Puesto Sandwich Stand

-Grubbing in Chicago
Arepas in Wrigleyville

Near the end of Winter I read an article over at DNAinfo about a new sandwich stand opening on Sheffield in Lakeview. The fact they were serving arepas is what caught my eye. These are a common street snack in a few South American countries, specifically Venezuela. They're not so common in Chicago and I always love eating them when traveling elsewhere so I made a note to check them out.

Newly Opened in Lakeview

First impressions upon entering are happiness as the bright colors and open air space invite you to come on in and relax. The same can be said for the proprietors. It's a boyfriend/girlfriend team and they're using the recipes of the guy who's mom is from Mexico. That said the menu is an eclectic mix of Latin American favorites such as the previously mentioned arepas, a Cuban Sandwich, tortas, and a variety of morning wake me up's including house coffee and cafe con leche. There's also ice cream.

a peek inside

I've been in a few times now and they seem to have worked out all the kinks with the arepas firing on all cylinders. I haven't been able to stray away from them and the satisfaction they bring. The're made fresh so it takes five minutes or so but the end result is worth waiting on. The extreme corn flavor in the masa is what's stood out most to me. That and the fact that one of them should easily fill you up.

Ham and Cheese Arepa

For those not in the know these are made by taking a ball of corn dough and cooking it on the flattop until nice and browned. They then slit a knife down one half of it creating a pocket for the fillings. The arepa is to Venezuela what the hamburger is to America. My favorites from here have been the breakfast versions which are made with smooth scrambled eggs mixed with melted cheese and bacon. The option to add avocado is there and I recommend doing that. For just around $5 this is one of the better pre-game snacks in the Wrigleyville area this summer. Enjoy one one on the recently completed outdoor patio. I don't live in the area but I'd say it's a welcome addition to the 'hood.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Arepa

Puesto Sandwich Stand
3349 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 661-2490
Website

Ivy's Burgers Hot Dogs & Fries

-In Chicago: Every Dog Has it's Day

When it comes to pizza New York City might have a reason for debate but when it comes to hot dogs there is none necessary. Chicago has so many great stands that some get lost in the shuffle. Spots like Ivy's in Edgebrook. Then again the sleepy neighborhood on the Northwest side of the city is relatively unknown to most Chicago transplants. The concentration of instagrammers is much less in these parts than areas like West Randolph and Wicker Park. All that said there's no neighborhood in the city that doesn't love and support a good local hot dog stand and the residents of the area have made Ivy's their spot for a quick Chicago style fast food fix. 

Locals favorite in Edgebrook 

With so many hot dogs stands in the city it can be important to stand out in one way or the other. Ivy's doesn't just stand out, it jumps out. The inside is bigger than most hot dog stands and little things like a rack of different infused salts help give it some uniqueness. My guy Mike at 'Sky Full of Bacon' did a little piece on Ivy's you should check out HERE. In summary, owner Tony Tzoubris comes from a Greek family with multi-generational restaurant experience and he's bringing it to Ivy's.

a peek inside

In the linked article the topic of pricing is discussed and it's true that Ivy's will cost you a couple bucks more than the usual Chicago style hot dog stand. The product here gets a little more care. Take for example the hot dogs. Sure they have a great example of a Chicago style version but what sets them apart is the International options. Creations like the Japanese Dog which is made by slathering an all beef wiener with teriyaki sauce, the dog gets topped with seaweed salad, a wasabi sauce and some ginger on top. When I first read about this I didn't think much of it but after trying one I think it's one of the best non-traditional hot dogs you'll find in Chicago.

The Japanese Dog

The international hot dogs are all solid options as I learned when I was finally able to stray away from the Japanese offering. The Danish is made with the same Eisenberg Wiener and gets topped with brown mustard, crispy fried onions, and pickles. Simple but succulent.

Danish Hot Dog 

The attention to detail spreads far and wide on the menu. The fries are handcut and twice fried resulting in one of the better batches in the city. For those of us that love Merkt's cheddar they got it.

Fresh Cut Fries

The burgers are every bit as good as the dogs and fries. The Greek offering is the best example of this style I've tried. The beef is supplied fresh from a local Midwest farm and gets cooked over a charcoal grill resulting in the char flavors many Chicago stands have adopted as their own style when it comes to making a burger. I'm a big fan of feta cheese paired with juicy charred beef and the Greek Burger at Ivy's will help you understand why. The combo of the two paired with diced Greek olives, tomatoes and Tzatziki sauce is straight cash homie aka money. Ivy's helps prove Chicago's wealth of mom and pop type fast food stands is both a gift and a curse, for obvious reasons. See ya next time.

