Five More Sandwiches (Part 3)

-The Sammy's of Chi

It's time for another handful of different sandwiches. Today's feature is on the offerings of the little Latin American / Hispanic sandwich shops found scattered throughout a few Northside neighborhoods. Spots like Logan Square, Ukrainian Village, Humboldt Park, and others in the area are changing but these little shops that supply a reasonably priced lunch for the neighbors mostly remain. There's quite a few of them so this is by no-means a round-up or 'best of' feature. You may even see a second part to this post sometime in the future as there are others I have yet to get to. But in the meantime here's five spots putting out sandwiches with some Latin flare for their regulars.

________________________________________________________________________________

Eddie's Sandwiches

Humboldt Park 

Eddie's Sandwiches is relatively new as it opened back towards the end of 2014. Like so many other of these neighborhood sandwich shops they're also frequented for coffee. This means early morning hours and at Eddie's they offer a few different sandwiches that are pretty much good at any time of the day. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary as far as the options but the pricing is in the $5 range and they come served both hot and cold. I got a ham, egg, and cheese and received a made to order sandwich that was made with care. The bread was better than it had to be and I loved how it was well pressed allowing the cheese to melt into the bread. A fine breakfast sandwich at a very fair price.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________________

Cafeteria Marcela's

Logan Square

I've driven by here many of times but never really thought of stopping in. Then one day when the taste for a steak sandwich came to me I decided to try it as I happened to be passing by. This place feels like it could be down in South Florida with it's menu which features plenty of dishes steaming behind the glass as well as ice cream. The steak sandwich gets lots of love and it starts out as a piece of raw bistec cooked down with onions and then roughly chopped. The cheap white cheese popular to these types of spots gets melted down entirely which is always a big plus as it releases plenty of cheesy, salty flavor. The type of cheese that goes great with chopped steak and onions. Add a bit of mayo and some lettuce and you got a pretty crave-worthy sandwich with plenty of fans.

Grilled Steak Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________________

Irazu

Bucktown 

Located right around the border of Bucktown and Logan Square is one of the areas most popular restaurants. It's favored for it's open air dining during the summer, for it's BYOB policy, and for it's Costa Rican food which has been featured on Diners, Drive-In' and Dives. One of the most popular menu items is the Costa Rican sandwich which comes served on French bread with thinly sliced steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, Lizano sauce. The sauce is a Costa Rican condiment developed in the 1920's made from spices and vegetables. On the side is a cup of green salsa if you want to kick up the spice content. I find myself here at least once a year and usually over summer.

Costa Rican Steak Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________________

Kerely's Cuban Cafe & Pizzeria

Logan Square

The Cuban sandwich is also popular around these parts and thus far this one here is my favorite. Kerely's is a Cuban Fusion spot pushing both Cuban food and also pizza. To the best of my knowledge it's just normal style pizza and not the extremely regional Cuban Pizza local to Miami. I thought they nailed the balance process and the sandwich was also well toasted. The pork was obviously roasted in house and had some good flavor but the ham was a tad bit lacking. The latter  also being a common problem in both Tampa and Miami so it's something common all over. All in all hit the spot right then and there. I need to try their ropa vieja sandwich which gets love in reviews.

Cuban Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________________

Cafeteria Marianao

Logan Square

I saved my favorite of these French bread filled sandwiches for last. I'm not the only one who loves Cafeteria Marianao which gets packed on the weekends. The ordering process is a bit hectic as there is no line but for the most part people are very civil about it, you just need to get the guys behind the counters attention and then hope they don't forget about you. But your reward is a sandwich that causes me to binge eat here. Its the thin strips of steak that are swimming in mojo marinade before getting cooked and then paired with crunchy raw onions in a similar marinade. Its pressed on a sandwich press with processed cheese that when fully melts really works with everything else. You can get double steak but I think it throws off the balance. It always hits the spot and leaves me wanting more. Hopefully they're here a long time as the neighborhood changes thru the years.

