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Review of "Shula's" Steak House

In celebration of our second wedding anniversary, my wife and I decided to dine at "Shula's". It's located inside the Sheridan hotel at 301 East North Waters in Chicago. Parking is valet or you can try to find a meter but it is downtown, so good luck. Reservations are recommended but it wasn't so crowded that it's mandatory.

Once inside you are greeted by dim lights and football. Since Don Shula was the coach of the Miami Dolphins there are framed pictures of Dolphins players and coaches all around the restaurant. But this is no sports bar. Dim lighting and white table clothes complete the look and you have a double server approach. One tells you all about the food and the other takes your order. Both assist in anything else you might need.

We start off with their signature appetizer, which is bbq bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with rosemary. My wife gets the Caesar salad and I get the beef steak tomato and gorgonzola salad. For our entrees, which are a la carte, my wife orders the fillet with hash browns and I order the Cowboy (bone in rib eye) and a baked potato. One neat feature that creaped my wife out was when the server was presenting us the selection of steaks and seafood, they actually had a live lobster on the tray. I thought it was cool, but my wife just wanted the lobster to stop staring at her!

The shrimp arrive and they are darn good. Big juicy shrimp covered in a tasty bbq sauce, stuffed with rosemary and wrapped in bacon. Honestly you could wrap a truck tire in bacon and bbq sauce and it would taste good. Salads were next and my wife's Caesar was good and had homemade croutons on them. My salad was very tasty and a nice change from the usual selections that restaurants offer. Big slices of tomato rest on top of field greens and covered in balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola cheese. Definitely worth a try.

Dinner arrives and it doesn't disappoint. My wife's fillet was so tender you could have practically cut it with a fork. Nice mellow flavor and cooked to perfection. The hash browns were nice and flaky, but still just hash browns to me. My 22 oz Cowboy steak was made perfectly. Nice crust on the outside and very juicy on the inside. Texture is a big deal when it comes to food and they understand this and execute it perfectly. If you enjoy big beefy flavor then this is the one for you. My baked potato was assembled right in front of me and was hot and fresh. Definitely not sitting in the oven all day long.

Dessert is next and we decide to go for the molten lava cake. Warm chocolate cake filled with a river of warm chocolate ganash. It's accompanied with vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream. Now this is decadent. As good as it was, it was so rich that we had to stop eating it after the ice cream ran out! One nice thing to point out was that the staff treated us to complimentary champagne and dessert since it was our anniversary. Not needed but a very appreciated touch.

Final bill with tip came out to $200. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.Overall "Shula's" proved to have excellent food and service. You pay a lot, but get a lot in return. Definitely worth a trip for a special occasion. Rating *** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Graziano's"

Ah, the advantage of having parents that love your child is that they watch your child while you and the wife enjoy a night out. Tonight that meant a trip to "Graziano's". "Graziano's" is located at 5960 W. Touhy in Niles. Now we've frequented this place for some time but I'll try to narrow the review to tonight's experience.

Upon pulling up you notice a large parking lot and interesting and "artsy" banners along the outside of the building. Once inside you find out that this is a big restaurant. It's also a pretty loud place, so probably not an ideal choice for a first date. The inside is also adorned with some funky and cool art that definitely holds your attention even if the person your with doesn't. Service here is efficient but not very personal. The place is simply too big and loud for it to be any other way.

Time to order, we start off with the bruschetta and the house salad. My wife orders bow tie pasta with vodka sauce and I order the chicken marsala. Now, they are known for their brick oven pizza which is very good with a unique crisp and chewy crust. But tonight wasn't about pizza. The bruschetta comes and it's two toasted pieces of Italian bread topped with plum tomatoes, red onion, and shaved parmesan cheese. Tasty with lot's of balsamic flavor throughout. Next is the salad and this is something everyone should get here. Their salad dressing might be the tastiest I've ever had. It is a creamy Italian/garlic hybrid that is simply delicious. It's so good in fact that I've purchased some to take home in the past.

Dinner arrives and my wife's pasta is al dente with a lovely tomato and vodka flavor. While I would have added some chicken to it, my wife enjoys it as is. Next is my marsala and I have to admit that I am impressed. Two large chicken breasts swimming in a lovely pool of mushrooms and marsala wine sauce. The sauce is a little thicker than some, probably some added flour with the wine but still pretty tasty. The chicken is done nicely but not as tender as it could have been. Still overall nicely done.

Have to end with some dessert. We opt for the blueberry crostada. Warm blueberry filling sits inside a warm outer crust and is topped with some vanilla ice cream. Think of it like a calzone of sorts. The dessert is very tasty and can be best described as "comforting".

Overall "Graziano's" offers good food, good prices, good parking, and decent service. Hold off bringing a date here until after you've gotten to know each other better since you might have to talk slightly louder during busier times. Rating ** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Babaluci"

With the birth of my daughter, you may have noticed that the reviews haven't come all that often lately. But, last Friday my in-laws were gracious enough to babysit while the wife and I enjoyed a nice dinner out. Our choice this time was "Babaluci". There are two locations, one at 2152 N. Damen in Chicago and the other at 1001 W. Golf in Hoffman Estates. Being from the 'burbs' we obviously went to the Hoffman location. Truth is that if it didn't have a large maroon canopy you would be hard pressed to find this place. It's in a strip mall and a bit recessed from the road.

