I'm always on the lookout for quality old Chicago neighborhood type restaurants and carry out places, etc. The following message I posted on Prodigy will give an idea of the kind of place I have in mind.It was posted in response to a query by an out-of-towner contemplating a trip to Chicago who asked about good places to have a meal. All the other responses recommended fairly expensive lakefront or loop joints with names like Cheechees or Fuddruckers...the type of place I abhor. Any help would be appreciated. I'm particularly looking for a good place to get omletts cheap on a weekend...a place where you can park fairly easily and , let's say, a five minute drive of the loop. FOOD AND WINE CLUB TOPIC: EATING OUT TO: NJVR77B SUBJECT: CHICAGO DATE: 03/15/1992 The Polish neighborhood along Milwaukee ave. between Diversey on the south and Belmont on the North has some great Polish restaurants and wonderful bakeries well worth a visit. Try the Orbit at Milwaukee and Central Park for Polish specialties such as potato pancakes or pirogis...about the only place I know where you can get a gourmet quality meal for less than $10 complete, in one of the rooms there, with a strolling violinist. Near the Orbit is the large pet store that even has a tiger on display, Animal Kingdom I think it's called. St Hyacinths church near the Orbit on a side street is probably the busiest , best attended Catholic church in the midwest if not in America. Get out in the neighborhoods and away from those $50 a meal yuppie joints! This neighborhood by the way is probably the largest center of Polish immigration in the US. The El that goes up to O'Hare airport pretty much follows the line of Milwaukee Ave. The bakeries and delis along here are really incredible, wonderful places. Best of all, it's practically yuppie free. For Pizza, the best fries in the city, the best Italian ice in season try Riccobene's with one loop location and one on 26th St. south of Chinatown. Two other Polish Places you shouldn't miss are the famous, very down home Polish place, the Busy Bee, at Milwaukee and North...cops, cab drivers, judges on the take and politicians on the make, are to be found here enjoying cheap but good Polish and American food. Again try the pirogis and the potato pancakes. Unfortunately the yuppies have discovered this place and the neighborhood is becoming infested with noxious little galleries. Best to hit it on a week day when the yuppies are all at work downtown. Also try the Podholanka at Division and Milwaukee...rural Poland in the city. Great soups. Best old fashioned ice cream joint in the city that I've found is Margie's Candies at Armitage and Western...absolutely incredible ice cream concoctions with all home made ingredients complete with an unbeatable old Chicago atmosphere (because it is really old Chicago, not because someone is trying to imitate that effect...always a disaster.) Be sure to check out the hand dipped candy and ask Margie if it is true that she invented the chocolate turtle. Internet: [email removed] MCI Mail487-8467 Prodigy GCDS20A
Chicago, IL
Chicago Ethnic Neighborhood Delights
Richard F. wrote: >I'm always on the lookout for quality old Chicago neighborhood type >restaurants and carry out places, etc. The following message I >posted on Prodigy will give an idea of the kind of place I have >in mind.It was posted in response to a query by an out-of-towner >contemplating a trip to Chicago who asked about good places to >have a meal. All the other responses recommended fairly expensive >lakefront or loop joints with names like >Cheechees or Fuddruckers...the type of place I abhor. >Any help would be appreciated. > There seemed to be a number of ethnic places in the vicinity of the 3000 block of N. Clark. I can't remember the cross street, but there is an El stop about 2 blocks west of N. Clark. Walking from there to N. Clark, I saw a Swedish place I'd want to explore. I walked north on N. Clark to the Ethiopian Village Cafe and Restaurant, at 3462 N. Clark. All you can eat for $5 to $6! Excellent seasonings, good bread, salad, and homemade honey wine. Very casual and well known among those who abhor yuppiedom. Their phone is 312-929-8300. It was by far the best Ethiopian food I've found in NYC or San Francisco. Rob Lake BP Research [email removed]
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM References: Nntp-Posting-Host: koshka.watson.ibm.com Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center Anne C. wrote: >Richard F. wrote: >>I'm always on the lookout for quality old Chicago neighborhood type >>restaurants and carry out places, etc. >> ... >>Any help would be appreciated. > >I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post >to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. > >Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that >most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, >Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, >Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! For indian, there are a bunch of places all together on Devon - look up Flavorland in the local phone book, drive there, park and look around. For Afghani try "The Helmand". For Cajun, try The Maple Tree Inn on the far south side. They also have Jazz some nights. My wife's sister and her fiance like Edith's for BBQ. Sorry about not having addresses, I'm stranded in the NE and any info I could give you would be a guess, and probably misleading. Sam Midkiff
Anne C. wrote: >I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post >to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. >Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that >most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, >Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, >Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! Are you brave enough to try Chicago's _real_ barbecue? If so, check out Lem's & Leon's. But _do not_ go there if you are unsure of your ability to handle the south side. For dim sum, a friend recommended Furama near Broadway & Argyle. I haven't tried it, i have tried Three Happiness, and like that a lot. For african, Mamma Desta's Red Sea is very nice. For Thai, try PS Bangkok or the Thai Twin.
