Bar Ombra

-Grubbing in Chicago 
Italian Bar food

One day I'll get over to Italy and most likely will never want to leave. I'm the type that can love or dislike a living area based on what type of food is around there. So I'm pretty sure I could live most anywhere in Italy be it the city or countryside. Take a place like Venice where they snack on all sorts of goodies while sipping drinks at their local watering hole. Nice. Fortunately I dont have to travel 8 hours by plane to get a taste of these cicchetti style bars. There's one called Ombra in Andersonville.

A long glass covered counter where the bar is at displays some eating options

I got some folks I follow on twitter who I rely upon to let me know what fancier places are worth trying. When I say fancy I dont necessarily mean collared shirt, old money dining. I'm just talking about the newly opened spots that have some press behind them that people are buzzing about. Because lets be honest, half the press was invited there to eat free and say good things about it in return. So when trustworthy twitter folks sing the praises of places like Ombra I'm sure to check it out. 

Some offerings from behind the bar

Cicchetti Bars are popular spots for both locals and tourists in the know in Venice. They're places where you can get a drink, a quick snack and catch up with friends or just relax to thoughts of nothing. These bars serve different selections of appetizers with the cold ones lined up in front of you at the bar and hot ones cooked to order. Just point to this or that and your server will grab it and put it on a plate for you. Inside Ombra it's intimate. Props for the woodwork and setting. Food options are abundant, remember you visit these places with friends and family so you can try a little bit of everything. Bruschette, foccacia and cheese options join many other favorite flavors of the Tre Venezie. If it looks good here, it probably is.

Stuffed Mushrooms, Meatballs and Pesciolini

Ombra

5310 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60640

(773) 506-8600

Website

Rickshaw Republic

-Grubbing in Chicago 
New to the 'Scene'

I've been thru the somewhat newly opened Rickshaw Republic in Lincoln Park here a couple times since they opened and am happy to have them around. I'll echo what others in the food writing world have said about the ambiance inside and attitude of the family that runs the place. Both are great. Considering this is Chicago's only Indonesian restaurant they're giving the Southeast Asian cuisine a good name. One of the family members who works the front was very enthusiastic in explaining the dishes, you could feel his passion. Specialty of the house is anything with moms fish cake in it so I went with that wrapped around a boiled egg on one visit.

Submarine Fish Cake aka Pempek Telor

This dish was different. It was a little bit rubbery as far as texture goes but I guess that's supposed to be so. Even though it was my least favorite of what we tried, I ate all of it. The noodles with it were served cold which is how they're supposed to come. The idiot reviewing the place on Yelp should have asked. I tried some of the Rickshaw Noodles (served hot) with pork belly and liked those and the beef rendang is a very good example of the popular Southeast Asian dish loved by many.

 Rickshaw Noodles with Pork Belly

But the Indonesian fried rice is my favorite thus far. I've returned for it via pick up but must say the price of it with a side of killer homemade sambal sauce at close to $14 isn't a steal of a deal. I look forward to further exploring the menu as well as "Mom's Specials" which change weekly depending on what she feels like cooking. Yes the mother is actually in back cooking it up. I thought the price was pretty fair all in all but it's best to go with a few others so you can try different items. I'll be back.


Indonesian Chicken Fried Rice

Rickshaw Republic
2312 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 697-4750
Website

Fried Chicken Fling

-Fried out on 420

You didn't think 4/20 was gonna go by without another special did you? This year we stick to the fried foods but celebrate it with chicken. So I hope you're not drained out on it just yet. Wait until this is over please because we're about head out to 10 spots I've had it at and can recommend to those looking for some in Chicagoland and beyond. If the munchies haven't hit you in the head yet, they're about too.
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An Ode to Cherry Supper Club

Cherry, IL (RIP)

I'm starting today's tour down in the Lasalle County, Illinois area because that's where any discussion of fried chicken in the state should start. People know about Nashville, they know about the rest of the parts down south and they should know about Southeast Indiana as far as great places to eat fried chicken goes but not many know about this part of Illinois. It can hang.