Steak Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________________

Eddie's Sandwiches
2721 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 698-8874

Cafeteria Marcela's
3503 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-6333

Irazu
1865 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 252-5687

Kerely's Cuban Cafe & Pizzeria
2934 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 394-4040

Cafeteria Marianao
2246 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-4533

5 More Asian Eats

 -Grubbing in Chicago
An Abundance of Asian Food

Our city is littered with an unbelievable selection of ethnic eats. As much as I love my burgers, hot dogs and beefs, I cant live on those alone. People not taking advantage of the abundance of international family owned spots are missing out greatly when it comes to food consumption. There's no reason whatsoever to ever have to eat at Taco Bell, Sbarro or Panda Express, not in this city. Today we check out five more Asian eats found on the city's streets. From Thai food to Vietnamese with a few squeezed in between. Our city is rich in selection.
_____________________________________________

Pad Ped Pla Dook at Opart Thai House

This Thai style spicy fried catfish dish might be my most ordered Thai item in Chicago. Pad Ped Pla Dook is one of my favorite dishes as it features crispy, spicy fish served alongside greens. All of these things are to my liking so it's a common item I'll try when ordering food from Thai spots. I was put onto this dish by Leela @shesimmers who ranked it as one of the most overlooked Thai dishes in Chicago. Since being introduced by her I've found the Lincoln Square location to have the most consistent version of this dish. It's always on point.

The Most Consistent Version of this dish in Chicago

_____________________________________________

 Mandoo at Joong Boo Market

Dumpling Stand at Popular Korean grocery Store

This Korean grocery store at the corner of Kimball and the Kennedy expressway has always been a foodie destination and it recently became even more so with the addition of a Korean dumpling stand out in front. Mike @skyfullofbacon first put me (and many others) onto this awesome addition with a piece of over at Serious Eats from back when it was a site dedicated to finds like these. Handmade balls of dough are stuffed with a variety of options including the pork mandoo which is what I've been ordering since my first stop. I think it might be in the running for best $2 snack in the city. Shredded pork joins diced cabbage in a simple yet perfectly harmonious ceremony.

Pork Mandoo

_____________________________________________

Xiao Long Bao at Lao Shanghai 

Part of the Hu empire, located in Chinatown Mall

I've been introduced to many great eats since the online food craze began and these Shanghai treats remain one of my favorites. With my love for and all dumplings along with a passion fr soup it should come as no surprise I fiend for snacks like these. If you've never had a XLB it translates to soup dumpling and they're one of those things people can be very passionate about. I was put onto them by Pigmon over at LTHforum and while Chicago remains a not so great place for them, I found the ones at tony Hu's Lao Shanghai to be just fine the time I tried them. The pork and crab dumplings being better than the pork only offerings.

Xiao Long Bao

_____________________________________________

Bahn Mi at Bon Bon Sandwiches

I love a good bahn mi. The Vietnamese sandwiches are one of my favorite summertime eats as they can help cool you down with spice. What makes a good bahn mi? The bread is what many would say and unfortunately the loaf they served with this sandwich below was so soft and out of place that I cant even remember which offering I ordered. Not a good thing.

?????? Bahn Mi Sandwich

_____________________________________________

ABC Chicken at MAK 

Last stop of this trip mightnot even qualify as "International" but it is Asian, Asian-American. I first learned of MAK when they left a flyer on my GF's gate. I browsed thru the menu and thought at the very least it could be a nice delivery option for those times when you don't want to cook. Turns out it was a little bit more than that. The use of fresh quality ingredients in a casual setting has made MAK my dinner choice on more than a few occasions. Dennis @fartsandwich is also a fan as he listed it as one of the city's most underrated spots. It's fast, it's good, it's not hormone induced garbage so what's not to like? We all like a good stir fry or some quality fried rice now and again. Extra props for the plastic fork that doubles as chop-sticks.

I always order this dish, though usually with green beans

_____________________________________________

Opart Thai House
1906 S State St
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 567-9898

Joong Boo Market
3333 N Kimball Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 478-5566

Lao Shanghai 
2163 S China Pl Ste 1F
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 808-0830

Bon Bon Sandwiches
2333 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-5800

MAK
1924 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 772-6251

5 More All-American Midwest Food Stops

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Some Midwest Americana

My favorite holiday of the year is approaching and with it we hit up five more classic roadfood type spots. Regular readers know I get around and today I share with you five places I've been to in the last year that are worthy of mention in this ongoing saga of food. So without further ado.
________________________________________________________________________

Fry Bread N Things Food Truck (Wisconsin)

First stop up is a food truck in Wisconsin. Fry Bread N Things specializes in...fry bread. They're open for lunch and dinner, both times in different spots. Here they serve an old Native American reservation favorite, fry bread. I've read that the now popular pow-pow food was created when the natives used the government issued flour and lard to create it. Nowadays these are found most everywhere in the land of the Navajo. I guess it could be considered a "contemporary dish".

