Zad by Pita Inn

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Steak Shawarma in Skokie 

Anyone that’s spent any type of significant time in Chicago’s northern suburbs has likely ate food from the Pita Inn. The locally loved chain that first debuted in 1982 now has a handful of locations up that way. It’s the type of spot that caters to all sorts of crowds whether that’s an office lunch or a birthday party or just a dinner for a family of four. Back in 2016 they opened a new concept on the grounds of the original location in Skokie. Zad has it's own menu but it's similar in style and a tad more in price. 

Locals Favorite in Skokie 

I recently took my first trip to Zad by Pita Inn and came away impressed with their signature steak shawarma. I feel like more times than not beef shawarma isn’t as good as the chicken offering in part bc it tends to be bit more chewy and some cases a bit gristly. It also doesn’t help that chicken is more popular and as is the case with spit roasted meat you need constant customers to keep it consistent. But Zad has managed to reverse all of those things as their steak is as popular as the chicken and it’s cut thin enough to where there’s no resistance when biting into it. Also important? It's cut to order. You can get it as a plate over rice or wrapped in a pita in sandwich form. If you get the sandwich and order it “Zad’s Way” they serve it Arabic style (cut up) with fries and and pickles as well as garlic sauce and their signature hot sauce served on the side. I left impressed to where it reminded me of some spots in Dearborn Michigan which is home to the best Middle Eastern food in the States. Zad is Dearborn quality and I won't take six years to return, in fact I almost returned for more the next day.

Steak Shawarma (Zad's Way) at Zad by Pita Inn

Zad by Pita Inn
3910 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 410-7999
Website

Skokie Bakery & Grill

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Iraqi Grilled Fish in Skokie

The Skokie area has some sneaky good little spots when it comes to Mediterranean and or Middle Eastern restaurants. Today we visit one of the latter in the form of an Iraqi grill and bakery. Skokie Grill and Bakery as it's called has been around for about five years now and it's been on my "to try" list for about the same amount of time. Well I finally had a chance to stop in for lunch just the other day.  

Locals Favorite in Skokie 

When I think Iraqi food the first thing that pops into my mind are the kababs at Iraqi Kabob House in Dearborn (one of my favorite dishes anywhere). Most all of the online reviews for Skokie Bakery & Grill are good and the kebabs are mentioned a few times in the reviews. But the most common mention is the grilled fish. Specifically the masgouf. I was surprised to learn that grilled carp is considered the national dish of Iraq. The friendly owner knew I did my homework bc I told him I was ready to order as soon as he sat me. He appreciated that fact. Skokie Bakery uses pompano for their masgouf but it's served the traditional way in that it's split lengthwise down the back before a typical marinade of olive oil, rock salt, tamarind, and ground turmeric goes on before grilling. You can order the masgouf from here in small, medium, or large portions with the small being more than enough for one. It comes served with fluffy basmati rice and a rather tame bowl of split pea soup. I like to throw the grilled fish over the rice so that the rice can take on some of the char grilled fish flavor.  

Masgouf at Skokie Bakery & Grill

Skokie Bakery & Grill

4209 Main St
Skokie, IL 60076
(224) 470-5138
Website

Jarasa Kabob

 -Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Shawarma in Skokie

I'm noticing an uptick in Middle Eastern fast casual spots opening up. They've always opened at a steady pace but the newer ones have the feel of QSR's like Blaze Pizza and such. Actually "Mediterranean" spots were doing the Chipotle like food setup back when Chipotle was more closely associated with a type of smoked pepper and not a fast casual food brand. Enter Jarasa Kabob. 

Newly Opened in Skokie

Many of these new school Middle Eastern restaurants are opening up in the North suburbs and Skokie has a handful of them these days. Jarasa Kabob had something going for it which I really like to see at these type of places. Three fresh spits of meat up and running. I also liked that they offer what's usually described on menus as "Arabic Shawarma." The definition of which has to do with cutting of the wrap into individual pieces as opposed to leaving it whole (usually cut when ordered with fries). The combo of chicken shawarma, garlic sauce, and pickles in a toasted wrap is pretty common at many shawarma stands in the States. Particularly in Metro Detroit and Dearborn in particular where they’re as popular as Coney Dogs. Plus points due to the fact they cut the meat after I ordered. One of the better put together “Dearborn Style” chicken shawarma wraps that I’ve tried.

