Eating BIG in Traverse City

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- An emerging food scene in TC

I've vacationed in most of the regularly mentioned Michigan places and then some. But aside from stopping through on the Lake Michigan Circle Tour I've never spent the night in Traverse City or explored the area past a quick meal or a drive through town. We'd always wanted to but never really planned ahead and it's popular enough to where you would be best served to do so since summer is short and lodging is in heavy demand. Traverse City has a few things going for it the first of which is it's location as the gateway to Northern Michigan. The Upper Peninsula area is an outdoor lovers dream as it can feel more like Canada than Michigan and the area around Traverse City is no exception.  One thing you wont find a ton of in the UP is good restaurants but that's not the case for Traverse City. The area has seen a real uptick in openings from trained chefs that want to put to use the local bounty and be a part of the community in ways more than just selling food. Some would call this hipster and maybe some of them are but it's also a place younger chefs can do their own thing.

Pics from Traverse City 

Traverse City makes for a great home base whether you're planning on doing activities away from the city or you're just looking for a relaxing vacation and are staying some near the busy and often times flooded with tourists downtown area. Assuming you're visiting from Chicago or another part of the Midwest you'll most likely be driving in and it's good to have a car bc it's the area outside of Traverse city you want to explore. Aside from the fact it's on Lake Michigan there's also a ton of popular inland lakes in the area including Torch Lake. The Fishtown historic district in Leland is a close ride as is the amazing Sleeping Bears Dunes National Lakeshore.  "It hugs the northeast shore of Lake Michigan and includes South and North Manitou islands. The park is known for the huge scalable dunes of the Dune Climb. Beaches include Platte River Point, where the river flows into the lake." There's lots to do as far as outdoor activities and they can be as simple as sitting on a sandy beach in the sun to long bike rides up + down the arms of Grand Traverse Bay. If you prefer scenic rides on a motorcycle or in a car check out the views along M22 which goes through the area. If you like beer and or wine there's up and coming wineries and established breweries too. Plus some really good food!

Pics from Traverse City
_______________________________________________

Hexenbelle 

If you want to get a great taste and feel of the surging food scene in Traverse City plan a stop for here. It was the number one spot on my list as far as places I wanted to check out which means if I was just driving thru TC and only had time for one meal it would likely have come from here. Hexenbelle has the look and the feel of a place that would crush it just about anywhere including places like Los Angeles or Charleston. It's the type of spot you'd expect to find in a major food publications 'best new restaurants in the country' issue. It's the product of a three person team and they bring three forms of service to the table in the likes of coffee, baked goods, and Palestinian inspired vegetarian dishes. The head chef comes from outside of Detroit where he was born to an Irish father and Palestinian mother. With his two female business partners they’re bringing “carefully curated and conscientiously prepared vegetarian fare, freshly baked pastries, and locally roasted coffee” to the lucky folks of Traverse City. The trio is also helping build a stronger more inclusive community. The menu is small but mighty as all three of the items we tried were outstanding.

Fatayar - Mixed greens and Feta Meat Pie

Musabaha - Warm Chickpeas; Tahini; Chile-Herb Sauce; Soft-Boiled Egg; Toasted Flatbread Garnish

Palestinian Rice Bowl - Vermicelli Rice w/ Ghee; Kofta Lentils; Makdous; Shatta Labneh

_______________________________________________

Sleder's Family Tavern 

I swear I've visited a few places that claim to be the oldest bar and or restaurant in Michigan. Sleder's Family Tavern was the latest one. It dates back to 1882 and claims to be the states oldest continuously operating restaurant / tavern. Whether or not it's the oldest (I have no reason to believe it's not) there's a ton of stories this place can tell and you can kind of feel some of them when you go inside. The floors are still made of wood and it has the look and feel of an old western saloon. I visited during the day so it was pretty empty but I got the feeling this is a popular place for the entire family. I'd read something about it being popular to kiss the moose which I assume was one of the stuffed ones inside but that might be a practice that covid killed. Fine by me as I wasn't there to kiss a large deer. I stopped in for their fried smelt basket served with a side of fresh cut fries - always pleasing. 

