Quarantine Food Highlights

-Grubbing in Chicago

Food from the Chicago Quarantine Time

The dining world has been tossed, fried, and smoked since Covid came calling. Restaurants have been forced to switch up their operations entirely by pivoting to completely different menus and such. For many spots what worked before covid does not cut it anymore. Some places were better equipped to deal with it. Maybe they were a majority takeout business anyway or what they sold travels well (comfort food). But most of the city's hipper bars and restaurants had no choice but to change their menus and some did so switching to family dinners or daily specials. I might not have been eating out as much when this all started but I still needed to eat. Some Quarantine highlights.

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Ludlow Liquors 

Ludlow is one of those spots that had to make pretty drastic changes. They relied heavily on their backdoor patio where people love to drink during the summer months. I heard it's opening with social distancing soon but that's not the only way they're trying to get customers. One of the most popular pivots for restaurants has been pizza. Quite a few of the popular spots around town have started selling pizza in one form or the other. Ludlow was already selling slices of grandma style pie on Monday's which I'd tried months ago. It was good and from what I saw on social media had it's fair share of fans. Well now they have access to it on the weekends with a little bit of planning. Ludlow is selling their grandma pies whole to those willing to place a pre-order so they can guarantee a slot to come pick up their pizza. It's worth the planning if you're a fan of the grandma style pizza that's super popular in NYC and bc of that it's now gaining fans across the country. It's lighter than it looks.

Grandma Pie at Ludlow Liquors 

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Hermosa Restaurant 

This off the radar spot just off Armitage in Hermosa has been open for a few years. But it just became well known in the last year or so. Actually I've posted about it before back in 2017. With the help of a little social media campaign by @FartSandwich aka "The Greatest Food Writer in the World" Hermosa became a regular stop on the Chicago food peoples trail. It's a typical looking hot dog stand that has a not so typical menu. It's owned by Ethan Lim who's family owns Googoo's Table with which Hermosa shares a building. They also own Somethin' Sweet Donuts which now has two locations. The Lim's have a Cambodian heritage and Chicago is lucky to have them. It was the Cambodian fried chicken sandwich that wowed the Readers Mike Sula among others. I have to agree with the masses here. This is the best fried chicken sandwich in town. Read Dennis Lee's article HERE. In the last couple months Hermosa has started offering Cambodian meals to go. Here's Mike Sula's review.

Cambodian Fried Chicken Sandwich at Hermosa 

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 3 Little Pigs

Covid pushed the idea of ordering food from instagram into the Chicago area. It's been a thing in places like LA already. But ever since corona arrived I've noticed a bunch of people pushing food though instagram. These could be former chefs, or line cooks, and even just home cooks trying to get into the market but not able to rent an entire restaurant out for the time being. One day one of my buddies @'ed me on insta to an account selling Chinese style BBQ pork and potstickers. You can find Henry @3LittlePigsChi. His family has provided potstickers to restaurants in Chinatown for more than 30 years. With some spots in the neighborhood closed he started offering both his family’s dumplings as well as his own ode to Chinese BBQ Pork which has some dope Chicago style bbq components going for it in the sauce piled on top of some well charred pork. It's fantastic. Special plate appearance from an order of plain and extra crispy chow fun noodles from Three Happiness.

BBQ Pork and Potstickers from 3 Little Pigs

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 Jeong Restaurant 

Jeong is a spot that many considered one of the city's best new restaurants when it opened in 2019 (my post). So it really sucks they've had to put a pause on growth from the restaurants perspective. That said Dave Park and his team have been able to pivot in the most dopest of fashions. Before they ran one of the city's best new restaurants Chef Dave and his wife ran a food court stall in a Westmont shopping mall. They cooked Korean classics at Hanbun which garnered national attention for it's food and setup. Check out my old Hanbun review HERE. People were sad to see Hanbun go but it wasn't the best of setups and what not. It sucked losing Hanbun but we gained Jeong from it and it's in the city at that. So the overall effect was a net positive and even though Jeong isn't in service right now Hanbun is. That's right if you can plan to pre-order for the weekend you can try some of the all time favorites from Hanbun which can be picked up at Jeong. Bulgogi with sliced apples, Spicy Rice Cakes, and the Korean-Chinese favorite Jjajangmyeon (pork belly noodles in black bean sauce) were all wonderful. I don't know how much longer this will last so act accordingly if you haven't already.

