Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Take 2: La Gondola

-Here we go again
Trip's back to Previous Haunts

As Valentine's day nears I thought it appropriate to post about our latest stop. I thought people might be googling "where to eat in Chicago on valentines day" and so with that its also time to introduce our newest series. It being a look back at places already featured here on S'C'&C. Our first stop is to a place that's been around the neighborhood longer than me and who's pizza was already featured HERE. La Gondola used to be at the corner of Ashland and Montana back in the early to middle 80's until they moved a few blocks north into the large strip mall at Ashland and Oakdale. I know that places in strip malls can be good in spots like Las Vegas and Arizona but there aren't many good strip mall dining options in Chicago. With the exception of La Gondola.


a great Valentines Day stop

It might not look all that comforting and romantic from the outside but once you step inside it doesn't feel like your in a strip mall anymore. Its a very cozy place and there's only five tables to eat at and they'll have some old school Italian music playing at a decent level and a nice wine selection. The owners are from Italy and have been using their families recipes handed down generation after generation. Most of the food at La gondola is made from scratch including their sauce and Italian sausage. Its a great place to go out with a date or if your lucky enough to live in the area, get delivery from. They also do a very good take-out business since its easy in and out with plenty of parking at the mall. During the wintertime I always make sure I get an order of their Stracciatella soup. A secret recipe of the popular Roman soup, his with spinach, brought from Rome by the chef at La Gondola. I don't know whats in it but its great and I always dip my bread in it and soak up every last drop. Here is a look at a few of my favorite dishes from a great neighborhood joint and here's to 25 more years. Cheers!


Stracciatella soup from La Gondola


some of the best veggie soup I've had


Homemade Meatballs

^You gotta respect a spot that does everything from scratch. There are no short cuts to memorable tasting food items.


Linguine with white wine clam sauce

^here we have one of, if not my favorite, non tomato based pasta dishes. La Gondola does up a really formidable version of linguine with a real clam sauce. Nothing canned here.


Rigatoni Bascaiola (signature dish)

^Creamed tomato sauce with fresh mushrooms and sauteed Italian sausage and fresh sage tossed in rigatoni make up the house's signature pasta dish. If I'm feeling like something red I'll always get this or the spaghetti and meatballs. Its hard too pass on the Bascaiola, its very much a trademark dish.

Its hard to believe that La Gondola is in its 25th year. Everything is pretty much good and nothing disappointments over there. Its not just the pastas but also the pizza, seafood and chicken dishes. Its a great place to eat if your around or live in the area, if your going out and want a romantic date or ordering pick up and want something good it really works great no matter what you want. If choosing to dine in, the service is excellent. Reservations are accepted and I would recommend getting them seeing as though there's 5 or 6 tables. They also have a full service bar and always have people dining in celebrating whatever it is they are. Ciao down!

La Gondola Restaurant
2914 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433


La Gondola on Urbanspoon

Monday, February 8, 2010

Henry's Drive In

-In Chicago: Every Dog Has it's Day

The next stop on the Chicago Hot Dog Stand Tour is to Henry's Drive In on Ogden ave, aka Route 66, in the Chicago suburb of Cicero. If you've ever taken a drive down the start of US Route 66 on Ogden ave then you have seen Henry's. Out of all the 1950's era neon signs in Chicagoland-Henry's reigns supreme with me. This classic Chicagoland hot dog stand was started in the 50's by a guy whose surname was Henry. He originally started off with a hot dog wagon on Austin just north of Ogden. When Route 66 was getting going, Henry then built and opened up his own place where it stills stands today. Luckily for the fans of Route 66 and all the neon signs that were built to be displayed along it, Henry's sign is still alive and well. If Henry's were to ever close, I'd pay top dollar for the neon. It shows a hot dog with toppings and fries on top which is how they're served at Henry's and then has a neon arrow pointing towards it proclaiming their slogan "It's a meal in itself" Its classic signage.


