Peanut Park Trattoria

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New School Italian - American Food on Taylor St.

There was a time when Taylor street was one of the premier places to eat in Chicago. Or at the very least it was where you went when you wanted some Italian food. Times change. While there’s still a handful of old school Italian-American options it’s not the first place I think of when I want some Italian food and that’s in part due to the fact that actual Italian food is quite different from the Italian-American food you’ll find at most of the spots on Taylor street. These days you can find food from all over Italy be it pizza from Rome or pasta from the Piedmont. It’s come a long way in the States. It’s not to say there’s not a time and a place for a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs but a lot of the time it's part of a huge menu that caters to everybody and does so with Sysco supplied ingredients cooked in a very uninspiring way to where everything tastes the same. Well today I want to take you to a place making old school Italian - American food with a little bit more life than other restaurants in the neighborhood.

Locals Favorite on Taylor street 

Peanut Park opened right around the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. So it’s been around for more than a year. It’s a joint project from the guys behind Coalfire Pizza and Tempesta Market. They wanted to bring an old world feel back to one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods while giving the food a little bit of a fresh feel. So they opened a spot that fits right into the neighborhood as far as looks and feel, but the menu isn’t quite like you would find at other spots on Taylor. It’s seasonal and includes fresh made pasta among other upgrades. Take for example a linguine made with blue crab, honey espelette, chili butter, and chive. No tomatoes, no cream, no need for any cheese. Safe to say this is a pasta dish you would not find on Taylor back in the 80’s. We were told it’s the most popular of their pasta offerings so it seems they’re giving the neighborhood a little bit of the change it wants.

Linguine (blue crab, honey espelette, chili butter, chive)

Having split the pasta as an app we each ordered an entree. For Erica that was the “Razza” which is a breaded piece of skatewing swimming in a lemon and Calabrian chili piccata with fried capers. This was a good example of what I mean when I say they’re giving new life to old classics. Delicious and flaky skate replaces chicken breast while the lemon and butter sauce is amped up with spicy chilis. 

The "Razza" at Peanut Park Trattoria

Chicken Parmesan is one of those dishes I’ll eat maybe once a year. It’s good but it’s not something I regularly crave. But every now and then I’ll get a taste for it and get me a sandwich or in this case a big plates worth. This is one of the few dishes made with chicken breast that I like but it can only go so far. Well this version went about as far as it can go with a really nice and light red sauce that didn’t seem to weigh me down the way marinara sometimes can. It’s not as thick as it can sometimes get. I liked it. Plus the chicken breast was pounded into a tender consistency while the mozzarella was piled on top and given a nice melting. This hit all the high notes of a classic chicken parmesan. I scarfed down the whole thing even though I ordered it expecting to make two meals out of it. It’s a massive plate of food so it’s not like that wasn’t possible I just really liked it right then and there.

Chicken Parmesan

Peanut Park Trattoria
1359 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 929-4188
Website

Mean Bao

-Grubbing in Chicago

Fried Bao Buns on Taylor Street

Is the Taylor street area Chicago's next hot spot for Chinese restaurant openings? It's certainly gaining momentum with the most recent place to open. Mean Bao appeared on the 1100 block a couple months ago. An online search revealed it may be the first US location of a Toronto based chain. That said the franchise from Toronto makes no mention of this location and the menu is different. So my guess is no. It's just coincidence they share the same name and a similar setup.

Recently Opened on Taylor Street

Aside from the bao they advertise in their name they also have noodles and dim sum. Early reviews on those two have been mixed but the bao seem to be selling. Different from most in that they're stuffed (not folded) and then pan fried giving off a bit of a potsticker vibe in bao form. After trying these I determined I much prefer when they're pan fried as the soft bao becomes slightly crisp and the flavors shift to a more of a baked bread taste. They’re pretty cheap at 3 for $4 which is more than enough for one person. They'll even let you order just one which makes for a great snack. Though not exactly a quick one. I've tried a few options including the curry chicken, Mongolian beef, and an egg yolk custard which is more sweet than savory. Nothing life changing but I enjoyed them for what they were. A nice snack for those rare times I don’t feel like a beef from Al’s down the block. I liked the Mongolian beef made with cubes of sauced up roast beef and the egg custard which was dripping with delicious warm yolk. We may see more of these pop up around town. It has a franchise feel.

