Five More Sandwiches (Part 2)

-The Sammy's of Chi

Did you know that National Sandwich Day is November 3rd? So in honor of this bizarre food holiday (does every food have its own day?) I thought we'd get another post from the S'C'&C series "Five More Sandwiches" You can click HERE for the last series of sandwiches. We go and get a different sammy from five different spots previously featured on my site. I find myself going to these five featured spots often which is why I have new pics of eats not seen in the previous threads. So here we go again, five more sandwiches from places already featured here on S'C&C wit Da King. Click the link mentioning the spot to see the previous post on that particular place. A Happy Sandwich Day to all.


We revisit these five spots already seen on here for more good eat Sammy's
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El Cubanito

I lived in Tampa back during my first year of college and developed a deep love for its regional locals favorite foods. The most popular being all the little tiny Cuban cafe/sandwich shops throughout the area. Not only do these places have great food and coffee but they are also always full of energy and there will always be people just chilling and talking about whatever the days topics are. Whenever I want that mixed in with a great sandwich, El Cubanito is my spot. The little shack on Pulaski just past Wrightwood is one of the best sandwich shops in the city. It was jam packed on my last visit with the dude slanging the bootlegged movies inside and taking up half the space. I went with their newest available sandwich, a tripleta. This style of sandwich which means "three meats" is popular in the Latin American influenced Caribbean countries. Very good and quite the bang for your buck ($6). It was like a Cuban stir fry on bread. Next time I'll try one with eggs.


Tripleta sandwich: steak, ham and chicken...damn!
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Toons Bar & Grill

What else can I say about Toons? It's one of the very best neighborhood bar and grills in a city filled with them. However despite there being so many it seems that these spots are always lacking something or another. If they have good beer and food, the TV's might suck or vice versa, its always something. Not at Toons where the beer is abundant in selection and always cold and the games will be on, if yours isn't, ask and it will be. Then you top all that off with the food being great, bar food at its best. Since this spot is one of my hangouts and I love doing so I've ripped thru the menu but there's always something new or on special on the hand written menu of the days specials. Alot of these times the food specials will be mouth watering sandwich creations like the Georgia Reuben seen below. They take some house smoked turkey meat and pile it on some toasted rye bread and cook it up with some Swiss cheese and sauerkraut and comes with their fantastic fresh cut fries. Just add some bacon and you will be a happy camper.


Toons Georgia Reuben sandwich
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Tony's Submarine

I originally tried this popular Northshore sandwich spot after reading about how it was one of Chicago's premiere chefs, favorite spots for a Italian beef. The beef was good as seen in my post on Tony's over at "What's Your Beef?" I've been back a few times since my initial visit and on one of my stops I tried their number one seller the Italian. It was a sandwich I was able to eat but I didn't like the fact they pack the meats for the sandwich beforehand in individual bags. It made the meat which was all clamped together into one slide out from the bread. I would get the Italian beef on my future visits.


Tony's Italian sub
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Athenian Room

This is another spot I frequent quite often since its connected to another one of my local drinking hangouts. I've also been eating here since I was a kid and have been thru the entire menu more than a few times. In fact this is the third separate post I have made on the AR since my site started. The feta burger and gyros have already been featured. I go through different ordering phases from this place and of late I've been on the chicken kebab sandwich with cheese. Its a little lighter than some of their other selections and every bit as satisfying.


Chicken kebab sandwich with cheese from Athenian Room
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Chicago's Legendary Maxwell st. Polish Stands

Chicago's famous combo sandwich now has a brother. I came up with this one night when I wanted the best of both stands. You see I love both the Polishes and pork chop sandwiches at both Jim's and Express. I like the all beef Polish from Jim's Original a little more and I like the pork chop sandwich from Express Grill a little better than the others. So why not have the best of both worlds?

Introducing: Da Combo Part II

Directions

-Take an all beef Polish sausage with everything from Jim's Original ( My pref. for a Polish) and a pork chop sandwich with everything from Express Grill (My pref. for a pork chop) and remove the bottom bun from the pork chop and place the chop on top of the Polish and eat. Follow with a package of Rolaids and sleep.

Note: beware of the bone in da chop and watch your teeth.


