Karachi Chat House

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Pakistani Eats

I've been eating my way up and down Devon avenue more and more lately. For those that have never been it's basically Chicago's Little India though Little Pakistan might be a more suitable nickname. There's not a ton of Indian Style Curry shops but there is quite a few Pakistani owned businesses including today's featured spot. Karachi Chat House isn't new but at some point in the last year or so new ownership took over. So if you visited this place pre-2015/16 it's different these days. I know this cause I chatted it up with the owner the first time I visited. It's since become a regular in my rotation.

Locals favorite on Devon 

The new owners decided to add an American part to the menu, specifically Chicago style food ala hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza puffs etc. That pairs with popular street food eats from Karachi which is the largest city in Pakistan. Chat (chaat) translates to savory snacks usually found alongside the road in places like India and Pakistan. While I'm not well educated in Indian or Pakistani street food I've come to love it when I get the chance to try it and Chat House is one of my current go-to spots. Only thing is I've gotten pretty much the same thing on each of my visits. If I'm dining in I always get a plate of the Dahi Puri which looks somewhat like a complete mess but tastes fantastic with all sorts of flavors and textures to enjoy. It's origins go back to Mumbai and the main ingredients in this vegetarian dish include Sev, Puri, Onion, Chili Powder, Mung Bean, Yogurt, Coriander.

Dahi Puri 

My go-to item from Chat House is the shredded beef wrap. Please note I'm not positive as to what it's called on the menu but if you order the shredded beef roll they'll know exactly what it is. I asked the guy working the register on my first visit what his favorite item was and this is it. He picked a good one. Best way I can describe the meat used in this Pakistani style burrito is corned beef. It's not hunter beef (Pakistani style corned beef) but has the same flavors and when paired with some onions and a spicy green coriander sauce inside this is one of my favorite cheap eats in the city at this moment. The wrap is warm and thick like a flour tortilla. Pretty sure they make them on the spot.

Shredded Beef Wrap

Karachi Chat House
2301 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 856-3600

Bije's Grill and Bar

-The Other Chicago-style Pizza: Tavern Style

I'd driven past Bije's many of times always thinking how much it resembled a Wisconsin tavern. Located way west on Irving Park road it's in an area that you could shoot a 70's based movie in and not have to change much. Time goes by slower in these parts, it's still Chicago by address but feels more like a small town than a big city. Bije's is a typical local tavern with it's fair share of regulars.

Locals favorite in Belmont Heights

When I met a friend here to watch a Cubs game a couple things happened. The first of which was a historic comeback against the Cardinals. It was early on in the 2016 season but it was then and there I knew this team was the real deal. The other thing that happened was the smell of the pizza defeated my attempt to not eat. Originally we were just going to have some drinks but I ended up leaving with a medium sausage pizza. It was good in that neighborhood spot sort of way. If I lived down the block I'd probably pick up this pizza now and then. Though I wouldn't make it a destination for the pizza itself it is a great neighborhood place to catch a game and enjoy a few cold ones and some pizza.

Sausage Pizza

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 4
sauce: 4
toppings: 4
Crispness: 4

Score: 16/20

Bije's Grill and Bar
7455 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60634 
(773) 625-9700

Indiana Eats

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
-The Signature Eats of Indiana 

Over the years we've featured handfuls and handfuls of spots from the Hoosier State. Today's post is a handful of spots I've been to that feature one of Indiana's signature regional eats. As you scroll down you may wonder is anything they eat healthy? Sure. There's good produce such as corn I guess. Other than that though these spots don't exactly cater to a South beach like diet. Though I still managed to squeeze in a completely vegan meal while in-state, and it was delicious. Please read on for the info.

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Nick's Kitchen

Huntington, IN

What's a round-up of Indiana regional eats without the inclusion of a breaded pork tenderloin? Incomplete. I don't like to leave readers hanging so instead of just any old tenderloin the first stop up is the place where the sandwich is said to have originated. Due to this claim Nick's has been featured in many publications and is always mentioned when BPT's in Indiana are discussed. Nick's is a full fledged kitchen churning out a variety of standard diner fare offerings but the breaded pork sandwich and pie are what most people are there for. Looking down on the pic of the menu I took that day I can see I made the wrong call by going peachy apple with the pie. It was just ok and Sugar Creme is the official food of the state so I should've known then and there what to get. Can't win 'em all.

