Chuck's Southern Cooking Cafe

On 79th Street in Burbank (a southern suburb) a small restaurant called Chuck's features some fine ribs, and a few dishes from the deep south. Their seafood gumbo is excellent, if a bit spicy. Their crab cakes are outstanding. The restaurant is on the Central Avenue corner of 79th.

It's a stand alone place, not a franchise. I was really amused as I was about to leave by the display case which has more than 100 different kinds of hot sauce, all of them for sale. "Colon Killer" was one of the names. Others were far more colorful.

Chuck's has a web site. It's chuckscafe.com

Hi,

I was just looking at the daily specials listed on their website. BTW - I tried to highlight and copy a few special names to avoid mis-spelling, the text is locked and does not permit copying. A somewhat short sighted practice when someone wants to share information and perhaps attract a customer.

If Burbank were a bit closer to my neck of the woods, I would be interested in casually checking out a few of their specials: smoked corned beef I have had once at someone's home, smoked turkey is another, Curry a la Paul Prudhomme, California Fish Tacos, a Tamale Oaxacan style and later in the month a Thai Beef Salad; a wider than expected range for a restaurant's daily specials.

Yesterday at Culinary Historians, the guest speaker was Michael Lomonaco, who hosts Travel channel's Epicurious. He has also been a Chef at Club 21 and Windows on the World at the World Trade Towers. Lomanoco said something which whispered in my mind while reading the daily specials of this restaurant in Burbank. Not surprisingly, he said the creative outlet for the kitchen is in the daily specials. Sometimes the specials are there to test drive a potential new menu item, but often it is outlet from the tedium of repetitious preparation of the standard menu.

For me anyway, it offers an appreciation for daily specials I never possessed. I always consider specials as a nod to regulars who may want to consider something different from the standard menu.

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe
5557 West 79th Street
Burbank, IL
Tel: 708/229-8700
(I could not even highlight and copy this address from Chuck's website!!!)

Sounds like a cool place ... that is located 2-3 miles south of Midway Airport. Maybe I'll check it out next month as I am flying out of the Chicago-Gary Airport December 23rd.

I have to agree that the locked feature really turns me off. Generally, I cut and paste pertinent info into a Word document and save it in my files.

I had no trouble copying and pasting text from this site.
I'm using Safari from my Apple.

Asada Chimichanga - grilled flank steak, Chihuahua cheese, roasted peppers and onions, inside a fried burrito. Served on a bed of our famous red mole with rice and beans on the side.

HI,

Maybe the code to defeat copying doesn't work with your browser. It was an inconvenience for me. I have used their 'contact us' to comment on this 'feature.'

Food Nut - did you settle on a location for your event? I miss your periodic queries. Someone went to a wedding at one of the venues you were considering, the Jacob Henry mansion in Joliet I believe. Someday he may even post a few pictures and comment on the food.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

Maybe the code to defeat copying doesn't work with your browser. It was an inconvenience for me. I have used their 'contact us' to comment on this 'feature.'

Regards,

The code only blocks right and middle clicking in IE. Firefox and Safari (and others) are unaffected. If you want to copy from that page in IE, select the text and select Copy from the Edit menu.

here it is pasted from IE:

"Carne Asada Chimichanga - grilled flank steak, Chihuahua cheese, roasted peppers and onions, inside a fried burrito. Served on a bed of our famous red mole with rice and beans on the side."

-ed

Charlie Ptacek wrote:On 79th Street in Burbank (a southern suburb) a small restaurant called Chuck's features some fine ribs, and a few dishes from the deep south. Their seafood gumbo is excellent, if a bit spicy. Their crab cakes are outstanding. The restaurant is on the Central Avenue corner of 79th.

Charlie,

I really like Chuck's, been going there since they were open 4-months. I'd be a regular if they weren't so damn far from my house. Chuck has a way with not only BBQ, but also New Orleans and Southern style, not to mention Mexican. Chuck worked for Rick Bayless for a couple of years and it reflects in his cooking, especially Chuck's BBQ sauce. Actually, it just occurred to me that I got (stole) the idea of adding freshly toasted and ground Mexican peppers to my BBQ sauce from Chuck's sauce.

Chuck was one of the Botanic Garden Chef's Series Chefs this year as well, and was a big hit. I should add that Chuck and I are friends, we occasionally go out to dinner, though it's been awhile, and Chuck has catered our neighborhood block party for the last 6-7 years.

Coincidentally, my wife Ellen was saying just last week we really need to head out to Chuck's, maybe after T-day we should have an LTHForum outing to Chuck's.