Wing Night at Rip's

Rip's Chicken is the most well known spot to eat fried bird at down here and I can verify that as it's one of the most read posts ever on this site. People google "Rip's Chicken" from all over and they're slogan "We're worth the drive" is so very true. But the thing is, just about every spot down this way serves fried chicken and most places make a better version than anything you'll find in the city. Grubseeker has doc'd many of these spots and his theory is that when the people of Kentucky came to the area for mining jobs they brought their fried chicken recipes with them. Some call it Martucky down there mixing Marseilles, IL with Kentucky.


Fried Chicken from the Cherry Supper Club

The Cherry Supper Club was just down the road from Rip's located in Cherry, Illinois and very similar in style. Cherry was the site of the 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster in which 259 boys and men died. Unfortunately as of last word the Supper Club no longer exists which might also make for no more businesses in town. But I share it here today to let all fried chicken fiends in Chicago know that you need to roll down state a couple hours to find some of the countries best. Just a pick a place, odds are their fried chicken is legit. If they have "ravs" get some of those too. Full report of the area and it's offerings coming soon. Stay tuned.

Soup and salad with plate of "ravs and spaghetti" at Cherry Supper Club

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Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken

You ever seen one of these on the roads?

Well as long as we're down state we mgiht as well hit a Lee's. This one was in Matoon. The first Lee's opened in Lima, OH in 1966 "by Lee Cummings, the nephew and business partner of Harland Sanders, and is now a chain of over a hundred stores." from Rene G on LTHforum. I really enjoyed my sides at this regional fast food stop. The chicken and noodles were much better than they needed to be and the fried bird was pretty good too. Somewhat similar to the Colonel. I guess you can see why.

Lee's Fried Chicken and some Sides

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Mini Hut

 Popular locals stop on the Southwest Side

The Mini Hut is my favorite fried chicken available daily in Chicago. This butter crust fried chicken shack is about as no frills as you can get but who cares, those types of places are usually where you'll find the best. The entry is located just off Archer and it's best to call ahead because they're frying to order here and you're going to start wanting some as soon as the whiff hits you which it will do as soon as you step out the car. Take it to eat at Tom's Tap down the block and have a beer and watch some baseball while you indulge.

Fried Chicken Boat from Mini Hut

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Heinie's

 Longtime Southeast Side favorite

Hienie's is one of Chicago's original "Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives". They've had a cult following for some time now and we're featured on the cover of the original "The Streets and San Man's Guide to Chicago Eats". Located at 103rd and Torrence they double as both a fried shrimp and fried chicken shack where you must get the sauce. It's so well known and loved that it has it's own facebook fan page.

Fried Chicken and Fries from Hienie's

The sauce is what makes people crave this place. Don't get me wrong, they do an excellent frying job but people fiend for that neon orange sauce you see in the picture which hasn't been adjusted. I'd describe it as a buffalo sauce with mustard and vinegar that will tingle your taste buds. Although this sauce is found at many places on the Southeast Side, it's "Hienie's hot sauce" that it goes by. I'm not sure why we dont see more of them like we do Harold's but there is a 2nd location in Orland Park. More on that sauce HERE.

Hienie's Hot Sauce is something...

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Frontier

So in case you havent "scene" it already, fried chicken is the next big food trend in Chicago. There's a handful of places that have already opened which specialize in it and then there's a bunch of bars that have it on their menu as a special on certain nights. Frontier on Milwaukee is one of those places that feature it as a weekly special. Theirs is served on Mon. and it's freakin' fantastic. This batch has some heat which I enjoyed. It was also as juicy of an order as I've ate of late and had some of the best crust I've ate on any chicken. The special will set you back $12 and comes with half a bird as well as a slaw salad and a cheddar & house smoked ham hock biscuit and honey for drizzling. So good.


Monday Night Fried Chicken Special 
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The Southern

About a mile away from Frontier is the Southern and they do their fried chicken special on Wednesday's which makes it the best night to visit. If you're going to call your spot "The Southern" then you better do fried chicken right. That's the case here where it's fried to near perfection and comes atop some wonderful tasso ham gravy and is served with a biscuit. If you like Nashville style fried chicken which is HOT then try stopping in on Thursday when that's on special for country night.