Pie is Life in Indiana

As mentioned Nick's claim to fame is the breaded tenderloin. Maybe the most well known restaurant in the Hoosier State. So they claim it made it's debut in 1908 when Nick's was just a pushcart serving the more well known hamburger at the time. So they say the rest is history and the BPT is now the signature eat of Indiana. I liked Nick's just fine but have had better both in Indiana and also Iowa.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin

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A Kaung Zarr

I've featured Burmese food in Indiana before. As mentioned in that post Indiana has one of the highest populations of Burmese refugees. Many of them reside in Ft. Wayne. So with them there's a decent amount of Burmese food in the area. More than in Chicago and many other metropolises. One day we took a ride to explore the scene and came to find many of the spots closed on Tuesday. Luckily this one here was open and even better it's probably the spot you want to check out. We would end up ordering samosas, tea leaf salad, and a lo mein salad served Burmese style. This would unintentionally be a vegetarian meal that was also fantastic. It was fresh and had some flavors we don't get to experience every day. I'd say this spot is worth a detour. A true hidden gem.

Burmese Feast in Fort Wayne

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Gray Brothers Cafeteria

The Cafeteria is a staple in Indiana cuisine. If you do alot of travel thru the state I suggest taking a look at Joanne Raetz Stuttgen's book titled 'Cafe Indiana: A Guide to Indiana's Down-Home Cafes'. She documents all of the states hometown mom-and-pop restaurants in celebration of small-town Midwest culture. One of the more well known Cafeteria's in the state is the roadfood approved Gray Brother's Cafeteria which rests about 20 minutes southwest of Indianapolis.

Moorseville, IN

This would be my first visit to one of these fill your tray up Indiana cafeterias and thus I learned a few things as I went. The line starts with dessert and there's lots of it. So much I was overwhelmed. Even though I'm not the biggest dessert guy you cant go thru one of these diners in the middle of the Midwest and not get a piece of pie.

Start of the Buffet Line

Moving thru...Beef and Noodles, Fried Chicken and Meatloaf

Along with my slice of apple pie I went ahead and had them put three pieces of dark meat fried chicken and a few hush puppies on my tray. For my sides I went overload and got green beans cooked in ham juice, mac and cheese, sliced potatoes, and of course the standard Hoosier classic of beef (or chicken) and noodles, second only to the pork tenderloin for most beloved eat in-state. Read more on this in this excerpt HERE.

So photogenic

My friend went slightly lighter than I and got the Friday special of baked cod and some sides and pie to go with it. My next learning lesson would be in the price of all this. It wasn't cheap, maybe the fact it was being served cafeteria style led me to believe this but my tray and drink were easily over $20.

Friends Plate

First up the fried chicken which is taken very seriously around this way. It was ok. I'm not totally opposed to it when it's pre-fried and served cafeteria style and there wasn't a problem with it as far as temperature or crunch on the exterior, it was just plain. I didn't hate it but I don't feel the need to return for more. The sides were all pretty good and in case anyone was wondering, the meat in the beef and noodles was indeed real and not from a can. I know this because I got a little piece of butcher string that was still stuck to a piece of beef in my order. I'd imagine this place gets packed on the weekends. There were multiple generations of family in there on our visit.

My Plate

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The Flamingo

Lenten season is coming but you don't need to go go to The Flamingo Lounge on a Friday just to get some fish. Lake Perch is a specialty of the Northwest Indiana region which I wrote about HERE. This historic Gary Indiana restaurant now located on Miller Beach serves plates of lake perch year-round. While the old school neon sign is gone most of the bars charm inside remains intact.

