Libertyville eats?

This Friday morning I'll be driving from my northside home up to the hinterlands of Libertyville to drop my car off for service. It _should_ be a relatively short (couple hours) of service, assuming I get there early enough to have my car be one of the first to be worked on.

I'll be at Bernard's Chevrolet, 1001 S. Milwaukee. Any breakfast options nearby? Any noteable food, breakfast or otherwise, in case it runs longer and I take the train back downtown and return in afternoon/early evening?

Really just looking for potential time-killing outlets other than the dealership waiting room, where typically a TV is blaring out something like Springer/Geraldo/Jenny/etc.
TIA

Kman wrote:This Friday morning I'll be driving from my northside home up to the hinterlands of Libertyville to drop my car off for service. It _should_ be a relatively short (couple hours) of service, assuming I get there early enough to have my car be one of the first to be worked on.

I'll be at Bernard's Chevrolet, 1001 S. Milwaukee. Any breakfast options nearby? Any noteable food, breakfast or otherwise, in case it runs longer and I take the train back downtown and return in afternoon/early evening?

Really just looking for potential time-killing outlets other than the dealership waiting room, where typically a TV is blaring out something like Springer/Geraldo/Jenny/etc.
TIA

There is a Walker Brothers pancake house just off Milwaukee in Lincolnshire. I'm not too sure how far away that is, but waiting for one of their apple pancakes to cook could be just the time waster you are looking for

My handle used to be "JimInLibertyville," and I can recommend a spot you could probably walk to from the Chevy dealer: Bagels by the Book. Very good on-premises bagel bakery, and the kicker is the breakfast bagel sandwiches. Made to order on a tiny griddle that probably still has the grease from the last one I ordered there over a year ago. I always favored the bacon, cheese and egg sandwich on a cornmeal or salt bagel. (By the way, Bagels by the Book's gimmick used to be that the place was a literal library, with thousands of rummage sale books on shelves that you could borrow, if you promised to bring them back. Last time I was there the books had gone.)

(If you had a car, I'd tell you to go downtown to Townee Square, a Greek diner that would be more satisfying for you.)

Bagels by the Book
870 S Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone: (847) 367-7811

Thanks! Bagels by the Book sounds like a real winner. Yeah, since I'll be on foot (or PACE) I realize the scope of my area is rather limited, and I honestly don't have any familiarity with the immediate area. For those that wonder why I'm traveling all the way up there when there are a zillion Chevy dealers it's simple - trust. The 'vette mechanic there is very well respected and somebody I absolutely trust to do the right thing, and (sadly) it's really hard to find that these days. I will give back, though, and post my findings on any of the places I visit. Since I'll be dropping the car off when they open at 6:30-7:00 AM the steer to Bagels bt Book sounds like a real winner.

Gee,Kman,we are anxiously waiting for that report!I pass through that area occassionally.

Hi,

JiminLoganSquare has several times mentioned the quality of breakfast bagel sandwiches at Bagels by the Book in Libertyville. When he suggested it was even better than McDonald’s Steak and Egg Bagel sandwich, this really got my attention as I really love that sandwich.

This morning came just a little too bright and early due to our with our longer days. Wide awake and nothing to do, I decided even though it was Sunday, an early breakfast in Libertyville would hit the spot. Just to get a broader picture, I invited my Mother and cousin to come along for the ride.

Before departing, I checked Jim’s recommendations for bacon, cheese and egg sandwich on a cornmeal or salt bagel. When I arrived they were down to the last cornmeal bagel and maybe a half dozen salt bagels. I scanned the menu, then decided to go for Jim’s favored combo on a cornmeal bagel, which I shared with my Mother who ordered a sausage variant of the same with the salt bagel. My cousin ordered an egg and cheese on a spinach bagel, which he said did taste of spinach.

Salt Bagel with egg, cheese and sausage


Their method of preparation is to toast the bagels, then cook the eggs like an omelet enclosing the cheese and put any meat on the bottom. This had the advantage of more cheese on your sandwich without it squishing out all over the place.

Spinach Bagel with egg, cheese and sausage


I especially like the cornmeal bagel, which was firm and chewy, though my Mom found it dry. She had no such complaint for her salt bagel, which was just a bit moister from the fat in the sausage. She tends toward a dry mouth which makes her more sensitive than most.

Cornmeal Bagel with egg, cheese and bacon


They also offer bagel lunch sandwiches such as pastrami, corned beef, peanut butter and jelly.

