upscale Italian restaurant in Chicago.

We the main dinning room decor and setting are very nice and relaxing. A high, lofty ceiling and soft lighting and candles on every table I recognized the owner walking back and fourth making sure everything and everyone is OK. The owner is from Sicily and the restaurant focuses on serving dishes from that region.

We started out with an appetizer of grilled Octopus and Calamari. Both were great, and my first taste of octopus was better than I thought.

For my main course I had the veal. It was very good, but the best dish on the table was my father's Sea Bass, it was the best Sea Bass I ever had and the seasonings and sauce made it unbelively good. It was also the first time I said "oh my god" at a restaurant and for a very good reason. My sister ordered the stuffed steak with Blue Cheese and that was extremely good also. Everything we had was extremely good. It was like culinary bliss.

For desert I had the Tarimissu and that was also well made, not too much liquor and not too much Marzipanne cheese either. Just right, some restaurants make their Tarmissu too sweet and mess up the meal. Trattoria has desserts that end the meal well.

Everything is extremely good here and I'll definitely be back to my new found favorite Italian Restaurant in Chicago.

Kamehachi Review

2009-04-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

1400 N Wells St
(between Burton Pl & Schiller St)
Chicago, IL 60610

View Larger Map

Quick Review: On a cold rainy day we stopped in to Kamehaci, I knew it was good when we received the aromatic hot towels but I knew it was even better when I took a bite of the Dragon Roll.

Long Review: On a cold winter afternoon the Chicago restaurant reviewers and I set out for Old Town. We were heading to Kamehachi for some sushi, I love sushi so I was really looking forward to Kamehachi.

The owners say this is the oldest sushi bar in Chicago and has been on the corner of Shiller and Wells since 1967. The restaurant was smaller than I expected but that was fine as I've been in some sushi places which are too big and you need to wave an enormous flag to get your waiters attention from across the room (at some particularly bad places I wave a white flag)

We were seated immediately (it was a Sunday at 4pm though) and were given hot wet towels which smelled like almonds. Very refreshing and especially good after a cold blustery walk from the El stop. They were already getting points in my book.

I we ordered soft shell crab as an appetizer. It was pretty good, but slightly overpriced. Next I had the Kamehachi combo which comes with: yellowtail tuna, whitefish, shrimp, mackerel, salmon, fish roe & octopus with a California roll, and of course it's served with miso soup. It was good but not the best sushi I've had.

My dining companion had the Firecracker roll and the Dragon roll. It was pretty good also. The Dragon roll comes artfully prepared in the shape of a Dragon and was good, not the best but alright.

The Firecracker roll is named after it's crunchy center. It was pretty good also.

Had it been summer we would have sat outside on the patio with its mini waterfall and Japanese garden ambiance but unfortunately we went during the dead of winter. Next time. The bill came out to about $50 dollars for the two of us. A bit overpriced. But the prices are a little high because of the Old Town address (and rent).

Kamehachi is a pretty good sushi place in Old Town but I wouldn't make a special trip out there. All in all pretty good sushi place but I would only go there in summer and if I'm in the area.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Joy's Noodle and Rice Review

2009-02-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

3257 N Broadway St
Chicago IL, 60657

Quick Review: Stopped by Joy's Noodle and Rice today after wanting to try it out for a long time and trekking all over Lakeview looking for a spot that where the wait was 20 minutes (or longer) Although there's a reason Joy's wasn't crowded and it probably didn't have to do with the economy.

Long Review: Walked into Joy's Noodle and Rice for an early dinner for some Thai food. My hopes were high as I heard good things about Joy's. Though, maybe my hopes were a little too high.

We started the meal off with an appetizer of Crab Rangoon. When it arrived it was about the size of my thumbnail. Are they cutting back on portion size due to the economy? Aren't they supposed to a little bigger? They were good nonetheless and I gobbled them (almost all of them anyway) up expecting my main course to be just a good if not better.

I went with the Bamee Noodles and my dining companion went with the Lard Na. When our dishes arrived I dug into my noodles, the pork on top looked like it scrapped off of someone else' plate a week ago and reheated for my dish. The noodles underneath the pork appeared to be Ramen noodles. I went for them first.

