Been forever since we ate at Citrine, but ... we ate at Citrine. Food was OK, if still maybe 20% too expensive. Ironically, the cocktails (whose prices have been creeping up all over the city) *are* priced reasonably at mostly $10 each, and the cocktail menu itself is pretty interesting, deep and diverse. Service was slooooooooow, though. I want to say our drinks arrived after the appetizer, and a couple of the dishes were bordering on cool, which makes me think the rhythm of the kitchen was off and a couple of the things we ordered had been sitting around a bit waiting for their food-friends to be ready, for whatever reason.

My Bride and I enjoy going to Scoville Park early on Sunday evening (5:30 to 7) for concert in the park.

Traditionally we bring along a chicken dinner.

So far we have brought...

KFC (virtually the same at other chains)
Mickey’s BBQ chicken dinner (pretty good)
Boston Market (ridiculously small 1/2 chicken, never again)

I am thinking about Nando’s Peri Peri but My Bride, for some reason she cannot remember, would prefer not to.

We have done Harold’s, Chicago Chicken and Waffles, Uncle Remus in previous years.

Looks like the Jamaican place on Chicago and Austin is closed.

Not smoked chicken either (boy is she fussy today! ).

I was also thinking Jewel rotisserie? Maybe some awesome chicken wings?

Any other suggestions? Carryout from a sit down restaurant would also be okay.

In The Kingdom please.

Thanks in advance!

My wife and I ate at the Cactus grill on Harlem. The burrito lunch special with rice and bean were good. But her steak tacos were really great. Huge amount of steak perfectly cooked and we both left stuffed for 20 bucks.

Vitesse98 wrote:Small Batch Barbecue in Forest Park opened today. By the time my family hit it, they were out of everything but the pulled pork (including all sides!). The pulled pork sandwich was fortunately pretty good, but I look forward to going back and getting to the, well, meat of the menu.

Small Batch Barbecue
7441 Madison St, Forest Park, IL 60130
smallbatchq.com
(708) 689-8075

Did a sampling of their wares, yesterday: Brisket, pulled pork, ribs, hot link, fried okra, cole slaw, and baked beans (sorry--no photos.) I learned that in addition to using hickory, cherry, and maybe apple wood in their Southern Pride, they use pecan when it's available...but never mesquite because it would overpower the other flavors.

Overall I'd give them a grade of A-minus; everything was solid, with one quibble: labmom53 and I found the rub on the brisket and ribs, as well as the breading on the fried okra, to be rather salty. It was quite good otherwise, but the salt level was high enough that I felt it to be a noticeable distraction from the harmony of the whole. Slaw & beans each were fine, the hot link had a nice casing and internal texture, including a bit of jalapeño. Everything was freshly sliced, prep'd, and packaged for take out in full view while I waited.

The husband/wife proprietors were working the front counter and were personable (and they got extra points for agreeing that "sauce on the side" was their preferred way to go.)

To be fair about the salt level, I'll say that this was only a one-time sample, and it definitely would not prevent me from returning. That said, I would make an effort to give them some feedback about our initial salt experience when I do return.

In sum, I'd recommend giving Small Batch a visit (and then please post your take on the salt level, too.)

--mhl

Panther in the Den wrote:Now open at the old location of Red Hen Bakery at...

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Courageous Bakery & Cafe
736 Lake St, Oak Park

Very good! Maybe a little more cheese, maybe warm up the peppers?

Light, flaky, buttery croissant.

My Bride had a scone and mentioned is was more cake like instead of crumbly (which she prefers).

Coffee? Light, medium and dark.

My Bride left and I sat in the window corner watching life go by in the light rain..

A major irritation: based on addresses, I know where a place is located in Chicago, Cicero, Berwyn, Forest Park, Elmwood Park and even Oak Park south of the expressway. However the elitists from the "Kingdom" somewhere back in time decided they needed a different numbering system then everyone else, I am not even going to attempt to learn the Oak Park numbering system.

Marshall K wrote:A major irritation: based on addresses, I know where a place is located in Chicago, Cicero, Berwyn, Forest Park, Elmwood Park and even Oak Park south of the expressway. However the elitists from the "Kingdom" somewhere back in time decided they needed a different numbering system then everyone else, I am not even going to attempt to learn the Oak Park numbering system.

