Ed's Kitchen

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)

Charcoal Grilled Meats out West

We all have our loves when it comes to food and cooking. One that sits near the top of my list when it comes to the two is charcoal grilled meats. Or kebabs to be even more specific. While I do think it's possible to achieve a delicious skewer of meat using a gas grill it's never going to match the magnificence of a kebab grilled over live charcoal. You cant replicate the flavor of real flames. It's a rarity when it comes to dining out. Sometimes bc local regulations don't allow restaurants to cook with charcoal and other times bc spots find the gas grills to be easier. So it's a special find when I come across a place cooking with charcoal. That's that case for today's stop out in Woodridge.

Locals Favorite in Woodridge

Ed's Kitchen sits at one end of a half vacant strip mall on Hobson Road in Woodridge which is next to Downers Grove in case you were wondering where that's at. There seems to be a nice sized Eastern European population out in these parts. I'm not positive as to where the people from Ed's Kitchen are from but I'm guessing they're background is some sort of Balkan. I gathered from google reviews that they used to just cater before opening their own restaurant. Pictures and reviews pointed to a special concoction used to grill skewers of meat over real charcoal. I pulled up and smelled the smoke right away. You couldn't really go inside but I could see a ton of Nature-Glo charcoal in the front of the house. Takeout only in the time of covid so I placed an order for a lamb kebab meal and she told me it would be about 15 minutes. I returned in that span of time and my food was ready. No reason to not go full al trunko on what was a perfect day weather wise. So I popped open my container and was greeted by five big chunks of charcoal grilled lamb sitting over rice and toasted vermicelli. Some shredded carrot salad was served with a tomato sauce that reminded me of Taco Bell mild hot sauce. Chopped tomatoes with cucumbers and a piece of semi dry pita rounded it all out. I got nothing but love for this place and will plan to stop by whenever I'm in the area which is admittedly close to never. So I'll probably just have to make plans to go and I suspect I will at some point when the crave for fire grilled meats comes calling but I dont feel like cooking it myself. I was intrigued with a couple of ground meat options mixing beef and pork with chicken. Normally I'm not a fan of mixing meats but it does work for meatloaf and meatballs so maybe it's kebab friendly too. Time will tell.

Lamb Kebab at Ed's Kitchen

Ed's Kitchen
3010 Hobson Rd
Woodridge, IL 60517
(224) 788-7000

Fullerton Restaurant

-Grubbing in Chicago

The sighting of a near extinct local dish

Can a dish be considered a regional delicacy if only one place serves it? Or isn't that more of a unique item that gets associated with a specific spot and not a certain area? I'd tend to agree with the latter which is why I was always hesitant to call 'Hamburger Akutagawa' a regional Chicago dish. Reason being is to my knowledge it was only available at what was formerly called Hamburger King and or "Chester's" by some. The restaurant is no more but many of it's dishes live on at Rice N Bread. I've been eating there since the late 90's as it was a couple of my friends (and their dads) favorite spot back then. I most always got that 'Hamburger Akutagawa' which is Asian-American style diner comfort food at it's finest. Anyway I'd long wondered about Fullerton Restaurant which rests at the corner of Fullerton and Western. A place that I wasn't even sure was open anymore.

 Locals Favorite in Logan Square

 

So one day I browsed the google images of this place and surprised I was when I saw a picture of Hamburger Aktugawa uploaded by a customer. My original thought was it was a picture from Rice N Bread uploaded on Fullerton Restaurants page. Akutagawa is a little known regional dish that came out of Chicago’s Japanese-American community which thrived in Lakeview post World War II. Wok scrambled eggs are stir fried with green pepper, onion, and bean sprouts with your choice of meat. Chopped hamburger being standard. Rice and gravy plus toast come on the side. This dish originated at the aforementioned Hamburger King and was apparently served at at least one other now defunct spot (North Shore Grill). Legend has it Akutagawa was the last name of a regular customer who really liked this dish. Until recently I thought HK was not just the first spot to serve it but also the last. Little did I know it was still being made in my neighborhood as well. It’s not on the menu anymore but it’s always available. I asked and the friendly staff told me it was a holdover kept from the previous owner. He probably had a connection to HK. Hope you enjoyed today’s lesson in Chicago food history. 