Greek Burger at Ivy's 

Ivy's Burgers Hot Dogs & Fries
5419 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 775-2545
Website

Daytrip to Sonoma County

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring Cali's Wine Region

Was out in San Francisco for a bit (report coming) and spent a wonderful day out in Sonoma County. Most people choose to do Napa Valley when exploring this region but I'd heard it was for the snobs and I'm more about the locals which is why Sonoma sang to me. San Fran is an amazing food/drink city and at first I wasn't sure I wanted to take a day away from there but I'm really glad we ended up doing this daytrip. We already know we'll be back to further explore the area, hell I could live there.
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El Molino Central

Boyes Hot Springs, CA

First stop up is a place that we'll most certainly return too. Where's theres vineyards, there's Mexican restaurants. Those working the fields need to eat. Whether in the form of taco trucks or a more modern approach with local ingredients, Sonoma County has all the options. El Molino Central isn't far from downtown Sonoma and it's the perfect place to start your day. You can fill your stomach up with modern takes on Mexican street classics or wake up with a cup of Blue Bottle coffee. The star of the show here is the stone-ground in-house corn they use for the tortillas and the tamales. A molino is a Mexican mill where back in Mexico the entire town takes its dried corn to turn it into masa. Not on this day but sometimes you can see them using theirs in-house.

Guacamole

The love doesn't stop at the tortillas. Guacamole is sold by the avocado (1,2,3 etc) and it isn't made until your order has been placed, the chips go into the fryer at the same time and are ready when your guac is made. No seats inside but there's a few shaded tables in the back. We split a couple plates and choosing which one was more preferred is like deciding between a Lamborghini or a Bugatti. I'm more than happy with either or but would rather just have them both.

Bohemia Beer Battered Fish Tacos on their famous corn tortillas

First up the tacos. There may be fish tacos out there that are equally as good as these but there aren't any that are better. The beer battered fish was giving off the same crunch sounds of the chips and inside of it was perfectly flaky fish that was bursting with steam having come fresh from the fryer. Cabbage adds even more crunch while the salsa de arbol adds heat that the avocado lime mayo cools down. You know the tortillas are trump tight. Same story for the tamales. Not only was the masa the perfect texture but the meat to masa ratio was on point. The lady that owns the place became famous selling tamales at the San Fran farmers market and it was easy to understand why.

Niman Ranch Red Chile Pork Tamales with pickled cabbage relish

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Matanzas Creek Winery

Was rec'd this spot in Santa Rosa by my boys girlfriend from the area. Sensational views and some good white wines, one of which I sent a case home. Aside from liquid grapes they also had alot of lavender based items including some grill sticks I bought for home.

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Lazzini's Market

Santa Rosa, CA

Quick pit-stop before heading onto the next winery. This is the locals spot for sandwiches. Packed house on this Sunday visit around noon. Specialty of the House is the Godfather sandwich which featured beef tri-tip, bbq sauce, mayo, red onion, and pepperoncini. Little too much going on but the meat itself was nice. I'd skip the sauces and ask for a smear of some horseradish if I was a regular.

Godfather Sandwich

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Iron Horse Vineyards

Sebastopol, CA

Neither of us are huge wine enthusiasts though she drinks it when its around and there are no craft cocktails in sight. Especially the bubbly. So I made sure to do a little search for a sparkling winery and all results pointed to this place. The ride there was out of a postcard and so was the vineyard itself. We couldn't ask for a better day to do a tasting in one of the more scenic wineries in the county. It's up a mountain and the tasting bar sits on top outside. Double bonus because it was oyster day which meant a pair of sisters well known for their appearances all over the county were shucking here. Good wines, great vibes, and an amazing location.

 Fresh Shucked Tomales Bay Oysters from the Oyster Girls Roving Rawbar. 2 Raw. 2 Grilled.

The view from the benches

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Canneti Roadhouse Italiana

Forestville, CA

Heard positive things about this modern Italian kitchen being led by a chef from the Tuscan coastal town of Massa. The menu looked money so this was lunch. Loved the layout of the place as it was a small cozy spot with spaces indoors near the open air kitchen and also outside in the well tended garden patio. It was in a small little town and it felt that way. Had a little bit of a feel of the old country. The Sunday trattoria rustica menu is different than the other days and has some large bowls of pasta listed, all of which are made in house. I'd describe both as simple but perfectly executed and that's exactly what was needed at that day and time.

Chickpea Tagliatelle with Manila Clams and Pink Bay Shrimps

Pennette Pasta with Pork Sausage Sugo and Pecorino Cheese

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Dry Creek Vineyard

Another formidable spot in Healdsburg. This one with a huge outdoor space for parties to enjoy. All these places let you taste at leisure and you're more than welcome to shoot some bean bags or just read a book in one of the chairs. They also had a scenic walk thru part of the property.

