Add An Egg...

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals eat.

Hello readers, how's life? its a sad day here at at S'C'&C which you can learn why as you read on. I have had this post in the plans for months now but due to the sudden closing of a chibbqking favorite-CND Gyros Lounge-I am forced to switch up my schedule and bring you this post that I have been meaning to make for at least a year now. Adding an egg onto anything has been a trendy thing for a few years now and doesn't look to be dying anytime soon. I'm fine by that. I love a fried egg on top of my meal whether its a burger, sandwich, hot dog, lunch plate, bowl of rice, whatever. So today I am taking you to two spots already featured here on S'C'&C except today were going to add an egg to both these longtime downtown favorites.
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One Last Gyro Melt (add an egg)


a former locals favorite downtown - RIP - (1973-2010)

It saddens me to be the bearer of bad news had you not heard it already but after 37 years the Streeterville favorite CND Gyro's Lounge will be closing down for good. Today (8/21/'10) is the last day of operation for this longtime favorite where you could get a gyros, some brew and a few lotto tickets all while doing karaoke to former #1 Chicago hit. Yep at CND you could do all of that. Its one of the last of its type in downtown Chicago and come 2am Sunday morning it will be no more. I have let it be known that the Gyro melt offered at CND is one of Chicago's best late-nite and or early morning hangover eats out there. I was introduced to it thru LTH and loved it upon my first bite a few years back. Then it got even better when someone from over there suggested it be ordered with a fried egg on top. When you pair fresh shaved gyro meat with processed American cheese, grilled onions and tzatziki sauce with a fried egg on top and throw it all on Texas toast good things happened. I had to stop by CND yesterday for one last melt. I sure will miss this sandwich and the old time warp that was CND Gyros Lounge.


Gyro melt with fried egg (RIP)
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Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger (add an egg)


The tavern SNL (and some damn good burgers) made famous

So with CND closing down that leaves Billy Goats as one of the last old school food/drink/bar spots in downtown Chicago. You never say never but I don't think Billy Goats will be calling it quits down on lower Wacker anytime soon. I've been going to and enjoying this original Billy Goats since I was a kid and as my readers know, I am a fan of their double cheeseburgers. Well on my most recent visits I've been ordering my usual double but now I like to add an egg. In my original grading of the Goat I gave it a C++ but when a fried egg is added on top it improves to a B. I should of known this since they are said to have good breakfast sandwiches. Maybe next time I'll add the egg and some bacon.


double cheeseburger with a fried egg on top from Billy Goat
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CND Gyros & Lounge
205 E Grand Ave - At N St Clair St
Chicago, IL 60611
312 467-4195

Billy Goat Tavern
430 N Michigan ave. (lower level)
Chicago, IL
(312) 222-1525

Italian Beef from Portillo's

-Got Beef? Italian Beef
as seen on 'What's Your Beef?'

The next stop on the beef bus is to a place known to many. I'm not one to hate on Portillo's despite their fast food status. The truth of the matter is that Portillo's is a fine example of the American dream and a result of what can happen if one works hard. Odds are if you've visited Chicago then you heard of or stopped into Portillo's downtown for one of their famous hot dogs and or many other menu items including beef. What originally started off as a shack on North ave in Villa Park, IL is now a monster in the food game with almost 50 locations in Chicagoland. Its a spot I loved as a kid and whenever I was running around downtown with friends we would eat at the location on Clark street to eat. My order back then was always a dog with everything and a beef with hot. Not much has changed these days except I don't get there as much as I used to and now I always get a chili cheese dog and an Italian beef to go with it. I also always get these in the drive thru nowadays too.


The best drive thru beef in the city


Portillo's Menu

One reason I have always had a great deal of respect for Portillo's other than just their quality despite being a fast food place was also their consistency. Over the years I have had beefs from different locations and they always seem to be the exact same as the others. I also respect a place that can go thru so much beef like they do and continue to put out an acceptable product. If anyone is telling you Portillo's has the best either or well then they just haven't been around or simply aren't from here. However if someone, such as myself, tells you that they have good examples of each (dogs and beef) and its better than some spots and not as good as others, well that's the truth of it. I find that everything from the bread to the beef and the gravy and peppers to be better than average but not great. When put together as a whole its a well made Italian beef sandwich and easily one of the best in the downtown area. Its nice that they are also throughout Chicagoland and are always a good option for a quick drive thru meal. Much better than BK, Wendy's, Subway, Taco Bell, McD's etc...Just another reason Chicago is fast food king.


