D Cuisine

-Grubbing in Chicago

Dim Sum on the Northside 

Cantonese style Dim Sum is the latest regional Chinese restaurant to open in Lincoln Park. For whatever reason the neighborhood I grew up in has seen a handful of Chinese specialist restaurants. Chengdu Impression, Xi'an Dynasty Cuisine, and the now shuttered One Four One Five being a few of the others. D Cuisine was opened by a native of Guangdong China who came to the US to study but ended up working in the restaurant industry. MingHin being the spot he learned to run a restaurant.

Recently Opened in Lincoln Park / Lakeview

D Cuisine opens at 8a when they start serving Dim Sum. The regular menu doesn't become available until around 11a. There's some interesting things on the menu including a few American-Chinese classics to keep the online orders busy. But the focal point of the kitchen is the dim sum. It's made fresh daily by the chef who gets there early to make sure everything is ready to go. I was able to try a nice portion of the dim sum menu which is smaller than your average dim sum spot but still large with close to 30 selections. I tried close to 30% of the menu and liked almost all of the items that I tried.

Shrimp Dumpling - Pretty good. Nice and delicate. Not the best I've had but we're not in Hong Kong.

Bacon Cheese Potato Roll - I liked these but only needed one. Could use a little more bacon flavor.

Potstickers - A blend of pork, whole shrimp, and lots of green onion. Different and delicious.

Roast Pork Pastry / BBQ Pork Bun - The buns were better than the pastries but both needed sauces which they later brought out.

Siu Mai - My favorite item of the bunch. This is usually the case as it's one of my 2/3 favorite forms of dumplings. D Cuisine makes very good ones.

Black Pepper Short Ribs - I very much liked these. Tender and flavorful meat with just enough pull.

Mango Pudding - First time trying this dish. I imagine those that like mango will like this. 

D Cuisine
2723 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 360-7239
Website

5 More Indiana Burgers

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Indiana

Summertime is here and it's not summertime at Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing without some small town burger stops. My database of Midwest burger stops is always growing and today I have five more from Indiana to share with you. There's no doubt that the little stretch of the Midwest going from Wisconsin down into Illinois and over and into Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio is prime territory for some classic American burger shops. Today we take a look at five of them that the Hoosiers seem to love.

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T-Berry's Diner (La Porte, IN)

First stop is actually a place you can day travel to and from Chicagoland. T-Berry's Diner isnt quite located in Northwest Indiana but it's not too far from that area. They have a full fledged diner type menu but it's two Hoosier Classics in both the burgers and the chicken and noodles that stand out.

Chicken and Noodles at T-Berry's Diner

You don't see too many spots in NW Indiana doing chicken and noodles. It's the same with breaded pork tenderloins too. This part of Indiana is more like Chicagoland than it is the rest of the Hoosier state. So no surprise to find a Schoop's inspired "Shmashburger" which is what they call their beef in a bun. They don't mention Schoop's specifically but the NW Indiana burger chain has been a part of the area for more than 50 years and it has no doubt influenced others. This is a well made burger not quite to the level of a well made Mickey from Schoop's but if you're in La Porte it's worth a stop.

Shmashburger from T-Berry's Diner

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Tastee Top Grill (Cedar Lake, IN)

Cedar Lake is only an hours drive from Chicago. So it's possible you'll run into some FIBs during the summer months. Tastee Top Grill is where locals go for a taste of nostalgia. It's only been open for about a decade but it's a classic Midwest summertime stop for burgers and ice cream. The signature burger is a double decker similar to the Big Mac but with lots of mustard instead of special sauce.

Double Decker from Tastee Top Grill

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Hershey's Drive-In (Veedersburg, IN)

A couple summers ago me and a friend took a trip down to Turkey Run State Park in Marshall County. It's about halfway in-between both Springfield, IL and Indianapolis, IN. About a three hour drive. To get straight down there you have to take US Route 41 and there's plenty of small town stops on the way. One of them we tried was this longtime Drive-In in Fountain County. I saw a little sign on their window advertising beef coming from a local butcher and suspected I was in for a good burger. That it was. Really good actually. Nothing too unique this was just a classic representation of the old school California style burger. A style brought to California by folks from the Midwest. Quality stuff.