Fried Bao at Mean Bao

Mean Bao
1139 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 929-3336

Ryhana's Cuisine

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Indian Eats on Taylor Street

The 2200 block of Taylor street is seeing a little bit of a renaissance. You can thank the growing student body at UIC for this. As students move into the area, places that were once vacant are now being rented out by restaurants and such. One of them is Ryhana's Indian Cuisine which opened during the last year or so. It's a small space with one table so it's mostly takeout. 

Newly Opened on Taylor street

I'm by no means an expert in Indian cuisine. I don't consider it to be one of my strong points when it comes to knowledge of different foods. That said the online reviews were all praising this place when I first found it and that in of itself was enough to get me to try it out. Say what you want abut Yelp but more times than not I find the overall score of a place to be just about right.

Garlic Naan 

The only thing I don't really like about this spot is the fact they use store bought breads for naan and all other baked stuff. But when you consider the prices (meals average around $6) this is something you can look past. Just don't look past the Butter Chicken which I've found to be the best thing going here. Its pungent, it's got kick, and the meat is extra tender. I could eat this often if it was near me.

Butter Chicken

Not quite as good, in my mind anyway, was the pepper chicken. I think I was just expecting something completely different as this was more like a stew than a stir fry. It had lots of kick but I'm just not a big fan of shredded chicken so that was probably the reason I thought it to be just ok.

Pepper Chicken

I'd place their Nihari right in-between the butter and pepper chickens. Their take on the classic is pretty textbook with spicy beef being slow cooked for hours in a creamy curry filled with herbs and spices. There's no shortage of heat as my mouth felt the burn upon first bite. Again this was something like $5 for the plate so I don't want to critique every last detail when you're going to be hard pressed to find a better meal for the same price. The family that owns the place is pleasant and the food is dirt cheap while still having flavor so its easy to understand the love online.

Nihari

Ryhana's Cuisine
2253 W Taylor St
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 251-1234
Website

Three Aces

-Grubbing in Chicago
New to the 'Scene'.

Summertime Chicago is a beautiful thing. Although this current one has been almost unbearable with the heat factor forcing many like myself to stay indoors wear the AC is on low. Eventually the temperatures will be a little more bearable and when they are I like to dine at places with nice outdoor seating. A recent article in the Red Eye which I read at the gym featured some of Chicago's hottest "eating" and dining streets and speaking of good places with outdoor seats and a street I think will join the hot blocks to dine on scene, Three Aces on Taylor Street is where were headed today.


a new young hip peoples favorite on Taylor Street

Three Aces is described on its website and Twitter account as "The Italian Countryside Meets the American farmhouse in Keith Richards Basement Bar" and its not a bad description at all. This place is geared toward a younger crowd that's taking over this part of Taylor Street that once wasn't as hopping as the other parts but with the empty lot across the street as well as other spaces available I think Three Aces will set off this little strip as the next popular spot to open a hip and happening place. I've been a few times most recently with my family and before that it was nice enough to sit outside where they have a really nice patio for people to do so.

The outside eating/drinking area

They did a really nice job with this old space that used to be a Bar Louie and before that an old school Italian restaurant. It's got a rock and roll vibe inside with a bar area to greet you as well as plenty of tables to sit at. You can play pool or hop into the old school photo booth while you eat and drink. Its a cool place to have in the new University Village neighborhood. They even have a spectacular special for the college crowd on Monday's when their pizzetta is half price. They make some good pizza here and I pretty much like them all and think that the calabrese with spicy salami is really good but the ram merguez and pork belly pies are without a doubt their two best.


