Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine

-Grubbing in Chicago

Regional Chinese in Lincoln Park

When I was a kid way back in the 90's Lincoln Avenue through Lincoln Park was a hotbed for commerce. Mainly of the drinking establishment variety. It slowly started to fade with the closing of Children's Memorial Hospital and only recently has it began to re-emerge. Except it's mostly restaurants (there's still a handful of bars) that are opening up shop. Some of the restaurant openings have been quite exciting and Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine would have to qualify as one. If for anything bc it's a regional Chinese restaurant opening in an area with a few other regional Chinese options. Not sure why they're opening over here but guessing the students that flood the area are part of the reason.

Newly Opened in Lincoln Park

On my visits to Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine the clientele has been at least 80% Chinese. Mostly younger folks whether in groups of friends or families. There's a few different Chinese social media sites popular with the American-Chinese community and word of mouth and chit chat on restaurants is one of the big deals on these platforms. So it's no surprise to see the Chinatown crowd is coming into Lincoln Park to eat here. I'm not sure I can remember a restaurant where opinions differed on so much. Before I ever had the chance to stop by there were a number of people I knew who didn't like it, plus quite a few who did like it. So I wasn't sure what to expect but I've been by three times now and have had success on two of my visits. One trip in I got a trio of the "street food" options. I call it street food bc all three items (Jianbing, Pork Burger, Beef Pancake) are popular street food favorites in Xi'an China. I didn't have much luck with any of the three and I think the beef bun has since been removed from the menu. The Jianbing was missing the cracker inside. Not sure if this was a mistake or how they eat Jianbing in Xi'an but for me the cracker and the texture it brings is a big part of what makes jianbing good. The pork bun was a little dry. Some sauce and it would've been much better.

Street Food Favorites from Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine

I've had much better luck with the soups. The first of which was the Hot and Sour Dumpling soup. This was actually the first item I ever tried there and I really liked the sour soup base and the delicate wonton floating in the broth. I asked the young guys working and they told me the pork wonton are homemade. I know some others who thought this was just ok but it all worked well together for me.

Hot and Sour Wonton Soup at Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine

My most recent visit came just the other day. All signs pointed to the Paomo soup being the stand out. Paomo is a specialty soup native to Shaanxi cuisine. It's eaten all over Xi'an where each spot has it's own little take. The basis of this dish is lamb bone broth with chopped up meat and diced leavened bread (known regionally as mo). Xi'an Dynasty doesn't have lamb on the menu so their Paomo is made from beef bone broth and comes with sliced brisket and the bread already served in the soup along with cellophane noodles. Even though this was my first go with Paomo I found the flavor profile very comforting. I think most Midwestern raised people would. Heck anyone that grew up in an area that can get cold knows the comforting effect some beef stew on a cold day can have. One of my favorite parts of a beef stew we ate as kids was the French bread served on the side and used to mop up all the wonderful broth. This soup had those same things going for it. The brisket could've been a tad more tender but it came apart just fine with a little pressure from the spoon. A small tray of spicy chile sauce and roasted garlic comes on the side. The sauce def takes the soup up a notch.

Beef Paomo Soup at Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine

Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine
2218 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 904-7253

Mr. A's

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Ham Headquarters in Roselle 

I've been keeping this post in my back pocket for the Holiday Season. It's fast approaching so here you go. Mr. A's is much like so many other Suburban diners. Found out by O'Hare in Roselle it sits in a newer building with it's own parking lot and can seat what's probably up to 100+ people. It's bustling in the morning with groups of locals both old and young stopping in for coffee, food, and chit chat. I cant say for sure but I imagine it's Greek owned like so many of the spots similar to it.

 Locals Favorite in Roselle

The menu is like so many other Suburban diners as well. In that you can find something for everyone on it. Mr. A's bills itself as Roselle's "Ham Headquarters" and features ham off the bone in many of it's recipes. One of them is the split pea soup. This is something that's most always going to be good at any spot where ham off the bone is featured. Mr. A's makes a very good version served with fresh made croutons and lots of diced up ham meat. You can see from the green color it has deep flavor.