Cheeseburger at Hershey's Drive-In

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Larrison's Diner (Seymour, IN)

It took me about 6/7 trips down to Louisville to finally stop at this classic Midwest diner. It's about an hour north of there so about four hours west of Chicago. It's in a typical Midwest town in that they have all the old school spots up and down their Main street. Larrison's Diner is where the locals go for burgers, fries, pie and local gossip dished out by the long time cooks, waitresses, and locals.

a peek inside 

Larrison's is only about 30 something years old but the building where it rests has been alot of things over the years including different restaurants and sandwich shops. Hart's Sandwich Shop was what it used to be called before the Larrison's bought it from the Hart family. The burgers have long been the main draw. They do tenderloins too but I'll take a burger over one of those 9 times out of 10. The double cheeseburger at Larrison's reminded me of the old Salt & Pepper when it was on Lincoln. This was a classic diner style double cheeseburger accompanied by some terrific fresh cut fries.

Double Cheeseburger at Larrison's Diner

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The Brick (Jonesville, IN)

Last summer I was down in Louisville for work a couple times and that meant a drive through Indiana to get there. Sound like a drag? Not for me. All I see is Roadfood. Burgers being the focal point as the Midwest is the gold standard and Indiana is in the heartland of the region. This stop is pretty much the middle of nowhere but it's not that far off the highway. It's only about an hour out of Louisville so this is southern Indiana to the core. The Brick sits in a town of 177 people yet somehow stays really busy. How? Word of mouth. That's how I found out anyway. Now I spread the burger gospel to you.

Chili at the The Brick

Classic Indiana tavern with three 60+ year old male bartenders who were drinking beers, smoking cigarettes, and watching TVland in between duties. Aside from beer and wine coolers they also sell soup and burgers and that’s about it. The chili was extra tomatoey with lots of beans which was right in line with Midwest style, which isn’t my style. The burger was a fresh ball of beef smashed over a mound of grilled onions which is my style. Add pickles and mustard and you got an instant classic. One of the best burgers in Indiana and worth the small detour into the middle of nowhere to eat it.

Cheeseburger at The Brick

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See also: Small Town Indiana Hamburgers

Chicago Culinary Kitchen

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Central Texas BBQ in the NW Suburbs

I made it out to the Chicago(land) Culinary Kitchen in Palatine this past Winter. It was an unusually warm January day right before that massive cold streak came calling. CCK is a weekend only Texas style BBQ spot. It's gotten a lot of local acclaim and thus it's pretty much always packed with a line of people. Like any other popular BBQ joint it's best to get there early bc they do run out of stuff.

Locals Favorite in Palatine

On this nice day the line was surprisingly low. We were there right before they opened and ended up getting in within maybe 30 minutes. That said we just missed the special BBQ meat tamales they make here and there. That ticked me off bc like I said there weren't that many people ahead of us but they were ordering them to take home etc. They looked great. I hope to make it back for one someday but I'd be defeated if I missed them again. That said the other stuff is very good. We tried a little bit of it all for the most part as far as meats. We ate brisket, pastrami, sticky ribs, hot link, pit beans, mac & cheese, bread pudding. Order of preference on the meats was pastrami, sausage, brisket, ribs. All of them good but I wish that brisket had more smoke flavor bc texturally it was on point as far as Texas style - thick and tender. Weekends only in Palatine - no killer fried chicken served here. None that I know of anyway.

BBQ Spread at Chicago Culinary Kitchen 

Chicago Culinary Kitchen
773 N Quentin Rd
Palatine, IL 60067
(847) 987-0369
Website

Nineveh

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)  
Iraqi Middle Eastern Eats in Skokie

Skokie is pretty low key especially when it comes to food. It's not Lake Forest bad but there's some pretty boring restaurants found around town. There's also some low key good spots. A few of the Middle Eastern variety. I noticed Nineveh while driving by down the street. It was right around lunch time and they had a fresh spit of chicken spinning. You know I'm in. Turns out they just opened.

