Big Dog Restaurant, 4503 N. Kedzie

Out of place on this stretch of ethnic shops, restaurants and bakeries, this seemingly standard hot dog joint might have a tough time making it. I hope it survives, because "standard" is not at all what Big Dog turns out to be. It's a Balkan-owned shop (my guess based on accents, but I don't really know) that justifiably touts food that is "carefully prepared" and "all homemade". I ordered the "Homemade Hamburger" which might have traditionalists crying foul, but I thought it was delicious. More of a meatloaf than a burger, the patty had a mix of coarse-ground veal and beef, along with minced onions, plenty of black pepper and other seasonings. It was cooked medium or medium-well and remained very juicy. I got to watch the speaks-barely-a-whiff-of-English proprietress hand peel potatoes and cut them with a hand-crank machine before dropping them into the fryer and seasoning them expertly when they came out. The fries were limp, but had excellent potato flavor enhanced by liberally-applied salt.

The Big Dog menu also boasts "Our famous Veal Parmesan," an oven baked chicken "with special ingredients" and other things that sound worth trying. I definitely plan to return.

Big Dog Restaurant
4503 N. Kedzie
773-267-6721

Could the hamburger really have been plescavica?

And this is why I don't listen to traditionalists.

Thanks for the report. This place is very close by and deserves a try. Good call on the accent. According to Metromix, it's Serbian.

nr706 wrote:Could the hamburger really have been plescavica?

Certainly similar, perhaps identical to some plescavica recipes. It was served on an American-style toasted hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato and raw onions.