beef with hot from Portillo's

Rating Scale 5/5

beef: 4
bread: 4
gravy: 3
hot peppers: 4

Score: 15/20

Portillo's
100 W Ontario
Chicago, IL
(312) 587-8910
Website

locations throughout Chicagoland

Late Nite Grease Eats From Mister J's

-The Sammy's of Chi

If you've ever spent the evening pissing the night away downtown then you might be familiar with the latest addition to "The Sammy's of Chi". Mister J's located on State St. just off Chicago ave. is a staple in people from all walks of life's diets. Maybe your a 3rd year law student at Loyola law school located just across the street? maybe you spend your Friday and Saturday nights waiting in line at some garbage club that ends in bar? (smart, sound, spy, schmuck etc...) maybe you've been drinking all night in the Viagra triangle with your mistress and don't want what your wife has waiting in the fridge back home in da burbs? maybe you've been begging for change all night by the McDonald's on State and Chicago and finally got enough for a cheap greasy meal for dinner and a rock for dessert but don't like the McChicken anymore...then you probably eat at Mister J's.


late nite eats in the downtown area

Mister J's is one of those places that's best visited at the end of your night. Everyone has a favorite on the menu such as the Chicago style dogs, burgers and gyros. The wall is filled with different combination value meals and I guess they've been doing it like that since the 70's. That would mean that they were on the combo meals before McDonald's and BK even thought about them. There's nothing fancy or even appealing about J's but the char grilled food is better than anything your going to find in the same price range in the area of the Magnificent Mile which is flooded with chains. Your not going to find friendly service or a spotless shiny dining area but you will find one hell of a char grilled chicken sandwich.


bang for buck late nite chicken sandwich

On those nights when I'm either near the downtown area or not feeling like Mexican, every now and then find myself in line with the rest at J's. The chicken sandwich is a piece of fresh (not frozen) breast meat that's been marinating in a lemon juice and is char grilled to perfection and served on French bread with your choice of Chicago style hot dog toppings. I will always go for a chicken sandwich with cheese on French with everything and it never disappoints. Not only is this place way better than the McDonald's down the street but its also cheaper. Huh go figure. On my last visit to J's I got another Chicago food favorite: the pizza puff. The history of the puff is a little sketchy but anyone who grew up in Chicago can tell you about the pizza puffs available at grease shacks around town. My loyal readers who have been asking "whens the puff report coming?" will be happy to know the puff report is coming soon. Mister J's fries up a nice puff, not any different than anywhere else since they all come from the same factory but a nice eat at 3a after a long night of Jameson. Mister J's is open 'til 2a Sun.-Thurs. and until 4a on Friday and Saturday. Be prepared for good drunk food and something weird to happen.


Chicago's less known fast food item: the pizza puff


story on the history of pizza puffs coming soon


objects in picture are tastier than they appear

Mister J's
822 N State St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 943-4679

Love these Tenders

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where locals eat in a spot where there are few

I think that it's been pretty well documented on here that the food in around downtown Chicago is eh-eh at best. If you want to experience the real tastes of Chicago then your going to have to venture off Michigan ave and State St to find them. Go any direction but East and you'll find gem after gem of real Chicago classics. Sorry but locals don't consider Pizzeria Uno and Big Bowl to be anything but tourist traps. I do however understand that some visitors don't have the time or means to travel to the places that make Chicago one of the best eating cities in the world and believe it or not some people that are local and native to the city even hang out downtown in and around the Viagra triangle. In case you were wondering the Viagra triangle is the name for the geographical triangle that makes up State St. Rush St. and Chicago ave in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood and some would consider the bars on Division ave to be part of the triangle atmosphere as well.


be scene in the triangle

Whats the atmosphere you ask? It's an area abundant with mostly wealthy older men who frequent the local bars by pulling up to valet in sick vehicles, and the "triangle" where State and Rush Streets come together with East Bellevue Street being the base of the triangle, anchored by Gibson's restaurant, the unofficial headquarters. As my good buddy pointed out in entry over at Urban Dictionary "The gentle ecosystem of the Viagra Triangle could not exist without a fully-stocked pond of anxious, and artificially infertile females. Seven years prior she may have been called a "Trixie" in and around Lincoln Park, but with an East Bank membership, a Platinum card of her own, and several upgrades to the base Lexus, she is looking for more while her looks and latest Botox treatment hold out" So guys if your going to the triangle looking to hook up and have a good time, sorry but the chicks in the triangle all require a personal financial statement and proof of an American Express Black card before you can even sit down and talk to them. They're all game if you do so come and get them.