Hanbun at Home 

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Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream 

I don't know why Shawn Michelle's doesn't have locations scattered across the city but I could take an educated guess. Let's be real how many people even know of this homegrown ice cream specialist on 47th and Wabash? Not as many that should know. That's for sure. Chicago's ice cream scene consists of a bunch of corporate brands from out of town. Why don't we have a homegrown brand? Shawn Michelle's is that. They've been open since the 90's and are well known among Chicago's African-American community but just becoming known to most others. Social media campaigns have driven customers to Black owned businesses all summer and admittedly it was some posts from these campaigns that finally got me over to try Shawn Michelle's homemade ice cream. Damn is it good! I loved the Jamaican rum raisin. They should be more well known like other Southside spots. Maybe they don't want to expand but they have the ability to as far as product in the coolers goes.

Jamaican Rum Raisin at Shawn Michelle's Ice Cream

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See ya next time @chibbqking

Tacos de Canasta in Chicago

- On the road with the 'Chicago Taco Tour'

Did anyone catch the special issue Bon Appetit recently did dedicated to tacos in the United States? It was called 'Taco Nation' and it was very well done. Except one thing was missing - Chicago. Unless I missed it I didn't see anything on Chicago in the 20+ stories they commissioned. That's too bad bc Chicago really is one of the top 2 or 3 spots to eat Mexican food outside of Mexico. Update: They did have one feature written by author Sandra Cisernos. It was a very good read. Even after coming back from a trip to Mexico I find myself wanting certain tacos in Chicago. Mexican food is our city's number one food strength yet it's often overlooked unless it's one of the higher end chefs being mentioned. One of whom is so filthy rich he really doesn't need anymore free press. But I digress. Instead of complaining I'll just continue to spread the gospel to those who follow along both here and at the #ChiTacoTour hashtag on instagram. Speaking of social media tacos de canasta are having a moment across the country. Most likely attributed to the fact Netflix's 'Taco Chronicles' featured the humble Mexican snack in one of it's episodes. While they've been available in Chicago for a while (Serious Eats Post from 2013) they're really starting to take off of late. Today I have a non-definitive guide on where to get them in Chicago. Some of them already covered. I still think Tacos de Canasta Rossy are the best. Maybe the most "authentic" tacos in town if judging them by the closest you'll find to those in Mexico. FYI they recently moved a few doors down and are now open Fridays.

Tacos de Canasta from TdC Rossy 

For those who aren't familiar with tacos de canasta they translate to basket tacos. In Mexico vendors will pile up a basket of tortillas filled a few tbsp of filling and cover the basket leaving them to steam while they walk around and sell them. These days there's actual restaurants dedicated to them in places like Mexico City (go to Los Especiales). While typically eaten for breakfast many spots will serve them all day. Other Chicago restaurants previously covered include what is probably the best taqueria in Chicago top to bottom. While it's the suadero, longaniza and crispy tripas I always get at La Chaparrita they also do a very good batch of tacos de canasta. Sometimes you can find another family member selling them along Kedzie. The city's first brick and mortar TdC specialist (El Conde S.A) is still open on South Kedzie too. Another Southside spot called Guapo Taco opened a few years back and tacos de canasta and tamales are just about all they sell. If you go west down Fullerton you'll come across La Chilangueada where they make cute mini TdC. In Belmont Cragin the under the radar Taqueria Belen makes great fresh ones. Sometimes spots will make tacos de canasta to order which is kind of cheating. Then again rarely any of these places make them in actual baskets. Some however do prepare ahead of time which makes them that much better. Aside from all these spots you're likely to find a street vendor or two selling real versions made earlier that morning.

