Its been a while since we had breakfast here at S'C'&C but with the colder months ahead I thought I'd share one of my favorite spots for it. Its the perfect example of the "don't judge a book by its cover" saying because from the outside it looks like nothing much, nor does it look like much inside, but its whats going on in the kitchen space over at Patty's Diner that makes it so special. Run by Patty and her sisters they are the tag team of breakfast champions. They might not always have a smile on their face (although service is always great) but they always cook with love and passion. Its not just no frills in looks and service but its also got the goin' on's of a classic American diner with its menu options and hours of operation which are for breakfast and lunch only. It's located in the Chicago suburb of Skokie. So many people just cruise on by and have no idea what they're missing out on but those in the know are all regulars.
a locals favorite in Skokie, IL
Patty is the woman behind the madness and does practically all of the cooking by herself. Its all in the family as her sisters wait tables and take care of the other needs around the restaurant. I call it madness because on a busy day you will walk in and choose to sit at the tables on one side or up at the bar on the other. I love sitting at the bar and watching Patty take to task order after order and not miss a beat. It looks like shes just running back and forth like a kid with ADD on Kool Aid but that's not the case, shes cooking her tail off to make sure you've had at least one amazing meal to chow down on the day you visit her.
There's always something good cooking over at Patty's
The menu at Patty's place is classic American diner fare. The stuff that used to be served everywhere way back in the day. I'm talking about all the breakfast regulars like pancakes along with eggs & bacon, corned beef hash that is made to order, creamed turkey with real mashed potatoes, hand-patted burgers. I'm talking the whole nine yards. In fact I can promise you will be seeing Patty's again here on chibbqking and that's because I love going there but I cant refrain from ordering the same item each and every time. There's only been a couple times when I didn't make the same order as I always do. If you see something on the menu that you are a big fan of, get it! It will be good. I've never heard feedback of the bad kind about Patty's Diner.
Biscuits & Gravy
Well when I was saying they take no shortcuts there I meant it in every sense. Too many places nowadays surpass doing it like they used to for quicker and cheaper ways of doing so. In the case of ham this practice is way too common. Barely any spots use real ham off the bone anymore when making dishes involving the southern favorite. If you sit at the stools while dining in you'll notice a big old hunk of ham to your left near the back which is the basis for any dish I order at Patty's. Ham is just one of those things that you gotta have the real way aka no cut up deli meats or anything pre-diced and lacking the deep in depth flavor real ham off the bone can have. If your a fan of ham then you really wanna check out Patty's and order one of her dishes that includes it.
Ham on the bone ready for cutting when needed
I'm not a big time breakfast eater but I do enjoy it when I get a chance to eat at a place like Patty's. I like a breakfast sandwich no matter what time of the day it is and just in case you didn't know, it is Patty's where you can find the best sandwich of this kind. I've had many breakfast sammy's during my days and none can come close to what Patty brings when the craving for a meat of choice, egg and cheese sandwich comes a calling. I have to have me a ham, egg and cheese pretty much every visit I make. They are that good. Its starts with the ham sliced fresh off the bone and crisped to perfect perfection and then they put an egg cooked to your desired doneness and melt some cheese and stuff it inside a glorious homemade bun that makes this sandwich one of the absolute best of any kind in Chicago and one of my all time favorites. Go check Patty and her sisters out and you'll become a regular in no time.
Ham, egg and cheese sandwich served on a heavenly bun...I'm drooling as I type this
Patty's Diner
3358 Main St. (just West of McCormick)
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 675-4274
Is there anywhere you have not been?
ReplyDeleteYou should know that Patty's closed on December 31 2010... It may not be over for her. she may open elsewhere in the future... but meanwhile, she is already missed by many.
ReplyDeleteHas Patty reopened else where? Love her cooking and miss it so much. We would travel from McHenry to Skokie just to have breakfast. Living back in the area, I'd love to know if she's opened somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteNorma Campillo