Fried Smelt Basket at Sleder's Family Tavern 
_______________________________________________

Wren (Suttons Bay)

The town of Suttons Bay is about 15 minutes north of Traverse City and it's a lovely little town that could compete for cutest in the Great Lakes region with it's colorful Main street and classic small town charm. It's also home to what might be the areas best fine dining experience via a chef from Detroit cooking rustic bistro type fare with a heavy hand of the regions natural bounty. Wren is old school in that you need to call for a reservation and if you're planning a trip to the area I highly suggest you do just that. We didn't have a dud in the bunch and service was very friendly while the layout of the restaurant was very nice. It's an intimate space. I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate but the chefs whitefish prep was the best version of the Great Lakes fish that I've ever tried. Usually whitefish is served smoked or fried or if cooking some at home I like to blacken it but this version served with a coconut curry sauce with cilantro, cauliflower, pine nuts was on another level. The skin was so crisp.  

Chicken Liver Mousse with mustard, cornichon, pickled vegetables

Asparagus with Idyll Chévre, mustard greens, lilacs 

Sous Vide duck breast with local strawberries, rhubarb chutney, congee, egg, and baby bok choy

Pan Fried Whitefish with coconut curry sauce with cilantro, cauliflower, pine nuts

Genoise with marscapone, white chocolate, and pistachio mousse

Housemade confections compliments of the chef
_______________________________________________

Taqueria Las Lagunas (Suttons Bay)

Perhaps the best thing I ate on this trip came from a taco trailer that sets up shop in the parking lot of a local liquor store on weekends. The trailer is owned by a family with roots in Mexico. The menu is fairly standard but tortillas are made in the trailer and the fish taco comes with fresh fried local whitefish. It was one of the best fish tacos I've had that wasn't prepared in the traditional Baja way. 

Fried Whitefish Taco from Taqueria Las Lagunas
_______________________________________________

Sugar2Salt 

Traverse City has a hip breakfast and brunch scene. One of the daytime spots that intrigued me the most was Sugar2Salt. As their website states they're a "locally focused and seasonally driven breakfast restaurant and catering kitchen located in The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. We love our Northern Michigan community, its land and the waters that surrounds them." The menu changes weekly and on our visit there were at least four dishes I wanted to try but we settled on two. The fist of which was an expertly prepared Whitefish Cake served with some hollandaise sauce and an egg. Great use of the local bounty that is whitefish. The other item we couldn't resist was the weekly risotto offering which is their specialty in that there's always a risotto recipe of some sort on the menu and it's usually going to include something in season which at the time was asparagus (it was everywhere). Risotto is one of those dishes that's very hit or miss especially in restaurants but I was confident enough in their ability to make a good one based off the overall feel of the menu. It too was excellent but I kind of wish I tried their short rib pasty which was their take on the UP specialty.

Whitefish Cake with fried potatoes, sunnyside egg, sorrel, salmon caviar, hollandaise, preserved lemon

Risotto with smoked chicken, asparagus, shiitake mushroom, arugula pesto, goat cheese, poached egg

_______________________________________________

The Little Fleet

I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of the food and setup at The Little Fleet but it’s a legit ATX / PDX type food trailer park that had a line around the block to enter on a Saturday. We skipped the wait and returned to no line the following Tuesday with the holiday weekend wrapped up. I went with the intent of getting just a smashed cheeseburger from The Glendale Avenue food trailer but the menu at Happy's taco Shop was too tempting with what looked to be some creative taco options. The lamb cheeseburger served with a chihuahua cheese costra crust beneath some well spiced ground lamb and cheeseburger toppings like special sauce, lettuce, onion, pickle on flour was outstanding. I also enjoyed their Asian leaning fried shrimp taco with a chorizo mayo + chile jam as well as the smoked potato taco and the refried beans offering. I was pleasantly surprised how good they all were.