Tacos de Canasta from Guapo Taco 

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 Kafecito 

As you can see from the homemade sign on the window they sell tacos de canasta at this juice specialist in Little Village. I stopped by on a weekend after seeing the sign so it may be a weekends only thing. Not a bad $6 spent considering I got six tacos with the usual fillings (bean, potato, chicharron prensado) along with a big scoop of a colorful vinegar based cole slaw alongside some spicy pumpkin seeds. Also included was a cup of well made avocado salsa. The tacos were perhaps a bit dry but the condiments helped take care of that. I'd try to go get them close to opening time.

Tacos de Canasta at Kafecito 

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 Don Pepe Carne en su Jugo 

Another spot on 26th street in Little Village where you can find TdC is Don Pepe's Carne en su Jugo. Unfortunately I've always found the carne en su jugo here to be average at best. A big buzz kill the first time I tried it a decade or so ago. That said they've been serving tacos de canasta since then too. I noticed them bc a few different tables of families had them on my visit way back when. They offer six different fillings and include a big cup of vinegar doused cabbage with each plate. Pretty damn good.

Tacos al Vapor / Canasta at Don Pepe Carne en su Jugo 

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 Del Pueblo Restaurant 

I featured this Norteno spot in Cicero just last year. It's ran by a family from Durango and they're pushing some delicious home cooked recipes. Aside from the unique in Chicagoland Tacos Banados which I featured them for they also make tacos al vapor. As well as Northern Mexico style burritos which are really just flour tortilla tacos. In Northern Mexico they like to fill their burritos, gorditas, and tacos al vapor with guisados many of which are meat forward. Del Pueblo makes their tacos al vapor to order but they dont suffer too much as it's the Norteno fillings that make them. Make sure to get one if not a couple of the deshebrada in chile rojo. They also do steamed beef by the pound.

Tacos al Vapor at Del Pueblo Restaurant 

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 La Huarachita

I noticed the sign in the window above while driving down Milwaukee a few months ago. Eventually I stopped at La Huarachita which is just north of Belmont. They sell a package of six tacos de canasta with two each of Chorizo & Potato, Chicken Mole, Chicharron Prensado. Not bad but I'm not a big fan of the made to order versions. Unlike say pre-sliced al pastor meat, steamed tacos benefit greatly from a complete steam and not a short one. So spots that like to pre-slice al pastor and leave it to steam in a tray should be good at tacos al vapor. That said it’s the specialists you should seek out.

Tacos de Canasta at La Huarachita 

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 La Canastita de Laura 

Speaking of specialists have I got a fun one for you. It was recently suggested by instagram that I follow an account @la_canastita_de_laura. Of course the name caught my eye and for once the apps on my phone that spy on me made good of their espionage. It turns out this a small local start-up ran by a few people that will deliver tacos de canasta estilo DF to your door. All you have to do is send them a message a day or two ahead so they can prepare your order and depending on your location in the city they will deliver you some tacos de canasta. Not just the tacos but both a fiery red and a cool green salsa as well. I tried them this past weekend and got 21 tacos de canasta delivered to my door for $25 (I tipped them $4). This is something I will def do again. It couldn't be any easier and judging from the texture of the tortillas these felt like they were steamed for a good while. They make a bean, potato (favorite), and a chicharron prensado in a red chile sauce. Try them out this weekend!

Tacos de Canasta from La Canastita de Laura

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See ya next time @chibbqking #ChiTacoTour

New China Station

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Sichuan Food on the Northside

Usually the weekend of the Super Bowl I like to share a bunch of worthy recipes for the game (feel free to look up past posts). Though as years go on I've pretty much shared all of the stuff I'll be making this upcoming Sunday. That said I also plan on eating a little bit of takeout before the game on top of that which I cook. The plan is to order some Szechuan cuisine and the place I'm ordering it from recently shot onto my radar when it popped up in my twitter feed. If not for this informative tweet from the Fuckerberg on Food Team I would've had no idea about the "New" China Station.

