Starting a short term job - Armitage and Kostner

Probably only a week, maybe longer. Looking for quick lunch, maybe carry out.

I have looked at the maps, Mexican, Venezuelan, Cuban, a couple of diners.

Don’t want to miss anything. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

Please, in order to avoid creating another junk drawer thread, post reports of places suggested here in threads dedicated to the specific establishments. If no thread already exists, please start a new one.

Thanks,

=R=
for the Moderators

This is a short walk for you.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hermosa-chicago

CSD

chicagostyledog wrote:This is a short walk for you.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/hermosa-chicago

CSD

Thanks for the recommendation!

Since the contract is only 3 to 5 days (I’ve heard that before ) what would be the one item not to miss? I might not make a second visit.

My Short List so far. Change My Mind.

Not planning too far in advance

Visited my target places! Thanks for the recommended places!

Already visited
Las Delicias De Puerto Rico
4821 W Armitage Ave

Minna's Restaurant (Thanks for the recommendation Jefe!)
Mexican
5046 W Armitage Ave
Cecina Taco

Hermosa Restaurant (Thanks! chicagostyledog)
4356 W Armitage Ave
Sandwich stand with a few Korean items
Korean beef sandwich
Korean pork sandwich

Morena's Kitchen Dominican Food (Thanks for the confirmation Rene G!)
5058 W Armitage Ave
Pica Pollo (fried chicken)

Googoo’s Table
Family Style Restaurant
Noodles and Rice
4356 W Armitage
(on the corner of Armitage and Kostner)
Menu = https://www.beyondmenu.com/42864/chicag ... 60639.aspx

Might not make the cut...
Ponce Restaurant (recommendation from work)
Puerto Rican
4313 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago

Rica Arepa Venezuelan Restaurant (Thanks for the recommendation DaBeef and Rene G!)
4253 W Armitage Ave

I suppose I’ll have to squeeze in a Taco but that discussion might end up on the Chicago Taco Club.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=3 ... ent_filter

I think Logan Square would be too far.

Also...

You might know that I enjoy a adult beverage on Tuesdays after work. I saw this place...

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery
2717 N Maplewood Ave, Chicago
(can I get a Woo Hoo! for Publican corn dogs?)

Didn't make the cut...
Right Bee Cider
1830 N Kostner Ave, Chicago

Not sure if they have a ‘taproom’? They do give tours though...

Pipeworks Brewing Company
3912 W McLean Ave

Once again, no taproom.

I know, I know...

Weegee's Lounge
3659 W Armitage Ave

A GNB (Great Neighborhood Bar) is right around the corner. Love it!

Skip Murray, an encased meat buddy and former owner of Dat Dog from NOLA, has returned to Chicago and recently opened https://www.yelp.com/biz/doggone-chicago
I plan to visit soon. If you go, tell Skip that Mark says hello.

CSD

You're also relatively close to Giant. Place continues to be a tough reservation but might be easy to walk in for a post work early din.

Also scofflaw is right next door.

I do know that if I move my range circle towards Logan Square (and generally easterly) it does open a whole other world of dining and drinking options (I’ve been drooling at the idea).

Generally too far to reach on what I would might imagine to be an 1/2 hour lunch.

When I was in Glenview I would put in an extra 1/2 hour daily to accommodate a longer Friday lunch. With the short term of this contract I won’t have enough time be get them comfortable with the idea.

I have put those recommendations in a special list just in case my contract gets extended. Thanks again.

After work adult beverages I try to plan somewhere near or on my way home to Oak Park. Usually just a beverage stop (and maybe an appetizer). No actual dining.

I also try to bring back a sample (growler for My Bride).

Thanks for the great suggestions! Keep ‘em coming!

WhyBeeSea wrote:Also scofflaw is right next door.

Love...

Scofflaw
3201 W Armitage Ave

...!

But I might love Weegee’s more. I love the laidback and low activity levels.

El Habanero is also on my short list thanks to this forum so another option for you to ponder

WhyBeeSea wrote:El Habanero is also on my short list thanks to this forum so another option for you to ponder

Menu looks good. Several dishes included steak.

Thanks!

Should be a great area for lunch. Here are a few I can recommend from experience.

Morena's (5058 W Armitage) would be at the top of my list, without any question, for great Dominican home cooking. Morena's fried chicken might be the best in the city, but almost everything I've tried is good.

Pica pollo

I never had breakfast at Morena's, but their tres golpes (three hits: mangú with fried cheese, fried eggs, and fried Dominican salami) looks spectacular (see photo in first post of the Morena's thread). Might be the perfect start to a day when you might not get away for lunch.

Cafeteria Marianao isn't far away (4825 W Armitage). I haven't been to the new location, but the original on Milwaukee was hard to beat for Cuban sandwiches and coffee. Might be another good breakfast stop, if only for a quick and cheap café con leche and pan con mantequilla.

For Mexican, consider La Guerrerense (4758 W Fullerton). Much of the menu may look familiar, but the food is prepared with unusual care (masa items, moles, and more are made in house) and you'll find some less-common specialties from Guerrero. Study the handwritten window signs before entering. Mike Sula reviewed it a few years ago.

Tamal nejo, moles

I haven't been yet, but Rica Arepa is very close (4253 W Armitage) and looks like an essential stop.

As I was trying to visit Hermosa Restaurant (closed Monday) I noticed this brand new place (so new it’s not listed on google) just on the corner...