 Split Pea Soup at Mr. A's

I didn't have to browse the menu too much to find what I wanted. The Number 1 is a big king slice of ham with three eggs, American fries, and toast. A bargain at just $8.50 considering this is easily two meals worth of food. The ham had four different parts which you can see from the picture. Both the inside and outside pieces were slightly different in texture though equally delicious in taste. The American fries are sliced potatoes cooked up on the flattop. They're good albeit plain so some hot sauce is useful. As expected the star of this plate is the ham which was great diced up for leftovers.

 Number 1 at Mr. A's

But the reason Mr. A's caught my eye was I read that you can get ham bones to go from here. Ham bones being what's left of their bone on hams when they strip them of all the meat. I'd never heard of a place doing this as they make for a great base for soups and bean dishes and thus are coveted. Some people like the ham bone more than the actual ham itself. What I'm saying is it's a valuable ingredient in the cooking world and Mr. A's sells them for something like $3/$4 each. I bought two and couldn't believe how heavy the bag she handed me was. Not just that but there was a really nice amount of ham meat on each bone. I ended up using them with some Ranch Gordo beans I had brought back from Portland earlier in the month. They were great. I'm sure these bones aren't always available but from what I was told they have them most of the time. Worth the ride for those alone.

Ham Bones for sale at Mr. A's 

Mr. A's
609 E Irving Park Rd
Roselle, IL 60172
(630) 980-7000
Website

5 New Taco Spots

- On the road with the 'Chicago Taco Tour'

In case anyone was wondering I'm still taking rides on the Chicago Taco Trail. The site might be no more but my love for tacos is forever. If you follow my instagram @chibbqking you know I'm still knocking off Chicagoland taco shops one by one. I'll never be fully done as new spots are always opening and pushing the number of spots yet to try higher by the day. But every now and then I'll spy a new spot that warrants an immediate stop or a trip to the top of the hit list. Here's five of late.

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Del Pueblo Restaurant (Cicero)

We'll start with my favorite spot of the bunch. A local family with roots in Monterrey decided to become the pioneers of Tacos Bañados in Chicago. “Bathed tacos” are popular in Northern Mexico states such as Durango and Nuevo León. They make them here by filling steamed tortillas with house special barbacoa de res and then pouring a warm red chile sauce on top. Like enchiladas so to say. Tacos Mañaneros and Tacos al Vapor also available. As are all the Northern Mexico favorites such as gorditas and guisado filled burritos. Then there’s the frijoles charros made and served with chunks of beef shank with marrow still in the middle. One of a few of the new regional stops to hit the trail.

Northern Mexican Delights at Del Pueblo Restaurant

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Carmelo's Taco Place

This summer I spotted a new taco shop in Gage Park with a trompo in the logo. You know the drill - stop in and try the tacos al pastor. They passed the first test with a nice spit of pork up and running. The second test not so much as the meat went from a holding tray to the flattop. Still credit to the taquero for crisping it up real nicely. Pork was well seasoned too so a pretty good taco nonetheless.

Taco al Pastor at Carmelo's Taco Place

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Barbaro Taqueria

Barbaro is a modern taqueria that opened late summer in Humboldt Park. I was attracted by the menu which isn’t the same old same old. Options like suadero, longaniza, and lengua caught my eye. I tried the namesake 'Barbaro Taco' with carne asada, nopalitos salad, queso fresca. The lengua with traditional toppings. Plus a Campechano mixing suadero / longaniza. All served on soft / sturdy corn tortillas made in house. Also a Volcan de Longaniza bc I love mounds of meat, beans, cheese.

Tacos at Barbaro Taqueria

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Rio Tacos

Taco Tuesday just got a whole lot better for North Park students. Rio Tacos is on Foster just west of Kedzie. The menu offers typical taqueria favorites including a diverse selection of tacos. Pictured below is the Chorizo with Sweet Potato (yes), Suadero (yes), and spit roasted Al Pastor (ok). Just $5 for three tacos (on Tuesdays) with gratis chips and beans - not including tip. Always tip your taquero!

