Eating BIG in Joliet

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Eating and Exploring the City of Steel

So I finally have enough stops in my Joliet folder to make an ‘Eating Big in Joliet’ post which I’m posting this week. For those of you wondering what the hell there is to do in Joliet well I’m not going to debate you on that but I’ve found myself down this way now and then for a variety of reasons including going to The Old Joliet Prison famous for its appearance in The Blues Brothers. I’ve also gone down there to visit the historic Joliet Iron Works site which was once the second largest steel mill in the United States and well worth spending a couple hours at. It ceased to exist in the 1980’s before the Forest Preserve District of Will County purchased the property in the 1990’s as a way of preserving a piece of history. There’s also The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie which was established in 1996 on the former Joliet Arsenal and is the first national tallgrass prairie in the country. It’s a cool place to hike, ride a bike, and maybe eye a semi wild bison or two. They were reintroduced to the landscape in 2015 as a prairie restoration experiment and it seems to be doing well though I heard some of its funding was cut by DOGE even though that whole stunt spent more than it saved. But all of these things can make for a fun daytrip if you’re looking to get out of the house and enjoy Illinois. But you’ll also need somewhere to eat and that’s where this report may come in handy. Please note that there won’t be a trip to Merichka's Restaurant due to the fact I haven’t had a Poor Boy steak sandwich there since I last posted about them HERE. Also it appears as though Andy & Sophie’s is still open but from what I heard Andy is no longer there as he and his wife Sophie sold and retired. One last note: it looks like the old downtown Joliet legend Chicken-N-Spice is closed for good. 

Pics from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie 
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Home Cut Donuts

Every city with a similar stature to Joliet seems to still have a thriving old school donut shop. Home Cut Donuts is that spot in these parts. They first opened in 1966 and they still stay open for 24 hours a day. I’ve been thru a few times and each time I was there they were frying donuts in the back resulting in a still warm product. Based on my visits these are some of the better donuts in the state. 

Donuts at Home Cut Donuts
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Sabor A Mexico

According to AI approximately 33.5% of the population in Joliet identifies as Hispanic or Latino. This translates to roughly 50,510 people and tons of taco options. Tortilleria Sabor A Mexico is a lowkey one stop spot for all your taco needs. They make and sell thick corn tortillas on site and also package up their made on site salsas and have fillings like Nopalitos a La Mexicana which is cactus prepared with green chile peppers, white onions and red tomatoes. They’ll also make tacos for you right there using their delicious warm corn tortillas. The specialty of the house is a taco with cecina (dry cured beef), refried beans, and cheese and two of them will kill your hunger for the rest of the day. 

Tacos at Sabor A Mexico
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Taqueria Los Paisanos #2

I’m pretty much done with quesabirria but I’ll tell you what, sometimes it really does hit, as was the case with the “Queca Birria” at this 37 year old taqueria in Joliet (though this is their second location). They make birria de res estilo Jerez (beef) and stuff it into a flour tortilla layered with queso and crisp it on a hot flattop before adding a big scoop of guacamole to liven it all up. Damn were these good and so was everything else at Taqueria Los Paisanos including the “Ballenita” which is a fried Gordita stuffed with discada (beef, bacon, ham, chorizo) and topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, avocado, and pinto beans. Even the Taco de Arrachera was better than most spots but the real find was the little section of Burritos La Palma on the menu. The bean and cheese tucked into a wafer thin toasted flour tortilla was a pinnacle normally not reached in the Chicagoland area. All the salsas are top shelf too and chips are fried fresh making this one of the top spots to stop and eat in Joliet. 

Lunch at Taqueria Los Paisanos #2
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Nena's Cantina

Back when I was in the video poker machine industry I found myself out in the southwest suburbs fairly often. Lots of old school bars out this way and pretty much all of them have video gaming machines. One of my favorites was this corner tavern located in a totally residential area. The type of place you probably wouldn’t enter (or even know about) if you weren’t from around this way. The interior has since been updated but the menu at Nena’s Cantina remains the same as when it opened in 1983. They have the most unique tacos in town one of which is a creamy pork and beans filling. The other is a steak and potato the latter of which are French fries which is something you see served on tacos in Mexico City now and then. They’re both guisado like in texture and come served on toasted flour tortillas. I don’t know if there’s a Texas connection but both the food and atmosphere here feel like a roadhouse in some Texas border town. Beers are served ice cold and cheap and they have all the big brand Mexican cerveza imports making it a favorite of locals in the area. English is the second language among customers but the daughter who runs it will take very good care of you. 

