DClose wrote:Anyone have any more pictures of the Old Potatoes???

Oh, right, this is a Culinary chat site.............................

Patty's Diner, Old Potatoes

stevez wrote:I had corned beef hash with 2 over easy at Patty's the other day. I subbed biscuits and gravy for the toast. It was as good as ever. I experienced no incedental drama or trauma while eating. I'll really miss the made to order corned beef/ham hash at Patty's when they're gone.

That's inspired ordering stevez. This is my typical order minus the substitution. I'm definitely intrigued to try the B&G at Patty's (for some reason it never occurred to me before).

One question, do they get plated separately from the hash? If not, I fear the gravy o'erstripping the whole dish a la this pic from many moons ago.

The substitution of a biscuit and gravy is an excellent choice to go with the CBH and scrambled which is probably my favorite breakfast item at Patty's. I love the diced corned beef over the run through the grinder version at most places. With Patty's closed on Monday's, I pulled a package of Paulina Market CBH out of the freezer and fried it nice and crispy, fried up some leftover baked potatoes with vidallia onions and added some scrambled Liberty Family Farms eggs and toast and served it all up to rave reviews (well it was just me and it was damn good). The Paulina CBH has what I would call shreaded corned beef, doesn't seem to be a little courser consistency than most and the addition of carrots and bacon give it a little extra kick.

DClose wrote:Anyone have any more pictures of the Old Potatoes???

I don't have any pictures of old potatoes that haven't already been posted, but here's a couple of previously unpublished pictures of a Patty's pattymelt.

I'll take any pictures you have!

Frankly, I was just trying to get this thread back on track...

gastro gnome wrote:
That's inspired ordering stevez. This is my typical order minus the substitution. I'm definitely intrigued to try the B&G at Patty's (for some reason it never occurred to me before).

One question, do they get plated separately from the hash? If not, I fear the gravy o'erstripping the whole dish a la this pic from many moons ago.

Yes. It's a single biscuit with gravy on top and is served in a separate plate, though I'll admit in a heartbeat that I'm a fan of the gravy over hash version as well. It speaks to me, however never harshly and it has never taken my water glass.

I'm planning to go to Patty's on Wednesday for a patty melt (sub homemade bun) before therapy. I've been a little too cheerful lately and need something new to talk about.

Re: the corned beef hash. I am intrigued, as CBH was something I loooooved as a child but later grew to hate due to many poor renditions. Is it "good for corned beef hash" or just "good"? I'd like to try it again, but I am afraid of reopening old emotional scars.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:I'm planning to go to Patty's on Wednesday for a patty melt (sub homemade bun) before therapy. I've been a little too cheerful lately and need something new to talk about.

Re: the corned beef hash. I am intrigued, as CBH was something I loooooved as a child but later grew to hate due to many poor renditions. Is it "good for corned beef hash" or just "good"? I'd like to try it again, but I am afraid of reopening old emotional scars.

If your definition of bad often includes fresh from the tin can, then you will be happier at Patty's who uses fresh corned beef.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:If your definition of bad often includes fresh from the tin can, then you will be happier at Patty's who uses fresh corned beef.

Until this moment, I don't think I realized that corned beef came from anywhere but a can

Sorry if this post runs counter to the new theme of complaining about restaurants I've never been to . . .

Mrs. Kman and I made our usual late-morning Sunday trek to Patty's yesterday and were able to secure our preferred counter spots (business has been brisk enough the last couple of weeks that we had to sit a table sometimes). Since Patty has an amazing ability to remember the orders of pretty much anybody who's been there more than once AND ordered the same thing we always make sure we communicate we WON'T be having "the usual" when we feel like a change of pace.

The usual for us is the "special" for Mrs. Kman - 2 eggs, meat (2 bacon, sausage or ham), 2 blueberry pancakes and potatoes and the ham hash with gravy "over everything" for me. It's really hard for each of us not to order these but we've been changing it up lately to sample more of the items. Yesterday I tried the chili-cheese omelet with old potatoes and Mrs. Kman had a cheeseburger medium-rare with fries. I appreciate how Patty qualifies what SHE means by medium-rare by asking you what YOU mean, avoiding confusion/disappointment. Patty said to my wife "that means red in the middle to me, is that what you want?" to which Mrs. Kman eagerly replied "YES!".