The combo: a second coming
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El Cubanito
2555 North Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60639-2115
(773) 235-2555

Toons Bar & Grill
3857 North Southport Avenue
Chicago, IL 60613-2823
(773) 935-1919

Tony's Submarine
1480 Waukegan Rd
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 940-7352

Athenian Room
807 W Webster Ave
Chicago, IL 60614-3628
(773) 348-5155

Jim's Original
1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60617
(312) 733-7820‎

Express Grill
1260 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 738-2112

Chicago's Dog House

-In Chicago: Every Dog Has it's Day

School is back in session around Chicago college campuses and with it comes hungry students and an increase in business for their neighborhood eateries. It was a year or two back when Lincoln Park saw three different hot dog stands pop up outta nowhere. I've been to all of them a few times now and am going to feature Chicago's Dog House in today's Hot dog Stand tour. Its on Fullerton right across from Depaul University at the Lincoln, Halsted and Fullerton intersection. In a little over a year they have developed quite a fanbase of which includes myself.


In the heart of Lincoln Park/Depaul

The Dog House was started by a a few friends from the neighborhood who wanted to bring the Depaul students as well as neighborhood residents a hot dog stand for when the cravings for 'em came. The duo decided to hell with the desk life when they graduated college and came up with Chicago's Dog House which features a great selection of specialty hot dogs, Chicago style, Polish sausage as well as different gourmet sausages and a few sandwiches and burgers. Inside this place is your average Chicago Hot Dog Stand taken up another notch. Its got some funk to it and fits in well with the college feel of the area. There are a few tables as well as some stools along the window for people to dine in and take out is popular and a quick quality option if in the area.


The menu for Hot Dogs and Sandwiches


Gourmet sausages are ordered from local butchers and can switch

I've been to the Dog House countless times since it opened and when I didn't have a car for a few months it really satisfied my chow cravings. So I've been going here for a while now and have come to try many different items but am still working my way thru the entire menu. The first thing I had to try from here was going to be the "Chicago style" dog and of course that would be with fries. I think this was a good way to see whats up with the place and what they were offering. Chicago's uses Vienna Beef hot dogs and they grill them before topping them with your standard Chicago style toppings. I was quite impressed with theirs because I prefer my dog grilled when I'm getting it Chicago style with the whole nine yards of tomato's, pickles, peppers etc...I've had quite a few Chicago styles since but am always trying to explore the menu. One dog I wont be trying is the Blagojevich which comes with ketchup (opening bid is a $1000). Notice the chip's? or as they're called at Chicago's Dog House, frips.


Chicago Style with Frips

You ever order those fresh made chips at your local state fair or carnival? You know the ones where they take a potato and put it thru a drill and it comes out as one big piece which is then throw into a deep fryer and cooked for a couple minutes then served to you? Basically fresh as it gets potato chips so they have a fry like taste to them hence the name frips. Well that's what they got instead of fries and I think that's pretty damn cool and creative. You can watch them drill the potato and throw it in the fryer just like at the state fair and they're also pretty damn good and helluvaddicting.


Frips are a cross between fries and chips

You'll see on the menu pictured up above their are a selection of specialty hot dogs which are grilled Vienna Beef wieners topped with non traditional Chicago style condiments. I've been thru a good portion of them and have a few that I have gotten on multiple visits. One of those is the Snoop Dog which comes with chili, cheese and onions and is a fine example of a chili cheese dog and the grilled wiener goes great with them. Another standout is their corn dog which is freshly battered. I also like the Mayor Daley which can be seen below. Let me take you thru a few that I have tried and recommend that you get over there and do the same. Its a nice addition to the old neighborhood and a worthy late nite option on weekends if drinking in the area.


Chili cheese dog


Chihuahua dog (hot sauce, gauc, chihuahua cheese, onion, tomato)


T-Frank (bacon, cream cheese, avocado, hot sauce)


Obama (sauteed pineapple)


Mayor Daley (Irish cheddar, caramelized onions, smokey dijon)


fresh dipped corn dog

Chicago's Dog House
816 W. Fullerton
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-3647
Website