Ram sausage w/ roasted baby carrots, goat cheese, local greens, pistachio oil & chile

Everyone in my big family dinner which we celebrated my birthday during agreed that these two were the best and we tried them all. The pork belly was great with charred crispy edges and a spectacular combination of flavors incl. the pork belly with pickled spring onions, sun dried tomato pesto, ricotta salata, calabrian chiles and honey. They have a nice selection of menu items ranging from bar food like the pizza and others like duck fat chips and arancini. I remember really liking this offering below which included some really solid braised meat. They took this old school Italian dish up another level.

Arancini

I've tried their Clams Calabrese twice and had mixed results. On one visit when we sat outside I think they might of been a special but don't remember if they were already on the menu like they are now. The first time this dish really shined with some nice plump manilla clams inside an excellent pork belly wine sauce broth with the spice from the Calabrian chile being an excellent addition to clams which are a favorite of mine. The most recent visit we made this dish was below average unfortunately. The clams were very tiny. I know they are naturally but these had barely any meat that wanted to come off. They say they give a 1/2 pound but the 2nd time around there was no way that's how much there were. The baked oysters are pretty good and nice to have as a snack option if your drinking one of their house cocktails or one of the many fine beers they have on tap and in bottles and cans.


Clams Calabrese

Baked Oyster

I knew I would be a fan of the Bolognese fries before I ever tried them just from reading the description. How could hand cut fries topped with their house special Bolognese sauce and Parmesan not be good? They are indeed pretty great. These will make a great winter time snack as they are pretty heavy but very hearty. Think of these as an Italian take on chili cheese fries.


Bolognese Fries

On the "mill" section of the menu they have a Bruschetta as well as house made ricotta gnocchi and Goat Cheese Caramelle. At my bday dinner we decided as a table to try the caramelle. The caramelle is a house made pasta which is served al dente in tube form. Inside of the pasta is citrus goat cheese, arugula pesto, toasted walnuts and parmesan. I thought this dish was an excellent eat for summer. It was pretty citrusy but it all worked out with the pesto and al dente pasta paired with everything else. The Steelhead tartare was another great eat in this summer of heat. It was served with beet chips, caper berries, chervil, lemon, Fresno chiles, cucumber and chives. Very cooling and an item I would order again.

Goat Cheese Caramelle

I'm not the biggest fan of octopus unless its cut up in smaller pieces but my entire family enjoyed their Grilled offering of it. I thought it was really good too and worked really well with the white beans, watercress puree, Italian sambal, cured lemon, sundried tomato and black garlic. Yet another very nice summertime snack. They do a good job with their menu changing it up as the seasons go by and service is really nice. Don't be afraid of the fact everyone has tattoos. Its a rock and roll atmosphere. My uncle wanted to know if they had a parlor in back. In fact the night we went for my bday recently the waitress that took care of us was great. She was friendly and very patient and ready to answer any questions my family asked. Most of which had nothing to do with the food or menu.


Steelhead Tatare

Grilled Octopus

But for me the star of the show in what I've tried thus far at Three Aces is their burger. The Ace Burger as it's called and an ace it is. This one has Cy Young stuff. Their beef is magnificent and easily the best part about this burger and that better be the case if you want to be one of the best. Its a little loose because it's a fresh blend and when they add some bacon jam with aged cheddar, trimmings, aioli, garlic and hops pickle it becomes one of the best "fancy" burgers I have had. The house cut fries served with a little lemon zest and parsley come with a magnificent aioli and I couldn't stop eating those despite eating most of what you see up above. We had to pass on their steak but we all decided we'd be back. I know I'll be back for another burger. And sooner than later.


