In a quest to find some new options we tried the Village Pub in Carol Stream on Schmale Rd north of Geneva Rd. Went on Saturday and it was packed. I had the boneless fried chicken breast in cream gravy with mashed potatoes and corn and I must say it was very enjoyable. Real mashed potatoes. This place comes off like a bar/pub but I think it serves "ordinary food" that is a cut above. They have prime rib specials there, corned beef and cabbage, as well as fish frys. My husband had a burger that was as big as your head and he really enjoyed it. Its worth a try for a lunch or casual dinner.

http://www.villagetavernandgrill.com/#! ... ream/c1nfh

On the subject of Italian Deli's and subs, I don't know how long they've been there but I found a new-ish one in Oakbrook Terrace at Butterfield and Summit - I had a 6" Italian and it was pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but just as good as any of the other options in the burbs and very close to home for me.

17W580 Butterfield Road
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
http://www.beppesitalian.com/

A favorite of mine in the area is Frankie's Deli in Yorktown. It is located in one of the out buildings northwest of the main mall. Been going there for at least 20 years. The roast pork with sun dried tomatoes is a go to sandwich.

Thanks for the headsup about Frankie's. I was over that way today and stopped in to grab a small Italian Sub for lunch. Very nice sandwich at a good price.

I will mention one that is a bit out of the way. The Eagle restaurant in Downers Grove on Maple. I went there when in opened in 1981 when my grandmother lived a half a block away. Fast forward 30 years later and my doctor's office is about a mile away so I stopped after an appointment. Typical Greek fast food restaurant, but in a not so conspicuous place. I always liked whatever I got there.

Eagle Restaurant
406 Maple Ave
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 963-9161

Tacos Dorados - Saw that Las Tias is WeGo is doing them (chicken, beef, steak, etc.) - at the nice price of $1.25 - $1.50 ($4 tacos - lol...) - Shredded beef-(desebrada - my favorite filling for durangos tacos) go for $ 1.25 -

not the best pic - (at least I try right?) -
a top notch version rivaling the ones at close by El Sazon in Batavia. - succulent shredded beef, crema, crumbled cheese, etc.



I commented to my buddy that we would be chasing the high of this exceptional taco all night - should have gotten 2 or 5 instead of 1 but there were more stops to be made.

Ill be hitting Las Tias for lunch and after drinks tacos a bit I think(perhaps tonight) - other than the taco and their salsas(good) I have not tried anything else - They have beer which also works.

Las Tias
212 Main Street
West Chicago, IL.

http://www.lastiasrestaurant.com/

Also rolled into La Cocina de Maria - mentioned upthread a few times - just a quick stop for a taco arabes -(not on par with other versions in Chicaogland but good in its own right) and some chips and some unique to me salsas - all good -

this is another place I am going to be back to and try more of the menu. Reason - family run joint - - I could see the multiple generations of the family working there - obviously places I like to support.

sicilianos wrote:my doctor's office is about a mile away so I stopped after an appointment. Typical Greek fast foot restaurant

I take it your doctor is a podiatrist...

jimswside wrote:Tacos Dorados - Saw that Las Tias is WeGo is doing them (chicken, beef, steak, etc.) - at the nice price of $1.25 - $1.50 ($4 tacos - lol...) - Shredded beef-(desebrada - my favorite filling for durangos tacos) go for $ 1.25 -

not the best pic - (at least I try right?) -
a top notch version rivaling the ones at close by El Sazon in Batavia. - succulent shredded beef, crema, crumbled cheese, etc.



I commented to my buddy that we would be chasing the high of this exceptional taco all night - should have gotten 2 or 5 instead of 1 but there were more stops to be made.

Ill be hitting Las Tias for lunch and after drinks tacos a bit I think(perhaps tonight) - other than the taco and their salsas(good) I have not tried anything else - They have beer which also works.

