Creepies

-Grubbing in Chicago
A Neo-Bistro in the West Loop

Creepies has been one of the more worthy buzzed about spots on Randolph’s “Restaurant Row.” The neo-bistro from chefs David and Anna Posey was recently named the best new restaurant in Chicago by John Kessler at Chicago Magazine. The culinary power couple opened Creepies next door to Elske, their flagship restaurant in August of 2025. I've stopped in twice since they opened their doors.

Recently Opened in West Loop

For those wondering about the interesting name it came about as an inside joke between owners David Posey and his wife Anna who came up with it while scouting locations, many of which came off as creepy. They joked about naming their project Creepies and it just kind of stuck. But it fits the space which is a small and eclectic spot with dark and dim lighting and a slightly offbeat European-inspired aesthetic. As far as the food goes it was described by John Kessler as “Parisian-style neo-bistro showcasing distinctive recipes with a deep sense of place. That place would be the Midwest.” 

Lyonnaise salad

Our first visit came about a month after they first opened. Not too long after they introduced lunch. We recently stopped in to see what was up during the daytime. The lunch menu is small but sturdy with 14 dishes total. For starters we tried the Lyonnaise salad with smoked maitakes substituting for traditional pork lardons. This was a nice touch turning Lyon France’s iconic salad into a completely meat free dish. The egg was cooked to the perfect temperature to where it was runny but warm. I can usually gauge a kitchen by the salads and this was a signal that more good things were coming. The lunch menu features two sandwiches and they both caught my eye. They have a croque monsieur with ham and mornay and a Niçoise sandwich with smoked beets. It was a nice and somewhat humid day on our visit so the Niçoise sandwich was my pick and I think I made the right call though we won’t know for sure until I try the croque monsieur. That said the Niçoise is going to be tough to top as this was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ate in a long time. If I hadn’t known it was completely vegetarian I would’ve assumed there was tuna in the style of the French Riviera’s signature salad. The sandwich consisted of three layers starting with smoked beets on the bottom and chopped Niçoise olives on top with a bunch of fresh crunchy greens in between. They really nailed the fresh and briny flavors but a sandwich can only be as good as the bread and the sturdy sesame seeded bread from Publican was outstanding at holding it all together. This just might be the best veggie sandwich around right now. 

Niçoise Sandwich at Creepies

Next up was a surprise gift from the kitchen in the form of a freekeh crepe with artichoke, spring onion, and fromage blanc. I had to look up what freekeh was and it’s a roasted grain made of young green durum wheat that originated in the ancient cuisines of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The Freekeh crepe at Creepies is a textural masterpiece that crackles when cut into. I loved the mix of ingredients inside as this dish had a very distinct Parisian taste. It was pretty great. They seem to be using the crepe as a way to showcase seasonal flavors so I’ll be keeping my eye on what’s next. 

freekeh crepe with artichoke, spring onion, and fromage blanc

The menu is seasonal so a few of the dishes we ate in September are gone but I hope the tomato dish we had makes a comeback as it was the best use of the late summer tomato bounty I tried in 2025. I forgot to take a pic of the menu so I forget exact details but the pairing of fresh and in-season tomatoes and peaches sitting atop a pile of creamy lebnah was the perfect combo of salty and sweet. Whether it’s here or next door at Elske the vegetable dishes shine. The “Tarte Flambé, Tavern Style” is another example of the kitchens ability to make great food without meat. This seems to be one of their signature dishes as it’s been on the menu since day one. The kitchens spin on the Alsatian flatbread in the style of a tavern thin pizza is topped with fromage blanc, oyster mushrooms, onion and chives. The crisp and cracker like texture works in unison with a creamy set of toppings. 

Tomato, Peaches, Labneh

Tarte Flambé, Tavern Style

On our visit last September they had a seasonal corn crepe that I thought was wonderful at capturing the sweet and milky flavor of the end of the summer treat. We’ll always try the fries so long as they’re not from Sysco meaning they make them on site and as expected the fries here are fantastic. Each and every one was golden on the outside and creamy with a deep potato taste. They do a two step process as far as the frying goes using both clarified butter and rice bran oil. The former adds great flavor while the latter makes them extra crispy. These are easily some of the best fries in the city. 

Summer Corn Crepe with Succotash and Green Tomato

French Fries at Creepies


Parisian Gnocchi with Ham, Gruyere, Egg Yolk

Roast chicken is supposed to be excellent here but I decided to pass on that due to the fact that every time I try a hyped up roast chicken dish it’s a bit of a letdown. I much prefer grilled chicken. So instead I decided to try the Parisian gnocchi made with Swiss, ham, and egg yolk. It comes with a large Parmesan crisp on top making it about as rich of a dish as I’ve had in a long time. The gnocchi was light and delicate while the toppings were extremely creamy with a nice punch of saltiness from the ham. Erica got a fish dish that was a bit of a letdown in that it was just a piece of fish topped with endives. It was lacking in terms of creativity and also in presentation but it was still a perfectly fine dish, just not to the level of others. You can’t skip dessert here (or Elske) because Chef Anna Posey makes some of the best anywhere. I know a guy that goes to Elske once a year and orders every single desert as a full meal. They’re that good. We tried the baguette soft serve with chocolate and brown butter crumbs and it’s one of the better soft serve variations around town right now. Hats off to owners David and Anna Posey as well as Chef de Cuisine Tayler Ploshehanski for gifting us with this wonderful restaurant. It’s refreshing to have a spot of this caliber that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

actual baguette flavor, topped with chocolate and brown butter crumbs

Creepies
1360 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 579-2727
Website