Once inside you notice that this is not a large place. Weather permitting there is a small outdoor seating area but overall the dining room is pretty small. But with it's dim lighting and candles on the table it definitely gives it a cozy and warm feeling that would be perfect for a date night. Service here is very friendly and personal. Our waiter not only was very knowledgeable about the food, he also loved to talk to us about children and life in general.



For starters we went with the bruschetta and the panzanella salad. The main courses were chicken marsala and chicken vesuvio. First out was the bruschetta, which differently than others served the tomatoes on the middle of the plate and toasted bread along the outside. The bruschetta had excellent flavor with plenty of balsamic vinegar taste running through it. Next was the salad which was a mixed greens salad loaded with parmesan cheese and peppercini peppers all tossed in a very tasty Italian vinaigrette.



Dinner arrives and now it's time to see how this place really stacks up. The vesuvio was all white meat chicken, peas, and roasted potatoes swimming in a wine sauce. I was ecstatic! This is the second best vesuvio I've ever had next to "Harry Carry's". The chicken was tender and the potatoes were slightly crisp on the outside and tender in the inside. Next is the marsala and let me tell you first that I'm a chicken marsala snob! I've had it at many places and it never stacks up to my favorite from "Rossini's"(review coming soon). Most places serve it with mashed potatoes which in turn soaks up all the wonderful marsala wine sauce. I'm happy to say that they do not do that. Moist chicken is topped with mushrooms and is swimming in a lovely pool of marsala wine sauce. It's accompanied with some garlic pasta, zucchini, and squash. This was the second best chicken marsala I've had!

Last off are the desserts. And in the interest of everyone reading we sampled three! We had tiramisu, cannoli's, and a pistachio tartufo. The tiramisu was sweeter than most and had plenty of whipped cream on there. Still pretty darn good but a little sweeter than I expected and a little less espresso flavor than I'm used to. Next were the cannolli's which were 2 large pieces filled with smooth ricotta cheese and had pistachio pieces on the end. Very tasty and highly recommended. Last off was the star of the desserts, the pistachio tartufo. If you like pistachio's then this is the dessert for you. It's almost like a pistachio sundae. Chocolate sauce, homemade whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream rolled in more pistachios than you would believe. You literally have pistachios in every bite!

Final bill with tip came out to about $70 for the two of us which is reasonable considering how much we ate and took home as left overs. Overall "Babaluci" has very good food and very good service for "Olive Garden" prices. This was truly a little gem that we stumbled upon and definitely worth a try. Rating *** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review "Taste of Chicago" 2007

Merry Christmas! Well, for an avid food lover " The Taste" might as well be. Where else can you sample 64 different eateries all in one place? Here's how it works, you buy strips of food tickets from either Dominick's or booths located throughout Grant Park. You then in turn use these tickets as payment at all the vendors. You can choose a full serving or a "taste portion" for only 3 tickets. Most of the things I ate today are taste portions with just a few exceptions. Eating the taste portions is a great way to sample a larger variety of food. Next I'll do a mini review of each place I sampled today so you can have a good idea of what to try and what to avoid.

Abbey Pub- Irish curry fries: Soggy and bland. Don't bother.(taste)

Aunt Diana's- Chocolate frozen banana:Cool and refreshing.(taste)

Billy Goat Inn- 1/2 Cheeseburger: thin but tasty. Chicago classic(taste)

B.J.'s Market- Mustard fried catfish: normally outstanding but today undercooked. Still worth
a try.(taste)

Bolat African Cuisine- Coconut rice with sauteed goat: Goat very flavorful/rice mild flavor. Worth trying something different.(taste)

Buona-Italian beef sandwich: Thinly sliced beef was tender and moist.(taste)

C'est Si Bon!- Sweet potato biscuit: Biscuit was grey in color and just plain gross.(taste)

Chicago Chocolate Company- Chocolate covered strawberries: Juicy, fresh, & decadent. A must try!(full size)

Chicago Joe's- Chili: Very meaty and tasty (taste)

Connie's Pizza- Meatball sandwich: Tasty but not spectacular. Pizza should have been taste portion.(taste)

Costa's- Saganaki:Not really saganaki. Not flaming cheese. More like a mozzarella square. Tastes ok(taste)

Eli's Cheesecake-Frozen chocolate crunch dipper: Cool, rich, decadent, & awesome. Must try!(full size)

Fireplace Inn- BBQ meatballs: Meaty and saucy. Sauce is on the sweet side.(taste)

Grazie!- 1/2 BBQ buffalo burger: Gamey but still tasty(taste)

Harold's Chicken- Fried chicken wing & okra: Crunchy, slightly salty, best chicken in city. Okra is better than fried zucchini.(taste)

Lagniappe- Beignet: greasy and not very good. Disappointing.(taste)

La Justicia- Enchilada: good flavor but could have used more meat and less potato.(taste)

Los Dos Laredos- Steak Taco: fresh ingredients, tasty, steak could be more charred.(taste)

Lou Malnati's- Sausage Pizza: Great tasting crust and sausage. Best pizza in Chicago.(full size)

Mazzone's-Blue raspberry Italian Ice: Cool and refreshing.(taste)

O'Briens-Celtic Corn: Sweet/ buttery. Adding the Celtic seasoning= the best corn at the taste.Must try!(full size)

Original Rainbow Cone-Rainbow cone: Classic, cool, tasty,& fun. Must try! (full size)

Pars Cove-Hummus shirazi: Salad was refreshing, hummus had good flavor, whole wheat pita was weird.(taste)

Polo Cafe- Garlic-mozzarella cheese bread:Good size and very flavorful.(taste)

