tonyg's Profile
Anyone know where to find sour orange juice? (Burbs preferred)
Michael's in Naperville has the bottled Goya brand as well. Getting fresh sour oranges in the area is a bit of a challenge. Only time I've seen them was when working in a restaurant nearly 10 years ago. We'd get cases of them to make a specific marinade. If you are near a Caputo's they would most likley carry it as well.
Michael's Fresh Market
856 S State Route 59
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 637-3800
Toronto Chinatown on a Monday
Thank you T Long. That linked thread is definitely useful. Later in the week we are also looking for Japanese in general, ramen and any place that has a larger selection of veggie sushi. Not looking for high end type places and bonus points for a place my wife can practice her developing Japanese language skills.
Toronto Chinatown on a Monday
I'll be in town on Monday with a group of about 10 looking for lunch in Chinatown. There will be children and a vegetarian or two. With the general consensus seeming to agree the best stuff is in the suburbs, where can we go for a decent lunch in the city of either Cantonese or Szechuan style cooking that is family friendly with a wide variety of stuff. Dim sum or Vietnamese recs are welcome also. Looking for something that will satisfy folks who have spent several years living all around Asia. Thank you.
Depot Diner or Glenn's Dinner, Smoque or Honk Tonk ? Is Paradice Pup worth the trip?
Paradise Pup has great messy hamburgers, char grilled hot dogs and super thick shakes. It's a tiny place run by two brothers on River Road in Des Plaines and is always crowded. There are a few stools inside and a handful of picnic tables outside. It's a pretty well know place through tv exposure as well as other internet food forums, yelp, metromix, etc.
One Weekend in Chicago -- The Best Picks: Help!
"La Scarola - West Town - Best Italian (hands down) in the City; probably a front, but who gives a damn with food this good"
Probably a front? Really? Please elaborate on what would cause you to draw this conclusion. That's a pretty bold speculation.
Found an Evanston and Wilmette Restaurant Gift Card Giveway!
Are you affiliated at all with the localplatter website?
Toronto-Vegetarian/vegan and family friendly restaurants
Thanks everybody for the wide variety of recommendations. I'll report back after the trip.
Toronto-Vegetarian/vegan and family friendly restaurants
Thanks to both of you. Those sound like great suggestions.
Toronto-Vegetarian/vegan and family friendly restaurants
I'll be coming to the city on Sunday with my family, including two young girls, 4 and 1.5, for a 4 day stay. We'll be staying at the Grand Hotel but will have a car. I'd be lying if I said my children were quiet and well behaved, beacause at this stage they are not, but we do our best to take the little one out when she gets too noisy. I'm looking for recs either within walking distance or a short drive for good family friendly ethnic vegetarian/vegan food. Bonus points for restaurants that offer both veg and meat choices. We plan on going to both St. Lawrence and Kensington Markets as well. Thanks in advance.
Where to Go for the Best Hot Dog
Yes, Happy House Hot Dogs does indeed serve natural casing Vienna dogs. It's a solid place if you are in the area. They also have a few other quirks such as offering red cream soda, gravy bread (roll dipped in beef juice) and they deep fry their italian sausage.
140 E Roosevelt Rd
West Chicago, IL 60185-3965
(630) 231-8989
http://happyhousehotdogs.com/
Northern Lake County Hot Dog Round up
Johnny's also serves hot dogs. Never tried one, though.
great steak in Missoula?
Alley Cat? I believe that is where Red Bird went into. It was a great little restaurant back in the 90's
Lunching in the Loop
Courtway Restaurant
29 S Lasalle
Chicago, IL 60603-1507
http://www.courtwayrestaurant.com/
Great time warp restaurant. Excellent rolls.
Another NYer visiting Chicago (mostly West Chicago though)
For your time in West Chicago I have a few places to recommend:
For a traditonal style hot dog check out Happy House. It's a small shack that's allegedly one of the original Portillo's stands. Great hot dogs and fries but pretty much to go only.
For Mexican food West chicago has many, many choices but the best two are probably ByBy's and El Tesoro. Byby's is what most would consider a dive or hole in the wall but don't let the appearance scare you. They produce excellent taqueria standards and also offer lot's of hard to find regional Mexica exotica, focusing on specialties from Oaxaca. You can get things like tlacoyos, huraches, atole, champurrado (winter only), and rotating specials of birria de chivo, fideos con albondingas, etc. It's a small place with only about 4 or 5 tables but the food is very good.
El Tesoro is a bit larger and nicer inside but doesn't have as many regional specialties. What they do have going for them are hand made tortillas (with specific dishes, be sure to ask), good tacos and a nice bowl of red pozole.