Ox Bar & Hearth

-Grubbing in Chicago
Live Fire Cooking in Lincoln Park

Every time I travel I seem to come across a place like Ox Bar & Hearth. I’m talking about the restaurants that revolve around a hearth where live fire cooking is done in an open kitchen setting. These places are usually decked out in exposed brick giving it the feel of a loft. Another common trait you’ll find in these places is a commitment, or at least the claim of being committed, to seasonal and local ingredients. It was only a matter of time until a restaurant like this opened in Lincoln Park. 

Recently Opened in Lincoln Park

Ox Bar & Hearth is the product of two Chicago restaurant veterans - Chef John Asbaty and Restauranteur Alain Uy. Chef John previously helmed his chops in high end kitchens like Alinea and Trio, the latter of which is where he first met Alain Uy. Both of them were in the house on a recent Sunday night visit which came on a cold December evening. Upon being seated we warmed up quickly with a plate of potato pierogi with cabbage, sauerkraut, and horseradish sour cream. These were some of the better Polish Dumplings I’ve had the pleasure of eating. It felt like the dough was thinner than most and all of the condiments it came with were of the highest quality. The addition of dill gave these another layer of flavor that tastefully matched all the other flavors on the plate.

Pierogi at Ox Bar & Hearth

Next out was the ‘lettuces’ which is a bit of an undersell as far as the name of this dish goes. Crisp lettuce leaves are snowcapped with cave aged cheddar, anchovy vinaigrette and sourdough croutons in a wonderful rift on a Caesar Salad. It was super satisfying despite it being the dead of winter when salads don’t hit quite as hard. Unfortunately the ‘Salt Roasted Carrots’ with harissa and pickled cherries was a big miss. The carrots are cooked on the hearth and I love harissa which is a spicy North African chili paste but they came out burnt and flavorless. We brought it up with the waitress but she insisted they were supposed to come like that. There’s a big difference between charred and burnt and these were overcooked to where there was actually no texture or taste to them either. 

Lettuces at Ox Bar & Hearth

 A plate of Rainbow Trout with fried garlic and caramelized onion oil was the first of the entrees to come out. I got to try a little bite and it had that smoky flavor that you can only achieve using a live fire grill so that was a plus as was the crisp skin you get when it’s placed directly over the flames. But in the end it was the pork collar with rutabaga mostarda and black walnut-cider jus that really stood out. Mostarda is an Italian condiment from Northern Italy made from candied fruits preserved in a mustard-flavored syrup. In Italy mostarda is common with charcuterie but at Ox Bar it’s served next to a really well marbled and rich tasting piece of pork neck sitting in a flavorful black walnut cider au jus. This cheffed up version of a pork chop with apple sauce was one of the best things I’ve ate this winter. 

Rainbow Trout


Pork Collar at Ox Bar & Hearth

I’m not one to always order dessert but if you have one that speaks to me I’ll try it as I did with a Pavlova with raspberry sorbet and sage cream. I like most any meringue based dessert as well as contrasting textures so pavlova is one of my favorite deserts and the version served at Ox Bar is up there among my favorite desserts in town right now. It’s light and refreshing and was the perfect ending to a very satisfying dinner. I’ll be keeping my eye on the menu here as it changes up with the seasons.

Pavlova at Ox Bar & Hearth

Ox Bar & Hearth
1578 N Clybourn Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 763-2222
Website

Art's Drive-In

-Grubbing in Chicago
Greek Food and Banter in Bucktown

The corner of North and Elston is kind of a no man’s land in terms of the area and the neighborhood. It’s Lincoln Park according to the signs on the light pole banners but Google says it’s Bucktown. Really the only time people ever found themselves in this area would be when we went to Stanley's Fruits and Vegetables which was a retirement home for produce that closed suddenly in 2019. There was also Art’s Drive In located across the street from Stanley’s but it too closed abruptly when a fire blazed thru the building in 2022. Well the more things change, the more they stay the same. Stanley’s remains gone for good (the building was razed) but Art’s Drive-In is back and better than ever. Note: If you’re going to a concert at Salt Shed this is your spot to grab a bite before or after the show. 