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 Nntp-Posting-Host: ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu Kiran W. wrote: >Anne C. wrote: >>I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post >>to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. > >>Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that >>most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, >>Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, >>Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! > >Are you brave enough to try Chicago's _real_ barbecue? If so, check >out Lem's & Leon's. But _do not_ go there if you are unsure of your >ability to handle the south side. This is true; there is a somewhat safer alternative that is close to the South Side (i.e. not Carson's) rib experience. Rib's 'n' Bibs is in the Hyde Park (U.ofC.) neigborhood (53rd and (approx.)Blackstone) and while not as good as Lem's or Leon's is really quite good. (Some UofCers may disagree; having been one for a long time and now moved away, I attribute that to familiarity breeding contempt. Oh, it's basically take-out only (as is Lem's, I believe) > >For dim sum, a friend recommended Furama near Broadway & Argyle. I >haven't tried it, i have tried Three Happiness, and like that a lot. > In Chinatown (the old one at 22nd and Wentworth), we always liked Hong Min (on 22nd aka Cermak) the best. Their selection is not quite as large, perhaps as three Happiness and they do it by checkoff menu rather than cart, but we always thought it was better. Put somewhat more strongly, we didn't really like 3 Hap. The chance of having a long wait was simply too great, given that the payoff at the end was not signifcantly better than other alternatives. I suspect we are in the minority here, even among native Chicagoans. >For african, Mamma Desta's Red Sea is very nice. > Very good food, but unless they have cleaned up their act, literally, the retaurant was among the grubbier we went to regularly. This was also true, BTW of our last visit to Kwality (sic) India on Devon, which at one point at been quite good, but on this visit was so dirty we almost left, and we have a high tolerance for that sort of thing. >For Thai, try PS Bangkok or the Thai Twin. Good suggestions; also the newish Thai Star (on State (i think) just north of the river for a bit more upscale. >-- >"The truffle is not an outright aphrodisiac, but it may in certain > [sig deleted] I don't think anyone has mentioned the Mexican restaurants in Pilsen along 18th St. out a bit. Nuevo Leon is just a Mexican diner, but we always had good food there. There is also a seafood restaurant costa azul (??) that many people liked; we never tried it. We had two great meals at a somewhat fancier place called Casa Blanca, but I am reasonably certain they closed. There are some other good places not right on 18th, but the names escape me currently. Also: Al's Italian Beef on Taylor St--stand up only Bruna's in the old Italian Section off Western (avoid Febo's in the same neighborhood.) And a second of the nod to the Maple Tree Inn. Chris
Christopher H. wrote: >>Are you brave enough to try Chicago's _real_ barbecue? If so, check >>out Lem's & Leon's. But _do not_ go there if you are unsure of your >>ability to handle the south side. Where IS Lem's & Leon's? 'South Side' is a very LARGE territory ;] >In Chinatown (the old one at 22nd and Wentworth), we always liked >Hong Min (on 22nd aka Cermak) the best. Their selection is >not quite as large, perhaps as three Happiness and they do it >by checkoff menu rather than cart, but we always thought it was better. >Put somewhat more strongly, we didn't really like 3 Hap. The >chance of having a long wait was simply too great, given that >the payoff at the end was not signifcantly better than other >alternatives. I suspect we are in the minority here, even among >native Chicagoans. Three Happiness has recently remodeled -- there's more seating. I was there Saturday at right about NOON, was there until about ONE and I didn't see anyone waiting. Since I've only had Dim Sum at one place, I can't make any comparisons. >Also: Al's Italian Beef on Taylor St--stand up only YES!!!!!!! The greasiest (yummiest) beef sandwiches in the WORLD. When I think of a Beef Sandwich, I think of Al's. I use to work about 5 minutes (drive time) from there. You MUST go across the street (after lunch) for some REAL Italian Lemonade. (My mouth is watering).