Best Chinese option in Humboldt / Wicker Parks? 

When I learned that this place underwent a revamp it caught my eye as it's a quick 7 minute ride from my house. That and the fact they now seem to focus on Szechuan made it a place I decided to check out not too long after learning of the change. It's only been a couple weeks but I've already been in on three separate occasions and now have a new Chinese takeout option in the area. As it turns out the chef here used to man the kitchen at one of Tony Hu's Lao Sze Chuan spots. This is obvious in the dry pepper chili dishes which is offered not just in the traditional dark meat chicken option but also in the form of chicken nuggets and wing zings. Chef Hu's dry chili chicken is one of the first dishes that put me onto the wide world of Chinese cuisine outside that of which most Americans are used to. It's crunchy, it's spicy, it's garlickly, it's delicious.

Dry Chili Chicken

I've come friendly with one of the guys in the front of the house and they really take pride in their food. You can tell with the dry chili chicken which was spiced just right and stayed crispy through the car ride home. They cut holes into the plastic ware so everything doesn't steam up during transportation. It's bare bones inside with just three tables which are mostly used for people waiting to take orders out. The menu features other Sichuan favorites such as cumin lamb and yang zhao fried rice etc. I look forward to trying the spicy numb fish as well as the red curry which is listed right after the dry chili chicken as far as house specialties. As of now I haven't been able to get past the dry chili fish which might be better than the chicken. It's come perfectly fried and feeds two for $10.95.

Dry Chili Fish

On top of the Sichuan specialties there's also the typical Chinese-American specialties. Stuff like Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and Shrimp Lo Mein, and so forth. So far I've only had the lo mein but I liked what I ate. Fresh crunchy veggies with well fried noodles. I could take or leave the beef but I look forward to trying an orange chicken or something when the craving comes. If you live near the North and Western intersection this is a place you might want to check it out.

Beef Lo Mein

New China Station
2411 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-1023

Take 2: La Gondola

-Here we go again
Trip's back to Previous Haunts

As Valentine's day nears I thought it appropriate to post about our latest stop. I thought people might be googling "where to eat in Chicago on valentines day" and so with that its also time to introduce our newest series. It being a look back at places already featured here on S'C'&C. Our first stop is to a place that's been around the neighborhood longer than me and who's pizza was already featured HERE. La Gondola used to be at the corner of Ashland and Montana back in the early to middle 80's until they moved a few blocks north into the large strip mall at Ashland and Oakdale. I know that places in strip malls can be good in spots like Las Vegas and Arizona but there aren't many good strip mall dining options in Chicago. With the exception of La Gondola.


a great Valentines Day stop

It might not look all that comforting and romantic from the outside but once you step inside it doesn't feel like your in a strip mall anymore. Its a very cozy place and there's only five tables to eat at and they'll have some old school Italian music playing at a decent level and a nice wine selection. The owners are from Italy and have been using their families recipes handed down generation after generation. Most of the food at La gondola is made from scratch including their sauce and Italian sausage. Its a great place to go out with a date or if your lucky enough to live in the area, get delivery from. They also do a very good take-out business since its easy in and out with plenty of parking at the mall. During the wintertime I always make sure I get an order of their Stracciatella soup. A secret recipe of the popular Roman soup, his with spinach, brought from Rome by the chef at La Gondola. I don't know whats in it but its great and I always dip my bread in it and soak up every last drop. Here is a look at a few of my favorite dishes from a great neighborhood joint and here's to 25 more years. Cheers!


Stracciatella soup from La Gondola


some of the best veggie soup I've had


Homemade Meatballs

^You gotta respect a spot that does everything from scratch. There are no short cuts to memorable tasting food items.


Linguine with white wine clam sauce

^here we have one of, if not my favorite, non tomato based pasta dishes. La Gondola does up a really formidable version of linguine with a real clam sauce. Nothing canned here.


