Pork Chops

Where are some of your favorite places to dine out for pork chops ?What sides do you like with them?Must satisfy cravings.Thanks in advance.

hattyn-writing from hattynland,the amusement park that is one,long,strange ride.

hattyn,

There are some things I know I can prepare as well as the next guy. A poke chop is one of them; a little kosher salt pressed into the chop, a little hot oil, and I have a perfect chop. For a side, I go with beer.

In my old age, when I go out to eat, I opt for only the stuff I'm too inept or lazy to make myself: goat's head soup, mudfish, ant egg casserole, stuff like that.

Hammond

PS. Check these hard-to-make-at-home appetizers, available as part of next Tuesday's presentation at the Notebaert Center: appetizers including Scorpions served on endive and herb cheese and Orchids dipped in Champagne batter and served with an orange honey dipping sauce. Not fixing that on the Radar Range, believe you me. This is a free and promising food experience. Check Apple's post in Events.

As DH notes, pork chops are one of those dishes most folks can make at home fairly easily (I tend to rub some sage on mine). However I can't bring my kitchen to the office to prepare lunch so when I find a place that serves a good pork chop lunch I make a note of it. White Palace Grill has been mentioned before for various items but I feel the need to point out that one of the Wednesday specials is breaded pork chops. These aren't breaded-to-death-to-hide-awful-pork chops, they are breaded enough to have a nice crust and every time I've had them they have been cooked to perfect doneness. All the 'dinner plate' items at WPG come with soup or salad, starch of your choice (I get the mashies and gravy), a veggie, Texas garlic toast, and friendly service. With a bottomless cup of coffee I get a bill for $7-ish before tip and need to waddle out of the place. It's walking distance from my office so when Wednesdays roll around and I don't have other plans I usually try to hit WPG for the pork chop special. The other Wed. special is short ribs and they do these pretty good, too, but it's tough to ignore the Wed. short ribs a couple blocks away at Manny's. For pork chops, though, WPG is tough to beat. It's not haute cusine but it is darn good . . . oh wait, don't want Alton to think I'm stealing his stuff.

It's a little pricy, but the Pork Chop at Platiyo is a thing of beauty. They serve is w/ mashed sweet potatoes - really delish.

Also, many have mentioned the Pork Chops at Cafe 28 - also not a disappointment.

As for cooking at home - I love a thin cut pork chop grilled with a little salt and pepper and served with Heinz 57. It makes a GREAT and simple sandwich.

The pork chops at Carson's are usually, fantastic. Center-cut and an inch or more thick, these are the only menu item I will order there. As an observation, a Carson's "Express" outlet recently opened across the street from my office (Canal and Monroe). I'll stroll over there today and see if they do the pork chop.

When they have them, the Grilled Pork Chops at Elephant Thai are supurb.

Altho I haven't had them personally, the porkchops at Ditka's usually get pretty good ratings on CH.

I did take a stroll over to the Carson's Express. It's a take-out counter at the back of Boston Blackie's, with a limited menu (ribs and, yes, pork chops). One improvement I immediately noticed over the sit-down Carson's pork chop dinner is portion control -- i.e., you can order just one pork chop, and these are hefty chops (the last time I ordered the chops at a regular Carson's restaurant, you got three of them, which is enough for two people to split, easily). The pork chop was as good as those from the regular restaurants, tender but with a bit of chew. Nota bene: these are not barbecued, but broiled chops with the Carson's bright red, worcesteshire and ketchup style sauce basted on during the cooking process. Still, the best pork chop in walking distance of my office. (I also ordered the au gratin potatoes, which were more cheese than potato and not hot enough, but not so bad that I didn't eat them all.) Verdict: a good pork chop option for west Loop workers, not at all worth a special trip (I wouldn't even walk across the Loop for it, but across the street, I'll do.)

Carson's Express/Boston Blackies
120 S. Riverside Plaza
(312) 382-0700

Jim, very important: do they have the chopped liver? The garbage salad?