Hip Asian in LP

-Oh Yeah, I've been there too
Little Brothers

Neighborhood: Lincoln Park/Depaul
Cuisine: Korean/Pan Asian
Price Range: $8-$10
Would I go again? Ya I'll get back there again, I enjoyed my first visit


a popular stop for students in Lincoln Park

Little Brothers has been open for a few years now, maybe even just a couple and it seems to be doing pretty well. Its on Fullerton right off Lincoln about a block down from the Fullerton Red Line stop and right near the Depaul campus. Its menu is pretty simple and it can best be described as Hip Asian with a feature on Korean menu items. What is hip Asian you ask? Its basically a spot that was made to attract the young aged crowd that it rests around. The main menu item ordered from here are plates and they come with two sides. You can build your plate with steak, chicken or tofu and have your meat one of three ways-Korean Spicy, Thai Sweet Chili or teriyaki. For those that cant decide you can also go with a two meat plate or just get all three. On my first visit I got a steak Korean Spicy style and got some dumplings and edamame to go with it along with a big side of white rice. I was very pleased with my plate and am eager to try it again and have my eye on another favorite of mine they have on the menu bibimbap. The steak was really tender and had some great flavor. I like how they keep the menu small yet still give you a nice selection that everyone can find something they like from it.


Korean Spicy Steak Plate

Little Brothers
818 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 661-6482

Five More Sandwiches

-The Sammy's of Chi

The next saga in the series of posts is a combo between the "Take 2: a second look" and "The Sammy's of Chi" chapters because what I have for you are five chow worthy sandwiches from places seen on chibbqking. All five of these spots are in my regular rotation and I get to them a good amount of times a year. Even though the main reason I go to the five spots featured here is for the items already showcased in their original stories, it turns out they got more good eats than just that. So here are five more sandwiches from places already featured here on S'C&C wit Da King.


We revisit these five spots already seen on here for more good eat Sammy's
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Al & Joe's

When your the "home of the submarine" and have been so since 1960, well you gotta be doing up some good sandwiches then, right? Yes sir, and on top of one of Chicagolands best Italian subs you can find one of the areas best pepper and egg sandwiches, a special on Friday's. With it being lent season and all right now I figured it was a good time to share where to get a great P&E sandwich which are big in Chicago. Its on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during lent that Italian Americans enjoy these sammy's made with sauteed green peppers, scrambled eggs and served on French bread and available with hot peppers. I'm pretty sure Al & Joe's serves their P&E every Friday of the year but call to make sure. Its still one of my favorite spots in the city and I get in there pretty often, its the best place to stop for a quick eat after landing at O'Hare. Click HERE for more on Al & Joe's.


Pepper & Egg Sandwich from A&J's (available Friday's)
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Bird's Nest

Whats not to love about the Lincoln Park neighborhood corner bar? Already featured for their first team all Chicago wings and it's a great daytime drinking spot and home of the massive and mouthwatering Drunken Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. I have a hard time passing on the wings when I go to this bar just down the block from me, but every now and then I just get a craving for this monster of a sandwich. Its a beer battered big ass chicken breast that's deep fried and then covered in their "Bird's Nest Hot Sauce" aka Buffalo sauce and topped with blue cheese dressing and crumbles, celery seed, lettuce and tomato. Its one of the best chicken sammy's anywhere. Click HERE for more on Bird's Nest.


Drunken Buffalo Chicken Sandwich from Bird's Nest
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Philly's Best

I don't think I've ever ordered anything other than a cheesesteak from Philly's Best with the exception of the time me and a friend split one of their other sandwiches an oven baked grinder. We went with the most popular one which is the "combination" and includes Salami, bologna, ham, onions, green peppers, tomato and cheese all oven baked on French bread with the veggies and other toppings of your choice and also available on garlic bread. I liked this sandwich though not nearly as much as the cheesesteak so I'll just stick with them. Click HERE for more on Philly's Best.


The Combination Oven Baked Grinder from Philly's Best
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Pop's Beef & Sausage

I don't get to go to pop's damn near every Sunday like I did when I was a kid but I still get there pretty often. It's one of those spots where they do almost everything well and some things really, really well. The Italian Beef is still my favorite on the southside and on my1st Team starting five on the All-Chicago Beef squad. I also love their gravy bread and liked the chili cheese dog. One day I was really hungry and got a beef, gravy bread and decided to also try their corned beef sandwich. It's available with Swiss and mustard and served hot or cold and you can also double the meat for a little more. It was a fine corned beef for the price and I quite enjoyed it along with my beef and gravy bread. I might have to do that triple combo again in the bear future. Click HERE for more on Pop's.