My wife and I went with RevrendAndy a few years ago to Chuck's for Fat Tuesday, when he really goes all out. I wrote about it on the newsgroup chi.eats. which I've included with this post.

Enjoy,
Gary
--

From: G Wiv
Subject: Chuck's BBQ/Fat Tuesday (LONG)
Newsgroups: chi.eats
Date: 2001-03-05


I had an incredible Fat Tuesday dinner at Chuck's, I would venture to
say it was one of the best New Orleans style meals I have ever had. I
have long said that Chuck needs a larger canvas for his work, and it
looks like he will be getting one, though unfortunately not on the
north side of town, he is expanding his present location.

We had the Chuck's BBQ version of a tasting meal, that is where Chuck
comes over to your table and says he will "hook you up," be
forewarned, there are no diminutive degustation portions at Chuck's.

We started with New Orleans style BBQ shrimp, drowning in warm butter
and Cajun spices served with crusty hot bread for dunking, really
delicious. The attention to detail in the preparation of the shrimp,
they were shell on, but had a stripe of the shell removed so the vein
could be removed and the shell peeled easier, was a hint of great
things to come.

Next up fresh shucked oysters, they were shucked as we watched, and
served with grated horseradish and lemon, they were wonderful, fresh
as a daisy. After the oysters we had a seafood gumbo that was chock
full of seafood and traditionally prepared with file and okra, a few
dashes of Louisiana style hot sauce and I was truly in gumbo heaven.
Chuck then served us freshly fried oysters with a homemade remoulade
sauce, crisp greaseless outside and briny goodness inside, really
perfect fried oysters.

After the fresh oysters two ways and the snipped shell shrimp I should
not have been surprised that that two main courses featured blackened
scallops. What did surprise me a bit was that Chuck used dry pack
scallops, one might expect dry pack at Nick's Fishmarket or Shaw's,
but in a BBQ joint in Burbank, exceptional.

The first entree was two orders of seafood etoufee topped with sweet
meaty blackened dry pack scallops, here again Chuck surpassed all
expectation by using a perfectly made roux. The added richness was
readily apparent, in fact when we complimented Chuck on his roux he
brought out his container of roux for us to admire. The roux was a
rich brown and Chuck said it took him over an hour of constant
stirring to achieve that color without scorching.

Next up was a huge platter of pasta Magnifique, a creamy seafood
preparation with about a dozen blackened scallops on top, both of the
etoufees had about a dozen blackened scallops on top as well, no one
is ever going to leave Chuck's BBQ hungry.

We closed with homemade bread pudding and pecan pie, both served with
vanilla ice cream, though we barely had room for even a bite. Please
remember that even though I have described a 4 star meal that the
ambiance at Chuck's is quite modest, spotless and comfortable, but not
a white tablecloth restaurant, though I will say that when Chuck is in
high gear, he provides all the ambiance one would ever need.

I really can't mention price as we brought a few bottles of zinfandel
and shiraz and after the rush died down Chuck sat with us for about an
hour, chatted and drank wine. I think when he added up the bill the
wine had gone to his head a bit, very reasonable would be an
understatement.

Chuck really outdid himself for Mardi Gras, and while most of the
dishes we had were specials for Mardi Gras, Chuck will be making them
on occasion, though one should definitely call and ask before driving
out to Burbank expecting etoufee with blackened dry pack scallops.

Enjoy,
Gary

Chuck's BBQ
5557 W 79th St
Burbank, IL 60459
(708) 229-8700

Gary,

Your post explains a lot about Chuck's pedigree and why his specials menu would be so extraordinary. I remember the earlier chieats post, I just didn't put one-and-one together. Thanks for the update.

Gary wrote:Actually, it just occurred to me that I got (stole) the idea of adding freshly toasted and ground Mexican peppers to my BBQ sauce from Chuck's sauce.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

&&&

Thanks to everyone else on the IE browser work around. I was just reading today about Firefox and may include them in my stable of web browsers.

Regards,

Finally made it here on Thursday.

I thought the food was very good.

We had the specials:

An appetizer enchilada with a nice mole sauce.
A large frisee salad with Danish blue cheese, walnuts, and a nice vinegarette.
A really special and authentic tasking seafood gumbo.
A good BBQ pork sandwich.

The only thing that was really lacking was the baked beans which were pretty tasteless.

Also, a lot of food for the money.

I was just at Chucks last week and they had copies of their special Cino de Mayo menu available and it sounds excellent.

Now that the menu is online I thought you all might be interested in checking it out.

