Scylla's Profile
Best gyros on the north side?
I grew up in Skokie and have tried The Works and Nick's. They are both very good! However, my favorite place for gyros is Papa Chris, which on Touhy near Caldwell (across from the Leaning Tower YMCA on the border of Chicago and Niles.) Their gyros is great and plentiful and the service and friendliness of Nick, his sisters and their dad (Papa Chris) can't be beat!
Any good restaurants in Wisconsin Dells?
Thanks! We always stay at Wilderness and have never been to Monk's OR Field's due to the mixed reviews. I'll have to check out Monk's downtown location.
Any good restaurants in Wisconsin Dells?
My family and I are heading to Wisconsin Dells for a few days on Spring Break. Most of the restaurants we have tried there have been just OK. Can anyone recommend a really good place for breakfast or dinner?
Help! Lou Malnati's or Giordano's?
My vote would be for Lou Malnati's. Their sausage deep dish rules! If you do go there, get your pizza with "buttercrust." It's .75 cents extra, but totally worth it, in my opinion.
Private room for 20-25?
I attended a very nice private party at Petterino's, one of the Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. I was very impressed by the food and the ambiance. It is downtown, and according to their web site the price per person for a family style dinner is $46.95.
(Teen) Girls Night Out?
I was a teenage girl once, and even though I was a budding chowhound back then, nothing would have wowed me more than Chicago style pizza. The other restaurants that were recommended ARE great, but in my opinion most teenage girls would probably think of some of those other places as stuffy and/or snooty. (I have a pre-teen daughter, too, so I know what I'm talking about!) That said, I recommend Pizzeria Uno or Due or Lou Malnati's for one of your lunches, if not necessarily a dinner. :-)
fredhots & fries
I work nearby, and some of the folks in my office LOVE that place. I have only been there once, and only had their garlic frites, which are french fries topped with fresh chopped garlic and butter. It was delicious, but I thought it was overpriced ($5) for what is essentially a large order of fries served in a cone with some chopped garlic on top. I haven't been back just because it was SUPER crowded when I went (and from what my co-workers have told me, that's pretty standard. It's a popular place.)
So what's the average Chowhound's age?
I'll be 40 in June, but I've been a chowhound pretty much all my life. :-) Only a member on this site for about a year, though.
Need HELP on finding restaurants for me and my 7 year old daughter
My son is 7 and he is crazy for pizza, so my suggestion is for you to try Pizzeria Uno or Pizzeria Due, which are in that same area as Rainforest Cafe and Ed Debevics.
My son was also wowed by recent visits to Rainforest Cafe and Ed Debevic's, so I wholeheartedly agree with those suggestions. Rainforest Cafe isn't super pricey--I think it 's more that it's overpriced for what you get. IIRC, it was like $14 for a so-so Asian chicken salad. But the kids meals are inexpensive, so it balances out.
Enjoy your visit, and if you can, take your daughter to the Shedd Aquarium or the Field Museum. She'll love them!
Decent food with blues, jazz or piano bar
Seconding Andy's. My dad played there (with the Chuck Hedges Swingtet) for many years and I spent a lot of time there. The atmosphere and music are great, and the food is quite good. Not sure when in April you are going, but I looked at Andy's April calendar and can vouch for the Bobby Lewis quartet and Richie Pardo. I am not familiar with any of the other bands.
Baby Shower Locations in Chicago
I went to a baby shower at Pompei in Schaumburg. The food and service were both very good and the private room was big enough for that many people.
What are the best AYCE in Chicago? Especially North suburbs?
We went to Senoya a couple years ago and were unimpressed. It was good, but I had heard so many good things about it I was expecting it to be great.
While not a buffet, I love Flat Top Grill for stir fry because it is AYCE, you choose the ingredients, sauces, etc. and your food is cooked to order. They have a couple of locations in the city and one in Naperville, I believe. Fresh, quality ingredients, nice modern decor. I love that place!