Las Tias
212 Main Street
West Chicago, IL.

http://www.lastiasrestaurant.com/

Also rolled into La Cocina de Maria - mentioned upthread a few times - just a quick stop for a taco arabes -(not on par with other versions in Chicaogland but good in its own right) and some chips and some unique to me salsas - all good -

this is another place I am going to be back to and try more of the menu. Reason - family run joint - - I could see the multiple generations of the family working there - obviously places I like to support.

That taco looks worth checking out. As I mentioned in PM, I had a pretty disappointing breakfast there. I don't quite have the crave for the dorados like some of you boys, but I can dig a shredded beef taco.

I've been spending a lot of time at Cocina de Maria, though I have yet to try the alambres. They use a commercial tortilla (not unusual of course), so I skip the tacos in favor of one of the freshly made masa dishes like the huaraches and picaditas. The latter are really satisfying topped with their tender, grilled-to-order steak, which is served as little filets not unlike the cesina at La Chaparrita. They're served with a bowl of elemental chicken soup that is 100% scratch made. Really good stuff. I'm working on a bigger piece about them, stay tuned.

Jefe wrote:

jimswside wrote:
That taco looks worth checking out. As I mentioned in PM, I had a pretty disappointing breakfast there. I don't quite have the crave for the dorados like some of you boys, but I can dig a shredded beef taco.

I've been spending a lot of time at Cocina de Maria, though I have yet to try the alambres. They use a commercial tortilla (not unusual of course), so I skip the tacos in favor of one of the freshly made masa dishes like the huaraches and picaditas. The latter are really satisfying topped with their tender, grilled-to-order steak, which is served as little filets not unlike the cesina at La Chaparrita. They're served with a bowl of elemental chicken soup that is 100% scratch made. Really good stuff. I'm working on a bigger piece about them, stay tuned.

rolled the dice after hearing what you had said re: your visit to Las Tia's - glad we did - looking forward to a visit tonight after Towne Tap.

Cocina Maria - im heading back there with an empty stomach and maybe the family. - good find.

Jim, you (and DaBeef) have sent me to some pretty damn good taco joints, including for fried tacos...that looks (and sounds) pretty awesome. Thanks!

nsxtasy wrote:

sicilianos wrote:my doctor's office is about a mile away so I stopped after an appointment. Typical Greek fast foot restaurant

I take it your doctor is a podiatrist...

Well done. Mea culpa.

BR wrote:Jim, you (and DaBeef) have sent me to some pretty damn good taco joints, including for fried tacos...that looks (and sounds) pretty awesome. Thanks!

appreciated -

I did go back into Las Tias on Friday -

Im used to seeing red and green salsa's for the chips - I really like the darker one here, nice and hot -



the shredded beef tacos dorados were on point again -



chili relleno taco on the plate was not that great - However and order of Guac. we got @ $3 was a heaping, fresh version -

Going to carefully explore their other options - and see if any more are as strong as those tacos -

Having benefitted from advice on this forum in the past, I thought it was time I contributed something of my own.
We went to the newly opened MingHin Chinese place in Naperville on Saturday on the recommendation of a Taiwanese friend who knows we like dim sum. They have locations in Chinatown, too.
Anyway, got there at 11 a.m., with a handful of cars in the parking lot and by the time the three of us left an hour or so later, it was pretty packed.
My 7yo is not in love with dim sum yet, so it was me and my husband working our way through the menu. There are no carts; you order on a paper menu and it comes to your table a couple at a time. There are most of the usual things I've seen in Chinatown, with a few of my favorites missing (shrimp on eggplant or on green pepper pieces.)
We had shrimp dumplings (ha gow), a shrimp-and-pea shoot dumpling (with a big fat shrimp in each), honey glazed short ribs, potstickers (pork and veg; trying to get the kid to taste something), a "country dumpling," which was seafood and vegetables. The waiter didn't really elaborate on *what* seafood, but I tasted shrimp and something funky like clam? Maybe? Also, fried shrimp egg rolls, bbq pork in pastry (again, kid, eat *something*) and egg tarts, which I am usually not a huge fan of, but it turns out when they're served warm, they're delicious to me.
The fried food was a little oilier than I like, and the skins to some of the steamed dumplings were so fragile they fell apart as soon as I picked them up with chopsticks. We also ordered pan-fried chive dumplings, which never made it to the table, but we were pretty full and they were happy to adjust the bill.
That said, we're definitely going back, hopefully with some friends so we can taste more things. The website promises all-day dim sum, though I haven't tested that yet.
Prices were on average, about $5 a dish. Our stuff ranged from $4.75 - $6.50.