Taco Tuesday at Rio Tacos

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Mr. Mesquite (Elk Grove Village)

I wasn’t expecting to find a Phoenix area taqueria import out in Elk Grove Village but that’s where the first out of state location of Mr. Mesquite resides. They have a Chipotle type menu setup but the comparisons end there. Meats are grilled over Mesquite coals and served on translucent flour tortillas with AvoSalsa and Cheese. Build them up further with a variety of housemamde salsas and toppings at the loaded salsa bar. Steak and chicken were both pretty good with nice hints of Mesquite char.

Mesquite Grilled Tacos at Mr. Mesquite 

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See ya next time @chibbqking

5 More Illinois Burgers

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties

-Hamburgers in Middle America Illinois 

Another summer passed which means I hit up a few new to me Illinois burger joints. Add these five to the database here at Smokin' Chokin' & Chowing. Some people might think the states best burgers reside in Chicago. However I have a theory that the further you get away from the city the better chance you have of finding a classic old school all American hamburger like those seen below.

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 Chuck's Place (Salem, IL)

I stopped at Chuck's Place on the way down to Southern Illinois last year (Report HERE). Salem is located all the way down in Marion County which is not to be confused as the home to Marion, IL. This is more so in the Central Illinois area. All the burgers I had south of Salem were crap so one could say this is the last stop going south on the Illinois Crispy Burger Trail. There's very little online info about Chuck's. It's not that old in that I read somewhere it used to be called something else before a new owner came in. I'm guessing the new owner kept the burgers bc this is a classic ex. of the Central Illinois style smashed crispy burger. At just a couple bucks they remain one of the best regional eats you can treat yourself to for less than $5. It's popular with locals and rightfully so.

Cheeseburger at Chuck's Place

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 Ludy's Kickapoo Creek Saloon (Edwards, IL)

If you search around for the best burger in the Peoria area Ludy's Kickapoo Creek Saloon in Kickapoo is commonly mentioned. They've been at it since 1994 so long enough to have lifetime customers in the area. If you happen to visit Ludy's while the weather is nice outside they have a wonderful setup where a large front yard is the outside eating/dining area. It's a short ride from Peoria so you'll notice quite a few groups of people that drive over for their popular burgers. Their locally famous cheeseburger was about 1/3-1/2 lb of grilled beef with the usual toppings on a cheap grocery store bun (not a bad thing). Was this the best burger I've ever had? No. Was it at least satisfying? Very much so! In fact I had been eating a lot of crispy smashed burgers around the time I tried Ludy's so it was a very nice change of pace to chow down on what I call the old school backyard type burger.

Cheeseburger at Ludy's Kickapoo Creek Saloon

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 Clasen's Tavern (Union, IL)

Surprised I was when I learned one of the states oldest bars was in Union Illinois and they served a fantastic burger. Not that my hit list will ever be complete but this one was close enough to Chicago (55 miles) that I was surprised I’d never heard of Clasen’s which has been around since 1900. Definitely my type of spot with a big patio and a second bar outside in the back. Burgers are made from fresh locally supplied beef and cooked at the end of the bar ala Wisconsin which isnt that far. The 1/3 pounders are the perfect meat to bun proportion though they do half pounders too. Great place to sit and watch time (or the train) go by. I learned of them from @abikerdude. Dude knows what’s up. I’ll try to be back for the turkey testicle festival in November. No seriously. Look it up.

1/3 lb Cheeseburger from Clasen's Tavern

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 JC's Junction Corner (Davis Junction, IL)

Next stop up is one of the newer stops on the line. JC's Junction Corner has the feel of a New School bar up in the Northwoods. It’s only been open for a handful of years but it’s a classic biker bar out west in Ogle County. The menu is small and features In-N-Out style burgers. Except they smash balls of beef to order. Much better! A double double is just $4.50 and in a lot of ways better than the real thing with cheap booze also being available. I wouldn’t expect to find a Southern California style burger in a random part of Illinois but I’m very glad I did. Another money tip from @abikerdude!

