More Fun Down River - Jolietathon II

There are all sorts of pleasures in eating experiences. There is the canoodle with your honey; meals made special from the libations alongside; high rollin' steak with buddies in Vegas; a work dinner closing a big project. Walking into lone restaurant on an industrial stretch of Roosevelt and finding the best restaurant in Chicagoland means something as does a multi-course degustation. Still, I find special pleasure, as I noted the other day, in sitting down with a bunch of likeminded folks and ordering for all of you, a few steak sandwiches, extra garlic butterine, and a side of relishes. Anyone can have a good meal, but hounding is about having it all at the table. Follow a very special Mexican meal with steaks coated in garlic butter. It is possible.

We had it all last week in another adventure down river from Chicago: hand made caramels and caramel apples from Dan's, very special chicken legs in green mole and beef with green tomato at Ameer Tapatio and steak sammy's, extra butterine (and three relishes) at Merichka's. I would say that the scenery along IL Route 83 alongside the Des Plaines River is suprisingly, gorgeously, bluff-y, and the food in and near Joliet is well worth the schlep.

I am incapable of heading toward Joliet without stopping at Honey Fluff Donut's, especially as they have a special of $3.50 for a dozen donuts after 2 PM. I negotiated hard to include a portion or apple fritters, the LTH house treat it seems, in my dozen. We settled on 8 "real" donuts and 2 fritters. Unfortunately, these donuts tasted like they were priced to go, not a showcase at all. My donut stop put me behind schedule, and my pleasure in taking the slow way, put me even further behind. I missed entirely Dan's Candy, benefiting, however, from Dickson's proxy purchases and SteveZ's pictures.

Dan's Candy:



I would say of Dan's, great caramel apples, great plain caramels, so-so caramel with nuts. For whatever reason, the caramels with nuts had a distracting chemicalish flavor.

On to Ameer Tapatio. As much pleasure as Ameer Tapatio gave me, I could not avoid some frustration. After the house-made salsas, after the salad, after the guisado of beef and fresh green tomato, after the 12th plate of home made tortillas, but during the wonderfully complex green mole, it boiled over. How could any summary of Mexican restaurants in Chicagoland, as Chicago Magazine recently attempted, skip this place. Sure, there was no lavish tequillas menu, and I do not think any of the workers knew Rick Bayless, but this place should be included. First of all, it is no secret at this point. Mugs did the hard work, finding this gem amongst the strip malls on the road out to the prison. It has been written about often on Chowhound and LTHForum. Second, it is truly fine Mexican food. You do not walk into a strip mall restaurant and normally expect a mole composed of about 10 ingredients including romaine lettuce, radish greens, pumpkin seeds and tomatillo's. And at that same dinner to have another sauce made with the linguistically similar but very different (botany speaking) green tomato. I am sorry. My anger at Dennis Wheaton diminished ever so slightly, my pleasure.

Here's the res entomado (beef in a sauce of green tomatoes)



And the chicken legs in green mole



We moved quickly upon the closure of Ameer Tapatio to Merichka's. I s'pose at one point, Merichka's was roadhouse in the mold of the late Horwath's, but like Horwath's, it is now surrounded by development. Merichka's menu of steaks, relishes, cracker baskets and $3 mixed drinks remains very old school. The house specialty at Merichka's is butterine, a mixture, we think, of butter, margarine, and fresh garlic. As much butterine as you can handle glistens the bread on the house steak sandwich. You can also get a hamburger done butterine style, which of course we did. Steak dinners come with relishes, but we had to order them on the side. Pickled beets, kidney beans and cottage cheese, the always amazing ReneG amazed me by downing a good portion of that cottage cheese with his steak sammy. I did not notice if doused it in butterine. We dispersed quickly back up river.



Sorry, I do not have the addresses handy. Also, SteveZ, do you know why some of the pictures are not coming out well? Perhaps, it is better to see the pictures here:
http://www.nicegraphics.com/chow/joliet_preview/

Rob

Dan's Homemade Candy
229 E Cass St
Joliet
(815) 723-3844

Amanacer Tapatio
573 Collins St
Joliet
(815) 727-4001

Merichka's
604 Theodore St
Shorewood, IL
(815) 723-9371

Nice post, VI. Here are bigger versions of the pictures you posted. I would also like to add that, in addition to the carmel products you mentioned, the chocolates at Dan's were outstanding. I sampled some of the chocolate creams and found them to be of the highest quality and taste. I spotted quite a few boxes of Blommer's chocolate stacked on shelves, ready to be turned into various treats, but they definately only use the Blommer's as a base. Judging by the taste and consistancy, they add their own additional ingredients. Everything in the shop is made by hand on the premises except for the sugar-free chocolates, which they outsource.