Ace Burger at Three Aces

Three Aces
1321 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 243-1577
Website

The Italian Ice Scene

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-Chicago's Summertime Snack

It's been a hot summer so far in Chicago and while that sucks for those without AC it's a good thing for the Italian Ice stands around the city. They open each spring ready to quench the palates of Chicagoans throughout each summer. It took me long enough but it seems as if each summer's past I would forget to do my Chicagoland Italian Ice round up. In the end all that it led too was me getting to document pretty much every one still around. Italian ice is as much a part of Chicago summers as the Cubs and White Sox are. Many people call it the cousin of gelato, I call it my favorite non alcoholic summertime snack. I've been eating it since my youth. I was always the kid who wanted Italian Ice rather than ice cream. So I present to you the best roundup on the internet of Italian Ice stands in the land where it's best. Chicago. Ya Philly I'm looking at you. Here are ten summertime stands that make this claim true.
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Mario's Italian Lemonade


An all time Chicago favorite on Taylor Street

It's only fitting that for the first stop we head over to Taylor street where many of the Italian immigrants who came to Chicago settled in at. Mario's has been a part of the neighborhood and now the entire city since the 1950's. It's a piece of Chicago. Mario's doesn't sell Italian ice they make Italian lemonade. All of it's flavors have some lemon in it. A distinct trait of Mario's lemonade is the fact that rinds of lemon come in each cup no matter which flavor you get.

Fresh fruit flavors

As is the case at all ice places there are certain flavors that are better than others. At Mario's its all about which signs are hanging up above the local high school kids taking your order. Which is another thing you count on from each ice stand in the city. They all give summertime jobs to high school students from the neighborhood. At Mario's the fruit cocktail and lemon are most popular I almost always go for the fruit cocktail mixed with either watermelon, cantaloupe or if its in season, peach. All these flavors not only include the lemon rinds but also fresh fruit from the specific flavor you get with fruit cocktail being apples and whatever else is around. It's all good.

Mario's Italian Lemonade

As far as value goes, Mario's is the best at that too. Who doesn't love the fact that their cups can be anything from comcast water tank cups like those at corporate offices or some random regional fast food chain? Many already consider it the best and only Italian ice place in town. I cant pick a best but Mario's is to Italian Ice what Al's Beef is to Italian Beef. It's of course fitting that both are across the street from each other. Making it one of the best and most authentic 1-2 punches in town. Mario's like Al's is the most unique in terms of flavor and each place has that classic old school atmosphere that's fading fast in Chicago. You can get a bucket of Mario's Lemonade served on ice to take back most anywhere in Chicagoland. At $8.50 sometimes I just get my own to spoon chunks out of as the hot summer days go by.


Container of Watermelon/Cantaloupe to go
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Tom and Wendee's

Over on Armitage just off Clybourn is a longtime favorite of mine and many others. Tom and Wendee's celebrated it's 20th year last summer and I've been going there since day one. Before I had a car this was one of my favorite places to ride my bike too and eat an ice at. It was a part of my childhood summers and now remains in my adulthood summers too. The place has remained the same since day one with a few things I remember from then that are no more now. They used to have a blueberry ice but parents hated the stains they created so they stopped making it. They also they used to have a microwave inside and sell frozen White Castle sliders.


A locals favorite (Incl. me) in Lincoln Park

Those sliders along with their fresh homemade Italian ice was a great day of snacking for me. The posters identifying the fruits of the world are still on the walls inside and the red raspberry and watermelon are the same as they ever were. Both are my favorites from here and to this day the best representation of each of those flavors around. Lots of real fruit. I dont like ice cream all that much because I'm not big on chocolate but other customers swear by T&W's chocolate and toffee flavors. Tom and Wendee's these days is now one of the old timers in the city. Deservedly so. One of the best in the game.

Watermelon ice from Tom and Wendee's

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Annette's Homemade Italian ice

Not too far from T&W's is Annette's Homemade Italian Ice. Like most other ice stands, Annette's is a summertime walk up window. Loved by people of all ages including local high school kids that grew up on it and young families new to the area about to make it a piece of there summer. It's run by a husband and wife team and they also serve ice cream, soft serve yogurt, shakes and such but if you don't get their Italian ice you're missing out.