Lamb Cheeseburger Taco

 

I barely had any room for the beautiful smashed burger that the Glendale calls the Junction. Two Beef balls are smashed / seared in Yellow Mustard and topped with American Cheese, Onion, and Pickles on a Brioche Bun. Other than the bun this was almost an exact replica (classic toppings) of some of the better old school smashed burger spots I’ve visited. No pics but the bar serves cocktails that seem to be pretty decent plus many of the world class beers brewed locally. It would be nice to have a setup like this in Chicago. I can help curate the trailers if there's anyone interested in that.

Double Cheeseburger from Glendale Ave. Food Trailer 

_______________________________________________

Scalawags Whitefish & Chips 

Scalawag's is a popular seasonal operation in both Traverse City and Mackinaw City. It's been around since the early 90's and makes great use of the abundance of whitefish that the Great Lakes region offers. But they were out of it on my visit which meant my difficult choice of whitefish or lake perch was an easy one. I always enjoy a plate of fresh fried lake perch and this battered version was no exception however while eating it I realized I much prefer a light breading when it comes to lake perch. I did get to try the whitefish chowder which is like clam chowder but with whitefish instead.

Fried Lake Perch at Scalawags Whitefish and Chips
_______________________________________________

Rose & Fern Cafe

 

Rose & Fern is another one of the spots responsible for the city's blossoming into a Midwest culinary destination. It's a daytime spot that puts to use some of the states great purveyors of food and coffee related products. Instagram is a big plus for businesses like this and their account as well as he check-ins from others definitely caught my eye. One item in particular was the chilaquiles burrito which was as good as it looked and sounded. The craves for this one will come often this summer.

Chilaquiles Burrito - refried pinto beans, salsa verde, scrambled egg, tortilla chips, feta, white onion, cilantro and sour cream
_______________________________________________

Oakwood Proper Burgers 

There's lots of burger options in Traverse City, too many to try them all in one trip. So I had to choose which spots to try and I felt a trip to Oakwood Proper Burgers was in store for a couple of reasons. The first of which was they were a burger joint in the model of the burgeoning local food scene. I also thought it was cool that they were a new spot that wasn't doing smashed burgers but rather the thicker patties that were kind of forgotten about when the smashed burger went coastal. Oakwood uses Michigan Craft Beef and uses a special bun that's baked by a local bakery. That bun was getting lots of love in early reviews (it's a pretty new spot) as were the burgers in general so I was intrigued but I must admit it was a bit of a letdown. I think I might've caught them on a off day or maybe it was too busy (I just beat the rush) bc this wasn't the masterfully crafted burger I had hoped for. The bun was cold and a bit too dense while the beef itself was a bit overcooked and when that happens with a pre-formed patty it can become what many describe as a hockey puck.

Proper Burger from Oakwood Proper Burgers
_______________________________________________

Farm Club 

Somewhere along the line the term ‘farm to table’ became way overplayed. But that’s exactly what Farm Club is doing in the form of both food and beer. Their setup reminded me a bit of a winery in how they took full use of the big property it's on. It's address is in Traverse City but it's location is on the outskirts of town in an area with other working farms. We thought the food was pretty good with a vegetarian beans in broth dish being the high and a pretty plain tasting polenta being the low. The pasta in-between was pretty good though most every time I try Italian sausage outside of the Chicagoland area it's never quite as good. Still I wouldn't hesitate to check them out if you’re ever up this way. Yeah the wineries are nice in terms of the views but it’s the breweries in Michigan that can be considered some of the best anywhere. There’s always been good produce in these parts too. 