Rigatoni Bascaiola (signature dish)

^Creamed tomato sauce with fresh mushrooms and sauteed Italian sausage and fresh sage tossed in rigatoni make up the house's signature pasta dish. If I'm feeling like something red I'll always get this or the spaghetti and meatballs. Its hard too pass on the Bascaiola, its very much a trademark dish.

Its hard to believe that La Gondola is in its 25th year. Everything is pretty much good and nothing disappointments over there. Its not just the pastas but also the pizza, seafood and chicken dishes. Its a great place to eat if your around or live in the area, if your going out and want a romantic date or ordering pick up and want something good it really works great no matter what you want. If choosing to dine in, the service is excellent. Reservations are accepted and I would recommend getting them seeing as though there's 5 or 6 tables. They also have a full service bar and always have people dining in celebrating whatever it is they are. Ciao down!

La Gondola Restaurant
2914 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433

House of Wing

-KingT's Wing Fling

The Super Bowl is set...Who Dat?!?!?! So now that we know who's playing in it, its time to figure out the food situation. No need to worry, I got a few things covered. If your holding your own Super Bowl Party and are making food for it then check back Feb. 1st for this years batch of big time recipes. However in the meantime I've been patiently waiting to post about one of my favorite wing joints in the city and the best for delivery. House of Wing on Clark st. has got all your chicken wing needs covered for Super Sunday or any big party your having. The Lincoln Park and Lakeview areas sure aren't the best eating neighborhoods in the city but it is the hotbed for Buffalo wings. Over on the corner of Clark and Arlington rests House of Wing. It is here where they specialize in the favorite snack of hungry American football fans. It is truly one of the city's best wing joints.


In Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood

I first found the House of back around 2006 when they opened up shop in an old hot dog stands place. Anyplace calling itself the house or home of anything is going to get a visit from me especially if its the house of chicken wings. The HoW is run by an old Chinese man and his family. It was on my first visit that the old guy impressed the living hell out of me with his dedication to the wing. I've never seen more TLC put into a fried food item. The wings come available regular or extra crispy and with either buffalo or bbq sauce. The interior of the joint is very small so they do a big takeout/delivery business as well as serving up many drunk big ten graduates late at night on the weekends when they stay open til 3am. Its been a while since I've even been inside the place since I'm a big fan of their delivery of party platters to your house or any bar your at that allows food to be delivered too.


HoW party platter delivered to your door with everything you need

The party platters come with EVERYTHING you need, from both the bleu cheese and the ranch dressing to the baskets for the bones and then the mints, napkins and nap wipes for when your done chowing. They make sure you got it all. Including at least an entire stalk of chopped celery. Since HoW is owned and run by a Chinese family you can taste the influence in the food. The extra crispy wings are basically fried to the same degree and crispiness as a good batch of General Tso's chicken. You can also taste some sriracha or other Chinese hot sauce in the buffalo sauce. So while not totally authentic you'll find they are still some of the best. The rest of the menu is your typical stuff like hot dogs and beef's but they specialize in wings and that's what you get here.


Bufalo Wings from House of Wing

The old guy sure knows how to fry a chicken wing, perfection every time, never undercooked, never overdone. He'll even do a jig for you as he goes up, down and slides around as he tosses the wings in the buffalo style sauce and makes sure every inch of each one is perfectly covered in the right amount of sauce. It is of note that the wings in the party platter are smaller than the wings in regular orders. They're def. small wings but since I always get these platters delivered to the bar or my place, I don't mind 'cause the wings don't turn rubbery and unappetizing during the delivery. The meat comes right off the bone and I can easily put down 40+ of them. Great gameday grub delivered right to you.