Locals Favorite in Bucktown

Before the fire Art’s was a prototypical Greek owned Chicago style fast food shack. You could get breakfast, lunch, or dinner there and the menu had everything from pancakes to Greek salad to their signature skirt steak sandwich. There used to be a ton of spots like Art’s all across the city but these Greek owned fast food diners are starting to fade away as time goes by (many retired and or moved to Glenview). Enter Alex - new owner of Art’s. Alex is a Greek American Chicago guy whose wife’s family used to run Art’s. When the family decided they wouldn’t be reopening after the fire, they worked out a deal to have Alex take it over. It’s a perfect match as Alex is quite the character and these type of spots always seemed to be run by characters back when I was a kid. Not only is Alex a hoot but he’s a passionate food person who’s serious about putting out a quality product. He refuses to do gyros because he’s not a fan of the factory made cones. Though he has plans to put a made from scratch souvlaki on the menu. The fries are fresh cut and he uses beef tallow as his oil while the hash browns are also made from scratch. Both the cheesesteak and the chicken parm cutlet are covered in Cooper Cheese and the cheese fries get the Merkt's Cheddar treatment. When in-season he uses strawberries from Michigan in the milkshakes which are made the old fashioned way. Same goes for the donuts which are fried fresh on site and topped with delicious homemade frostings. 

Fresh Cut Fries

On my first return visit to Art’s I was immediately greeted by Alex like I was a longtime customer. We hit it off like we had known each other forever. Actually we know some of the same people as Chicago really is the world’s largest neighborhood. Alex grew up on the Northwest Side where his grandma ran a Greek bakery and grocery store called Hellenic located at 6056 W. Diversey. It was there where he would develop a passion for cooking as he often helped her in the kitchen. For my first meal here I had to try the skirt steak sandwich that helped put the previous iteration of Art’s on the map back when it first opened in 1967. I wrote a post about it in 2018. Honestly I’m not a big steak sandwich guy but the skirt steak at Art’s swayed me a little more towards their side. It was more tender than I remember most steak sandwiches to be and had a nice hot/cold element going for it with the lettuce, tomato, and grilled onions. The bread isn’t a typical Turano roll either so that was nice. It’s tough to go wrong with any of Alex’s sandwich creations - every one I’ve tried has been super satisfying. 

Skirt Steak Sandwich at Art's Drive-In

I knew I liked Alex right away when I asked about the Italian beef sandwich and whether it was made on site or pulled from a bag and he almost seemed offended I would ask. No hormone filled bagged beef here. Alex takes the time to roast his own fresh chunk of bottom round which is sliced on site and seasoned with a unique sweet tasting gravy that gives it a flavor unlike any other Italian beef in town and that’s exactly how it should be. Italian beef shouldn’t taste exactly the same from spot to spot. 

Italian Beef at Art's Drive-In

Art’s Drive-In opens at 6am Monday-Saturday and at 8a on Sundays making breakfast a big part of their day. It also makes Art’s a popular stop with the city’s working class just like the original iteration of Art’s was. Honestly I’m not the biggest breakfast guy. Usually my first meal of the day is lunch and sometimes it’s not until dinner believe it or not. But on one of my early visits I asked Alex what I needed to try the next time I stopped in and he was quick to tell me the pastrami. He was adamant that if I was there in the morning I needed to try the pastrami, egg, cheese on the burger bun (it’s served on French bread otherwise). If later in the day he insisted I try the pastrami burger which he told me is an ode to La Jolla, the neighborhood in San Diego where his dad lives. Alex and him often get pastrami burgers when he’s down there so he went ahead and put one on his menu here. 

Pastrami, Egg, and Cheese

Both the pastrami breakfast sandwich and the pastrami burger are delivered via an incredible bun that Alex has baked for him off site. Each of the top and the bottom bun are studded with black and white sesame seeds and they’re soft but sturdy enough to carry the load be it it thinly sliced extra peppery pastrami with egg and cheese or a fresh all beef patty grilled to order with the same pastrami plus lettuce, tomato, onions, and cheese. These made me wonder why pastrami hasn’t caught on with Chicago style fast food the same way it has out in Southern California. The only thing I would do different is I prefer when a breakfast sandwich comes with a runny yolk so I’d ask for that next time.

Pastrami Cheeseburger at Art's Drive-In

Art’s also makes for a great dinner destination with some super fresh Greek forward dinner plates. If it’s a nice day he has patio seating and it can be really chill to just sit outside and watch the cars ride by. I did this a couple weeks ago on what was a hot and muggy evening so I wanted to get something refreshing and a Greek Salad with skirt steak was the perfect call. As you should know this far into the post - all salad the dressings are made on site. The pork chop plate was equally satisfying with the hash browns being the perfect match for two Greek seasoned pork chops grilled to order. 

Greek Salad with Skirt Steak

Pork Chop Dinner with Hash Browns

I don’t think I’d had Biftekia before I tried it at Art’s one night when I was looking for something a bit more substantial and Alex told me I was having that for dinner. Biftekia are savory, herb-infused beef patties, similar to hamburgers but traditionally served without a bun. They’re kind of like a Greek version of Kofta. At Art’s you get two healthy sized discs of Biftekia served with rice, bread and salad making for a complete meal. You owe it to yourself and to Alex to go have a meal at Art’s. I can’t recall a restaurant with a similar setup where the owner was as passionate and welcoming as Alex is. Skip the hot dogs at Home Depot down the street and have one here - just $5.99 with fresh cut fries. 

Biftekia at Art's Drive-In

Art's Drive-In
1333 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 500-2787
Website

Pizz’Amici

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Tavern Thin Pizza in West Town

Chicago is a world class food town with Midwestern roots meaning no matter how many interesting places open none will gather as much buzz as a pizza or steak place. We’re in that stretch of the year where there’s been quite a few openings that seem worth checking out and per usual there’s one spot everyone is talking about more than the others. Today I’m going to give my two cents on Pizz’Amici. 