Beans in Broth - Golden Eye Heirloom Beans, Olive Oil, Garlic, Thyme, Mixed Salad, Toasted Bread

Polenta - Granor Farm Heirloom Corn with Pecorino, Local Mushrooms, Charred Tasso Turnips, Mustard Greens, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Herb Citrus Butter

Turnip Greens Pasta - Raduno Creste di Gallo, Italian Sausage, Sautéed Turnip Greens, Garlic, Chili Flakes, Pecorino
_______________________________________________

Moomer's Ice Cream

Michigan is an ice cream lovers haven and Moomer's makes some of the best in the state. The critically acclaimed creamery supplies lots of spots around town and elsewhere with it's product. But to get the freshest of the fresh stuff plus the full on experience you have to visit their homebase where all the action takes place, it's also their dairy farm. Customers can enjoy ice cream overlooking the cows that helped make it. It's certainly the most scenic ice cream stand I've visited and also one of the best. The flavors switch daily but a few can always be found and one of them is the Super Moo which is their play on what many consider a Michigan original. So the story goes the flavor was created by Stroh's in Detroit which was known in Michigan for it's beer before being purchased by Pabst. During prohibition they decided to make ice cream and it's said they they concocted the Superman recipe though the dates don't match as far as Superman being a thing a during prohibition. Still it's said maybe they renamed it Superman after the comic came out bc the colors matched. The other thing with this popular flavor is it's different at each spot as far as what's actually in it. Some places just make a vanilla that's color dyed while other spots use Blue Moon (Michigan flavor), lemon ice cream, and sometimes cherry or another red option like red pop (Michigan flavor). I also liked the Cherries Moobilee made with black cherry ice cream and chunks of black sweet cherries, chocolate fudge swirl, brownies. I visited three times. It was that good and just a 5 min ride from our AirBNB. 

Super Moo Ice Cream on a housemade waffle cone at Moomer's Ice Cream
_______________________________________________

Lakeview Hill Farm 

I saw a post from the chef of Wren about the first fresh strawberries of the season arriving locally and we reserved some to pick up on the way out of town. I love the smell of fresh fruit in the car and these smelled as good as they tasted. Lakeview Hill Farm is one of the many farms in the area supplying all these restaurants with a wonderful bounty of ingredients and they have the cutest little farm stand. If you visit TC during the farmer market months make sure you stop here and see what's fresh inside where it's an honor system (cards accepted) as far as the purchase of it goes. A great operation. 

Pure Michigan Strawberries
_______________________________________________

Bonus Trip to Fishtown!

The History of Leland's Historic Fishtown District (click pics to enhance)

The town of Leland Michigan is about a 20 minute ride from downtown Traverse City. Long before commercial vessels this was one of the busiest spots for fisherman due to it's location along the Leland river which led into Lake Michigan. Local preservation societies have worked hard to preserve this part of Michigan's commercial fishing heritage past and have done a pretty good job doing so. It's worth a stop if you;re ever around here and if so and you;re hungry there's a few businesses in the actual village along the river where there's still some old buildings being preserved and in the case of Carlson's Fisheries used to sell smoked whitefish and a smoked fish pate. I liked the pate and the fish enough to where that's all I'd need for a nice lunch on the river but if you want something more substantial there's also a place called the Village Cheese Shanty where they sell sandwiches and cheese. I waited a long ass time for my sandwich but it was pretty good minus the wait (call ahead). Pretzel bread is made in-house. My roast beef sandwich had a locally made fromage blanc. Fun stop but not alot to see or do after you walk the river, snap some pics, and eat some smoked fish.

Pics from Fishtown
_______________________________________________

See ya next time @chibbqking

Note: Check my stories at the instagram link above by clicking 'Traverse City' for extra coverage.

