Vitesse98 wrote:As a matter of fact, as my wife reminded me, Wild Onion actually has excelled fries! As for beer ... usually not as good as the offerings at Beer Shop. But hey, nobody's perfect. I think the compromise is beer and fries at Wild Onion, then beer at Beer Shop if we still need beer.

Still: with Five Guys gone, clearly DTOP needs a place with good fries. Other than Wild Onion, of course.

During the Polar Vortex My Bride and I decided to make my weekly brewery visit close to home.

Wild Onion Tied House
1111 South Blvd, Oak Park

We had visited not too long after they opened. We weren't too impressed with the beer or the menu.

On this second visit, mostly for some beer, it is always a good idea to have a snack and remembering this thread, fries it would be.

Once again the menu or the beers failed to excite, went with one of their more popular brews and as mentioned the fries were very good! Doubtful that they were double fried but rather well done. Almost all had a great crunch with a few well done tidbits. Nicely salted too.

Not as good as prime fries available at the best places and the fries don't make it a destination. Although I am happy there is something to snack on during my next visit (it is inevitable).

Thanks for the heads up!

I am unwilling to go that deep into the archive here at LTHF, so I will not remark about the food quality at the Wild Onion Tied House. I have been there. I have had the beers. I felt they were pretty much middle of the road: Nothing extreme, nothing experimental.
But, what I scribe here is something you might not know (or remember).
For all the restaurants and tavern which "close for renovations" (not reopening that thread), but mention something along the verse of "hitting the lottery": The people owning Wild Onion did hit the lottery
For a span, this saw them withdrawing from most Chicago-based craft beer events. They were concentrating on their original venue in South Barrington, IL. Although, ahead of the time, they canned their top-selling beer.
The foundation I lay here is that Wild Onion still has finances - it can hang in there longer; it can make forays which seem quizzical.

[q]Once again the menu or the beers failed to excite[/q]

Wild Onion beers are nothing special. However, they always have a couple of options from other breweries on the menu, and those are sometimes pretty good. For example, looking at the online menu right now they have Half Acre's Dungeon, an American Wild Ale from One Annee, and Very Very Far, a Belgian Golden Ale from Off Color. So don't forget to look! (Though it doesn't help that Beer Shop is literally down the street, if beer is what you want.)

Vitesse98 wrote:(Though it doesn't help that Beer Shop is literally down the street, if beer is what you want.)

... and that is where we traditionally go if we have the dog in tow otherwise...

Kinslahger
6806 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park

I will always give a local place (Wild Onion) a second try and since we hadn’t returned since they opened...

Panther in the Den wrote:otherwise...

Kinslahger
6806 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park

When they have their Baltic Porter on nitro it's hard to do better beer-wise. It looks like Carnivore's food truck - which used to be Fridays - is taking a hiatus. Hopefully they'll figure out menu options that make sense for all. But that was always a nice combo.

bobbywal wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:otherwise...

Kinslahger
6806 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park

When they have their Baltic Porter on nitro it's hard to do better beer-wise. It looks like Carnivore's food truck - which used to be Fridays - is taking a hiatus. Hopefully they'll figure out menu options that make sense for all. But that was always a nice combo.

There're back (although not posting events)...

Am I the only one that finds Kinslahger boring? Have they introduced any new beers since they opened? I like the porter but that's it.

hoppy2468 wrote:Am I the only one that finds Kinslahger boring? Have they introduced any new beers since they opened? I like the porter but that's it.

They've been doing this "weekly kinsman" thing (which you can see in the photo above) but they are hit and miss and generally minor variations of their standard suite. I do enjoy both the porter and the common and being a block from my house is good enough. I agree with your sentiment and do wish they'd flex their muscles a bit more to get some new stuff on the menu from time to time.

bierz wrote:I believe you linked to the wrong Oak Park Market Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/OakParkMarket/

I went once and am not a fan. They didn't have half of what I was looking for. No ground turkey, no half gallons of skim milk - there was a different milk in its space, and no-go for my typical cereal, as they had maybe a dozen varieties total.