I could barely get the clumpy mass of noodles apart with my chopsticks so I used my fork but that didn't work much better and I felt I needed a knife to cut the noodles apart. I took one bite and was hit by an overwhelming taste of sugar. These are Ramen noodles- and why are they so sweet. Maybe the pork would counter the sweet effect.

It was chewy and may have very well been reheated. I struggled to finish my meal and instead took some of the Lard Na to see if it was better than my meal. Many of the noodles were burned and thus crunchy. Why are these noodles burned? This isn't like any Lard Na I've had, the sauce was also too salty. We both finished our meals nonetheless and were happy we didn't pay more than $7.50 for our dishes.

Although, the interior decor is nice and the service was attentive and friendly. I don't like giving them such a bad review because I had been anticipating the experience for a long time and the waiter was very nice but I don't think I going back anytime soon.

2 out of 5 stars

Chicago Restaurant Deals Continued

2009-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Eating well doesn't mean you have to shell out a lot of cash and in these times you don't need to resort to fast food either.

Here's some more deals around town where you can eat well but won't break the bank either.

Cucina Paradiso
814 North Blvd
Oak Park, IL 60301

View Larger Map

Half price wine bottles every Monday and $5 signature martinis every Wednesday
Enjoy $3 appetizers at the bar only Tuesday

Cafe Selmarie
4729 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

View Larger Map

Enjoy a three-course meal for only $20 every Thursday Night at Cafe Selmarie. 4pm until closing.

Sushi X
543 W Diversey Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

Half price on all sushi rolls Sunday through Wednesday from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.

Mirabell Restaurant & Lounge
3454 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60618

View Larger Map

Drink specials Monday thru Thursday

Va Pensiero
1566 Oak Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201

View Larger Map

High end North Shore Italian available at a discounted price beginning Friday January 2nd through Saturday January 31st, 2009- Four Course Berkshire pork tasting menu.

Primos Chicago Pizza and Pasta Review

2008-11-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

816 W Van Buren St
Chicago, IL 60607

View Larger Map

Short Review: Friendly owner, good food and some great Tomato and Basil Pizza. Just go for lunch and thank yourself later.

Long Review: I decided to go to Primo's for lunch one day to check it out as I heard good things about it from others.

I walked into Primo's and right away this place has a very neighborhood feeling to it. I stepped up to the counter as their was no one their and took a look up at the chalkboard to see what I might be interested in.

"5 dollar Pizza Special with drink"

Sounds good to me, I got it knowing that it was a pretty good deal. I got the tomato and basil pizza. I stepped to the side and noticed the man behind the counter (the owner) was very friendly to the customers and seemed like a friend of regulars, or those who seemed like regulars.

I got my pizza and went to take my seat. The slice is enormous and it had to be cut up with a pizza slicer for me to eat it properly.

I bit into the a piece. It was some of the best pizzas I've had. The tomatoes are sweet and a little hint of tangy, the cheese is creamy and greasy.

I devoured the entire piece in about 10 minutes and was contemplating stealing the entire tray from under the heat lamp. It's that good.

I've been going back on a weekly basis for lunch and am exploring their menu of tasty lunch offerings. Go if you're in the area. Good service, good food, good prices and some great tomato and basil pizza.

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Cheap Eats in Chicago: Dining Deals

2008-10-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

With the economic crisis one of the first luxuries to get crossed off your budget is eating out. Though, you can find some great places in the city to eat cheaply; some for under ten dollars or even five dollars.

Sopo
3424 N Southport Ave,
Chicago, IL

$2 burgers on Monday nights.

View Larger Map

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba
2024 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL

$3 Tapas Mon.-Sun. 4-6pm and Friday and Saturday from 10pm-midnight

View Larger Map

Friendship Chinese Restaurant
2830 N Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL

Tuesday- $8.95 special on all entrees

View Larger Map

Sola
3460 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL
$30 Prix-Fixe Menu (Monday-Wednesday)

View Larger Map

Marche
119 N Peoria St
Chicago, IL 60607

Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 10pm, choice of any appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $28.95.

View Larger Map

N9NE Steakhouse
440 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Everyday from 5:00-6:30pm complementary buffet- free- no drink purchase necessary for complementary buffet!

Duke of Perth
2913 N Clark St
Chicago, IL

View Larger Map

Wednesdays and Fridays all you can eat fish and chips for $9.25

There you have it. Some restaurant deals in Chicago so you can dine out despite the economy.