http://www.minghincuisine.com/
1633 N. Naper Blvd.
(630) 799-3899
Mon - Thur, Sun: 11am - 9pm
Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm

megd wrote:Having benefitted from advice on this forum in the past, I thought it was time I contributed something of my own.
We went to the newly opened MingHin Chinese place in Naperville on Saturday on the recommendation of a Taiwanese friend who knows we like dim sum. They have locations in Chinatown, too.
Anyway, got there at 11 a.m., with a handful of cars in the parking lot and by the time the three of us left an hour or so later, it was pretty packed.

Reading your intel re: the possible crowds on a Saturday - we arrived at 11am on the dot and were seated on immediately, by the time we left around 12:15 there was a long wait -

Enjoyed everything we sampled - with one exception, the dipping sauce for the pan fried dumplings was not a hit -

Shrimp crepes - one of my favorite dim sum items - this was 1st out of the kitchen and did not disappoint -


Shrimp eggrolls- probably the thing that got snarfed the quickest - like shrimp lumpia - nice:


next up was the shrimp and pea shoot dumpling - maybe my favorite bite of the visit - large shrimp, tender dumpling, etc:


pan fried dumplings - really good version - loved the filling - dipping sauce was weak


last itme was the sticky rice in the leaf - this had a couple surprises to me inside - sausage and some salted egg yolk - in addition to the usual pork filling -


glad to have this place in the burbs as I rarely make it into Chicago nowdays - Ill be back to this spot for sure.

My wife and I made it to the naperville MingHin on Friday at about 12:30, and it was a little over a 30 minute wait to get seated. Slow service initially while they were still in the lunch rush, but things improved dramatically as the restaurant emptied a bit and the staff had some breathing room.

My wife thought several items were better than she'd had on her last several visits to the original Chinatown location: shiu mai, taro puffs and I believe the shrimp dumplings. Everything else was pretty much what we're used to, except the XO noodles which she thought were rather bland. All in all a very satisfying meal, and a great addition to the area.

I had stayed away from Two Brothers in Aurora lately because I thought the menu had become tired. Well, they've changed it, and I think it's got great possibilities. Tonight we had the pork tenderloin with horseradish crust -- very tasty and tender. The squash puree was also good. We had the pork belly tacos. The pork belly was tender, crispy and very flavorful, with onion and cilantro in corn tortillas. Very good with a squeeze of lime.

The menu has expanded appetizers and small plates. My second choice would have been duck and cheese grits. Lots of good options.

This will once again be my go-to place for pre- or apre-Paramount Theater musicals.

Also, they have expanded their non-proprietary beer list, and includes a number of hard ciders. They have also upgraded their wine list.

Two Brothers is doing a lot of interesting things, including a new concept in downtown Naperville that is presently under construction. Exciting things to come!

ucjames wrote:That said, we found a new spot we both like more - Deccan Spice in Naperville. They're in the plaza at Washington and Gartner that includes Trader Joe's and Casey's. They've become a big favorite for us for delivery with a wide range of dishes coming at a consistently enjoyable level of heat, and a firm but not overly heavy hand on the spices. It's now our preferred Indian restaurant in the western burbs by a pretty good margin. We've tried half a dozen or so curries with no misses thus far, and have also been pleased with the biryani.