Arabic Style Shawarma at Jarasa Kabob 

Jarasa Kabob 

3641 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 423-2088
Website

Pressed Cafe

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)

Latin American Sandwiches in Skokie

I love a good pressed sandwich. So when I passed by Pressed Latin Sandwich Cafe on Oakton in Skokie I made sure to take a mental note. Some online research later that day told me this was a well reviewed sandwich and coffee shop. They claim to serve the best Cuban sandwich and jibarito on the Northshore. Skokie is not part of the Northshore but I'll tell you my thoughts on the jibarito below.

 Locals Favorite in Skokie

Normally I would go for the Cuban sandwich on the first visit. I decided the jibarito looked better as I'm very particular on the building of a good Cuban sandwich. Plus my gluten free cousin was with me and she's of course a big jibarito fan being GF and all. Also for what it's worth online reviews make mention of the jibarito the most. I went with a classic steak version dressed traditionally with cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. We got an order of Yuca fries on the side of one of our sandwiches and then also a cup of rice and peas plus a cup of elotes. The sides were alright. The yuca fries which are made with cassava were the ones I'd get again next time. The jibarito was well made with the most important part the smashed plantain itself being crisp and not greasy. The tender steak was loaded with the cumin. Mixed with melted cheese and grilled onions made it that much better.

Steak Jibarito with Yucca Fries at Pressed Latino Sandwich Cafe 

Pressed Cafe
4845 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60077
(224) 251-7649
Website

Nineveh

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Iraqi Middle Eastern Eats in Skokie

Skokie is pretty low key especially when it comes to food. It's not Lake Forest bad but there's some pretty boring restaurants found around town. There's also some low key good spots. A few of the Middle Eastern variety. I noticed Nineveh while driving by down the street. It was right around lunch time and they had a fresh spit of chicken spinning. You know I'm in. Turns out they just opened.

 Newly Opened in Skokie

I asked the friendly owner how long they had been open and he told me two weeks in mid June. I decided to get a shawarma sandwich plate based off of the pictures outside on the windows. They looked really nice and as I was saying they had a small but fresh spit of chicken shawarma spinning so it seemed like a good move for a semi light lunch. The meat was sliced directly from the spit into the wrap. I was so happy to see this. I love also love it when they break a shawarma sandwich down into bite size pieces which makes for easy dipping into the garlic sauce. I've seen it this way at a few spots here and there and it's usually cut when you order the plate (with fries). I’d like to go back and try some of the more traditional Iraq dishes. That’s where the hospitable owner Ali is from originally.

Chicken Shawarma with Fries at Nineveh

Nineveh
4047 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 410-7877

Kabul House

-Grubbing in Chicago  (land)  
Where's the Afghan Food at?

Believe it or not there are quite a few LTHforum 'Great Neighborhood Restaurants' I have never been to. For those unfamiliar a GNR as they're called is one of the many awards popular Chicagoland restaurants are presented with. It's not the most prestigious but it's certainly something restaurants take great joy in being rewarded with. If for anything because they speak for the people. Well those that post on the site anyway. Either way there's countless amazing places that are listed on this informative list. Despite the fact I'm a pretty regular contributor over there I don't get too into the GNR process but I do think it's a great tool not just for tourists but locals as well. It's not limited to specific areas so you'll find plenty of places outside the norm. One of them being Kabul House. I recently got to try the cityscapes only Afghan restaurant for the first time.