Recently Opened in West Town

Pizz’Amici opened at 1215 W. Grand Avenue right at the end of last year. One reason it’s been such a popular opening is that there’s a connection to the also popular Kim’s Uncle Pizza out in Westmont. Kim’s was spawned from Pizza, Fried Chicken & Ice Cream which was working out of Bridgeport after the people behind it became locally famous giving out free pizza via Instagram @EatFreePizza during the pandemic. According to Eater Chicago the couple behind Pizz’Amici were partners with another guy who bought them out at Kim’s Uncle Pizza and with that they opened Pizz’Amici. It’s a small space with only so many tables so it’s been tough to get a resy with doofuses like Dave Portnoy praising it. That said we walked in around opening and we were seated at the bar immediately.

a peek inside

I liked the atmosphere here as it feels like an old school spot despite being brand new. I’m not sure what was here before but it feels like an old Italian restaurant when you enter. The space is small with just one dining room and less than 10 tables total. The menu is also on the smaller side with Chicago style thin crust and a handful of antipasti on offer plus a couple dessert options. I was visiting with my wife who likes to start out a pizza dinner with a salad so we began with the Caesar Salad which the menu describes as "crunchy greens, pangrattato, caesar dressing, white anchovies". We both agreed that it was a very good rendition of former Tijuana resident Caesar Cardini's creation. 

Caesar Salad at Pizz’Amici 

The pizza all comes in one shape (thin) and one size (14") and they start at $21 with toppings ranging from $2 to $5 each. As regular readers know I'm a tavern thin pizza purist meaning I like my Chicago style thin crust with sausage and nothing else though onions and peppers or even some giardineria included can also good. But I grew up eating sausage and will never switch to pepperoni even though it seems to be more popular at these trendy transplant hyped spots. We got one sausage and one with mushrooms, onion and green pepper. The pizza looked good upon arrival and it was steaming hot so I made sure to let it rest and not regret going in too quick and leaving a sliver of skin hanging from the roof of my mouth. First things first I had to grab a corner slice. Not bad I thought but the real test comes with the second slice which is always one of the non corner crust squares. I like to fold it like a NY slice and test just how crispy it is. Unfortunately this wasn't as crisp as I hoped it would be. 

Sausage Pizza at Pizz’Amici 

The pizza didn't crack so to say despite being cold cured ala Pat's Pizza on Lincoln. I also thought the sausage was missing something but in fairness I always feel that way at the newer spots that insist on making it on-site despite the availability of a quality product from multiple Chicagoland vendors. My other problem was the sauce which tasted like it had too much going on. Maybe I prefer a milder sauce or maybe I'm just not used to such a heavily seasoned pizza sauce but it dominated the flavor. It might sound like I didn't like this place at all but I still thought the pizza was very good just not the best in town like some others are saying. Actually I enjoyed the veggie supreme pizza more than the sausage which was a first. The quality of the mushrooms and the freshness of the onion and peppers really worked in sync with the well spiced sauce. Overall this is a great opening for the area as there isn't anything else like it along Grand avenue there. The people behind Pizz’Amici have pushed pizza forward in Chicago and I'm almost positive the pizza is always improving as that's what perfectionists like them set out to achieve. I recently saw the backshot (the crust side) of a slice and could tell they're already making it a bit different then when I was there as the picture showed a bunch of dots and the pizza I got had a bunch of diagonal lines going thru the dough. I'll happily go back but I wont be making reservations weeks ahead as that's just not my style when it comes to getting a pizza. 

Veggie Pizza

Pizz’Amici
215 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 285-2382
Website

Elina's

-Grubbing in Chicago
Red Sauce Italian in West Town

“What’s your favorite Italian restaurant?” is a question I get asked every now and then (oftne by the old timers) and I never have an exact answer. Italian food is regional enough to where I have spots I like to go for certain dishes but I don’t have a favorite overall unless you count a spot like Johnnie’s Beef as Italian. But a trip to Elina’s late last winter had me crushing on the trendy red sauce spot pretty hard. This despite me not being a big sauce guy outside of going out for it maybe twice a year. 

Locals Favorite in West Town 

Elina’s opened on Grand Avenue in West Town back in 2022 and it’s been pretty busy ever since then. The owners / chefs honed their skills at multiple Michelin starred spots in New York City and Chicago including the ever trendy Carbone. According to one article I read the goal of them was to create a neighborhood red sauce Italian spot that both the neighbors and gourmands from across the city would like. Walking into Elina’s definitely has the feel of the type of spot they described. It’s dark, it’s slick, there’s leather booths lining the walls and Frank Sinatra is blasting in the background. The menu is a nice mix of red sauce classics that have kept customers coming back as planned. Like every classic Italian American spot your meal starts with a complimentary course - here it’s a trio of garlic bread, salami and beets all of which hit the spot. We also got a Caesars Salad to start which had good anchovy flavor and just enough sauce to prevent the lettuce from getting too soft. 