+ or - starting at the EL tracks near Lake not counting Harlem or Austin

Roosevelt is 1200 south and North is 1200 north

0 starting at Austin with Harlem being 1200 west

We in The Kingdom approve of our own, unique numbering system

Now “Get Off Our Lawn!”

... or, as Papa once noted...

“The Village of broad lawns and narrow minds”

New!

Flourish
193 N Marion St, Oak Park
new self-serve bar concept

wine, spirits and beer
charcuterie, snacks, cheeses and shareable plates
roasted coffee, kombucha and sodas

Limited to two drinks dispensed in an hour

https://www.oakparkeats.com/food-news/c ... -by-night/

mhl wrote:

Vitesse98 wrote:Small Batch Barbecue in Forest Park opened today. By the time my family hit it, they were out of everything but the pulled pork (including all sides!). The pulled pork sandwich was fortunately pretty good, but I look forward to going back and getting to the, well, meat of the menu.

Small Batch Barbecue
7441 Madison St, Forest Park, IL 60130
smallbatchq.com
(708) 689-8075

Did a sampling of their wares, yesterday: Brisket, pulled pork, ribs, hot link, fried okra, cole slaw, and baked beans (sorry--no photos.) I learned that in addition to using hickory, cherry, and maybe apple wood in their Southern Pride, they use pecan when it's available...but never mesquite because it would overpower the other flavors.

Overall I'd give them a grade of A-minus; everything was solid, with one quibble: labmom53 and I found the rub on the brisket and ribs, as well as the breading on the fried okra, to be rather salty. It was quite good otherwise, but the salt level was high enough that I felt it to be a noticeable distraction from the harmony of the whole. Slaw & beans each were fine, the hot link had a nice casing and internal texture, including a bit of jalapeño. Everything was freshly sliced, prep'd, and packaged for take out in full view while I waited.

The husband/wife proprietors were working the front counter and were personable (and they got extra points for agreeing that "sauce on the side" was their preferred way to go.)

To be fair about the salt level, I'll say that this was only a one-time sample, and it definitely would not prevent me from returning. That said, I would make an effort to give them some feedback about our initial salt experience when I do return.

In sum, I'd recommend giving Small Batch a visit (and then please post your take on the salt level, too.)

--mhl

We did give it a try a week ago Wednesday around 9:00 pm and even though they still had two hours to go to closing time the only meat left was brisket which was fine as that was our primary plan. I was considering getting a hot link maybe...

The brisket was very good! Sandwich a little small for the price (we were planning to split it) and wished I had gotten two. Slaw was great. A hot link would of rounded out nicely.

All in all one of the better area BBQ places! I haven’t been able to have a meal at Basehit yet so...

Vital Information wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:Just heard about this...

Lexington Betty Smoke House
6954 W North Ave, Chicago

Had been a series of Chinese food places. I visited a few.

Not far from The Onion Roll.

Anybody been?

Lexington Betty is a caterer too, with a pop-up about once a month. I tried it a while back and have no need to return.

My understanding is like LB, there will be occasional pop-ups.

Open as a restaurant soon...



Oh, Boy!

More BBQ!

Cajun Boil & Bar open. Boom.

This could go in another rubric here on LTHF, but I'll insert it here now as well.
This Saturday is Seven Generations Ahead's Oak Park Micro Brew Review. I bought my ticket back in June. If you click through back there, you can obtain an 'Iron Brewer' ticket for $50.00. The Iron Brewer session begins at 1:30 pm.
This is a zero-waste craft beer festival. Regular trash cans will be occluded. The accoutrements will be served in recyclable containers.
Another element of this craft beer festival is it is one of the very few (to be honest, I cannot recall any other beer festival that does this) in which non-attendees are mixed in with the customers. The people with the wrist bands are in the festival, and all those other people, especially those orbiting the water display, are not.
It is a really good one, folks. If you are unfamiliar with craft beer festivals, for this above facet, this is one to test.
I am still contemplating how encumbered I will be. At the least, I will have a small camera {formerly dad's [R.I.P.]}. Whether I have my satchel, with or without my laptop computer, is still in abeyance. But that should not stop you from greeting me if you're there.

OPFoodie wrote:Cajun Boil & Bar open. Boom.