Fried Chicken at the Southern

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Spoon Thai

Chicago is rich with good Thai food and Spoon Thai is one of the longtime favorites of many. We'll get too each and every one as the days go by and as we do you'll see that each place has certain dishes that stand out above others. I'm no expert in eating Thai food but with today's wealth of information available online as well as the fact many places list their unique specials of the house as so on menus you dont need to have lived in Thailand for a few years to know whats up. What stands out at Spoon? Definitely gotta try their Thai Fried Chicken. They chop each piece up into smaller pieces and give them trip to the fryer with Thai spices seasoned into the mix and it comes served with a homemade tamarind chile sauce. Very addictive.

Thai Fried Chicken

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Acre Restaurant

We haven't had fried chicken for breakfast yet so how about we try some for brunch? Acre Restaurant in Andersonville has a very respectable Chicken and Waffles made with fresh Amish chicken. It also comes served with some sausage on the side. Definite bonus points for that.

 Chicken and Waffles at Acre in Andersonville

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 Rita's

 Locals favorite in Lake Bluff

I'm not often in Lake Bluff but I do go thru there sometimes although it's usually in town where they have a nice local micro brewery and also Inovasi which is a place that I like near the lake. So I had no idea about Rita's down on Rockland Road towards 94 and Lambs Farm. But when I was tipped off that this old school roadhouse style tavern had some of the best fried chicken around I was more than down for the ride. It turns out they also do a fantastic fish fry featuring lake perch and the honey crusted chicken was indeed some of the best. Extra crispy and flavorful on the outside and juicy meat inside. For a heavyweight 1-2 punch have some cocktails in the tasting room at North Shore Distillery before or after.

Fried Chicken Dinner from Rita's

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 Brat Stop

The legend that is in Kenosha

It's been a while since we've been to the Brat Stop huh? Well lets head a little further north and end our fried chicken fling in Kenosha. As is the case with many places in Wisconsin they broast their chicken here which results in a faster cooked less greasy batch. The company that makes these cookers is based out of Beloit so you tend to find this style throughout the state. When it's on special the fried chicken at Brat Stop isn't a bad selection if you're not feeling like a brat. I've come to learn they do most Wisconsin favorites right at this mega bar off I-94 just over the Illinois border in Kenosha.

Broaster Chicken from Brat Stop

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Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
Locations in 13 US States

Mini Hut
6659 W Archer Ave 
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 586-2115

Heinie's
10359 S Torrence Ave 
Chicago, IL 60617
(773) 734-8400

Frontier
1072 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(773) 772-4322 

The Southern
1840 W North Ave 
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 342-1840

Spoon Thai
4608 N Western Ave 
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 769-1173

Acre Restaurant
5308 N Clark St 
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 334-7600

Rita's
13744 Rockland Rd 
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(847) 362-0157

The Brat Stop
12304 75th St
Kenosha, WI 53142
(262) 857-2011

Marco's Beef

-Got Beef? Italian Beef
As seen on 'What's your Beef?'

Lets start this review off like many others. Sorry about the delay. In all honesty I just hadnt had any beef cravings of late. They really do come and go by the boatload. Well when the taste for one did come, I made sure to get to a spot that I haven't doc'd on here. It had been a while since I last stopped thru Marco's Beef so I gave it a go while passing by. You might not get the vibe when looking at it from the outside but this place takes the time and care of making their own beef.

Fullerton just west of Austin

From my standpoint it's still a better than average example of this style of sandwich served in this city, though not quite 1st team, it can be considered an essential role player and maybe even 6th man. The folks there are good people and they load up their tender thinly sliced beef. The gravy has a nice spice kick and the peppers seem to have a little bit of everything in them. A solid option to have if you're anywhere near.

Beef with Hot from Marco's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4
bread: 4
gravy: 4
hot peppers: 4

Score: 16/20

Marco's Beef & Pizza

6008 W Fullerton Ave

Chicago, IL 60639

(773) 745-1015

Website

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

 --Tailgatin' and how to make mofos start playa hatin' (Recipes)

Guanciale is very unheralded by those not in the know. The number of those that dont is actually pretty high. You just cant find this old Roman specialty made of pigs jowl everywhere. I picked up this beauty below from Salume Beddu in St. Louis where they make their own in house. Seek these boys out if you're in the area. I should of got more. But I knew that was going to happen when I was buying it so that's what I get. Luckily I'll be back as I may be investing with a buddy in the area. Great place to eat.