Anne C. wrote: )Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that )most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, )Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, )Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! Since it is the veggie info that I save, here is what I have for Chicago:
Kiran W. wrote: >Anne C. wrote: >>I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post >>to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. > >>Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that >>most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, >>Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, >>Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! > >Are you brave enough to try Chicago's _real_ barbecue? If so, check >out Lem's & Leon's. But _do not_ go there if you are unsure of your >ability to handle the south side. > >For dim sum, a friend recommended Furama near Broadway & Argyle. I >haven't tried it, i have tried Three Happiness, and like that a lot. > >For african, Mamma Desta's Red Sea is very nice. > >For Thai, try PS Bangkok or the Thai Twin. >-- >"The truffle is not an outright aphrodisiac, but it may in certain > circumstances make women more affectionate and men more amiable." > ...Brillat-Savarin Thanks for the tips. Will explore some of these places. Here are a few quotes from some postings in chi.eats with my comments appended. Of course there's Marewa's on Milwaukee, but closer to Ashland. The owner of this restaurant has been known to provide exquisite Polish meals for the last 20 years. The restaurant is elegant in spite of its location. The food is still prepared under the close supervision of its owners. Many Polish people say that it's the only Polish restaurant food they'll eat. 5 - 10 minutes from downtown. Moderately priced. Chances are that you'll probably come back again. This is a great place to take Polish friends, in-laws, prospects, boss, etc. (Yes, I've been there for a wedding reception...I had the impression it was anything but moderately priced...in the $50 per person range...but maybe I'm wrong about that or maybe my moderate and your moderate are on different scales.) By the way this stretch of Milwaukee Ave. between Ashland and North is a very interesting bit of real Chicago with it's cut rate furniture stores, thrift shops, a barber college, a scattering of wholesalers, more and more hispanic shops. I've walked it many a time, watched it change and still thrive...and always enjoy it. Marewa's is sort of an anomaly here, a Polish restaurant with an awning and valet parking and across the street Dollar Bill's, AmVets and Long John Silver's. Try Primavera Pizza just north of Addison on North Broadway--its located in a little mini-mall next to the Seven Eleven and a West Coast Video.Best NYC style pizza I've had in Chicago. Its made by a ex-Brooklynite and even though my heart lies in the Bronx (Fordham '91) it's pretty damn good. Suggestion: buy it by the slice as the whole pie is not quite as good. Salud, john (OK will try it. Thanks. I now know what NY style pizza is and I recall enjoying it at a real tiny place in the wild heart of Uptown where you feel the blast of the pizza oven as you open the door. It's on Broadway half a block north of Wilson on the lake side of the street. You guys will probably want to pull your Audis right in front of the place, check the street for dangerous looking pimps, winos or gang bangers and dart in for a slice. It's thin, and good and it folds without being asked and I think they practically give them away. No valet parking, but if a guy with a fancy jacket offers to watch your car so that no one slashes the tires it would be a good idea to come to terms with him.) >New York style -- thin crust, large slices to be eaten folded in half, crispy >Can anyone recommend a good place for New York style here in Chicago? I think Logalbo's (3417 N Southport) does a good job with this type of pizza. It's takeout only. The Red Tomato restaurant, to which it is attached is a very nice, moderately priced Italian place. Laura [email removed] Thanks Laura. Will check them out. I myself used to be attached to a Red Tomato, Mary Joe Fierney, a Trotskyite with dead white skin and a right cross that would put you in Birdland. Still looking for a good cheap omlette place with space to park not too far from downtown. By the way the two Donato's Bakeries on Grand W. of Halsted have pizza slices that some have called the best in the city. It's that old world authentic stuff that has a lot more tomato in it than wer'e used to, Sicilian I believe. Pick up some of those great bread sticks while you're there and if you like those thick round loaves of bread with a rock hard crust this is place for them. Internet: [email removed] MCI Mail487-8467 Prodigy GCDS20A
In article [email removed] (Anne Chenette) writes: > I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post > to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. > > Me, I'm looking for recommendations for ethnic/specialty restaurants that > most smaller cities don't have: for example, Yugoslav, Turkish, Armenian, > Moroccan, Finnish, Indian, West or Central African, Jamaican, Israeli, > Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! > > Many thanks, > Anne Chenette > [email removed] > or > ..! For Yugoslavian, try the Yugo Inn. Among other specialties, they serve cevapcici, a grilled, skinless sausage that was quite good. If you go, you'd better like meat. They're at 2824 N. Ashland (ie, just north of Diversey, 2800 N and 1600 W). In that same neighborhood, you can also try Romanian at a restaurant called Little Bucharest. I haven't been there in a while but they used to have large portions at good prices. They're at 3001 N. Ashland. My question is: does anyone know of a good Hungarian restaurant in Chicago? John Rogers [email removed]
