Katsu - Rogers Park

Absolutely the best sushi in Chicago

I have been going to Katsu since 1995 or 96, before he remodeled the location to look like it does.  He and his wife are the nicest people and really make the experience at Katsu what it is!  

Now, to start, this is a top sushi place and you will pay for the best sushi.  So I will start off by saying that Katsu isn't cheap. I usually drop about $125 or so there on a good night.  Sushi, apps and drinks.  So if you are looking for cheap, go to the trendy, cute places.  Also, katsu is traditional Japanese,  spo you wont find all the crazy rolls that cater to the trendy tastes.  

Now, what it is .... exquisite sushi and kitchen creations.  His fish is the freshest and all hand picked and or shipped by Katsu from his select vendors.  This isnt stuff from a mass distributor.  He makes a lot of the sushi all on his own.  He has spoiled me with his food and I like it.  

His kitchen creations are great!  The Grilled Duck and Grilled Mino are my favorites and HAVE to get that every time.  When in season, this Matsutake Mushroom soup is killer!  

The ambiance is friendly, the staff are all very knowledgeable and he stocks very fine sakes.  The bonus is that you are not rushed to finish and leave.  You can enjoy a leisurely dinner, friendly staff and only the best sushi Chicago has to offer.  

How do I know?  I lived in Japan for several years and worked for a Japanese airline for another several years.  ALL the Japanese business men would frequent this place back in the day.  

Fish Keg - Rogers Park

Deep Fried and Yummy

Fish Keg, a pretty non-descript location in Rogers Park is a hidden gem.  They basically have all things deep fried.  I opted for a pound of shrimp and a half pound of scallops.  Add in some hot sauce and some home made slaw and you have a feast!  

You cant go wrong here, Fried Chicken, fish planks, shrimp, etc.  Everything is made fresh and on the spot, so your carry out bag is steamy hot and ready to eat.  

I highly recommend the Fish Keg for a quick carry out option.  Perfect for a fun dinner in front of the TV on a cold winter night!  

NEWS - Sun Wah BBQ in Uptown Closed for Health Violations - Uptown

An inspection on Nov. 25, based on a complaint, led to the closure of the restaurant at 5039 N. Broadway, according to the city.  Read the DNAInfo.com Story here:

Sun Wah BBQ in Uptown Closed for Health Violations - Uptown - DNAinfo.com Chicago

NEWS - Heartland Cafe Returns to 'The Heartland' With New Menu, Owner Says - Rogers Park - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Great Rogers Park venue!

Heartland Cafe Returns to 'The Heartland' With New Menu, Owner Says - Rogers Park - DNAinfo.com Chicago

NEWS - Leona's Chain Sold to New Owner, But Family Keeps 53-Year-Old Original Spot - Rogers Park - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Too bad, I liked Leona's.  Sad to see another Chicago Icon changed beyond recognition or lost all together.  We shall see.  I will go and give it a try anyway.

Leona's Chain Sold to New Owner, But Family Keeps 53-Year-Old Original Spot - Rogers Park - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Towbar - Rogers Park

Potato and Rosemary Soup

I was a regular at Charmers, the predecessor to Towbar, but I have to say that I do enjoy this new space and I believe it is a phenomenal addition to the Jarvis Square businesses.

I had the potato and rosemary soup and split a salmon bagel sandwich with a friend.  The soup was excellent, just the right hint of rosemary and salt.  Most of the time, place kill potato soup with salt, this one was just right.  I could have had seconds on this one!

Now, I am not a salmon fan, but my friend wanted to try it, so i gave in.  It was quite nice, the salmon was fresh and as a whole, the sandwich was refreshing and good.  I wasnt overpowered by the smokey taste that I am not a fan of with smoked salmon.

To finish, mmmm.....A great cup of coffee, and huge!  Overall, I rate this place well and suggest you try it!

UPDATE - 8/14/2014

Had a coffee and a panini.  Ok, the pair was $14.00 including the top.  The sandwich was great!  A garlic mushroom panini.  A bit smallish, could use more Mushrooms.  Came with a side salad with an herb vinaigrette that was really tasty, but again, small.  For the price, in the RP, I think you can get more.  However, it was tasty.  The cappuccino ... I dunno, had a funky aftertaste like stale folgers.  I was totally upset that the drink was so bad.  Overall, it seems to have fallen off the track a bit, now it is just okay in my book.  Good for a pinch quick meeting or get together to catch up.

