Breakfast: Tacos + Hash

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

I'm not a big breakfast guy. Usually I'm still full from the night before. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the first meal of the day from time to time. Even if it's not my first meal of the day. Sometimes I'll wake up and be in the mood for one of two things as far as breakfast food goes. Hash and Tacos.

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Breakfast Hash 

Breakfast Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, Cheese

I don't have exact recipes here because I rarely make the same hash twice. The most important feature of a good breakfast hash is potatoes. It takes time to get them perfect so if you don't have at least a half hour you might find yourself out of luck. That is why this dish tends to be a weekend thing for me. The key is cubing the potatoes down into bite size pieces and cooking them until crisp. You can achieve this by making sure they're nice and oiled and also by not jamming the frying pan with potatoes. Let them breathe, you may need to do them in batches. I tend to cook the potatoes the night before and then crisp them up real well the next morning with everything else.

Breakfast Hash

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Breakfast Tacos

 Chorizo, Potatoes, Cheese, Onion, Cilantro, Egg

I take the same approach with taco that I do with hash. There's a few keys to the perfect breakfast taco and I think the first one is flour tortillas. Its not standard but its certainly the majority in places like Austin Texas where they take them as serious as anyone. Next up is balance. Figure three maybe four ingredients including the eggs. Which speaking of I prefer to be cooked over easy as opposed to scrambled. I like the yolk releasing flavors into the fold. Other keys are cheese and again if using spuds, crispy potatoes which I already explained how to achieve. Make sure you cook your chorizo first and then crisp up the potatoes in it's grease. I also have an original breakfast taco recipe.

King T's Bangin' Breakfast Tacos

I dont have exact portions but thats becasue there isnt any. You'll need the obvious, tortillas, as well as fresh locally grown corn cut off the cob, loose breakfast sausage, cheese, and a black bean spread. Top with onions and cilantro. This is best eaten this time of the year when corn is as good as you'll get anywhere here in the lovely Midwest. Don't stress, just cook, hash and tacos are all about free-styling. There really are no rules except in the case of hash you need potatoes and in the case of tacos you'll need tortillas. Other than that, you're free to explore. See ya next time.

The Real Deal

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Strings Ramen

-Grubbing in Chicago
Ramen in Chinatown

This morning actually feels like a Fall day so I went into my food folder and tried to find something that would be enjoyed in this weather. How about some ramen? I hadn't gotten around to posting about String's, which opened over a year ago, due to the fact it was being covered by everyone else. I figured I'll wait and remind people its still an option as it can be easy to forget all the good ones.

Locals Favorite Ramen Shop in Chinatown 

String's has gotten better with time. The noodles which are made in a spiffy machine from japan have always been good while the broth and service have gotten better. This is me and the lady's go-to ramen shop when we're not feeling like riding up to the burbs. It's our go-to because of the things I just described. A good potent bowl of broth is the most important thing imo when it comes to ramen. Not far behind is the importance of the noodles. They cant be mushy. Then the pork, it better be tender and not fight with you when trying to break a piece off. The egg should be runny.

Tonkatsu Ramen at String's

While I do very much enjoy the ramen at String's I find the Kuro Buta Yaki Soba bowl to be better. The same firm noodles from the machine are cooked in a wok with the same tender pork. The noodles get a nice smokey flavor and the egg on top includes pepperoni in it. The dashi broth on the side can give your bowl a l6ittle bit of liquid. One of my favorite noodles dishes in the city.

Kuro Buta Yaki Soba

Strings Ramen
2141 S Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 374-3450
Website

Pub Royale

-Grubbing in Chicago
New to the 'Scene'

The recent opening of a spot featuring an Indian inspired menu has drawn mixed reviews. Pub Royale is a place I had on my radar when first reading it would take over the old Smallbar space on Division. The menu is a little bit of British-Indian in terms of the food and drink you may find at a bar in England frequented by people with ties to India. Although this is a hip version.