Milwaukee, WI

Fry bread is offered in many ways with many topping options. I chose to go the traditional fry bread taco route rather than honey and powder or whatever crazy creation I could create. The small was $5 and more than enough, thus fitting right in round these parts. The traditional white trash nacho options of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream and pickled jalapeno isn't something I'm 100% opposed, that's how they're served traditionally. The bread was pretty darn addictive, I'd try it in desert form next time. That cant not be good.

Navajo Taco

________________________________________________________________________

New Sandusky Fish Company (Ohio)

Over in Ohio there's a big love for Great Lakes fish amongst the communities on Lake Erie. One of the more well known spots is the roadfood approved New Sandusky Fish Company.

Sandusky, OH

With Lake Erie as it's backdrop this place has been operating since the 90's. Not far from the world renowned Cedar Point amusement park, this place is a popular summertime spot for locals and tourists passing thru. The fish is fresh and comes directly from a boat in back.

a peak inside

As expected a place like this does an excellent frying job. You have a variety of options but you're here for fresh caught Great Lakes fish. So go ahead and try either the lake perch or walleye or do like me and go with both.

Fried Walleye

I didnt like the walleye as much as I enjoyed the sandwich. Just like those found at the not far Jolly Roger Seafood House in Port Clinton, these were extra simple but so good. Fresh baked bun, freshly caught and fried lake perch with homemade tartar sauce is all that's needed. Excellent eats.

Fried Lake Perch Sandwich

________________________________________________________________________

Hot 'n Now (Michigan)

There was a time when this hamburger shop was once a thriving chain. I remember going to one in Michigan City, IN during my youth and according to the internet they grew to over 150 locations after their start-up in 1984. Is there anything more American than a hamburger chain?

Bay City, MI

To my knowledge this is one of two remaining Hot 'n Now hamburger stops. It's never a good thing to see a business go under but part of the allure of this place was their buildings, not necessarily the food. Perhaps the most noteful piece of information about this place is it's place in history with both Pepsi and the mega Southern California chain In and Out. When Pepsi bought Hot 'Now and put locations in California, In and Out took it as an insult and switched over to Coke products.

Cheeseburger

________________________________________________________________________

Heston Supper Club (Indiana)

Supper Clubs are a big part of Midwest cuisine as they extend throughout the region. Sure wisconsin is most well known for them but they're found all over. Take the Heston Supper Club in LaPorte Indiana as example.

Down a long dark road off US-12 in La Porte, IN

I stopped in a while back and enjoyed the ride down some random road with no other businesses around in getting there. This is also the case for many supper clubs found in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Upon pulling up it had the feel of an authentic supper club and sure enough on that Saturday night around 7p it was packed with only a few parking spots in the large lot next door.

Sitting down at the bar

You get the same authentic feel when you walk inside the building that was once the center of town in Heston, Indiana. At first a creamery it then turned into a general store followed by a tavern and now its a supper club. The original Heston Bar was purchased by the current owners in 1982. They added 'supper club' to the name in 2000 when they decided to add that element to their property. They got the vibe and good practices of great supper clubs down pat. Just like a few other supper clubs I've been to there is no eating at the bar which is used for those waiting to be seated but still in need of a drink.

Some of their popular cheddar spread w/ crackers and enough butter to make Paula Deen wonder...

Right after your menus are brought out upon sitting down the sharp cheddar spread comes shortly after. Good stuff similar to Merkt's although they make theirs themselves. This spread is common in these parts of Indiana. The menu is what you would expect and includes a perch dinner which I got to try a little bit but it was just ok compared to other places I've been. The prime rib however was top notch and as good of a piece as I've had in a while. I'll be adding the Heston and their perfect piece of red meat into the rotation of summer spots to eat at while kicking it in Long Beach. With my meal came a choice of soup and their beef vegetable with hunks of prime rib was very hearty. The only thing I wasn't able to confirm is if they make an Old Fashioned the right way. Next time.