Gary, IN

Opened in 1941 as a lounge serving pizza I read elsewhere that it was one of the first pizzerias in the state. The current owners added a dining room addition onto the bar and to keep the local feel they sourced the building material from other local establishments now out of business. We stopped in out of season thus there were locals cuddled up at the bar smoking cigarettes watching football and not much else going on. The Lake Perch was lightly dusted and very flaky, tasted good in my book. Extra points for the cup of drawn butter included with each order.

Plate of Lake Perch

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Lisa's Pie Shop

 Atlanta, IN

Here's a place I found one day when returning home from Indianapolis. I took an off-highway route and came across this pie shop sitting on a corner in what was basically the middle of nowhere. How could I not stop? It was nearing the end of summertime so they had some fresh apple pies on display. No way I walked out without one. As good as I expected it to be. Another spot worth a detour.

Apple Pie

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Nick's Kitchen
506 N Jefferson St
Huntington, IN 46750
(260) 356-6618

A Kaung Zarr
5205 Decatur Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
(260) 203-9056

Gray Brothers Cafeteria
555 S Indiana St
Mooresville, IN 46158

(317) 831-7234

Flamingo Pizza of Miller
8341 Locust Ave
Gary, IN 46403
(219) 938-0323 

Lisa's Pie Shop
5995 US-31
Atlanta, IN 46031
(317) 758-6944

Chicago's Ethnic Bakeries

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Where the bakery snacks at?

If one wants to get an idea of Chicago's diversity when it comes to food, look no further than the city's bakeries. It's inside these businesses where one can get a peek into the culture of the people behind them. It's not just the many Eastern European owned spots focusing on pastries and such. Pretty much any type of cuisine regularly available in Chicago restaurants has a spot where you can purchase baked goods from the same food background. Today we take a look at three of them.

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Antojitos Colombianos

 Colombian Bakery in Portage Park 

This Colombian owned bakery doubles as a cafeteria where many of Chicagoland's Colombian population likes to hang out. They stay busy supplying plates of home cooked food as well as baked goods to those looking for a taste of home. I try to stop in when I find myself on the stretch of Milwaukee on which it sits. I still need to try the food specials as I've stuck to the baked goods.

 a peek inside 

I find their Colombian Empanadas to be a great snack in the under $2 category. I prefer the beef which gets mixed with potatoes to form a creamy consistency. One of those with a still warm elephant ear is a nice way to start the day. Cheaper than most any fast food outlet. Eat local.

Empanada and Elephant Ear

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Pisyang Snacks 

 Filipino Bakery in Irving Park 

This place opened up last year and caught my eye. Filipino food is really having it's moment as more and more chefs become attracted to it's endless array of flavors. I stopped in here over the summer and chatted it up with a nice older lady who seemed to be the proprietor. This is your spot if you got a hankering for garlic Salted Peanuts, Mango Cheesecake, and other Filipino treats.

a peek inside

On my first trip in the warm buns inside caught my eye. I learned that Filipinos have their own style of Chinese steamed buns called Siopao. This one was stuffed with BBQ pork and tasted great. I've been back a couple times since but they dont always have them as they can sell out and such. I told her to throw in a few pieces of her favorite sweet treats as I was unfamiliar with pretty much all of it. I dont know how she knew I love coconut but I'm now hooked on the snack seen in the pic below. Coconut tart is buttery and full of coconut flavor. Try the jackfruit option as well. Love this spot.

Filipino Snacks 

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Taza Bakery

 Middle Eastern Bakery on Devon 

Taza is a longtime favorite. The only reason I never posted about it before was I always seem to stop in unexpected and sans camera. Taza doubles as a restaurant where most of the menu items feature their fresh baked breads. Items like lahembajin and shawarma. You can see much of the menu below.

 a peek inside

Another reason I haven't had a chance to do a full feature is the fact I most always get a couple spinach pies. These are one of my favorite vegetarian snacks in the city and again one of the better things you'll eat for under $2. I always get a few extra for the fridge. See y'all next time.

