Eating BIG in Austin Pt. 2

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- A Return to the Big State's Capitol

With SXSW here I thought now would be a good time to share a roundup from my trip to Austin this past January. First things first I already covered the BBQ from this trip in this post. As you may or may not know Austin has the highest concentration of top notch BBQ in the country and I don't think that's even up for debate. Quite a transformation as pretty much all of the renowned spots are new within the last decade. That said there's lots of other interesting stuff to eat in the capitol of Texas and I was on it. You can check out part one of this series HERE. Hope you enjoy today's installment.

Texas BBQ Tour

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Lucy's Fried Chicken

Where theres good BBQ there tends to be good fried chicken, not the other way around though. Lucy's is a hip spot in a residential neighborhood away from the usual areas us tourists make it into. I'd heard good things so we went for lunch on the patio which happened to be the only day of the trip where the sun shined. Thus I just had to have their signature drink the Juicy Lucy which is a frozen watermelon margarita.

Juicy Lucy

I know what some are thinking but I must say that they take the frozen margarita serious in the state where it was born. I've had quite a few good ones while there and one thing none of them lacked has been booze. These get you going and the Juicy Lucy had me feeling like I was in the sky. For food we had a basket of fried buttermilk brined livers to start and they were terrific. Almost ordered another round but then the chicken basket came out.

Fried Chicken Livers

The fried chicken was a a tasty rendition. I would say the best characteristic of it was the quality of the bird. The coating was a medium layer that stuck right to the meat and remained relatively crunchy throughout the meal. It was a tad past perfect as far as juiciness. I'd give the fried chicken a B+ and then overall I'd give the lunch experience an A. It was a good meal and we needed that sun.

Fried Chicken Basket

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Taco Tour

Austin is indeed a great taco town, breakfast tacos reign supreme with the people but there's plenty of other options to try. I'm just going to share a quick note for each of these spots going down one by one. The breakfast tacos at El Chilito are pretty damn money and easily the quantity of two tacos from most anywhere else. Joe's Bakery is a city icon and was packed with people on a Sunday morning. There was some really good to it's product (the housemade flour tortilla) and there was some pretty bad (pre-cooked eggs) to it. Overall Joe's is still worth checking out if you've never been. FATs (fried avocado tacos) are a lesser known regional taco of the area and Papalote Taco House had a tasty one but not as good as the FAT in Part One of this series.

Charlies Special at El Chilito - farm eggs, chorizo, potato, tomato, onion, serrano

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Taco at Joe's Bakery

Aguacate con Queso at Papalote Taco House - Fried avocado topped w/ black beans, pico de gallo, cabbage, queso fresco

Taco Flats is a semi-new modern day taco shop ala Big Star. I'd been told to try their taco al pastor and did. Not as good as I'd hoped it was going to be. This may be attributed to the fact we got there when brunch was still being served and waited until lunch started and ordered them, resulting in meat not cut from the spit I was told they use. However their frozen house margarita was one of the spiciest, tipsiest, most delightful of it's kind. I'm still getting craves for the brisket taco at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ doc'd HERE. Last but not least I did a search hoping to find a place in ATX that serves real deal San Antonio style puffy tacos and found a spot outside city limits that specializes in them. I stopped into Tio Dan's in Round Rock on the rebound back to Dallas and tried a ground beef and chicken one of each. So good in that guilty pleasure sort of way. It's probably a good thing for me that these aren't found in Chicago.

Taco al Pastor from Taco Flats 

Smoked Brisket Taco w/ Smokey House Salsa + House Guac on Handmade Flour Tortilla at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ

Puffy Tacos at Tio Dan's in Round Rock, TX

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East Side King's Thai Kun

I'm not big on lists, even if I make them, but I don't hate them. I just take them for what they're worth. Some are better than others though I still think you have to look at them from an objective standpoint. When it says the "best" just look at it as someone or a group of peoples "favorites" and decide if you trust that/their opinion. Enter Bon Appétit. As I'm sure they always do they listed their year end favorites in the December of 2014 issue and I perused through it while at my parents place. Enter Thai Kun which was listed as one of the ten best new restaurant openings of the year in the article, even if it's a truck. Thai Kun is owned by local celeb chef Paul Qui who brought in a chef from Thailand named Thai (no joke) to run the truck that stays put at a cocktail bar on East 6th street.

