-Grubbing in Chicagoland
Food (and a beach) along the North Shore
July is almost over and with it so is the summer. That said you still have all of August to inhale as much warm weather while soaking up as much sun as you can. Chicago in the summer is second to none but sometimes I like to escape the crowds and head up the lake into the North Shore. Riding Sheridan Road up into Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Fort Sheridan, Lake Forest, and Lake Bluff is one of the nicest drives (or bike rides) in Illinois. I head up that way semi regularly in the summer to visit my favorite public beach in the Chicagoland area. A relatively unknown spot where there’s free street parking (limited), soft sand and the water is clear. Elmwood Dunes is an acre of lakefront property that had been fenced off and closed to the public for decades. During that time the dunes had become overgrown with trees and shrubs and then in 2015 they decided to fix up the eyesore and restore the area and with it open a public beach. While it isn’t that big and it does come with a weird swimming rule it just might be the best public (non paying) beach in the Chicagoland area. Sometimes I’ll go as far north as Zion to visit Illinois Beach State Park which can be nice when the crowds aren't large (avoid on holidays) but I digress. Todays post is exclusively a collection of food stops from the North Shore which I’ve always considered to be just the suburbs north of Chicago that touch the lake from Evanston to Lake Bluff. It’s a peaceful place but it’s also vanilla when it comes to options for food and fun. That said there’s still spots worth a stop should you need to eat before or after you beach. Just don’t expect them to be life changing.
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We'll start in Wilmette since that's where Elmwood Dunes resides. Having attended Loyola Academy for a couple years I'm familiar with the area and it's old school spots like Chuck Wagon and Dairy Queen and also the place where we'll end this post. But first up is a newish sandwich shop owned by Ballyhoo Hospitality. They run eight places situated in Lincoln Park or Wilmette plus one in Lakeview. Buck Russell's is their daytime sandwich spot that's connected to an ice cream shop and bakery. They fixed up the space to feel like an old school diner and they offer both hot and cold sandwiches. Some of them are more traditional like a meatball melt and others are a little more unique like the "Smilin' Guy" with Turkey, Tavern Ham, Hot Soppressata, Muenster, Lettuce, Tomato, Giardiniera on your choice of white or wheat. I liked the combination of ingredients but the bread is Subway soft.
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Albany Park's Noon O Kabab recently expanded to the suburbs with the people of Highwood being the winners of a new location. It's already very popular as evidenced by my visit a couple weeks ago. Diners order at the counter and are given a number for the food runner to find you. The menu seems to be pretty much the same as the city location with the prices being a dollar or two more. I always get the Koubideh Kabab with beef which comes with your choice of rice (white or dill), grilled tomatoes, raw onion, pita, hot sauce. All smelled well upon it's arrival and it pretty much was with the rice being as fluffy as it is in the city however only one side of the kabab seemed to be charred properly giving it a bit of an off putting texture in that it was wet as it seemed to be held. It did come out pretty fast.
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Our next stop seems a little out of place in the swanky downtown district of Lake Forest but it's been a part of the community going back to 1963. I bet the area was a bit different back then. The Left Bank is known for their hot dogs and Sloppy Joe's and just being an inexpensive option in an expensive area. I'd never been there until just recently so I had to go with their chili cheese dog and the ‘Not So Sloppy Joe’ both of which seem to be among their most popular offerings. They use a non Vienna Beef brand that's skinless and made with pork among other things. I don't mind these as much on a chili cheese dog bc the chili and cheese add as much to the part as the hot dog itself. The chili sauce is a tasty bean free version, as it should be. The not so Sloppy Joe is a hollowed out roll stuffed with a ground beef mixture with the option of onions and cheese to go with it. I liked the idea but the roll was rather cold making the sandwich that too.
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Lake Bluff is another suburb with a very nice beach except it cost money to enter and that just doesn't feel right so I don't go there. But I do like to stop at Tacos El Norte if I'm in the area. They seem to have a few locations in Lake County though the menu seems to vary by location. This one shares a building with a Panera Bread which seems to be busy during lunch while Tacos El Norte brings in the crowds for dinner. I've stopped here a few times for the Taco de Julio which is a seared piece of ribeye with a cheese skirt served with sautéed jalapeno and onion. An excellent specialty taco.
Julios Taco at Tacos El Norte
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For our last stop we head back to Wilmette to hit up the institution that is Homer's Ice Cream. They've been serving the area since the 1930's so if you grew up in Wilmette you've been to Homer's. You can find their excellent ice cream at other spots in the Chicagoland area but their old school cafeteria like feel is a big part part of the charm. They also serve food like burgers and gyros and fries but none of that is homemade like the ice cream is. Homer's has the best cookie and cream I've ever come across. It's loaded with fully intact Oreos and it’s extra thick and creamy. I also love their peach which is a summertime special. Usually I'll get them in hand packed pints as they supply dry ice for free allowing me to bring them home without them melting. They're a pretty good deal too at under $12 for two. One of the North Shore’s most iconic businesses, it’s always busy in the summer.
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4 comments:
You're the man, King. Thanks for the writeup. I ride this area regularly and added a few stops to my list!
I didn't know about Buck Russell's or Left Bank, gonna have to check those out! Thanks.
You left off our favorite North Shore spot for inexpensive food: Cluckers in Highwood for delectable grilled/roast chicken and corn muffins, with a multitude of sides. There’s one in Wilmette , too, but the menu is smaller and it’s carry out only, though there are a few tables outside. BTW, The coffee cake at the bakery part of Buck Russell’s is scrumptious, but only available on weekends. Thanks for this review.
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