Spinach Pie

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Antojitos Colombianos
4208 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 685-2100

Pisyang Snacks 
3824 W Montrose Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
(872) 241-9166

Taza Bakery
3100 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 942-7541

Chatime / TT Noodle

-Grubbing in Chicago  
New Opening in Chinatown

If you're a regular diner in Chinatown you probably know the two items that keep popping up around town. Both bubble tea and noodles are having a moment right now. So I wasn't at all surprised to find a new restaurant in Chinatown Court that features both. Upon further review I learned that Chatime is a popular chain in Taiwan with outlets across the globe. This is their first Chicago location.

Newly Opened in Chinatown

I found nothing online about TT Noodle which shares a space with the bubble tea purveyor. Nonetheless the menu had a 'Beef Noodle Soup' section and that caught my eye. It was my belief that since this was a Taiwanese Bubble Tea shop that beef noodle soup meant Taiwanese style beef noodle soup. But I was wrong and suffered a major buzz kill when a bowl of regular looking Pho came to my table. I love Pho but I say "regular looking" because this came served with bean sprouts and basil with a little slice of lime and nothing else. So how was it? Lets just say I wont be tweeting the Hungry Hound to tell him he missed a spot on his recent quest for Best Pho in Chicago. Meh at best.

Beef Noodle Soup (Pho) at TT Noodle 

Chatime / TT Noodle
2017 S Wells St
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-9088

Middle Eastern Flair

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Middle Eastern Eats

You might remember the sign below from it's days over on Harlem. Middle Eastern Fair used to be housed on the 4100 block of Harlem until a dispute with their landlord forced them to move. I was recently happy to see that they've settled in nicely at their new location on West Irving Park Road just east of Cumberland. Upon walking inside for the first time it felt almost exactly like the old spot.

Newly relocated in Dunning 

Middle Eastern Flair is 1/3 grocery, 1/3 bakery, and 1/3 restaurant. While the old location was mostly takeout as far as prepared foods the new one has a nice little dining area. Though takeout still seems to be the popular form of purchase. The store has a wonderful smell coming from the abundance of fresh baked goods on offer at the counter which is where most of the prepared food is waiting.

 a peek inside 

The menu at Middle Eastern Flair includes the commonly found items of Middle Eastern menus but also some house specialties. Stuff like falafel and shawarma is on offer but there's more to the menu than just that. Their falafel is legit I just wish they fried it fresh. All about the timing I guess.

Well Spiced Falafel on offer 

But to me the real reason to go here is the roast chicken I learned about from a fellow food fan. He spoke in high praise of the bird and I zeroed in on his praise making sure to check it out the next chance I had. Well I've now been a fan since their old location. One of the most well seasoned chickens you'll ever try. Maybe a tad dry at times but it doesn't matter much when the flavor of the meat makes your mouth pop in the way this one does. I recommend ordering a full bird alongside an order of their Uzzie rice. This rice dish is best described as a Middle Eastern style of fried rice. Little bits of beef shawarma are tossed in alongside vegetables, nuts, and tons of secret spicing. Delicious.

Roast Chicken and Uzie Rice 

Middle Eastern Flair
8235 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago, IL 60634
(773) 589-3144

AMK Kitchen Bar

-Weekend Brunchin'

I finally got over to AMK Kitchen which opened up right around the time I moved away from the area. The place is popular with locals especially on the weekends. We stopped in for brunch a couple months ago and came away pleased in a nice neighborhood place sort of way. A nice option to have.

Locals Favorite in Bucktown

Now that I think about this was actually our second time dining here and the first time was for dinner. It's dark inside so I dont think I got any pics. We liked what we had however the service was a problem as they had to make fresh pie dough for the chicken pot pie thus we waited a while but did get the dish complimentary on the house. It was good, not great, but the fried pickles were fantastic. Thus we had to order those again on the second visit. I prefer chips and these were battered crisp.

Fried Pickles 

The brunch menu has some interesting options including house made corned beef hash which is one of my favorite breakfast bites. I couldn't convince her to get that since she wanted the chicken and waffles and chose them over the mac and cheese she loved the last time we stopped in. I enjoyed my bite, not exactly anything groundbreaking but a solid rendition of the new hipster classic. Ha.