A familiar face along Route 66 in Cicero, IL

I'm sure you could find anyone who grew up in Cicero to give you their story of Henry's and recollect when they used to hang out there in high school but I read an interesting piece of info on it over at LTHforum. It seems as though back when Henry's Hamburgers was an up and coming chain (read about my story on it here) they tried to open a location at the corner of Ogden and Austin right by Henry's Drive In which was already there. The poster at LTH who went to high school with Mr. Henry's sons went onto explain that "One of the two parties sued, and Mr. Henry won, primarily, as I understood it at the time, based on the fact that his business bore his actual surname, whereas the chain was using a corporate identifier" The business was then taken over by one of Mr. Henry's boys and has since been sold to a family from the area.


Henry's has some relics on the walls from when Rt. 66 was BIG

So what about the dogs? Well they aren't bad. I would call them your typical Chicago hot dog stand hot dog (better than most places outside Chicagoland, not as great as the best in the city) but since this place has so much history, its a cool spot to visit and I would recommend doing so if your ever in the area. If your doing Route 66 from Cali to Chicago, you'll know your close to the city when you see the sign. The dogs are Vienna Beef skinless (not my style) and come dressed with mustard, onions, relish, sport peppers and a pickle spear. When they wrap the hot dog up they throw the fries (which are frozen but not bad) on top just like so many other Chicago hot dog stands do nowadays. I don't think Henry's started this trend but its obvious from their sign they've been doing it this way since the 50's.


Hot Dog from Henry's fresh out the wrapping


a well known hot dog in Chicagoland

Just like the rest of the hot dog stands around the city, Henry's serves up hot dog stand tamales. If your from Chicago then you should of had one or two in your day and if you haven't you've definitely seen them. Its thought that when the blues musicians of the Mississippi delta came north to Chicago to get out of the south, they brought with them their Delta style tamales. Eventually before you even knew it the city had at least three companies that mass produced the cornmeal based tubes filled with mystery meats that can now be found all over town. In fact it was Iltaco, the creator of Pizza Puffs, who started off selling just tamales. Illinois Tamale Company as Iltaco is short for would eventually cease all making of tamales and stick to their popular pizza puffs. Over at Henry's they serve Tom-Tom tamales and you can have them a few ways.


Serving Chicago since 1937...Tom Tom Tamales

There are a few popular ways of eating Chicago hot dog stand tamales aside from straight up. The most popular way is probably in a bowl of chili. Some places will take the tamale out of the wax paper and break it in half and throw it in a cup and then some chili on top. Its something that Chicagoans have been eating for decades.


Tamale in a bowl of chili

It doesn't end with the chili tamales. If you saw the "No Reservations" Chicago episode then you might remember the "Mother In Law" which is one of these tamales stuffed in a bun and smothered with chili, cheese and onions. Also at Henry's you can get a tamale dog which is just a tamale replacing the wiener in the bun with mustard, onions, pickle and sport peppers.


Henry's Tamale Dog

Lets just say that the "Chicago Style tamale" was my first and last try of one of these things. Something about the pickle spear and tamale didn't make for a pleasant texture or taste. I love a tamale in chili and feel like the tamale often makes most hot dog places below average bowls of chili a little better. They also still carry BBQ beef sandwiches with pickles on top which I remember loving as a youngin' in my youth and ordering often. But rarely see it on the menu of spots these days.


The insides


Henry's Classic Roadfood Sign during daytime (Pic from Rt 66 Pool on Flickr by Flickr-Nickk)

Henry's Drive In
6031 West Ogden Avenue
Cicero, IL 60804-3742
(708) 656-9344


Henry's Drive-in on Urbanspoon

Monday, February 1, 2010

Super Recipes for Super Bowl XLIV

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

The food for the game game is all about making sure your cooking something that doesn't need to be prepared on call. You gotta make sure you are making stuff that can be made ahead so you aint sitting in the kitchen or at the grill when the games going on wondering what everyone is cheering about. So here I present to you 15+ recipes for GGG-Great Gameday Grub.

2010 Recipe Index (In Listed Order)

Coney Dogs
BMT's
Sconnie Sliders
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
Piggie Wings
Garlic BBQ Beer Wings
Grilled Italian Sausage Mosstacholi with Roasted Peppers
Super Steak Kabobs
Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Irish-Mexican Nachos
KingT's Tex-Mex Chili
Chili Cheese Fries
Chili Cheese 'dillas
White Trash Tacos
Sunday Gravy
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Coney Dog's

All across America you'll find Coney dog stands serving up hot dogs with coney sauce which is a chili like topping said to be created by a Greek guy in Detroit back in the day. Eventually the love for this style of dog spread out of Michigan and throughout the country. Everybody that loves coney dogs has a secret sauce recipe or a place thy go to that claims the same. Well in my research I found that in Flint, MI they use ground beef hearts and kidneys in the blend to give that regions coney's their unique flavor. I also read somewhere that you have to use shredded up cheap hot dogs when making the sauce. So one day I tried an impromptu recipe and was damn pleased with the results.