Complimentary Soup

The menu items here have a history going back a long time. It's homestyle cooking for those who grew upeating Afghanistan food or have parents who did. I knew what to expect because I've read about the place many of times but I didn't know it was so nice inside, white tablecloth dining in Skokie to be exact. We started with complimentary soups while we waited. Both a split pea with a tomato base and then a veggie with a nice blend of Middle Eastern spicing in it were a nice welcome on a cold winter day. The veggie was better from what I remember. Next up was an order of their Mantoo Beef Dumplings which I had on my radar long before I looked at the menu. I love dumplings and these seemed to have similar ingredients to Tibetan Momo with a little Middle Eastern twist so I was excited to see what was up. Unfortunately they fell a little short.  The stewed tomato sauce paired with the beef dumplings gave it a strange resemblance to Chef Boyardee Ravioli.

Beef Mantoo Appetizer

Next item out was the Qorma Sabzee which was described as "Chunks of lamb stew on a bed of sautéed spinach that is flavored with garlic and onions served with a side of white rice". This was also very comforting but again somewhat lacing in spice. Maybe this is prototypical of Afghan cooking but it tasted normal which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It was all eaten but could of been spiced a little more potently.

Qorma Sabzee

The star of the show at Kabul House are their Marinated Grilled Meats. You can smell these upon entering and it can be hard not to want them once you do. Your best option is to go for the combo which gives you three meats. You get a half skewer of their most popular Murgh Kebab which is made with chunks of chicken thigh. This was probably my favorite bite of the lunch, along with some rice. The lamb and sirloin were tasty too but it's the chicken I'll be back for.

Kebab Platter

Kabul House
4949 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 674-3830
Website

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

Poochie's

-In Chicago: Every Dog Has it's Day

Holiday season is in full swing as is the Chicagoland Hot Dog stand season. When's that you ask? 24/7 365. All the time, every day. Since so many people have to do some serious shopping during the first few weeks of December I thought that it would be a great time to feature one of Chicagoland's best fast food stands- Poochie's. Located in Skokie and not far from the mega shopping center that is Old Orchard Mall it's a great lunch stop any day of the year but especially this time if your headed out that way. Why would you ever waste your calories at the horrific food courts? Poochie's has been a part of the Northshore community since 1969 when they first set up shop. Over the year's it's become what Vienna Beef described as the "Cheer's of Chicagoland hot dog stands" with its regulars and wonderful Chicago style fast food with a great atmosphere and all.


Poochie's in Skokie, IL is a Chicagoland icon

Located on Dempster st. in a plaza, this is one of the best places to dine at in a strip mall anywhere. It's also one of the best hot dog stands in terms of decor and ambiance out there. The walls are flooded with magazine articles, Chicago sports memorabilia and other fun things. When you walk in, the ordering station and grill are in the middle with stool seats at the windows and along the walls leading into the dining room in back. There's also tables outside for the warmer months. The walls show off how much press the hot dog stand has received with articles from magazines like Gourmet and newspapers across the country. It's even got its Roadfood approved article along with it's Vienna Beef Hall of Fame plaque proudly displayed inside.


View as you enter


The walls are filled with press clippings and Chicago sports memorabilia


Proud inductee into the Vienna Beef Hall of Fame

But Poochie's wouldn't be nothing and it wouldn't have all the articles and shout outs it has up on the walls if the food wasn't special. The menu is a classic "got it all" Chicagoland hot dog stand menu. It features the obvious hot dogs available both steamed or charred and Polish sausage. Other options available from the grill are char cheddar burgers and sandwiches like steak and chicken. The fries are fresh cut and some of the very best fries anywhere. Just so you know it's "got it all" they even use the real deal Chicago style cheddar for all charred items, burgers, cheese dogs and fries.


Poochie's cheese fries with melted cheddar spread

One of the things I love about Poochie's is that is takes care of both lovers of the steamed Chicago style hot dog and those that love theirs grilled. I am a big fan of both and any Chicago style since we are the land of hot dogs and have quite a few ways of making them. At Poochie's they will take a Vienna Beef out of the water and throw it right on the poppy seed bun and dress it down Chicago style if that's what you want. They will also take the dog and throw it on their well used grill and char it up along with some grilled onions if that's the way you like it.