 Newly Opened in Skokie

I asked the friendly owner how long they had been open and he told me two weeks in mid June. I decided to get a shawarma sandwich plate based off of the pictures outside on the windows. They looked really nice and as I was saying they had a small but fresh spit of chicken shawarma spinning so it seemed like a good move for a semi light lunch. The meat was sliced directly from the spit into the wrap. I was so happy to see this. I love also love it when they break a shawarma sandwich down into bite size pieces which makes for easy dipping into the garlic sauce. I've seen it this way at a few spots here and there and it's usually cut when you order the plate (with fries). I’d like to go back and try some of the more traditional Iraq dishes. That’s where the hospitable owner Ali is from originally.

Chicken Shawarma with Fries at Nineveh

Nineveh
4047 Oakton St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 410-7877

Cafe Antigua

-Grubbing in Chicago

Guatemalan Snacks off Elston

I got tipped by the legendary GWiv on a little restaurant refuge for Guatamalen's on Elston. It's corner street location is directly across from the Consulate General of Guatemala offices. That and the fact you kind of have to know it's there means this is a hot spot for Guatemalans in Chicagoland. 

Locals Favorite in Jefferson Park

I recently made the pilgrimage up Elston and ended up returning just a few days later with my boy who's of Guatemalan descent. There's not a ton of Guatemalan restaurants in the city but there are a  few as well as some bakeries too. Cafe Antigua features a menu of about 10-15 different classics from the Central American nation. Most of them antojitos in that they're little snacks that will only cost you anywhere from $2-$5. You can come here and start your day with a Guatemalan breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs with peppers and tomato alongside sauteed plantains and black beans.

Guatemalan Breakfast at Cafe Antigua

The food of Guatemala mimics that of other countries in Central America and also Mexico. They eat lots of tamales down there and they tend to be larger and also a bit softer than their Mexican counterparts. Guatemalans always wrap theirs in banana leaves and typically stuff them with pork or chicken. These were some extra plump tamales. If you like steamed masa you should enjoy these.

Guatemalan Tamale at Cafe Antigua

The people of Guatemala also enjoy eating chile rellenos. These too are different than the chile rellenos you're probably used to. In Guatemala the peppers are stuffed with minced meat and combination of chopped vegetables such as carrots and green beans. At Cafe Antigua they serve a chile relleno taco on a housemade corn tortilla. Both the tortilla and the fried pepper are spread with a mild red sauce and then they sprinkle some cotija cheese on top. I still prefer my peppers stuffed with cheese but this was also very pleasing. Though some may find the sprinkled cheese a little much.

Chile Rellano at Cafe Antigua

I wasn't familiar with the Shuco until I read on the menu that it was the official street food of Guatemala. It's a hot dog and if it was anything like the Mexican Danger Dog I adore I was in for a treat. Well it's actually a bit different in that it's made with a Guatemalan longaniza sausage. Two of them actually as these are cut much smaller. Similar to Filipino longanisa. The sausage is topped with an array of toppings and it's a pretty interesting bite but not something I liked compared to the other stuff. Lots of items here are made on site at Antojitos Guatemaltecos on Fullerton which is their brand new second location. Mike Sula did a review a couple months ago as well. Click HERE.

Guatemalan Sausage at Cafe Antigua

When I first learned of Cafe Antigua from my guy GWiv (@lowslowbbq) I was very intrigued with their chow mein tostadas. I'd remembered learning from the shelves of a Guatemalan bakery that chow mein was very big there. This is a product of the Chinese migration that started when the railroads were first being built in the country and lasted up until about the 70's. Thus there's a pretty nice size population of people of Chinese descent in Guatemala. Chinese food is big there and chow mein is one of the most popular dishes in both the Chinese restaurants and family kitchens. The stir fried noodles are mixed with sliced carrots, peppers, and onion and served atop a tostada that's been spread with that same warm but mild in heat red sauce that also goes on top of the pasta with cheese. This was my favorite dish and a delicious little snack at just $3. I was able to eat it like a tostada after removing some of the noodles from the top. Cafe Antigua is run by a friendly local who wanted to help the community. Two ladies cook in the kitchen and he handles all the other stuff including the sales from their little gift shop with different chips, candies, and ingredients from home.