 

Hamburger Aktugawa at Fullerton Restaurant

Fullerton Restaurant

2400 W Fullerton Ave

Chicago, IL 60647 

(773) 384-5500

Dash of Salt and Pepper Diner

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

Anyone out there old enough to remember Salt & Pepper Diner on Lincoln in Lincoln Park? I imagine quite a few of you are. There was also a Wrigleyville location but it wasn't the same as the LP original. It opened in 1965 so it was a part of Lincoln Park going back to before my arrival in the 80's. So if you grew up in Lincoln Park pre-2000's you most likely have a memory of this place. If not you may remember a skit that John Mulaney did on the jukebox there or something to that liking? Our groups often crossed paths at S&P and house parties back in the 90's as we were all neighborhood kids and some of us (not me) went to school together. Though our group was typically viewed as the neighborhood trouble. Well Salt & Pepper was our spot if it was before the afternoon. Usually after a night of debauchery at a house party hosted by someone dumb enough to hold one at their parents house and if there wasn't a house party we were probably hanging out at Jonquil Park across the street drinking booze obtained with a fake ID at Mama Kum's further down the block on Lincoln.

 Newly Opened in Lincoln Park

A Dash of Salt & Pepper opened on Lincoln (kitty corner from Oz Park) this past year. If the people working there look familiar that's bc the staff from the old Salt & Pepper opened it. Our high school crew had a handful of spots that we ate at often. S&P was a short walk from our usual posting place at my friends house around the corner. They had a really good sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich and a damn fine diner burger. I shuffled between the two rarely getting anything else. So I was told by another friend the burger at a Dash of S&P was the same as it ever was back at the original. So I had to go see for myself. This is a burger I'd still thought about now and then long after S&P closed for good. I recognized the owner (old S&P waitress) right away and thought wow maybe the burger is also somehow the same, and it mostly is. At first I was quick to dismiss it bc it came dressed and ready to eat. Back at S&P it would come served opened faced with the traditional diner style toppings of L,T,O on the top bun and the mayo on the side. Now they put all the toppings including mayo on the burger which isn't a big deal once you taste it. It's really close to the original. I think the bun might be different but the fries are pretty much the same and that's a good thing too. Not all of the menu is the same as before, it's more updated and reflective of the neighborhood now than in the 60's, but the old diner standards like the burger seem to be very similar. Sometimes nostalgia really is just as you remembered.

 

Diner Burger at a Dash of Salt and Pepper 

 

Dash of Salt and Pepper Diner

2201 N Lincoln Ave

Chicago, IL 60614

(872) 206-8671

Website

Eating BIG in Peoria

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Exploring P-Town and the Surrounding Area

I've taken a handful of roadtrips over to the Peoria area the last decade or so. It's an interesting place. River towns always are. I've always felt a certain mystique with them and Peoria definitely brings that to the table. The Illinois river town is only about a 2 hour and 40 minute drive from Chicago. I think it falls in right around number eight for most populated places in the state however it has more history than most of the spots ranked ahead of it. A good place to learn of the city's history is at the Riverfront Museum which we visited a couple years back during the IHSA Basketball playoffs. Exhibits switch up but on our visit there was some truly interesting stuff including a hall totally dedicated to the IHSA and it's history as well as one dedicated to both Peoria's past and also the life of a River Rat which there were once plenty of with the Illinois river cutting right through town.

Sights from the Peoria Riverfront Museum 

(DYK that before prohibition Peoria was the country's top producer of whiskey?)