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Barndiva

Healdsburg, CA

The tiny little town of Healdsburg might as well be the location for a romance movie. It's beautiful and very much coming of age. It's got all the stuff you find in these tourism driven towns. Boutique Clothing stores as well as hotels, Farm to Table eating establishments, Art Galleries and much more. Including the radiant restaurant that is Barndiva. Built from the inside out in an old barn this was a beautiful setup. Reason they popped onto my radar were the cocktails. The important stuff.

Cocktail Menu

Popped in around opening for an early eating/drinking session and plopped down right at the bar where the tenders were there to greet us with smiles and satisfactory customer service all places should strive to match. Loved the drinks, enjoyed the food. I'm plotting my return ... ♫ back to Cali ♫

"frisèe lardon" crispy pork belly - poached quail egg, baby lettuces, bacon

dungeness crab ravioli - artichoke, red wine vinaigrette

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El Molino Central
11 Central Ave
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 939-1010

Matanzas Creek Winery
6097 Bennett Valley Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 528-6464

Lazzini's Market
3449 Bennett Valley Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 575-3888

Iron Horse Vineyards
9786 Ross Station Rd
Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 887-1507

Canneti Roadhouse Italiana
6675 Front St
Forestville, CA 95436
(707) 887-2232

Dry Creek Vineyard
3770 Lambert Bridge Rd
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-1000

Barndiva
231 Center St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 431-0100

5 Chicago Shawarma Shops

-Grubbing in Chicago
Middle Eastern Eats

In the last five years or so the city has seen an influx of shawarma shops. The Middle Eastern fast food of choice in most parts of Europe and also it's homelands has become one of America's favorite ways to get a quick lunch or dinner. I'm always on the prowl for the perfect spit roasted sliced meat sandwich and have hit up a handful of spots in the last six months which I put together for this post. There's basically one focal point for me when it comes to excellent shawarma and thats that the meat be sliced thin and preferably cooked directly on the spit. I cant stand the places that use the gyro machines and hack away at the cone browning large chunks of meat on the flattop, whats the point in using the vertical spit. So how would these five spots stack up? Let's check them out.
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Pita Cafe 

Newly opened at corner of Division and Damen

According to DNAinfo this is Wicker Park's sixth Middle Eastern restaurant. According to me it already has the product of one of the better ones. I stopped in a couple weeks ago and ordered a combo plate and while I asked for a chicken kebab and also chicken shawarma, I was given beef shawarma instead. This ended up being a-ok as I usually stay away from the beef options because they're too chewy but that's not the case at Pita Cafe. Maybe it's due to the fact they cut the meat into small bits that it felt more tender than most other offerings. Whatever it is they do, it's working. I very much enjoyed this dinner which included enough food to have leftovers with later that night.

Beef Shawarma and Chicken Kebab Combo Plate

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Le Pita Fresh

 Students Favorite on Broadway

I was perusing the menu for this spot after driving by and the Shawarma Fries caught my eye. What they are is basically a sandwich with the fries replacing the pita. Or they could be described as Middle Eastern style nachos. I was again pleasantly surprised by the beef which was also cut into thin bits. The fries were said to be fresh cut but I wasn't detecting that. I didn't finish the entire plate but I did enjoy that which I did eat. I just wish they were around in my drinking heyday. Soak it up.

 Shawarma Fries

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IDOF

Local chain with a location on Belmont

IDOF is short for 'I Dream Of Falafel' and they now boast a handful of Chicagoland locations. I drove by during the opening week of the Belmont location and they were doing half price plates at that time. There was both some good and bad to the meal. As expected the chicken comes from a steam tray, that's not desirable. But at the same time their mission is to provide a fast, healthy lunch and they do accomplish that. Extra points for the pickles and onions. I'm not rushing to go back but would be happy to have a location near my office if it was downtown where the quick options aren't endless.

Chicken Shawarma Plate

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Benjyehuda

Local chain with a location on Clark Street

I'm still not even sure how to pronounce this places name but they took over a not so lucky location in Lincoln Park over a year ago and seem to be doing well. The other two locations in the Loop are very popular lunch options as they should be. On my first trip in I had a better experience than a later visit though I'm generally a fan for a quick bite if near one of them. Pictured below is the 'Yehuda Flight' which gives you one of each of a mini falafel pita, mini chicken shawarma pita, and one mini beef shawarma pita along with a side of their fries. It's a good filling lunch and my preferred option on the menu. I tried a chicken shawarma box once and the meat was large chunks from a steamer, thus technically not shawarma. I do love their pickles and while the fries are a frozen brand they cook them to order and always come piping hot with crispy outsides. Plus they serve Merkt's.