Ricobene's-Italian breaded steak sandwich:Good size, great bread and sauce. Must try!(taste)

Robinson's #1 Ribs- Boneless rib sandwich: Large and expensive. Tender, saucy, and very good. A "Taste" classic.(full size)

Sweet Baby Rays-Boneless rib sandwich: Sweet sauce & tender pork make this a winner(taste)

Superossa- Cheese pizza: Thin and nearly flavorless. Avoid.(taste)

Tuscany-Toasted Ravioli:Good size, served hot, very toasty, saucy, & very tasty(taste)

Vee-Vee's African Cuisine-Jerk Chicken: Tastes like it was boiled in water and pepper. Awful.(taste)

Vienna Beef/Gold Coast-1/2 hot dog: Almost perfect except for the pickle. Instead of a spear it was a slice. Still good.(taste)

Review of "Claim Jumper"

Recently my wife has been mentioning this new restaurant called "Claim Jumper". The not so subtle hints worked and we decided to give it a try. We visited the Hoffman Estates location which is at 2610 Sutton Rd inside the Poplar Creek shopping center. There are two other Chicagoland locations in both Lombard and in Wheeling.

When we pull up to the restaurant we are greeted by a very outdoors/cabin type of look. Parking is typical suburbs free and since it is in a shopping center there is plenty of it. Once inside you realize that this a very large place. A large bar area and a very large dining room help accommodate the high volume this restaurant handles. The tables are all solid wood, as are the extremely heavy chairs that you sit in. My poor wife could barely budge the chair!

We sit down to look over the menu and were floored by how large this menu is, 5 pages long! Our server arrives and she like all the other servers is wearing a badge and western themed outfit. We order the "thin" onion rings and house salads to start. My wife then orders the 5 cheese rigatoni for her dinner and I order a slab of baby back ribs. I was intrigued by the ribs due to the $26 price tag. I wondered how good these ribs could really be?

First out was the onion "rings". They were tasty, crunchy, and not rings at all. They were a tangled jumble of breaded onions that were good but should not have been called "rings". Next was the salads and they were of the loaded variety. Greens, cheddar and jack cheese, egg, bacon, and corn bread croutons made up this very crunchy and tasty salad.

Our dinners arrive and my wife's pasta is surprisingly not overwhelmingly huge. Most places when you order a pasta dish it's roughly the size of you head! Her rigatoni was nicely al dente and had lots of good cheese flavor. Texture was a plus as well with pieces of prosciutto throughout and a bread crumb topping. My ribs were next and boy was I excited! I took my first bite and thought, $26 for this? Don't get me wrong, these were definitely good ribs. But at the same time there was nothing that warranted them to be the most expensive ribs I've ever ordered. Carson's ribs are my favorite and they're $21. These are not as good as Carson's ribs or Smokey Bones ribs for that matter. The ribs were tender but had no smoke flavor. The sauce was tasty and slightly sweet but also nothing new. Good ribs-bad price.

Last off was dessert. I ordered the "Worlds Smallest Sundae" and my wife ordered the red velvet cupcake. My sundae was personal size and not really that small. It was creamy vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. It was quite good and actually just the right size. My wife's cupcake was a little larger than you normal cupcake and was sitting in a pool of hot fudge. The cake was moist and tasty. While she was not a fan of their fudge, I found it to be quite good.

Final bill with tip came up to about $90. This was more than we were expecting to spend for a casual dinner out. Overall "Claim Jumper" has good food at an unreasonable price. Rating ** out of ****.

Review of "Gibsons" Steakhouse

For my birthday my wife took me to dinner at "Gibsons" located at 5464 N. River Road in Rosemont. They have another location in downtown Chicago, located at 1028 N. Rush street. Now this is one of the most popular steakhouses in Chicagoland so reservations are a must no matter what day of the week you plan to go. Parking is strictly valet and although complimentary, you really should give them a tip.

Once inside you see that this place is a mad house! The bar is packed, the waiting room is packed, and in the dining room the servers are constantly hustling. After waiting in line to just check in, we were seated within a few minutes. Due to the high volume of people this place commands, we were initially seated at a table that was pretty much a foot away from the next table. Not really were we wanted to sit on my birthday, so we asked to move and they obliged without any problem to a more private table.

Each table has white table cloth's, salt and pepper, and a bottle of their signature seasoning. Our waiter arrives and like all the servers here, is very knowledgeable about the product. In addition these are not snooty servers eighther. They are bold and playfully brash, but always there to guide you in the right direction. He brings out a monster tray of meat so big that a vegetarian would run out screaming! The plate is filled with many steaks easily topping 20 oz and a giant 2lb lobster tale. He explains to us that all the beef is "usda prime" and that they prepare the steaks at an alarming 1800 degrees to seal in all the juices and produce a tasty crust.

We start of with the jumbo shrimp cocktail and side salads. My wife orders the cheese burger and fries as her meal. Now I'm going to defend her for her selection due to the fact that she is pregnant and has to have her meat well done. She normally eats her steaks medium, and paying $40 for a steak when she can't have it the way she likes is just silly. I, on the other hand went here for steak! I order the W.R. Chicago cut, which is a 24oz bone in rib eye. The waiter's here tell you that there's two things that make a steak good and that's bone and fat, and this one's got plenty of both! My sides which they recommend sharing, are the double baked potato and the green beans. I should mention that everything here is a la cart, so that $40 steak is just for the meat.