The burger, which I've had before and love, came out perfectly prepared - all nice and crusty on the outside and tender on the inside. While my wife isn't typically a big eater she finished the whole thing and pretty much most of the excellent fries. The chili-cheese omelet was a nice change of pace and very tasty but not up there with some of my other faves at Patty's (and my "usual" is still my favorite).

Late in our meal another regular couple came and set next to us and we chatted with them for a while. We learned of a new (new to us, that is, not the veteran regulars) off-the-menu item when our neighbor ordered a "half-harley" (a smaller version of the harley, duh). IIRC this starts out as garbage potatoes that then has cheese layered on top followed by over-easy eggs as a final layer. We were told that the person that used to order this regularly is the owner of Chicago H-D, thus the name. I think I'll try this next week - though covered with gravy. If I were to nit-pick it would be to wish that there was a cheese option for this other than the American slices, but that's just a quibble.

Another enjoyable Sunday "brunch" at Patty's for the both of us with no drama detected, but then my drama-detector is typically deployed with the squelch knob turned way up.

stevez wrote:[version as well. It speaks to me, however never harshly and it has never taken my water glass.

Heh. What an amazing thread this has turned out to be I was actually *at* Patty's (apparently just after what Damon Lindelof would call "The Incident" took place).. thought I'd wander into LTH and mention it today, and found 3 pages worth of posts on that day at Patty's already

Anyway. Iam a sort of irregular patron of Patty's (Ive not historically thought the food was *that* brilliant - good, solid, but Ive had better B&G for example, I like the burger at WASC a fair bit and their fries maybe more and their timings are more convenient, and so on. Anyway). On Saturday I was feeling a bit under-the-weather, it was about 1:30, I was driving.. figured, what the heck, they might be open, I'll take one of their soups to go (while keeping a wary eye out for the service - after all, its been stated before that service can be very bad late on weekends, some people even being turned away in the past etc).

So, its a bit past 1:30, I wander in.. and there are no soups (home-made soups apparently only Monday thru Friday). So Iam kind of waffling.. and Patty says to come on in and sit down (on asking about closing time, she says its 2, there's still time). I peruse the menu (and actually hear some talk of "the incident" I believe, which must have taken place only a few minutes earlier - something about "kids taking up a table, only 2 people eating" or some such)... but not knowing how big this is going to turn out to be on the internet in the near future, fail to find out more, instead stupidly trying to decide what to eat

Eventually went with the burger - told them medium (and Patty asked - twice - if I meant pink in the middle, and I said yes). I was waffling on fries, she suggested old potatoes. I picked up the sports section of the Sun Times to read - she asked if it was the "whole paper".. I said I only really needed the sports anyway (but she marched to the other end of the room and brought me the whole paper anyway). She said wasnt it great about the Hawks last night - I mentioned how they almost blew it anyway - she agreed but said what a great win it was at the end. Her sister mentioned how she thought the Hawks would win 3 titles in the next decade, but maybe not this year... Patty said she thought we could win this year itself.

Food arrived, I dug in - the burger was actually better than my last couple versions there, very good and cooked right on the dot, as were the old potatoes. Three more guys wandered in at almost 2, said they were late, she let em in anyway - and they got some breakfast stuff as well.

It was a bit past 2 when I got done, was paying at the counter - and she asked me if I hadnt been in sometime last year for a burger, that one at near closing-time as well.. for some reason, she said, she remembered that. I had, actually (and was sort of flabbergasted she would remember).. but also told her I had been maybe once after that, a month or so ago, for the Ham Hash. She said she remembered that only on me mentioning it.. .but that it was more than a month ago and "time flies, you know".. and she's probably right.