Chicken and Waffles

So on our second visit I had wanted to try the burger and since it was on the brunch menu (with the option to add an egg) that's what I was there for. No egg for me as I become more and more of a burger purist with each passing year. Which meant I wasn't all that turned on by the idea of fried pickles on the burger but I decided to try it as meant to be served. AMK goes the way of the now popular two patty build. They're topped with white American cheese and a horseradish dijonnaise on a bricohe bun. I thought I'd like this one a bit more as I do love to use white American cheese at home but I thought it was just pretty good. I'd probably grade it a B- maybe C-  if in a bad mood.

The AMK Burger

AMK Kitchen
1954 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 276-4400
Website

afternoon

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Asian fusion in LP

'Afternoon' is the newest addition to the stretch of Clark street in Lincoln Park that's home to lots of "ethnic" spots. I use the term loosely because for many people ethnic means non-white but these places are geared towards the neighborhood which is predominately white. Up and down the block you can find hip Korean, South American, Hawaiian, and now Japanese. The young girls behind this place have decided to focus on Katsu which is the Japanese version of a breaded cutlet.

 Newly Opened in Lincoln Park

When I first read about this place in the former Meatloaf Bakery space it said they were bringing sushi burritos to the area. While I could care less about those the fact they were also doing Katsu caught my eye. I love Japanese style breaded cutlets and Afternoon offers it in a few ways. Aside from your choice of chicken or pork they offer them traditionally served with katsu sauce, in sandwich form, and even in a sushi roll. I tried the pork katsu plate over rice (pasta is also offered) and came away impressed. The breading stuck to the meat which was crispy on the end pieces and juicy in the middle ones. The side salad was sad but I didn't care as the pork was done well. On my visit I didn't see the sushi burritos on the menu which was basically Katsu and soup. Cute spot.

Pork Katsu Plate

Afternoon
2464 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 666-5591

Torta Haus

-Eating like a Mayan King in the Windy City

We start off 2017 with one of my favorites from 2016. Torta Haus sits about a half block East of the Brown line stop on Diversey. It's housed in a restaurant that used to be an Argentinian pizza place. The family behind Torta Haus decided to make use of the old pizza oven and bakes bread daily.

New favorite in Lakeview

I keep forgetting to ask but I feel like the family behind Torta Haus might've come to Chicago from the San Diego area. Either that or their recipes are very similar to families in Southern Cali. Starting with the Baja Fish Taco. This is one of the better fish tacos in the city. It's perfectly fried and topped with just the right amount of crunchy cabbage as well as a sauce defined as "Baja style."

Baja Fish Taco 

The main attraction of the menu for me is the steak. Torta Haus uses the more tender cut of skirt steak which also costs more. Thus while the steak tacos are a tad pricey at $3.75 a piece they use better quality meat and grill to order and you can notice the difference. No pic but the Carne Asada fries are another item that leads me to believe they have some sort of connection to SD. The same steak is tossed over fresh cut fries, homemade queso with pico. Southern Cali Mexican in Chicago? Nice.

Carne Asada Taco

Because I'm such a big fan of their steak I've pretty much stuck with that on my visits. The tortas have some intriguing options like a German offering with schnitzel and bratwurst amongst other meats. There's also a traditional Mexican style Cubano torta. Still I've stuck with the carne asada. 

Carne Asada Torta 

This was one of my favorites sandwiches this past summer. I stopped in for it a few times despite the fact I'm not a huge torta eater. As you probably know I prefer tacos. But this is a sandwich that's put together very well. The exciting part about it is the aforementioned steak. The house baked bollio bread is spread with your choice of  refried beans (black/pinto), and shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado, Munster cheese, and sour cream. The steak and cheese portion of sandwich spends time in the oven allowing the cheese to melt and the corners of the bread to crisp. Makes for a tasty lunch.

