Kababish BBQ & Grill

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Pakistani Food in Old Town 

Despite the fact that there’s still plenty of hot dog stands around town there’s even more that are no longer with us. I don’t remember how long ago Terry’s Red Hot closed but it was one of my favorite hot dog stands back in the day. It sat in a parking lot at the corner North and Larrabee under the El tracks. It was ran by an Asian family and popular with Cabrini Green residents. They made these awesome totally not authentic tacos that I still crave now and then. That plus hot dogs, fried rice, and such. It’s the type of place that’s near extinction as time passes by. But I gotta say I think the current tenant in the same building where Terry’s was at is a great replacement. Kababish opened a few years ago and I was always intrigued but it took me some time to finally stop by this past summer. 

Locals Favorite in Old Town 

Kababish is a hole in the wall Pakistani spot. It’s similar to the other Pakistani restaurants in the area in that it caters to a mostly Pakistani clientele. They come from all over the city to get a taste of home and in the case of Kababish it sits in a big parking lot so it’s convenient too. The owner is a Karachi native and he ran a restaurant over there. The menu features 6-8 pre-made dishes that switch by day. Options like Kata-kat which is a popular Pakistani meat dish originating in Karachi and made from offal and served on Saturdays or Murgh Cholay which is chicken and chickpeas and available on Mondays. But then they also do daily items like biryani and chili chicken as well as grilled meats like chicken boti and chapli kebab that can be stuffed into some warm and fluffy naan. 

Chicken Chapli Wrap at Kababish 

I think the chicken chapli wrap might be my favorite snack in town right now. Both the kebab (which is actually a patty) and the naan are super high quality. It comes with a few slices of raw onion on the inside and a yogurt chutney type sauce served on the side. But my go-to item has become the frontier chicken which is a huge serving of seasoned chunks of chicken seared on a hot flattop with jalapeños and onions. An online search shows this dish is made a variety of ways. What I like about the version served here is it’s dry (no tomato gravy) and made with an attention to detail that other versions I’ve tried have lacked. The meat is seared in a way that it isn’t steamed. Same goes for the jalapeño and onion, they’re crisp and not mushy. All of that paired with soft and fluffy rice plus warm made to order naan makes for a super satisfying meal(s). They don’t open until 4p but don’t close until 1a so it’s also one of the few spots still staying open relatively late. Visit on a weekend around dinner and you’ll see just how popular this place is with the city’s local Pakistani community.

Frontier Chicken at Kababish 

Kababish 
1546 N Larrabee St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 218-4443

Hom Mali Thai

-Grubbing in Chicago

Interesting Thai Food in Old Town 

Sometime in the last calendar year I saw some really good looking Thai food featured on ABC7's the 'Hungry Hound' segment. Not only did it look good but it looked unique by Chicago Thai food standards. As confirmed by Steve Dolinsky this is a Thai restaurant pushing some dishes like none other you will find in Chicago or the rest of the Midwest region. It's the product of Hom Mali Thai & Sushi. If not for Steve's excellent coverage of Chicago's food this one may have slipped by me. I know I'm not the only one who gets scared off by Asian spots pushing sushi among other cuisines. It's not a guarantee they wont be good it's just less likely they will be when focused on so much.

 Newly Opened in Old Town and Ukrainian Village

Hom Mali Thai opened a second location quickly so they now have spots on North avenue in Old Town and on Chicago avenue in the Ukrainian Village. The menu is basically the same at both of them. When browsing said menu it's the chefs specials you want to keep your eye on. It's that section where you will find quite a few dishes that are basically new to Thai restaurants in Chicago. One of those that stood out right away for me was the Chor Muang Dumplings aka purple dumplings. This is a popular appetizer in the Thai Royalty food genre of Thai cuisine. These delicate dumplings are purple from butterfly pea flower-dyed steamed wrappers filled with ground chicken and garnished with roasted garlic. Not only are they instagram worthy but they taste great too. Not always the case.

Chor Muang at Hom Mali Thai

Another item you wont find anywhere else in Chicago (to my knowledge) is the Pad Thai Koong Sod. This is not the Pad Thai of my Midwest upbringing. Thin rice noodles are stir-fried fresh with head on jumbo shrimps, egg, bean sprouts, and chives mixed into a house tamarind sauce and served with crushed peanuts, chive, and lime. If you've ever been to Thailand you probably learned that the Pad Thai is different over there for the better. It's not as sweet as it is over here being geared towards the American palate. Tamarind sauce makes this version more sour than sweet. I found a Pad Thai I like.