New to the West Town Neighborhood

Pub Royale did a great job with the design. It has a pretty relaxed feel with a nice sized patio out front. Inside you got the bar along with seats up and down the walls and a few longer tables in the middle for larger groups. I've never been to a British-Indian pub but you can tell the place is hip.

a peek inside

Starting off with some cocktails they have a few good options from what I tasted. I take into account that they're all $8 and not the double digit pricetag so many other hip spots put on the drinks. They have a collection of smash recipes and one was better than the other. I cant remember which ones we tried but I do remember the boozed up mango lassie being very refreshing. But I like frozen drinks.

Cocktails 

Onto the food where we we were pretty darn satisfied with our meal. I knew the lamb dumplings would be tried when I first saw the menu. I pretty much love all dumplings however I didn't think the shredded lamb worked well in these. It was hard taking a bite and not pulling all of it out. It could've been more tender and or more chopped a it wasn't working well as far as texture. Taste was a little bit better but I still think something was missing from these. I would've liked more than four for $7.

Lamb Dumplings / Kentucky soy, chili oil, scallion

The winner of the night for me was the potato samosas. I love a good curried potato samosa and these were better than that, they were great. Big and crunchy on the outside with perfectly cooked potatoes spiced just right waiting inside. The dipping sauces each worked well on this perfect bar snack.

Samosa / potato, fried onion, peas

We finished up with a Chicken Tikka Kati Roll with a side of fries. The roll is wrapped in paratha which is a flatbread that originated in Northern India. The chicken tikka was good but it isn't my favorite dish so I'm not one to trust full judgement on. Overall this was something I would split with someone again as the half I ate was just right paired with their fantastic fresh cut fries which were up there with the best in the city. My only gripe was when served in those tall cups lots of salt gets to the bottom leaving the fries down there too salty. I'll be back to explore more options on the menu as I wanted to try the cheeseburger as well as the rabbit pie. It's a good place to have near.

Chicken Tikka Kati Roll with Fresh Cut Fries 

Pub Royale
2049 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 661-6874

The Burgers of Akron

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- The Sweet Hamburgs of Northeast Ohio

I've had Swensons on my radar since at least 2010, when a thread on LTH  first appeared. So I was excited to finally get a chance to try them and also Sky-Way and Bob's Hamburg, the last one being another spot long on my to-try list. After a little bit of browsing around I soon found a third drive-in giving Akron as many as Kenosha. So the question then became is Akron's burger game on the same level as it's most famous residents basketball game? Seeing as how I had Grub Seeker on my side it was possible to try all four spots out. I gotta keep my burger credentials at a presidential level.
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Bob's Hamburg

The reason we'd be in Akron was the fact we were headed to Pittsburgh. I knew when we decided to take the trip that these stops would be made but there were plenty of others to stop into as well. So we did the homework and found Bob's to close early Sunday at a time we probably wouldn't make it. Thus it was the very first stop of an eventual thirty.

Our view at the counter

Bob's is the elder statesman of burger shops in Akron having been around since 1931. They're the only one on here that's not a full service drive-in. More like a diner, and dive. Surprisingly the bleached blonde spiky hair was nowhere to be found on the walls inside. It's got everything going for it as far as a classic All American Hamburger stop. They do a classic Midwest style smashed burger on a very old school 4x2 grill with a broiler on bottom used to toast the buns. The balls of beef are the biggest I've come across from a spot as old as Bob's but I don't know if it's always been that way. While prices have changed they're still damn cheap coming in at $4.40 for a single and less than a dollar more for a double. All the way is mustard, pickle, onion, lettuce and Bob's Special Sauce. I had to go with that and came to learn the special sauce was very similar to chili sauce with a hint of cumin. The onions were of the McDonald's variety and thus you couldn't help but think of Mickey D's when eating this burger. Though the rest of it, specifically the beef, made this one so much better. Probably my favorite in Akron. I do love those onions.