Unless you have family or some sort of outdoor weekend planned you really only need one day to get a good feel of Peoria. If you're a stand up comedy fan you probably already know that it was the childhood home of Richard Pryor who's one of the best to ever tell jokes on a stage. He has a statue in town so that's really cool and worth stopping for a snap if you're a fan. If you're into otherworldly activities the nearby Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville has a haunted past and you can feel that if you visit the area. Over in, or should I say up in, Hopewell Illinois rests a cool view of the entire area. There's all sorts of old school stuff from buildings to old relics and such found around town. So if you're a photographer you may enjoy taking the day to snap photos of this always interesting place.

Sights from Peoria

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Castle's Patio Inn

This little dive bar has been dishing out drinks in one form or the other since the end of prohibition. The current owner has had it for more than 25 years but it's the previous owner before her that made what was then known as Ray's Patio Inn to be the cheesiest place in town. It was then owner Ray who introduced free cheese spread (with crackers) back in the 60's. No one knows the origin but it's been a part of the bar ever since. These day's Castle's Patio Inn is owned by a widower who continues her husbands legacy. The cheese is so popular they make more than 4000 lbs during the holiday season. Much of it shipped out as Xmas gifts across the country to people from Peoria who miss it. I cant remember if it's still free but I don't believe it to be. But nothing is expensive in these parts. We actually visited here a handful of years ago but it's the type of spot that hasn't changed much since the Castle's took over. Thus it makes for a cool spot to stop for a beer. The cheese spread is your reward. Next time I'm in the area I plan on stopping by for some to take home.

Pub Cheese at Castle's Patio Inn 

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Kabab G

The Metro Peoria area is home to more than 8000 Lebanese-Americans. They've become a primary anchor of local business success. One form of this is in the local restaurant scene. Peoria has a handful of Lebanese options and if online reviews are to be believed they're all pretty good. I can vouch for Kabab-G which we went to a couple years ago and enjoyed both fresh fried falafel and beef shawarma cut directly from a spit. The same trip I'd seen a couple signs for local businesses and communities that were holding Kebab fundraisers and such. Like they do with brats in Wisconsin.

Falafel and Beef Shawarma at Kabab-G

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Emo's Dairy Mart

Peoria has a nice little drive-in / dairy culture. Emo's Dairy Mart is just one of a few popular Peoria summertime destinations. These places signify the start of spring for locals. Each spot has a menu item or two that people line up for while they all serve ice cream which people line up for all summer. Emo's is one we happened to be driving by. Look at this place. How could I not stop? The most popular food items at these Peoria dairy shacks seems to be hot dogs, tamales, and loose meat sandwiches. I got a loose meat from Emo's bc I wanted to see how it compared to another spot. I liked the other place better but I'll never not stop for a spot like this. We don't have them in Chicago.

Loose Meat Sandwich at Emo's Dairy Mart

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Twistee Treat

Here's an interesting piece of Fast Food Americana located in East Peoria. Twistee Treat is a corporate chain from Florida that has changed hands a few times following bankruptcy etc. The original was found in 1983 with it's signature buildings shaped in the form of an ice cream cone. The story of how one of those buildings got to East Peoria can be traced back to the original owners who opened an ice cream shop in a vacant Dairy Queen. That land was eventually sold to the state and the couple went on vacation to Florida. It was there they saw the Twistee Treat building. Since the company had gone bankrupt they purchased it for $25,000 and had it shipped to East Peoria. It came in 19 pieces according to a story I read online. They eventually sold to the current owner who has added her own touch. I tried a house special chili dog which comes with a bright tomato forward chili and relish and onions. Not my favorite chili dog ever but I loved everything else about this place.

Chili Dog at Twistee Treat

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Ernie's Dairy Dream

Here's yet another old school dairy / sandwich shack. Ernie's Dairy Dream sits in a residential part of town. I actually wrote about it in another Illinois Roadfood special I did a couple years back but I'll include it in this list too since it's in Peoria. From August of 2018. "According to an article in the PJ Star Ernie's reopened last year after a three year hiatus. Ernie's was born in South Peoria in 1959 in what was a bustling area. They had as many as 20 employees. As times changed and other businesses shut down so did Ernie's. But with it's recent rebirth I got to try one of their famous Castle Burgers which is really just a loose meat sandwich. Loose meat being exactly what it sounds like. Crumbled up ground beef served on a bun. A Sloppy Joe without the slop. Ernie's makes a good one that reminded me a bit of White Castle. It had that smooth slider taste. Dare I say it was great."

