Joy's Noodle and Rice Review

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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

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


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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


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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


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

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


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Drink specials Monday thru Thursday

Va Pensiero
1566 Oak Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201


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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

816 W Van Buren St
Chicago, IL 60607


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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

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.




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

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


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Friendship Chinese Restaurant
2830 N Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL

Tuesday- $8.95 special on all entrees


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


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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.


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N9NE Steakhouse
440 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL


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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


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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

3002 N Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657


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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.

2121 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614


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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

3001 Butterfield Road
Oak Brook Promenade
Oak Brook, IL 60523


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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