Maybe I'm asking for too much, but since Pete's is the same distance from me, I don't feel any need to return.

Empty shelves and a big "50% off Entire Store" sign out front

Panther in the Den wrote:Nonna D's Italian on Roosevelt has closed and will now be known as...

Scoreboard Sports Bar and Grill
7109 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn

The attachment 25F323FA-E3BC-4027-A425-56F93EC71B88.jpeg is no longer available

Looking online it appears it happened months ago.

Good luck!

Did some recon while My Bride was shopping at the nearby Jewel...

Stopped at Scoreboard and was stopped at the door...

“We’re closed for a private event!”

Then a gent walked up...

“... unless you want to play the gambling machines?”

Actually I just want to look at the menu.

They grudgingly let me in.

Typical sports bar food. Wings, tacos, pizza.




Not Italian but a little Soul leaning.

Thanks

Strolled down to...

Rachel’s Cafe and Deli
7001 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn

... and struck up a conversation and lo and behold the owner of Nonna Ds was working the counter.

“It was too much managing the two restaurants with one being upscale Italian so I sold it back in September”

He did mention they were going to expand the menu (maybe as soon as next week) to include pasta and sauce and some other things.

“Similar menu as Nonna Ds but on a smaller scale.”

I have enjoyed a couple of meals at Ds and will give them a few weeks and give the Cafe another try.

hoppy2468 wrote: Am I the only one that finds Kinslahger boring? Have they introduced any new beers since they opened? I like the porter but that's it.

Kinslahger is on the positive portion of my craft beer arc.
To be blunt, if you don't enjoy the food truck it manages to corral to its locale (which would be illegal in Chicago), the original Buona Beef shack is kitty-corner from it.
Just as Al's Italian Beef may differ the farther you get from W. Taylor St., if you perceive the beef you had at a satellite location of Buona was not as savory - here is the original. Bring it in.

hoppy2468 wrote:Am I the only one that finds Kinslahger boring? Have they introduced any new beers since they opened? I like the porter but that's it.

It is what you make of it.

Besides the Weekly Kinsman they don’t have a big beer menu. For that head to...

Beer Shop
1026 North Blvd, Oak Park

... or if you want to range further...

Short Fuse Brewing Company
5000 N River Rd, Schiller Park

... with their 21 beers on tap and their 14 beer flight for $22. Good food too.

I go to Kinslahger for the comfortable and professional atmosphere and the consistent beers.

I just like the vibe and the visits from the absolute best meat market providing food makes it a win win.

Noticed this new place while on my drive home...

Jibaritos Puerto Rican Food
3317 N Harlem Ave, Chicago


Haven’t tried it yet but it will be especially welcome since the closing of...

El Nuevo Borinquen
1720 N California Ave, Chicago

The creator of the Jibarito sandwich.

Two recent, and good, visits have me reevaluating the Avenue Ale House. I really like the feta-and-spinach stuffed turkey burger. It is similar to a prep I do at home but the jalapeno mayo adds a nice zip to what is a pretty tasty sandwich. They also don't hold back on the vegetables in their side salad.

Last night, the wings - 75¢/ on Tuesday nights - were surprisingly good. We had 5 each of buffalo, bbq, and blackened. The buffalo were quite good while the bbq were too sweet for me. The kids liked them. Blackened were my favorite, though the spice blend tilted pretty far away from cajun-blackened. Far more reminiscent of curry flavors. The kids devoured the fried calamari - which was also well-prepared.

Across the board we had good meals and service was great and my Lagunitas tasted very fresh. I had all but ruled this place out after some bad experiences both before and immediately after the ownership change. But, I'm happy to have another reliable place nearby.

They did revamp the menu at the beginning of the year. Maybe a new chef too? To me it seems like it is more pub food and less nice dining.

