Take 2: La Gondola

-Here we go again
Trip's back to Previous Haunts

As Valentine's day nears I thought it appropriate to post about our latest stop. I thought people might be googling "where to eat in Chicago on valentines day" and so with that its also time to introduce our newest series. It being a look back at places already featured here on S'C'&C. Our first stop is to a place that's been around the neighborhood longer than me and who's pizza was already featured HERE. La Gondola used to be at the corner of Ashland and Montana back in the early to middle 80's until they moved a few blocks north into the large strip mall at Ashland and Oakdale. I know that places in strip malls can be good in spots like Las Vegas and Arizona but there aren't many good strip mall dining options in Chicago. With the exception of La Gondola.


a great Valentines Day stop

It might not look all that comforting and romantic from the outside but once you step inside it doesn't feel like your in a strip mall anymore. Its a very cozy place and there's only five tables to eat at and they'll have some old school Italian music playing at a decent level and a nice wine selection. The owners are from Italy and have been using their families recipes handed down generation after generation. Most of the food at La gondola is made from scratch including their sauce and Italian sausage. Its a great place to go out with a date or if your lucky enough to live in the area, get delivery from. They also do a very good take-out business since its easy in and out with plenty of parking at the mall. During the wintertime I always make sure I get an order of their Stracciatella soup. A secret recipe of the popular Roman soup, his with spinach, brought from Rome by the chef at La Gondola. I don't know whats in it but its great and I always dip my bread in it and soak up every last drop. Here is a look at a few of my favorite dishes from a great neighborhood joint and here's to 25 more years. Cheers!


Stracciatella soup from La Gondola


some of the best veggie soup I've had


Homemade Meatballs

^You gotta respect a spot that does everything from scratch. There are no short cuts to memorable tasting food items.


Linguine with white wine clam sauce

^here we have one of, if not my favorite, non tomato based pasta dishes. La Gondola does up a really formidable version of linguine with a real clam sauce. Nothing canned here.


Rigatoni Bascaiola (signature dish)

^Creamed tomato sauce with fresh mushrooms and sauteed Italian sausage and fresh sage tossed in rigatoni make up the house's signature pasta dish. If I'm feeling like something red I'll always get this or the spaghetti and meatballs. Its hard too pass on the Bascaiola, its very much a trademark dish.

Its hard to believe that La Gondola is in its 25th year. Everything is pretty much good and nothing disappointments over there. Its not just the pastas but also the pizza, seafood and chicken dishes. Its a great place to eat if your around or live in the area, if your going out and want a romantic date or ordering pick up and want something good it really works great no matter what you want. If choosing to dine in, the service is excellent. Reservations are accepted and I would recommend getting them seeing as though there's 5 or 6 tables. They also have a full service bar and always have people dining in celebrating whatever it is they are. Ciao down!

La Gondola Restaurant
2914 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433

House of Wing

-KingT's Wing Fling

The Super Bowl is set...Who Dat?!?!?! So now that we know who's playing in it, its time to figure out the food situation. No need to worry, I got a few things covered. If your holding your own Super Bowl Party and are making food for it then check back Feb. 1st for this years batch of big time recipes. However in the meantime I've been patiently waiting to post about one of my favorite wing joints in the city and the best for delivery. House of Wing on Clark st. has got all your chicken wing needs covered for Super Sunday or any big party your having. The Lincoln Park and Lakeview areas sure aren't the best eating neighborhoods in the city but it is the hotbed for Buffalo wings. Over on the corner of Clark and Arlington rests House of Wing. It is here where they specialize in the favorite snack of hungry American football fans. It is truly one of the city's best wing joints.


In Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood

I first found the House of back around 2006 when they opened up shop in an old hot dog stands place. Anyplace calling itself the house or home of anything is going to get a visit from me especially if its the house of chicken wings. The HoW is run by an old Chinese man and his family. It was on my first visit that the old guy impressed the living hell out of me with his dedication to the wing. I've never seen more TLC put into a fried food item. The wings come available regular or extra crispy and with either buffalo or bbq sauce. The interior of the joint is very small so they do a big takeout/delivery business as well as serving up many drunk big ten graduates late at night on the weekends when they stay open til 3am. Its been a while since I've even been inside the place since I'm a big fan of their delivery of party platters to your house or any bar your at that allows food to be delivered too.


HoW party platter delivered to your door with everything you need

The party platters come with EVERYTHING you need, from both the bleu cheese and the ranch dressing to the baskets for the bones and then the mints, napkins and nap wipes for when your done chowing. They make sure you got it all. Including at least an entire stalk of chopped celery. Since HoW is owned and run by a Chinese family you can taste the influence in the food. The extra crispy wings are basically fried to the same degree and crispiness as a good batch of General Tso's chicken. You can also taste some sriracha or other Chinese hot sauce in the buffalo sauce. So while not totally authentic you'll find they are still some of the best. The rest of the menu is your typical stuff like hot dogs and beef's but they specialize in wings and that's what you get here.