Sunday Brunch in Algonquin Area
I trust your opinion, nsxtasy, and I'm saddened to hear that the quality of the Champagne Brunch Buffet at BoB has gone downhill recently. I haven't been to the BoB since last Mother's Day (and was looking forward to going there this year). We've always been really impressed with their champagne brunch buffet. :( I will try to call them later to see if they really have discontinued their Champagne Brunch.
Port Edward is literally walking distance from my house and I have never eaten there! I should give it a shot, but I have heard lots of comments about how the quality THERE has gone downhill of late as well and how the place is looking a little down at the heels.
Sunday Brunch in Algonquin Area
Really?!! Say it ain't so!!! When did that happen?
Their web site and phone number don't reflect that, but, of course they're closed on Mondays and I was unable to verify.
Tuna salad afficionado
I think it will be hard to find a tuna salad sandwich in a restaurant without chopped onions and celery in it. However, I know what you're talking about because my kids won't eat tuna salad with "crunchy stuff" in it. You can make a good "crunch-less" tuna salad sandwich by using canned albacore tuna and mayonnaise and seasoning it with a bit of wasabi powder (or some wasabi mayonnaise), onion powder, freshly ground black pepper and perhaps some celery salt.
Sunday Brunch in Algonquin Area
Have you considered The Barn of Barrington? Not too far from Algonquin and their Champagne Sunday Brunch is fantastic!
St. Louis Seeks the Best Polish in Chicago
I've been to both Red Apple locations and in my opinion Jolly Inn, which is located on Irving Park near Austin, is far superior. The food is really good, lots of choices and the prices are insanely low. Another good Polish restaurant in the area is Lone Tree Manor, which is on Milwaukee Avenue in Niles. My Polish grandma LOVED that place especially because they have traditional Polish specialties like czarnina (a sweet soup made with prunes, raisins and duck blood)! Sounds ghastly, I know, but I loved it until I found out what it was made of!
As for gourmet Polish fare in a fine dining restaurant, Lutnia on Belmont near Central would be your best (and possibly only) bet.
What's your favorite place for paczki?
After seeing a news segment on Spunky Dunkers in Palatine re their paczki, I picked up some from there on my way home from work on Tuesday. Their custard paczki were good, but still didn't measure up to the now-defunct Vienna Pastry Shop. In addition to the custard, jelly and lemon custard flavors, Vienna also had fresh strawberry paczki and an interesting traditional flavor made with rosewater jam. Oh, how I miss it!
The Bridgeport Bakery seems like it might have decent paczki (and some of the other bakery items in that thread look delicious), but I live in the northwest 'burbs and wouldn't travel that far for paczki unless I knew for sure it was really good.
There are a few Polish bakeries on the stretch of Milwaukee Avenue near Belmont that likely have very good paczki, but I haven't had anything from them in probably ten years.
You guys are missing out if you haven't had paczki (assuming you're a fan of donuts, that is.) If you know of a local Polish bakery, check them out next Fat Tuesday!
What's your favorite place for paczki?
It's Fat Tuesday / Paczki ("Poonch-key") Day, and that inspired me to inquire-- where is your favorite place to get paczki? My favorite place (Vienna Pastry Shop on Addison and Long) closed almost two years ago and every other paczki I've tried since has just not measured up!
For those who don't know what a paczki is, it is basically a filled donut but it's made with an extra rich dough and extra filling for people to indulge in the "feast before the fast" of Lent.
Decent Food at O'Hare Airport
I realize kwe730's recommendation goes back almost 5 years, but I wanted to mention that my family and I had an awful experience at the Gold Coast Dogs in the International terminal at O'Hare this past December while heading out for a family vacation. Worst Italian beef and hot dogs we ever had (and possibly health department concerns--the beef was lukewarm at best). It's a shame, because I used to be a big fan of the downtown location!
Best Pizza in Chicago?