I walked out (still a bit under the weather, but now feeling full and much better)... and I (honestly, not saying this post-reading-above-thread) remember thinking as I got into my car... "I wonder what those complaint are about, on LTH, about the service". I mean, Iam not a regular of any kind (probably 2-3 times in the past 6-8 months), Iam not an obvious LTH-er, and everyone had just been very convivial at near closing time on a Saturday. I was just thinking that I really ought to stop by more often. Never struck me that a near LTH-firestorm had apparently passed by maybe a few minutes before I got there

Anyway. Just another data-point from *that* day My experience was actually very good, even near closing-time, and I'll thus visit again (much sooner than the last time) - found friendly service, but more importantly (to me) very good food too. The restaurant didnt remind me of my mother, I didnt feel like a minority eating (or not eating) in 1950s Alabama or whatever... I just found convivial service and good food on the day, and thus shall return. (The day the food isnt as good, or the service so bad that it overrides the food for me, I wont go... but I somehow dont expect it to remind me of my mother or Alabama then either

c8w

Yesterday I went to the WASC, then spent an hour and a half in the gym. Today I went to Patty's, and spent an hour at the gym. If I keep up this diet, I'll be ready for bikini season in no time.

I had the patty melt, subbing the homemade bun (to which I heard Patty say to Suzy, "Just call it the Gary so I know what to do!") and it was wonderful. Juicy, delicious, transcendent. It was so good I had to practice defensive eating - you know, when your spouse realizes he made a mistake in ordering plain old eggs and sausage, and so tries to grab as many bites as possible off your meal. Fending off the advances requires holding the burger in one hand while deploying the opposite elbow as needed.

Next time, it seems, we will both be ordering Garys (Garies?) and I will be able to enjoy mine at leisure. Can't wait!

Incidentally, my husband professes to be thrilled that they are closing. After all, Patty is a dangerous woman, who can induce grown men to consume over a cup of gravy at a sitting, and she must be stopped. Think of the human toll - all of those bloated, satisfied people, who would otherwise be eating a sensible salad.

Hi,

DId you come anywhere near the corned beef hash?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

DId you come anywhere near the corned beef hash?

Regards,

No, I did try to direct my husband that way, but he wasn't having it. I went there on a mission, in search of a sandwich I had only seen in pictures, and I was not to be dissuaded from my course.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:Yesterday I went to the WASC, then spent an hour and a half in the gym. Today I went to Patty's, and spent an hour at the gym. If I keep up this diet, I'll be ready for bikini season in no time.

Suzy Creamcheese, if this quote weren't too long, it would be my choice for this week's banner!

Oh.My.God.

I had the "Gary Burger" aka the patty melt served on the homemade bun and it was easilly the best patty melt i've ever had in my life. In fact, it was easily one of my top 5 burger experiences of all time. . if not top 3.

The meat was perfectly cooked to a medium rare, and the bun to meat ratio was perfection, as the meat took the spotlight, with its charred outercrust and juice-a-plenty interior perfectly complimnted by sauteed onions, cheese and the masterful bun (served inside out, so it looks like a patty melt).

I'm not much of a fan of the old world potatoes as they are too dry and crispy, as compared to their amazing hash browns, but overall this was a fantastic breakfast.

. . and one i'll likely repeat tomorrow.

Ghazi,

Did you also have an egg on it? When I ate there with Gary recently, he had her cook the egg sunnyside up, except she put a cube of ice and a cover over it at the end. It slightly steamed-cooked the top of the yoke. I am not sure I described in faithfully, though you can see the veil of white on the yolk here in Gary's picture:



Regards,

I didn't even think of putting an egg on it, but I'm pretty sure if I can get by there tomorrow, that'll be exactly what I get. It looks perfect.

And Gary's "beauty shot:"



FYI - Gary orders extra garlic and pepper for his old potatoes.

Sweet dreams!

Regards,

Just had a quick lunch @ Patty's. Burger, medium with easy mayo, ketchup, lettuce & onion with their homemade potato salad and some of that great vegetable beef soup.

I love this burger. Char outside, juicy inside, the beef itself held together by mere molecules I think. With that light roll, slightly toasted, it floated into my mouth. My grandmother made 'em like this, but they were much, much heavier...

Suzy showed me the blurb in last Thursday's Trib about Patty's & Beinlich's cheeseburgers being the best, then told me they were on "month-to-month" rent-wise.

You know, long-time manager Walter Alston of the L.A. Dodgers had about 30 'year-to-year contracts'...

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:If your definition of bad often includes fresh from the tin can, then you will be happier at Patty's who uses fresh corned beef.

Until this moment, I don't think I realized that corned beef came from anywhere but a can

Until this moment, I didn't realize that corned beef did come in a can.

Blaaaagh!

And me mocking my late and sainted mother's Irish cooking. I take it all back.