Lunch at Panes Bread Cafe

2008-09-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

3002 N Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Short Review: Headed over to Panes Bread Cafe after a much anticipated (and delayed) visit. I was excited to make my way down Sheffield and into the door of Panes because I heard some great things about it. Thankfully, the hype is the truth after one bite of a certain sandwich.

Long Review: I stood in front of the sandwich board (pretending to) think about what to order. I already knew what I was going to order, the Turkey Club Sandwich. It was our turn to order and I was given a plastic number after I ordered. We sat outside and waited for our sandwiches to arrive. We were talking about what a nice little neighborhood cafe this was when rowdy and drunk Cub's fans drove by on Sheffield. Should have remembered to sit inside when a Cub's game is letting out.

No problem because our sandwiches had arrived. I took a bite of my Turkey Club. It was okay, not as good as I was expecting but still better than average. The thing I didn't like about the sandwich was it had American cheese on it (I'm not much of a fan of American cheese) and and it was something I could make at home. It cost $5.50, a little on the expensive side for what I got.

Uh oh, was I expecting too much from Panes?

I took a bite of my lunch companions Turkey, Turkey sandwich (playfully named after the Little Cesear's slogan "Pizza, Pizza") to make sure it was just my sandwich that was slightly below my expectations. It was good- really good. I was tempted to wolf down the rest of that Turkey, Turkey sandwich but refrained from doing so, but it was very good and I wanted more.

I went back in to order one of their famous Monster cookies (and partially to get out of sight of my lunch companions delicious sandwich that I wanted to snatch out of her hands and finish the rest of) They were all out of Monster cookies so I go a regular chocolate chip cookies. It was ok, but probably not as good as the monster cookies. Though, after trying Carol's Cookies I'm a bit of a cookies snob now.

I'll be back to order the Turkey, Turkey sandwich and it has me too signing the praises of Panes Bread Cafe.

Rating 5/5 stars

Pizza at the Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co.

2008-09-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

2121 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614

View Larger Map

Quick Review: A classic place to get pizza in Chicago and one of the best in the city.

Long Review: This is a good place to get a good slice of pizza in Chicago.

Tucked away in a niche on the street stands the Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder. The building is easy to miss if you're driving down the street.

Though, once you step inside you step foot into an intimate dining space, low ceilings, small booths and low level lighting. The space can get a bit crowded on busier nights and especially on the weekends and the intimacy can transform into a cramped feel.

It seems like there are only two things on the menu though as everyone that goes there get the same thing- the pizza bread for an appetizer and the upside down pizza which they're famous for. Though, there's a reason they're famous for it.

The pizza bread is very good and can be made into a meal itself. There's been times when I wanted to order more but had to prevent myself because you'll need to save room for the pizza.

The pizzas aren't traditional pizzas that come out on pans, instead they have small individual pizzas that are very good, but just because the pizza is small doesn't mean it's not filling- it is. The pizza is cooked upside down in an oven and served similar to a pot pie and needs to be eaten with a fork.

If you never gone this is place go on a weekday during the day as it won't be that crowded and you won't have to wait for a table that long. It can get crowded on weekends around the afternoon so be prepared for a little bit of a wait if you'd rather go on the weekend.

Rating 4/5 stars

Out to Oak Brook for McCormick & Schmick's

2008-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

3001 Butterfield Road
Oak Brook Promenade
Oak Brook, IL 60523

View Larger Map

Quick Review- I went out to Oak Brook for my grandma's birthday and I'm sure grandma liked it but I thought was it just just trying to stay one step ahead of Red Lobster. It wasn't bad but it wasn't that great either. An average dining experience.

Long Review- We went out to Oak Brook to celebrate my grandma's birthday. Greek Island's was packed and the wait was about 40 minutes so we headed over to McCormick & Schmick's. Like most of the restaurants in Oak Brook it was in a mall along a bustling street (more like a highway).

The interior is nice for a national chain. Wood paneled walls and thatched patterned rug that tries to invoke impressions of an old steakhouse combined with a fishing lodge with prints of fish everywhere. The combination of themes work- sort of. That is if you can ignore the corporate, standardized undertone of the space.