Waterfall Pork with Sticky Rice

The menu is small so it really wasn't all that hard to decide on what we were eating. Described as"OG Thai" we went with just two dishes since we were coming from a BBQ tasting. First up seen above is the waterfall pork aka Namtok, a favorite of the people of Laos. Grilled pieces of pork are loaded with tons of Thai flavor like fish sauce, lime and lots of chile peppers making this one of the hotter dishes I've ate in a minute. It was right at the peak as far as heat level being just tolerable enough to be enjoyed without breathing hot fire for the rest of the day. The sack of sticky rice sitting behind it helps cool down the flames. As did the peach and bourbon draft cocktail that I was downing. We also tried the Khoa Man Gai which can best be described as the Thai Version of Hainanese Chicken and Rice. Being one of the national dishes of Thailand this version is spicier and the recipe served at Thai Kun included one of the richest bowls of chicken broth you will ever come across. I could barely finish the thing but the glutton in me wouldn't let it escape. Easy gangster.

Khoa Man Gai

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I had to stop in and try their locally loved Bob Armstrong Dip and a margarita to go with it. It did get better with each sip.

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Mission Dogs

I spied this guy on East 6th street while headed back to my hotel one evening and couldn't resist the smells of bacon and onions in the air. I went with their namesake option which includes grilled onions, jalapenos, ketchup, mayo, and mustard. This is what drinking food is all about. Bacon wrapped hot dogs from a cart at one in the morning on a Saturday night, what's not to like? Stay interesting Austin.

The Mission Dog

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Lucy's Fried Chicken
5408 Burnet Rd
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 514-0664

El Chilito
2219 Manor Rd
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 382-3797

Joe's Bakery
2305 E 7th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 472-0017

Papalote Taco House
2803 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 804-2474

Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ
600 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 221-4248

Taco Flats
5520 Burnet Rd
Ste 101
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 284-8352

Tio Dan Puffy Tacos
409 Round Rock Ave
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 246-7733

Thai Kun
1816 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 407-8166

Matt's Famous El Rancho
2613 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 462-9333

Mission Dogs
1412 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702

D'anardo's

-The Sammy's of Chi

It had probably been over a decade since someone last shed some light on Chicago's lesser known regional sandwich aka the breaded steak. Then last week Ted Berg over at the USA Today claimed it to be the best sandwich in America in an article he did for the publication. Muhahaha. That was my initial reaction. Sorry Ted but until you show us your credentials you don't get to name the best sandwich in America let alone my city. The truth of the matter is it isn't even in the top 50 sandwiches in Chicago. I can show you my accreditation if you'd like to see it. That said there is a tasty breaded steak I like to enjoy when the taste for one comes, it only arrives maybe once a year.

Locals Favorite on 63rd Street

D'anardo's has been a neighborhood fixture for a couple decades now. When driving by you may notice the text that brags about them being famous for their jumbo breaded steak. So what is a jumbo breaded steak? Its a piece of beef, usually sent thru a tenderizer machine that then gets breaded and topped with marinara sauce and maybe some hot peppers and cheese. Its a southside Chicago thing and they're pretty common in Bridgeport where Ricobene's is located. However the best breaded steak isn't in Bridgeport, it's at D'anardo's in Clearing.

a peek inside

What makes this sandwich better than it's siblings? Well believe it nor not, not much, I already admitted too not being the biggest fan of these and it's mainly because of the steak, it tastes like nothing. Sometimes it can be resistant but not so at D'anardo's. What you see below is a regular sized sandwich and one I'm more comfortable eating, the jumbo is too big. Unlike many Chicago pizza places the sauce here isn't all that sweet which gets points in my book. The bread is fresh and the owner behind the counter is a character. You're likely to dine in with kids from the neighborhood as it seems to be a popular stop after school, most of the students opt for a slice of pizza but I'd advise you to stick with the sandwich. If Mr. Berg ever wants to try one he knows where find me.

Chicago Breaded Steak Sandwich

D'anardo's
6535 W 63rd St
Chicago, IL 60638
(773) 586-7373

Rita's

-Grubbing in Chicago (land)
Where the locals eat

Lenten Fish Fry season is in full swing so I thought today would be the perfect day to head up to Rita's in Lake Bluff. Technically in it's own little town just off the Lambs Farm exit of I-94 the closest post office is in Lake Bluff thus that's what their address says. However this isn't a place where you're likely to find the people that live in some of the most desirable houses in Chicagoland. You're more likely to find locals from surrounding towns sitting inside. Rita's is part bar and part supper club. The type of tavern sitting inside a house thats commonly found throughout Wisconsin.