The "small" cut of Prime Rib w/ mashed potatoes and horseradish sauce was what I want from a supper club

________________________________________________________________________

Blue Springs Cafe (Illinois)

Highland, IL

Last summer while on a trip down to St. Louis we made some food related pit-stops in random towns. One of them was this popular cafe in Central Illinois that my friend had heard good things about. While the menu looked very comforting as far as old school classic go, we were there for their famous mile high pie. The actual establishment is over 100 years old but the pies didn't come into play until 1979 when current owners Brad Michael and Loren Siever decided to venture into the woods to purchase Diamond Mineral Springs from Bob Landolt. After several years of struggle, they asked for the help of Brad's wife and her sister. The sisters remodeled the decor along with the menu, adding the now-famous Foot-Hi Pies in flavors of banana, chocolate, and coconut crème, as well the lemon meringue. They were pretty damn fantastic.

Coconut Creme and Lemon Meringue

________________________________________________________________________

FryBread N Things Food Truck
Twitter

New Sandusky Fish Company
235 E Shoreline Dr
Sandusky, OH 44870
(419) 621-8263

Hot 'n Now Hamburgers
3900 Wilder Rd
Bay City, MI 48706
(989) 686-1690

Heston Supper Club
2003 East 1000 North
La Porte, IN 46350
(219) 778-2938

Blue Springs Cafe
3505 George St
Highland, IL 62249
(618) 654-5788

5 More Super Sunday Recipes

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

We cant let Super Sunday pass without another one of our classic recipe posts. I didn't get to cook as much during the season this past year as I had others but I still have five worthy recipes for your party. A couple are original and the others are tried and tested. As far as the game goes, I said Broncos would win it all before the season started and I'm sticking with that. Should they take the confetti shower on Sunday I will have gone 2-2 in predicting football champions this year as I had Florida State winning the BCS. I just hope it's a game for the ages because that's what it looks like it's going to be, on paper anyway. Lets hope the weather holds up and both teams are able to play at their top level. Should be a dandy.
__________________________________________________

Chicago Style Deviled Eggs

I came up with these one day out of the blue and they turned out alot better than I expected. If you like Deviled Eggs and Chicago style hot dogs, no chance you dislike these. I just mixed mustard into the yolk and sprinkled celery salt into that. The weiners were diced then sauteed and every other standard Chicago stye hot dog topping is in there as you can see from the picture.

a chibbqking original recipe

__________________________________________________

Sausage Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

These always go quick at any party they're served at. You can get everything you need to make them at most any Mariano's location. Loose Italian Sausage, chopped garlic and shredded Parmesan joins chopped cremini mushrooms in the skillet. That mixture is stuffed into a peppadew pepper (available at the deli counter) and they bake for 20 minutes. I loosely follow this recipe HERE.  

Note: Loose sausage doesn't get that fine so you may need to whip out the kitchen scissors and throw your cooked crumbled sausage in a cup to break it down even further.

Always a hit

__________________________________________________

Fried Giardineria and Banana Peppers

Why don't we see either of these on more bars and restaurant menus? It's such an easy and cheap finger food to make that places could make a killing selling snack plates of it for $4/$5 an order. I love them both but actually prefer the fried banana pepper rings (the bottled variety). Someone needs to add those to a burger. The fried Giardiniera I've been making this season is always a welcome addition to the days platter. Every neighborhood bar with a deep fryer in back should offer this on the house opposed to popcorn.

Deep Fried Bottled Delights...2014's next food trend?

__________________________________________________

Mussels with Pancetta

Nothing gets the house smelling quite as fragrant as steamed mussels in white wine. One of the simple joys of the kitchen that many might find intimidating at first but once you make your own batch it's hard to pay $15 for 1/4 the amount at some trendy restaurant. I've found adding a cup of shrimp stock (I keep some frozen ones in the fridge) just boosts the broth to another level. Stuff like diced pancetta, leeks and garlic go great with the white wine shower.

Sweet Smells in the Air

__________________________________________________

Toasted Garlic Beef Sandwich at Home

Here's a step by step guide to making a toasted beef sandwich, an idea I got from someone who was explaining a sandwich they loved at a place now gone. Here's how I remade his description of it. First up you have to head over to Pop's Italian Beef and buy an order of their catered beef (minimum two pounds). You can use some random brand from the grocery store but Pop's is one the cities best Italian beef slangers so I'm willing to take the ride. It's nice to make these one night and a beef with hot the next. They give you everything you need. I turned the French rolls supplied into garlic bread. After that I layered the beef from the bag onto the bread. I then and added a row of sport peppers and topped that with cheese. Put it in the oven and bake until the cheese melts. Serve with a cup of the gravy (au jus) on the side.