The blended Oscar Mayer hot dogs gave it an edge

chibbqking's Coney Sauce

-1/2 cup of chili powder
-1/4 cup cumin
-1/4 cup smoked paprika
-1/4 cup garlic powder
-4 Oscar Meyer hot dogs blended up like in the pic above
-2 to 3 pounds ground beef
-2 lg. onions sliced very fine or put thru a grater
-1 tablespoon vinegar
-1 eight ounce can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
-1 tablespoon Yellow mustard
-1/2 cup of chicken stock


Coney sauce should be near dry and not too soupy


Dogs on the griddle...cookin' in butter


Coney's traditionally come w/o cheese but I like mine with
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BMT's
-jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon


Ready for da smoker

One of the easiest and tastiest treats out there. Simply take a bunch of jalapenos and slice off the top part and remove the insides. Take your favorite BBQ rub and mix a tablespoon or two into some cream cheese and then stuff it in the jalapeno. Wrap the pepper in bacon and sprinkle some rub on it and smoke them in a smoker until the bacon is crisp.


Bomb ass BMT's
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'Sconnie Sliders
-a chibbqking tribute to WI & it's food

This years recipes all have a common bond and that's that they are all pretty simple to make. A Sconnie slider is simply Wisconsin beef summer sausage sliced into coins and grilled on both sides for a few minutes per. You then take them and toss the chips in your favorite BBQ sauce and serve them on warm dinner rolls. Simple and succulent. I like the combo of the charred beef chips and Open Pit BBQ sauce.


What you'll need along with some dinner rolls and BBQ sauce


Step 1) Grill


Step 2) Toss in BBQ sauce


Step 3) Place beef chips in warm rolls and eat
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chibbqking Buffalo Chix Sliders
-Buffalo wings on a bun minus the bones

I came up with this one when I had all the ingredients needed to make them and the idea just came to mind. To keep this recipe real simple, just buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocer and remove the skin and shred the meat off and reserve it for the sandwiches.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded apart into pieces
- 1 bottle of Franks buffalo sauce
- 1 jar of Bleau cheese dressing
- 1 stick of butter
- stalk of celery, chopped into small pieces
- 1 package dinner rolls (as many rolls as sandwiches wanted)


Bleu cheese and celery ready to go


Shredded cooked chicken is what you need to make the sammy's


Mix butter and buffalo sauce and simmer until heated thru


Build your buffalo chicken slider as shown above
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chibbqking Piggie Wings
-Chix Tenders wrapped in bacon

Need I explain any further?

Ingredients

-package of raw chicken tenders
-package of bacon
-your favorite BBQ rub and some brown sugar
-Ranch dressing

1) Remove tenders from package and rinse under water and pat dry. Sprinkle your favorite rub over the tenders then wrap it fully in bacon (like that seen in the pic below) insert a toothpick to keep it wrapped and then sprinkle the bacon with brown sugar.


Piggie Wing ready for grilling

2) Grill wings until the bacon is crisp on the outside but be careful to watch for flareups. Serve with ranch dressing.

3) Enjoy!


chibbqking's piggie wings
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KingT's Garlic BBQ Beer Wings


What you'll need for G-B-BBQ wings (plus wings and BBQ sauce)

Note: Old Bay, Chicken Rub or any other rub you like will work.

1) Take everything seen above and marinate wings for at least 24 hours.

Note: there is no exact recipe, just use 3 tablespoons of each the rub and chopped garlic and the entire bottle of your beer of choice.

2) Drain the garlic-beer liquid and pat wings dry. Grill wings until done. Take them off grill and toss in your favorite BBQ sauce (make sure sauce is at room temp or warm).