Deccan Spice
192 W Gartner Rd #124
Naperville, IL 60540
(331) 702-2788

I'm beginning to worry that the seeming wealth of Desi dining options in the Western suburbs is actually yielding fair-to-middling results. Perhaps I should have taken heed to the mention of delivery in this recommendation because we had an awkward-verging-on-uncomfortable dining-in experience at Deccan Spice. The dimly lit casual bar vibe was a nice change from the bright, stately formality of some Indian restaurants (looking at you Masala). One of the first things noticed was the 100% chicken tikka- ordering demographic (sorry to continually make the comparison to Masala, which remains our standard bearer, but we are often the only gringos at that restaurant).

We were really put through the gauntlet trying to order with our cocksure server. They were out of Kingfisher, he ordered me another beer of his choice. In fact they were out of every other dish we tried to order, many of which were highlighted as house specialties– the goat haleem and the natu kodi dum biryani. This guy did not even want to recognize our intentions to order the Hyderabadi cuisine they claim to specialize in. We tried to order the Natu kodi vepadu (a house special spicy chicken dish) and he insisted "too spicy, not for you." He pointed to the "chicken curry" explaining that it was not too spicy, even though we repeatedly assured him that we liked spice. Flustered, we hastily discussed a few other options, which he interpreted as ordering and we were served at least one dish we did not realize we were committing to.

And that dish was absolutely terrible– Hariyali murgh tikka, "green colored chicken" which we briefly pondered about in relation to Khan's boti. They must not serve many plates of this dish, since it was so obviously pre-cooked and tossed on a sizzling platter, drying it out to a leathery husk. It even tasted somewhat off, we each took a bite and pushed it aside (the server asked us if we liked it and we shook our heads, still paid for it though). Worth noting– this meat was chicken thigh whereas up the street at Masala, our favorite kebab is prepared with boneless skinless breast, which they consistently turn out piping hot and as juicy as can be.

The other two dishes fared better. One was a chicken curry he ordered for us, claiming it was a Hyderabadi specialty, Chettinad chicken, which had a nicely reduced onion-based gravy and was spiced heavily with warm spices like clove. When I remarked to the server that we liked the curry he replied "I know, that's why I ordered it for you". Goat dum biryani had nicely spiced and fatted rice, though the paltry chunks of goat were not tender/ verging on dry. I skipped ordering Mirch ka salan from the veg entree section (stand alone dish or condiment for biryani?) since "salan" was offered as a side with the dum biryani dishes. Maybe I misinterpreted this shorthand, since the ramekin of super watery greenish grey mystery fluid we were served had no flavor whatsoever.

Hit or miss food and comically horrendous service, my wife emphatically decried that she'd never go back. If maybe I could figure out when and if they do prepare haleem and other Hyderabadi dishes fresh to order, I might consider giving it another crack.

I'm now down to three spots on my western Desi list and my hopes of finding anything better than Masala are fading.

Alright, piling on here today, not to be Debbie Downer, but just trying to make due with what's available on my new turf.

One very surprising result of the Hungry Hound's pizza quest was the high top 5 rankings of Pizza Barra in Oak Brook– #1 for deep dish (suburbs) and #1 for Chicagoland artisan thin.

Now how could any joint specialize in those two disparate styles? They also do a Chicago thin. Its owned by the Labriola bread dude, so I guess there is some cred at the table.

On outing #1 wifey wanted chewy/bready 'za, so we ordered from the "signature coal fired artisan pizza" column. My first nit– on that side of the menu they have strict no substitutions policy (which our teenaged chump of a waiter had a hard time articulating) so you're stuck with the fancy topping combos. We (she in particular) have pretty basic taste in pizza toppings and wanted red sauce/ nice motz and the closest thing to a margherita was topped with buratta. It was really good, though we would have preferred straight up bufala. The well developed/ fermented crust was some of the best out there, light, chewy, with gaping open crumb. Nit #2, these pies cost $24+ for an easily-devoured 14". But this place really seems to be going for that strip mall glitz (which I find kinda gross, nit #3). Curious about their deemed-better-than-Louisa's-by-the-Hound pan pizza, will definitely check out.