Pad Thai Koong Sod at Hom Mali

Khao Soi is an item you can find in Chicago. The popular Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup is served at a handful of spots around town. It's something I'll try if I see a spot serving it. Hom Mali has it available with a variety of meats including seafood, pork belly, beef, and chicken. They make a really nice rendition but when served out of a shallow bowl with only a few noodles it leaves you wanting more. They basically turned it into a pasta more so than a soup in serving it in a random piece of chinaware. I've been to the Old Town location twice and on one visit got to try their seafood custard which is a red curry served out of a coconut shell. It was really good. I'd like to try the whole fried snapper but the $35 price seems a bit high compared to other spots in town. Hom Mali makes mention that they buy many of their ingredients from local suppliers. All in all it's a worthy spot for a Thai dinner out on the town. Just focus in on the more unique offerings so that they stick around. 

Khao Soi at Hom Mali Thai

Hom Mali Thai
1546 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 733-3339
Website

Two Lights Seafood & Oyster

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

There was a small flurry of restaurant openings near the end of the 2018 calendar. Some of them I got to before the year ended and some I still need to scope out. We stopped into Two Lights Seafood in Old Town a day or two before the year had ended. It's located on North avenue in Old Town where they could use some new blood. Two lights felt like so many other restaurants I've visited in the States. This isn't really to fault them as they all pretty much feel the same these days. You can expect much of the same with the menu which focuses on seafood. So of course they have an oyster bar, some crudo, and of course a cocktail menu. Two Lights is from owners of Tortoise Supper Club.

Newly Opened in Old Town 

Our visit to Two Lights was a tale of two categories of dishes. Delicious and just ok. Starting with some of the delicious is an order of excellent clam chowder. I consider myself a big time fan and experienced eater of the New England classic. It was my favorite food at some point in my youth. If they had some sort of takeout window creating easy access to this I'd get some to eat at home.

New England Clam Chowder at Two Lights Seafood & Oyster

Now for the just ok. While sitting at the bar we saw what looked like a really nice plate of onion rings. I guess they were something else bc we got a plate of something different. These were thinly cut and lightly breaded which is becoming pretty popular. The problem is that style is always extra greasy.

 Onion Rings at Two Lights Seafood & Oyster

Next up we have more just ok. On paper the idea of Tiradito was a good one. It always is as long as the Peruvian-Japanese favorite is done right. Tiradito is thinly sliced fresh fish that isn't sauced until it goes on the plate. The sauce of course can vary but like ceviche it's usually citrus dominated. Tiradito when done right should make your tongue tingle and want to dance. It's lighter than ceviche but in many ways much more fresh and flavorful. Except this was pretty bland compared to others I've tried.

Tiradito - Hamachi, Hearts of Palm, Avocado Creme, Red Finger Hot Chili, Passion Fruit, Macadamia

We did however get to end with a very nice plate of octopus. In fact it was one of my favorite plates of a two day span that saw us hit seven new spots. Described on the menu as grilled Spanish octopus it also had some fresh Greek flavors going when mixed with the salad made of tomato, cucumber, onion, and Feta. This was cooked perfectly to where a spoon easily broke pieces of the octopus off. I don't live anywhere near Old Town and parking is a bitch but if I had easier access to this dish I'd eat on the regular. The question is would it prove to be consistent? That's the tricky part. Until next time.

Grilled Spanish Octopus at Two Lights Seafood & Oyster

Two Lights Seafood & Oyster
227 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 929-3091
Website

55th Annual Ginza Fest Chicago

-Feastin' at locals favorite festivals

The next festival in our most recent series here at S'C'&C is one of my favorites and also one I've been to many a times. This year marks the 55th time the Ginza Holiday will be celebrated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Back in 1956 when this all started the former temple was located a few blocks east of the current one and they chose the name Ginza for the festival because its a district in Tokyo known for its entertainment. The purpose of the fest was to raise money for expenses to upkeep the temple and also as a way to share Japanese culture and traditions with the people of the neighborhood and city. It's a great time and I always had fun as a kid with all the great activities like the karate demonstrations, live music and just running around the 'hood having a great summers day. Anyone from around the area has been to the Ginza fest in their lifetime and if you haven't you should check it, for those that have or those that want too, its around the corner and will be held August 13th, 14th and 15th, 2010 and like always it is the 2nd weekend of August. So hows the food?