Finally is you want a good Italian sub, check out Augustino's. It's a kitschy rock and roll themed deli, sort of similar to Portillo's, but they put out a decent sub with good meats which is properly dressed with oil, vinegar and spices.
Enjoy your trip.
Byby's
(630) 562-1710
142 W Washington St
Augustino's Rock & Roll Deli
300 W North Ave, West Chicago, IL
(630) 293-8602
El Tesoro
129 W Roosevelt Rd, West Chicago, IL 60185
(630) 293-0190
Happy House Hot Dog Stand
140 E Roosevelt Rd, West Chicago, IL 60185
(630) 231-8989
Ice: A Forgotten History
Richard,
Great series of essays! The last itme I had an actual shaved ice was at the Puerto Rican fest in Humboltd Park about 3 years ago; delicious coconut with the great texture you mention.
The other point to add: at one of my favorites in far west West Chicago, Bybys, they make thier birria/consomme with garbonzos and a few chunks of organ meats as well. I believe they are from Oaxaca but not positive. They also make excellent tlacoyos (sp?) and a respectable huitlacoche quesadilla. Further south in Aurora there is an independent Mexican ice cream shop that does ices and some interesting ham and hot dog sandwich combos. Can't remember the name but will take another look.
tony
Mexican in the Western Suburbs
ByBy's in West Chicago has some very nice Oaxacan specialties. It's a tiny cramped place, but they serve up great tlacoyos, Oaxacan style tamals, and other maybe not so Oaxacan specials on the weekend like soup with fiedos, birria, champurrado, quesadillas with huitlacoche and flor de calabaza and lots of prepartions with nopales.
142 W Washington St,
West Chicago, IL 60185-2862
Tel: (630) 562-1710
commando raid on chicago
Art,
Glad you enjoyed. I believe it's Mickey's you are referring to. I used to live right down the street on Erie and would go there frequently. They do server an excellent and ample gyro.
Authentic Korean Food in West Burbs?
Korean Restaurant
1123 N Salem Dr, Schaumburg, IL 60194
(847) 882-3690
Been once and it was pretty good. No live coals but there are tables with exhaust hoods at which you can grill at with electric griddles. I believe I had the dolsot bibimbap which was quite nice and had the requisite crispy rice at the bottom of the bowl.
Is there nothing in Elgin???
I had a nice lunch a few weeks ago at Azteca de Oro. It's an unassuming Mexican restaurant on National street. Chips and table salsa where quite good and fiery. I had a huarache with steak which was quite nice. In the middle of the restaruant is a station in which fresh masa is pressed for both tortillas and other things like sopes, huaraches, etc. There were some interesting soups on the menu as well such as carne en su jugo (skirt steak, beef broth, bacon, beans, radishes, etc), caldo de res, menudo, pozole, and seafood soup. The place is not fancy, but it's not a dump either.
Azteca DE Oro Restaurant
262 National St
(847) 742-0859
Elgin, IL 60120
Good food in McHenry County?
If you can give three examples of restaurants or fish mongers offering fresh seafood caught in the Great Lakes, I'd really like to know.
Knife Sharpening in West Suburbs?
Check out Greg's Shoe Repair on Rt. 38 in Geneva. Super nice guy and his prices are reasonable. Yes, he does sharpen knives. Right across form the Diary Queen.
If you are further south the other option is Cutting Edge Blacksmith in Oswego. We had several knives done by this guy at the Oswego farmer's market and he did a solid job for very cheap.
Greg's
772 E State St.
630-845-3284
Cutting Edge
33 Palomino Lane
866-729-1397
Looking for Real Chicago BBQ
"It's in a nowhere neighborhood..."
I'm not so sure the residents of the neighborhood would appreciate this comment.
Trip Report (Bombon, Casa de Samuel, Taqueria Aguascalientes, Sol de Mexico & Chicago Hospitality)
Richard,
Regarding the nanches...I was at the market on Sunday and tried one at the request of a friend. I believe it was from the same stall you are referring to because I recognized the huauzoncle after doing a little search. Are nanches somehow treated or preserved to give them their distinct texture and flavor? My first impression of the nanches was reminiscent of a sweet olive. Just curious as to how these are handled?
Shawarma in NW Suburbs
Also check out Pita Pardise in Carol Stream and Mediterranean Oasis Market in Naperville. Both provide good quality shawarma.
Pita Paradise
161 S Schmale Rd, Carol Stream
(630) 752-9266
Mediterranean Oasis Mart
357 East Bailey Rd.
Naperville, IL
630-420-9507