Locals favorite in Lake Bluff

I've been here a few times and each visit in has been a pleasant experience. Each of the times was similar as far as atmosphere. There were a bunch of regulars at the bar and quite a few couples and families too sitting at the tables. There's dining in a few different rooms. While I'm sure Rita's has its fair share of regulars there to drink, most of it's customer base is there to do that and eat. The menu is typical tavern style food with a few specials being the highlights. While no one is driving more than five minutes for potato salad, Rita's does make a really good one it's customer base loves. I think the reason its so satisfying is they keep it real simple. Also of note is the honey crusted fried chicken which I featured in a fried bird roundup I did in 2013. I still need to try their chicken fried steak.

Rita's Famous Potato Salad and Honey Fried Chicken 

One of the more popular nights to eat at Rita's is on Friday's. Partly due to most peoples weekends getting started and then partly because of the popular fish fry. In fact you can get their authentic lake perch plate on Wednesday's and Saturday's too. There's not too many places in Chicagoland that are doing a weekly fish fry with great lakes fish being used but seeing as how Rita's isn't all that far from Wisconsin it's not too big of a surprise to find them doing one. The filets are lightly breaded and cooked thru allowing for the flesh to easily fall apart. The fries are just frozen but they are the skinny variety ala McDonald's. You wont find too many roadhouses like Rita's around this way anymore which is why it's nice to seek it out when in the area. I always have a good time.

Lake Perch Fish Fry

Rita's
13744 Rockland Rd
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
(847) 362-0157

Furious Spoon

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New to the 'Scene'

While the Ramen hype doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon, my love for it somewhat has. When compared to last winter I've slurped much less ramen this current one. Part of it might be the overall quality but then at the same time the Chicago ramen scene has never been better. Enter Furious Spoon. Anticipation for the new ramen shop located on Milwaukee just east of Damen has been building since the sign announcing its coming was put up. More buzz followed when the news it was being opened by Shin Thompson was made public. Chef Thompson is a well known Chicago chef who had featured ramen on his menu at the now defunct Kabocha.

Newly opened Ramen Shop in Wicker Park

Furious Spoon is the Chef's vision of a traditional Japanese ramen stop. As opposed to his previous places of tenure this is the most casual and moderately priced of the bunch. I believe it was funded via Kickstarter. The menu is pretty simple with ramen being the obvious focus. There's a few small plates like housemade dumplings and char siu over white rice however they were out of the potstickers when I stopped in. The setup is simple. You step inside and wait in line if there is one. After placing your order at the register and paying for it you get a number and go find yourself a seat

a peek inside

Orders come out quick upon seating, speaking of which really is an odd setup. I guess they're going for that authentic Tokyo feel by cramming the place with as many people as they can. The communal tables are up against a wall and if you're sitting on the wall side you can expect to get up a few times as someone else tries to sit down. Luckily for us they were just opening after a brief abrupt closure they had to do in order to make more noodles in the spiffy machine they have on display in the open air kitchen. So what about the product? Not bad! I really enjoyed it actually. I got the namesake ramen which consists of a spicy miso broth with beef brisket, char-siu, toroniku, poached egg, marinated mushrooms and a garlic relish. It was served piping hot and the broth had some deep notes of flavor. The pork was about as tender as I've ever had in a bowl. The beef brisket had a bit of fat clumping it together and I could of took it or left it as it didn't really hurt or help. As long as the line aint crazy I can see myself headed back at some point.

Furious Spoon Ramen

Furious Spoon
1571 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-8445
Website

The Big State

-Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City

Welcome aboard to The Big State. It takes a combination of things to become a place that I visit regularly as far as restaurants go. I like to stay on the prowl and tackle the food scene one by one and doing so only leaves so many meals that warrant return trips. The obvious and foremost reason to garner repeat visits is to have rock solid food. The second important factor is location because the closer a place is to where I live the more chances I can get there. In the midst of a home switch I've been living in the Ukrainian Village area and around the time I moved into my temporary residence a place called The Big State had opened up at Ashland and Erie. If you're just riding by it can be hard to spy as there is no sign hanging in the air only a small logo on each side of the building. It can easily be missed especially with Duk's across the street demanding so much of your attention.