Damn...I'll take another one of them

__________________________________________________

Chicken Gyros

Last but not least is a pretty good chicken gyro, or shawarma if you want to call these that. Either way, they're an easy to make eat for a large party, and they taste great.

Ingredients (Double, Triple Etc for larger groups)

1 lb Chicken (Thighs or a mixture of them and breasts)
4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Red Vinegar
2 TBSP Dried Oregano (Greek Preferred)
1 TBSP Salt

Directions: Combine everything but the chicken into a bowl and stir together. Add chicken into a ziplock bag and pour the marinade into it. Let sit in fridge for as long as you can (up to 12 hours). When ready, grill the chicken meat and simply cut each piece as if you were slicing it off of a spit. Serve with warm pita bread, sliced red onion, tomatoes and a tzatziki sauce of your choice, I like one made with dill.

 Party Platter (Grilled Pork Kebabs to the right of the chicken meat)

__________________________________________________

Check out our previous Super Bowl Recipe Posts

Super Recipes for Super Bowl XLIV 
Super Recipes for Super Bowl XLV

Also see all tags with 'super bowl recipes'

Four More Chicago Soups and a Stew

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Where's the soup at?

Winter is coming! and there's not much I like about it. Except maybe the food that is. I'm a big fan of soups and stews but prefer to make them at my own place rather than eat them while out. But there isn't always time for shopping for all the ingredients and making the stock from scratch etc so sometimes it's nice to be able to grab some in a more convenient way. You don't get the house smelling good but you still get the warmth a good bowl can bring on a cold winter day. So we feature soups and a stew in the latest edition of the "Five More..." series.
__________________________________________________

Cioppino at Glenn's Diner

Seafood soups and stews are always about the broth but what I love about Cioppino, the tomato based seafood stew, is the fact it also includes lots of crustaceans and big chunks of fish in the spiced up seafood broth. I will try this if its on offer and I'm feeling like something soupy and did so at Glenn's Diner a while back. It remains the best version of this dish I have tried. I hope they didn't switch anything because my plan is to go back there to scratch the itch next time it hits.

An Excellent bowl of the San Francisco Specialty

__________________________________________________

Clam Chowder at New England Seafood Company

My favorite from when I was a kid. I would of ate clam chowder all day everyday if it was an option. One of my earliest food memories comes from a family vacation we took with my aunts, uncles and cousins back in my youth. We rented a house in Humarock, Massachusetts for a week and had a blast. There was this place called Silver Sands that my dad would get clam chowder from every day and it was fantastic. tasting NESC version brought me back to the Humarock Harbor. Loaded with clams it comes in the perfect consistency and they always give extra oyster crackers. Something I always asked for back when.

Fantastic New England Clam Chowder

__________________________________________________

Beef Pho at Tank Noodle

There's a few handful of places to get Pho up on Argyle in the Uptown neighborhood. This Vietnamese specialty dish was one of the first that I tried when I started eating outside the norm back in my early food days. I'd read about this wonderful sounding soup made with ingredients I really liked to use and eat, specifically beef. But there was also noodles and hot pepper and cilantro, star anise and so on. Sign me up I said. My first bowl of pho was from Tank Noodle on the corner of Broadway and Argyle. I've had many more since but still go back sometimes so that says something. Also a constant turnover in tables.

Vietnamese Beef noodle Soup aka Pho

__________________________________________________

Oxtail Stew at De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine 

Is oxtail stew really a stew? I guess that's debatable but whats not is whether or not its one of the best damn dishes to warm you up on a cold 20 degree day. Or a 50 degree day in Jamaica. De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine in Skokie does a really nice version that doesn't skimp on the oxtails swimming in brown gravy with butterbeans.

Jamaican Oxtail Stew

__________________________________________________

Carne en su Jugo at El Solazo

I'm a fan of this popular family and fried restaurant on Pulaski near 56th street.  If you didn't read my Serious Eats review of their carne en su jugo, a specialty of the Jalisco region of Mexico. I suggest you do so HERE.

Mexican Carne en su Jugo

__________________________________________________

Glenn's Diner
1820 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 506-1720

New England Seafood Company
3341 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 871-3474

Tank Noodle Restaurant
4953 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 878-2253

De-Jred Fine Jamaican Cuisine
4901 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 983-4582

El Solazo
5600 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60629
(773) 627-5047