Chow Mein Tostada at Cafe Antigua

Cafe Antigua
5540 N Long Ave
Chicago, IL 60630
(773) 930-4962

Eating BIG in Porto

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties

- Exploring Portugal's Second City aka Invicta

After a few days in Lisbon (report HERE) it was off to Porto by train. Getting there was relatively easy and pretty quick at just a few hours of travel. If you have the time to get to Porto I highly suggest you do. I don't want to make it to seem like I didnt like Lisbon bc I very much did. However I enjoyed our time in Porto a bit more. Exactly why is tough to say but I will say that I thought the Portuguese food in Porto was better and more abundant than it was in Lisbon. This wasn't a big surprise to me bc I'd say the same things about the Italian food in Florence when compared to Rome or the Spanish food in Seville when compared to Barcelona. That said the international eating options are always better in the big cities. I suspect my love for it may have been bc Porto felt more like a European vacation destination than anything else. It's a city but it has the feel of a vacation destination if that makes any sense. It's one of the prettiest cities I've ever visited.

Pics from Porto

Once again I must thank the people over at Culinary Backstreets for all of their wonderful research and stories that come with it. Many of the food stops we made in Porto were found through them. Speaking of the food I'm ready to declare Porto one of the worlds great sandwich cities. It's almost certainly Europe's best destination for meats between bread. This may seem "so what?" to some but for those that love a sacred sandwich you need to add Porto to your bucket-list. It's closest comparison is probably a place like Philadelphia on that front. Much like Lisbon you'll find yourself going up and downhill as the bottom of the city lies near the river and it's all up from there.

Pics from Porto

I'm not a big Port Wine guy and neither is she. So we didnt dive too deep into the production and consumption of that. Aside from the food and wine Porto is known for it's bridges, some of which offer up spectacular views and also it's medieval feel. It's close distance to the ocean means lots of beaches and seafood nearby. Porto is still a bit more under the radar than Lisbon but bc it's a smaller city it may feel even more touristy at times. That said it's a very unpretentious place. Highly rec'd.

Pics from Porto 

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Gazela Snack Bar

Our first featured specialty sandwich from Porto is one of the worlds greatest drinking snacks. The Cachorrinho is a Portuguese hot dog made into a sandwich by slicing it lengthwise and putting it into local bread with Flemish cheese and then cooking it on a press. I don’t know if it’s fair to call the high quality sausage used at Gazela Snack Bar (Desde 1963) a hot dog but that’s what they call them. It’s spread with butter before being pressed and doused with hot sauce afterwards. They then slice it into little bite size pieces making it the perfect compliment to an ice cold beer. So good! Make sure to visit the original as the second location doesn’t have the old time feel of a classic Portuguese tavern.

Cachorrinho Sandwich at Gazela Snack Bar 

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República dos Cachorros

I'd read that the best fries in town can be found here. As the name suggests República dos Cachorros specializes in Cachorros - short for Cachorrinho. It was going to be hard to top the product from the first stop but this was still a really good one and something I'd easily go back for when paired with their excellent fries. I got the option with ham added on and it too was a great drinking snack.

Cachorro Deluxe and Fries at República dos Cachorros

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Casa Guedes

As you can see we hit the ground running as far as sandwiches in Porto go. These first few stops were all near each other so keep that in mind bc this one is also must stop material. Casa Guedes is a 1970's style tile lined dining establishment. Their specialty is the Sande de Pernil which is a simple sandwich at heart. It's roasted pork leg that's cut and assembled to order by the owner who has the perfect touch as far as making sure each sandwich is perfect in all of it's elements. He makes so many I wouldn't be surprised if he's getting the exact same amount of meat in each sandwich. Once stuffed it's dipped in the gravy which sits in the pan with the pernil. The gravy's ingredients are top secret but the folks at Culinary Backstreets have heard it has Brazilian components. The most popular way to eat this sandwich is with Queijo Serra da Estrela. It's a semi stinky / creamy sheep’s milk cheese that's made in the mountains of Portugal. It's slightly melted from the hot pork and the roll itself is as good as they get. Especially for this type of sandwich which has a lot of baggage so to say. One of a handful of sandwiches that could easily be best in Europe. About as good as it gets. 