This is a very nice find. Not destination dining, though I would certainly beeline when I am in the area. Thanks Jim for unearthing this for us.

Bagels by the Book
870 S Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone: (847) 367-7811
Monday-Friday: 6 AM - 2:30 PM
Saturday: 7 AM - 2 PM
Sunday: 7 AM - 12 PM

Ah, sweet validation! Glad they've kept up the quality at Bagels by the Book; I haven't been in over a year. As you say, Cathy, it's not a destination dining spot by any stretch (in Libertyville, that would be Tavern, Firkin and/or Bottaio). But it was always nice having them there when I lived there and, as Kman's original post suggests, it's a great spot to hit if you find yourself stranded on the Libertyville/S. Milwaukee Avenue automobile row waiting for a repair, etc.

Hi,

I had a day long meeting in Libertyville. It was a great opportunity to visit Bagels by the Book twice in one day.

Breakfast was an everything bagel with an egg, bacon and Swiss cheese. Lunch was Boar's Head roast beef with tomato, lettuce, onion and mustard on an everything bagel. I had hoped they might have a horseradish cream sauce, but no dice.

On both visits, I ordered my meal and then a long line gathered behind me. All my past visits were at sleepy times, so it was great to see this place supported by locals.

Regards,
Cathy2

Dang, right next door to where I get my hair cut. Never have gone in--now I'll have to.

You know, right up the street from there is a weekly go-to of mine, a Hub's-ish Greek-tinged establishment named Fodrak's. BBQ half-chicken over Greek salad is a favorite for the carb avoiders. Best gyros in Lake County, moist and flavorful.

What did they say on Seinfeld? "It's NOT fast food--it's good food served quickly!"

Fodrak's
327 S. Milwaukee Ave.
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 816-8111
http://www.fodraks.com

I’ve had the gyro at Fodraks. It’s not bad. But I prefer Nikko's Grecian Grill.

310 Townline Road
Mundelein

While Not in Libertyville, it is in Lake Country.

D.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

JiminLoganSquare has several times mentioned the quality of breakfast bagel sandwiches at Bagels by the Book in Libertyville. When he suggested it was even better than McDonald’s Steak and Egg Bagel sandwich, this really got my attention as I really love that sandwich.

This morning came just a little too bright and early due to our with our longer days. Wide awake and nothing to do, I decided even though it was Sunday, an early breakfast in Libertyville would hit the spot. Just to get a broader picture, I invited my Mother and cousin to come along for the ride.

Before departing, I checked Jim’s recommendations for bacon, cheese and egg sandwich on a cornmeal or salt bagel. When I arrived they were down to the last cornmeal bagel and maybe a half dozen salt bagels. I scanned the menu, then decided to go for Jim’s favored combo on a cornmeal bagel, which I shared with my Mother who ordered a sausage variant of the same with the salt bagel. My cousin ordered an egg and cheese on a spinach bagel, which he said did taste of spinach.

Salt Bagel with egg, cheese and sausage


Their method of preparation is to toast the bagels, then cook the eggs like an omelet enclosing the cheese and put any meat on the bottom. This had the advantage of more cheese on your sandwich without it squishing out all over the place.

Spinach Bagel with egg, cheese and sausage


I especially like the cornmeal bagel, which was firm and chewy, though my Mom found it dry. She had no such complaint for her salt bagel, which was just a bit moister from the fat in the sausage. She tends toward a dry mouth which makes her more sensitive than most.

Cornmeal Bagel with egg, cheese and bacon


They also offer bagel lunch sandwiches such as pastrami, corned beef, peanut butter and jelly.

This is a very nice find. Not destination dining, though I would certainly beeline when I am in the area. Thanks Jim for unearthing this for us.

Bagels by the Book
870 S Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone: (847) 367-7811
Monday-Friday: 6 AM - 2:30 PM
Saturday: 7 AM - 2 PM
Sunday: 7 AM - 12 PM

Bagels By The Books Will Close

https://patch.com/illinois/libertyville ... will-close

In May, the little 14-table shop sold 6,869 breakfast sandwiches as well as 9,374 bagels, the Daily Herald reports.

Little said a disagreement between her and the landlord of the location is what led to her decision to not renew her lease and to close. She does not have any immediate plans to reopen elsewhere, according to the article.

Maybe they can move to the shuttered Bahn Mi store?

Cathy2

This thread caught my eye today.

Visit Bagels by the Book soon. I read this morning that they will be closing soon after a long run.