Cheeseburger at JC's Junction Corner

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Moonshine Store (Moonshine, IL)

Towards the tail end of last Fall I had a chance to check a spot off my Burger Bucket List. The Moonshine Store in Moonshine, IL (Pop. 2) is one of few a spots regularly mentioned when the best burger in my home state is being discussed. Illinois has some petty great burger spots being in what's basically the heart of the Midwest and all. Down in Central Illinois the smashed crispy burger is one of the States great regional eats. Today's last stop is in Central Illinois but it's not centrally located like many of the spots in my Central IL crispy laced burger feature from a few years ago. Moonshine is an unincorporated community in Clark County which sits not far from the Indiana border.

a peek inside

What took me so long? Well it’s in the middle of nowhere and they’re only open from 6a-12:30p M-Sat. Owned by the couple that lives in the building it’s considered one of the states best burger experiences. On any given weekend you’re likely to be in line alongside busloads of families and packs of bikers. Having got there at 9a I basically had the place to myself. It’s a very homey experience where there’s all sorts of collectibles to look at while your burger is cooked fresh on the flattop. Not going to lie though part of the time I felt like I was in a Cracker Barrel Country Store.

a peek inside

The building itself was originally a general store in the 1910’s. You can get up to three patties but one makes for a nice beef to bun ratio. There’s nothing fancy about this burger. It’s kind of like one you might find at a local VFW type town hall. That said it’s just about perfect for what it is. A classic American cheeseburger. It's delivered plain on a paper plate and then you take it over to the topping bar. Something I always loved at Fuddruckers. It didn't need the bacon which was cheap preheated stuff. This one really hit the spot and the ride along country roads was pretty scenic so I’d say it was worth the hour or so detour to get there. Is it the best burger in Illinois or as some say the best anywhere? That's for you to find out. For me it's worth a mention when best in-state is discussed.

Cheeseburger at Moonshine Grill

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See ya next time @chibbqking 

Imperial Lamian

-Grubbing in Chicago

Noodles in River North 

It took me a couple years to get over today's featured spot. When Imperial Lamian first opened I planned on stopping in sometime thereafter. Well that didn't go as planned. I'd heard mixed reviews but that's not what kept me away. I just never got around to making the plans to go. With this last Christmas falling on a Tuesday that meant Monday was Christmas eve. With many restaurants choosing to close early for the holiday and others already being closed on Monday's I finally got a chance to try this high end noodle import from Malaysia when it was open this past Christmas Eve.

Chinese Food in River North

Despite the fact Imperial Lamian is from a team in Malaysia that runs a spot with the same name this isn't a Malaysian restaurant. It's Chinese and the best way I can describe it is it reminded me alot of the hotel restaurants in Asia. It's upper scale compared to other noodle shops and they definitely hired a designer to make the place appealing to the younger instagram crowd. This is all to be expected when you see it's River North neighbors. No it's not as credible as some of the locals favorite spots in Chinatown but it's better than many of the spots in the same area. I went here with my family so we needed a place with reservations and this was the best option of the spots out there. Plus it's the type of place that's good to visit with some eating power. There's some appealing options on the menu.

 An array of appetizers at Imperial Lamian

Because there were seven of us we were able to try alot of stuff. Going from top to bottom of those in the picture collage up above we tried the Cantonese eggplant, XO Calamari, Szechuan Wontons, Salted Egg Beans, Xiao Long Bao, and the Black Pepper Beef which was actually an entree we all split. The surprise hit for me were the Szechuan wontons. I actually got an order to go so I could have them for breakfast Christmas morning. Unfortunately the biggest letdown of all of them were the other dumplings we ordered. The Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) were below average at best.