Chicago style hot dog from Poochie's (steamed)

The grill is a wonder and I wish I had a picture to share when it's got no real estate on it. The thing flames up from all the burger patty's and other fine meats and onions being made on a busy day, which is most of them at Poochie's. I enjoyed their chicken sandwich which always has a perfect amount of charred taste and is never bad meat according to it's loyal followers. The char burgers at Poochie's are really special for the same reason as the chicken but then they also come with melted cheddar spread if you choose and the potent grilled onions making it a true Chicago style burger. In the picture below I have a single but a double is not a bad idea when chowing down on a char cheddar burger from Poochie's.


Char chicken sandwich (dressed to your liking)


Poochie's char cheddar burger

As good as all this food already featured is, there's a reason I love Poochie's and find myself stopping in there a few times a year. It's the home to one of the best sandwiches in Chicagoland and a big time hangover cure. The charred salami sandwich is true Chicago. They take a thick slice of Vienna Beef salami and char it up on the grill and throw it on a French bread roll and dress it to your liking. I always get mine with grilled onions, mustard, sport peppers and a pickle.


Poochie's charred salami sandwich

Man oh man is this sammy something else. You don't need to be hungover to enjoy this but you sure as hell need not be a vegetarian. This is a thing of beauty to the mouth and terror to the heart. My friend Steve who's father created this sandwich some 20 years ago when he used to work across the street likes to order his with a slab of bbq sauce added on while cooking and hot giardinara with the grilled onions. It doesn't matter how you dress the sandwich just make sure you try it. One of the very best in a city stocked with them. See ya next time on S'C'&C.


Sammy bliss, one of the best around town

Poochie's
3832 W Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 673-0100

China Chef

-Eating like a local: Regional food specialties
The American-Chinese food of...America

So I decided China Chef's time was coming with the holiday season here. The Christmas holiday and Chinese restaurants have always shared a common bond together. We all remember in "A Christmas Story" when the dog eats the turkey and they spend thanksgiving dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. If your eating out on Christmas day then your going to Chinatown or your neighborhoods local Chinese joint, they're the only spots open. Its become an American tradition to do so. Although people of the Jewish faith don't celebrate Christmas they do have some traditions that go with it. What do Jewish people do on Christmas day? eat Chinese food. If your city is lucky enough to have a Chinatown then I guarantee that it will be the most hopping place this December 25th. No visit to Chinatown today though, which is the obvious place to visit for authentic Chinese regional cooking. Nope today we are going to the suburb of Morton Grove for Jewish American Suburban Chinese food. So its off to China Chef, a place that's been serving the mild tastebuds of the locals of the Morton Grove/Skokie area since 1977 with their mostly Cantonese-American-Chinese menu.


a locals favorite along Lincoln ave

At some point in time, my guess being when suburbs started forming, Chinese restaurants with an Americanized menu for the suburban eaters tastes started popping up across the country. Many spots around the city still have their vintage signs with "chop suey" all lit up and flashing. They also have the exact same menus today with all the regular dishes you would see on your local Chinese restaurants menu should you live somewhere in Suburbia. However most of these places can be very hit or miss and some are downright awful and others come and go in the same rental space on what seems like a monthly basis. The China Chef has managed to take everything loved by their neighbors and put that with excellent service and a dedication to great tasting food. Probably like that you grew up on if your from middle America somewhere. You can expect excellent takeout and delivery service along with all the regulars like the Chinese Zodiac papermat. The service is very friendly and during the weekends and Hanukkah season it can get very busy with all the parties dining in and orders being called in for pickup. Somehow they don't ever miss a beat.


2010 is the year of the tiger

The owners of China Chef call their restaurants food "homestyle Chinese" and have become a part of the community in their 32 years of China Chef's existence. What exactly is homestyle Chinese? What dishes make up this cuisine? well in this case its the aforementioned Jewish American Suburban Chinese and its dishes like chop suey, egg foo young, fried rice, egg rolls, crab rangoon, sweet & sour chicken and pork, General Tso's chicken, beef & broccoli, Mongolian beef etc...You know the stuff you grew up on or lived off of in college and high school. Well over the years this spiced down and in many cases dumbed down version of Chinese food became an offspring of Chinese food and in its own right, its own cuisine. Over these years I have been to many JASC food joints and I think China Chef takes the crown for best overall in this category. Its a family run joint where its so Americanized your servers will be named "Jeff, Joe and John" (which are obviously not their real ones) and of course they have the fish tanks and fortune cookies to go with your experience. But the food is really good especially if you know what to get. They deliver, do a wonderfully sufficient pick up business and have great lunch specials. There's not much not to like about this Suburban favorite.