Appetizers at Elina's

As mentioned above both of the owners worked with Mario Carbone of Carbone in NYC. Carbone is known for its spicy rigatoni vodka - one of the most viral dishes in the social media stratosphere. So it’s no surprise to see a version of it on the menu at Elina’s where they add breadcrumbs to the mix giving it a nice unexpected crunch. I’m ready to say it’s my favorite red sauce pasta in town after having it a couple times. I make my own version but can’t quite nail down what gives Elina’s recipe the edge but it might be the pasta itself - it’s hard to find that shape in grocery stores around town. 

Rigatoni alla Vodka at Elina's

The menu is compact so with that you got less than 10 selections outside of the apps and pastas. Cherry Peeper Ribs, Chicken Parm, and Shrimp Scampi were all tempting but so was the Dover Sole Picatta and Eggplant Parmesan. The former is a favorite in terms of both the species of the fish and the recipe with which it’s made. Fresh flaky fish always mixes really well with lemon and butter so no complaints on that. It was exactly what I wanted. Eggplant parm was more like eggplant lasagna but that’s not a bad thing. A brick of eggplant sauced in a bright acidic marinara is more than enough for two with a pasta added on. So overall despite not being the biggest fan of red sauce Italian food I really like Elina’s for a modern day Italian spot with good energy and a dining room that fits the part.

Eggplant Parmesan

Dover Sole Picatta

Elina's
1202 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 929-2249
Website

Mariscos San Pedro

-Grubbing in Chicago
Fiesta de Mariscos en Pilsen

There’s always Mexican restaurants opening in Chicago though so many of them are basically the same thing. But of late there’s been a handful of interesting and out of the ordinary openings. Mariscos San Pedro inside Pilsen’s Thalia Hall is the latest. The live music venue at the corner of 18th and Allport has teamed up with the Poilevey brothers of Le Bouchon, La Chingon and Obelix.

Recently Opened in Pilsen 

Mariscos San Pedro replaced Dusek’s in July and immediately started garnering buzz. Michael Nagrant of ‘The Hunger’ Substack called it “The Restaurant of Summer” which is fitting with its colorful space mixed with lots of light, friendly hospitality, and a chef driven menu of mariscos more commonly found in LA. I’ve always said Mexican food in Chicago is awesome but it doesn’t quite match LA due to a lack of seafood forward spots like Mariscos San Pedro. Slowly but surely we’re starting to see some Baja quality places so to say. We visited San Pedro a couple weeks ago on a warm and sunny early evening. We took a seat on the patio despite there being plenty of seating at the bar with lots of empty tables inside though they were all filled by the time we left (reservations are always suggested).

a peek inside 

The menu at San Pedro is flooded with seafood or mariscos as pronounced in Spanish. The menu is broken down into platters, ceviche (and aguachile), tostadas, tacos, hot seafood, whole fish and “Masa y Mas” which is everything from quesadillas to a plate of Nopales. Me being me I had to start with a couple of the seafood tacos including the classic Baja Fish taco and also a newfangled Taco Gobernador as they call them here. The fish taco was on point with a nice chunk of perfectly fried cod topped with aioli and slaw resting atop a made on site corn tortilla. The Gobernador was just as good although technically it’s more of a taco de costra con camaron or a cheese crust taco with shrimp. Gobernador tacos are typically like quesadillas as they melt a bunch of cheese mixed with shrimp and peppers but here they mix shrimp into a cheese crust and roll it all up as seen in the picture below.

Taco Gobernador at Mariscos Don Pedro 

Did you know the Caesar Salad was born in Baja Mexico? Caesar Cardini - a French - inspired Italian chef who immigrated to America before moving to Tijuana Mexico to escape prohibition is the man credited with its creation. Chefs in Baja and beyond have been cheffing up this classic salad alot of late. The kitchen at San Pedro starts out with little gem lettuce, boquerones, and Cotija cheese according to the menu. I also detected some crushed up tortilla chips with sweet corn and matchsticks of radish and it all blended together really well. This is a very good choice to start your meal with.

Ceasar Salad at Mariscos San Pedro 

The “Hot Seafood” section has four really interesting options including a wood fired shrimp dish that we ended up choosing over the mussels and frites, an Octopus Sonoran Hot Dog and the Scallops with corn and nduja. You get four large head on shrimps with each plate of the wood grilled shrimp. The shrimp itself was a bit limper than I like but this is pretty much always the case in Chicago and other land locked sections of the country. Though the aguacate salsa with chunks of pineapple sitting on the side was so good it made up for the limp texture and a lack of smoke flavor in the shrimp.

Wood Grilled Shrimp at Mariscos San Pedro 

All three of the whole fish selections sounded good but the pricing on whole fish has gotten out of control in my opinion. We ended up choosing the Dorade bc it was the most reasonable but it’s likely that I come back for the whole fried snapper which I noticed is broken down into individual fried chunks like some spots in Mexico do. I prefer it that way as it’s easier to eat and it's texturally better too. The dorade is wood grilled and served the same way as the fish at Mexico City’s Contramar Restaurant or Christmas style as it’s called out in New Mexico due to the red and green coloring from the sauces used to marinate each side of the butterflied fish. It comes with four thick made on site corn tortillas but you have to add rice and beans if you want those too. I really liked the salsa options included but thought the rice had a weird Uncle Ben’s texture to it. All in all it was a great summertime meal as there’s something about warm weather that makes me crave seafood and Mariscos San Pedro is already one of the city’s best seafood restaurants. Check it out while the weather is ripe.