Babygold Barbecue

 -Grubbing in Chicagoland  
New to the 'Scene'

One of the most talked about restaurants among Chicago food people right now isn't in Logan Square or the West Loop or even Hyde Park, it's in Berwyn and it's a barbecue setup through a partnership between Chicago Chef John Manion and the owner of FitzGerald's. The latter of which is a Berwyn bar with a large outdoor patio and a stage for musicians to perform. I paid a visit just last night and arrived to a patio that was about 95% full. There was a really nice energy in the air as live music was being played while people ate, drank, and enjoyed a perfect summer night. We were seated pretty quickly as it was just me and a friend who joined me for some brisket and brews out in Berwyn. 

Locals Favorite in Berwyn 

We started out the night with a couple of their exclusive Babygold Cold Beer which is pilsner brewed by a local brewery. It's served in 16 ounce cans so thumbs up to that. The guy behind the food at Babygold, Chef John Manion, runs El Che Steakhouse & Bar located on Washington and he has a butcher shop called El Che Meat & Provisions that he runs from there. So he's well versed in the grilling of meats and is now attempting to become a master at smoking them too. The menu isn't the typical served by the pound style and instead the meat comes served as a plate or a platter. There's a nice selection of appetizers as well as sandwiches and we may have ordered a little too much but that's ok bc we got to try a decent amount and figure out what some of the standout items are. The smoked whitefish salad may or may not be one of them. I'm still undecided but it was definitely a bit on the wetter side compared to some other versions I've recently ate. There was probably a little too much mayo but there also wasn't anything left when our waiter came to clear the plates. Served with a side of saltines which I appreciated bc they usually work perfect with a cold fish dish like this. 

Smoked Whitefish Dip at Babygold Barbecue

I was very intrigued with the Po Boys even though I know that the consumption of them outside of New Orleans usually results in an unsatisfying product. What caught my eye was the brisket debris option which comes the traditional way so that's good but I knew much of my opinion on it would be made based on the bread and it wasn't to my liking. Too soft and not quite right. The brisket debris tasted pretty plain to me too. Not sure if it was smoked or came from the bottom of a pan loaded with drippings but it didn't taste that way to me. I thought the sandwich was ok but I wouldn't get it again. 

Brisket Debris Po Boy at Babygold Barbecue

Ok so lets talk barbecue! It's what David Chang calls the future of dining out. He thinks that in the way people went to steakhouses and such for special nights out will soon be how the masses consume barbecue. I'm kind of in agreement in that the cost of going out for barbecue these days isn't all that much cheaper than going to a steakhouse or even sushi. When Central Texas barbecue became thee barbecue among food media and foodies alike it skyrocketed in popularity and with that beef prices have risen. Since brisket is usually front and center with Central Texas style you usually get brisket if and you're going to pay a premium for it when you do. Especially considering most spots like this understand the importance of using quality beef so long explanation short - beef just isn't that cheap anymore. It's expensive actually compared to the other options like chicken and pork. My whole point is that when you go out for barbecue in this style you're going to drop some money so it's kind of become similar to going out for steak. It's for a special meal. That sets the quality expectations very high and the truth is there's lots of bad bbq out there. The good news is that's not the case here. 

Smoked Jalapeno / Cheddar Link Platter with onion rings and braised greens 

We ended up trying a combo plate that paired brisket (ordered sliced / fatty) with the ribs plus a platter of the sausage link which we paired with the waiter recommended onion rings and some braised greens. Pretty good at least the sausage and onion rings anyway. I appreciated the pickles and pickled red onion as you have to serve those on the side if serving this style of barbecue. The ribs which get a saucing pre-trip to the grill (they're smoked before that) were the best of the smoked meats we tried. I enjoyed the smoke flavor they had as well as the grilling of them with sauce bc it gives them another layer of flavor that's different from dipping the meat into a side of sauce. I don't order brisket outside of Texas and expect to get the good stuff save for a few special instances but this wasn't one of them. I wasn't expecting a guy that decided he's going to do bbq for a business model to be able to put put a smoked brisket similar to those in Texas smoked by lifetime pitmasters. Still it was better than alot of brisket I've had. There's tons of bad brisket out there and you'll realize this if you ever try the signature stuff served at some spots in Texas. This wasn't quite that. It could've used more smoke flavor and better texture but I still ate it all and enjoyed it for what it was which was decent brisket for outside the Lone Star State. I would've liked to see Manion build a menu mixing some of his Argentinean cooking with Texas style barbecue. The sides were all just ok. The onion rings the best of a mediocre bunch that included potato salad, beans, and greens. It all suffered a bit too from being served at room temp. But the thing with barbecue is you get much better the more you make so lots of barbecue spots get better over time. If that's the case here they'll have a setup that cant be beat locally in the warmer months. I look forward to a return trip later this summer. 