Pizza Barra
3011 Butterfield Rd, Oak Brook, IL 60523
(630) 861-6177

So we're just over a year out in our new digs. Since I work & lunch in the city + we love cooking at home, I can't complain too much about being stimulated by the suburban dining options. But at this far end of western DuPage, I'm starting to feel like I'm understanding the limitations of what's around. Our rotation has fallen into place– weekend dinners: Al's Pizza, Masala, Gen Hoe, Bien Trucha. Weekend lunch/ brunch: La Cocina de Maria, Abby's Breakfast & Lunch. Take out: Chinese Ho Cuisine. En route to the city lunch, often: Katy's.

Re: Deccan Spice in Naperville.

We were really put through the gauntlet trying to order with our cocksure server.

Yep, that was my experience, too. The server was very annoying. We were the first people in to dine on a Saturday evening, and across the very dimly-lit room we saw 2 servers (or cooks?) rise Lazarus-like from the banquettes on which they were lying.

I was not wowed by the food, either.

That location seems to be a bit of a jinx, although it is way more convenient than fighting the traffic and parking situations in downtown Naperville.

Funny you should mention Pizza Barra--I ordered a catered in lunch for 25 from Labriola last week and they included a gratis sausage pizza with the order. It was pretty decent thin crust and I thought the sausage was very good. Might have been just a touch heavy on the sauce but it wasn't sweet (one of my pet peeves). Crust was flavorable, a touch on the thicker side but still nicely crisp. I'd definitely order again. Smart marketing on their part!

Regarding Deccan Spice in Naperville

Jefe wrote: I'm beginning to worry that the seeming wealth of Desi dining options in the Western suburbs is actually yielding fair-to-middling results. Perhaps I should have taken heed to the mention of delivery in this recommendation because we had an awkward-verging-on-uncomfortable dining-in experience at Deccan Spice. The dimly lit casual bar vibe was a nice change from the bright, stately formality of some Indian restaurants (looking at you Masala). One of the first things noticed was the 100% chicken tikka- ordering demographic (sorry to continually make the comparison to Masala, which remains our standard bearer, but we are often the only gringos at that restaurant).

We were really put through the gauntlet trying to order with our cocksure server. They were out of Kingfisher, he ordered me another beer of his choice. In fact they were out of every other dish we tried to order, many of which were highlighted as house specialties– the goat haleem and the natu kodi dum biryani. This guy did not even want to recognize our intentions to order the Hyderabadi cuisine they claim to specialize in. We tried to order the Natu kodi vepadu (a house special spicy chicken dish) and he insisted "too spicy, not for you." He pointed to the "chicken curry" explaining that it was not too spicy, even though we repeatedly assured him that we liked spice. Flustered, we hastily discussed a few other options, which he interpreted as ordering and we were served at least one dish we did not realize we were committing to.

And that dish was absolutely terrible– Hariyali murgh tikka, "green colored chicken" which we briefly pondered about in relation to Khan's boti. They must not serve many plates of this dish, since it was so obviously pre-cooked and tossed on a sizzling platter, drying it out to a leathery husk. It even tasted somewhat off, we each took a bite and pushed it aside (the server asked us if we liked it and we shook our heads, still paid for it though). Worth noting– this meat was chicken thigh whereas up the street at Masala, our favorite kebab is prepared with boneless skinless breast, which they consistently turn out piping hot and as juicy as can be.