Pop's Corned Beef with Swiss Sandwich
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Top Notch

Another one of my favorites and it too is located on the southside. Over at Top Notch they've been doing who they are for 68 years and that's top notch beefburgers. Whenever someone asks whats the best burger in Chicago its Top Notch that's jumps to my mind first and they certainly are one of if not the best burgers anywhere. Nothing has changed over there except prices and on a recent visit I ventured out and away from my regular order of a regular sized cheeseburger and get me a patty melt. I hadn't had a patty melt in years up until I got one here a couple months back and I cant wait to go back for another. Just like they got their burgers perfected, same can be said for the patty melts. Its made with the same hanging beef that is ground fresh daily in their walk in cooler. They put a bunch of those greasy good onions on it along with your cheese of choice of cheese and melt it all between toasted rye bread. It was at Top Notch where I fell in love with patty melts. Click HERE for more on Top Notch Beefburgers.


Patty Melt from Top Notch with their World War II fries


You know its good...
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AL & Joe's Delicatessen
(847) 678-6788
10348 Addison Ave
Franklin Park, IL 60131
(847) 678-6788
Website

Bird's Nest
2500 N Southport Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 472-1502
Website

Philly's Best (four locations)
907 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 525-7900
Website

Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage
10337 S Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60655
(773) 239-1243
Website

Top Notch Beefburger
2116 W 95th St
Chicago, IL 60643
(773) 445-7218
Website

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

Aloha Eats!

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where fans of the Aloha State eat.

I saved Aloha Eats in LP for my final post of 2008. Were goin out with a bang and ringing in the new year with a keeper! Lincoln Park is not great but by no means the worst (see: Bucktown) when it comes to good eat neighborhoods. This is for several reasons and one of them is its the home to Aloha Eats, Chicago's only real Hawaiian lunch place. I've never been to Hawaii but it's only a matter of time. It was a few years back when Aloha opened that I realized how much I love Hawaiian food. Its not all fresh fish and sushi (which I also love) and spam on the islands. Aloha Eats does a great job repping this food culture here in Chicago. Its a place I go to in huge bunches, sometimes I'll eat here a few times in a week then not go for a couple weeks then go again and so on.


One of Lincoln Parks best eating options

When I say lunch up above I mean what the locals eat in Hawaii which is plate lunch. Its the signature Hawaiian food item and it consists of two scoops of white rice, a scoop of Hawaiian macaroni salad, cabbage and whatever your meats are, which there will be plenty of. Popular items include teriyaki chicken/beef, katsu chicken, Hawaiian BBQ chicken, beef short ribs, spam, Kahlua pork and many more. Including the almighty loco moco (more on this below). We are talking massive amounts of food here. Its no wonder the Samoans are so big and freakishly athletic and the hottest talent bed in college football these days. Hawaiian food is a classic fusion of Japanese/Chinese/Filipino/Portuguese/American and many more with local ingredients popular and native to the state added in. I always wanted to go to Hawaii but this site here will have gotten me to go. As I have become in love with Hawaiian food I've done alot of websearch and found this sick food site. That there is one of my favorites. Now onto the food at Aloha Eats.


I always start my order with Aloha Maid Natural Iced Tea (shipped from HA)

I think with the fact that the president is Hawaiian and he vacations there that the food has gotten even more popular on the mainland since his inauguration. As you can see HERE, Aloha has an open invitation to President Obama next time hes in his hometown. When it comes to a fusion of cuisines, well Hawaii is all over the place and its comes out so very good. The most well known food item in Hawaiian cuisine is the loco moco. The website "Whats cooking America" does a great job with regional treats and the history of them. So I will quote them below on its description on the loco moco, which is a favorite of mine. You can get a taste of Hawaii's signature food item at Aloha Eats. Also right below is a picture of Aloha's loco moco, the only one in Chicago.


aloha eats' loco moco plate is a luau in itself

^"The loco moco is Hawaii's original homemade fast food and can be found at just about any fast food joint, roadside diner, mom and pop restaurant or lunch wagon in the Islands. It is truly unique to Hawaii, and it is a comfort food, or "local grind," of the Hawaiian Islands. Local food is not the cuisine that is served in upscale hotels and restaurants of Hawaii. It's basic structure was established soon after World War II - the best fast food or mixture of cuisines from many Pacific rim countries, with a special Hawaiian twist.