Grilled Dorade 

Mariscos San Pedro
1227 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 508-4700
Website

BarTucci

-Grubbing in Chicago  
An Italian-American BYOB on Harlem

With freezing cold temps come craves for foods that will warm you up. Soup being the most obvious when it comes to a specific type of dish but what are the best cuisines for cold weather food? There’s way more than just one but Italian-American is a cuisine I crave when the first burst of cold comes upon the city. I’m on record saying I’m not a big fan of red sauce Italian but I only mean that from a commonly consumed standpoint. I don't eat it often as it’s not a cuisine I crave throughout the calendar year. But come winter I’m ready for a big bowl of pasta or massive plate of Chicken Parm to warm up with. This is how we ended up at BarTucci when that first blow of cold wind came howling. 

Locals Favorite on Harlem  

I’d always been meaning to try this place that sits in a strip mall on Harlem in Chicago’s other “Little Italy” neighborhood which stretches along Harlem from North to Lawrence. It's BYOB which means it gets busy on weekends with large groups out to celebrate. Like most Italian restaurants it’s popular for big portions of pasta and rightfully so as it all comes from the family’s fresh pasta shop next door called Pasta Fresh. I always like to start a hearty meal like this with a fresh salad of sorts. We opted for the Insalata Italiana which is made with romaine lettuce, cremini mushrooms, black olives, tomatoes, bell peppers, oregano, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil. It’s a fairly standard offering as far as the ingredients go but each of them was crisp and fresh making it a good start to dinner.  

Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia at BarTucci 

The pasta portion of the menu is solid in size with 12 options to choose from. Each one of them is a substantial amount of food for a reasonable price as the majority are under $20 a plate. An order of Vodka Rigatoni con Salsiccia was my pick and it hit the spot in all the right ways. I don’t think that it’s a distinctly Chicago dish but it’s one that most spots in the city do right thanks in part to the abundance of quality Italian sausage available in Chicago. This was loaded with chunks of Italian sausage mixed into a flavorful vodka cream sauce clinging to fresh al dente pasta with peas. I had plans to bring some home but none of it made it back. We also tried Linguine Nere all'Aragosta which is squid ink linguine with a tomato cream sauce, brandy, and shallots with a lobster tail on top. I'll typically avoid lobster tail but it’s what the wife wanted and it was actually pretty good but the lobster tail was a bit tough as expected. Frozen warm water lobster tail isn’t that flavorful and never as tender as the fresh stuff but it’s not bad as part of a pasta. If you’re looking for a byob further west this is your spot. From the warm service to the comforting food it's your prototypical neighborhood Italian joint.

Linguine Nere all'Aragosta 

BarTucci 
3426 N Harlem Ave
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 887-4416
Website

Smoque Steak

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Smoked Steaks in Avondale

When Smoque BBQ first opened 17 years ago it was before barbecue had really taken off across the country. It was the first place in Chicago doing Texas style barbecue. There wasn’t many other spots like it but nowadays there’s places doing Texas barbecue everywhere from here to Timbuktu. So how big of a stretch would it be to ask if smoked steak is the country’s next big food trend? I only ask bc that’s what owner of Smoque Barry Sorkin and his team are doing at their new spot in Avondale.

Recently Opened in Avondale 

Smoque Steak opened to lots of hype this past May. The team behind it wanted to open a steakhouse that felt elevated but also affordable and most importantly one that was different. They made it different by choosing to make the steaks in a way no place else is doing. The steaks are smoked, slow cooked, and then seared. They’re served in a sleek space that feels like a night out type of spot. We arrived to a full house that definitely had a great steak house vibe going for it - there was energy in the air. Also of note was the musical playlist which was on point for a Saturday night. They were playing 90’s hip hop and R&B but they switch the genre up often or so we were told. You're greeted by a QR menu at the table which I don't mind but I do miss holding a menu. While beef is always the main character at a Steakhouse the salad also plays an important part. We got a Caesar salad to start and it played a great supporting role. It was a massive portion that could feed four as a starter. 

Caesar Salad at Smoque Steak 

Opening a steakhouse without options for a non meat eater isn’t a good idea in today’s day and age. Smoque has a few non red meat selections including lobster and grits, a piece of lightly smoked salmon and even a cauliflower steak. Erica ended up choosing the spicy shrimp pasta and was very satisfied with it. The portions here are generous and proper for a steak spot. Though it’s not described as so the pasta is basically a spicy shrimp scampi with five nice sized pieces of shrimp sitting atop linguine mixed with garlic, lemon, and white wine plus a spicy melted butter. 