I had noticed the paper was off the windows and they were washed.

It was still dark a few days ago

I don’t know, I’ve still been enjoying...

Seafood Junction
132 Madison St, Oak Park

The perch was great two weeks ago.

Best raw brats in The Kingdom?

Grocery? Butcher shop?

Got some at...

Living Fresh Market
7520 Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park

... last time and they weren’t too bad.

‘Coming Soon’ in The Kingdom...

Butter and Brown Bistro
420 N Austin, Oak Park

Breakfast
Lunch
Brunch

Dine In
Carry Out

We’ll see how it goes. I came by a few weeks ago, not much progress.

Panther in the Den wrote:Taco Bros
2 Chicago Ave, Oak Park

Opened quietly.

https://www.oakparkeats.com/blogs/quick ... taco-bros/

Torta looks good!

Pretty much average.

When it came out in less than a minute I figured it was ‘bucket-o-grease’.

Minced fairly fine, not much browning, tender though.

Panther in the Den wrote:Best raw brats in The Kingdom?

Grocery? Butcher shop?

Got some at...

Living Fresh Market
7520 Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park

... last time and they weren’t too bad.

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Pete's Fresh Market
259 Lake St, Oak Park

New in the hood...

Café Cubano quietly closed being replaced by...

Café Media Noché
6836 Windsor Ave, Berwyn

Never did get over there for a jibarito.

Mancini's
1111 Lake St, Oak Park

... appears to have reopened. Thought there might be a name change now that Chef Vince has taken over from the Mancini Family.

Probably a connection to...
Mancini's Chophouse
1807 Division St, Melrose Park

Which also appears to be somewhat new.

dradeli wrote:My wife and I ate at the Cactus grill on Harlem. The burrito lunch special with rice and bean were good. But her steak tacos were really great. Huge amount of steak perfectly cooked and we both left stuffed for 20 bucks.

This was my experience too. I actually proclaimed it the best taco I ever had.

Panther in the Den wrote:I was out getting dinner for me and My Bride at ...

Parky's Hot Dogs
329 S Harlem Ave, Forest Park

... and was walking by so I dashed in for a solitary taco.

Panther in the Den wrote:Cactus Grill
315 S Harlem Ave Unit A, Forest Park

... in the old Fuji Grill location.

Guess they’ve been open 7 months?

Can I say best taco in a while?

883CC26F-19E3-4BBA-ACC4-A26D1F373B35.jpeg

Grilled fresh to order and they weren’t afraid to brown the meat.

48625BB0-DA7B-4724-AB1E-95F336D6AA53.jpeg

The salsas were fire as well. Green a little smoother

7382BC37-6A11-4806-9FE7-500C69AB0233.jpeg

963ADB6A-762B-447A-88E9-09A98E6A007E.jpeg

Not just another taco place

But on my return visit it was rather ordinary. Far from the best.

Panther in the Den wrote:Nevermind

Was was perhaps the best I ever had slipped into average today when I brought My Bride over for dinner.

C14BEE79-7D9E-43DD-AE43-33E4D3FFD99E.jpeg

Meat chopped fine (almost a coarse ground beef) without much perceptible browning.

Without consistency you might as well visit any place.

I finally made it back to One Lake Brewing and enjoyed myself on the deck last night. We didn't eat a full meal, but enjoyed a pulled pork nacho snack. The rest of the food around us looked good. What did make an impression was the beer. Last time we were there, around opening day, the beer was fine, but the styles chosen were not my typical choices (English mild, CA common, German black, etc.), so I had a hard time really judging them. Yesterday, they had added an IPA, which is more in my wheelhouse, and it was quite good. I'd put it up with the best in Chicago, in a modern East Coast leaning style but not as sweet as many from say Marz, Sketchbook or Temperance. Maybe Miskatonic would be the best comparison. It was excellent and something I would order anywhere.

They also are currently running a wing eating challenge - finish 6 hot wings in 10 minutes, then sit 5 more without a drink, and you get a tee shirt and, I think, the wings are free. A couple of ladies next to us did it, so the chef came out and explained the story. He made 2 quarts of sauce from 2.5 lbs of fermented ghost peppers and realized it was the hottest thing he had ever had. His sous chef got through 2 wings, he made it through 4. The bartender said he dipped the corner of a chip in the sauce and almost died. Anyhow, I didn't try them, but one of the ladies became the first person to finish the challenge.