We have always had acceptable meals there. Nothing terrible.

Their rooftop has always been our favorite destination for outdoor dining.

With the press...

Carnivore
1042 Pleasant St, Oak Park

... has been getting for their burgers both in print and here and My Bride and I being in the need for feed...




A single grind, great texture! Ground that way to give it a little more of a steak flavor. Nicely charred with their special mayonnaise based sauce.

A nice beefy flavor, light on the seasoning. As good as you would expect here or from a nice steakhouse.


Not your simple burger place sandwich. Different category.


Not on the menu but in the deli case. They were happy to oblige My Bride. She has had them plain but never on a bun and never this big! She’s going to get another meal out of that.


Delicious!

Thin Cut and Seasoned Fries. I would imagine they were fresh cut? No skin.

Of course I always get soup. Available today a fish chowder, gumbo (also with fish) but I opted for...


Savory broth, good amount of chicken, fresh vegetables. Just like Mom used to make.

They have special pricing on a pair of sides and even though we had fries (and hearing Brad talk about the sauce) I wanted to try their...


Small potatoes (2 different types?) quartered, bite sized, the sauce was delicious! A light crust with some crunchy pieces.


Tender, cooked perfectly. Not limp but not raw by any means. Light sauce and seasoning. Nom, nom, nom.

All in all an unexpectedly great meal at their tiny cafe. A nice surprise for My Bride too as I had kept our destination a secret.

I’m mean that way.

As we were finishing up our meal a pair of young gents were just starting their burgers with their eyes rolling back in their heads.

Turns out one just moved into The Kingdom from Wheaton and the other was showing him around.

Destination dining indeed. They were heading over to Beer Shop afterwards.

Perfect 1-2 punch.

The perfect 1-2 punch (combined) is taking the Carnivore food to go and eating it at Beer Shop a block away.

Controversial opinion: I'm not a fan of their burgers! But I love all of their other sandwiches.

If you like Carnivore's crab cake sandwich, just wait until soft shell crab season and ask them to throw one of those into the fryer.

The Carnivore/Beer Shop run is one of the greatest things about Oak Park.

Continues to impress.

Lola Tining's Cuisine
1141 Garfield St, Oak Park, IL 60304


Not bad for a $7 combo

The Longaniza was fresh, sweet and didn't have the usual funk. Just delishous.







I challenge anyone to join me on a Saturday morning and deny it is not some of the best in Chicago.

I buy if I'm wrong.

I'm in - nest Saturday?

zoid wrote:I'm in - next Saturday?

I’m backpacking in Shawnee next weekend (weather permitting, we were thunderstormed out this).

It’s a date for the weekend after...

Saturday, March 23rd at 11:00 am

Lola Tining's Cuisine
1141 Garfield St, Oak Park

Besides the traditional dishes being great their stews have been really shining and are very steamtable friendly.

How could I forget my 'bucket' of Pancit?

I ordered the largest size available for snacking and leftovers and they made a fresh batch. Took 20 minutes while we were eating.

It was a good exclamation point to the meal.



Many restaurants are substituting other noodles but here it was heavy on the thin rice noodles as it should be.

Panther in the Den wrote:How could I forget my 'bucket' of Pancit?

I ordered the largest size available for snacking and leftovers and they made a fresh batch. Took 20 minutes while we were eating.

It was a good exclamation point to the meal.

IMG_20190309_125200510~2.jpg

Many restaurants are substituting other noodles but here it was heavy on the thin rice noodles as it should be.

The pancit (barring the pound cake) is the most reliable dish there so far for me - the right balance of everything and veg and pork are fresh.

I need your help navigating what else is consistently rewarding (will try to be there that Saturday). The steam tray items including adobo have fallen off for me and I can’t seem to arrive when sausage or lumpia are recently-made.

Panther in the Den wrote:How could I forget my 'bucket' of Pancit?

