Plymouth Bar and Grill

Great Location and Rooftop

It was a beautiful day in Chicago, which made going to a rooftop for lunch a perfect option.  The whole crew from work went out to lunch and I have to say, the Plymouth really accommodated us, right down to 20 separate checks.  The service was really very good! 

Everyone enjoyed their lunches, I personally got their wings, 10 for $8.99.  They were meaty and perfectly cooked, though their sauce lacked zing.  But I didn't mind because the chicken was quite good.  

I will definitely go back for lunch, maybe an after dinner drink or two as well!  

R Public House

Good Neighborhood Place

R Public House is a great neighborhood spot, that I haven't been to in a while.  I thought that I would pop in for a quick bite and a beer or two rather than sitting home. The beer prices were really good, with $3 Stellas.

I started with the Cheddar Bacon Soup, which was great.  Usually I get this kind of soup and it is killer salty, but this was done just right, with a hint of bacon and a soft cheddar taste.  Unfortunately the wings were not so good.  I ordered the Jerk wings, which were small, not meaty at all, They were very dry, salty and over cooked.  I would not recommend the wings, 

Overall, I recommend R Public House, great drinks and overall a really good menu.  

Casey Moore's Oyster House - Tempe Az

Oysters in Phoenix?

Who would have thunk it?  But there are and they are dang good!

I was in Phoenix for a night, after a weekend of travel in southern Az, I was tired and in need of some good food.  I googled up places around my hotel room and found what looked to be a curious find, Casey Moore's.  What the heck, I'll try it!  

To start, the french onion soup was quite good, the perfect mix of sweet and salty, nice after taste of the cheese to mix.  The oysters were the headline, so I tried them, being weary at first, knowing how hard it is to move these things around the world.   I was floored, big, juicy and FRESH! The price for a dozen was pretty good to boot!  Round that off with some seriously good wings, with just the right kick and a HUGE salad for my friend.  I was pretty happy.  Overall, with a couple drinks, the FoodBill was quite reasonable.  

Absolutely, not a place to go to on a Friday or Saturday night, from what I hear and since ASU was out for the summer, it was a bit more quiet on the sunday evening I was there.  But, this place looks to get BUSY when school is in session.  Good music and friendly staff to boot!

  

Tortoise Club

One Heck of a time!

An outstanding group outing, a private room, 22 friends and a $3500.00 Tab (mostly booze).  

A good friend set up a wonderful evening in one of the private rooms of the Club on a Sunday evening.  Sadly, we were pretty much the only ones in the whole place.  

To start with, the Service was absolutely outstanding.  This was what made the entire experience worth the $150.00 per person tab. Our waiter was a total showman and on his A game for the entire evening.  

The drinks were good and average priced for Downtown.  we put down Quite a few of those.  The appetizers were amazing, personally I had a mix of east and west coast oysters.  Perfectly chilled, sweet and salty, very fresh and with a light vinegar dip.   

The second course was a cream of asparagus soup, which was perfect.  Not too salty, creamy and light, at the perfect temperature.  The courses were timed perfectly, never during the meal did we feel rushed.  

Main Course was the Berkshire Pork Chop with grits and asparagus.  Wow.... I was in heaven.  Sorry for the sloppy picture, I had to dive in to it when it came, so I messed up the presentation.  

Overall, Mainly because of all the drinking, the tab was high, but if you will moderate your libations, the dinner tab was not that bad.  Probably about $60.00 per person +/+.  

Great place for a date, the ambiance is nice, the bar is great, service is outstanding.  I highly recommend the Tortoise Club for a nice night out.  

Four Stars in my book

Hollywood Grill

Comfort Food Time!

I've had coffee and pie/cake here several times late at night as well as a plate of the cheese fries, many times.   I have never really eaten the food there until recently.  

Let me start off by saying that the coffee and sweets are great!  Cant go wrong here.  The Cheese Fries are really good as well, one of the places I will go to for that fix!  

Service is prompt and friendly, no issues there either.  

But the food, was not something to draw me in.  We ordered a couple entrees and a couple shares.  The cheese fries, great!  The corned beef hash... was okay at best.  I ordered a Ruben, which came openfaced, but the meat was dry and overall not too appetizing.  My friend ordered the German smoked sausage and eggs, which turned out to be Eckrich style smoked sausage, nothing fancy.  

Overall the food was, eh... bland and unappetizing.  The bill was $30, which is a tad high for that lot, I would prefer to go to the deluxe Diner in Rogers Park over Hollywood.  

They still get 3 Stars because they make up for it on the late night sweets and fries and the service has always been decent for me.  

 

Hemmingway's Bistro

A touch of Class in Oak Park

Beef Wellington and Seafood Souffle, add in a few mussels for an appetizer and a couple of drinks, you have a lovely date night dinner.  

The food was excellent, the service was spot on and the crusty hot bread they being out to start with was the best!  

The setting in the Write Inn was quaint and really conducive to a great first date night kind of place.  Plenty of parking out on the street and an overall great experience.  To top it off, the food bill was not a shocker, all for $108.  I was impressed and would absolutely go again! 

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.

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/

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!  

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!  

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.