Dong Ky on Broadway (in Viet Town) does wonderful Vietnamese-stylie pork chops. I think they're braised? Vietnamese pork chops, I'll have to say are my favorite variation.

Side dish: Rice (naturally!)

Hi,

Jeff, I will give you reason to hope, at the pick-up counter in Deerfield, they have the chopped liver for those waiting for their carryouts. This is second hand information from a friend who goes often.

Nobody has mentioned that pork chops are like squid--cook em short or cook em long, but not in between or they're hockey pucks with bones.

Any decent soul food place will have smothered pork chops on the menu. They may be a little overly salty for your taste (or mine) but certainly delicious.

Edna's, MacArthur's, there's been much discussion, those are just my two regulars. I miss Jerry's.

JeffB wrote:Jim, very important: do they have the chopped liver? The garbage salad?

No chopped liver at the counter, no garbage salad that I could see. It's really stripped down. One thing they did have that seemed a bit odd in this part of the Loop was a cooler full of pre-packaged ribs and pork chops, uncooked but floating in Carson's sauce. Unless you have a hibachi in your office, I don't see a lot of market in this neighborhood for that!

Unlike the pickup counter at a regular Carson's (and Cathy, that very one in Deerfield that you mention was my regular take-out place for years), this is really just a counter and a cash-register stuck in the back of another restaurant (Blackie's, which I guess it's safe to assume has common ownership with Carsons?). Anyway, maybe if it becomes a hit they will expand a little. The waiting room at the Carson's in Deerfield is like a little social club, with the liver spread and bread, and typically a drink would get ordered if things were moving slowly in the kitchen ... at the Carson's Express, I mainly felt like I was standing in people's way.

New Saigon, also on Broadway has a great dish....fried pork chop with shrimp. The pork chop is really pork steak...but a minor quibble when the price of the dinner is $4.95 with plenty of rice and some cukes and mators.

A lot of loop recs, but don't forget Jim's original for a chop sandwitch if you are on this side of town.

pd

pdaane,
Speaking of Jim's Original. My brother remembers a place on Maxwell St. around 20 years ago that had the best pork chop sandwich. He said that at 3:00am this place was jumping with all sorts of people, college kids, limo's, suits , gowns . You never felt out of place. Well he's home from Kuwait and I was planning on taking him out for a steak dinner before he as to go back to the gulf. But all he wants is one of these sandwiches and Johnnies. He said these are the flavors that you want to remember when your out there. It's funny that a memory of taste of a simple sandwich brings you closer to home. Could Jim's be the place he is talking about? If so, Is there a place to park ? And when is a good time to go ? Thank You.

Kim wrote:pdaane,
Speaking of Jim's Original. My brother remembers a place on Maxwell St. around 20 years ago that had the best pork chop sandwich. He said that at 3:00am this place was jumping with all sorts of people, college kids, limo's, suits , gowns . You never felt out of place. Well he's home from Kuwait and I was planning on taking him out for a steak dinner before he as to go back to the gulf. But all he wants is one of these sandwiches and Johnnies. He said these are the flavors that you want to remember when your out there. It's funny that a memory of taste of a simple sandwich brings you closer to home. Could Jim's be the place he is talking about? If so, Is there a place to park ? And when is a good time to go ? Thank You.

Jim's is the place. Open 24/7

Yes, it's Jim's. Bone-in pork chop sandwich, unchanged since 1937. Open 24/7, on Union just south of Roosevelt. Jim's is the southernmost of the two stands. Parking? Well, if you care about parking legally there's usually some to be had nearby, but nobody else there worries about parking legally, so why should you?

I noticed a few days ago that Maxwell Express, which has been joined at the hip to Jim's for decades (run by a cousin) has been assigned its new space, in the building at the corner of Halsted and Liberty. It looks like they're not going to permit direct-to-the-street sales, but I'm sure some subversive alternative not entirely to the University's liking will be found. (I can hope.) Not sure where Jim's is going.

