I realized a couple days after the GNR nom that I didn't post about my last visit last Saturday.

Of course, the combo: Links and gulf shrimp.

The gulf shrimp are a little smaller than the last time I'd had them there, but still perfect: crisp crust and solid sweet seafood. Cocktail sauce has a nice level of heat and horseradish (the latter is missing from too many fish shops).

The hot link is chopped into big bite-sized pieces, and doused with hot (of course) or mild sauce. The sausage is a bit reminiscent of greek sausage. It's not the fantastic stick of beef I had at the Salt Lick in Austin, but it's a darn sight better than the coarse, gristly hot link I had once on the south side (I don't know from where, my brother had it delivered). The sauce is pretty darn spicy, lot of tomato and chile, not too sweet.

Slaw is great for putting out the fire, I've never tried the greens. Fries are steak-cut, perfectly crisp and pillowy. Roll wasn't anything special, but still better than the commercial pap you see at most restaurants.

If I had to list one complaint it would be the styrofoam bins -- they don't adequately hold the bounty Dino dishes out, and inevitably there's some slaw making the fries soggy and BBQ sauce softening a few of the shrimp. But it's one of the great eatin' values in the Chicago area at $7.99.

I really enjoyed my trip to Captain Porky's today. As much as I knew what to expect, this place -- along with proprietor Dino and his daugher Nyota (not sure about the spelling) -- still managed to surprise me and send me into a state of culinary wonderment. It truly spoke my language. The naturally-fitting mindset of making everything possible from scratch was comfortable, and not the 'finger-wagging,' dogmatic variety that we see so much of these days.

In short, Dino loves food and thinks about it on an intense level that, I imagine, most of us here can really appreciate and identify with. He considers every detail and takes pleasure in doing as much as he can by himself. The seemingly odd variety of offerings at Captain Porky's becomes completely coherent once you realize the common thread between them is Dino's passion for food, farming and cooking.

Most of what we ate was terrific, with the fried items being pretty much exemplary . . .


Captain Porky's - 39210 N. Sheridan Road, Beach Park, IL



Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms
What a treat to have such glorious mushrooms fried up and served to us piping hot. Dino had several large clusters of these mushrooms at the ready.



Jumbo Shrimp
A great rendition with an appropriately light, crunchy coating around fresh, tasty shrimp that were nice and tender.



Alligator and Catfish Combo
Terrific stuff here, served with greens, garlic potatoes and corn bread.



Gator and Catfish, up close
The gator was especially hard to stop eating.



Aquarium Smoker
As has been mentioned above, Captain Porky's uses an aquarium smoker, fueled with apple wood.



Rib Tips and Hot Link Combo
I thought both items here were very tasty. The tips were outstanding with a nice barkiness and good fat. The links, which are made in-house, were delicious and delivered some nice heat but they were a bit dried out from (possibly) being held over too long.



Pulled Pork Shoulder
Flavorful, moist and smoky. I liked the shoulder a lot and pushed the sauce to the side as much as I could. Next time, I'll know to ask for the sauce on the side.



Lobster Salad Po'Boy
I'm not from the East and didn't grow up with lobster, but I enjoyed this sandwich very much. There was a lot of lobster in the salad and a lot of salad (more than a half-pound) on the roll.


After we enjoyed our lunch at one of the benches just outside the shop, I stopped back in for a few items which had blipped my radar earlier. I scored a piece of Dino's beautifully aged sheep's milk feta (made with milk from his sheeps) and some of the fantastic baklava that a few other posters mentioned above. I also purchased a gloriously unctuous piece of salmon that had been hot-smoked over apricot wood, as well as a dozen fresh duck eggs. As if that weren't enough, the subject of olive oil came up and Dino mentioned that he and his family make their own, pressing the olives that are grown on his family's land in Greece. He pulled out a tin and poured off a small sample of it for me to taste. It was utterly delicious, like a cross between liquid velvet and ripe, aromatic olives. He offered that next time I came in, I should bring a glass vessel, which he would fill for me. Then, he must have realized that I was not one to stand on ceremony. He disappeared for a moment and returned with a 1/2 gallon canning jar, which he proceeded to fill from the tin . . .


Olive Oil
It was definitely my lucky day.

Before he could finish ringing me up, Dino offered me tastes of several other items and filled for me a small plastic cup with intoxicating, fresh oregano that he'd grown himself from clippings taken from plants in Greece. He explained that he grows 3 varieties of oregano and that each variety was taken from a different elevation on the mountain from which the plants were originally clipped. I could have stayed all day and chatted with him but my family was growing impatient, so I picked my jaw up off the floor and told him I'd be back.