Though, when we were waiting for the host to show us to our table I glanced to my left and notice the bar area. Overweight frat types sitting at the bar watching a Cubs game. I guess grandma didn't know this was half a sportsbar, and neither did we. The bar area didn't match the impression the restaurant is trying.

We sat down at the tables that had white table cloth on them to give the impression of an upscale restaurant. I was starting to get confused of how McCormick & Schmick's and upscale could be used in the same sentence. It seems nice be upscale it isn't.

We ordered mussels as an appetizer to start. They were alright. The server got my mother's wine order mixed up when she brought the drinks out. Pink wine was served to her instead of white. The server was very nice about the mix up and apologized promptly bringing out the correct wine.

We ordered the main course. I had the stuffed salmon. I love salmon- but not here. It was alright. Though, it came with mashed potatoes, carrots and asparagus. The mash potatoes were heavy and starchy and a bit unflavored, the vegetables were undercooked and tasteless.

We got the check and left. It was a generic and average experience. I wouldn't go McCormick & Schmick's again unless I was meeting someone for a business lunch there.

Overall rating 2/5 stars

The Bagel- The Lakeview Location Lowdown

2008-09-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

3107 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60686

Quick Review- The Bagel is a pretty decent chain but this location isn't worth visiting- and it's not because of the food.

Long Review- I decided to go the Lakeview location of The Bagel, after all The Bagel is a decent local chain to get some deli style fare. We walked in and sat down in a booth. The waiter came promptly to our table with some bread after we mulled over the menu and decided what to get. The bread was good, not great and there was a variety of different breads to choose from.

I finally decided to get the Lox on a bagel. Lox is one of my favorite types of sandwiches to get in a deli. I ordered the Nova Lox and our server looked at me for a second and said "Are you sure? The Nova is very salty..." I looked at the menu again and noticed the Atlantic Lox was twice the price. I stuck by my decision, regrettably. I ordered Dr. Brown's soda to go with it, I can't pass up the chance to get it when I see it. It's a hard soda to find in the Midwest.

The food arrived and I took a bite of my Lox, it was nothing I couldn't handle right? The waiter warned me it would be salty and he was not kidding or trying to upsell me. It was the same taste as dumping a tablespoon of salt in your mouth.

I immediately took a drink of my Dr. Brown's. Why would they have something this salty on the menu? I was going to have to finish the sandwich because I paid for it and I was hungry. Things went downhill from there. A few minutes later the manager goes up to our server as he is behind the diner counter and reprimands him for something. It was bad enough that she was loudly barking out orders to the servers behind the counter and that I was eating the saltiest thing in my life but now she was getting angry with him- in front of customers.

She went on for a couple of minutes with him and people started to turn in their seats to see what was going on. She followed him into the kitchen like a nagging mother.

"Good, take it behind closed doors and try to keep it professional." I thought as I tried to eat as much of my salty lox as I could. It isn't professional to get after workers in front of customers.

She re-appeared still on his back and visibly upset. A couple more minutes of getting after him for something went on. I thought she was going to fire him on the spot and we'd be left without a server. A couple that had just sat down got up and left. They probably know all about this manager and her temper tantrums.

Finally after many, long tense moments she finished reprimanding him and sat a table at the back of restaurant and sulked and stewed in her anger. I don't know what was worse the salty lox sandwich I was eating or having the restaurants dirty laundry aired out in-front of me.

Our waiter came back to our table when we were done eating. He surprisingly didn't seem to phased by her and appeared to shrug the occurrence off.

Is this something that happens often?

I ordered plain Cheesecake to get the salt taste out of my mouth. While waiting for my dessert to arrive the owner showed up and sat with the manager in the back of the restaurant. The cheesecake was good, it had a lemony taste to it. It wasn't that bad but it wasn't that great either.

I went to go to the bathroom in the back of the restaurant. I passed the owner and the manager, the owner gave me a death glare as if I was interrupting their private conference, even though they were standing right near the bathroom doors.

I paid the check after that and we got the heck out of there. I won't be coming back to this location until they get new management. I don't appreciate unprofessional temper tantrums from the manager or death glares from the owner.

If you do go to any of The Bagel restaurants don't get the Nova Lox, go with the Atlantic.