Boni Vino - Loop

Lunchtime Italian

So, there was this dingy Italian joint under the EL tracks on Van Buren that I have walked by for years.  I finally thought to stop ion and check it out.  

The inside is pretty 70s old school and the the greeting at the door, "just da two of youse?" was classic.  It sparked my interest right away, because I love old school!  

The wait staff was great, very attentive and friendly....We were her sweethearts!  

Let get down to the food!  Now, if you are looking for some basic home style Italian, this is the place.  I had a bowl of mostaccioli and sausage, my co-worker had the same with meatballs.  We were not disappointed.  for about $10 you got a good sized lunch!  

The sauce was tasty and the sausage grilled just right!  The bread was eh... but I'm not there for the bread.  I have to say, I totally enjoyed the experience and the food.  The plus...they are open LATE, like until 2AM.  In this part of the Loop, that says a lot, but most places just survuve on the lunch crowd.  This place must have something!  Check it out!

A Fellow Blogger's review:  http://elstopfoodhunt.com/2012/04/16/beneath-the-loop-track-boni-vino/

Prarie Moon - Evanston IL

Shrimp Po' Boy

Okay, it was sloppy and messy and really quite good!  

I had to eat the bread separate, but it was still okay. The shrimp was seasoned well and had a little kick..  The Fries were ok.  

My only beef was that you can choose Fries or Fruit and not a veggie!  As a diabetic, sometimes the veggie is the right choice.

I go here pretty often, but usually just have a beer with the guys I go with.  This was the first time of several where I actually had the food.  I have to say, I will have some again, and the burgers looked really good too!  

http://www.prairiemoonrestaurant.com/v3/

Luke's Italian Beef - Loop

Hot Dogs in the Loop

So, my quest for the best Hot Dog continues and Luke's is a convenient lunch stop for me at work.  On Jackson just east of Franklin, Luke's is a popular stop and it gets packed at noon, so go early or late!  

The dogs are average, the wiener was over cooked and a bit bland, the onions had that rancid taste like they sat around for a while.  Everything else was just about average.  For the price tag, I think you could bo better, but the problem is that in my part of the Loop, there aren't a ton of Dog Shops.  

Granted the Fries are really good and come in a huge portion, the other items on the menu make Luke's a great place to go.  Just not the dogs.  I would usually get the beef or some pizza!  So I recommend it for everything else, but if you are a huge Hot Dog fan like I am, this may not be the place to go for a dog.  

DanDana - North Center

Middle Eastern at its Finest

http://dandanarestaurant.com/

 You would never know that this place is there, hidden on a rather residential / commercial part of Kedzie Avenue North of Foster Ave.  I wasnt planning to go out, but the last minutes plans with friends made for a great night!

Dan Dana, starts Jumping after 1030pm and it rocks to the wee hours of the morning.  Catering to a mostly Middle Eastern, Balkan crowd, this place has some excellent food and it is BYOB, with a modest $10 cork fee.

The group got the three way mixed grill with some Jerusalem salad, you get enough to feed a small army.  We had some wine, I personally brought a 2005 Rosemount Estates Shiraz/Cab blend.  This fit nicely with the grilled meats.

After dinner, we got a double apple flavored hooka and some turkish coffee to enjoy during the show.  The music was outstanding, two talented singers and a belly dancer.  Some serious dancing and great people watching made the evening a great deal of fun!

Normally I dont go out like this, but it was a great night and definitely a great way to de-stress after a long week!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/dandana-middle-eastern-restaurant-and-hookah-bar-chicago

Wings over Evanston - Evanston IL

Poor Customer Service, but good wings

We used the prices on their website which states a certain catering combo was $110.  We called and ordered, indicating we were using the web based menu.  We made the order plus some additional menu items to fee 15 people.

The store didn't give us a total at the end of the phone order but when the food arrived it was about 20% more.  When we inquired, the driver didn't know, so we had to call.  We were told the price changed and the web wasnt correct.

When we argued the point, we were told that it says "subject to change" but when we checked, it didnt.  We were basically told, too bad, pay it and deal with the owner in the morning.

In hindsight, yes, we should have asked for a total at the end, but how they handled the situation was reprehensible.  They should have honored the online price since their own error was undisputable.