Loco Moco is a mountainous meal consisting of a heap of white rice topped with a hamburger patty (2) and a Sunnyside-up egg (2), and then smothered in gravy. This dish is popular for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is a candidate for the Cholesterol Hall of Fame. As you eat, break the egg - then blend the burger, egg, rice, and gravy on your fork for each bite for a real taste of paradise.

There are many people who claim to have invented Loco Moco, but it is generally agreed that around 1949, either the Cafe 100 or the Lincoln Grill (both in Hilo, Hawaii) originated the first dish of Loco Moco. According to the story, the dish was created for teenagers who wanted something different from typical American sandwiches and less time-consuming than Asian food to eat for breakfast. The nickname of the first boy to eat this concoction was Loco ("crazy" in Portuguese and Hawaiian pidgin). Moco rhymed with loco and sounded great, so Loco Moco became the name of the dish." From: What's Cooking America. Good stuff, great description and I couldn't of said it any better.

-The Sammy's of Chi

Aloha Eats also has a pretty good fish sandwich that I order when the hankering for one comes. Since I ate fillet o' fish from McDonalds when I was a kid, I sometimes get the taste for a fishwich similar to it. While Aloha's is similar in that its a fried fish patty with cheese and tartar that's about where the similarities end. Its a mahi-mahi fried patty and rings in at a little over $3 with cheese. I'm a big fan and its the best fishwich in town.


Fish sandwich with fried shrimp shumai on the side

-Got beef?
The burgers of Chi

Just another reason I love Aloha Eats is there above average burgers. Nothing too big here so they aren't really a meal in itself. They do up a fresh hand made patty a little larger than the fast food joints and put lettuce, tomato and onion on top with whatever else you want. Nothing special ingredient wise but the use of fresh meat and a price-tag of around $3 makes this a good well tasting burger in the area.


Da Kine m'aan, good burgers at Aloha

But then then there's the LocoT. Its a burger I had them do up at my requests one day when the thought of it seemed great. I wanted a loco moco burger. So I asked the sweet lady working to make me a cheeseburger with a fried egg and gravy as the toppings. Introducing the LocoT. Its not on the menu but they'll happily make one if you tell them what to do.


LocoT: Cheeseburger with fried egg and gravy (tell them the one on chibbqking)

There's really not much missing when it comes to Hawaiian local lunch favorites over at Aloha. Its great to see that an area like Lincoln Park has opened up to Aloha Eats and it seems to be doing really well. I'm never in there when the place is empty and its really popular with groups of college kids and other young people looking for a taste of home. In case your not dying of hunger and don't feel the need for one of their huge plates, everything is available as a mini plate as well. Except the mini plates aren't too tiny either. At just a little over $5 your going to get a bunch of food and there's a chance you wont finish a small plate upon your first sitting. Pictured below are some of my menu favorites but there's so much more going on over there including musubi, saimin noodle soup and most dishes available with their homemade curry sauce on the side. Oh and of course they got the spam dishes. I find it real hard to go wrong with the menu.


Killer Hawaiian BBQ beef

^It was in the 19th century when John Parker brought Mexican cowboys to Hawaii to teach the Hawaiians in cattle ranching. It wasn't long before it grew rapidly and beef became a part of the Hawaiian diet. The Parker ranch in Waimea on Hawaii's big island is one of Americas largest and most historic ranches in the country. A very popular beef dish is Hawaiian BBQ beef. Its basically tender thin slices of beef marinated in teriyaki and cooked to a nice crispy but tender texture. Its great stuff with the white rice and mac salad.


Chicken Katsu is real Hawaiian kau kau

^Here we have one of the many marks left on Hawaiian cuisine by other countries. Chicken katsu is Japanese fried chicken. Usually consisting of a cutlet breaded with a mixture of flour, beaten egg and panko bread crumbs its fried and then cut into bite size pieces. like everything else in Hawaii its served with rice and mac and also available with green Hawaiian curry sauce on top.It can be found in all the Hawaiian diners and fast food joints on the island and is also done with pork and duck.


Hawaiian BBQ chicken: In one word "ono"

^Hawaii also happens to have a BBQ culture including the fabulous luaus with Kalua pork roasting away. They also do alot of grilling and like to grill up some BBQ chicken. Teriyaki is again a popular choice for Hawaiian barbecued chicken as well as distinctly Hawaiian bbq sauces. Pictured above is Aloha's chicken which is also available with white meat but then it wouldn't be nearly as good or as close to authentic to what they eat in America's 50th state. It ranks much, much higher than 50 when it comes to the 50 US states regional cuisines however. Get over there and give it a try and if you went to Hawaii and loved the food then Aloha is for you.