I think I know exactly why this guy is smiling

=R=

Closed June, 2010 wrote:Captain Porky's
39210 N Sheridan Rd
Beach Park, IL 60099
847 872-4460

Open June 4, 2010:
Captain Porky's - established 1984
US 41 & Wadsworth Road
38995 Route 41
Wadworth, IL
Phone: 847/360-7460
Fax: 847/360-7461
http://www.CaptainPorky.com

A nice sunny November afternoon, and with gas prices falling below two bucks in the city Mrs.Trpt. and I opted for a drive along the up along the north shore. Since we live on Sheridan Road, we took a left out of the driveway and didn't stop until we hit Captain Porky's. What an utter delight. Dino greeted us warmly, asked where we were from: we told him we drove from Chicago because we'd heard about him on LTH Forum. (His GNR award was prominently displayed front and center on the counter). We opted for a half pound of jumbo shrimp and a half pound of oysters. Upon further conversation we negotiated to buy a pound and a half of frozen walleye fillets for later cooking. I love walleye above all other fresh water fish, (it's my Minnesota roots showing), and it's getting harder and harder to find it in Chicago. Hagen's is about the only reliable place in the city to get some, so I snatch up any opportunity. While we waited Dino gave us a couple of rib tips to munch, which were exquisite, tasty, with a bit of crust but tender with a great smoky flavor. And for a lagniappe he threw in a crab cake gratis. Such a mensch-like gesture.

We ate in the car. I have never-never-had such good fried oysters, even in New Orleans, I kid you not. Huge, bursting with fresh, salty, briny flavor. I concentrated on those while the Mrs. attacked the shrimp. I helped her with those too, again super fresh, juicy, and heavenly. I had to save the crab cake for later, I was too full to continue.

We went down Wadsworth Road to go back on 41, filled up on gas for $1.69, and hit The Shanty on the corner of 41 and Wadsworth for a beer on Dino's recommendation. His son owns it, and it was a pleasant little joint with character. On Saturdays they feature Dino's barbecue.

A very pleasant Saturday afternoon jaunt. Captain Porky's is definitely on the radar and will merit return trips.

I heard that Porky's has a 2nd location coming. At least thats what I thought I overheard being talked about about today when I was in there. Something about around Libertyville because alot of his customers were coming from over there. Stay tuned.

Stopped by Captain Porky's today for a 1/2 lb of Jumbo shrimp ( these suckers were humongous today), 1/2 lb of Calamari, small order of Zucchini, tub of Conch Salad, tub of Lobster Salad and a slice of homemade Baklava ( if you have not tried this I HIGHLY recommend it, it is the best I have ever tasted, somehow it is not overly sweet and has a lighter texture and mouth feel than most).

Anyway, customer ahead of me mentioned Diner, Dives, Drive-in and it sounds like they proposed coming to Captain Porky's, but Dino possibly declined. But it does sound like DDD is going to his other restaurant "The Shanty" on Route 41 & Wadsworth Road. This is due west from Captain Porky's.

Dino mentioned to me that he may either open a 2nd Captain Porky on the same property as The Shanty or simply move from the current location to this location. On my way home, ( live in Antioch) I stopped at The Shanty ( Dino and son(s)? were really giving the place a hard sell) to get a menu and noticed part of the building is vacant but there is a building permit in the window so perhaps things are already in motion.... BTW, The Shanty menu looks encouraging, so we're planning a trip there soon.

wallybrau wrote:Anyway, customer ahead of me mentioned Diner, Dives, Drive-in and it sounds like they proposed coming to Captain Porky's, but Dino possibly declined. But it does sound like DDD is going to his other restaurant "The Shanty" on Route 41 & Wadsworth Road. This is due west from Captain Porky's.

Dino mentioned to me that he may either open a 2nd Captain Porky on the same property as The Shanty or simply move from the current location to this location. On my way home, ( live in Antioch) I stopped at The Shanty ( Dino and son(s)? were really giving the place a hard sell) to get a menu and noticed part of the building is vacant but there is a building permit in the window so perhaps things are already in motion.... BTW, The Shanty menu looks encouraging, so we're planning a trip there soon.

Had stopped into Captain Porky's a couple of weeks ago, and gotten similar news. I hadnt known about The Shanty at all, and Dino said its long been his son's - and that over weekends they do some pretty interesting stuff there.
The impression I got from Dino was very much that his 2nd location (he said he will definitely be opening it in the summer) will be basically next to the Shanty (he mentioned what you do above, that its a big place). He said most of his customers are apparently coming from a ways, and many of them come down US-41, so the new location would help them... I agree personally, the new location would save me 15 or 20 minutes of travel for sure

Also, BTW, Dino said he had lots of goats and lambs raised this year (though he sadly didnt have his usually very good fried-goat-cheese when I visited). There is a lunch/dinner special of lamb/goat (plus sides) on weekends at the moment, Sunday IIRC, from his own goats/lambs (he said he does catering for it too, for large quantities). It sounded quite excellent - I might try to make a special trip over one of these weekends to pick some up (Dino suggested I call to check if its lamb or goat on the particular weekend).

c8w

I had the great pleasure of trying Captain Porky's this evening and got the same info from Dino about DDD featuring his food.