The shrimp cocktail is first and it's 5 giant shrimp served on a bed of ice and accompanied with a lemon wedge and cocktail sauce. On top of the sauce is a dollop of horseradish, which gives the sauce that little extra zing. The shrimp were plump and absolutely delicious. Next were the salads and they were typical garden salads with lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Now for the main event! My wife's burger comes and it's about a third pound of very tasty ground beef. You could tell this beef had a freshly ground taste to it. Her fries were shoestring fries and pretty tasty as well. Overall one of the better burgers I've tasted before. My meal arrives and my steak is clearly the star of the show. It's served separately on it's own plate so as not to have anything else disturb the flavor and because it's just so darn big. My steak is prepared perfectly to medium and it is crusty on the outside and very tender on the inside. The steak is bursting with wonderful beef flavor that is unique to a properly prepared bone in rib eye. My sides were next and they did not disappoint. The double baked potato is a must if you go here. It is huge and wonderful. The skin is slightly crusty and the inside is fluffy and topped with lot's of cheddar cheese. Next is the green beans which are bursting with butter and garlic. They're so good, that I actually had to stop eating them so I could finish my steak.

Last off we decide for some dessert. All the deserts are ridiculously huge here and are by no means meant for only one person. We decide on the strawberry shortcake with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. This monster of a desert arrives and could have easily fed 4 people! It was loaded with large fresh strawberries and loads of fresh whipped cream. My wife went on and on about how fresh the strawberries were and that we are definitely taking the left overs home.

The final bill was about $150 with tip, but could have been much higher if my wife would have ordered a steak as well. Overall Gibsons offers excellent food and service at a premium price. This is probably my favorite restaurant in Chicagoland. Overall rating **** out of ****.

Review of "Ram"

Being such a fan of food, I often get suggestions from friends on places I should try and review next. Most recently I was told to give "Ram" a try. "Ram" is located at 1901 MC Connor Parkway in Schaumburg, in addition it has locations in both Rosemont and Wheeling. Upon pulling into the parking lot you see a very industrial looking building that looks very little like a restaurant. Once inside the look changes slightly due to some wood accents and slightly dimmed lights. But the extremely high ceilings and overall size of the place makes it anything but cozy.

Our waitress Brooke was very pleasant and knowledgeable of the menu. She was also very willing to share her personal opinions on the items we ordered. The menu is fairly large so every person in your dinner party should have no problem finding something that sounds appealing to them. For all you beer drinkers out there they actually brew their own beer. For you non drinkers they also make their own root beer. The root beer was unique in the fact that it had a strong black licorice flavor to it. If you like licorice it's great, if you don't it's awful.

Time for food. My wife and I started with an order of potato skins, a cup of beer and cheese soup, and a side salad. Then for our dinner she ordered fish and chips and I ordered the "brewers steak". The potato skins came first and had cheddar, bacon, and chives on top and served with a side of sour cream. While the flavor was excellent the cut was not. They were not exactly potato "skins". They were more like potato wedges with toppings. Next was the beer and cheddar soup, and let me tell you that this is something you have to order here. There was so much flavor here due to the beer, cheddar, and bacon. I'm not a beer drinker, but I dig beer soup! Salad was last and it was a nice array of mixed veggies and a sweet and tasty ginger dressing. We're off to a pretty good start so far.

Time for our dinner's. My wife's fish & chips had 3 large pieces of fish in a crunchy and tasty batter. The fish was mild and flaky but the tarter sauce had a bit of an aftertaste to it. My best guess was that there was a generous amount of dill in the sauce and that's what caused the after taste. My "brewers steak" was next and it was a marinated strip steak served with an odd mix of potato bits, green pepper, cheddar, and bacon served in a red pepper. The steak was very tender and juicy and was definitely the star of the plate. The side however was...weird. Not bad, not good, but weird. Something about this combination just didn't work.

Last of all we finished with dessert. We went for the "ice cream potato". Let me explain. A large wedge of Edy's vanilla ice cream is formed in the shape of a potato, rolled in cocoa, and topped with whipped cream and shaved almonds. It's served on top of a pool of hot fudge and it was really, really good. The sheer fact that it looked like a potato added entertainment value to it and the fact that it tasted soo good sure helped as well.

Overall "Ram" proved to be good food for the price. With tip the bill came to about $64. While not a home run, "Ram" definitely hits a solid double. Rating ** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Susupauto" Taqueria

Yesterday after taking a trip into the city to visit my grandmother I decided to stop into "Susupauto" at 6161 N. Broadway in Chicago. The taqueria is near Loyola University in between the Rogers Park and Edgewater communities. Like most taquerias it is a small store front restaurant with a green, red, and white sign hanging above. Parking is by the way of meter's along Broadway, but be warned though not to park in the Osco/CVS lot across the street because you may get towed.

Once inside you are greeted with a dimly lit, clean, and inviting atmosphere. Ceramic tiles lay the floor and lovely Mexican art work adorns the walls. There are about 10 tables inside each seating about 4, so not too small and not too large. As with everywhere else, smoking is no longer allowed.

My waitress is quiet but friendly and I quickly order a steak burrito and steak taco both with everything. Now I can eat my tacos 2 way's, one is with just onion and cilantro and the other is with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream. I went for the loaded version.

The meal starts with a basket of homemade tortilla chips and two different salsas. The "green" salsa is a salsa verde that is very fresh tasting with plenty of lime and garlic throughout. Next is the "red" salsa that has a slightly higher level of heat but is geared more for flavor than burning your mouth. I am a firm believer that heat without flavor is pointless.