We definitely will never order from them again!

The failure was fixed the Next day.  The overcharge refunded and all is good now.  Though how the store manager at the time handled this, is still not good for business.  A patron should never have to go through this, particularly if there is proof that it was the fault of the service provider.

On the plus side, the wings were outstanding!  

Nueva Italy Pizza - Rogers Park

Pizza

So, I ordered Pizza from here last night because Grubhub and Yelp gave it four stars.  At best, I give it three.

The crust was pretty good, but that was about it.  I ordered an extra large Sausage and Mushroom Pizza.  The pizza seriously lacked sausage, If there was some on there, I could not taste it.  The sauce was bland and overall, the pizza lacked flavor.

I have to say, that I would not order from here again.  Gullivers or Villa Palermo in Rogers Park are much better!..

On a positive note, the delivery was on time and the pizza was nice and hot, so there was a plus there.  

Just sayin...

NEWS - Leonidas Chocolate Café Opens On Central Street - Business - Evanston, IL Patch

While the store’s handmade pralines and truffles are always popular, the biggest surprise so far is how well the sweet and savory crepes are selling, according to Douailly. 

Leonidas Chocolate Café Opens On Central Street - Business - Evanston, IL Patch:

'via Blog this'

I have got to try this!!!  Oh yeah!!!

Gail's Carriage Inn - Des Plaines, Ill.

Mushroom Burger

This was a serious burger that created a need for a nap after lunch!  A cute little diner, not too far from our Elk Grove facility, so it was recommended by the group.  I had never been there, but Im glad I did.

You can pick your cheese, so I added the swiss.  All the fixings were added as well, with a little mustard and it made a serious burger.  Big, juicy and cooked perfectly!  

The fries made the dish perfect.  Reminiscent of a certain large burger chain fries that everyone loves.  Crispy outside, soft inside and perfectly salted.   

If you want a great lunch at a great price that wont give you a lunchtime FOOD BILL that will shock you, head to Gail's Carriage House in Des Plaines!  

NEWS - Wine shortage drawing no 'cheers' from vintage lovers

Wine shortage drawing no 'cheers' from vintage lovers:  (USA Today Article)

"Data suggests there may be insufficient supply to meet demand in coming years, as current vintages are released," the report says.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'via Blog this'

Sabatino's - North Center Chicago.

Chicken Sabatino

Sabatino's hands down is one of my favorite places to eat.  Why?  

I love the old school setting, the atmosphere brings me back to a time when going out to eat was an experience.  Dinner here can be a 2 hour outing, but that is no problem.  I love that they are not rushing you and that the meal is coursed with plenty of time for conversation with your friends or date.  

I went to an event in the private room, sort of family style, but not exactly.  Still a great time and a new friend made!  There is no shortage of food at Sabatino's, you leave there very satisfied!  The soup and salad are seriously a meal on their own.  

The Chicken Sabatino, a breast grilled and stuffed with wild rice, covered in Mushrooms cooked in a light wine sauce.....was excellent!  My first time having that.  

Service is unbeatable and the bar, doesn't skimp on the good stuff.  

If you want a dinner experience, rather than just a night out.  A real, old school setting and some outstanding food with pricing that will not send you a shocking FOOD BILL, I highly recommend Sabatino's!  One of My Favorites!

Bluebird - Wicker Park.

Green Curry Thai Mussels

A bit off the path, but well worth the extra block or so.  The atmosphere grabs you first, it is really a romantic setting, low lights and quiet, but busy.  The tables are small, they do pack you into the space, so that was a challenge.  Im a scotch guy, so the scotch list was good and I opted for a nice Irish Whiskey.

The food was a pleasant surprise.  I started with a mixed green salad, that was light and refreshing with just the right amount of light creamy dressing tossed throughout.  A second plate was grilled brussel sprouts with chorizo.  This was good, but the greens were drowned in a chipotle Aioli mayo, which was good but a bit much.  You lose the flavor of the greens and sausage.  

Finally, The dish that won me over were Green Curry Thai Mussels.  OMG!!  The sauce there were cooked in was Killer!  I could have licked the bowl out!  The mussels were perfectly cooked with onion, edamame and crimini mushrooms with a couple of crostini slices on the side.  I was floored with how good these were!

Great dinner, nice conversation with a date, we were hoping to stay a bit more, but were floored by the fact they this place had NO COFFEE to end a nice dinner with.