The other two dishes fared better. One was a chicken curry he ordered for us, claiming it was a Hyderabadi specialty, Chettinad chicken, which had a nicely reduced onion-based gravy and was spiced heavily with warm spices like clove. When I remarked to the server that we liked the curry he replied "I know, that's why I ordered it for you". Goat dum biryani had nicely spiced and fatted rice, though the paltry chunks of goat were not tender/ verging on dry. I skipped ordering Mirch ka salan from the veg entree section (stand alone dish or condiment for biryani?) since "salan" was offered as a side with the dum biryani dishes. Maybe I misinterpreted this shorthand, since the ramekin of super watery greenish grey mystery fluid we were served had no flavor whatsoever.

Hit or miss food and comically horrendous service, my wife emphatically decried that she'd never go back. If maybe I could figure out when and if they do prepare haleem and other Hyderabadi dishes fresh to order, I might consider giving it another crack.

I'm now down to three spots on my western Desi list and my hopes of finding anything better than Masala are fading.

I have been here twice. We had a similar experience with ordering and the waiter's spice concerns. He suggested a dish we ordered would be too spicy and my 3-year-old grandson chimed in, "I like spicy!!"

I am frequently in the area and the place always looks empty, even on a Saturday evening. I agree with the poster who thinks this location is doomed. Nothing stays in this spot for too long. The times I've been here, there are just a handful of other diners.

On both visits, the first thing I'm given is a drink menu. Both times, I've ordered a martini and both times, I'm told they have no bartender. The waiter said they had wine or shots, In other words, no mixed drinks. Which is fine, but wouldn't it be easier not to hand out the menu and then have to retract the offerings?

My son has eaten here a few times. He loves goat and he said his was a little dry and bland. Because of proximity, I will probably try this place again with a Groupon. My expectations will be lower and I won’t try to order a martini.

Frankie's Deli in the convenience strip mall north of Yorktown Shopping Center has good subs and lots of salads to choose from as well.

http://frankiesdeliyorktown.com/

Frankie's Deli
4 Convenience Center
Lombard, IL 60148
p: (630) 627-7977

If you're in Bensenville, Asti Italian Deli makes a very respectable sub. The Italian and cold roast beef are favorites especially with the very good provolone they use.

http://www.astifoods.com/
1410 E Irving Park Rd,
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 350-1874

zoid wrote:If you're in Bensenville, Asti Italian Deli makes a very respectable sub. The Italian and cold roast beef are favorites especially with the very good provolone they use.

http://www.astifoods.com/
1410 E Irving Park Rd,
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 350-1874

Glad to hear they are still around. A LONG, long time ago when it was common for IT organizations to contract their disaster recovery to outside firms we used to use Comdisco (when they were a viable concern) and so I had to head out to the burbs several times a year. Once I discovered Asti Foods close by I didn't grumble nearly as much as I knew I had a great place to head for lunch. That and the nearby Thornton's for cheaper-than-Chicago gasoline came close to offsetting the inconvenience of having to drive out there. I'm talking in the ballpark of 20 years ago so if Asti is still going then they must still be doing it right.

Kman wrote:

zoid wrote:If you're in Bensenville, Asti Italian Deli makes a very respectable sub. The Italian and cold roast beef are favorites especially with the very good provolone they use.

http://www.astifoods.com/
1410 E Irving Park Rd,
Bensenville, IL 60106
(630) 350-1874

Glad to hear they are still around. A LONG, long time ago when it was common for IT organizations to contract their disaster recovery to outside firms we used to use Comdisco (when they were a viable concern) and so I had to head out to the burbs several times a year. Once I discovered Asti Foods close by I didn't grumble nearly as much as I knew I had a great place to head for lunch. That and the nearby Thornton's for cheaper-than-Chicago gasoline came close to offsetting the inconvenience of having to drive out there. I'm talking in the ballpark of 20 years ago so if Asti is still going then they must still be doing it right.

Asti is till great, and they're in a new purpose built building a few blocks west of the little strip mall storefront they might have still been in when you were there 20 years ago.