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41 Nntp-Posting-Host: ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu Mary A. wrote: > >Where IS Lem's & Leon's? 'South Side' is a very LARGE territory ;] Leon's is just along the Dan Ryan Expressway (on the side street running along the Dan Ryan, on the east side), past where you can see any "L" platforms. If memory serves me correctly, is it around the 177th exit? It is also near a car dealership (buick?), that at least USED TO have very strange commercials. Sorry, but it's been 10 years since I lived in Chicago. We used to stop at Leon's on our way driving out of town (south) and pile up the BBQ (especially those hot links). When we moved to Toledo, it took about 8 trips to move all our stuff in our pickup truck, so we ate Leon's bbq a lot. Look up the address & phone number in the phone book. Then give 'em a call to find out exactly what exit to take off the Dan Ryan. ****** I lived in the Rogers Park area, just across from the Loyola Lakefront campus (Devon/Broadway-Sheridan corner). We used to boast that we could get 15-20 different ethnic cuisines within walking distance of our apartment. Let's see... there was Korean, Thai, Chinese, Peruvian, Ethiopian, Mexican, Greek, Indian, BBQ (but Mr. BBQ has since died, too bad), Scandanavian, Japanese, Vietnamese, "Island" cuisine (forget now if it was Jamaican or Bahamian or Costa Rican or whatever), .... I think about the only thing one couldn't find was classic French. Not exactly the neighborhood for it. Also, no Austrian, English, Scottish, Irish, that type of thing. Russian, yes. Polish, yes. And I suppose there are some that would call a good NY-style deli definitely an "ethnic cuisine." A Carson's rib joint was nearby, but we hated them. Instead we ate at Mr. BBQ (until he died), then wandered upon another hole-in-the-wall place near Morse Ave. Probably shut down now, though. BBQ places are like that. Only the bad ones (like Carson's) that cater to the uninspired American 50s-style bland palate manage to stay in business. BBQ is, after all, more a labor of love than a money-making enterprise. Carol [email removed]
Kiran W. wrote: > >Anne C. wrote: >>I second the request for info on Chicago's ethnic delights! Please post >>to this group or copy me on any email on this subject. > >>Cajun, *real* BBQ, and of course, The Best Dim Sum In Chicago! > >For dim sum, a friend recommended Furama near Broadway & Argyle. I >haven't tried it, i have tried Three Happiness, and like that a lot. For dim sum, I wouldn't recommend most of the Chinese restaurants located in Ch icago. Although, Three Happiness does a adequate job of it. If you want to try some dim sum to die for, go to Monterey Park, California.
In reply to article 2202 about authentic Chicago dives, particularly those in Chinatown.. This is my first posting of any message so I apologize ahead of time if it gets screwed up.. I'm a Chicagoan and no, I don't agree with Three Happiness being the best place for Dim Sum. I agree that Hong Min offers a lot of good stuff and although Three Happiness has been recently decorated, I still would rather choose Hong Min or Furuma or even Haylemon over Three Happiness. Reasons? Their rude service, their long wait, and once in a while, their food don't live up to expectation as would be true for all restaurants. I figured, if I want dim sum, why deal with the people in Three Happiness. The main reason people enjoy going to Three Hap is because they push carts around. Well, so does Haylemon and Furuma in Chinatown! If you're just looking for good dim sum and not the cart-pushing, try Hong Min. If you're not looking for dim sum or would like to try something different but just as delicious, how about Moon Palace Restaurant on 2206 S. Wentworth Ave, second floor. Entrance is located right by the Pagoda gate. They serve Mandarin, Shanghai, and some Cantonese foods. Their dim sum is Mandarin and is listed under Appetizers and served family dining style. This list of appetizers include pot stickers or kwoh te, steamed dumpling with saucy stuffing, green onion pancake, wine chicken, jellyfish, bau tze, etc. I would also suggest trying the Hot and Sour Soup. That's what Moon Palace is known for throughout Chinatown, even by the locals! Other than appetizers, there are beef, pork, chicken, shrimp and other seafood dishes like squid or whole steamed fish. Of course, there are vegetarian dishes and upon special request, and maybe a small charge, you could even order Hot and Sour Soup without pork! Some other favorites are Moo Shu Pork, Peking Duck, General Jow Chicken, and the list goes on. You'll just have to find out for yourself just how good it is! How do I know this and why should you believe me about the restaurants in Chinatown? Because I've lived in Chinatown for the past 5 years and my family owns the Moon Palace and knows all the other restaurants and can tell first hand just what is good and what is not for the price you have to pay. Moon Palace offers noodle soup and fried noodles and daily luncheon specials. Go check it out and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate the feedback! If you have questions about any other restaurants in Chinatown, ask me! :> As for the other places mentioned like those on Clark St. and on the south side, I'll have to go check 'em out! Thanks for the message! Lily
Speaking of Chicago ethnic restaurants - when I lived there, we'd occasionally drive north to Libertyville to a Serbian monastary, where the peasant women who cooked for the monks also served food both to local Serbs and to the occasional 'tourist' like myself. Does anyone know if this place still exists? (The restaurant, not the monastary.) BTW, I second the recommendation for Little Bucharest. Almost worth returning to Chicago from Hawaii for their desserts. - David