I want to recommend a great, fresh 1+ year old local spot that my wife and I both love. Their lunches and dinners are fantastic, and keeping with the theme of this thread, their breakfast is worth enjoying if in the Libertyville area, and just 4 or 5 blocks North of the mentioned Chevy dealership.

Dos Amigos
101 Rockland Rd
Libertyville, IL
(corner of Rockland Rd and Rt 21/Milwaukee Ave)

I can't speak for evything on the breakfast menu, but do recommend both the cecina and eggs, and the chilaquiles. We do have a few go-to mexican restaurants, but dos amigos always tastes so fresh to us. It has a very local feel to it, friendly staff and owners, casual setting. Everything tastes made to order. While not on the menu, huevos rancheros are available if requested (when I inquired).

As a side note, at lunch and dinner, they do charge for chips, but outstanding chips and guac are worth the cost.

Hi,

Drove past Bánh Mì Báguette in Libertyville to see a open sign flashing. I turned around to see for myself if this could possibly be true. IN the window was a sign stating, 'Opening Soon.' Inside there was a table full of people who were being served Bahn Mi.

I walked into their very first day of operation since last summer. This place is owned by the same people who own Pho House. The only person behind the counter is a part owner of Pho House. The menu has expanded to at least a half dozen Pho bowls.

They closed last summer because they were unhappy with the performance of the guy assigned to run it. They fully intended to open sooner, but they were occupied with the business at their other restaurant.

I'd already had lunch, though I expect to be back sooner than later. As I left, they removed the 'Opening Soon' sign.

Bánh Mì Báguette
212 S Milwaukee Ave.
Libertyville, IL 60048
(224) 424-4940
https://www.facebook.com/BanhmiBaguetteLibertyville/

Bert's Deli in Libertyville takes my vote.


CSD

Ha ha! That was fun to watch. Thanks.

Sorry, I still hold a grudge against Bert’s. I was there having a sandwich when the couple at the next table lit up. I complained and was told if it bothered me, there were tables outside.

This was probably 20 years ago or so, can’t remember. But I do remember it was a State law at the time. Haven’t been back.

D.

The sandwich I had at Burt's Deli (the one time I was there) was paltry compared to the one in the video linked above. I wasn't wowed by the place in any way, and have never returned. Even living in Lake County, that was a long trip to make for food that was nothing special.

Fwiw, from Wikipedia.org:

The Smoke Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82; Public Act 095-0017) is a comprehensive anti-smoking law that took effect in Illinois on January 1, 2008, and bans smoking inside most buildings and vehicles used by the general public, used as a place of employment, or owned by the government or other public body.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The sandwich I had at Burt's Deli (the one time I was there) was paltry compared to the one in the video linked above. I wasn't wowed by the place in any way, and have never returned.

I totally agree. Burt's is nothing special. If I want good deli I will make the trip to Skokie for Kaufman's.

Guess I got my timeline wrong. I know that at the time they kicked me out, the law was in effect.

D.

dodger wrote:Guess I got my timeline wrong. I know that at the time they kicked me out, the law was in effect.

D.

Either way, just brutal and not a feather in their cap.

=R=

Cathy2 wrote:Bánh Mì Báguette
212 S Milwaukee Ave.
Libertyville, IL 60048
(224) 424-4940
https://www.facebook.com/BanhmiBaguetteLibertyville/

Hi,

Stopped by last night for a quick Bánh Mì on my way to a meeting. The list of pho options has been taken down. It will return in a month.

My Korean BBQ Bánh Mì was delicious and the roll crackly crunchy.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Bánh Mì Báguette
212 S Milwaukee Ave.
Libertyville, IL 60048
(224) 424-4940
https://www.facebook.com/BanhmiBaguetteLibertyville/

Hi,

Stopped by last night for a quick Bánh Mì on my way to a meeting. The list of pho options has been taken down. It will return in a month.

My Korean BBQ Bánh Mì was delicious and the roll crackly crunchy.

Regards,
Cathy2

Hi,

Paper on the windows suggest they have finally given up on this place.

Regards,
Cathy2

Doesn't surprise me. It was ill-fated, a tiny (but clean) stripmall storefront that doesn't stand out on a very busy street, and whenever I've gone in--usually late afternoon--to grab a sandwich and iced coffee (whatacombo!) I've always been the solitary customer.

As I may have said in a previous post, Cathy, this place was owned by the same folks that run Pho House, south on Milwaukee about a mile on the other side of the street. Vietnamese food is fair to good if we're comparing to similar establishments throughout Chicagoland, but for the far northern suburbs it is pretty darn good. And the banh mi sandwiches are sourced from the same vendors, so they'll be the same as the now-shuttered storefront.