1.5 out of 5 stars

Carms Beef Hamburger Review: Grabbing a Bite to Eat in the Tri-Taylor Area

2008-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Carms Beef

View Larger Map
1057 W Polk St
(between Aberdeen St & Carpenter St)
Chicago, IL 60607

Quick Review: Carms is a great place to get a quick, cheap, good tasting Chicago hamburger burger joint. It’s been a neighborhood favorite for decades for a reason. I occasionally go there often on my lunch break.

Long Review: I occasionally stop by Carms every so often to grab a burger for lunch. They have very good burgers that will fill you up. Like any burger joint the atmosphere is laid back and informal. The crowd consists of construction workers, police officers, college students from near by UIC and just about any other neighborhood character you can think of.

This place has been standing on the corner for decades (since the 1930‘s if I remember correctly) and has been serving up great burgers ever since.

Though, the service can sometimes be a bit slow during the lunch rush or sometimes it seems like the cashier or a server is being short with you (their not, their just trying to juggle multiple orders and keep the line moving) service is pretty good and friendly when there are lulls. Here’s the typical service you can expect.

Cashier- “What y’ll have?”
Customer- “Double chessebuger, fries and Pip”
Cashier- “Double cheeseburger, fries and a Pip?”
Customer- “Yeah.”
Cashier- “$4.50.”

Pretty typical exchange and nothing out of the ordinary. Though don’t hold up the line, that is a pet peeve with any fast food server. Especially if they have a lot of attitude. Place your order, if your taking it to go step out of the way of the other customers and wait at the counter. If your eating it there, claim a seat at the counter at the wall and pay attention to the servers. They usually will ask you questions like what you want on your burger or if it is for here or to go (sometimes they forget when juggling multiple orders during high volume times and can only remember so much at one time). When you order is ready they usually won’t say the full order, but will call out “burger with fries” or “”burgers” if you ordered more than one.

This can be confusing as many people there are getting the same thing and may seem confusing to you, but they’ll remember who ordered what and you can rest assured they won’t hand your order away to someone else. I’ve done this in confused stupor and went up to the counter for someone else’s order, thankfully the sharp server swatted me away and I didn’t screw here up. There’s a lot of subtle nuances for the Carms newbie to grasp but once you do (or even if you don‘t) Carms is a great place for burgers. One of the top burger joints in the area.

4 out of 5 stars

Dining Al Fresco at La Creperie- Is It Worth It?

2008-09-03T18:59:00.001-07:00

2845 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Quick Review: I headed out on a hot and sunny day to La Creperie on Broadway in Lakeview. I was in the mood for outdoor dining though that day it was just a little too hot. Nonetheless, I sat outside under the shade of a tree. It was a good lunch but it wasn't great. Still, I would go back to eat outside there again as it is a nice outdoor spot to grab a bite to eat.

Long Review: I walked in the sweltering sun down Broadway to La Creperie. When I walked inside I was greeted by the warm interior. It had an authentic french feeling and seemed to capture the neighborhood bistros of France well. But I wasn't there to critique the decor I was there to critique the food. Most notably the Nutella Crepe.

I was seated on the back patio and ordered the chicken, tomato, and goat cheese crepe to start. I looked around at the other patrons. Two older men looked unhappy as they waited for the check to be picked up. Uh-oh is there something wrong with the service here?

Not that I could tell my server was nice and accomodating. I didn't see a problem with him. The crepe arrived and it was big. It was alright. Not too much goat cheese flavor that it should be renamed goat cheese crepe but also not so much chicken it would be chunky and bland. Though, the chicken was a little on the dry side.

After I finished the crepe, I was full. The crepes at La Creperie are filling so share if you're a light eater. I contemplated not ordering the Nutella crepe, but I had come specifcally to try it so I ordered it wondering if I would be allowed to take a doggy bag home.

It came and it was almost as big as the crepe I had for my main course. It was good, but not as good as I was expecting. The Nutella was also a little runny too. Maybe it was the heat of the sun though. Was it worth the trip there? It was good but I wouldn't go out of my way for the Nutella Crepe.