Tacos at Nena's Cantina
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Joe's Hot Dogs

Joe’s Hot Dogs is a classic Chicago style hot dog stand with an incredible neon sign. Joe was the son of Sicilian immigrants. He grew up on Taylor street where he worked at a hot dog stand before meeting his wife who was from Joliet. They got married and settled in Joliet where Joe and Mary opened a hotdog wagon in front of their home. A few years later, the first Joe’s Hot Dogs stand was built next door and remained open until 1992 with the current location opening in 1964. Joe’s is currently ran by his granddaughter Jill who doesn’t seem to have changed much including the prices. I tried a tamale in a bun which is an old school Chicago food item you don’t see too often anymore. 

Tamale in a Bun at Joe's Hot Dogs
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Hey! Hot Dog

Hey! Hot Dog has been serving up their signature chili dogs, BBQ sandwiches, and homemade root beer since 1959 with their current location having opened in 1978. I stopped in here years ago and decided to return last summer for the first time since then. It’s a drive thru only operation and if you visit toward the end of summer they also have a sweet corn stand as the longtime owner has a farm. The chili sauce used on for the dogs is good. A standard hot dog includes ketchup, mustard, relish and onions but no ketchup for me please. I’m not sure what brand of hot dog they use but I don’t think it’s Vienna Beef but it works well in a traditional way as chili dogs tend to be made with cheaper wieners. 

Hot Dogs at Hey! Hot Dog
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Ace Drive-In

Ace Drive-In is another retro Joliet joint, complete with car-hop service and frosty mugs of homemade root beer to boot. It’s a seasonal operation with a history in the area going back more than 75 years having first appeared in 1949 - the current owners are now in their 42nd season. The original building was actually moved from another location in Joliet to the once vacant farm land where it still sits today. Customers pull in and out all day, some of them in their vintage vehicles, for a variety of items such as their Sliced Beef Poorboy. Sliced Italian roasted beef is placed in a hoagie with a few pepperoncini. It’s a good sandwich but I still prefer an Italian beef. Ace Drive In also does a Cubed Steak Poorboy like the one you’ll find at Mericka’s and other places in the area. For those wondering there’s no connection between a Cubed Steak Poorboy and the Po Boys popular in NOLA and beyond. The only similarities they share is the origin of the name poor boy referring to somebody that can only afford a sandwich. Oh and the Black Cows (root beer with vanilla ice cream) at Ace Drive-In are outstanding.

Sliced Beef Poorboy at Ace Drive-In
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Rax

I’m fascinated by regional fast food, even if it's mostly average, and even more so by forgotten regional fast food. Back in its heyday Rax Roast Beef (originally Jax) had 500+ locations across 38 states. It was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1967 but is now down to just five independent locations with three of them in Ohio, and one each in Kentucky and Joliet. Rax was famous not just for their roast beef but also their throwback baked potato salad bar but it was drive thru only during my visit circa Covid-19. The quality is a step above Arby’s but that’s not saying much. Nonetheless I have a bit of a guilty pleasure for old school roast beef sandwich spots like Rax -  they’re a dying breed. 

Roast Beef Sandwich at Rax
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Maurie's Table

I often get asked if I ever eat at places that I don't like and of course I do - but not all that often. When you’ve been to as many restaurants as I have you develop a knack for finding the good ones. I can usually tell by looking at online reviews (mostly thru the pictures but also commonly mentioned dishes and every now and then an informative review) and menus if a place is worth stopping in at. I had a bad feeling about Mauries Table but my cousin really wanted pizza and we were right there so we went in. First off let me say that I loved the 1970’s vibes and there was a real energy here as it was packed on an early Sunday evening and that’s what gave me a little bit of hope for the place. But the people that eat here must have a childhood connection bc the pizza isn’t good. We got the signature deep dish and it might as well have been a Red Baron Pizza or some other trash from the freezer at Jewel. The crust was awful and the sausage wasn't much better but at least the beer was cold. 