Guanciale

Salume Beddu describes their guanciale as so "A Roman specialty. Highly spiced with red pepper flakes, brown sugar, black peppercorn & rosemary". It's not smoked and just cured for a few weeks before being ready to eat. So what do you do with it when it is? Well there's two recipes that immediately come to mind, both pastas. First is real deal Carbonara which if you've never made you should check this HERE for tips. But one of my favorite meals to make and also eat is Bucatini all'Amatriciana. It's so simple and so good. Just make sure to use canned romas if tomatoes arent in season. Note: Google it for the recipe. They're virtually all the same. Make sure to cook your guanciale on medium heat, not high. You want the flavor to stay in it. Substituting bacon just doesn't cut it. Use Pancetta if you must.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana at Home

Salume Beddu
3467 Hampton Ave
St Louis, MO 63139
(314) 353-3100

Website

Turkey Club Crawl

 -Grubbing in Chicago
Where can I get a good Club?

Some things are just always better when someone else makes them for you. That's the case with me and Turkey Club Sandwiches. OK well maybe once a year the day after thanksgiving I can make one that's great but other than that I'm not cooking turkey all that often. I cant stand the places that use lunch deli meat instead of fresh sliced breast and over the last couple years made it a point to find a serviceable turkey club, these are my findings.
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Palace Grill

 Longtime locals favorite near the United Center

The Palace Grill on Madison Street has been serving Chicago's hungry since 1938. It's also housed in a cool old school building and has a dope neon sign. This place is a popular stop for Blackhawks and Bulls fans headed to the game and also city workers and anyone who lives near there. They serve a respectable club but not one to make me come directly back when the taste for one comes. But good enough to get it again when I find myself there.

Turkey Club from Palace Grill

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RJ Grunts

I hadnt been to RJ Grunts in god knows how long leading up to last year. But my lady friend happens to live near there so I've been in a couple times since we met. I like Grunt's. I know it's nothing special and they started the salad bar trend which some cant stand. Others love it. But I dont care about it either way. I just like the fact there's a Lincoln Park place that remains that was there before I was. That said they're Club was how I found others things I've ate there of late. Good in some aspects but lacking in others. The turkey was top notch and the bacon good too but where was the middle piece of bread? That and a lack of toast on the two pieces it came with prevented it from being the best.

 Turkey Club from RJ Grunts

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Melrose Restaurant

The old school Greek diners are fading in our city and even faster go the ones that stay open into the evening. The Melrose over on Broadway is a place I've never dined inside at but I did stop in for a club sandwich to go one night when riding by and I was pleasantly surprised. There are three things I judge a good turkey club by and the most important is the turkey itself. Here they had the real stuff, cut thicker which I like. My other two needs of an actual triple decker sandwich with crispy bacon were also met. I liked the thick cut Greek diner style fries too.

Very Respectable

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 Golden Apple

 Longtime locals favorite in Lakeview

The Golden Apple has been serving the families and local drunks of Lakeview for over 40 years now. They're open 24 hours a day and have had a broad range of clientele over the years. I used to go there now and then with my friends back in high school but dont get there all too often anymore. However because of their always being open I did stop in for a club one night when there were no other options. If the person taking my order asks if I want cheese on my club I will say yes so you'll notice some have it on them in this roundup. Theirs was another ok but not great one. Cheap deli meat was it's downfall.

Turkey Club's at 2 in da morn

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Sam & George's

Not far at all from our last stop in Lakeview is S&G as the locals call it as those are the letters on it's sign outside. They've been serving the community for over 50 years and are open from 5a until 8p daily. During the cities best months you can sit outside and dine. They serve a nice option for a Club here. The most lacking aspect was the amount of bacon which there was little of. I need bacon placed on the bottom piece of bread and then again as the last layer before the top piece of bread goes on. Otherwise the portioning just isn't right when it;s a triple decker. Props for the option of tots.