My dinner arrives and I am greeted with a large 8 inch burrito that has the right balance of ingredients. A thin layer of re fried beans line the burrito and then generous amounts of steak, cheese, sour cream, lettuce and tomato follow. The flower tortilla is not soggy on the outside and the burrito overall has excellent flavor and texture. Next was my taco which is steak, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream all on top of 2 soft corn tortillas. Excellent, just like the burrito. The reason both are so good is the quality of the steak. It's quality tasting meat that is cut the right size and cooked to the right temperature and consistency. Many places over cook the meat or chop it up too small and it ends up like grizzle.

Overall this is an excellent option if your in that neck of the woods. Great food and an inviting atmosphere make this a top choice. **** out of ****.

Review of "Stonewood Ale House"

Last weekend the wife and I visited "Stonewood Ale House" located at 601 Mall Drive in Schaumburg. It's actually located right up the street from "Smokey Bones" which I reviewed earlier. Stonewood's appearance makes it look like a much more upscale restaurant than it really is. Dim lights and hardwood floors give it a decidedly upscale look. Parking is a bit sparse but there is a complimentary valet if needed.

Our server "Gary" was quick to greet us and very willing to offer some opinions about the items on the menu. We started with the bruscetta, my wife ordered the fish and chips,and I ordered the ribs and BBQ shrimp combo. In case you haven't noticed I enjoy ribs a lot.

The bruscetta was very good, with plenty of tomato, garlic, and a slice of fresh mozzarella. The mozzarella is what makes this appetizer stand out. Once you have bruscetta this way, you'll never want it with just parmesan again.

Next up were our entrees. Her fish and chips were four large pieces of cod that was slightly crisp and very flaky. They had a nice mild flavor that was not too "fishy". My combo was a half slab of baby back ribs and four jumbo shrimp. The ribs were fall of the bone tender and the barbecue sauce was slightly sweet and very tasty. My only wish would be that they grilled them a little more just so they had a slight crust on the outside. Not burnt but just to add a little texture. The star of the show were the shrimp. Big and juicy and covered in sauce. I would have taken less ribs if I could have gotten more of these tasty shrimp. Sides for both of us were fries which were normal garden variety restaurant fries. Good but nothing new.

Dessert was upon us and we were trying some new things tonight! My wife had a blueberry pie in a jar, yes a jar, and I had strawberries foster. The blueberry pie was layers of crust, blueberries, and homemade whip cream. It was very good and loads of fun to eat. Now I've heard of banana's foster before but never strawberry, and let be tell you it was delicious! A large profiterole stuffed with vanilla ice cream lying in a pool of warm strawberries and sauce. Outstanding!

With tip the final bill came out to about $75. Not value pricing but the food was worth it. Overall "Stonewood" has very good food and good service and is worth a try if you're in the area. Rating *** out of ****.

Review of "Sweet Baby Rays" BBQ

Friday night was date night for the wife and I. This week that meant a trip to "Sweet Baby Rays" BBQ in Elk Grove Village. They have two Chicagoland locations, the one in Elk Grove is at 800 E. Higgins, and the other is at 249 E. Irving Park in Wood Dale. For all you city dwellers, both locations have plenty of free parking.

The outside of the restaurant has a very log cabin feel to it, a look that continues to the inside. The wood from the roof is seen on the ceiling as well and the lighting is slightly dimmed. Once seated you do get cloth napkins and a bottle of their signature sauce right on the table. What is not on the table is a table cloth. Smart move since their slogan is "The sauce is boss."

Our waitress arrives and promptly tells us the specials, which on this night include Irish fair for St. Patty's and some fish selections for Lent. The menu is a good size and features standard BBQ such as ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. We start with the pulled pork nachos, my wife orders the boneless rib sandwich with salad and fries, and I order the 3 meat combo. This got me very excited. I was able to choose from baby back ribs, spare ribs, rib tips, beef brisket, pulled pork, and a 1/4 chicken (white or dark same cost). I chose baby backs, brisket, and a 1/4 chicken white. This includes cornbread and two sides, which were baked beans and green chili mac and cheese.

First thing out was the pulled pork nachos. The nachos were tortilla chips with pulled pork, cheddar jack cheese, black beans, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Maybe I set my expectations too high but the nachos didn't blow me away. They were good, but the pulled pork with the nachos sounded better in my mind than they really were. Worth getting, but don't expect too much.

Next out was our dinners. They did forget my wife's salad and did apologize, but we were so hungry for BBQ that at first we didn't notice. My wife's rib sandwich came on a crusty Italian roll and was sweet, tender, and juicy. My combo came and I was very excited. The ribs were slightly smokey but sweet from the sauce. They had the right texture as well. Slightly crisp outside but tender inside so as they easily came off the bone. Brisket was next and it was very tender slices of beef covered in warm barbecue sauce. Next was the all white meat chicken that was tender and juicy and covered in sauce as well. Time for the sides. I was most interested in the green chili mac and cheese. This was a spicy mac and cheese that had ground chili's mixed throughout. Very unique and tasty but didn't really taste like mac and cheese at all. The baked beans were next and they were your garden variety baked beans. Slightly sweet and smokey but nothing new. Good but standard. Last was the corn bread which was crusty on the outside and soft and crumbly inside. Tasty and only mildly sweet.