Spicy Shrimp Pasta 

The smoked and seared steaks are offered a handful of ways including a fairly priced bistro steak ($19) which is an 8 oz cut of chuck. Their most expensive offering is the 16 oz boneless ribeye ($52). There’s also a strip steak ($45) and a filet ($52) but I chose to roll with the steak frites ($30). Outer cut skirt steak is one of my top two or three cuts of beef. None of the other steak options come with anything but there’s plenty of steakhouse quality sides you can order separately. But the steak and frites comes with fries plus a red chimmichuri that I opted to get on the side as I wanted to try the steak as is for my first few bites. So you get a really nice cut of 8 oz outer skirt steak plus fries and a side of sauce that otherwise costs $3 as an add on to your steak. Not a bad deal at all but how does it taste? Honestly my first thought was “like beef jerky.” There’s a butcher in Michigan City called Langhe's Old Fashioned Meat Market that makes a warm steak jerky unlike any other and that’s what I thought of when I took my first bite of beef from Smoque Steak. It’s pretty good but that said I’m not ready for smoked steak to replace grilled or broiled steak or any of the more traditional ways but it’s a nice change of pace. The menu says the fries are fresh cut but I couldn’t tell if they were or not. It’s usually easy to do so but I don’t know about the ones from here. They weren’t awful but they seemed too in unison to be fresh cut. Overall we had a good visit even though I don’t love a smoked steak as much as I do a char grilled steak. This is still a place that I’ll likely return to by my own choosing. It’s reasonable and it’s unique and I like that combination as far a modern steakhouse goes. 

Steak Frites at Smoque Steak

Smoque Steak
3310 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 219-1775
Website

Eating BIG in Rockford

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

Other than the google search results you won’t find a bigger collection of Illinois restaurant reviews than you’ll find over here. I’ve covered countless spots from DeKalb to Carbondale and beyond. So you shouldn’t be too surprised with todays stop - Rockford. The Screw City aka Forest City aka Reaper City is the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicagoland area and is the states fifth most populated overall. It’s not the first spot in the Land of Lincoln that you might think of visiting and it’s probably not the second or third spot either but it’s a compelling place with lots of history and some stuff worth seeing including the Anderson Japanese Gardens which many consider the best of its kind in the Midwest. Rockford's location on the Rock River along with over 4000 acres of public parks means there’s lots of outdoor activities on offer too. I’ve never actually spent the night in Rockford in part due to its proximity to Chicago (80 miles) but I’ve stopped thru there plenty of times on the way somewhere else and have also taken a few daytrips over the years. Todays post is a culmination of all of the times I’ve stopped in Rockford to explore the area through food and what not. The food scene reflects the city itself - it's nothing fancy and definitely not trendy but it is interesting.

Sights in Rockford 
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Stockholm Inn

Our first stop is perhaps Rockford's most popular breakfast spot. If not the most popular it's certainly one if the most well known. The history of the Stockholm Inn is traced back to the 1940's when a husband and wife team with Swedish ancestry opened it under a different name. The people they sold it to kept the homestyle Swedish recipes and renamed it after Sweden's capital city. Decades later it brings alot of cultural and historical value to the people of Rockford. Locals pack the place on a daily basis. Many come for Swedish specialties like kroppkakor (potato dumplings), kaldomar (cabbage rolls), Swedish meatballs, salt herring, fruit soup, rice pudding and nut cake. Their most popular menu item are the Swedish pancakes which are a cross between a pancake and a crepe. They're thinner and lighter than their American counterparts due to the use of less flour and more butter when making them. It's common to eat these with a lingonberry sauce but I enjoy them as is with butter. 

Swedish Pancakes at Stockholm Inn
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Behr Den

Rockford's oldest restaurant is tucked away in an industrial area near the river. Behr Den has been serving the people of Rockford since 1896. It's open to the public but its location directly across the street from Behr Iron & Metal makes it a regular stop for workers of the longtime manufacturing company. According to an article from a local Rockford station it started out as a pharmacy and candy shop before turning into a restaurant over 100 years ago. Not a ton seems to have changed in the last 50 years or so, even the radio sitting on top of the counter was from another era. The prices are too. I got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for just $3.50 while my friend got the Denver omelet plate for $6.25. I've visited countless blue collar type dining spots over the years and none of them felt as industrial as the Behr Den. That goes for the food and the people on top of the atmosphere there.

Breakfast at the Behr Den 
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The Norwegian 

At the time of it's opening The Norwegian was Rockford's most ambitious restaurant project. It's housed in a historic building that was bought by a local woman who grew up in the area and rehabbed it with the help of the local who donated more than $100,000 to a Kickstarter so that it could be cleared of asbestos and turned into a brunch pub and live music venue. They serve brunch with a Nordic twist with dishes like Æbleskiver. These delicious Danish pancake balls are made from a fried batter and basically a cross between a donut and a beignet. The Norwegian serves theirs with a fantastic made in-house raspberry jam and some maple syrup for dipping and I would highly recommend starting your meal with these or ending it with them. The Lyonnaise salad is a good option as far as starters go as is the gravlax Smørrebrød. They do a little Nordic twist on the smash burger called 'The Frikadeller' which is a smashed Danish meatball patty with Jarlsberg, sauerkraut, lingonberry bbq sauce and caramelized onion aioli on local baked rye. Definitely worth a stop. 