Midwest Buddhist Temple (Chicago, IL)

Well the current temple seen above was built in 1972 and it is often referred to as "The Temple That Teriyaki Built." That's because the chicken has long been a part of the celebration and is what people eat when they go to Ginza fest. I've been eating this charcoal grilled chicken for a while now and last year it was as good as ever and same as will be this year. Its simple and succulent and always sold out by weekends end.


Chicken Teriyaki Dinner Ingredient List

Part of the fun at the festival comes from watching the grill veterans take care of all the party goers and their Chicken Teriyaki dinner needs. The chickens start out getting cooked thru in a large baking device and they are marinated in a sauce mixture and once ready thrown into a large pot located next to the charcoal grills where they are eventually charred and slathered with teriyaki. You can you can see them in this stage in the picture below.


Teriyaki Chicken over charcoal


Video of the Ginza Grillmasters at work


The crowd heard in the video above always has a good time...and great eats

If the open pit charcoal chicken and some outdoor time in the summer wasn't enough the other shows put on at the festival stage are stellar. You can also go inside the temple and see exhibits of bonsai, flower arrangements and other Japanese arts and crafts many of which are for sale. All of this with some great people and a beer or five makes the Ginza Fest a great time. If you want to learn anything else you can check the website listed below under the address info. Just make sure you don't miss out on that open pit chicken. Maybe I'll see you there.


The neighborhood favorite Teriyaki Chicken from Ginza Fest

The Midwest Buddhist Temple
435 W. Menomonee St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 943-7801
Website

Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town...

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals (and celeb's) eat.

Chicago is so damn full of notable places to eat that this site will be updated regularly for years and years to come. As long as my heart survives the tour. I haven't had a chance to bring you any of the BBQ around town and I'm not going to have a chance to post about any REAL BBQ this time either. I am a lover of food from around the world and I'm not going to leave out my city's weakness so when it comes to "Chicago style BBQ" its not really BBQ. You see the definition of BBQ is smoked meats and Chicago style ribs never see any flames nor smoke. The ribs are coated with sauce and baked until they fall off the bone. Fans of real BBQ call it "meat jello" and while I know that Chicago style ribs aren't really BBQ, I still like them because I ate them as a kid and they are still ribs. There are a few spots that are well known around town for their Chicago style ribs but Twin Anchors is globally known and has such a great vibe that it gets to go first.


The World famous Twin Anchors tavern (Old Town)

Since as far back as 1910 there has been a tavern operating at the corner of Sedgwick and Eugenie in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. During some point of world war one, the Schlitz brewing company donated the bar that remains in use to this day. During prohibition a speakeasy known as the "Tante Lee Soft Drinks" provided refreshments for the "thirsty" at this location. So as you can imagine, this place has some stories to tell. The list of famous people that have dined at Twin Anchors is pages and pages long and scenes from "The Dark Knight" were filmed there during filming as well most of the scenes from the movie "Return to Me" with David Duchovny.

The most famous avid fan of Twin Anchors was most likely Frank Sinatra. When Frank was visiting one of his favorite cities on earth he could always be found in booth seven at Twin Anchors dining on his beloved ribs. Mr. Sinatra was a visitor during the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's and when he wasn't in town he was having the ribs shipped to him on the road across the country.


Full slab of ribs with onion rings, pickle and slaw

I am a fan of Twin Anchors and everything that it is. They are by no means the best BBQ ribs in the world but they sure are some of the best when it comes to baked ribs with barbecue flavor. The ribs aren't the only thing on the menu, which is pretty consistent up and down. I enjoy the burgers and love the chili during the winter while sitting at the bar and having a beer and watching some sports. Long story short, Twin anchors is a Chicago tradition dating back eight decades that isn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

"Chicago, Chicago that toddling town
Chicago, Chicago Ill show you around - I love it
Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues in Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday could not shut down

On state street that great street I just want to say
They do things that they don't do on Broadway - say
They have the time the time of their life
I say a man and he danced with his wife
In Chicago, my home town"

-- Francis Albert Sinatra & Tony Bennett

Twin Anchors
1655 N Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 266-1616
Website