Another locals favorite in Lincoln Park

Annette's just like Tom and Wendee's isn't cheap so some write it off because of the pricetag compared to other places but aside from the fact rent is ridiculous in Lincoln Park and it only makes it harder when your earning season is a few months long, they use real fruit. No artificially colored flavor syrups like you see on sno-cones are used here. The flavor list is long but if you see a flavor which you enjoy as a fruit get it. If you like tart fruits like grapefruit and blood orange, theirs are great. Others love the passion fruit and black cherry. I cant get enough of their Pear-Apple which is pretty much what I get every time I go here. It's so refreshingly addictive I could eat it out a bucket all day long on a hot summer day.

Blood Orange and Grapefruit Italian Ice from Annette's

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Anthony's Homemade Italian Ice

The next neighborhood over in Lakeview is another resident who's been around a while now. Anthony's was founded by a guy who owes me some money but that's for me and him. I wont hold the fact he's tried conning me into account here. Sorry but I'm real. No BS here. Originally over on Armitage avenue not far from where the two LP heavyweights are, Anthony's moved into Lakeview where the competition was none. What really helped though was when they started making their own homemade ice.


Locals favorite in Lakeview

Making homemade ice was the right move and now Anthony's serves the people walking up and down that part of Southport in the summertime. You cant get good real deal Italian ice in the freezer section of your grocery store aisle. It needs to be a certain consistency which is achieved with getting the temperature right and then working thru each batch of ice to make it smooth. Anthony's achieves these goals with great flavors like their black cherry, coconut and cantaloupe.

Cantaloupe Ice from Anthony's

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The IceBox

Over on Broadway the Soupbox has been serving soups to the people of the Lakeview area since 1995. The idea was to offer 12 different soups on those frigid cold days people needed something to warm themselves up. To make up for lost customers during the warm months, Soupbox expands during the summer months to the Icebox. They still serve the soups year round which are popular during the winter but I find their summertime Italian ice to be much better.


a Locals favorite on Broadway in Lakeview

Icebox uses real fruit in many and most of if not all their flavors. The nice thing about Italian ice stands is that you can try the flavors before you decide. If theres a couple that you really like then you can always get two flavors in one cup. There's options people, don't be afraid to try a few and then decide which flavor a certain place does best according to your tastes. At the Icebox I enjoy their red raspberry which is right there with Tom and Wendee's but not quite as good and also their cherry. Some places that serve cherry use syrup but at Icebox you can see the big whole cherries inside the ice. It's an excellent rendition and my favorite cherry ice around town.

Red Raspberry/Cherry Italian Ice from The Icebox

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Miko's

Over in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area they have a popular summertime walk up stand called Miko's. They make their ice fresh and have been doing so since 1997. The owners were former building rehabbers that started making Italian ice as a hobby. Eventually that lead to this location as well as one in Logan Square and also another out of state in Moblile, Alabama.


a Bucktown locals favorite

Miko's just like it's Italian Ice bredren in Lincoln Park and Lakeview. It sits along a strip with some shopping and makes for a great stop for passerby's looking to cool down on a hot summers day. They have quite a few flavors but there's only one I can ever get and that's because its so damn good. Nobody does a better mango than Miko's. It's what you want when you cant stop sweating and need to feel like your somewhere tropical where its pleasant to be when its this hot outside and not in the city.

Mango and Watermelon Italian Ice from Miko's

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Johnnie's Beef

Italian Ice is for the most part a summertime treat which isn't even available do to most places being seasonal operations. But that doesn't mean I don't eat it year round. Johnnie's Beef on North avenue in Elmwood Park (read more HERE) is a Chicago food 'mecca'. They serve what many consider to be the best Italian beef sandwich in Chicagoland. Their combo sandwich (beef and sausage) is one of the best sandwiches in the world. Johnnie's is in my regular rotation and has been for years. It's the only place I eat Italian Ice at during the winter time.