Dan's Candy


Dan's Carmel Apples


Res Entomado


Chicken Legs in Green Mole


Merichka's...Home of Garlic Butterine

Thanks for the excellent reports and good companionship. I do have a couple of comments to add, surprise!

The nuts in Dan's caramels are Black Walnuts. The lovely ladies at Dan's will warn you that you need to try these nuts as they are different, with a very distinct flavor, and some like them; some do not. Dan's caramel is blissful, at least in part because it is by far the freshest caramel I ever eat, but the candy is also very good as Steve noted. It is also of note that those caramel apples apparently played a role in House Speaker Dennis Hastert's ascent, as he always bought a bunch for all his friends and supporters every year. To this day, I believe they play a role as some sort of currency in the Illinois legislature, and Dan's reports that they make over 100,000 caramel apples over 2 months each fall. You can still get them through October.

Merischka's is, for me, about atmosphere. The food is decidedly old school, and shows all the subtlety and touch of a door slammed in your face. It is a fun place, but not really good food, for me.

Amanacer, however, I will now nominate as the best restaurant in Chicago. Every time I go, they offer different dishes. Each time at least one of the dishes is excellent, and memorable, while the others are almost always very well done. A roasted chicken in a light poblano sauce, almost French in its restraint. Carne en su Jugo, done perfectly. A spicier beef soup on another occasion. Tortas de Camarones. Pollo con crema. Perfect Chilaquiles. And now this green mole with chicken that had depths and layers of flavor and texture that just continued to develop.

I cannot think of any other place I would prefer to eat today, and I count myself lucky to live just 25 minutes away from Monica's house of culinary delights.

Thanks to all who came all this way.

dicksond wrote: Dan's caramel is blissful, at least in part because it is by far the freshest caramel I ever eat, but the candy is also very good as Steve noted.

While Dan's caramel is certainly fresh, I would not go so far as to say they are the best I have ever had. I recently had some caramels at The Cherry Hut in Bulah, MI that were divine. Having just had them the week before hitting Dan's, the ones at Dan's paled in comparison. That's not to say that Dan's aren't very good, they just didn't hit that caramel G spot for me.

I'm glad I was able to attend the second Jolietathon. However, this time the delights from Dan's and Amanacer drew me in too deep. The apple first dipped in caramel, rolled in walnuts, and then covered in semi-sweet chocolate was divine. The guacamole served at amanacer tantalized my tastebuds with anticipation for the meal to come. The salsa verde as a salad dressing (yes Hammond I like salad) was a refreshing idea, and the green mole with its depth of flavors wrapped my mouth in a warm blanket of delight. Let's not forget the tortillas made as you watch and delivered immediately, or the beans made with REAL lard.

My only disappointment was the fact that I ate so much before we got to Merichka's. I was too full to fully enjoy the garlic butterine as it dripped from my chin. Maybe next time we can do a dive restaurant/candy shop outing, though mainly as an excuse to go to the candy shop. Surprisingly enough I rarely eat sweets, but have been craving another apple ever since.

Flip

so what's the difference between a $4.50 caramel apple and a $1.50 caramel apple at Dan's?

'Poor Boy', not 'steak sandwich'! Great, now I want one.

Any chance of a 2007 Jolietathon? I've been wanting to get down there for awhile. We could go for October again. What say ye, friends?

so what's the difference between a $4.50 caramel apple and a $1.50 caramel apple at Dan's?

It's the size of the apple. Having grown up in Joliet, the start of Caramel Apple Season at Dan's is always something to look forward to, and since my sister's wedding will be at the beginning of October, I think I'll be requested to bring a batch of them out west for all the out-of-state family members to enjoy.

I still haven't made it to Amanecer Tapatio, though I'm hoping to get there sometime before the end of the year.

When i was a young lawyer my boss used to make me go down to Joliet to cover court calls and try cases. Over the years I have probably spent 30 days total in various hotels in town (most recently Harrahs) when I have been on trial. Rather then schlep back and forth to Chicago and now highland Park, I just live down in Joliet when I have to be there for more then one day in a row.

I am shocked to find reports of chow worthy cuisine in J-Town (I guess I just never bothered to look very far beyond the subway across from the courthouse). I am also very excited for my next trip down to Joliet. I am so used to eating at the keg or IHop, I dont know what i will do with myself. Is there anywhere worthwhile on or around the courthouse (Jefferson St) downtown? Thank you for ferreting out some places for me to try next time I am away from home.