Brisket and Ribs and Babygold Barbecue 

Babygold Barbecue 
6613 Roosevelt Rd
Berwyn, IL 60402
(708) 637-4364
Website

KFire Korean BBQ

-Grubbing in Chicago
Fast Casual Korean BBQ in Logan Square 

The 2500 block of North Milwaukee where the Megamall once rested has seen some major development / gentrification. But change is always imminent and in some cases it isn't as celebrated as others and rightfully so. I don't think the neighborhood needed a Target though for some instances it's easier that it is there. One thing the neighborhood definitely didn't need was a Qdoba or Chipotle type setup. Something so corporate it's traded on the Nasdaq. So I consider the addition of KFire Korean BBQ a win. Not just bc it's not a Jimmy John's but also bc it's a great neighborhood place. People are living in those brand new overpriced apartments they built whether people like it or not. So somebody might as well make a living off their presence and in the case of KFire it's a team of two local Chicagoan's, both of Asian descent, who are bringing fast casual Korean BBQ to the area. 

Recently Opened in Logan Square 

KFire actually opened last summer but it took me almost a year to finally try it. Timing and remembering it was there were the only things that kept me from doing so bc I liked the idea of being able to get a plate of fresh grilled Korean style bbq without having to dine-in with a group of people. While the setup is similar to Chipotle in how you order the food is actually very good, and it's not just a choose your meat and toppings type menu. There's some interesting stuff like the KFire Balls which are described on the menu as "a risotto inspired kimchi fried rice ball. Breaded and stuffed with spam and cheese. Served with a tonkatsu mayo sauce." Fried fresh to order these are a terrific treat. 

KFire Rice Balls 

KFire gives the customer the choice to personalize their meal starting with your entrée of choice. Korean favorites like Kalbi are done traditionally while their signature spicy chicken starts off as a marinated skewer that's grilled to order. All meats are grilled to order so you can expect a 5-10 minute wait which in my opinion is well worth it. Nothing sits and steams waiting for someone to order it here. Your entrée wont be cooked until after our order has been placed. You also get the choice of two sides from a selection that includes kimchi, marinated mushrooms, corn salad, and more. White rice and a fresh and crisp green onion salad come standard with each plate. I liked the look of the pork belly which in pictures seemed like it was cooked crisp and they do so by taking two long pre-cooked pieces from the fridge and grilling them on all four sides before chopping it down into bite size pieces and saucing it up with a sweet wine miso. At $14 a plate it's a bit pricier than a place like Panda Express but you get what you pay for which is a filling bowl of fresh made food that has more of a home cooked feel than work lunch filler. I'll be back as it's the type of spot I want in my neighborhood. 

Pork Belly Plate at KFire

KFire

2528 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 572-0323
Website

Dr. Bird's Jamaican Patty Shack

 -Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

I got a chance to try one of the more anticipated recent openings in the Wicker Park area. Dr. Bird's opened a few weeks ago in the old Burger King space on Milwaukee between Ashland and Division. According to interviews with Eater this is the project of some siblings who grew up in a Jamaican restaurant in Buffalo, NY. They chose Chicago as a second home of sorts but it's a project all it's it's own. Dr. Bird's is a full fledged sitdown spot with a liquor license (and homemade juices) but they wanted to bring Jamaican patties to the area too so it's also a great place to grab a bite on the go. 