World Famous Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park, IL

Johnnie's serves Italian ice but if you don't like lemon than your shat out of luck. Its all they do. But proving the "pick one thing you do good and do it right" rule they make the best lemon ice in the city. It goes perfect with any of their sandwiches and makes for a great cooling effect when the hot peepers from a beef and or sausage hit you. Johnnie's is the only place I order lemon flavored Italian ice from and it always hits the spot.

Better than having his mug staring at me while I eat...

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Gina's Homemade Italian Ice

Back in 1977 there was a storefront on Roosevelt road in Berwyn which was supposed to be a pizza place but was never finished. In came a lady named Gina who purchased the building one hot summer. Using a recipe she had learned back in Italy she decided to bring Italian ice to the neighborhood when it was really in need. Here we are in 2012 and Gina is still there to greet all of her longtime loyal customers. She and her ice are both a real treat.

A longtime locals favorite of the Southwest Suburbs

2012 is Gina's 35th year and even though it was my first time trying it I was treated like a regular each time I've been in since. I like their lemon which I tried when a friend got it and enjoy mixing that with cherry for a nice combo of flavors that compliment each other well. The cantaloupe is good too but its their strawberry thats become my favorite. You can taste the little pieces of it in each bite and it does me right on a hot summertime night.

Cantaloupe Italian Ice from Gina's

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Freddy's Pizza

Freddy's Pizza and Grocery is a longtime chibbqking favorite. You can get the entire story on them HERE. It's one of of those places every neighborhood should be fortunate enough to have. Whether its groceries, bread or lunch and dinner they got it all and then some. It's amazing what they fit inside of the small little store with a heated tent attached where people dining in on their family style Italian dishes can eat at. If it's Italian Ice or gelato your in need of Freddy's does those too. Real well if I may add.


Longtime locals/chibbqking favorite in Cicero, IL

I'm an Italian ice guy but many people swear by Freddy's gelato. I can tell you this much, if it's as good as their pastas, lemon chicken, Italian sausage & Peppers, bread and Italian Ice than its got to be good. Their ice is great and the price is right. I feel like its a joke when I pay a $1 for a small one that in reality isn't all that small. Especially considering the price. The best Italian ices are made with real fruit and since I'm a fruit over chocolate guy that's why I like Italian ice so much more than ice cream. But at Freddy's some swear by their chocolate and I swear by their pistachio. It's out of this world and made with real pistachio nuts. You can taste chunks of them inside. I like pistachios so I can see why I like this but its not salty or nutty for that matter. I don't know how else to describe it except damn good.

Selection of small ices from Freddy's including pistachio in front

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Zarlengo's Italian Ice & Gelato

Over in Chicago Heights Zarlengo's is a family owned business that's been serving the community with their desserts since 1983. They do a handful of treats like gelato and their famous 'Zar Bars' which are hand dipped ice cream bars. They started off serving them just dipped in chocolate but now offer up to 10 different varieties. Zarlengo's is a place I seek out when near there. They have some fantastic homemade Italian Ice.


Longtime locals favorite in Chicago Heights

Zarlengo's is a gem and has some really great flavors you don't see everywhere else and of course they use real fruit too. I have been trying to go thru the flavors of Zar's and haven't had anything I wouldn't get again while doing so. Just like some of the other places on this roundup they have a menu that changes and so it depends on whats on it when you go as far as what to order. I've enjoyed the blueberry, pink grapefruit, black cherry and others but their apricot ice is one of the best Italian ices I have had from anywhere. I get that when I see it. I love the fact when you stop in here on a Saturday you can feel the buzz in the air and its not just coming from the kids, its their parents that cant wait to get some too.