We chose to close the tab.  Overall, the FOOD BILL was decent, not too bad for a nice evening out!  I recommend Bluebird for a nice date night.  Parking was not too bad either.  $2.00 per hour, two hour max until 10pm.

Westminster Hot Dogs - Loop

Sausages!!!

This isn't your typical dog shop.  They make their own sausages here and the taste tells it!  

I got there at about 11am, before the lunch crowd and ordered the Spicy Italian combo.  Let's start off with the fries, because you know that is the first thing you taste.  Their crinkle cut Fries Rocked! Perfectly cooked and salted.  That is a good tell of how good a place will be.  

The sausage .... I have mixed reviews, but it will be positive!  The sausage was great!  Perfectly cooked, with snap and juice!  It wasn't too spicy, but had some great flavor.  Serves with cheese and a tomato pesto sauce.  yum!  My only complaint, was that it was served on a hot dog ben, but at least it was a Rosen's!  That sausage wold have been the perfect lunch if it was on a a proper sausage roll.

The sausages are all made there at the shop, fresh daily, with no fillers or preservatives.  So you are getting a quality sausage, which in my mind, totally justifies the slightly higher FOOD BILL.  $8 or so for a combo, not too bad for the quality, this isn't your typical joint, this stuff is top quality and very worth the trip!  

Overall, I loved it a lot and plan to go back and try the dogs!!!  

NEWS - Sonic Drive-In Breaks Ground in Uptown, Will Be Chicago's First - Uptown - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Oh Hell YES!!!  My favorite place growing up in Arizona!!!

Sonic Drive-In Breaks Ground in Uptown, Will Be Chicago's First - Uptown - DNAinfo.com Chicago:

"The Oklahoma-based fast food chain broke ground at 1016 W. Wilson Ave. over the weekend, and should be open by January, "

'via Blog this'

Palm Court at the Drake - Magnificent Mile

More for the Music than the Food

Tomato and Artichoke Burrata

No Pic, because that would be tacky at this place!  I go, because I LOVE the Flat Cats Swing Jazz band and they play the Palm Court once a month or so.

http://www.flatcatsmusic.com/

I arrived a little after 8 and ordered a Riesling and a tomato and artichoke Burrata, which was really tasty!  Toss in a Glenlivet 12 year Single Malt, later a coffee, add on the parking and it was a pricey evening, but Once in a while I can handle a whopping FOOD BILL, to enjoy life.  Good People watching, nice light menu and a great scotch list.

Want a perfect date and dont mind forking out a few bucks, you should hit the Palm Court up on Flat Cats night!

L. Woods Pine Tap and Lodge - Lincolnwood

Yes ... more half eaten meat!

More Prime Rib!

Yes, There is another pic of a half eaten slab of red meat!  I keep forgetting to take a photo when the food arrives, but that is because it looked so good, I had to dive in!

L. Woods in Lincolnwood was what I hit on Friday and it was great!  The Prime Rib was cooked perfectly, the broccoli was steamed just right and the service was on the money!

the place was busy, but I got a table right away and everything moved along at a good pace.  Finished off the meal with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream!  All that, tax and tip ... $36, Great FOOD BILL!!!

I highly recommend L. Woods, it is friendly, the menu is simple, but good, service is prompt and the staff are knowledgeable about the fare.  Nice place for a date, though it can be a little loud, everything else makes up for it!

Broadway Cellars

Wild Mushroom Ravioli

One of my favorite places in the Edgewater area is Broadway Cellars, they have a simple but elegant menu with some quality choices.  Their wine list is extensive, but they don't over price the wine.  You can really enjoy a nice dinner without a whopping FOOD BILL!

I enjoyed a simple Mushroom Ravioli topped with grilled chicken the other night.  It came with a great side salad and some seriously good crusty french bread.  All for about $20.00

The atmosphere is perfect for a date, that night, they had a live guitarist playing some smooth tunes.  It is quiet enough for conversation and the service is perfect!  I give Broadway cellars an A rating.  They are a classic spot that delivers quality and leaves your wallet happy.

Poag Mahones - Loop

Pinche Turkey Burger

My Crew took me out for lunch yesterday for Boss's Day.  I have an awesome team of guys and I really appreciated it!.  We decided to take a little extra time to sit down and enjoy our lunch, so we headed to Poag Mahone's in the Loop. 