...and lots of Levitra

Its quite a scene in the triangle on a hot summer day with shoppers and tourists everywhere, people dining along the sidewalk cafes and those just walking around wanting to be seen. It turns into a whole different scene after midnight and I tend to stay away from the area but every now and then I will make a trek down for some drinks and socializing with friends and visitors and engage in chat with the lovely bartenders at every bar. I wont go to half the spots because I wont be that fool who pays $9 for a Guinness and $18 for a sandwich and then before you know it the bill is over $400. Its not that I have a problem spending its just not going to be given to the tourist traps but when in Rome...Dublin's Pub is the Viagra Triangles version of a "dive" bar. I put the quotations because its really anything but a dive bar but its alot less "scene" than the other options in the area. Dublin's is at the corner of State and Maple and is open til 4am 365 days a year. The crowd is a mixed variety as far age and its the bar of choice for industry people in Chicago on Mondays and Tuesdays.


Dublins on a quiet winter night

Dublin's has been a popular hangout for people in the area for a couple of generations now. Its a small cozy place that serves up some of Chicago's best bar food and is a great place in the Gold Coast to get some food and drink and watch a sporting event. However to call it bar food isn't really fair because aside from a few regular bar menu items like burgers and nachos they have quite a menu for a pub. Some of the favorites of regulars are the corned beef and cabbage, the daily homemade soups, burgers are always good, crab cakes, grilled portabella appetizer, lamb kebabs, any and all of the chicken dishes, grilled salmon over salad, pasta dishes such as the house special "Bita's pasta" and so the ladies tell me...the best salads in Chicago. I was introduced to Dublin's by Chicago resident and fellow friend B.W Stalworth who happens to be Chicago's foremost expert on the chicken tender. He also happens to name Dublin's the home of the "best tenders in the world"

B.W describes the perfect most loving tenders as "a real chicken tender, the most tender part at the end of the chicken breast that feels like a babies butt, not a dry tough breast cut into strips, but the actual tender at the end that is then hand battered and fried and tossed in buffalo sauce with love and care" He then goes onto explain that "you see there is only one strip of tender per breast and these days every place will list chicken tenders on the menu but instead serve regular old pre-breaded frozen chicken fingers that might be tossed in sauce or maybe not and served with food industry ranch dressing" Not at Dublin's where B.W "love me tenders" Stalworth has found a home he insists will always be the spot for tenders in the country that made them famous. I have to wholeheartedly agree with B.W and while I hate chicken breast and how boring it is I will always go with tenders those days when I'm watching sports and having a brew at Dublin's with B.W and the crew. The fries are great too and they switch it up by serving waffle fries on some days and thin crispy shoe strings on the others. If your in the area looking for a meal that wont set you back too much then check this place out. I'll give it credit as a great spot to eat and watch the upcoming Madness that is March NCAA basketball. In the end though it still sits in the heart of the triangle and that means that there are no street prices and if you decide to eat and drink and aren't careful your bill could be over $250 real quick.


The best chicken tenders money can buy and they aren't cheap ($12)

Dublin's Bar & Grille
1030 N State St
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 266-6340
Menu

Gyro melt from CND gyros

-The Sammy's of Chi

Did anyone happen to read the Chicago Tribune lunches in the loop photo gallery story? They gave 25 different places where you can eat lunch if you are shopping or working downtown. How many of these places take out ad's in the Tribune? Most people will tell you that downtown for the most part is a dining dump and its flooded with chains and spots with high end prices and low end quality aimed at taking tourists money. I was shocked not to find a few spots on that list that more than belonged in the good lunch category, I don't know maybe its because you can get out of there spending under $10.

ATTN: Tribune, Where is CND?!?!?!


Tucked below Michigan ave is crowd favorite CND

CND gyros is a place that I hadn't been to since I used to roam downtown with my friends on off days in grade school. In fact I had totally forgotten about it until I read an amazing description of it on the internet over at LTHforum. I cant do close to a better job describing this place, so here is what I read.

"Tucked underneath the Michigan Avenue hustle-bustle, surrounded by construction sites building huge, modern condos, and in an area where many restaurants seem more consumed with selling the latest trend at high prices than with serving a good, honest, affordable meal, CND Gyros stands as a lone soldier in the fight to maintain a certain "realness" in the neighborhood." KennyZ - a poster at LTHForum

CND is a time warp and another one of Chicago's gyro places that hasn't changed a bit over time. CND has better food than all those chains like Panera and Popeye's that are flooded at lunchtime downtown. One of the best things about this place is the menu and how long it extends with good options. If you want a cold one to go with your lunch then by all means have one at CND. One day I will get you a review of the gyros dinner on my gyrotron but today its all about the gyro melt.