Zarlengo's Italian Ice never fails

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10 Flavors You Should Try

- Peach @ Mario's
- Lemon @ Johnnie's Beef
- Watermelon @ Tom & Wendee's
- Apricot @ Zarlengo's
- Pistachio @ Freddy's Pizza (Cicero)
- Pear-Apple @ Annette's
- Mango @ Miko's
- Strawberry @ Gina's
- Cherry @ The IceBox
- Cantaloupe @ Anthony's

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Mario's Italian Lemonade
1066 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(No Phone)

Tom and Wendee's
1136 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 327-2885

Annette's Homemade Italian Ice
2009 North Bissell Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 868-900

Anthony's Homemade Italian Ice
3442 North Southport Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 868-4237

The IceBox (SoupBox)
2943 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-9800

Miko's Italian Ice
1846 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 645-9664
Website

Johnnie's Beef
7500 W North Ave
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
(708) 452-6000

Gina's Homemade Italian Ice
6737 Roosevelt Road
Berwyn, IL 60402
(708) 484-0944
Website

Freddy's Pizzeria
1600 South 61st Avenue
Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 863-9289
Website

Zarlengo's
257 West Joe Orr Road
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
(708) 754-9080
Website

Urban Union

-Grubbing in Chicago
New on the Scene

We had a very nice Mothers Day Brunch at Urban Union on Taylor street this past moms day. When I heard we were going I was surprised to see that the place wasn't talked about much over on LTHforum or the rest of the internet for that matter. It's a small plate place with a "new American" menu that also does brunch. I enjoyed my trip there to the point where I would go back on my own dollar and not my dads. Lets check them out.


In University Village on Taylor Street

As many already know Taylor Street is considered Chicago's "Little Italy" and for a while it was but nowadays its reaching past the assumption that it's all Italian places such as Rosebud and Al's or Mario's. Urban Union is one of the places bringing more than slices of pizza, Italian beef, chicken vesuvio and cigars and such to the neighborhood these days.

Wood Fired Grill behind the bar

The menu has European influence that touches down on Italian cuisine but not the type you find at its neighbors places. Everything we tried I liked and wouldn't have a problem ordering or eating them again. Reminder that I did not pay for this meal. But the prices are reasonable with the average plate being around $11. Of course some things were better than others such as the wood roasted head on shrimp bathed in a lemon garlic butter sauce which were excellent, especially the juice sucked from the heads. The farro and arugula salad along with the Bar Harbor mussels served with chorizo, garlic, san marzano tomatoes and herbs were both tasty too.


Wood Roasted Head on Shrimp

Farro & Arugula Salad

Mussels

My favorite side of the meal was their French potatoes which come cooked in duck fat with sea salt chervil and shallot butter. These were creamy and addictive, some of the best potatoes I can remember having of late. One of the Italian focused dishes is their porchetta which is a very fine version of this dish. It starts out as a pork tenderloin which is wrapped and covered in soffrito and then is then placed inside a butterflied pork belly. Sound good? It was. My moms favorite dish of the meal was the Pacific reef fish which I want to say was tile fish that day. Topped with spicy tomato, nicoise olives, caperberris and braised baby fennel this was a real winner which I thoroughly enjoyed as well.

French Potatoes

Porchetta


Pacific Reef Fish

As I mentioned already this is brunch but the menu isn't much like the other places who lean more toward breakfast when they do theirs. This is a meat and potatoes brunch with some seafood thrown in kind of meal. The most "brunchy" thing we got though was also really good. The pork schnitzel Benedict was a heavy filling marriage of breaded tenderloin with a fantastic rendition of hollandaise sauce. The suckling lamb didn't look like much as far as presentation goes but it was good and that's all that matters to me. If its art why are we eating it and turning it into you know what when done.


Pork Schnitzel Benedict

Suckling Lamb

To end our meal we went with some of the housemade pasta, a tagliatelle with asparagus, wild mushrooms, pancetta, pea shoots and Parmesan. This was an excellent pasta dish which is also what the desserts were. I'm not sure why this place doesn't get more love but I'm going to give it some more soon. I look forward to trying their whole roasted fish which is made in the wood burning oven that also cooks up some other things from their menu. If you haven't been or were planning on going eventually, you should get on over.


Housemade Tagliatelle Pasta

Dessert

Urban Union
1421 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 929-4302
Website