I had the Pinche Turkey Burger, which is out of sorts for me.  But I have been eating a lot of junk lately and tried to go healthy.  It was good, my own fault allowed it to be under cooked a bit, but overall, it was tasty.  It comes with avocado, tomato and chipotle mayo. I got it with a side salad, which was really good too and one of the guys with me got the crinkle cut fries and they were really good!

The draw back was the FOOD BILL.  $12 for a burger .... OUCH!!!  It was good and all, but not worth $12 considering it was rather small.  Poag's get an A for atmosphere, service and taste, but the FOOD BILL gets a C-. 

Not sure they care though, from what I read in their menu ... Poag Mahone translates to kiss my ass in Gaelic!  Still, a decent place if you don't mind dropping a little extra cash!  I've had the regular beef burgers there and they are awesome. 

NEWS - Starbucks Made of Shipping Containers Opens in Edgewater

A drive-thru Starbucks made out of reused shipping containers served its first weekday customers Monday at the southwest corner of Devon Avenue and North Broadway.

Starbucks Made of Shipping Containers Opens in Edgewater - Edgewater - DNAinfo.com Chicago

Right on the southern border of Rogers Park, where it meets Edgewater.  This will be great for the area!

Twisted Spoke - West Town

Once again on the quest for the best Bloody Mary.  The Twisted Spoke, has a rep for having some really good ones, So I thought I would give it a try.  I brought along a friend, who prefers mimosas, and of course, they had those too!

So to start with, they had 6 or 7 different kinds of Bloodies, so I picked the spicy version of their original, It was good!  I have to say, I enjoyed it and the beer chaser was a nice addition.  For $8 it was well work it.  Was it the best or my favorite?  Well, I am going to have to say .... No.  Bad Apple still rocked my Bloody world.

There was an app that caught my eye, which I had to try.  Bacon tempura.   You cant go wrong with bacon!  The garnish was an avocado, caper and radish slaw, which was killer good!  The Bacon Tempura, rocked!  It came with a maple ponzu dip which really added to the tempura.  I have to say that I was impressed with this new find.

Brunch was also just as impressive.  I ordered the house-made corned beef hash.  This was amazing!  Big chunks of corned beef, Some seriously good potatoes and a bit of rasher to add color!  Top it off with 3 poached egg and some toast, I was in heaven!  My friends had something with some champagne cooked spiced pears and cooked brie, with tht home fries, rashers and eggs, wow...those pears rocked! 

Service was good, though they mixed up my credit card with another table in the end and it took a few minutes to correct, overall it was not bad and a really good experience.  I will definitely go back there again! 

The Medinah Shrine's Oasis - Addison

Im not going to bore you with another picture of a steak, but I am going to write a short bit about a private dining spot that I recently visited.  It has been a while since I have been out to the Medinah Shriner's Temple in Addison.  For obvious distance reasons, I don't get out there much.

I understand that there has been a management change in the kitchen and so, I was invited to come out and see how things have progressed.   I met a group of fellow Shriners out there and from the beginning, it was a great experience!  I ordered a heineken and Black Label on the rocks.  The rocks glass was filled tothe top and the total bar tab ... $14.  GET OUT!  gimme another!!!

Dinner was just as good.  We ordered Mussels and calamari, both were killer good.  The mussels were in a light wine and tomato sauce with garlic and it was devoured by everyone.  The calamari, your standard style disappeared even faster.

Dinner were steaks for some and pasta for others in the group.  You get a huge portion, so be prepared.  I ordered a 16oz rib-eye, medium rare.  It comes with a baked potato and broccoli.  The only complaint that I had was that they just couldn't get the steaks cooked right.  Mine was over cooked and another was undercooked.  BUT .... Mine was pretty good, so I didn't mind and a quick trade of plates satisfied my friend so that he was good with his.  Everything was super tasty!

Add in some nice wine, dessert and coffee, it was an awesome evening at the Oasis!  You could not have asked for a better night of fellowship and good food.  I picked up the tab for three of us.  App, Dinner, drinks and coffee tax and tip ... under $120 for three of us!  Sweet FOOD BILL!