Pernil with Cheese at Casa Guedes

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Cervejaria Brasão Aliados

This popular tavern type place is the second restaurant from a well respected spot in another part of the country. They have two dining levels and both were full while we were there. We stopped in for an appetizer and some wine before moving onto our dinner reservation a few blocks up. We were here to get our outback on with a blooming fried onion. But this was the top shelf version which comes with a delicious black garlic mayo dipping sauce. I would've liked to try some of the other stuff on the menu. Much of it looked good on other tables. But we had a big dinner in store so I held off ordering more.

Fried Onion at Cervejaria Brasão Aliados

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Restaurant Antunes

Antunes was the only spot I got us a reservation for. Partly bc it was as easy as booking one though google. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's a tourist trap just bc most other spots don't use it. It's location is up away from the main downtown area and it's not the prettiest or most recently updated restaurant out there. But it's a Porto classic and you best get a reservation bc people come out for the food here. Our waiter was the stereotypical older type and thus a little bit surly but he was quick and though he didn't show it I know he appreciated the fact we knew what we were there for. I read everything here is good but pork fans should look to the knuckle for a memorable meal. It serves two and is carved table side by surly waiter. Underneath it are some baby potatoes and other cooked vegetables soaked in the pork drippings. There was also some sort of green colored herbal butter. It was the most tender bits of ham I've had. The knuckle had an intense ham flavor in a very good way. To give you an idea of Portugal's affordability this was just $15 euros. The wine was even cheaper.

Pernil at Antunes

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Taberna Santo Antonio

This local tasca is named after a patron Saint who's life is celebrated by eating and drinking. So you know the food is good at Taberna Santo Antonio. They offer four daily specials and you can bet all of them are awesome. We stopped in for lunch right around opening time and were able to nab some seats at the bar. It's a small spot and popular with locals as it's a cheap place to eat and drink. I saw the Portuguese specialty Alheira sausage on the menu and decided now was a good time to try it. This is a chicken and bread sausage with Jewish roots. It's said to have saved the Jews in Portugal from persecution around the Medieval time period when it was created. Bc Jews didn't eat pork they could be spotted by not having any sausages hanging and curing in their windows for the winter. So they came up with this which is now popular in places like Porto. It tasted like a really good barbecue chicken and went great with the fries. The perfect working mans lunch. Though the only thing I was working on was getting Portuguese food specialties like this crossed off my list. Next stop up!

Alheira Sausage at Taberna Santo Antonio

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Caldeireiros

This next stop was on my list for their signature Cachorrinho. But it's only one of the things on the menu of this slightly upscale (nothing too fancy) tapas menu. It's a really nice bright spot with an extra friendly staff. The ingredients for the Cachorrinho are sourced from the best of the best and it was bomb as expected. Not quite as good as the first stop but I enjoyed all of the versions I tried. An order of fried sardines was also in-store. Pretty much the national dish of Portugal. Delicious.

Sardines and Cachorrinho at Caldeireiros

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Restaurante Conga

I didnt know exactly what I was in store for from Conga but they were high on my hit list. I'd heard the Bifana sandwiches in Porto were much better than those in Lisbon. Conga was said to be there premier place in Porto to try one. They've been open since 1976. They have a large space where you can sit down and get taken care of by a server. Or you can just walk in and stand at the bar and order your sandwiches and beers at will. In Porto the meat (pork) tends to be thinner and more debris like while the spicing in the gravy at Conga is much more potent than other spots around the country due to the use of Piri Piri sauce which gives it that red hue (see my videos on Insta @chibbqking). At Conga the sandwich is slightly smaller than most which means you’ll be eating a few. Props to anyone that can eat just one of these as they are as good as meat and bread can get. I had ten (over three visits) during my time in Porto. I usually don’t do repeats on trips so that should give you an idea of what I thought of these. Plus I loved standing at the bar and talking basketball and more with the workers. These will go down as some of the more memorable sandwiches I've had. I loved them.