Newly Opened in Wicker Park 

So first things first let's quickly introduce those who may not have had the pleasure of enjoying a Jamaican beef patty. It's not the official dish of Jamaica (jerk chicken) but it's one of it's most popular for sure. Jamaican beef patties are the perfect snack and found all over the island and anywhere else there's a heavy Jamaican population. But up until now Caribbean American Bakery on Howard was the city's only Jamaican patty specialist. According to Wikipedia "The beef patty is a product of the long history of Jamaica, mixing pasties introduced by Cornish immigrants and cumin, curry and cayenne pepper introduced by Indian indentured labourers and African slaves who arrived to the country. The firecracker taste of the Scotch bonnet, a hot pepper indigenous to Jamaica, sealed the flavour." While Jamaican patties don't always include beef it's by far the most popular filling and Dr. Bird's makes both a regular beef and a spicy version too. They also do a chicken, spinach, and veggie patty and have the option to stuff one in some coco bread and add cheese. I'm very happy to have these a bit closer to home. In Jamaican heavy communities like Toronto and South Florida it's common to show up with a bakers dozen beef patties the same way you would with a box of donuts. 

Jamaican Beef Patty at Dr. Bird's Jamaican Patty Shack 

The rest of the menu is pretty interesting and possibly limited for now. But options like wood grilled cornish hen, jerk shawarma roti, rasta pasta, and Kennebec cut curry fries were all items I picked up last weekend. Starting with the roti I was thinking I was getting a Trinidadian style roti (dhalpuri style wrapped like a burrito) with some jerk chicken shawarma but it wasn't quite that. This was a paratha roti and that was explained on the menu so that's on me. Nonetheless this was a delicious bite that might have suffered a bit in transportation but that was expected. It's served open faced but you can still wrap it up and eat it like a burrito. You can choose (two) from of a handful of fillings to pair with it such as pickled onions and cabbage which is what my choices were. The jerk chicken shawarma seemed to be exactly what it sounds like in that it was cuts of meat that would have seemed to come from a cone spiced with Jamaican flavors opposed to Middle Eastern. Options like jerk shrimp, steak, salmon, and even wood smoked jackfruit are also available served over a paratha roll. 

Jerk Chicken Shawarma Roti 

When I first saw the menu for this place I thought it reminded me of some of the many Jamaican restaurants in Toronto due to it's inclusion of rasta pasta on the menu. This dishes origins are in Kingston but it's popular at Jamaican spots in and around Toronto. But you don't really see it at many of the Chicagoland Jamaican places. It's described as an herbaceous and cheesy pasta given the name 'rasta pasta' due to the red, gold, and green toppers. It's popular with vegans but the option to add meat or even jerked jackfruit is there. We tried it with the shrimp and it was a pretty good dish that tasted as described. If you like pesto pastas (I'm not the biggest fan) you'll enjoy this dish. 

Rasta Pasta at Dr. Bird's

I was a bit surprised to see they were doing cornish hen as opposed to regular chickens but you got to play to your neighbors I guess. Still this was pimento wood smoked jerk hen which the menu say's is the way it should be. That is indeed the case and my thing with jerk chicken is it's always harder for a spot that doesn't do just jerk chicken to make it really well. There needs to be high turnover so the chicken doesn't dry out bc it also cant be cooked to order without making people wait a rather long time. The Cornish hen at Dr. Birds was still pretty good but they clearly don't have the demand just yet that allows for a juicer product to be served. I still thought this was better than a lot of the jerk chicken around town but it's the beef patties I plan to go back for very soon. I'll probably try the jerked whole wings next time too and maybe even a jerk taco which is also on the menu. Cards only for now. 

Jerk Cornish Hen at Dr. Bird's Jamaican Patty Shack 

Dr. Bird's Jamaican Patty Shack

1215 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60642

Website