Service was outstanding and the atmosphere is perfect.  The catch, you have to be a Shriner of a guest of a Shriner to get in!  That is another journey that I cover in one of my other blogs!

http://ordbillspolitics.blogspot.com/

Learn more about the Shriners and what we do!

http://www.medinah.org/

JC's Pub Ristorante - McCook IL

Prime Rib

A lovely friend took me to one of her favorite places to eat down in the Southwest burbs of Chicago.  Not an area I wold normally venture out to, but I am happy that I did.

I wasn't feeling well, I started on probiotics and my digestive system is a but delicate at the moment, but I managed to give it a good try.

I am glad I did!  I love these old Mom and Pop places!  This joint reminded my of one of my favorites, Sabatino's in Avondale.

I got a 12 ounce Prime rib that was really good.  I could not finish it!  It came iwth salad, veggies and vesuvio potatoes.  The only complaint, the veggies were a little over cooked, but who cares, the beef was on my mind.  It was cooked just right and quite flavorful.  My friend had a pasta dish with beef....I cant spell it so Im not going to try!  But it also rocked and the portions were HUGE.

Service was good, but not great.  My water glass never got filled back up, but she did come bay several times to see how we were and I just forgot to ask as well, but should I have to?  The place was good, so it didn't really take away from the experience.

My prime rib was a special for the evening at $21.  Wine was $6 a glass and not too bad at all.  Over all, great date night place, quiet  atmosphere but busy.  On the way out, the owner shook my hand and gave me a really sincere thank you.  I liked that.  I would absolutely go again!

Alexander's Steakhouse - Springfield IL

Yes!  There is a great steak place in Springfield!  I was scoping out Facebook and looking at where a lot of the other conference attendees were going and learned that Alexander's Steakhouse was the place to go!

Seriously, for about $30, I needed to be wheeled out in a wheelbarrow!  I was in meat heaven!

The steak was perfectly cooked, the broccoli was crisp and the mushrooms rocked!  My buddy added Cheesecake to his dinner and  said it was a good addition!

Fast service, all you can eat salad bar is included and the service was spot on.  We didn't have any drinks, but the drink menu looked reasonable.  If you are in Springfield, I highly recommend Alexander's!  Good meal, good FOOD BILL at the end! Oh, and did I mention that you can cook your own steak if you want???  You can!  I was too lazy though! 

Brickhouse - Springfield, Il.

 This past weekend I was in Springfield Illinois attending a conference.  For the most part, Springfield is not a hopping place and most places near the convention center close at like 5pm.  However, the lunch hour has several good choices and one place that was recommended was the Brickhouse.

http://brickhousegrill.net/

I like to try foods that are indigenous to the area and on Friday afternoon, I was introduced to the Horseshoe.  This is a slice of Texas toast, with your choice of meat piled on the top of the bread.  You can choose a burger, ham, turkey, roast beef, etc.  Then a pile of fries are loaded up on the plate and finally, the entire dish is covered in melted cheese.  A serious heart attack on a bun, but it was killer tasty!

But this was not the only treat!  We opened up with bacon wrapped, jalapeno and cheese chicken skewers.  Seriously....I could have made a meal of these all by themselves!

Overall, the Brickhouse gets a high rating for some seriously good pub grub, friendly service and a fun atmosphere.  I am definitely going to make this a favorite lunch spot the next time I am in Springfield!

Eastern Style Pizza

Philly Steak Grinder

Yes, I eat out a lot.  Im single, no kids and I don't cook for my dog, so I go out to eat, often.  Tonight, the cupboard was bare, so I head out to a local Rogers Park favorite for a quick grinder.  

The Eastern Style Pizza Philly Steak Grinder was on my mind.  It is a pretty good sandwich in a fix.  I do like Philly's Best a little better, but Eastern Style is close to home.  Skirt steak, white American cheese, onion and some good bread.  

Compliment the 12 inch Philly with some great steak fries and it makes a good dinner.  There isn't too much more to say, it is a good meal and the FOOD BILL, $11.00 with the tax.  I totally recommend this place to fill a growling stomach on a week night in a pinch.  Parky is easy on the street and the family that runs it are pretty cool too!    

Americana Submarine

Hot Dogs

My usual Hot Dog lunch joint in the Loop closed down, heart wrenching, I know after two years of devotion.  The Works on Franklin is no more ... [Moment of silence].

So my quest to find a new Dog joint is on!  Yes, I can default to Luke's, but it takes 20 minutes to get a dog in there at lunch time because it is so packed.  So, I decided to venture outside of my comfort zone and seek out a new spot.