A nice Turkey Club option to have

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The Original Alps

Longtime locals favorite the Irving Park neighborhood

As mentioned this round-up wasn't done all in one day or even a month or for that matter a year. But I can remember which ones I liked and the original Alps which is still standing was the best. This place has some history too as it first opened up shop at 71st and Exchange before moving North in the mid 60's. They've been where they are today since 1970. It's a classic Greek owned diner and they put out a near perfect (in my book) Club. I'll just have to start ordering double layers of bacon when I eat one.

Chicago's best Turkey Club? Maybe

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Palace Grill 

1408 W Madison St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 226-9529

RJ Grunts
2056 North Lincoln Park W
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 929-5363

Melrose Restaurant
3233 N Broadway St 
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 327-2060

Golden Apple
2971 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 528-1413

Sam & George's
3000 N Lincoln Ave 
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 935-4025

Original Alps Restaurant
3637 W Irving Park Rd 
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 267-5112

French Market Eats

 -Grubbing in Chicago
 Dining Downtown

You know what? As many places as I get too in this great food city of ours I had never been to the French Market until a couple months ago. Located downtown on Clinton within the Metra Building they're open Monday-Saturday and have a collection of independent vendors selling everything from fresh fish to Frites.

Downtown Chicago at Clinton and Randolph

It might not be quite like the Eastern Market in Detroit or the Reading Terminal in Philly but it's a start. Chicago needs a huge indoor year round marketplace which every other metropolis seems to have. For now we'll just have to settle with the French Market. When I say "settle" I speak as if I were some food snob that insists you eat the way I say is proper. Well I'm not and I say that in jest. We're blessed to have what we do in Chicago, believe me it could be way worse. Out first stop inside is too a place that every neighborhood in every area of America could use. Fumare Meats and Deli has to be the most popular place here.

Fumare Meats

Long before I had a camera with which I've take less than 50 pictures of people with I took a trip to Montreal and we all went to the world famous Schwartz's Deli there. I loved it and that just might of been what triggered my now almost sociopath ways of finding places to eat while out and about. Well back to the French Market and Fumare. Great place. Started by a guy who left banking to start something he loved doing they offer a variety of local meats and make one of the best sandwiches in the city. Named so by me and just about anyone else who's had one.

Fumare Montreal Style Smoked Meat Sandwich

What's smoked meat? It's not BBQ which is also that by definition. It's more like a kosher style of pastrami you'd find in the delis of NYC with a slight taste of smoke from cooking. It's similar in prep (they use brisket though not the navel) but different in the seasoning and spices used. It's unique to Montreal although like any popular regional eat it expands. Fumare doesnt claim to make an authentic version of this sandwich just one in similar style. That style is one I can dig.

One of the cities best Sandwiches

As far as the rest of the French Market food options go there is some left to be desired but the way I see it, downtown has never been a foodie destination so to say. If I worked near the French Market or took the Metra to the same station it sits in five times a week I'd appreciate the fact it was there but I'd also wish it was more of a destination rather than holdover. Delightful Pastries has some pretty good stuff like the ham and cheese croissant while the pommes frites at Frietkoten Belgian Fries and Beer were good for fries they weren't all that different from them. I've had better representations of the popular Belgian street snack elsewhere. I had a pretty good cheap eats samosa from the Indian inspired Klay Oven Kitchen.

Delightful Pastries 

Quick Eats

Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwich Shop

My second favorite eat to date out of this place is also a sandwich. The "Hen House" at Saigon sisters came rec'd in a TOC sandwich article and tasted pretty great. I say this for the area. Nothing here is cheap and neither are these but they're good. I think the meats and bread which is always fresh because of constant traffic make these bahn mi's pretty fantastic. I'm just not a fan of the ones with cheap mystery meat. They have a restaurant menu location on Lake street which I haven't been too. Looking forward to seeing what else they have or may come.

 Note: There is free validated parking with $20 purchased.

Caramelized Chicken with lemongrass, ginger, mint, lime, crushed peanuts and mayo

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Chicago French Market
131 N Clinton St
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 930-4220

Website