The gyro melt is just another sandwich born and raised in Chicago. The gyros at CND are some of the better tasting and prepared gyros in the city. They also do a fantastic gyro melt which is gyro meat tucked between two slices of toasted Texas sized bread and topped with grilled onions and good old processed yellow cheese. C'mon you know that its good even if it sounds like you could croke any second after eating one. The only thing that this sandwich was missing is bacon. I now have a place to eat when I must head down to Michigan ave to do whatever it is tourists do. Whether your a local or a visitor, CND is right for a quick good lunch at a more than affordable price.

CND Gyros & Lounge
205 E Grand Ave - At N St Clair St
Chicago, IL 60611
312 467-4195

David Burke's dry aged burger

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

I got to try David Burke's dry aged burger during its $5 debut during late October and thought so-so of it. First thing I need to note is that the burger was brought back to me, I didn't eat it there. I dont think my opinion would of changed much regardless. Also the small patty complaint below could be due to the fact that were on special at just five dollars and if thats the case well they should of let it be known. Now that the special is over they are $15/each. I see a future visit from the Miller High life delivery dude in their future.

David Burke's is one of the best steakhouses in the city of the steakhouse. They specialize in dry aged meats that melt on your tongue. The dry aged bone-in ribeye is the best piece of meat in the city. I cant say the same for their new burger.


DB's dry aged burger

I thought it was a little dry and hey, that kind of makes sense but it was also cooked pretty well done. Im not sure if they are feeding off the baconaisse craze at the moment but I really liked the combo of the house made bacon mayonnaise and perfectly grilled onions and spinach but thought that the roll was too big compared to the patty. Too much bun not enough beef is a big no-no in my burger quest. I much, much prefer when the patty is larger than the bun and not vice versa especially to this extent. I understand that DB's is adding a little flair to the menu for lunch and that burgers will always be in demand but this wasn't nearly as appetizing as their steaks.

The truth of the matter is that if it was always $5 I would def. recommend that and a drink for lunch. But the only time I'm going to pay $15 for a burger is going to be when I am stuck in the middle of nowhere and craving something like TAB, Paradise Pup or Top Notch. Then ill have one fed-ex'd.

What can I say I'm a burger purist. I love the places that do burgers and maybe a few other things and thats it. The ones that specialize in grease and stick to what they've been doing for years. David Burke's does steak and they do that really well, best in the city...they should stick to that. Now if they ground up the dry aged ribeye into burger meat then they might have something going.



Overall Grade: D+

Strengths: Well I like bacon..no wait, I love bacon.

Weakness: The dry aging process does not work as well with hamburgers as it does steak. It was rather dry and not nearly as juicy as a good burger should be. Price is all out of whack for a hamburger.

David Burke's Primehouse
616 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 660-6000
Website

Cheezeborger! Cheezeborger!

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Chi

Im not going to sit here and retell you the whole story of Billy Goat and its part in the "curse" of the Cubs and how it became world famous when it became a skit on Saturday night live, that's all around the internet. Im here to tell you my take on the world famous tavern serving their famous double cheezeborgers. I have been eating at BG's for some time since my dad's office has always been near it and he and my uncles used to take us there often. So maybe I have a little place for it in my clogged heart due to the fact I was eating these when most kids my age were eating cheeseburger happy meals.


Bill Goat's original location underground in downtown.

The burgers at BG's are thin patties thrown on a flattop and cooked to order by the grillmaster. There is only one way to go at BG's and that's a double, you have to, otherwise you have a whole lot of bread and not much beef. The burgers are topped with cheese and served on the kaiser rolls they get delivered daily. The burgers at the goat are minimalist when it comes to the toppings.

Your choices are sliced pickles, whole sliced onions to place atop the patty or chopped onions and relish as well as mustard and ketchup...eww. I for one have a liking for all types of burgers including this style, I love the freshness of the the topping paired with the gooey cheese and the greasy patty. Its a good burger, just dont let the hype fool you into thinking that it is the best burger in the city...and as far as that curse goes, Ill take a goat and have Big Z bean it in the behind with a fastball and knock that curse right up out its ass. Ill then proceed to take it and make birria tacos out of its carcass.

BG's double cheese done my way...topped with a whole slice of onion, lots of pickles and mustard

Overall grade: C++

Strengths: old school burger joint with history and the ability to pile your burger with pickles

Weakness: Still too much bun to beef even with a double

Billy Goat Tavern
430 N Michigan ave. (lower level)
Chicago, IL
(312) 222-1525