Castle Burger at Ernie's Dairy Dream 

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"The Original" Wonderdog

The "Original" Wonderdog is the premiere spot for chili dogs and tamales in East Peoria. The latter of which have a rich history in the area. There was a time when downtown Peoria would be flooded with Tamale Men. Not the Mexican kind but the Mississippi Delta variety that kind of morphed into a Chicago style hot dog stand tamale. In fact a while back I did a feature on a wonderful spot in Sparland, IL (outside Peoria) ran by a man named Willie Smith (RIP). Before him there was a guy Art Knutsen who started selling tamales from a cart back in 1932. His tamales went onto to become a local treat found at grocery stores all over town but the state shut it down. Somebody new bought the licensing and recipes and brought them back last year. They're similar to Tom-Tom and such. Now back to Wonderdog which also closed down for a while when it was known as the Velvet Freeze. The owners who supplied the Freeze with the meat for their chili dogs took over the space and switched it up by adding some menu items. But the chili dogs and the tamales are staples of the spaces past.

Chili Dog and Tamale and The Original Wonderdog 

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B's Drive-Inn (Farmington, IL)

About 30 minutes west of Peoria lies the small farm town of Farmington, IL. This spot is one of 100+ places I have listed on a Google Maps of Roadfood in Illinois. So we made our way over a couple summers ago. B's Drive-Inn is the most Central Illinois dining destination I've ever been. I'm not even exactly sure what I mean by that but if you ever need to shoot some film in the most Midwest of farm town looking places possible this is it. Not just the restaurant itself but the surrounding area too. There's very little on the history of B's but it's an old school spot housed in what feels like the middle of nowhere or maybe the middle of a corn field. That said I'm sure B's is the place to be for Farmington teens and such. Online reviews rave about the breaded pork tenderloin which is very popular in these parts. The BPT is often mentioned with Iowa and Indiana but it's also very big in Central Illinois and parts of Missouri. B's serves a real homemade tenderloin and not a fritter. So I was interested in trying it even though the peak for one of these can only go so high. Everything about B's was looking good but the seasoning was lacking. As you can see below this one pops way out of the bun but it's more so a big rectangle than a big circle. There's mustard, onion, pickles on there but bc the breading wasn't seasoned it was pretty damn plain. Very good lemon soft serve though.

BPT at B's Drive-Inn

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Susie's Hot Dogs (Morton, IL)

Some biz down in Delavan last year allowed me to hunt down an elusive white whale on the Illinois roadfood trail. Susie’s is a small little shack that’s been slanging chili dogs for the last 32 years in Morton - pumpkin capitol of the world here in Central Illinois. The Peoria area has quite a few old time chili dog vendors but Susie’s keeps very limited hours (Mon-Sat 11-2) so I’d never had a chance to check them out until now. Everything includes chili, mustard, onion and they’re small enough to where people eat a few. Of course I had to have a taco too which is made with the chili. Fun little stop, literally. There’s enough room for maybe 8 customers inside. Line was out the door as we left.

Menu, Taco, Hot Dog at Susie's Hot Dogs 

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Burger Barge 

Peoria is a river town which means there's more than a few spots to enjoy food and booze down by the river. Burger Barge is one of the most popular spots to do so. They have a nice setup and it has the feels of some random bar on the Floribama Coast or somewhere. So if that's your scene you will feel at home over here. I wish I could say something good about the burgers but they weren't anything special by any means. No idea why they have a reputation for such but I'd stick with the High Lifes.