Googoo’s Table
Noodles and Rice
Family Style Restaurant (?)
4356 W Armitage, Chicago
(on the corner of Armitage and Kostner)
Menu = https://www.beyondmenu.com/42864/chicag ... 60639.aspx
Nice to have some Asian in Da Hood.

Here is my planned order...

Egg Roll (I love egg rolls )
Cambodian Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
Potato, onion and bamboo
Egg Foo Young (I love egg foo young )
Chow Fun
Thick rice noodle with Chinese broccoli
Extra crispy of course.

Ugh! Back to ordering several entree’s. I’ll suffer through somehow. Maybe save it for Friday lunch out?

As I came back to work and settled in the lunch room I brought up the conversation of lunch with my table mates. Seeing as how I had Puerto Rican they could not help urging me to go to...

Ponce Restaurant
Puerto Rican
4313 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago

... and they mentioned their jibarito is the best in the area. I have been missing Borinquen something fierce.

Rene G wrote:Should be a great area for lunch. Here are a few I can recommend from experience.

Morena's (5058 W Armitage) would be at the top of my list, without any question, for great Dominican home cooking. Morena's fried chicken might be the best in the city, but almost everything I've tried is good.

Pica pollo

I never had breakfast at Morena's, but their tres golpes (three hits: mangú with fried cheese, fried eggs, and fried Dominican salami) looks spectacular (see photo in first post of the Morena's thread). Might be the perfect start to a day when you might not get away for lunch.

Cafeteria Marianao isn't far away (4825 W Armitage). I haven't been to the new location, but the original on Milwaukee was hard to beat for Cuban sandwiches and coffee. Might be another good breakfast stop, if only for a quick and cheap café con leche and pan con mantequilla.

For Mexican, consider La Guerrerense (4758 W Fullerton). Much of the menu may look familiar, but the food is prepared with unusual care (masa items, moles, and more are made in house) and you'll find some less-common specialties from Guerrero. Study the handwritten window signs before entering. Mike Sula reviewed it a few years ago.

Tamal nejo, moles

I haven't been yet, but Rica Arepa is very close (4253 W Armitage) and looks like an essential stop.

Morena's (on the list)
Thanks for the item recommendation!

Cafeteria Marianao
1953 N La Crosse Ave, Chicago
Cuban sandwiches

I was just next door today for some Puerto Rican and noticed the restaurant and was wondering about ‘Cafeteria’ but I don’t think it means the same as in America. Maybe...

La Guerrerense Cocina Mexicana
4758 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago
Tamal nejo, moles
Awesome! I love both Tamales and Moles!

Short List updated

Minna's
5046 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639

Jefe wrote:Minna's
5046 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639

I had seen that.

I had actually lived a few blocks south on LeClaire in another life and used to frequent the diners (long gone) in this strip (maybe this exact spot?). I’ve always wanted to go home.

Any recommendations?

This might be my go to for my requisite taco.

Hard to go wrong with anything built on their handmade masa preps, but the cecina taco is probably top 3 eats of '19 so far. With Morena's next door, you've got a ridiculously delicious block.

Jefe wrote:Hard to go wrong with anything built on their handmade masa preps, but the cecina taco is probably top 3 eats of '19 so far. With Morena's next door, you've got a ridiculously delicious block.

Thanks! I love a good cecina!

Added to Taco near the bottom.

Tried again to visit Hermosa Restaurant and even though they were supposed to be open, they weren’t.

Almost all the places on my list were closed so I went to my fallback taco place, Minna's Restaurant but that will be a discussion for another thread.

Also today was the day for my after work beer stop at...

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery
2717 N Maplewood Ave, Chicago
(can I get a Woo Hoo! for Publican corn dogs?)

... and afterwards I made a stop back at Hermosa on my way home to see what was up?

I guess if they have a catering order that they prepare in the morning, their opening will be delayed. They promised to be open tomorrow.

I don’t know quite why I want to go there so bad?

Panther in the Den wrote:Cafeteria Marianao
1953 N La Crosse Ave, Chicago
Cuban sandwiches

I was just next door today for some Puerto Rican and noticed the restaurant and was wondering about ‘Cafeteria’ but I don’t think it means the same as in America. Maybe…

Depends on which America you're talking about. In South and Central America, cafetería has long referred to a place to get café, a coffee shop more or less. The word was later adopted in North America to refer to a self service restaurant. That probably happened first in Chicago, with John Kruger's Cafeteria at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. He was inspired by a trip to Cuba. Marianao is a true cafetería in the original sense of the word. I bet they sell more café cubano and café con leche than anywhere in Chicago. Man, you really have a lot of great places to choose from.

Panther in the Den wrote:La Guerrerense Cocina Mexicana
4758 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago
Tamal nejo, moles
Awesome! I love both Tamales and Moles!

Be aware these tamales are unfilled and have a somewhat different texture than most tamales. I assume they process their masa with tequesquite, as described in this Saveur recipe. They're not terribly common in Chicago, but I like them a lot, especially with some good mole (and the moles at La Guerrerense are very good).

Contract over. Never make it to Googoo’s Table.

Might go tomorrow anyway with My Bride. Anyone is welcome to join us at noon.

Got a little information about the corner...

Googoo’s Table Has been under the same family ownership for 30 years. The father passed away and the restaurant fell into lacking ownership.

About 3 years ago the daughter had a renewed interest and got things back on track.

They tore down the old building and built new. Enough for the big restaurant on the corner and a smaller snack shop next door to the north.

The brother opened Hermosa next door.

It’s all good!