Asti is definitely a good choice for subs and Italian wedding soup - absolutely delicious.
Another great sub spot is Serino's Deli at Army Trail and Rt53.

stevez wrote:
Asti is till great, and they're in a new purpose built building a few blocks west of the little strip mall storefront they might have still been in when you were there 20 years ago.

Yeah, I was there in the strip mall era; very glad to hear of a small business doing so well.

Not sure if anyone has posted about this place yet, but we tried E&S Fish Company in St. Charles when visiting the parents a few weeks ago.

Essentially it's a fish market that puts in tables and linens on Friday and Saturday night. There are a few appetizers (oysters and tuna tower were excellent on the night we went), and a few seafood mains. That being said, the chef will cook any fish or seafood that's at the market and pair it with the sides from the mains on the menu. Execution was excellent on all mains. mahi, halibut and scallops all perfectly cooked and my wife's king crab legs were impressive.

byob without any corkage fees. No dessert available. Chef is very personable (comes around frequently). Looks like they have low-key takeaway lunches as well, but have not tried.

311 N 2nd St
Ste 103
St. Charles, IL 60174

Made it in to The Burger Local in Geneva on Friday( i think they have been open since Dec.) - . located on 3rd street near the train station, etc. Nice bar and a pretty decent sized dining room - PBR on draft as well as quite a few other beers -

menu interested me - thats what got me in the door - as I dont hang out in Geneva many friday nights - deviled eggs, tater tots fried in duck fat, pierogis....? didnt get any of the above this visit as the biggest draw was their double diner burger - 2, 4 oz patties, some thin pork belly slices, fried egg, etc..

was curious how their 100% brisket burger would work out - I like brisket in a burger blend, but mixed with some other cuts.

Double Diner burger -





good stuff - one of the better burgers i have had this year - brisket patties were silky and juicy(the way only way brisket knows) - pork belly a little too smokey for the mix of other ingredients, easily pulled off and eaten on the side- at $12 a pricey burger, but one Ill get again - plus I need to get back and try some of those apps.

The Burger Local
577 S. 3rd
Geneva, IL.

http://theburgerlocal.com/

Gnarly knots now has bacon mac and cheese stuffed pretzels on Fridays among other offerings on other days of the week. Oh yummy.

Glen Ellyn's Fire and Wine has opened a place called Gia Mia Pizza Bar in Wheaton with wood fired pizzas and other small plate offerings. Both are crowded and have some interesting and good things. Fire and Wine's grilled Caesar salad is a favorite.

My go to Indian is Indian Palace in the strip mall anchored by Jewel on Geneva Road. I order Masala dosa, samosa, and other dishes from there. I also sometimes go to Masala.

My other go to for Chinese carry out is China Star on Roosevelt Road in Wheaton. I always order the same thing. Egg rolls, pot stickers, hunan chicken and vegetable fried rice. The hunan chicken is loaded with fresh vegetables, slightly spicy black bean sauce and nice white meat chicken pieces. I can't vouch for other dishes. No real eat in, they do have a table but I wouldn't suggest it.

Good sandwiches and soups at Ginorio's deli in Winfield. Sandwiches on specials include Caprese, and muffalatta as well as others. Limited hours. Some limited but good baked goods. Liked the cheesecake and the biscotti.

Went to Village Pub in Carol Stream after resisting it ...not my cup of tea but they do have some good food there and supposedly a good fish fry. Its pub food and beyond. My hubby's burger was good and I had the country fried chicken. It came with real mashed potatoes and cream gravy, corn and salad. You get a full meal here of good eating at a reasonable price, nothing fancy or high end but you won't leave hungry.

Don't recommend Manhattans in the same neighborhood. Bad food.

For a chain I like California Pizza Kitchen. I know laughable for folks on this board but it does have a varied menu and I love the Moroccan salad. They have great meal sized salads.

I have not been able to get into Ming Hin...way too crowded when I went. Must try again. I also had no luck at Schmalz Deli...went on St. Patricks day and there were over fifty people in line...they must be selling something good.