Cheeseburger at Burger Barge 

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 Pottstown Meat and Deli 

I've always enjoyed checking out mom and pop type butcher shops across the Midwest. Pottstown Meat and Deli is a good one. It's been a local family meat business for more than 100 years. Much of their beef comes from Kilgus Farms in Fairbury, IL and all the chicken is locally raised. Both of those are worth grabbing as is some of their sausage. They must have over 50 varieties on offer. One that I really like is their breakfast sausage links. Bring a cooler bc you can stock up the entire fridge here.

Sights from Pottstown Meats and Deli

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See ya next time @chibbqking

Flour Power

-Grubbing in Chicago

New to the 'Scene'

Chicago's pasta game keeps getting stronger and it may have taken it's biggest jump yet with the opening of Flour Power on Chicago avenue. It's the latest Ukrainian Village restaurant to gather some serious steam pre-opening. Partly bc it's the project of two former Schwa vets and then also due to a crowd sourced kickstarter that allowed Flour Power to open amid the middle of a pandemic and such. It was pretty well covered by the small local food press before opening it's doors with Schwa being a Michelin star holder and all. Chef/Owner Wilson Bauer also worked at former Michelin starred Grace. He met his partner Alice Richter at Schwa and Flour Power is their "baby". They also have a cute 2 year old boy (da boss) and a relative of Alice's helps out. So it's truly a mom and pop type spot.

Newly Opened in Ukrainian Village

I've been to Flour Power more than a few times already. For me good pasta is one of those things I can pretty much always eat and Flour Power makes for a great pickup when I'm not really sure what I want to eat. That's bc I'll usually see their menu at some point of the day while browsing instagram and place an order for pickup later in the day. It's quick, it's easy, and it's quickly become some of the best pasta in the city. If you've ever been to the legendary but no longer open Il Corvo in Seattle than you will most likely be reminded of it on your first trip to Flour Power. I had asked the chef if he'd ever been to Il Corvo which I was wondering bc Flour Power had reminded me so much of it. He was happy I asked bc this is indeed an homage to what many considered the best pasta restaurant in the country. Bauer is from Seattle (or maybe it was spent time there I forget) but either way he's going for what Il Corvo was in a casual spot to grab a really good pasta dish that you likely wont find anywhere else. From the menu which offers three choices a day to the long and narrow inside it has all the feels of Il Corvo. Except the crazy line. You order online through Tock for now. Meals kits are also available.

Daily Menu (9/4)

Though the menu is best viewed online in the days of Corona they still have the daily menu written out on a big piece of butcher paper or whatever. Hopefully we can soon see the day when folks can pop in which I believe you can still do but your best bet is to order online and pick a time. It's already popular and that's easy to understand. Pastas range from well known (linguine) to lesser seen shapes such as lumache (snails) and creste de gallo (rooster) the latter of which can be seen below mixed with creamed corn, red peppers, and basil. That was a summertime stunner in case you were wondering. Though we may never see it again or at least not until next year as the daily pastas on offer are always rotating. Most of the time there's three to choose from and one seems to be vegetarian if not meat free and what not. Great pastas dont need meat but it sure can make a great pasta. That was the case with an order of "Casarecce Lunghe" made with Nduja, heirloom tomato, garlic confit, Pecorino, pine nuts. The pasta itself is cooked al dente every time and always well balanced.

Creste De Gallo at Flour Power

Casarecce Lunghe at Flour Power 

So far there's been quite a few offerings using Mojama which is a Mediterranean way of salt curing tuna. Some people call it 'ham of the sea' and that's a great nickname. I wasn't sure about this delicacy at first but I tried it again in the form of linguini with chile peppers and oil as seen below. Again this is what I loved about Il Corvo. These aren't pastas you see regularly unless maybe you live in Italy where they're making something similar. Even then the produce and everything else here is locally sourced so it's just like a neighborhood pasta spot over there. Heck I already ordered up some lasagna before writing this. I'm going to pick it up shortly. I saw the pic and couldn't resist. Big fan.