The Insides

Torta Haus
926 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, IL 60614
Website

Best of 2016

- Memorable Bites from the past Calendar Year

2016 is just about complete. As far as the real world goes it was filled with ups and downs. But as far as my own little food world goes it was waaaaaay up. Probably the tastiest year to date over here. I also got married and watched the Cubs win a World Series beforehand so for me 2016 was pretty great. As always I have my year end round-up featuring my best bites of the calendar year. Those listed are only things that I posted about on this site. As far as the Beyond Chicagoland rankings go I only choose one bite from each trip taken. So while there's plenty of worthy options I try to choose the one item I've craved the most since having it. New this year is the taco category which only makes sense considering that's the single food I eat more of than anything else. Without further ado.

 The Best of 2016

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Chicagoland

Homemade Pork Gyros at Charcoal Flame (Click HERE)
- I keep finding myself here every few months. Always for the same thing. The homemade pork gyros is some of the best spit roasted meat in the Chicagoland area.


Roti Paratha at Serai (Click HERE)
- The heavily scented Malaysian style yellow curry is supposed to be a side component to the housemade roti on the appetizer menu. But it's the sauce that makes this dish one of my favorites.


Tortellini in Broth at Monteverde (Click HERE)
- One of the years best new restaurants produced my favorite bowl of soup. Pasta is this star of the show and the little tortellini in this dish were fantastic but the potent broth was the key component. 


Yucatecan style Wood Grilled Sea Bass at Lena Brava (Click HERE)
- Rick Bayless' ode to Baja is a popular one. Duh. In my opinion it's his best offering yet. I base this almost entirely off of the wood grilled fish that gets it's own section on the menu. Mine was divine.


Shrimp Tempura Bowl from Hannosuke (Click HERE)
- Tempura is one of my favorite snacks and while this place might not be perfection like that found in Japan, it's a damn good lunch. Perfectly fried everything with a tangy sauce that sticks to it.


Jianbing at Tong's (Click HERE) 
- This food stall in the basement of Chinatown's Richland Center is minimal. But what they do they do really well. The star of the show is a traditional Chinese street food similar to crepes.


Mole Empanadas at Golden Tuzo (Click HERE)
- Regional Mexican at it's finest. You wont find any tacos or quesadillas on the menu here. The family behind it makes wonderful empanadas from a recipe going back to their home state of Hidalgo.


Chunky Puppies at Animale (Click HERE)
- Fries? Really? I know but these are currently my favorite fried potatoes in the city. I liked lots of stuff on Animale's menu but it's the fries I find myself craving. They're crispy, they're creamy, they're delicious.


Chicken Shawarma at Al Sufara Grills (Click HERE)
 - Cooking with fire is all the rage in trendy restaurants these days. It seems like it's the only way the owners of this popular Middle Eastern restaurant have ever known. I love everything here as it's all grilled over live fire including the perfectly kissed chicken shawarma. Strip mall dining at it's finest.

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Beyond Chicagoland


Brisket at Kerlin BBQ (Austin, TX) - Click HERE
- In my yearly trips to Austin it's still the BBQ that I most look forward to. There's lots of spots to enjoy perfectly smoked brisket and this years favorite was this small trailer with big flavors.


Daily Pastas at Il Corvo (Seattle, WA) - Click HERE
- Said by many to be the finest pasta restaurant in the country I can now join in on the chorus. This lunch only establishment draws lines of people everyday for a selection of two ever changing pastas. So good we went back despite having lots of other spots to try.


Smoked Salmon Smørbrød at Bachelor Farmer Cafe (Minneapolis, MN) - Click HERE
- The Nordic dining scene in Minneapolis is becoming a trendsetter. The Bachelor Farmer is one of those trendsetters. We didn't get to the main restaurant but did visit the cafe for Scandinavian style open faced sandwiches. The salmon was perfect. 


Onion Burger at Lemon Drop Drive In (Anderson, IN) - Click HERE
- It had been probably 10+ years that I'd wanted to go to this Roadfood type spot an hour out of Indy. Known for their Onion Burgers they make them a bit different here. The onion is sliced whole and stuffed inside the meat which makes for a real treat. One of the best burgers of all time on my list.