3) Enjoy!
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Grilled Italian Sausage Mostacholi with roasted peppers
-a chibbqking original recipe

Ingredients

2 pound's Italian sausage (grilled)
2 green bell peppers (roasted on grill and peeled)
1 large onion, chopped
6-8 cups spaghetti sauce (you can doctor up bottled stuff if you like)
1 – 16 ounce package mostacholi
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1) Cook the sausage on the grill, while sausage is grilling roast your green peppers. Once done take sausage off and set aside and place your pepper sin a brown paper bag and wrap it up so no air gets out.

2) If using homemade red sauce, simply take the chopped onion and saute it and then dump your sauce in the pot and let it simmer. If using bottled or jarred sauce then I would doctor it up with sauteed onions, garlic and peppers etc...

3) Cook the pasta according to the packages instructions. While pasta is cooking slice the sausage into single pieces. When finished rip off the skin of the roasted peppers and remove the insides and dice them up into pieces.


Grilled Hot Sausage from Nottoli on Harlem works great

4) Put small amount of sauce into the bottom of pan and spread it around. Layer some of the pasta over the sauce and add half of the sliced sausage and chopped peppers and add 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and 2 cups of sauce. Repeat the layer once more and top with Parmesan cheese.

5) Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.


The grilled sausage and roasted green peppers add plenty of flavor
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Super Steak Kebabs

One of my favorite things to grill are steak kabob's. If you get the right pieces of meat for them and have a good marinade and can let them sit in it for 24+ hours they always taste great. Here is a marinade I came up with when I was experimenting with them a couple months back. I might have to make these at my party this year.

Super Steak Marinade

-1 cup vegetable oil
-1/3 cup light soy sauce
-1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
-1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- the juice from a lemon
- one small chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of Greek Oregano
- salt and pepper

Combine the ingredients and marinate meat for at least 24 hours. Grill with peppers and onions on skewers over live charcoal.


chibbqking Super Steak kabobs
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Blackened chicken alfredo pasta

-My ode to the Saints

You know many people out there are throwing New Orleans/Cajun themed super bowl parties this year. Here is an easy recipe for a blackened chicken alfredo. Easy to make and easy to make alot of. Go Saints. Recipes for this dish easy and crowd pleasing are all over the 'net. I like to use bowtie pasta in mine.


Who Dat?
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Irish-Mexican Nacho's
-a chibbqking original

You might remember these from a previous post. Irish-Mexican nachos is an ultimate gameday grub dish and sure to be a crowd pleaser. Many people end up at the article when searching google for "Irish Mexican nachos" or "potato nachos" and so on. Since its post back in March of '09 its gotten over 2,500 views mostly from google search. Take a look at the recipe for these HERE.


Irish-Mexican Nachos: as seen on chibbqking
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KingT's Tex-Mex Chili (The Champ is Here)

If you went to the Time Out Chicago chili cookoff this year, you didn't see me there. No worries though because I am still tweaking what will become my signature recipe and you might even catch me down south in Murphysboro, IL at the 17th street bar and grill's annual chili cookoff at the end of February.


Big Ole Bowl of Chili

I'm tweaking a little bit here and there and figuring out the perfect portion amounts but I am confident you will enjoy my "sharing" recipe, which is about as much as I'll share of it. This isn't a recipe for a small group of people or someone looking for a quick batch of chili, you need to make it in a big pot due to the amount of ingredients added in and its a two day process. You will be rewarded should you have at it.


KingT's Tex-Mex Chili
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chili cheese fries

Since the chili recipe above calls for alot to be made, you gotta have some stuff to do up with the leftovers. If you like chili cheese dogs, this chili makes a mean one. Here are a couple more ideas you can use the chili for. You can take some fries, fresh or frozen, and top them with the chili and shredded cheddar and add chopped onions on top for some fine chili cheese fries.


KingT's chili cheese fries
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chibbqking chili cheese 'dillas

You can also use the chili as a filling for quesadillas, just add chihuahua cheese and some peppers.


Step 1) fill her then grill her...


...and its done
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White Trash Tacos

Everyone knows how to make white trash tacos. Just follow the instructions on the taco seasoning mix and plop the ground beef on a tortilla and top with your favorite toppings. I like to get real trashy and use onions rings as a topping on mine.