Linguine with Corno di Torno Rouille, Mojama, Carabinero Oil at Flour Power

Flour Power
1642 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312) 363-3066
Website

Peppercorns Kitchen

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)

Szechuan food in Evanston

Restaurants serving food from China's Sichuan region show no sign of slowing down. With help from the now free Tony Hu Chicago has had Sichuan cuisine regularly available since he first opened Lao Sze Chuan over a decade ago. Funny bc it's just becoming all the rage in LA where most of the country's Asian food trends are set especially Chinese with the SGV area being damn near all Chinese. Well ever since the city's first Szechuan restaurant opened many have followed in it's path. I got word one of the city's best was found up North in Evanston. Not surprising considering all the other college campus towns across the Big Ten where regional Chinese food has a presence.

Locals Favorite in Evanston

Peppercorn's Kitchen sits in an old storefront on downtown Davis street. Word among those on food social media has it that the owners of Peppercorns are the same people behind Chef Xiong Taste of Szechuan. I haven't been there yet but early word is mostly positive from those I know and online reviews. I tried Peppercorn's one night this last summer and it was bustling despite being in it's last hour of business for the day. Lots of younger groups of Asian kids as well as gringo families and the likes. A nice mix. From what I heard this place is as good as most anywhere else in Chinatown so if you live closer to Evanston you might be just as satisfied here with a much shorter drive to boot.

 Dan Dan Noodles at Peppercorns Kitchen

I have a couple of dishes I will try the first time through a Sichuan focused spot. Dan Dan Noodles being the menu item most Sichuan spots are going to have. But it can be served in so many different ways in the States that it can be tough to find something like that which you might have had in China. Peppercorns does a pretty good version for an American made bowl. I liked it better than most all of the other spots around town where I've had Dan Dan but that's not saying much. The other item we're getting if you're dining with me at a Sichuan spot is Dry Chili Fish Filet. It's not always called such but most spots have pieces of crispy fried fish tossed with peppercorn chiles as a menu option. Peppercorns serves theirs with fried green beans as well. The peppercorns are deceiving in that they put so many of them on the plate it takes up much of the space so there's not as much food as there seems. I've never really had a bad rendition of this dish and I'd give this version a B- overall.

 Dry Chili Fish Filet

We also decided to try the stir fried cumin lamb. I thought this was going to be the little individual pieces of fried lamb you eat with toothpicks but I was mistaken. Instead it was little strips of cumin laced lamb stir fried with bell peppers and onion. While not what I envisioned it was still delicious as I love the combo of cumin and lamb and the meat was tender and the veggies crisp. Nice wok work.

Stir Fried Cumin Lamb at Peppercorns Kitchen

Peppercorns Kitchen
620 Davis St #4419
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 563-8461
Website

Algonquin Sub Shop

-The Sammy's of Chi (land)

When in areas foreign to me I like visiting the spots that the people from the area seem to have a connection to. That’s the case with this sub shop that’s been serving the suburb of Algonquin since 1992. Algonquin being a village that's part of both Kane and McHenry counties. Although not that old it has all the feels of a classic 1970's Sub Sandwich Shop. It may have been a hot dog stand before.

 Locals Favorite in Algonquin 

Algonquin Sub Shop has a nice little patio connected to it so it's a popular spot year round. There's never really a bad time for a sub sandwich. You can choose from over 20 sandwiches on offer. Some of the offerings are the standards you'd expect such as Italian Beef and a Buffalo Chicken then there's a few interesting options. I like the classics when it comes to a sub so I decided to get the popular Al Capone which is said to be the shops best seller. Despite the lame name it's an Italian sub that gets a minute or two in the oven so the cheese can melt before the toppings go on. The bread is baked on site. It’s not the typical French bread that the Italian bakeries supply to sandwich spots in Chicago but it's not bad for a suburban sandwich shack. I'm not advocating leaving the city to eat here but if you're out this way you can do much worse than this. Ex. Jersey Mike's. Bub's Subs is also good.

Al Capone aka Italian Sub at Algonquin Sub Shop 

Algonquin Sub Shop
105 Filip St #2723
Algonquin, IL 60102
(847) 658-0680
Website