Hi,

JIm's does have a second location on 95th street just east of the expressway on the north side of the street after the gas station.

Regards,

Cathy2,I saw your original post in the Takkatsu thread.Do you remember the name of the place with the breaded pork chop?Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Takkatsu is the name of the restaurant, which has this breaded porkchop. Takkatsu is also the name of the Japanese dish, which features this breaded pork chop. Takkatsu moved from Glencoe to Arlington Heights due to the high concentration of Asian immigrants and ex-pats living there. Smart move from a location point of view, though this LONG delay may kill the golden goose anyway. It looks like we need to wait for Spring to try their Takkatsu.

BTW - Today was Culinary Historians, which always concludes with lunch. We went to Paprikash, where my Mom ordered breaded pork chops. I didn't sample them though she was in porky heaven at her side of the table.

If I failed to answer your question, like maybe I misunderstood, lay it on me again, please!

Regards,

The way I interpreted the OP was that you ate somewhere else that day and then stated the best you had was at Takkatsu.

HI,

I had Takkatsu very likely at:

Hana Japan
508 Old Elm Road
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-266-0891

I do prefer it at the restaurant Takkatsu, though the one at Hana is fine.

Regards,

On the rare occassions I cook as of late I found I can convert the non meat eaters.I made pork chops marinated in peanut oil and fresh squeezed lime juice seasoned with paprika,chili powder,black pepper and salt.The non meat eater in the hh tried one and went back for seconds.There is a rule that whoever cooks the others do the dishes.But since that does not usually happen,let them eat dog food.Or tv dinners.I made extra pork chops to have in omelettes the next day.

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I had Takkatsu very likely at:

Hana Japan
508 Old Elm Road
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-266-0891

I do prefer it at the restaurant Takkatsu, though the one at Hana is fine.

Regards,

Hana recently closed. In the same space is:

Koya .. a fine Japanese dining experience
508 E. Old Elm Road
Highland Park, IL 60035
Tel: 847/266-0891
Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM

A little redecorating and an increase of prices. Lots of novelty rolls like the Canadian, Titanic, Snack Eyes, Hollywood, Chicago Crazy, Dynamite, etc. I haven't eaten there, I simply picked up a menu.

Regards,

Dong Ky 4877 N. Broadway. Pork chop plate with rice bits and Chinese sausage (with extra poirk chop). Outstanding for this style.

Jim's Original continues to deliver on the pork chop front. $3.25 (including tax) with wonderful fries and grilled onions.

Head south on Union, make a right on 14th and another on Halsted, and you can double park in front of Joy Yee. Five minutes later, you'll have a fresh fruit bubble tea with tapioca pearls and fresh mango and lychee on top, and in about $7, you'll have enough food and flavor to keep you going all day or night.

I had the tenderest, juiciest, most flavorful pork chop in my life to date at The Gage. It was a special the first night we were there. The second time we were there for dinner, it was not on offer. Whatever I had that second night was lackluster in comparison, such that I have no memory of it, but the pork chop from the first evening is emblazoned in my brain as a personal benchmark. If I were at Gage a third time for dinner, and the pork chop was a special again, I would know my order instantly.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:The pork chops at Carson's are usually, fantastic. Center-cut and an inch or more thick, these are the only menu item I will order there. As an observation, a Carson's "Express" outlet recently opened across the street from my office (Canal and Monroe). I'll stroll over there today and see if they do the pork chop.

I agree. When we do a Carson's order in at work, the pork chops are the way to go. Huge meaty juicy pork. You really get your money's worth.

I always go for the pork chops at the Parthenon on Halsted in Greektown. Served with rice and pan roasted taters, delish.

The pork chops at Feast are great. Juicy, flavorful, and the taco is excellent.

"Ancho Chili maple glazed pork chop with sweet potato, roasted corn, jack cheese tacos, red onion marmalade"

Feast
1616 N Damen Ave,
Chicago 60647
773-772-7100