Triple G: Great Gameday Grub

House of Wing
2447 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614-2717
(773) 929-9421

Pat's Pizza

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

Theres a little myth going on around the city that Lincoln Park is a culinary wasteland. So they say LP, Bucktown and downtown are full of tourist traps that care more about how the inside looks and what trends to ride on rather than the food. Well that may be true for Bucktown and downtown but Lincoln Park is one of Chicago's oldest neighborhoods and while it has gone the way of the scene there are still many little family owned spots that have fended off the Starbucks and boutiques and continue to make the same food they did before LP was a hot spot for anything.


Pat's Pizza: Since 1950

Since I am am a lifelong resident of Lincoln Park (27 years) I am here to crush that stupid statement. Hey I'll be the first to tell you that LP has more than its fair share of yuppies and people who just moved here and more than enough Starbucks and Jamba Juices' but it also has many real Chicagoan's who have been here longer than you have been in whatever neighborhood your from and plenty of family owned business's that were here before LP blew up and still continue to thrive.


The pizza I grew up with, the other Chicago style, tavern thin

First up on my list of places to dispel that rumor is Pat's Pizza. I grew up on the tavern style pizza because I grew up near Pat's pizza. Once located on Sheffield near Belmont, Pat's has changed addresses over the years but the pizza remains the same. One of the best representations of the Chicago tavern style can be had at Pat's. The cracker thin pizza is cooked to perfection with the best Italian sausage topping I have found, big crispy pieces of Italian sausage loaded with fennel is the only way to go for pizza toppings. The crust over there is crispy and has airpockets from being so thin and the sauce and cheese are quality ingredients with just the right amount for this style of pizza.

I can eat over 40 pieces of Pat's pizza

So what does Lincoln park have that other neighborhoods don't? for starters some of the best tavern style pizza in the city that created that style. Whats even better is that Pat's delivers so residents of LP and surrounding neighborhoods can enjoy some of the best tavern style pizza at home. There isn't a better pizza place offering delivery so if they deliver to you then consider yourself lucky. Pat's is a full service restaurant that offers a full menu and has drinks so its also a good place for a date or party. I cannot recommend anything else on the menu because they do pizza so well and that's all I eat from there. The Lincoln Park Pat's has no affiliation with the Pat's Pizzeria in the South loop however I am not sure that there isn't a history. The pizza's are virtually the same so I recommend both for delivery depending on where you live.


This is serious pizza that Ill put up against anything out east

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 4
sauce: 4
toppings: 5
Crispness: 4

Score: 17/20

If you are visiting Chicago and staying downtown and want a pizza delivered to your hotel room, try the Pat's in South loop (no relation but very similar), its perfect and even if its only you, a medium and in my case a large can be eaten solo.

Pat's Pizza
2679 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-0168
website

La Gondola's Pizza

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

La Gondola is a very tiny little restaurant that is storefront in the strip mall (with the Jewel on Ashland and Wellington) in Lakeview. Its been around for some time and has changed locations and atmosphere but the pizza has remained the same during the restaurant and transformation of Lincoln Park and Lakeview. Although I only order delivery from there, I have never heard anybody knock the food and it gets quite good reviews. Most everything on the menu is made from scratch including the pizza. If you are going to go there and dine-in reservations are recommended due to its popularity and tiny space.

For those of you New Yorker's that for some reason like NY style pizza I offer you this tip. When you order, tell them you want it "East Coast" thin. La Gondola will make it for you this way, pie cut. I have been told by a few NY'ers they were very impressed with it this way. La gondola also does a very respectable extra-thin crust tavern style and is a good delivery option in the LP/Lakeview area. Not quite as good as Pat's but cheaper and a better overall menu aside from thin crust pizza. Make sure that when you are ordering that you clarify "extra-thin" if you want it Chicago tavern style. Crispness can be tough to judge with delivery but most every spot out there gets it to you in a respectable time so that it still has some crunch.


"extra-thin" sausage pizza from la gondola done Chicago tavern-style

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 3
sauce: 4
toppings: 4
Crispness: 3

Score: 14/20

La Gondola
2914 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433
http://www.lagondolachicago.com