Newly Opened taco spot on Ashland and Erie

The Big State is family run and the young chef at the helm got his start cooking in Houston. If you look closely at the sign you'll see they offer "Mexican Food Texas Style" and while it may be a bit misleading there are a couple dishes that standout as popular Southwest Mexican selections. We might as well start with a bang since the frijoles charros have been one of my favorite things to eat since the new year began. I've been here more times than I can remember at this point and each visit in I've gotten an order or two of this fantastic rendition of a Northern Mexico favorite. Not seen on many Chicagoland Mexican menus this dish is made with stewed pinto beans that get simmered overnight in a broth that can include bacon, onion, chili peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and other ingredients and spices common in Mexican cooking. A soupy consistency at The Big State they include three handmade tortillas with each order. It's my preference to break them into small pieces and throw them into the soup. This stuff has been curing my winter blues since my first sip.

Frijoles Charros

The other menu item popular in Southwest Mexican restaurants (and I'm sure some Texas ones too) is the Mexican Hot Dog. They list this behemoth as their specialty thus it warranted a try from me. First things first they blend a little bit of Chicago into the mix by using a Vienna Beef Polish Sausage, wrapped in bacon. It goes into a bolillo roll and is topped with onions, tomato, frijoles charros, mustard, mayo and their "unique hot salsa." It's a monster that cannot be eaten without looking like one yourself. You must go caveman on it as there's no way to eat the thing without getting some of the condiments on your face. It's pretty damn good in that 'I tried it' sort of way but the bun to meat ratio is a little bit off in my book. Though the day will come when I have the taste for another one.

Mexican Hot Dog

The other star of the show at The Big State has been the tacos thus far. The menu boasts some of the best selections for them in the city. They all come served on the aforementioned made on site tortillas which really help lift these into the upper echelon of taqueria tacos. Then theres the prices. Most are $2 while the fish taco is $2.50. The panza aka pork belly taco is pretty damn similar to another place with 'Big' in it's name, the biggest difference I could tell was in the price as it's half the cost over here.

Panza (pork-belly) Taco

At this point I've pretty much gone thru the taco options and there really isn't a bad one in the bunch. I recently tried the al pastor and I'd say it's the best representation of it I've had that didn't come from a spit. The fish taco is also one of the better representations in the city. It's just boring old tilapia but they they fry it up with a light crispy crust and serve it alongside a spicy chipotle mayo and plenty of crunchy cabbage and limes. The rajas con crema is one of the better non-meat options and the steak is extra peppery with plenty of charred crust on each piece. Even the picadillo aka ground beef with chunks of potatoes mixed in is a terrific option for those that like the filling.

Al Pastor (top) Steak (bottom)

The Big State also does really good breakfast, unfortunately they don't do breakfast tacos but they do make a mean breakfast burrito. All the taco fillings are available as burritos and or tortas. Be prepared to wait a little longer than the norm for taqueria fare as the owner/chef is back there hard at work by himself. Still worth the wait each and every time. Heck I'll probably be back tomorrow.

Fish Taco

The Big State
624 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 631-3914

T's Turkey Sandwich

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

I make a handful of trips a year to the Vienna Beef Factory Store which also has a cafe for both of it's employees and also public to enjoy lunch. Of late they've always had a special at the deli counter on their turkey pastrami meat for $3/lb. So I've been buying it each trip in. I came up with a sandwich recipe that fit's perfectly with the pepper crusted turkey meat and would like to share the simple recipe with you here today. No exact measurements because you don't need them. You just need to know a good portion size and how to toast bread on a flattop.

The Vienna Beef Factory Cafe 

What You Will Need

1 lb Turkey Pastrami
1 Package of Rye Bread
1 Tomato, sliced
1 Red Onion, sliced
12 slices Swiss Cheese
Yellow Mustard of Choice
Butter
Bacon (optional)

The toasting process is simple. Serve with chips, fries or tator tots

The first step is cooking the sliced red onion in a pan with butter until nice and browned. The butter is the key here folks, don't skip this step. The building of the sandwich is simple. Put the cheese on both the top and bottom. The onions go on the top followed by the tomato and then the turkey meat. Smother the top half with mustard and spread butter on both the top and bottom bun. Cook on a buttered flattop until golden and slice in half. Always hits the spot.