For dessert my wife ordered peach cobbler and I ordered pecan pie. The cobbler came warm in a small crock and had nice tender peaches and was topped with vanilla ice cream. My pecan pie was a mini pie that was topped with ice cream and a side of homemade whipped cream. My pie was only OK. It was served cold and the inside had very little caramel. After a little while it felt as if I was chewing a handful of pecans.

With tip the final bill came to about $60. Overall this is an enjoyable place with decent value for the money. Good food and pretty good service. It's worth up to a 30 minute drive but no more.
Overall rating ** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Go Roma" Italian Kitchen

Today I was the good husband and decided I would take my wife to lunch. She suggested we visit "Go Roma" in Deer Park, IL at the Deer Park Town Center. It's a small store front restaurant that is similar to a "Corner Bakery" or "Panera Bread". De core is modern, with a warm orange paint covering the walls.

When you enter they have their menu posted on the wall so you can look it over before you step in line to order. It's a decent size menu that includes a handful of appetizer's, salads, pizza, sandwich's, pastas, and desserts. You order at the counter and the staff then brings the food out to you. The service is friendly if a bit rushed. We order a starter of bruschetta, my wife orders the smoked chicken club and fries, and I order a half plank of pepperoni and prosciutto pizza.

All of our food arrives in about ten minutes, bruschetta and all. We start off with the bruschetta which is marinated tomatoes and basil on flatbread. This was a little different than I'm used to due to the flat bread instead of toasted slices of Italian bread. The flavor though was quite good. The tomatoes had a nice blend of garlic, basil, and vinegar. And the bread was soft on top and crispy on the bottom.

My wife's smoked chicken club was smoked and shaved chicken breast, bacon, lettuce, provolone cheese, and pesto mayo served on flatbread. The sandwich was only average due to the fact that the bacon was overcooked. Bacon can make an average sandwich great if done right or a good sandwich average if overcooked. She promptly removed the bacon and then finished her sandwich. The fries that accompanied were of the shoe string variety. Crisp and nicely seasoned, they were a nice side for her sandwich.

My pizza was not a Chicago style pizza. This was a thin pizza that had a crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside crust. The crust was good, sauce was good, cheese was good, but my toppings were not very good. The outer edges of my pepperoni were burnt and the prosciutto was chopped into tiny cubes and were overdone as well. After a couple of slices I removed the toppings and ate it as a cheese pizza. Had my toppings been better this would have been a pretty good pizza. But they weren't so it was just an average pizza.

No dessert this time since we were just out for lunch. Overall this is an average place for an average price (our bill was $20). If you're in the area it's an OK place to try but definitely not worth a special trip. Overall rating ** out of ****.

Everyone can leave a comment.

Just went and changed the settings on the blog. Even if you don't have a gmail account you can now leave a comment about a particular post. All I ask is that you sign it at the end so I know who to reply to. Also, if you guys are enjoying the blog, please spread the word. Once I have enough content I would like to start up an actual website. Right now I'm adding reviews and gaging what people think of my reviews. So please read the reviews and leave your comments and/or suggestions (constructive criticism only) and when I decide to switch to a .com I'll let you all know.

Z

Review of "Poochies" Hot Dogs

A recent trip to see my folks prompted my wife and I to swing by "Poochies" hot dogs, located at 3832 Dempster in Skokie, IL. This hot dog joint is a place I've frequented for much of my life. Upon arriving to "Poochies" you'll notice that it is a small place. A store front to be exact. But like most suburban eateries there is plenty of free parking.

Once inside you notice just a handful of tables, most of the eating is done by pulling up a stool and enjoying your food along the counters stretched across the restaurant. Very relaxed decor includes red and white tiles, red and white paint, and a wall filled with newspaper and magazine clippings singing the praises of this little gem in Skokie. The staff is friendly and efficient in handling your order.

The menu covers the basics such as hot dogs (steamed and charred), polishes, burgers, and fries. While I have sampled much of this menu before, today my wife and I are going to share the char salami, barbecue chicken sandwich, and an order of fries. The salami is about an 8 inch piece of Vienna Beef soft salami that is charred on the grill and served on french bread. I add grilled onions and mustard. This is unlike the salami sandwiches your mother made for you. Slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside make this a sandwich that is truly unique. The chicken sandwich is a large grilled chicken breast that is grilled to a slight char and then basted with their tasty BBQ sauce. It's served on a bun and I add grilled onions, lettuce and tomato. The sandwich is big, juicy, and very flavorful. Last off is the fries. They are fresh cut fries that have a very real potato taste to them. They are a nice change from the fast food fries many of us are accustomed to.

I have frequented "Poochies" many times before and have found that just about everything on the menu is top notch. Favorites include the char salami, cheddar burgers, polishes, char dogs, and the BBQ chicken sandwich. Pricing is more than fast food chains(well worth it) and lower than a sit down restaurant. Food quality is very high and that keeps the value equation high as well. "Poochies" in Skokie is worth the trip if you live in the surrounding suburbs or bordering parts of the city. Overall rating *** & 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "La Strada" Prime Steaks & Seafood

This past Valentines Day my wife and I visited "La Strada" at 2380 Lakewood Blvd in Hoffman Estates, IL. There are 4 Chicago land locations, one in Hoffman and 3 in the city of Chicago. Upon arriving we notice that the average size parking lot (free) is full and we are forced to park in the lot of an adjoining restaurant. Inside and out the place has a very contemporary decor. Marble tiles and squared off lights give a very classy look.