Double Cheeseburger

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Swensons Drive-In

Ah yes, finally. Swenson's has a few locations but the original is the one to go too. Sunday evening so it was packed with cars and runners, literally, the Curb boys sprint to and from each car. Seriously hopeful none of them startle the wrong guy in that crazy state. The star of the show here is the Galley Boy. The cheeseburger I long wanted to try. I love unique eats and while some of them don't add up I thought the Galley Boy was a whiz kid. The top sauce was a mayo based concoction similar to the ones in the spots coming up while the bottom sauce was a sweet tangy BBQ variety supposedly made with brown sugar. When it was all put together I thought it worked wonderful. As this was our last stop before heading home I immediately regretted not ordering another for the road. I also realize I forgot to get a bologna sandwich. Hopefully there's a next time. I liked Swensons.

The Galley Boy Hamburg

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Sky-Way Drive-In

Next up was another locals favorite, this one around since 1952. We went to what I believe was the original but then we passed this one seen above with neon and I was able to snap a perfect pic at the red light. This place too is curbside service only and though it wasn't as packed as Swensons there were some people there. The site brags about the beef being fresh and the burgers being cooked to order. You want a medal for that? Their famous "sandwich" is the SkyHi which is a double decker hamburger with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onion.

SkyHi Sandwich

Sounds familiar but Jim called it a generic Big Mac without the signature McD's onions. No sesame seeded bun either, instead it was toasted plain. I liked it more than that but not as much as Jim's Hamburger Heaven in Elmhurst which I think makes the best Double Decker burger. The special sauce from here was more like a garlic infused mayo and I pretty much agree with Peter's assessment in that it's a perfectly good fast food burger but in a town taking them so serious it's not the best. I forgot to order the onion rings and those looked really good.

The insides

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Dilly's Drive-In

If what I read online was correct than Dilly's is the baby of the Akron burger boys. It only got its start in 1986. There's not nearly as much online about this spot but the Akronite's that like it swear by their signature dilly sauce. It too is a curbside only drive-in and home to the Dilly Burger.

Double Dilly Burger

This was another damn good burger but I couldn't detect the tangy BBQ/Sugar sauce that was in a Swensons offering. From what I read there was many comparing the two so I don't know if thats supposed to be the case or not but it was a good burger. Someone described the sauce as tartar sauce though I didn't think it tasted much like that. There was some relish and green olive taste to it and I liked it with the cheddar but didn't detect another sauce. They also have a pepper burger served with fried banana peppers on top. Again...I forgot to order that. Haha.

The insides

Dilly's probably has the best view of all of the Akron Drive-in's. You can see the Goodyear Airdock, the Rubber Bowl, the Derby Downs, and watch planes land at Akron Airport while in your car enjoying a Dilly Burger.

The now vacated Rubber Bowl...See ya next time

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Bob's Hamburg
1351 East Ave
Akron, OH 44307
(330) 253-2627

Swensons Drive In
40 S Hawkins Av
Akron, OH 44312
330-864-8416

Skyway Drive-In
951 E Turkeyfoot Lake Rd
Akron, OH 44312
(330) 896-9350

Dilly's Drive-In
1921 Triplett Blvd
Akron, OH 44312
(330) 798-0170

Empanada Triangle

-Grubbing in Chicago
Empanadas Everywhere

The Cubs are on fire and Wrigleyville, and in larger part Lakeview, is buzzing. There's an entire new culture of baseball being paved and it couldn't be more exciting. Even the food options in and around the stadium have gotten better. Today I present a little empanada eating triangle that will take you thru Lakeview. The snacks which are popular in many South American countries are becoming a favorite quick bite for the residents of the neighborhood. On top of these three there's also the wonderful baked empanadas most always available in the case in front at El Mercado Meat Market.
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5411 Empanadas

We'll start off with the odds on favorite for most well known of the trio. 5411 Empanadas got its start as a food truck and they now have two brick & mortar locations including the first to open on Clark street just next door to the Century Mall. 5411 sells Argentinian style baked empanadas. The menu boasts a couple handfuls worth of flavors and each of comes wrapped its own way so the customer can tell which is which. I'm partial to the beef with malbec sauce. Others I've found to be too sweet or lacking flavor. The chimichurri dipping sauce does pair perfectly with the Malbec beef filling. For whatever reason I've found the offerings at Clark street to be better than North avenue.