Aloha Eats Hawaiian Grill
2534 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 935-6828
Website

Wing's from Rock's

-KingT's Wing Fling

Next up on the Wing Fling is Rocks Lincoln Park tavern. Located at Schubert and Lakewood on a quiet LP corner, it has been the home to a few neighborhood bars over the years. When I was growing up in the 'hood it was the old Schubert Inn which is long gone but I must say that Rocks did a great job revising the place. It still has the feel of an old school corner tavern but with much nicer amenities and decor along with a good beer list and one of Chicago's finest scotch and bourbon menus. During the summertime its one of the best bars in the neighborhood to get food and drinks outdoors. They have a great patio area that's always filled up in the warmer months and along with a nice atmosphere there's some good bar food and nice drink specials to be had.


Rock's Lincoln Park (pic from website)

Rocks is tucked away hidden amongst a bunch of houses so its really a neighborhood type spot. What sets it apart from most of the other bars in Lincoln park is the above average bar food that's reason enough to go even if your not having drinks along with great service. Its owned by a couple of dudes who spent time climbing the ranks in the service industry and now own their own spot. They know how to take care of their customers and keep them coming back and Monday's are a great example of this. Every Monday is wing night as far as the food special goes and the drink special to go with that is $2 drafts. They have a nice selection of microbrews and all the popular favorites on tap. As far as the LP area goes its the best place to eat and drink and watch Monday night football at due to both of these great specials. Rock's does Buffalo and BBQ wings along with a flavor of the day, which is a different homemade sauce each Monday. I have enjoyed the Teriyaki more so than any other and also thought the atomic and "naked" wings-served with just dried Cajun seasoning-were also really good. I usually will opt for whatever the flavor of the day is.


Cajun dry Rubbed Wings from Rocks

The chicken wings are a great example of how Rock's takes the usual bar favorites and tends to make them better than most of the other spots who serve up average food at best. You can expect perfectly sized and expertly fried wings when you visit for wing night on Mondays. As if fifty cent wings and all draft beers being $2, kids also eat free each Monday so bring them along and enjoy a Monday night spent outside your home kitchen. Other specials that are worth a stop at Rocks for are the $5 burger special on Wednesdays and from what the ladies tell me the salads are amazing and alot of them go for $5 special on Thursdays. When I think of a high class neighborhood establishment, Rocks is the best example that comes to mind. Its got a great setup with terrific food and great hospitality. Its not just a great place in the summertime. Warm up there in the winter with one of their fine bourbon selections served in a glass with a rock of ice, hence the name. On Wednesdays they pick 10 scotch/bourbons from the menu and have a $5 whiskey special.


Buffalo Wings from Rocks

Rocks Lincoln Park
1301 W Schubert Ave
Chicago, IL 60614-1219
(773) 472-7738
Website

Empanadas in LP/Lakeview

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the empanadas are.

Its seems as though the Northside neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Lakeview are Chicago's hot spot for tasty empanadas. We already featured the fresh baked Argentinian empanadas from El Mercado food mart in Lakeview last March. Well since then two more spots focusing on the popular Latin American street snack have opened. Its nice to see that even in neighborhoods where everything is commercial, we can still support the Ma and Pa type family owned spots. So lets take a look at two of my favorite places to munch on snacks of any kind.

Macondo

The more recent to open up of the two shops is Macondo. Its on the 2900 block of Lincoln located near the corner of Lincoln, Southport and Wellington in Lakeview. The people behind this new Colombian coffee and empanada shop are the owners of Las Tablas Colombian steakhouse which is located right down the block. The menu is fairly simple along with fair trade Colombian coffee and different baked goods from the region they offer empanadas. Its a nice place inside to go have a sip of coffee and a quick bite to eat and a good spot to meet up with someone. Its a comfortable feeling when you enter and the service is great.