All in all La Creperie is a nice little neighborhood bistro that makes good crepes. I would go back with freinds for lunch but not expectations for an exceptional lunch.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Taste a Bit of the Big Apple at the New York Deli

2008-09-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

2921 N Clark St
(between Oakdale Ave & Surf St)
Chicago, IL 60657

View Larger Map

Quick Review: One of the best delis in the Lakeview neighborhood and possibly Chicago. A great neighborhood deli to get a great sandwich.

Long Review: A little bit of the Big Apple in Chi-town. I’ve heard good things about this place and went to check it out myself one afternoon for lunch. I walked in and was greeted by the friendly man behind the counter. (That friendly man behind the counter is the owner and has a Brooklyn accent, adding to the New York character of the place.

I looked at the sandwich board and settled on the Trump after a few moments of pondering. I took a seat and waited for my sandwich to be brought to me. The owner, Dave, struck up some conversation with me seeing that I was a first time customer trying to make me comfortable.

I looked around the deli and noticed they offered RC Cola (haven‘t seen that in a while) and Dr. Brown (yes, the tasty old timey Dr. Browns soda pop . They even have Celery flavor) I think I was going to like this place.

The after a little small talk and waiting the sandwich arrived. It was huge, much bigger than I thought. And it was good, really good. The piles of Boars Head meat where probably the key to such a great sandwich. It was so good I contemplated ordering another one.

This deli has a nice neighborhood feel to it. It’s a place where people come in have a to read the newspaper and chat with friends over a great deli style lunch. Plus, almost everyone who came in seemed to know to the owner, Dave.

I’m making this one of my regular weekend lunch stops. Say hi to Dave next time your in there.

4.5 out of 5

Khan's BBQ Restaurant

2008-09-01T17:50:00.000-07:00

2401 W Devon Ave
(Devon & Western Ave)
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 338-2800

View Larger Map

Quick Review: We headed out to Devon (or as I call the area “Little India”) for a restaurant we saw featured on ABC 7's the Hungry Hound. Sometimes I don’t trust media reviews of restaurants as they sometimes don't give the whole story. I was skeptical when I saw the local media praising a brand new restaurant (it usually takes a month or two to work out all the kinks) but it seems Khan's BBQ Restaurant is off on the right foot.

Long Review: I went with my defenses up and when I saw the neon sign above the entrance and no one in the restaurant at about 5:30pm. The food snob in me came out (or as some Fraiser viewers might call the Gil Chesterton in me came out) I even almost turned around and walked out, but it was too late I had been spotted by a host.

We were seated in a very clean and white room with TV’s playing Bollywood movies. The interior looked a little... well chintzy.

We ordered Naan as an appetizer and it came out quickly. Our waiter was friendly and hospitable. The naan was good and since I was hungry I was already thinking about the main course.

As I ate the Naan my defenses were lowered. I ordered the Lamp Sheck and my other dining companions order various kinds of Sheck such as Beef and Chicken. They came out at a reasonable time after the bread. The pacing of the food was about right.

The entrees were good, really good. Though, it was a little spicy for our taste so we asked for some yogurt. Our waiter was accommodating and came back soon with two bowls of yogurt.

I’ve never eaten Indian food that fast, it was very good and I was very hungry. Two combination's which made for a good meal. We left, happy, full and with leftovers.

I’ll be coming back when I’m out that way again.

4 out of 5 stars

Delicious Dining in Wheaton at Adelles

2008-08-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

1060 College Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187

Quick Review I was skeptical when I first heard about this place. “That’s way out in Wheaton.” A little far from where I’m based. Right near Wheaton College? I had flashbacks of my experience of Quince near Northwestern University. Though, I'm really glad I went- the food was very good and the service was expectational.

Long Review We decided to make the long trek out west to check it out for a relatives birthday. We’re glad we did.

Even though we didn’t have reservations and had to wait a little over twenty minutes at the bar for a table to open up it was worth the wait.

Everything was very good. The appetizer we had Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops was good
My Grilled Hangar Steak was very good but the pommes frites it was served with got a little soggy and soaked up the steak sauce which made some of them a bit salty.

I tried my sister’s barbequed short ribs and they were pretty good. Needed just a little more BBQ sauce though. BBQ on the menu at a fine dining restaurant? Yes, at this causal fine dining restaurant. Down home fine dining? Possibly

The desert I had was excellent, in fact all of the deserts we had were very good. Though, the food we ate was not the best part of the experience. Our waiter was.