I ran across Americana Submarine on Clark and van Buren, which at first looked like a bodega with subs and dogs.  Now, in my travels, I have learned that sometimes these places are surprising, so I gave it a try.

Well, the first thing I notices was the $6.99 price for 2 dogs, a tiny bag of chips and a small fountain drink.  Hmmm.....well, I'm in for the haul.  To say the least, I was disappointed. 

The Dog, a Red Hot Chicago sausage was good and cooked right.  The tomato and onion were fresh cut and everything else were good.  BUT!!!

The kicker was that the (non-poppy seed) buns were so stale the ends were hard.  Totally un-steamed, despite pulling them out of a steamer, which I determined was for show.

I really wanted to like these dogs, the fresh cut veggies and ample peppers, even had the celery salt.  I really did, I tried.  But in the end, the crappy buns killed it for me.  I can't say I recommend this place for a hot dog, but you never know, maybe the Subs are better.  They seemed to have some regulars ordering those!  But, Im not much of a sub sammich kind of guy. 

Brandy's

Hot Dogs

I am not a foodie, but I am a connoisseur of the Chicago favorite, Hot Dogs.  I have eaten them all over the world.  Numerous joints and stands all over Chicago land, so one feature of my blog will be devoted to the Chicago great, the Hot Dog.

My first review will be for Brandy's on Harlem.  I was with my 80 something year old aunt, who actually started my love for hot dogs when I was a kid.  She tells when I asked her if she wants to stop for a dog, "boy, do I".

Brandy's is on the way to where we were going.  It's at Avondale on Harlen on the NW side.  Their dogs are pretty standard, Vienna.  Not bad, not great.  The frank, has a good snap, but the buns need to be steamed and they don't use the traditional poppy seed buns.  They sort of skimped on the sport peppers, which was disappointing.  To end, no celery salt!

But they make up for it with the fries, frozen, but cut potato.  Crisp and flavorful as well as plentiful.  Aside from the dog, their other treats are awesome.  My aunt's grilled chicken sandwich was huge and the chicken was really good.  She totally enjoyed it and at 80 something, that is a tough thing to do.

So a grilled chicken combo and a 2 Vienna dog combo, $16 (tax included), a little on the high end, but the Chicken was good, tender and well worth the price.   This place used to be a regular stop when I worked at O'Hare, so I will always go back again!

El Barco Mariscos

I went out this weekend with a good friend of mine to this hidden gem.  We had a late dinner, so we were able to get right in!  I was so happy because normally there is a bit of a wait.  It was a beautiful night and drinks were a definitely a must.  My friend got the ENORMOUS margarita and it was great!  You can definitely tell that there is tequila in their drinks!  No skimping there and for $7.95, it is well worth it!

I of course went for my usual, a Michelada con clamato.  So, my only disappointment of the evening is with the Michelada.  You basically get a mug with a little bit of clamato and a beer on the side.  No ice, nada!  You do have limes on the table, salt and chile, so I made my own, but without ice it is just not was refreshing!

Like I mentioned in another article, the salsa is the tell at a good Mexican place and El Barco does not disappoint, but be prepared!

They dont put out a typical salsa, you get two really tasty blends of chile and oil.  The first is made with jalapeno and olive oil, which is HOT and super tasty!  The second is warm and delicious, made with pasilla chile, garlic and olive oil.  WOW!  I love both of them.  You also don't get chips, but a dish of freshly made tostada shells.  A great combination!

To share, we went with the shrimp ceviche, which is quality for sure!  It was so good that I forgot to take a pic of the full "chingon" of ceviche!  What I like about it is that it isn't drowned in juice and you get a a lot of shrimp chunks.  Topped with avocado, it is a not to miss starter!  Other options are fish, octopus or a combo of all three!

 For dinner we shared some grilled octopus and some grilled bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed jumbo shrimp.  I cant begin to tell you how awesome the shrimp was!  The grilled octopus was perfectly grilled and not drowning in sauce or spice, so you really taste the meat.  Love it!  Mixed with the shrimp are grilled (perfectly) veggies, guacamole and rice.

Basically, you needed a wheelbarrow to wheel us out of there, we were so full and the FOOD BILL, less than $80 tax and tip included!!  Service was attentive and the overall experience keeps me coming back every chance I get!