Fried Chicken at Martha Lou's Kitchen (Charleston, SC) - Click HERE
- There were about ten different things I could've chose from our trip to Charleston. But there's only one spot we ate the food from and then went back in for more and it was none other than Martha Lou's golden fried chicken. Some of the best I've ever had and well worth the hype.


House Chashu Rice at Brush Izakaya (Atlanta, GA) - Click HERE
- There's still times when I think about that delicate pork belly that melted upon arrival in my mouth. Quite simply some of the best cooked pork I have ever ate. This was an extremely tasty bowl of food.


Seafood Tostadas at La Guerrerense (Ensenada, BC) - Click HERE
- As the Queen of Mexican Street Food Sabina Banderas is a beloved figure. She can add me to her list of admirers that would do just about anything to eat her tostadas. One could easily argue this is the best street food stand in the world. Yes it's that good. The salsas being to die for.


Sweet Potato Crusted Tilefish at Leftovers Cafe (Jupiter, FL) - Click HERE
- We ate lots of good fish during our month long stay in South Florida. In what was my first visit to Little Moir's I got to try the popular sweet potato crusted fresh catch and absolutely loved it. I'll be back here the first chance I get.

Langoustines at Baia Seafood (Cape Town, ZA) - Click HERE

- So much fantastic shellfish in Cape Town. And so many good things to eat at that. I think I chose these because it was our first lunch in the city and it set the tone for the rest of the trip which was filled with prawns.

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Best Tacos

Steak Tacos at La Iguanita (Chicago, IL) - Click HERE
- Simply put these are the best steak tacos in Chicagoland. Add that to the fact their creamy green salsa is some of the best salsa in the city and you got yourself a winner. A must stop for me when I'm near there.


Shrimp Taquitos at Dos Urban Cantina (Chicago, IL) - Click HERE
- I enjoyed quite a few meals at this Logan Square 2016 newcomer. After trying the little shrimp taquitos on my first visit I've had them ever since. The flavors in this take me straight to the beach somewhere in Mexico.


Tijuana Style Tacos at Tacos Mariachi (Dallas, TX) - Click HERE
- This family run joint is an ode to back home in Baja. I cant pick just one of the tacos that I tried so order whatever and it's bound to be delicious. Don't sleep on Dallas' taco scene.


Green Chorizo Taco at Minero (Charleston, SC) - Click HERE
- Mexican mixed with a bit of Southern Flair by famous chef Sean Brock. I loved everything about this place. Some of the better chef driven tacos I've ever tried.


Smoked Marlin Taquitos at Mariscos Ruben (Tijuana, BC) - Click HERE
- I could've chose pretty much any taco that I tried in Baja as it's one of the best places in the world to eat tacos. But these are a must and worth a ride from pretty much anywhere in California.

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Best Meals

Omakase at Wataru (Seattle, WA) - Click HERE
- The best sushi I've ever had. Not sure I'll get better until the day I head to Japan. That said the fact we were in the Northwest made for a great local bounty of fish mixed with the best of the best flown in from Japan. So it's a unique experience driven by a extra friendly and super knowledgeable chef.


Prixe Fix Menu at La Colombe (Cape Town, ZA) - Click HERE
- This well known South African destination restaurant produced what's sure to be a memory that lasts a lifetime. The food was fantastic the views were beautiful and the fact we were on our Honeymoon made it a bit more romantic. A top notch overall experience.


Fresh Catch Lunch at Mariscos La Estrella (Popotla, BC) - Click HERE
- This was one for the ages. Fresh as can be seafood that we just bought off the beach from the guys who fished it. Enjoyed with good friends and ice cold brews. This is what life is all about.


Daily Lunch at Jordan Restaurant (Stellenbosch, ZA) - Click HERE
- Another fantastic gourmet meal in South Africa that also happened to be an extra picturesque setting. On top of this the food was some of the best we ate all year. Cheers to 2017.

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