Bifana Sandwich at Conga

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Yuko Tavern

If you’re familiar with Porto’s sandwich scene you knew this next one was coming. If you’re not then meet the Francesinha. The sandwich that’s become symbolic of Porto in that you can find them all over town. It starts with bread but this isn’t a sandwich you can eat with your hands. Inside that bread goes cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage such as chipolata, and steak or roast meat. It’s then covered with a thick layer of melted cheese and a hot tomato and beer laced gravy. It’s typically served with fries and most always ordered with a fried egg on top. Many spots claim to make the best and one of them is Yuko Tavern which is in a very non touristy part of town in that it’s about a 15 min ride from the city center. This 30+ year old tavern lived up to its billing as one of the best as I absolutely loved it. Not just the sandwich but also the fries which were great with the extra cup of gravy they give poured on top. Not sure whether to call this regional treat a show stopper or a heart stopper but to hell with anyone that says they aren’t delicious. I don’t think my my heart could've handle a Francesinha tour but I’ll never forget this sandwich. I highly rec you take the 15 minute Uber ride to this real locals type spot. I was pretty much the only English speaker in the house but don’t worry it’s easy to order. They know why you’re there. Every person in there was eating one.

Francesinha Sandwich at Yuko Tavern

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Salto O Muro (Matosinhos)

We took an uber over to the beach town of Matosinhos early one morning. It was only about a 20 minute ride and worth it for the seafood. The town is a major port for fishing and over the last decade or so it's started to get involved in tourism. The draws being the beach and the grilled fish found up and down the sidewalks of a main drag. Thanks to yet another assist from the folks at Culinary Backstreets I had us as the first customers of the day at Salta O Muro. This locals spot was packed within 30 minutes. It's one of the few restaurants where they're not grilling out front but it's amazingly fresh nonetheless. A little bit of a communication problem had our waitress bringing out a big platter full of the days fresh fish selections. The turbot looked too good to pass up. We got that with some rice and vegetables and loved every last bite. We had planned to get more but the turbot is a large fish and so we were totally full afterwards. But more important than that was we were happy. After that it was off to the beach to relax for a couple hours before heading back into Porto via uber.

Turbot at Salta O Muro

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O Buraco

There were lots of recs out there for this neighborhood spot. So it's not low key by any means but that doesn't stop both locals and tourists from flooding it. Plan on a wait if you arrive during prime hours to O Buraco. Inside it's stuck in time. But the classic Portuguese food coming out it's kitchen is as good as it gets as far as experiencing Porto like a local goes. The fried sardines with tomato rice are one of the most popular items and the one thing you should most definitely get. I had just ate a few of those Bifana's so I stuck with just sardines but I was very happy to have them. The sardines were fried extra crunchy and the tomato rice was one of the best sides I can remember. I wish they sold that stuff bottled up. O Buraco sits at the bottom of an office building. How lucky are it's tenants?

Sardines and Tomato Rice at O Buraco

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Lareira

After having that amazing Prego sandwich in Lisbon I had to make sure to get another before I went home. Well of course the Prego Sandwiches in Porto are phenomenal. The namesake special from this 30+ year old locals favorite was steak with ham, egg, and cheese on a toasted Portuguese roll. The bread in Portugal if you didn’t know is as good as it gets. Best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. No it wasn’t breakfast time but in my mind any sandwich with an egg on it is breakfast. This place was packed as it seemed to be in a pretty hopping locals part of town (uphill). I'd go back in a flash.

Prego sandwich at Lareira

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Lastly I wish I knew about the English breakfast at the restaurant in our hotel. I only took advantage of the free breakfast on our last day and regretted that after having this. I love a good English breakfast and this was one of them. Specifically the grilled tomato which had lots of real fire flavor. Luckily for us the rooms and all that were just as good. So thumbs up for the folks at Torel 1884.

English Breakfast at Bartolomeu Bistro at Torel 1884

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Note: To find the locations of all the spots featured in this post, as well as places I didn't make it to, please click HERE for my google maps guide to Porto.