Since the topic is 'Libertyville Eats', however, I have found Curry Leaf, a Kerala-based Indian storefront on Peterson Road open for 4 months, to be reasonably-priced and very good. Have tried the chicken vindaloo, chana masala and palak paneer, along with a wonderful jeeri rice (jasmine with golden raisins & cumin). Only 3 tables and a counter, basically for carry-out. I'd like others to try Curry Leaf out to get more perspective.

Curry Leaf Indian Restaurant
271 Peterson Road
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 281-7595

Cathy2 wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Bánh Mì Báguette
212 S Milwaukee Ave.
Libertyville, IL 60048
(224) 424-4940
https://www.facebook.com/BanhmiBaguetteLibertyville/

Hi,

Stopped by last night for a quick Bánh Mì on my way to a meeting. The list of pho options has been taken down. It will return in a month.

My Korean BBQ Bánh Mì was delicious and the roll crackly crunchy.

Regards,
Cathy2

Hi,

Paper on the windows suggest they have finally given up on this place.

Regards,
Cathy2

Drove by this evening, it appears they are continuing to try to make this Bahn Mi place on Milwaukee Ave in Libertyville come back. There were sodas cooling in the fridge. The place looks like it is ready to go, if it has not already.

The hours on the door indicate 10 am to 10 pm, though at 8:30 pm they were closed.

Someone really wants this to work.

Regards,
Cathy2

jnm123 wrote:I'd like others to try Curry Leaf out to get more perspective.

Curry Leaf Indian Restaurant
271 Peterson Road
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 281-7595

Thanks for the reminder about Curry Leaf, Jay. I'd suggest an LTH North lunch there if it weren't too small a place for our group. But I plan to try it out myself soon.

Not Curry Leaf specific, but news to me: Funny thing just happened when I tried to look at Yelp to see comments on Curry Leaf. This was on the yelp.com website in a Chrome browser (i.e., not a Yelp app). The default view is Yelp Sort. I tried to change the view to Newest First. I was able to see the newest review for a fraction of a second before the page refreshed and displayed Yelp Sort again. This happened three times. Then I tried to see Oldest First. Then Highest Rated. Then Lowest Rated. Then Elites. Each time, the page refreshed and reverted to Yelp Sort.

Whatever way they're sorted, however, Curry Leaf has a 4.5 star rating based on 29 reviews.

Katie--

I'm not as much a keeper of the sword of Damocles as our esteemed coordinator Dave148, whose acute going-out-of-business smeller is so honed in, he can actually determine when a restaurant is going to close its doors before it even opens for its first day of business...

...but last couple times to Curry Leaf, the sauces/gravies are still good--vibrant & unique, but they are getting quite sparing on the amount of chicken, or goat, or shrimp in the entree. That ain't a good sign to me, and could spell its ultimate demise.

Can't imagine they'll pick up some of the 7 Spices closing business, all the way down in Vernon Hills. But I don't think Libertyville has another Indian restaurant of any kind, and going north to the IL/WI border...fuggetaboutit. An ethnic wasteland, except for decent Mexican.

jnm123 wrote:
But I don't think Libertyville has another Indian restaurant of any kind, and going north to the IL/WI border...fuggetaboutit. An ethnic wasteland, except for decent Mexican.

There are at least 3 Indian/Pak restaurants in Gurnee:
Desi Dhaaba - 3900 Washington St.
Biryani Pointe - 5414 Grand
Shalimar - 410 N. Riverside Dr.

Can only speak to Biryani Pointe, and it was good.

HI,

Driving through downtown Libertyville, my roving eye detected the word, "Dumplings." I drove back to find a soon to be born business promising dumplings.

It is on Milwaukee Ave, north of 176 and on the west side of the street in a multi-unit storefront after the gas station.

Dangela’s Dumplings COMING SOON
133 N Milwaukee Ave

Hoping it may be an Asian chain new-to-me, I did a little search to find the name is already trademarked.

Let's hope it opens soon and is terrific, because I'd just be so thrilled.

As for the Bahn Mi store just south of 176, you're are right it seems to morphing into a meatball sub type place. Of course, it is never open whenever I pass.

Regards,
Cathy2

Going to be in downtown Libertyville Saturday afternoon. Any food-centric suggestions as to unique stores or places to eat? Will be driving from southeast to northwest by highway or Milwaukee Ave. and I think weather is going to be horrible. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you.