Empanadas at 5411 Empanadas

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Empanadas, Burgers & More

A couple miles North on Clark you'll find this somewhat new spot with a pretty generic name. I wasn't sure what to think of it but the menu, the empanada side anyway, did tempt me to stop in. Boy am I glad I did. This place is making Colombian style empanadas which means they're fried.

Empanadas at Empanadas, Burgers, & More

The menu boasts about ten different selections though I haven't been able to order anything other than the traditional Colombian chicken which comes packed with shredded chicken, rice, hard boiled egg, and lots of onion and garlic mixed in. The other one I love is the Mexican nacho offering. It comes with seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, refried beans, sauteed onions, and peppers. Its a big ass fiesta in your mouth. They also offer two different dipping sauces. One being a traditional Colombian style Aji dipping sauce made with tomato, cilantro, green onions and vinegar. The other is called a a Salsa Rosada and it's a blend of ketchup, mayo and a secret ingredient. I was surprised by this place.

The inside of a Macho Nacho

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Cafe Tola

Our final spot is on Southport just North of Addison. It's a cute little building that I always thought would make a great hot dog spot. For a while it was a exterminator company's office but a couple years ago this vibrant little coffee shop opened up shop. It needs to be more well known. While I don't drink coffee they make their own empanadas in house and if they have the shredded goat option available you will be in for one of the best things you've eaten lately. They must pack it in cold because somehow the baked treat packs plenty of juice when you bite into it. Go see for yourself.

Empanada at Cafe Tola

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5411 Empanadas
2850 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 755-5411

Empanadas, Burgers & More
3307 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 857-0189

Cafe Tola
3612 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 687-8428

Roadfood in Illinois

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Random Stops in the Land of Lincoln

I've got so many food stops in random Illinois towns I thought it was time to start getting some of them online. As a lifelong city resident I really do feel bad for those who rarely leave Chicago, as good as it is there's some fun places in areas outside of Chicagoland. Most of them presenting beautiful views you wont find in the city. There's some great small towns and state parks to explore and you're going to be hungry while doing so. Get out and Enjoy Illinois sometime soon.
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Candlelight Inn

Sterling, IL

This place down in Central Illinois is a classic. They've been at it for close to 50 years. Locals flock from all angles to get some chicken George in their life. It's basically fresh battered chicken tenders served with a special dipping sauce. I stopped in one day to finally try them. They weren't quite fried fresh because she told us they'd be out in a minute when I asked for them to-go. They make them in large batches as I saw in a video looking up the address, this caused a few to stick but nonetheless they were pretty dang enjoyable for chicken strips. We both agreed they were like a dish you may find at an American-Chinese restaurant which sometimes you just need. The sauce reminded me of the house sauce at southern chicken finger chains like Zaxby's. Kids will love them.

Chicken George with Jan's Special Sauce

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Dog 'n Suds

Grayslake, IL

Way up north near where Illinois meets Wisconsin is one of the last of a dying breed. There was a time when Dog n Suds were found all over but the few that remain are independently owned. One of them up in Grayslake is still going strong over the summer season.

Drive-In Hot Dogs

This stop was made a few years ago but I doubt much has changed. They had both classic Chicago style hot dogs (minus poppy seed bun) as well as Coney dogs. I tried one of each and was happy with the product. Neither was the best example of their respective styles but both were satisfying. Even better was the fresh brewed root beer served alongside them.

Coney Dog (L) Chicago style (R)

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Da Rajun Cajun

McNabb, IL

Down in the Illinois River Region there's another Cajun joint opened by a former Louisiana resident. Da Rajun Cajun calls itself a southern style restaurant and bar and features live music on the weekends. We sat at the bar for a beer one night while riding home and watched the locals have a good time with the female owner. Her house gumbo was very interesting. It was different but all gumbos are. This one had some redness to it from tomatoes as well as smoked chicken and sausage. The rice was about as fluffy a scoop as I've ever had. Wonder if it was Carolina gold. Good stuff.