Brunch at The Norwegian
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Meads Meat Market 

One of my favorite things about the food culture in the Midwest is the abundance of local butchers that are still around. There's not as many as thee used to be but it seems like most towns in the region still have a locally owned shop for meats and more. Meads is that spot in Rockford. The family owned butcher shop has been serving the community for nearly 85 years. They didn't have a ton of meat on offer when I went in there but they do a daily sandwich special which is what really seems to bring the customers in. The hot roast beef sandwich was the special on my visit. House roasted beef is placed atop onions, cheddar, and hot peppers served on a locally made Italian roll. Not bad at all. 

Hot Roast Beef at Meads Meat Market 
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Lino's

I once stopped at Lino's back in my college days riding to and from Madison. So I went ahead and got reacquainted as I was recently in the area. Lino's is Rockfords most popular pizzeria dating back to 1972. They shred their own cheese blend and the sausage is made on-site. Pizzas are cooked in an old Faulds Oven which is a defunct Chicago company, lots of local pizzerias still use them. They call this “Rockford style” as it’s thicker than cracker thin but still much thinner than deep dish. Actually it’s similar in girth to most thin crust spots in and around Chicagoland. It’s also a place of celebration as they cater and do banquets so lots of people in the area have a connection to the pizza and their house special salad with sausage. You can get a pizza, a salad, and a 2 liter of pop for $20 (takeout). I was most impressed with the sheer amount of people visiting be it for dine in or for takeout where they run a Chick-Fil-A type of ship getting customers in and out in an impressive amount of time.

Salad and Pizza at Lino's 
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Olympic Tavern 

If you're riding through Rockford and looking for a sit-down type of spot for dinner you should check out the Olympic Tavern. It's a Rockford institution dating back to 1945. It's got a very Wisconsin tavern and supper club type of vibe as far as the food and the atmosphere goes. You don't see fried bluegill around too often so I like to get it when I have the chance to do so and Olympic Tavern has it available regularly so that was an easy decision for me on my visit. If you've never had bluegill it's similar to lake perch in flavor and texture so it's best served lightly breaded like those seen below. 

Blue Gill Filets at Olympic Tavern 

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Lao Kitchen 

If you're a Chicagoan passing through Rockford and thinking about stopping for some food you might want to consider Lao Kitchen considering there's no Lao restaurants in Chicago (there's one ghost kitchen). To my knowledge there's a small Lao community in the Rockford area which could be due to its proximity to Wisconsin where there's a fairly large Lao presence. Lao food has slowly become one of my favorites going back to my college days in Madison which is where I was first introduced to the flavors before falling even further in love with the food while in Northern Thailand with whom Laos shares a border as well as many different ingredients and recipes. Since then Lao food has become pretty popular across the country with more and more spots identifying as Lao and not Thai. Lao Kitchen has a relatively small menu with mostly standard offerings including Lao sausage which might be my favorite encased meat these days (it's top 5 for sure). I love how Lao sausage packs all the wonderful flavors and aromas of Southeast Asia both in the link itself and also from the spicy and sour jeow sauce that it's typically served with. Add in some sticky rice and you got a meal in of itself but I also rec the Lard Na which is typically found on Thai menus but is traced back to Laos where Chinese people would cook stir fried noodles covered in gravy. Lao Kitchen makes a very good version. 

Lunch at Lao Kitchen 
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Tortacos Soto

Rockford might not be Illinois' Second City when it comes to tacos, that's Aurora, but there's still lots of taco options. I came across Tortacos Soto while browsing the menus of local taquerias. They have a couple of guisada (stewed meats) offerings with chicken and I enjoyed both of them. 

Pollo en Rajas con Arroz at Tortacos Soto 
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Beef-A-Roo 

If you're passing through the area and looking for something quick well then I have to mention Beef-A-Roo bc this wouldn't be a proper Rockford food post without it. The regional fast food chain opened their first location in 1967 and now has seven locations in the Rockford area while currently being in the process of a rapid expansion to a handful of other states. Beef-A-Roo is known for roast beef sandwiches which are not to be confused with Italian beef. These are more like Arby's though it's fans will tell you it's so much better and they might be right but if we're being real they're pretty similar to me. Then again it was sold by the original founders a few years back so it's likely that things have changed. I'm not saying it's terrible but it's typical fast food as far as it's quality goes. 

Roast Beef and Fries at Beef -A-Roo 
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Zammuto's 

I've been making summertime stops at Zammuto's for more than 20 years now. But its history goes back way further than that. It was opened as a grocery store in 1925 by a local Italian who may or may not have had a connection to the head of the Rockford mob family ran by a man with the same surname. The grocery was transported into a granita / ice cream stand at some point in the 50's or 60's and was later sold but the granita recipe lives on with the current owner. Granita is a product of Sicily, a cousin to Italian ice in that it's a semi frozen dessert made from fruit, water, and sugar. Zammuto's serves both granita and soft serve and they combine the two of them for their signature menu item - the "Unusual". They're so well liked that other dairy stands around town also serve them. 

The Unusual at Zammuto's 
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More from Illinois

Click 'Illinois' under tags for more than 50 posts including...

Eating BIG in Peoria

Roadfood in Galesburg

Southern Illinois Roadtrip

Smashed Burgers of Central Illinois 

The Illinois Fried Chicken Trail

See ya next time @chibbqking