The chef also mentioned a new menu is coming in the next few weeks to reflect the seasonal change. From what we saw, the food seems a bit more upscale than typical pub grub. We'll go back soon for a full meal.

tazerowe wrote:I finally made it back to One Lake Brewing...

...

He made 2 quarts of sauce from 2.5 lbs of fermented ghost peppers and realized it was the hottest thing he had ever had. His sous chef got through 2 wings, he made it through 4. The bartender said he dipped the corner of a chip in the sauce and almost died.

...

If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

I can report that District Kitchen and Tap has a beautiful pizza oven, which makes it a bit disappointing that the pizzas it produces are so average. Honestly, the crust tastes like a decent version of a pre-fab food service crust, not something hot from that oven. This wasn't inconsistent with my impression from an earlier visit in the summer.

The cheeseburger, on the other had, is tragic, and deserves a spot in the "worst thing I've eaten" thread. A little grey puck of meat with absolutely no juice left, covered in cheese that somehow provided no flavor or texture. In fact, the only flavor was that of soy sauce, as it seemed as if the burger was perhaps dipped in raw soy after cooking? Never again. The waiter failed to notice the burger went back with only three bites out of it - one each from my son, my wife and I as nobody could take a second.

I've had much better meals at the other Scratch locations, so they may turn this around, but I am dreaming of that oven coming to market and perhaps the Forno Rosso team taking notice...

tazerowe wrote:I can report that District Kitchen and Tap has a beautiful pizza oven, which makes it a bit disappointing that the pizzas it produces are so average. Honestly, the crust tastes like a decent version of a pre-fab food service crust, not something hot from that oven. This wasn't inconsistent with my impression from an earlier visit in the summer.

...but I am dreaming of that oven coming to market and perhaps the Forno Rosso team taking notice...

I don’t know. I had a pretty good Chicago Hotdog Pizza there <jk>.

Coming Soon!
(although I don’t know how soon)

Don Misael Tamales
Around 8550 Ogden Ave, Lyons
(in the old diner space)



I would always enjoy a good tamale. Hopefully not $3 apiece.

Panther in the Den wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:Busy time in The Kingdom!

Opening soon...

Downtown
Kalamata Kitchen

Peeked in the window, very little progress, a few partition wall framing.

Don’t hold your breath.

Suddenly a lot of activity! Looks like the interior is complete, looking for staff...

Might be soon!

I considered putting this in "Something To Drink", but it incorporates more than that.
Oaktoberfest is this Friday and Saturday in Oak Park, IL. at Marion St. and North Blvd.
The beers are from Burke Beverage. It is the MillerCoors distributor for the west and southwest collar suburbs of Cook County. So yes, BlueMoon will be one of the beers on tap. However, other brands serviced by Burke include Firestone Walker, Boulevard, Samuel Adams, Argus, Abita, Brickstone, Dogfish Head, Leinenkugel's {this is usually where one of the Leinie's limited-edition seasonals is on tap}, Lakefront, New Belgium, New Holland, Revolution, Sierra Nevada, and Southern Tier.
The deal is: Spend $25 (cash) and receive three drink tickets and the twenty-two ounce cup. Additional beer tickets are $8 each.
This event also includes live music acts and food purveyors.
It starts Friday at 4:00 pm, and at 12:01 pm on Saturday.
I will likely go both days. But I'll have to keep it short on Saturday lest I wind up really zonked-out on Sunday at the LTHF Picnic.

Panther in the Den wrote:Posted on the Professional forum but not sure about its visibility...

We were waiting for them to reopen for this summer.

Not sure if that is still on?

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Smokey Joel’s is now a sweet shop. Okay.

Panther in the Den wrote:Busy time in The Kingdom!

Opening soon...

Further East
Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea

What a great time to be alive.

Opening 9/25

Northwest corner of Euclid and Lake

Panther in the Den wrote:
Northwest corner of Euclid and Lake

Some pretty big shoes to fill on that corner.
SW corner is even more hallowed ground.

seebee wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:
Northwest corner of Euclid and Lake

Some pretty big shoes to fill on that corner.
SW corner is even more hallowed ground.

Tasty Dog ?