Chucks Cafe Cinco De Mayo Specials

I was wondering if anyone has heard an update on when Chuck's Southern Comfort Cafe will be re-opening. The website still saqys "sometime around Christmas."

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe
5557 W 79th St.
Burbank, IL 60459
708-229-8700
Moderator edit of title and address

Can't be much longer. My first time there was two days before the fire. I drive by it every day and the sign says "Smoking Soon". The dumpster that was used during the remodelling is gone, the windows look squeeky clean and there's a neon sign (Bud-Light?) glowing in a window.

As of tonight, still closed. Website gives no clue as to when they'll be open, but the announcement on voice mail says they're planning to re-open sometime right about now.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:As of tonight, still closed.

Hammond,

I chatted with Chuck on the phone last week, he's in excellent spirits and looking forward to reopening with a slightly streamlined menu in a couple of weeks. No specific date though.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

David Hammond wrote:As of tonight, still closed.

Hammond,

I chatted with Chuck on the phone last week, he's in excellent spirits and looking forward to reopening with a slightly streamlined menu in a couple of weeks. No specific date though.

Enjoy,
Gary

GWiv,

You know, I was at Chuck's only the one time for the event I believe you and sdritz orchestrated. Would like to go again...particularly to check out his Yucatecan selections (I believe he had a pibil on the menu when we were there).

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:You know, I was at Chuck's only the one time for the event I believe you and sdritz orchestrated. Would like to go again...particularly to check out his Yucatecan selections (I believe he had a pibil on the menu when we were there).

Hammond,

I'm all for a LTH Show Chuck's the Love grand reopening dinner. I'll give Chuck a jingle tomorrow and see if he has a target date to reopen.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hi,

I remember reading a long ago account of Fat Tuesday at Chuck's, which I would love to attend.

Regards,

Now, that sounds like a plan, C2

YourPalWill wrote:Now, that sounds like a plan, C2

C2, Will,

Fat Tuesday is Feb 28, sounds like a plan is starting to come together.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote: I'll give Chuck a jingle tomorrow and see if he has a target date to reopen.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hi Gary,

Did you have the chance to speak to Chuck? The lack of news on the restaurant website and voicemail is frustrating. I have a pregnant wife with a serious Chucks craving and my craving is worse than hers.

Thanks,
- Tim

timmx wrote:Did you have the chance to speak to Chuck? The lack of news on the restaurant website and voicemail is frustrating. I have a pregnant wife with a serious Chucks craving and my craving is worse than hers.

Tim,

Bad news on two fronts, Chuck's is not going to be reopened by Fat Tuesday, and they are delayed a bit on reopening. Chuck is looking to reopen in early March.

Chuck did say that if we have an LTHForum Fat Tuesday outing somewhere he would like to come along. I guess we need to starting thinking of a place for a Fat Tues (2/28/06) LTH Event.

Enjoy,
Gary

[Edit to reflect correct date]

G Wiv wrote:Chuck did say that if we have an LTHForum Fat Tuesday outing somewhere he would like to come along. I guess we need to starting thinking of a place for a Fat Tues (2/26/06) LTH Event.

Enjoy,
Gary

Unless you mean Fat Sunday, I think you have the wrong date.

Hell, it's fat whatever day for most of us.

Does anyone know what is going on with Chucks? He still hasn't opened, and I have called and haven't been able to talk to anyone.

I need a Chucks fix!

HI,

We wanted to do our Fat Tuesday party there at the end of this month. We were declined because they would not yet be open. You may have to wait until March for your fix.

Regards,

Well, Chuck has updated his website and according to a post from earlier this week, he should be reopening around April 15th. He plans to offer a belated Mardi Gras menu for a couple of weeks, then a heavy-on-the-Mexican menu for a couple of weeks. I'm happy to report that he will be serving southern-style breakfasts on the weekends. I'm drooling already.

Suzy

He plans to offer a belated Mardi Gras menu

Just like Cajun Charlie!

badum-ching!

Well, I planned to bring the family to Chuck's for dinner this weekend, since the grand re-opening was scheduled for yesterday. I checked the website today, only to find the opening has been pushed back -- yet again -- to May 1st. Chuck has, however, posted the new menu on the website for those of you who are interested in seeing what he will be offering. I assume he will have his "specials" calendar up and running once he is open for business.

I sure hope it's soon.

Suzy

Drove past Chuck's the other day. He still had a "Help Wanted" sign in the window. There's also a large hand written sign on the door as well. If I get a chance I'll take a little detour on my way out tonight and see what's up.

Can someone give me Check's wesite? What I had didn't work. Thanks.
Peggy