House Gumbo

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La Gondola Spaghetti House

Bloomington, IL

While down in the land of the Redbirds I spied this building up above and it looked cool, in the old school sort of way so I pulled inside the lot to see what was up. Turns out this is a locals favorite sandwich shop that also serves spaghetti. The Website says they've been around since 1982 and the pizza bread sandwich is a common mention in reviews. So I tried one. Gross. The red sauce was way too sweet for me. I think the only way to like this sandwich is to have grown up on it.

Pizza Bread Sandwich

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Shooters Bar & BBQ

O'Fallon, IL

I was down in St. Louis this past Spring visiting my friend and we did some good eating as always. He took me to a spot he likes over on the Illinois side of town. I told him to order what was good and we ended up with some amazing wings and a somewhat gimmicky rack of ribs. The wings were stuffed with jambalaya and smoked. Dope. They reminded me of the stuffed wings at the Hmong Market in Milwaukee except better. The skin was perfectly crunchy and the meat was still pretty moist when bitten into. The rice inside was like reaching the center of a blow pop.

Jambalaya Stuffed Smoked Chicken Wings

The insides

The ribs we ordered were of the deep fried variety. They're smoked first and then dropped in the fryer with a bunch of dry rub sticking to them. Not awful by any means but not something you wanted to eat an entire rack of. It was almost like candy.

Deep Fried Ribs

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Candlelight Inn
2907 N Locust St
Sterling, IL 61081
(815) 625-2600

Dog 'n Suds
454 Center St
Grayslake, IL 60030
(847) 223-4601

Da Rajun Cajun
3289 Rt 89
McNabb, IL 61335
(815) 882-2323

La Gondola Spaghetti House
509 S Main St
Bloomington, IL 61701
(309) 828-4141

Shooters Bar & BBQ
113 E 1st St
O'Fallon, IL 62269
(618) 622-2227

Mindy's Hot Chocolate

-Weekend Brunchin'

I think you could consider Hot Chocolate one of the pioneers of the Damen avenue stretch of Bucktown which is crammed with bars restaurants and boutiques. They've been on the block for over a decade and in that time has become many neighborhood residents favorite spot to brunch.

Locals favorite in Bucktown

I'm not a big breakfast guy and don't need brunch like some so my review is more because of my feelings for the brunch. Granted this visit was 4/5 months ago I still remember what I liked about it, and some things I didn't. The donuts were pretty good but served lukewarm which to me kills the whole point of ordering them in a restaurant. If they're not fried to order they're like most others.

Cinnamon Spiced Donuts 

Looks like their menu has changed for the season but on the last one they had a pretty good example of shrimp and grits but it seemed to be missing that oomph that other versions tried. Maybe the grits needed some shrimp stock or if they already had some maybe more was needed.

Shrimp and Grits with Diced Bacon + Poached Egg

One of the most popular menu items at Hot Chocolate is the burger. It's been listed in a few 'best of' lists and many people around town claim it as their favorite. During the Brunch hour they simply add an egg. I', starting to become more of a no egg on my burger guy because I think it takes something away from the beef which in this case was a really nice blend from Slagel Farms. It was however served medium when asked for medium rare so that kind of annoyed me. I should be mandatory that all beef from farms such as Slagel be served medium rare or rare. The bacon took more flavor from the beef though it was bacon so. I liked that the accompaniments to the burger came as build your own but really disliked the bun which was way to dense. I like them fluffy. I hate pretzel buns. All in all this was a good burger just not one I would call my favorite. See ya next time.

Brunch Burger - slagel Farms beef, organic bacon, Carr Valley aged cheddar, pickle, sesame bun, house made chips

Mindy's Hot Chocolate
1747 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-1747
Website