Our waiter should get some sort of award as he was the nicest and most professional service I can remember at a restaurant of any kind. His service was excellent. Though, I heard service can be spotty here when they are busier. Though our waiter was one of the best I’ve had. Least to say he got a big tip. I’d go back just for the service.

All in all a good casual yet upscale restaurant in the western suburbs that definitely worth the drive.

4 of 5 stars

One Meal at Quince and I haven't Been Since

2008-08-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

Quince
Evanston, IL

1625 Hinman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201

View Larger Map

Quick review: When I went (March 2007) it did not live up to the hype I read about in the local papers. It seemed like a pretentious faux fine dining that was trying too hard. If your food is going to be pretentious a least make it good.

Long Review: First place on my search for good eats was at Quince. There had been so much media hype about this restaurant after it was sold by former Trio owner that my family had to investigate this supposed fine dining delight of the North Shore on a very snowy and cold March evening. So we went to celebrate my sisters birthday.

The building the restaurant is housed in is a bed and breakfast and is a charming looking building, although looks can be deceiving. When I entered the building I felt I had stepped into an old money social club or perhaps some sort of esteemed Northwestern University professors lounge. The entryway has a New England feel to it. Very nice I thought.

After waiting around 10 minutes for a seat we were finally shown to our table by a young hostess. The wait was a little long considering the restaurant was virtually empty that night. The dining room was decorated in a traditional manner, a crackling fireplace made the setting seem friendly and the candles made the atmosphere relaxing though, that all changed when our server came by to set our places for us.

Our server was also young, possibly early or mid twenties; he set the plates down, and lined up the silverware meticulously. It was a bit uncomfortable and odd for a moment truthfully.

Making the situation more uncomfortable was the fact we were seated next to the window and a draft was coming in from a door that led to a courtyard outside.

We asked to be moved to another table but the server couldn’t move us for some reason and offered a shall to keep us warm.

Shalls...?

There was barley anyone else in the restaurant. Is it so hard to move us to one of the many empty tables?

Our server came back with bread and served us pieces -no make that very thin slices of bread- with little tongs. One would be able to eat the entire half piece of bread in only one or two bites.
Maybe the entrees will be bigger?

Maybe they don’t want us filling up on bread to save room for their supposedly great food?

We ordered appetizers which were seasonal salads and they too were small. Tiny shreds of leafy greens is considered a salad? Maybe we shouldn’t have shared the salad over compensating the size.

Me and my family began to get wary that Quince wasn’t holding up to the hype and the prices seemed a bit high considering what we were getting.

We ordered our main entrees and hoped it would get better but it didn’t- it actually got worse. When our orders were laid in front of us we all wondered again, why are the portions so small? My sisters scallop dish had the scallops the size of about a quarter. All three of them. My duck was sliced into five small slices of duck- all undercooked.

My father’s beef looked like it had been zapped by a shrink ray and my mothers portions were also laughably tiny. Making matters worse was the fact that my dish was under seasoned also.

Is this a restaurant for anorexic people?

Why aren’t the portions normal sized?

Did they mix this up with someone else’s appetizer?

Is this a cooking school of Northwestern? Are they having an off day?

Trying to save money...? What's going on here!?

I was ready to turn into Gordon Rasmay, march into the kitchen and say "shut it down!"

I looked around at the other patron’s dishes. They were also very small. What’s going on here? I appreciate the way the food was presented, chic and artful, though the minimalist food didn’t go with the colonial setting or my expectations.

After we finished our food we had had just enough of Quince but since it was my sister’s birthday we decided to give the desert menu a chance. The deserts were also small, in fact my mother’s raspberry tart came with half of a raspberry.

Half a raspberry?

Why would they only serve half a raspberry, can’t they spare an entire raspberry?Is this a joke?

Unfortunately it wasn't.

We left wondering what all the hype was about and wondering if we should laugh or cry.

The service was attentive and our waiters/ waitresses were very nice though.

Just FYI we went when Quince first opened up so it’s possible the restaurant was saving money with the ridiculously small portion sizes. They were probably trying to find right fine dining mix also. Hopefully they found it by now. I’m not sure I would consider going back only if someone else is paying the hefty bill. Until they stop trying to cut corners I'm not going back.

2 (barely) out of 5 stars