My favorite place for thin crust pizza has not been mentioned here yet: John's Pizzeria, which is located on Western near Fullerton. I love everything about their pizza--the sauce, which they make fresh every day, the cheese, which is a blend of cheeses--not just mozzarella, and the sausage--a wonderful Italian sausage, full of fennel-y goodness. I grew up in Skokie, and this was the ONLY place we'd go for pizza (my mom grew up in Bucktown and has been going to John's since the 50's). I now live in Algonquin and we make a point of going there for pizza when we're in the city. Seriously, try it!
As for deep dish, I like Lou Malnati's, Uno, Due and Gino's East. Giordano's is just meh in my opinion. It's good and I wouldn't turn it down if someone offered me a slice, but just not as good as the others.
Funeral Luncheon around Narragansett and Addison
First of all, I'm very sorry for your loss. :(
I'm also sorry that I didn't see your post until now. I went to a funeral luncheon in Elmwood Park a few weeks ago at Elmcrest Banquets (fka Biancalana's). Everyone was really impressed by the quality of the food served at the luncheon.
ISO good gyros in northwest suburbs
Yes, we did! It was very good, but the service was a little brusque. I can't blame them, as they were busy when we visited. But you just can't beat Papa Chris' friendly service!
Name of new Japanese steakhouse in Naperville?
Thanks! A friend of mine heard about the grand opening and wants desperately to go but couldn't recall the name of the place. Who knew Naperville had so many Japanese restaurants?! I knew the 'hounds would come through! Chowhounds are far better than bloodhounds at solving culinary mysteries! ;-)
Effects of Recession on Dining Out?
I live in Algonquin and quite a few local restaurants have closed recently. Of course, Randall Road has become chain restaurant row and there is a lot of competition, so I guess it's become survival of the fittest in this economy.
A friend of mine is a district manager for a national restaurant chain that shall remain nameless. Normally profitable and popular, they are really suffering in this economy! As a result, they, too, are offering special deals to lure diners.
Personally, I can tell you that my family and I have not given up on dining out, but we certainly have been dining out less often and have been more choosy about where we're dining.
Name of new Japanese steakhouse in Naperville?
A friend of mine heard about a new Japanese steakhouse in Naperville that just opened a few weeks ago. Does anyone here know the name? Thanks in advance!
Non-Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner
I recently had a great dinner with a bunch of girlfriends at Mon Ami Gabi. It's a Lettuce Entertain You classic French bistro that's located in Lincoln Park. It has a nice ambiance, but did not strike me as romantic:
http://www.monamigabi.com/chicago/about/
Best and Worst Places I ate at in Chicagoland in 2008
Best place I've eaten this year, hands down (outside of my own home, of course!): Uptown Grill (LaSalle, near Starved Rock)
My family and I tried this place during a long weekend summer visit to Starved Rock State Park. No joke--we returned there every day of our visit for dinner, the food was so good. We would have gone there for breakfast, too, had they been open for breakfast! Everything we ordered was just wonderful, and the menu has many unique and interesting choices.
Worst place I've eaten this year, hands down: Haussmann Brasserie in Northfield.
Went there for lunch for an office celebration. They were not busy (probably 2 other tables), but we still had the worst, most inattentive service I've ever experienced in a restaurant. We were a group of 10, and you would think we were a group of 100 the way they were confused by everyone's simple orders. Everything got mixed up, some orders were not placed. When it became clear that a number of us were just not getting our food when everyone else got theirs, it came down to 3 of us telling everyone else to just go ahead and eat their food before it got cold while we waited patiently for ours. When we finally got our food (after everyone else was done and their plates had been cleared), the waitstaff offered no apologies and seemed annoyed that we kept asking the status of our meals. When we got our food, it was just so-so. Edible, but just barely. Jacky Pluton should be ashamed of himself for this debacle of a restaurant.
Best place to buy bulk spices?
While they don't have a hugely varied selection, Costco has good quality spices in bulk containers really cheap! IIRC, I recently bought a probably 12 oz. jar of Saigon Cinnamon for around $5 there.