Stir Fried Lamian

Lamian is a specific type of noodles in Chinese cuisine. Their biggest distinction that they're hand made. I believe that's what they do here but they dont seem to do it for show. There was no one making noodles in view when we visited. The menu offers two different sections of their house made noodles. You can get them in broth or wok fried which is dry. Me and my wife decided to get an order of shrimp stir fried noodles and a bowl of the braised pork belly with wonton. I liked both of them. The pork in the soup was super tender and made the broth better when I broke it all down. I was pretty damn satisfied but that doesn't mean I'm rushing back. Put it like this if you need a place in River North to eat then I would recommend coming here. It's better than it has to be in these parts.

Braised Pork Belly Noddle Soup at Imperial Lamian

Imperial Lamian
6 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 595-9440
Website

Roebuck Pizza

-Grubbing in Chicago

Booze and Pizza in Lakeview

So did anyone see the new Chicago Magazine Pizza Rankings article recently? Judging from my feed quite a few people on social media. They did a good job to get the people talking and did so by leaving out some crowd favorites and naming a best pizza in Chicago that was neither tavern thin nor deep dish. In fact it seemed like a majority of those listed were styles not original to Chicago. If anything it showed we have a deep pizza culture. There's always new spots opening and more times than not they're making pizza other than Chicago style thin crust and deep dish. One of the latest openings is a place called Roebuck Pizza. It's in Lakeview and sits in a pretty big space with a large bar sitting in the middle. They have microbrews and craft cocktails. Pizza is Neapolitan influenced.

 Newly Opened in Lakeview

An article from Eater states this is a project from the DryHop Brewers space next door. It also said the team behind DryHop transformed the Roebuck space from a parking garage into a pizzeria. We visited when it was still warm so the space was pretty open as far as air coming in from the big windows that can fully open in front. The pizza isn't Neapolitan to the strict standards that labeling it so requires so instead it's just inspired by the wood fired pizza from Naples. The middle isn't as wet and soggy on these as a traditional Neapolitan pie. This pizza somewhat reminded me of the product at Stop 50 in Michiana. Not a bad thing in my book as that's one of my favorites. I don't get into Lakeview all that often but if you do you can do much worse for food and drinks with a group.

Sausage and Red Onion at Roebuck Pizza 

Roebuck Pizza
3159 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 857-2229
Website

Mulata Kitchen + Coffee

-The Sammy's of Chi

Resident Oak Parkers may remember a now gone Brazilian restaurant called Taste of Brasil. It closed a few years ago and many OPRF locals mourned it's passing. While Taste of Brasil hasn't exactly risen from the dead it's owner has opened a new spot with a much better location. Mulata Kitchen + Coffee is located on the corner of Oak Park avenue and Lake Street. Right in the heart of the action.

 Newly Opened in Oak Park

I remember some time shortly before they're opening resident Oak Parker David Hammond posting something about the name. He was curious how his neighbors would react to the Mulata label the owner (a Mulata herself) gave the place. I haven't heard a thing and I didn't read anything as far as the online reviews go either. Which is good bc every neighborhood deserves a spot like Mulata Kitchen + Coffee. In fact it was the online reviews that got me over here. People rave of the empanadas as well as the sandwiches and coffee. That's pretty much the entire menu. All Brazilian focused. There's also a special daily rotating plate that can sometimes be the national dish of Brazil in Feijoada stew. The empanada case sits in front so you can grab and go on with your day. I tried the Brazilian Heart of Palm on the rec of online reviews and it was a good call by all. Empanadas are fairly large and baked.

 Empanada at Mulata Kitchen + Coffee

The sandwich section offers up eight different selections one of which is ever changing. They all sound worth ordering but for my first trip in I had to try the Carne Louca. Brazilian braised beef is topped with sauteed onions and bell peppers and then topped with melted mozzarella. It's served on the house special rustic roll which perfectly soaks up some of the juice from the braised meat. It's a pretty simple sandwich but the ingredients are all top notch and pair really well together. The bread being it's biggest strength as I'm convinced it was the perfect choice for this sandwich. I'll be back.

Carne Louca Sandwich at Mulata Kitchen + Coffee 

Mulata Kitchen  + Coffee 
136 N Oak Park Ave
Oak Park, IL 60301
(708) 383-3550
Website