What a to-go box from China Chef looks like (everything included)

China Chef is just another one of the gemmers I found over the years thru LTH. Since I never said I was a graduate from Princeton with a degree in writing let me quote poster Kudho who said it so perfectly...like I would like to say.

"This is a good example of how something positive can come out of a restaurant modifying it's original ethnic cuisine to suit local tastes. 'Jewish Chinese food" as served here along with other longstanding favorites, now exists as a cuisine unto itself (like Indian-Chinese), and should be evaluated accordingly." Kudho

I couldn't of said it any better. Its not just American-Chinese either, there's also Canadian-Chinese and if you remember my post on Negril, Caribbean-Chinese. Don't miss my upcoming monster post on where to eat Hawaiian (another Chinese fusion) in Chicago. I love it all, if its a Chinese fusion, I'm trying it and I'm loving it. Chinese cuisine made its way into other countries when immigrants moved from China across the world and cooked with local ingredients and to the tastebuds of Westerners. So as long as you don't go to a place like China Chef looking for dishes like Ma Po Dou Fu with ground pork or Xiao Long Bao, you should be just fine. Now onto the food!

The Elusive Egg Roll (Part 2)

China Chef is also the spot for the next stop in the hunt for the "best rolls in Chicago" an ongoing chibbqking series. If you don't remember the first stop was at Orange Garden, another American-Chinese favorite around town. The places featured in this series have a reputation for excellent homemade egg rolls and are always mentioned when the "best rolls in Chicago" are discussed. China Chef is one of these places mentioned and its a spot that has very good renditions of a few of the JASC appetizer favorites. Including the egg rolls.


China Chef's Egg Roll...

I thought the rolls at CC were better than average to good but not quite as good as Orange Garden. I felt the peanut butter addition that I like so much was lacking in China Chef's rolls and the big downer was the hot mustard. China Chef's hot mustard would have your grandma saying "that's not hot". The one problem I have with this place is even the dishes listed as hot are anything but spicy. You really have to let them know that you like it hot like they do if you have a high heat tolerance. The dude (stevez) who put me on this place over at LTH says they are his favorite and that he thinks "they put just a tiny hint of curry in with the peanut butter when they make the egg rolls. That's what puts them over the top for me." I cant disagree with the fact they are very good and I always order one to start.


...Good ingredients in the rolls, not enough heat in the hot mustard

As long as you know what to order when visiting, at pretty much any Chinese restaurant, you can have a great meal. Here are some of the China Chef's loyal patrons favorites eats. If there was ever a type of food to eat with groups of people, Chinese is it. Try and go here with a bunch of people and this way you can have it all.


Potsticker perfection at China Chef

^I have a distinct memory of when I was younger and we were at a Chinese restaurant before a Bulls game or something with my dad, uncles and grandpa and I wanted Pot Stickers. So my grandpa asked me what I was ordering and I said "two orders of potstickers" and he said "ya I know were ordering that for the table but what do you want for a main course" I said "potstickers" he thought I was crazy. My dad tried to make me order something else for the table but hey, I'm hard headed and I loved potstickers and I still do. The China Chef version is as good as I can remember. Crisp, light skin with good flavor inside made great with the vinegar sauce they serve with it.


Pork Fried Rice...as good of a preparation of it as I've had

^Too many places screw up fried rice which is pretty hard to do. Not at china chef where they fry up huge piles of pork fried rice with the perfect color, phenomenal flavor and crispy pieces of pork. I could eat fried rice 4-5 days a week if its cooked correctly and China Chef does it up just right. Again, one of my favorite variations of an American-Chinese favorite.