The insides

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See ya next time @chibbqking

Suburban Noodle Nosh

-Grubbing in Chicago (land)
Asian Noodles on the Outskirts of the City

When you love food as much as someone like myself does you can imagine the craves that can come for certain ones you love. One of my go-to comfort foods is anything involving noodles. I love them and can be satisfied whether it's a bowl of stepped up instant ramen or a plate of chow mein from the local old school neighborhood Chinese restaurant. So they're something I seek out and of course when I do pursue them I want more than what I previously described. I want something that I wouldn't be able to easily recreate and thus sometimes when the craves come it's the burbs or bust. It's been mentioned countless times on here how the big city suburbs are fast becoming the place for international eats. Chicago remains in transition and today I'll showcase five places I've tried in the last year, some more times than others, though all enjoyed at least once. Hope you enjoy the ride.
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Jia Jia Cafe

Naperville, IL

I came upon this place by pure luck this winter. One day while tending to some business in the Western suburbs I decided to stop in at the Super H-Mart in Naperville and grab some stuff to cook with that week. Upon entering I saw a sign leading people to the food court and decided to go check it out. Score. I was rewarded with one of the best bowls of soups I've slurped this winter.

Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwanese Beef Noodle soup should be as well know as ramen. It may even be the next big food trend. But for the time being we Chicagoans have to make the trek out to da burbs for the best. Now there's now a second place I would recommend this dish aside from Katy's. Jia Jia Cafe's beef noodle soup recipe goes back 30 years with it's chef and that's most notable in the deep beef broth. It's spicy and highly addictive. The beef is tender to where it falls apart easily when poked with a spoon. The noodles are the weak link. I don't think they're homemade and they aren't as memorable as Katy's but this was still an exceptional bowl of soup and a great snack before shopping next door.

Killer of Winter Blues

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Asian Noodle House

Hoffman Estates, IL

Here's a spot I went to a while back, over a year ago. Why haven't I been back? I just haven't been out that way or if I was I didn't remember to stop back into this generically named gem sitting in a typical suburban strip mall. I was originally put onto the menu by Mike Sula who did a piece on it for the Reader. In it he mentions a few Malaysian dishes which they make and one of them is this popular stir-fried noodle dish. Char Kuay Teow Mae is typically made with flat rice noodles that get a nice char in the wok along with shrimp, soy sauce, sprouts, green onion, eggs and chili sauce. It's a comfort dish and due to Chicago's lack of Malaysian, one of the only places to try it is here.

Char Kuay Teow Mae

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Noodles Delight

Roselle, IL

I'm a sucker for a fantastic rendition of beef chow fun but finding a good one is almost as hard as finding the final resting spot of Jimmy Hoffa. However this popular Chinese restaurant sitting in a strip mall has given new hope to finding the body. I've found that some places can do certain aspects really well while miserably failing to do other important steps in maintaining maximum flavor. No gravy for me please and the beef needs to be tender and give zero resistance. The noodles should be well browned and have a smokey flavor from the hot wok. The more green onion the merrier. Noodles Delight seems to accomplish all of that. We have a new BCF Champ.

Beef Chow Fun

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Yu's Mandarin 

Schaumburg, IL 

This place has been putting on noodle shows (Fri. and Sat. nights) for a long time now. Suburban families will flood the place on weekends when the staff is rolling out noodles made by hand to order. According to a story the Hungry Hound did on this place the noodles are considered lucky since they're made on-site everyday. With Chinese New Year around the corner you can expect Yu's to be packed when it hits. Diners have the option to try the house noodles in a stir fry or also the popular Ja Jeng Mien dish which covers the noodles in a soybean paste made from pork, onion and zucchini.

Ja Jeng Mien

I tried this last winter on a frigid cold day and it really hit the spot. Like bi bim bop and other popular story fry dishes it's best when mixed together so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. The chewy noodles would soak up the black bean sauce giving you a taste of the sauce in each bite.

Mandarin Cooking

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Chef Ping 

Rolling Meadows, IL

Here we have one of my favorite restaurants in the suburbs. I've been in love with this place since the first time I tried it after trekking out with a buddy to try the famous Ping's Chicken Wings. As good as those wings are (expect a full report sometime in the future) the noodles we ordered with them stole the show. Handmade and cooked to the perfect consistency to give them a little chew they come loaded with thin strips of pork, shrimp, scallops, squid, vegetables, chili peppers. One of the best deals in the city will get you change back from a $10. I've been running back for five years now.

Ping's Noodle Platter 

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Jia Jia Cafe
1291 E Ogden Ave
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 857-3831

Asian Noodles House
844 N Roselle Rd
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
(847) 882-9650

Noodles Delight
853 E Nerge Rd
Roselle, IL 60172
(630) 307-1010

Yu's Mandarin 
200 E Golf Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(847) 882-5340

Chef Ping 
1755 W Algonquin Rd
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
(847) 981-8888