Yehuda Flight - Mini Pita Sandwiches

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SP Kebab

Students favorite on Sheridan Road

Tucked away in a strip mall in Rogers Park this spot advertises "Superb European Style Kebabs" and surely enough one of the options is with french fries inside, common in Europe. They also have "Kebab in a Cup" but I went with the lahmacun wrap. The good? They use the machines the kebab spots thru-out Spain use (there's one on every block in Barca) and this results in well browned, thinly sliced meat. Also a plus is the option for "Mixta" which is both pork and chicken. The shaved bits have some actual seasoning going on. The bad? Way to big. In Europe this is supposed to be cheap fast food but due to the portion size this isn't a cheap snack. Over $8 and I only ate half. I could see how the local college kids like this place but they don't stay open past 10p. Bullshat. End result? I'd go back if nearby and the wraps were half the size and with that half the price, though I'd get the fries on the side. Too much starch for a sober man to handle.

Mixta Lahmacun wrap

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Pita Cafe 
2014 W Division
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 972-7205

Le Pita Fresh
6141 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
(855) 353-7482

IDOF
851 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 672-2780

Benjyehuda
2485 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 697-3966

SP Kebab
6808 N Sheridan Rd
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 856-3755

Charlatan

-Weekend Brunchin'

We've been brunching a bit more lately and decided to try The Charlatan in West Town recently. It's somewhat new and for all that I can remember nothing bad had been said about it. The guy behind the place also happens to own Three Aces which is a place on Taylor street that I'm a fan of.

Italian focused food and drink on Chicago avenue 

Now that the weather is getting very nice they should have the windows open in front most days. I love spots like this, much preferring them over the dark places with no windows for light. The more light the merrier. Starting off with cocktails many of them of Italian Apéritif and I'm not the biggest fan of those so I drank some beer from the tap. For my food I went with a chicken parm sandwich which can always hit the spot when on. This one was indeed on although the bun just wasn't to my liking. Its the same beef I have with the burger at Three Aces which other wise is just about perfect.

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with Calabrian Tots

Too much bun, not soft and as dense as compact as the chicken breast itself. I like a little more fluff in the bread but I thought the chicken was well done and the sauce paired perfectly with the cheese, arugula, and fried capers. Best part about the sandwich was the Calabrian tots aside it. They were crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy inside. The sandwich was good, the tots were great.

The insides 

I also got to try a taste of the Pepper Pork Belly Carbonara which is described as being made with smoked spaghetti, 45 minute egg, Parmesan, and parsley pistou. This was a well prepped dish and better than the average brunch hash or wrap has to be. The pork belly was cooked to a point where it shredded apart pretty easily and the dish as a whole was satisfying in a brunch setting but I might've wanted a little more if it was dinner, which it wasn't so I'd be happy returning for it on a warm Sunday afternoon. Right at the bar with the warm breeze joining the rest of us. Summer is coming.

Pepper Pork Belly Carbonara 

Charlatan
1329 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 818-2073
Website

Xi'an Cuisine

-Grubbing in Chicago
Regional Chinese Eats

Today we visit a regional Chinese themed restaurant in Chinatown. The restaurants namesake comes from Xi'an a city in Central China. The food from this part of the country has really taken off in the states as places like Xi'an Famous Foods in New York City get lots of intrepid tourists these days. In Chicago we just got our first spot specializing in the foods of western China’s Shaanxi Province.

Xi'an Cuisine in Chinatown

Truth be told I have nowhere near the knowledge that others do on the regional foods found in China, so I'm just going to do this review as someone who may or may not know what they're talking about. First up the menu is small. There's maybe ten things on it. The sections are broken down by cold appetizers, noodles, soups and these little bun pockets they call flat breads. The buns come in at $3 per and are one of the better cheap eats in Chinatown these days. The lamb with cumin offering is a wonderful mixture of two great flavors that have always gone well together. I could eat lots of these.

Cumin Lamb Flatbread Sandwich

I haven't had a chance to try their soups which come in lamb and beef offerings, both with or without arteries but I did gnaw on a plate of their pan fried noodles one night and couldn't help but think I was eating a Tex-Mex mashup dish. The noodles themselves are made in house and really hit the spot, I never met a plate of noodles I hated. Though the heavy presence of cumin was basically enough to take the flavor profile away from the normal Asian tastes I'm used to too. This is just fine as I'm all for supporting a place that isn't putting out a 200+ item menu with most of it being the generic Chinese dishes you can find in just about any town out there. More regional eats for me please.

Stir Fried Noodles with Beef

Xi'an Cuisine
225 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 326-3171
Website