White Trash tacos with onion rings on top
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Sunday Neckbone Gravy (Makes 16 Cups)

If you want to go all out this Super Sunday then you need to do it like all Italian families do every Sunday. Sunday red gravy is a tradition in many families and it starts first thing in the morning. I once read a recipe from Esquire that was truly super and decided to try it immediately. Over time I played around with it and then settled on this recipe for a great batch of marinara that wont cost you more than $20 to make.


Simmered neckbones out of the pot

Ingredients for Sauce

About ½ cup olive oil
6-8 pounds pork neckbones
4 lbs your favorite meatballs
2 medium Spanish onions, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 12-oz can tomato paste
2 2 oz containers of anchovies (mashed in oil)
5 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) with juices, crushed by hand until no whole tomatoes remain
3 bay leaves
Hefty pinch sugar
Salt to taste (about 2 to 3 tsp)

Ingredients for Meatballs

4 lbs meatloaf mixture (beef, pork, veal)
12 slices white bread, broken into small 1/2 inch pieces (or you can use rolls or any stale bread you have and want to use up)
4 eggs, slightly beaten
garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
parsley flakes to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
olive oil or vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions for Meatballs

~Mix all ingredients gently in a large bowl until well combined.

~Roll meatballs 1 1/2- 1 3/4" in diameter.

~Heat about 1/4" of oil over medium heat in a large frying pan.

~Fry meatballs in oil, rolling frequently, until evenly browned and juices run clear.

~Set meatballs aside to drop in sauce after its made.


Shredded neckbone meat

Instructions for Sauce

~Coat cooking surface of large heavy-bottomed stockpot (at least 12 qts — we're talking about a huge pot) with olive oil, place over medium-low heat, and working a few at a time brown the neckbones on all sides and leave them in the pot. (Add more olive oil as needed.)

~Add onions to pork bones and slowly brown, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and lightly brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mashed anchovies and stir occasionally.

~Add tomato paste and stir to coat onions, anchovies and pork bones. Slowly cook until paste begins to thicken and turn deep reddish brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, and sugar. Stir well, making sure you get down to the bottom, and bring to a low boil.

~Lower heat and simmer uncovered until sauce begins to thicken. After three hours, add meatballs. Continue to simmer until a layer of oil forms on top, about another hour. Season to taste with salt.

~Use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to serving platter. Shred off the meat of the neckbones and discard the bones. Remove the meat back to the pot. Use sauce in your favorite pasta.


Meat going back into the sauce


Super Sunday Gravy smothered over meatballs
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While my preseason prediction of a Chargers-Saints Super Bowl fell just short, I still hit on the Saints in the NFC and New Orleans is still my favorite US city outside Chicago. Who Dat? Saints 33 Colts 30. See y'all next week.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Going Back to Katy's

Smokin' Bowls of Soup
-Back to Katy's for more Soup

Well for a little while there we had some pretty damn good weather for the middle of January here in Chicago. However it looks like the cold and its windchill are back. So I thought it was a good time to take a trip back to Katy's for some satisfyingly delicious bowls of soup. With the now annual Super Bowl recipe blowout post coming next week I just wanted to remind people about Katy's and her so so good food out in Westmont. In all of my food travels throughout Chicagoland and beyond it is still one of the great examples of how in order to find the best you gotta look everywhere. Even if everywhere is a small unassuming storefront (next to a head shop) in a strip mall in Westmont, Illinois.


Katy's was already featured HERE

Katy's isn't exactly easy access for people in the city without a vehicle. However if you have one or know someone that does and loves Chinese food that's actually eaten by Chinese people, you need to get over there. I was tipped off a couple years back and I still haven't found a better place for noodles, which are made fresh daily. The soups at Katy's are the ultimate prize upon arriving after a haul in winter weather all the way from the city. You can take Ogden ave. in the city all the way to Cass st to get there. Should you make it you will be rewarded with some of Chicago's best Chinese dishes and oh yeah, did I mention the soups?


beef noodle soup


wonton soup


Szechwan Noodle Soup

Click Here for some in-depth coverage.

Katy's Dumpling House
665 N. Cass Ave.
Westmont, IL 60559
(630) 323-9393

Hours: 11am – 9pm
Closed Wednesdays
Cash only

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