Bufalo Wings from House of Wing

The old guy sure knows how to fry a chicken wing, perfection every time, never undercooked, never overdone. He'll even do a jig for you as he goes up, down and slides around as he tosses the wings in the buffalo style sauce and makes sure every inch of each one is perfectly covered in the right amount of sauce. It is of note that the wings in the party platter are smaller than the wings in regular orders. They're def. small wings but since I always get these platters delivered to the bar or my place, I don't mind 'cause the wings don't turn rubbery and unappetizing during the delivery. The meat comes right off the bone and I can easily put down 40+ of them. Great gameday grub delivered right to you.


Triple G: Great Gameday Grub

House of Wing
2447 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614-2717
(773) 929-9421

Pat's Pizza

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

Theres a little myth going on around the city that Lincoln Park is a culinary wasteland. So they say LP, Bucktown and downtown are full of tourist traps that care more about how the inside looks and what trends to ride on rather than the food. Well that may be true for Bucktown and downtown but Lincoln Park is one of Chicago's oldest neighborhoods and while it has gone the way of the scene there are still many little family owned spots that have fended off the Starbucks and boutiques and continue to make the same food they did before LP was a hot spot for anything.


Pat's Pizza: Since 1950

Since I am am a lifelong resident of Lincoln Park (27 years) I am here to crush that stupid statement. Hey I'll be the first to tell you that LP has more than its fair share of yuppies and people who just moved here and more than enough Starbucks and Jamba Juices' but it also has many real Chicagoan's who have been here longer than you have been in whatever neighborhood your from and plenty of family owned business's that were here before LP blew up and still continue to thrive.

First up on my list of places to dispel that rumor is Pat's Pizza. I grew up on the tavern style pizza because I grew up near Pat's pizza. Once located on Sheffield near Belmont, Pat's has changed addresses over the years but the pizza remains the same. One of the best representations of the Chicago tavern style can be had at Pat's. The cracker thin pizza is cooked to perfection with the best Italian sausage topping I have found, big crispy pieces of Italian sausage loaded with fennel is the only way to go for pizza toppings. The crust over there is crispy and has airpockets from being so thin and the sauce and cheese are quality ingredients with just the right amount for this style of pizza.


I can eat over 40 pieces of Pat's pizza

So what does Lincoln park have that other neighborhoods don't? for starters some of the best tavern style pizza in the city that created that style. Whats even better is that Pat's delivers so residents of LP and surrounding neighborhoods can enjoy some of the best tavern style pizza at home. There isn't a better pizza place offering delivery so if they deliver to you then consider yourself lucky. Pat's is a full service restaurant that offers a full menu and has drinks so its also a good place for a date or party. I cannot recommend anything else on the menu because they do pizza so well and that's all I eat from there. The Lincoln Park Pat's has no affiliation with the Pat's Pizzeria in the South loop however I am not sure that there isn't a history. The pizza's are virtually the same so I recommend both for delivery depending on where you live.


This is serious pizza that Ill put up against anything out east

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 4
sauce: 4
toppings: 5
Crispness: 4

Score: 17/20

If you are visiting Chicago and staying downtown and want a pizza delivered to your hotel room, try the Pat's in South loop, its perfect and even if its only you, a medium and in my case a large can be eaten solo.

Pat's Pizza
2679 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-0168
website

La Gondola's Pizza

-The other Chicago-style pizza: Tavern Style

La Gondola is a very tiny little restaurant that is storefront in the strip mall (with the Jewel on Ashland and Wellington) in Lakeview. Its been around for some time and has changed locations and atmosphere but the pizza has remained the same during the restaurant and transformation of Lincoln Park and Lakeview. Although I only order delivery from there, I have never heard anybody knock the food and it gets quite good reviews. Most everything on the menu is made from scratch including the pizza. If you are going to go there and dine-in reservations are recommended due to its popularity and tiny space.

For those of you New Yorker's that for some reason like NY style pizza I offer you this tip. When you order, tell them you want it "East Coast" thin. La Gondola will make it for you this way, pie cut. I have been told by a few NY'ers they were very impressed with it this way. La gondola also does a very respectable extra-thin crust tavern style and is a good delivery option in the LP/Lakeview area. Not quite as good as Pat's but cheaper and a better overall menu aside from thin crust pizza. Make sure that when you are ordering that you clarify "extra-thin" if you want it Chicago tavern style. Crispness can be tough to judge with delivery but most every spot out there gets it to you in a respectable time so that it still has some crunch.


"extra-thin" sausage pizza from la gondola done Chicago tavern-style

Rating Scale 5/5

crust: 3
sauce: 4
toppings: 4
Crispness: 3

Score: 14/20

La Gondola
2914 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 248-4433
http://www.lagondolachicago.com