Had a rare weekday off and decided to try Patty's for a late breakfast. I am not someone who is comfortable eating alone but really counter eating is perfect for the solo diner, so I sat right down and relaxed immediately. I went basic with eggs over easy and ham with regular hash browns, rye toast, and everything was great. After I was finished Suzy noticed that I had left some ham on my plate. Here is the resulting dialog.



Suzy: You didn't finish your ham.
Me: I ate most of it, whats left is mostly fat, but it was great, really everything was great.
Suzy: You don't like fat, you should have said something, lots of people like the fat.
Me: Ok next I will but really it was very good, great flavor, I'm just really picky.
Suzy: ...Looking at the plate..., you know that really is kinda fatty, I gotta tell my sister.
Me: No no really, it's ok, I am not complaining.
Suzy: I know hun but I gotta tell my sister.
Me .....waiting for the explosion........
Suzy: Hey Patty, the ham he got was too fatty, you gotta be careful cutting from the bottom.
Me: No I wasn't complaining really, it was great.
Patty: Well he got a lot, I sliced it really thick.
Me: Yeah it was great.
Patty: ...smiling.... So you want me to start all over?
Me: No no no, honestly it was great.
Suzy: Well next time it will be better.
Me: ..With a big grin....OK


If this is bad customer service than I don't know what good is. Really it was like eating in someones kitchen and I liked it and Patty and Suzy very much indeed.

Well I had the good fortune of a 9 a.m. appointment in west Evanston this morning and a daughter who needed to be at summer school at 7:30, a breezy drive south on waukegan road, and I managed to get to Patty's at 8:10 or so. Being my first ever visit to the famed GNR, and after reading through this thread, I was very happy to try a weekday morning and I was not disappointed.

The brief descriptions of the "decor" don't quite prepare you for the spartan look of the place, I will tell you that. I took a seat at the counter, looked at a menu and decided that I had to try the famous corned beef hash.

I will confess to not being a hash eater. I may have had it once in my youth on a girl scout overnighter or similar, but it's not something I've developed a liking for. OTOH, the descriptions I've been reading here for the past 2 years are pretty memorable and they are 100% accurate. It was an amazing plate of food. The corned beef is great, you can actually taste the pickling spices! and I'm sure I got some clove and bay aroma. The potatoes were great, I really really want to go back and have some more of those. I got some of the homemade bread toasted and didn't realize the butter would be slathered on liberally (darn, i had to eat that butter)....man what a great breakfast.

I would go back, try that burger, more of those potatoes, whatever else they dished up, in a heartbeat. Really glad I summoned the nerve to try it, and that there was no service issue whatsoever. Patty didn't say much of anything but Suzy was great, we talked major corned beef, and she loved my tye-dyed shirt so we had some girl bond going on.

Now to manufacture a reason to be in that vicinity near lunchtime, and soon. Thanks for the recommendation LTH, and I heartily endorse it as well.

Anyone have feedback on their sloppy joes? Are they something special, or should i stick with the patty melt and burger.

Ghazi wrote:Anyone have feedback on their sloppy joes? Are they something special, or should i stick with the patty melt and burger.

I like 'em, but I'm a sucker for a good sloppy joe. The fact that they are served on the same house made roll as the burger makes them something special in my book.

Patty's Sloppy Joe (Only on Thursday)

Ghazi -- The decision you describe can be handled in typical LTH fashion: bring a friend, order both and split them.

It is important to remember that an "or" can always be replaced with an "and".

Snuck in a terrific pre-work breakfast this morning of garbage potatoes and eggs. I asked if there were any updates and Patty said they would be open through July and probably early August is when they would close. Don't know if that suggests a change to the title thread or not.

JP1121 wrote:...Here is the resulting dialog.
Suzy: You didn't finish your ham...

This reminds me of when I went—I went up to pay my bill and was shocked at how low the price was. Suzy replied, "You didn't eat anything!" Like a mom scolding her kids.

Hit up Patty's today for a Gary, and was informed that they will be staying put until at least mid-August. This is especially good news for me, as I was making what I thought would be my last trip ever - I am leaving for a month in Spain next week - but now, no worries. Garies abound even yet.

Good news, I want to bring my friend from Los Angeles there next week. Thanks.