AHHH....Merichka's....Takes me back to my six-year stint in Joliet back in the day. Merichka's was one of my favorite Joliet restaurants back then. I've always wondered if they were still there, still dousing everything in that wonderful garlic butter. Glad to hear they're still there. But, fyi, the restaurant is in Crest Hill, not Shorewood:

Merichka's
604 Theodore St
Crest Hill, IL 60403
(815) 723-9371

Josephine wrote:Any chance of a 2007 Jolietathon? I've been wanting to get down there for awhile. We could go for October again. What say ye, friends?

Josephine,

All you need to do is post in the Events Board. If noboxy signs up, go and enjoy the great food yourself. Frequently, you will find smaller groups visiting some of the locations mentioned on a whim.

For me October isn't looking to good for a visit to Joliet. With the wedding and honeymoon, I'll be out of town 3 of the 4 weeks. If you are interested in visiting Amanacer for lunch on a Saturday or Sunday just PM me. The B2B loves her some Mexican on the weekends.

Flip

I spent several years in Joliet but they never let us out for dinner.

Aside from the savory poorboys, the salad with blue cheese dressing is a hit in my book. My wife loves the house dressing wihich is a bit like Russian- I believe they still sell bottles of both dressings at the restaurant. The onion rings are tasty as well, particularly if you prefer a more thick, flaky ring, with a higher onion to breading ratio.

Son of Souvlaki wrote:Aside from the savory poorboys, the salad with blue cheese dressing is a hit in my book. My wife loves the house dressing wihich is a bit like Russian- I believe they still sell bottles of both dressings at the restaurant. The onion rings are tasty as well, particularly if you prefer a more thick, flaky ring, with a higher onion to breading ratio.

The last time I visited they sold both dressings as well as tubs of the Garlic butterine.

Flip

Thanks for pushing this back up. I would be open to a Dan's, Amanacer, and Merichka's tour. Don't think the Bride has ever made it to Merichka's.

Merichka's also has very cheap, house pour old school cocktails ($3 martinis if I remember rightly) which along with the relish tray and general atmosphere are quite conducive to a mellowly retro evening. On the other hand, the steak po' boy and garlic butterine please more me more in concept than reality.

Any recent feedback of Merichka's, I am planning a lunchtime visit on Saturday after I get my truck an oil change in Joliet.

Other than the steak poor boy, and the onion rings what are the items to try?

was out in joliet today so i stopped at a old school place i have been stopping at for 15 years or so.

only ever had 2 sammies here . but today got all of this to go
1- is the poorboy with amercian cheese.
the steak is dipped in garlic butter & serviced on garlic french bread
outstanding
2-yodel burger serviced with swiss cheeseon garlic french bread
also outstanding

also got a small order onionrings ,they are hugh onion's
& a relish tray(bean salad,cottage cheese ,pasta salad)
& pepsi 30 bucks


merichkas
604 theodore st.
crest hill,il.
815-723-9371

Hi,

I was in Joliet a few weeks ago following the Old Route 66. Of course, Merichka's is always brought up for the inexpensive drinks and the butterine (garlic butter) offered there.

Regards,

jimswside wrote:Any recent feedback of Merichka's, I am planning a lunchtime visit on Saturday after I get my truck an oil change in Joliet.

Other than the steak poor boy, and the onion rings what are the items to try?

one of the few misses I have read about on LTH, . I found the food pretty bad, even the signature garlicky po' boy. Haven't been back.

My wife wanted to kick my ass for going here instead of Amanacer Tapatio that day in 2007, I wanted to kick my own ass.

jimswside wrote:
one of the few misses I have read about on LTH, . I found the food pretty bad, even the signature garlicky po' boy. Haven't been back.

My wife wanted to kick my ass for going here instead of Amanacer Tapatio that day in 2007, I wanted to kick my own ass.

I agree. Merichka's has never been anything more than a novelty act for me. The only reason to go is to be able to ask for garlic butterine. I don't even care if I eat it.

stevez wrote:

dicksond wrote: Dan's caramel is blissful, at least in part because it is by far the freshest caramel I ever eat, but the candy is also very good as Steve noted.

While Dan's caramel is certainly fresh, I would not go so far as to say they are the best I have ever had. I recently had some caramels at The Cherry Hut in Bulah, MI that were divine. Having just had them the week before hitting Dan's, the ones at Dan's paled in comparison. That's not to say that Dan's aren't very good, they just didn't hit that caramel G spot for me.

id like to try these caramels you mention steve, I ran thorugh these caramels I bought @ Dans within hours, frickin magnificent:

Based on this thread, I hit Dan's Homemade Candy this past Friday. It reminded me of the long lost Ideal Candy on Clark street in Chicago (used to live around the corner). They have a nice selection of chocolates with basic flavors. No chiles, no herbs, just the old fashioned stuff like nuts and cream fillings. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly. I go to Joliet once a month, and the Route 30 store is right on my route. Thanks to all for the recommendation.

Jonah