We inform the hostess of our reservation and she promptly seats us. Next to the bar! I'm sorry but this is Valentines Day and that is not a romantic seat, and definitely not one you make a reservation for. We inform the hostess that we would like another table and she is accommodating but let's us know that it's common practice to seat people with reservations by the bar as well as the dining room.

Once seated we are welcomed to a bread basket and glasses of water. Our waiter arrives and is very friendly. We order our drinks which are a virgin pina colada for my wife and a diet coke for myself. Her drink is tasty but overly thick. We order our dinner which includes jumbo shrimp cocktail, cheese tortellini for my wife, and a "prime" Kansas city bone in strip steak. Both came with a chopped salad and I added red potatoes to my steak.

First thing out is the shrimp cocktail which is 4 jumbo shrimp served with cocktail sauce. The shrimp are good but what's missing is a lemon to squeeze onto the shrimp and a dollop of horseradish on top of the cocktail sauce. Both are common practices at high end restaurants and of jumbo shrimp cocktail. This made the shrimp good but not very good. A small oversight but one none the less.

Next out was our chopped salads. This was lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, croutons, grated parmesan, and an Italian vinaigrette. The texture of the salad was nice, it had good crunch and a nice variety of items on the plate. But there was a big problem. The vinaigrette tasted like, well, nothing! There was no flavor to my salad at all. It in essence was like eating wet vegetables. Very disappointing and I didn't eat even half of it.

Next up was our main course. My wife's tortellini came in a creamy tomato sauce and had fairly good flavor. The pasta had a nice soft but firm texture and the sauce was quite creamy. it was good just not very good ( she enjoyed it more than I did). My massive 20 oz steak was next. It was prepared medium and served with 2 small potatoes cleverly shaped into mushrooms. Prepared as specified and had a nice meaty flavor. It was tender and moist but was missing any sort of a crust on top. I don't mean an added crust but one of the slightly crisp variety that a hot grill adds to the top. It's just that little extra amount of texture that was missing. The grill marks were very faint and therefore no crust at all. This was a good steak, but at a $43 price point, I expect an excellent steak. The potatoes were tasty, just so small that 3-4 bites finished off both.

Next up was dessert. My wife ordered the canolli's and I ordered the New York cheese cake. The canolli is filled with a very creamy ricotta cheese and has ground pistachios and chocolate chip on each end. Then it's drizzled with strawberry sauce. While we both prefer chopped pistachios instead of ground, the canolli's were quite good. Very creamy ricotta and strawberry sauce made this a fine choice. My cheesecake came and it was a large slice with both chocolate and caramel sauce drizzled all over it. My cheesecake was good but not very good. The flavor was fine but the texture was not to my liking. Being from Chicago land I expect my cheesecake to be very dense and very rich. This cheesecake had almost an airy texture to it. In fact it reminded me of a Sara Lee cheesecake that I can buy at the grocery store.

Overall impression was that it's beautiful looking restaurant and good but unremarkable food. And for the price there are definitely better options out there. Our final bill was about $125 and that could have been much more if my wife didn't order just pasta. Rating * and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Carson's Ribs"

Continuing with my fascination with ribs, on Saturday my wife and I visited "Carson's Ribs". They currently have 2 locations, one at 612 N. Wells in Chicago and the other at 200 N. Waukegan in Deerfield. We drove 45 minutes to the Deerfield location and were promptly rewarded with an hour long wait. In Deerfield there is plenty of free parking while the location in downtown Chicago means you need to pony up for a pay lot or search for a meter(good luck). Why such a long wait? Sure the place was busy but it was also not a very large dining room. The waiting area did offer crackers and spread for people waiting as well as a fireplace and a selection of leather arm chairs. The restaurant is dimly lit with white table cloths and cloth napkins. Yes this place does serve ribs.

Once seated we open the menu and were pleasantly surprised with a good selection of not only ribs but prime steaks, chops, burgers, and salads. So this is a place with multiple personalities, on one hand you can eat ribs with a plastic bib around your neck or you can have a $35 prime steak. Our waitress comes by and we know what we want right away. My wife orders a slab of ribs(half to take home) and I order the half slab of ribs and pork chop, both of us get the fries so we can dip it in the sauce. Both come with their house cole slaw. The waitress was very friendly and passionate about their food. Have to say, I do love friendly service.

Before the food arrives we do receive a bread basket filled with corn bread, bread sticks and bagels. My wife eats all the corn bread before i realize it's gone! All warm and tasty but remember I'm here for ribs. After a couple of minutes the cole slaw comes and let me tell you this is the best cole slaw ever, in my opinion! Perfect balance of flavor, crunchy texture, and creaminess. I added a little fresh cracked black pepper and man is this stuff good! I finish my bowl in just a few minutes while my wife prefers to enjoy hers with her meal.

Dinner arrives and we are greeted with this intoxicating aroma of BBQ. My wife's baby back ribs are literally hanging of her plate and my half slab and chop bring a huge smile to my face. My chop was about 2 inches thick and basted in barbecue sauce! We both reach for the ribs first and wow, these are darn good. Tender but with a little crispness to the outside and the sauce is the best sauce I have ever tasted. These are some amazing ribs. I cut into my monster boneless chop and it is juicy and very flavorful. Pretty darn good but not as good as the ribs. The fries are steak fries and are good but on this night they were used for scooping up as much of that wonderful sauce as we could. The sauce is slightly sweet and slightly spicy. It has small bits of what I believe are onions running through it. This stuff is so good I would almost pour it over ice cream and still eat it!