Newly Opened on Lincoln ave in Lakeview

The Good's (Menu)


Coffee Menu (click pic to enlarge)


Empanada Menu (click pic to enlarge)


Other food offerings (click pic to enlarge)


Colombian bakery treats (click pic to enlarge)

I'm not a coffee drinker but Macondo is the first establishment in Chicago to be serving Jaun Valdez caféREALE brand. Said to be Colombia's most internationally celebrated coffee it is owned by a farmer co-op and funds small coffee making communities throughout Colombia. I stopped by on a early Saturday afternoon and it was quite quiet but they were just celebrating their grand opening. As you can see from the menu the empanadas are cocktail sized and come two to an order. The empanada is one of those foods that has so many different preparations from so many countries and since its dough filled with ingredients and then usually fried or baked, the possibilities are endless. Macondo's empanadas are prepared the Tolimense style which comes from the Tolima province in Colombia. So the empanadas are made with a corn flour shell and deep fried. I went with an order of Tradicional, carne molida and then decided last second I couldn't pass on the pollo. Gotta try them all and I wanted to try the dessert ones and will soon.


The empanadas come labeled in a bag that picks up some grease


Each order comes with a housemade Colombian aji hot sauce

I like the fact that these come two to an order making it easier to try them all should you be with anyone. The aji hot sauce had some good flavor and enhanced the overall taste and could be eaten solo, in my opinion anyways. So how were they? excellent if I may say. They come out freshly fried so they're nice and hot and still were by the time I got home ten minutes later. I thought each of the three flavors were really good and would order them all again. My favorite was for sure the Tradicional with the shredded beef and potato which is always a winning combo.


Tradicional (shredded beef with potato)


Carne Molida (picadillo-seasoned ground beef)


Pollo (marinated chix breast with red & green peppers)

I would say price wise they might seem a little expensive at $2.50 per order considering they are cocktail sized and can be finished in two bites. But considering the quality and goodness of them it can also be looked at as a bargain. They offer them in half dozen and dozen orders at a cheaper price for catering and parties and what not. It is no doubt a welcome addition to the neighborhood and the city in general. If your ever in the area or live by Macondo and are a coffee drinker or enjoy empanadas as much as I do then get over there and check them out. While your at it you can do a compare and contrast with Lito's in Lincoln Park. Another first class empanada place.

Lito's Empanadas

Time sure does fly and Lito's is a fine example of that saying. I thought it opened maybe a year ago but I guess Lito's has been in its small storefront on Clark Just south of Wrightwood since late 2007. I wasn't sure when I first ate at Lito's that it would make it in LP. You know as sad as it is, I thought the empanada might of been to foreign of a food item to the big ten, yuppie crowd. Lito's is also owned by a Colombian and they only do empanadas. Its always a good sign and good clue to good food when a place can focus on one thing making it easier to do it right.


Lito's on Clark in LP is a small store putting out big taste

The Good's (Menu)


Lito's offers only Empanadas and that's all you need

Since its in the neighborhood and is an excellent choice for a quick snack I have been over to Lito's a few times since they opened. The empanadas are a little more than $2 bucks each and although the hot sauce is a quarter extra its a must get. The dough is hand rolled and they use a machine in the back to stuff and then seal each one. I read on LTH that these are wheat based empanadas and as you can see that aside from just size the dough is different than Macondo's ones above. The dough seemed to be a different variety for the Hawaiian flavored ones and I enjoy both types. Each empa' is fried fresh upon ordering and ready to go after about a five minute wait.


Lito's Empanadas


Lito's aji hot sauce is filled with flavor...great stuff

I have tried a few of the flavors at Lito's and have to say that the beef, their trademark, is my favorite. I also think the Hawaiian ones filled with ham, cheese and pineapple are a real treat and will sometimes get one and one of those with the beef. I really want to try the other flavors and soon will get too but for now I cant pass up on the beef. The flavor combo of the ground beef, olives, raisins, potato's, peppers and onions along with the housemade hot sauce is one of the best snacks in the city. Its taking time but Lincoln Park is slowly getting more and more good eating spots to go along with the classics that have survived time and the neighborhoods change. I'm hoping Lito's is around in a long time and I dont see it being taken over by a Jamba Juice anytime. It seems to always have passerby's stopping in for what is an excellent snack in between or make it a full meal by ordering a few.


The beef empanada from Lito's is superb


Chicken (L) Hawaiian (top) Beef (R)

Macondo

2965 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60657

(773) 698-6847‎

Website (music plays)

Lito's Empanadas
2566 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 857-0794
Website