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!!!