Sweet & Sour Pork lunch special...made with CC's famous sweet & sour sauce

^S&S chicken is a dish I rarely order when eating out American-Chinese. Half of the time its not fried (which is how I prefer it) and the other half of the time the sauce is not to my liking. Its not the flavor of S&S sauce I don't like but the gooiness of it. Usually its too sweet and has too much cornstarch. Not so at CC. I'll also usually get chicken if ordering this but thanks to a tip I always get pork here.

If I can quote Cathy2 from LTH she tipped off that..."China Chef's sweet and sour pork is the best version I have ever had. The pork has a very light coating almost tempura-like with a light fruity sauce not weighed down too heavily in cornstarch."

Guess what? I totally agree. This was my favorite pork version, Chicken Lavish still has the best chicken version I can remember.


JASC favorite: General Tso's chicken...done up right

^I think that of all the main entrees on the American-Chinese menu that General Tso's chicken is the most consistent. I usually find good versions of this dish that has no origins back to China or General Tso and was first mentioned on record in 1977 in the NY Times. Its pretty hard to screw up the deep frying of dark pieces of chicken, which is then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce with a bunch of common American-Chinese ingredients. I do wish CC's version was hotter but I already knew that they don't respect my heat level. Other than that it is great.


Kung Pao Chicken

^Now here is one of my favorite dishes in Chinese food. Unlike the rest of these we've seen, this dish actually has traces back to China. So I guess because of this, China Chef doesn't excel in this dish. I would have to say take a pass on the Kung Pao at CC but this is my personal preference. I didn't like the chicken at all, thought it was too stringy. Kung Pao chicken is one of my favorites because when good its full of flavor but the taste and heat was lacking at China Chef.


The House Specialty: Mongolian Beef

^I always have to have an order of the house special Mongolian beef when dining at China Chef. Like most American-Chinese dishes it has no traces to China and the name is misleading. It has nothing to do with Mongolia as far as ingredients and preparation. However they do a great version of this JASC classic. Grandma, Grandpa, the kids, me, you, everyone likes this dish.

On top of all these favorites China Chef also has a Filipino menu and from what I've heard from reading around, its not all that bad. You better believe that they will be open and packed on Christmas day this upcoming holiday. Listen to a story about the Chinese food-Christmas day connection aired on NPR by clicking HERE.

China Chef
5920 W. Lincoln Ave.
Morton Grove, IL
847-967-6050
Website

Duke's North: Italian Beef

--Got Beef? Italian Beef

Next up on the Italian beef tour we go up north to Duke's: North, located in Skokie, IL. No, they don't have a barbershop quartet playing music while you eat. Duke's just like any of your other beef stands around town does a busy lunch business with locals from the area. This is the second location of Duke's with the original being located on Central Ave in the city. They have all of the regulars on a Chicago style fast food menu including homemade beef and sausage.


Duke's North is a popular stop for shoppers coming and going to Old Orchard

This was my first visit to the North Duke's and I haven't been to the original in quite a few years. The beef was pretty much how I remembered it from the original location. Nothing special but by no means anything bad. What I mean by that is that if you are in the area this is a totally acceptable beef sammich but it is not destination beef driving. If I lived or worked near Duke's I would be a regular for lunch but since it is in the suburbs and I live in the heart of the city I wont get back there too often.


Duke's homemade beef with hot

I said it before and I will say it again "no beef will be forgotten" and what I mean by that is I will be bringing you a review of every single Chicago beef joint within the Chicagoland area that made the cut thru the years and didnt taste like rubber shoe soles. They wont all be first teamer's but any place that takes the time and effort to make their own recipe will be part of this segment. Still the best resource for Italian beef in Chicago and where to get it, no matter what neighborhood or suburb your in. This Duke's stand has no affiliation or anything to do with Duke's Drive In on Harlem in Bridgeview, which will be reviewed soon. There are over 10 beef joints ready to be posted on here as the days go by and every month that list grows so please stay tuned and spread the word because...every beef has its day.

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 3
bread: 3
gravy: 3
hot peppers: 3

Score: 12/20

Duke's North
5237 Golf Rd
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 966-5533

Duke's

5659 N Central Ave
Chicago, IL 60646

(773) 763-1866