After devouring dinner and going through a stack of warm wet napkins it was time for dessert. My wife ordered the warm peach cobbler a la mode and I went for the "Gold Brick" sundae. Her cobbler was warm with large chunks of peaches with a crumble crust that had cinnamon and sugar all over it and some caramel drizzled on the plate. Definitely made from scratch and it was quite good. My sundae was a fancy version of ice cream and "Magic Shell". While it was good, it didn't live up to the rest of the meal.

With tax and tip we came out to $65 for the two of us. Definitely expensive for a rib dinner. But worth it. Even the 45 minute drive and hour long wait to be seated didn't ruin the experience. If not for a small dining room and an average sundae this would have been a perfect visit. With that said the official rating is *** and 1/2 out of ****.

Review of "Smokey Bones"

Over the weekend I visited a BBQ restaurant named "Smokey Bones". It's located at 680 Mall Drive in Schaumburg, IL. I was driving home from work and my wife and in-laws wanted me to meet up with them for dinner. One thing is for sure this place indeed serves ribs(see previous review).

The restaurant is located near the Woodfield Mall but might be a little difficult to find for people coming there for the first time. Mall drive is a street that looks like it's nothing but car dealerships. But if you drive a little further down you'll see the place. The parking is typical for a suburban restaurant. Plenty of it and free! Once inside the place has a log cabin type of feel. Tables and benches are all made of wood and the lounge has nice leather seats with a fire place burning.

When you sit at your table you get utensils wrapped in paper napkins and both varieties of BBQ sauce waiting for you at the table. There is a control panel for volume if you care to listen to one of the many TVs spread along the dining room and bar area. The menu is what you would expect from a place like this. There are two varieties of ribs, both baby back and St. Louis style ribs with a mustard based BBQ sauce along with a selection of burgers, chicken, and pork.

Our waitress comes by and we put in our drink order. Again sorry, we're non drinkers but this isn't a fancy place so you're typical beer is on tap along with a few specialty fruity drinks. I ordered a diet Coke with lime and the waitress promptly returned with 2 limes hanging off the edge of my glass! This scored her a couple points! When it's time to order I put in a order of baby back ribs(full slab), baked beans, cole slaw, and to start a salad with thousand island dressing.

My salad arrives and it's standard iceberg, tomato wedges, and carrots. Not bad but nothing amazing. The weird element was the carrots. The weren't chopped but rather 1/2 inch shavings. They added nothing except for a strange mouth feel.

My dinner arrives along with a bag for finished rib bones, 5 wet naps, a stack of extra napkins, and a fresh diet Coke without me having to ask for one(huge in my book). I sampled my baked beans first and they had a nice blend of smokey and sweet flavor. They were just a tad dry but tasty regardless. Cole slaw was next and it was flavorful and creamy but very little crunch came from the cabbage. Both sides were tasty but both moisture levels were off just a touch. Now time for some ribs! The ribs were tender with a nice pink smoke ring in the middle(yes they are fully cooked). The sauce had a smokey yet sweet taste and I was not shy of adding more. The ribs were quite good and they for made good left overs the next day.

For dessert we ordered the warm strawberry donuts. These are really a treat. They are strawberry donuts coated with cinnamon and sugar and served with a warm strawberry dipping sauce! They were warm, tasty, and very unique.

Price wise the slab of ribs were $18 and the donuts $5. A fair deal for the amount of food I received. Overall I say that if you're in the area it's a place worth checking out but it's also not worth more than a 20 minute drive if you're not. Overall rating **1/2 out of ****.

Z's Review of Ted's Montana Grill.

Tuesday night after learning that my wife and I are going to have a little girl(very happy), we decided to go out to eat to celebrate. Well we decided to try someplace new. We tried Ted's Montana Grill which is located at 930 N. Meacham in Schaumburg, IL. I thought why not, I have a taste for ribs. When we pull up we notice that there is plenty of parking in the lot so that was a plus. Upon entering the place looks upscale and dimly lit. We were greeted promptly and then seated. Once seated we notice red checkered napkins and an array of sauces sitting on the table. OK so I guess this place is a little more relaxed after all.

A gentleman quickly asks us what we're drinking and returns promptly with a Diet Coke for me and an IBC root beer for my pregnant wife(sorry we're not drinkers). While looking over the menu I notice that there are no ribs! No ribs? At a place with grill in it's name? Do people not eat ribs in Montana? Anyway after 10 minutes our waiter finaly(they were short staffed) comes over and we order a starter of salt and pepper onion rings. The rings arrive with a side of horse raddish dipping sauce and were excellent. Using salt and pepper in the batter really gave another layer of flavor to what I was used to in rings.

After we were done with the rings a manager came by to take our order since our waiter was overwhelmed by a large party. My wife ordered the Spike Box which is jalapeno and bacon chicken sandwich on sourdough bread with fries and I ordered the Beef Cadillac Burger(bison is available also) medium well, which was a bacon, cheddar, and bbq sauce burger(still wanted ribs) and a side of cole slaw. The food arrived in about 10 minutes and was at the perfect temperature. My wife's chicken sandwich was very juicy and flavorful and the fresh cut fries reminded me of my favorite hot dog joint called Poochies(in Skokie). My burger was very thick(over an inch) and juicy. The bacon had the right level of crispness and flavor. And you could taste the high quality of beef. Over all one of the better burgers I've had.

The final bill came and it was roughly $40 with tax. Overall the restaurant offered quality food at a reasonable price. The menu could have offered a larger selection but it seams that what they do they do well. Overall **1/2 out of ****.