Lincoln Elem had a "Taste of Lincoln" event on Saturday featuring a lot of international food. The items representing the Philippines, including the pancit, were from Lola Tining's and were so very good.

I hadn't been to Obsessed Kitchen for some time (for no good reason), but it was pretty solid last night (trademark erratic Oak Park service aside). It seemed like the menu had maybe been expanded since I was last there, with several more Korean or Korean-tinged items, but I may be misremembering. Anyway, the Korean Farmboy burger (with kimchi and egg and perhaps a touch of gochujang) was pretty good, and of course huge, and there were maybe a few other things on the menu that caught my eye for next time.

It's amazing how some places can go up fast and others...

The mangonada place on OP and North has been lingering for at least a year, it seems, without being in business.

On the other hand, Basehit BBQ went into the old Harold's place on North and got to serving awfully fast. Haven't tried yet, but in walking the dog, I can say the aroma wafted at least 2 blocks down.

Basehit
6606 W North Ave
Chicago
https://www.basehitbbq.com
**Note they only stay open to 8 pm**

zoid wrote:I'm in - next Saturday?

Santander wrote:I need your help navigating what else is consistently rewarding (will try to be there that Saturday).

You gents missed it. Another great meal.

This trip we went with another pair of combo platters for $8. Besides the Longanisa and rice (garlic for My Bride and plain for myself), My Bride went with the...


And I...

(thin sliced beef and onions)

At risk of ordering the same thing every visit The Bisteak has such a rich gravy (mostly due to the onions) and is so tender and flavorful it might take me a few more visits to get it behind me.

The Pork Adobo once again had a rich gravy. The meat, while flavorful, had a bit of a chew. Nothing objectionable.

... was a different preparation. Rather than the traditional grilled on a skewer it appears to be simmered in a broth. Same great flavor with a delicate skin.


I might make a meal out of this sometime.


They had several catering orders going out and we had to wait for our order. Fryer piping hot lent to a crisp item with a nicely soft filling. Perfect!


Not seeing it in its usual spot on the counter I inquired, yes it’s available but it’s coming fresh out of the oven in the back.


A little more than just the belly and the meat a little body (not fall apart tender). Skin with a great crunch and it was an end cut as well so there was some roasted end included.


As we arrived the chef was just putting out a tray. Fresh again. Too bad I got a large (not bucket like last time) as it almost emptied the tray. Getting it to go she also gave us a complementary bowl to go with our lunch.

Pound Cake
Based on the recommendation we got a whole cake to go. Moist, light with a citrus topping. Been snacking on it ever since.

2 posts in 3 weeks I’ll lay low for a while. It’s up to you now.

Lola Tining's Cuisine
1141 Garfield St, Oak Park

Totally forgot and I'm kicking myself now

Once upon a time there was a decent Thai restaurant in the Oak Park area called Yum Thai. Then it was discovered that there was a secret menu, the first that was translated for chowhound use. It became a better than decent Thai restaurant in the Oak Park area, one that at times delivered meals as good as any area Thai restaurant. Those days have long passed.

It's been a struggle to find anything worthy for Thai food in this area. My wife's desire to have something Thai the other day, gave me the idea to retry Na Siam on North Ave. It's been ages since I've been, and I've no experience with good meals here. Still, when the other options were so sucky, why not.

And it was not bad. Not like Uptown or under the Brown Line good Thai, but not bad. The portions were big.

It was a nicely done, fresh, heavily garlic'd version of som tom, a little light on the funk but I think I've been spoiled by the Hmong version I get in Milwaukee. Boat noodles also needed a bit more fish sauce and better beef than the slices that could also be used if we ordered anything else "with beef", but I still liked it. My wifes noodle dish was equally good enough.

Who knows what the other items on the menu would bring. I can be happy never ordering anything else.

Na Siam
6851 W North Ave, Oak Park
https://nasiamoakparkil.com