Leif's Home Cooking

Looking for a solid breakfast before moving my boat from its winter home on the Calumet River I came across Leif's, a small unpretentious diner on Torrence Av. Clean as a whistle with knotty pine paneling, a counter that seats maybe 10 or 12 and half a dozen booths Leif's puts out one killer breakfast !
I ordered two eggs over easy with fried potatoes and sausage patties. The platter arrived with a mountain of perfectly fried, crispy house made potatoes. So many potatoes in fact that the eggs had to ride on top of them. Sausage patties were nice and thick and not too greasy.
Lief's is owner by Ms.Lee, a wise cracking, no nonsense Korean woman. After finishing my breakfast Ms.Lee came out from behind the grill and commended me for finishing all of my potatoes. Conversation ensued and Ms.Lee went on to proudly tell me that she has been here for the past 24 years and that her restaurant is a favorite with the local Alderman. A guest check bearing the Aldermanic autograph is proudly enshrined in plastic on the wall.
Sandwiches coming out of the tiny kitchen were as impressive as the breakfast plates.
If you find yourself down on the southeast side Leif's is well worth the trip.


Leif's Home Cooking
10350 S Torrence Av.
Chicago.

Cool little find, John. I take it this was the kind of place where you'd feel weird shooting pix of the food?

David Hammond wrote:I take it this was the kind of place where you'd feel weird shooting pix of the food?

Shit Dave, sometimes I feel weird just lookin' at my food Kidding aside I was camera less the morning I ate at Leif's. The exterior shot was taken the next day after retrieving my car from the boat yard. Shooting food porn in the close quarters of Leif's would surly bring all conversation to a momentary halt.

Thanks for mentioning Leif's. I'd been hoping to visit ever since I read about it in The Streets & San Man's Guide but could never manage to get there before closing.





The ham and eggs made an excellent (and huge) breakfast plus I got to overhear a fascinating conversation between a couple repo men on the merits of various tow trucks. You don't get that at Bongo Room. I got a look at the repo men's burgers and decided I need to make a return visit soon.

Leif's Home Cookin'
10350 S Torrence Av
Chicago
773-768-1859

Leif's is right across the street from Hienie's, another Streets & San Man favorite (it's on the cover of the book). They serve large portions of pretty good fried seafood and chicken (as well as pizza, which I've been afraid to try).





Hienie's
10359 S Torrence Av
Chicago
773-734-8400

Thanks Peter
Somehow I knew I could count on you to pick up my south side slack. Your pix do a good job of capturing the spirit of Leif's (even if you did get a short count on the 'taters ).
A bit further north, somewhere in the south 80 hundreds on Commercial Av. are the long boarded up ruins of a previous location of Bill Hienies fried chicken and shrimp. Hienies is obviously an SE side instituition and I'll be sure to give them a try next time I'm in the neighborhood.

JSM wrote:A bit further north, somewhere in the south 80 hundreds on Commercial Av. are the long boarded up ruins of a previous location of Bill Hienies fried chicken and shrimp. Hienies is obviously an SE side instituition and I'll be sure to give them a try next time I'm in the neighborhood.

Bill's Hienie's on Commercial is still listed on Metromix!

Hienie's goes back to 1947 when Henry (Hienie) McCarthy opened a place in the 9100 block of S Mackinaw.





Bill's Hienie's (closed)
8450 S Commercial Av
Chicago

Nice shots of Hienie's. Commercial Av. is a great place to explore down in that neck of the woods. Always something to see.