Deep Dish Pizza at Maurie's Table
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Dari Delite

Capitalism and the corporate world have made almost everywhere feel the same. There’s fewer and fewer independently owned places but you can almost always count on there being an old school, seasonal ice cream stand no matter what town you’re at in the Midwest. I wrote about some of them in Illinois HERE. Joliet is home to an old Dari Delite which is a name associated with many different ice cream establishments across the country, primarily from the mid-20th century. Some of them were part of a chain while others were independent businesses that adopted the name. I couldn’t find much on the history of the Joliet Dari Delite but it’s currently for sale for $375,000 if anyone is interested.

Dipped Cone at Dar Delite
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See ya next time @chibbqking

Turkish Doner

-Grubbing in Chicago
Turkish Food in Uptown

The end of Argyle street, just before it hits Sheridan road, has turned into a bit of an international eating enclave, much like the rest of Argyle. But unlike the Vietnamese and Thai eateries that dominate the street, this block houses a Nigerian, a Venezuelan, and now a Turkish restaurant too. The generically named ‘Turkish Doner’ recently took the place of the old Don Pablo's Chilean Bakeshop which was said to be moving to the suburbs. Turkish restaurants continue to see a sharp rise in the Chicagoland area but there’s no specific area as to where - they’re opening all across the city and the suburbs.

Recently Opened in Uptown

Turkish Doner has seating for maybe 12 people so it’s a small space that seems to be doing a steady business with takeout based on my visits. As is almost always the case at these Turkish places you can usually find a group of older Turkish guys sitting and chatting at one of the tables. On my first visit I noticed that the Lahmacun was a favorite among these friends and family types as it was always at the tables where Turkish was being spoken. Lahmacun is a flatbread dish originating in the Levant region. An extra thin piece of flatbread is baked and topped with minced lamb or beef among other things and served with an array of toppings including tomato, onion and fresh herbs. Lahmacun is very popular in Türkiye where it’s commonly eaten as a snack on the street (stands there often roll it so it can be eaten on the go). The Lahmacun at Turkish Doner makes for a great snack and or appetizer or you can make a complete meal out of it as they serve it in orders of one and two.

Lahmacun at Turkish Doner

As the name suggests they also do Turkish Doner here. The popular street food featuring meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie is pretty much the national dish of Türkiye with just about every Turkish restaurant on earth offering it. Doner is the original spit roasted meat going back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. The Doner sandwich at Turkish Doner is a meal in and of itself. Spit roasted beef sliced from a quadrilateral spit of spinning meat in the back kitchen is paired with garlicky white sauce, and warm buttery tomato sauce stuffed into a soft house-baked roll with cucumber, tomato, and onion. This sandwich can easily contend with any of the Banh Mi for best sandwich on the block. I really liked the bread they used which was still warm when my sandwich arrived. The hot tomato sauce seemed to be the same sauce used when making İskender kebap which is Doner covered in a decadent buttery tomato sauce. I noticed they also have what they call a “Slavic Shawarma” wrap and I tried to ask the Ukrainian lady that works in front what that was about but she wasn’t too helpful.

Doner Sandwich at Turkish Doner

Unfortunately the Adana Kebap plate that the lady in front recommended was a dud that seemed to be rewarmed based on the texture. That said I know a guy from the food world that lives around here and he enjoyed the Adana Kebap so maybe it was an off day. But I should also point out that the warm red pepper based sauce included with my kebabs was awesome. Either way it’ll be tough not to get that sandwich the next time I find myself around this way. It’ll be interesting to see what goes into the space next door where Milly’s Pizza in the Pan used to be as that recently moved to Noble Square.

Adana Kebap

Turkish Doner
1007 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
(872) 232-0208

Nadu

- Grubbing in Chicago  
Regional Indian Food in Lincoln Park 

It's not too often that a new and trendy restaurant offers up one of the best dining deals in the city but that's exactly what Chef Sujan Sarkar and his team at Nadu are doing, in the heart of Lincoln Park at that. Nadu opened at 2518 N Lincoln Avenue this past May. It's a sister restaurant to Indienne - Chicago's only Michelin starred Indian restaurant. Nadu is a bit more casual with an ala carte menu though they're also offering a $55 tasting menu that I thought was well worth the price of admission. 

Recently Opened in Lincoln Park

Nadu labels itself as a "Regional Indian" restaurant meaning the menu features dishes from India's 28 states and 8 union territories. The city's Indian food scene has taken another step forward with it's opening as it wasn't long ago that pretty much every Indian restaurant in town served watered down versions of Northern Indian food often in buffet form. Nadu does just the opposite with beautifully presented plates of regionally focused Indian food. The menu is broken down into sharing plates and large plates with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. There's also a few sides and different breads and rice to pair with your main dishes. Normally it would take a few visits with a few people to try most of the menu but the $55 tasting menu allows you to try a nice chunk of the menu.  So we were told the portions would be a bit smaller but I not only left stuffed I left with a doggy bag that made for a great lunch the next day. It was such a good deal I'm not sure how long it will last in it's current iteration which includes fives courses with the option to add a 6th or even a 7th for $11 each. 

To Share: Papad and Chutneys (L) Dahi Bhalla (R)

Nadu is one of those spots where the pictures do as much justice to the food as any description I could give so I'm going to keep the rest of my review short and sweet by saying this was one of my favorite meals of the year thus far with everything being delicious. I enjoyed every dish from the starters to the dessert. Since I was with my wife I got to try all of her dishes too and there really wasn't a dud in the bunch. Even the Dal Makhani which we both chose as our side was outstanding - as good if not better than the version that made London's Dishoom so famous. In fact Nadu feels a bit like a London Indian restaurant in terms of both it's bold flavors and colorful aesthetics. Whatever you do in terms of the ordering I recommend getting the Nool Porotta ($6) to go with your meal- it's not an option with the tasting but the flaky and buttery flatbread pairs perfectly with the rich and smooth dal makhani and also Meen Gassi which is a regional curry from Mangalore that I thought was awesome. I appreciated the use of walleye as opposed to salmon or something else. Here's how it went down -

Hers: Mushroom Galawat (Lucknow) - 

Velvety mushroom kebab seasoned with traditional kebab masala, served on a saffron sheermal bread, accompanied by refreshing mint and cilantro chutney

His: Chicken Kalmi Kebab (Delhi) - 
Deboned Chicken thigh (Boti) marinated in hung curd, garam masala, black pepper , yellow chili powder; cooked in tandoor and served with Old Delhi style butter emulsion


Nool Porotta ($6) - 
Flaky and soft Kerala-style flatbread


Side (choose one): Dal Makhani -
Black lentils simmered with tomato, fenugreek and finished with cream and white butter

Supplement Course ($11): Prawn Balchao (Goa) - 
Shrimp cooked in a tangy masala with garlic, tomato, fermented chili paste and peppers, flavored with coconut vinegar, kokum and cinnamon

Supplement Course ($11): Benne Masala Dosa (Bangalore) -
Crisp and golden-brown on the outside with a soft, airy inside, this Dosa gets its signature flavor and texture from the generous use of white cultured butter ("benne" in Kannada), stuffed with a lightly spiced potato filling and served with traditional coconut chutney and thakali (tomato) chutney

Hers: Meen Gassi (Mangalore - Karnataka) - 

Walleye cooked in a rich coconut and tamarind curry, infused with dry chili, turmeric, and curry leaf

His: Beef Roast (Kerala) -
Beef short ribs double roasted in a shallot and coconut masala, flavored with black pepper, curry leaf and dry chili

His / Hers: Tutti Frutti Cassata (Mumbai) -
 Layers of vanilla sponge, mango ice cream, coffee ice cream and tutti frutti, finished with a sprinkle of toasted pistachio nougatine crumble

Nadu
2518 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 590-5676
Website