He said they are filming at the shanty this weekend, and did tell me that they'd be featuring food from both restaurants.

I chatted with him for a while, sampled his olive oil and the "parmesan" cheese, and got the truly excellent jumbo shrimp, the pulled pork, which was above average, an order of hush puppies, which Dino went out of his way to tell me that he didn't make himself, and a piece of the baklava, which, as stated above, is the best I've ever had.

Everything everyone says about this place is true. It's totally worth driving an hour and eating off the hatchback of your car. Food is that good. Captain Porky's is My New Favorite Restaurant.

I've wondered the same thing as Da Beef--is there a good food establishment anywhere in the Chicago area that hasn't already been featured on this board?

Stopped in again tonight and everything fried was excellent as always, I brought a friend who has never been as I have been ranting about this place for months. We had Fried Jumbo, Gator, Cajun Catfish and Calamari, Conch, Pasta & Potato Salad... But for the first time ever, the Baklava was off. It looked different so I probably should have passed but for some reason it was very dry with what seemed like chunks of crystalized sugar throughout. I don't know if it was less fresh or someone else made it - but it didn't taste anything like it usually does. Even my 9 old daughter commented that it was different... In my mind, everywhere has a miss every now and then, just hope it's rare here, because now more than ever we have a taste for their Baklava ( they way it tasted in the past)...

My first trip to Illinois Beach State Park this year (almost 80 degrees out, and I saw only one couple on the whole nature center part of the beach, nobody at all on the North Unit 'wilderness' area). On the way out, stopped at the Captain to take food home. Dino had just left, I met his son. A recent article singing CP's praises, written by Cathy2 was prominently displayed on the counter.

Got a shoulder/link combo, and a jumbo shrimp. I told him I'd be driving a bit (I thought it would be about 45 minutes, took more like 70). so he set things up so the fried shrimp wouldn't steam -- on paper, holes in the styrofoam, vents in the stapled paper bag. Still crisp when I arrived home, although certainly not like it would be fresh out of the fryer (it was all I could do to not munch them all down on the way home, but I promised Thing2 I wouldn't). He also put the slaw in a separate container and bag, so it wouldn't suffer the heat.

The pork products were as usual stellar. My first time on the garlic potatoes, very good.

Go, eat!

Stopped in to Captain Porky's today after playing golf at Shepherd's Crook with 8 buddies, what a treat. We took our lunch next door to the bar where they were happy to allow us to eat as long as we had a few drinks. Apparently Dino has an arrangement with them. I really enjoyed meeting Dino and it turns out we are neighbors in Bristol, Wi, where he has several farms.

Dino mentioned that Captain Porky's is moving to a former gas station that he purchased next door to his other restaurant, The Shanty, located at Wadsworth Rd and Rt. 41 in Wadsworth, Il. This is really great news for me as I am only 10 minutes away on the weekends. He is making this move because his customers are increasingly coming from all points much farther away and he thinks the new location will be more convenient. He mentioned that he will still be smoking in the aquarium smoker in the new loaction.

Dino also invited us to The Shanty for dinner where he was making a lamb he had freshly slaughtered on his farm in Bristol. This is apparently a regular Sat evening thing (special) for him. We made it over for dinner and I have to say the lamb was a knockout. If you haven't tried The Shanty yet please put it on your list, he does much of the seafood prep at Portky's and you can definitely taste the love from Captain Porky's in his son's cooking at The Shanty.

Kudos to those who posted this and commented on it. I was in the neighborhood for business last week and stopped in for a shrimp po' boy and lobster salad. Great recommendation. While I didn't stop to chat everyone up, I did very much enjoy what I had and my next trip for business will have me stopping back.

Stopped in for jumbo shrimp and a crawfish po'boy lunch today. We also picked up a lamb dinner which is heating up as I type this.

Dino had some of last years mizthira cheese in the case so that'll be a nice addition as well. Everything was top notch as always.

Re: the Shanty, Dino says he is planning on closing the Sheridan Rd. location in approximately 6-7 months. He may keep the location for catering but as he told us, "my customers will follow me wherever I go" I know I will.

We stopped by a few weeks ago for jumbo shrimp, calamari and lobster po' boy. I really enjoyed all three, but the calamari were a standout for me - one of the best renditions I've ever had and a great value.

Thank you for this fabulous find, LTH!

I had to meet a some friends for lunch in Kenosha last Monday and as traffic was horrible on 94 I decided to stay on Sheridan all the way home. I realized I'd never been to Captain Porky's so I stopped in and was greeted warmly by the gentleman working there. I was too full to eat so left the shrimp for another time and decided to get the pork shoulder for dinner along with a piece of smoked salmon. I also mentioned that I'd heard about their olive oil and next time I'd bring a container so I could take some home. He promptly got a plastic to-go container and poured out a pint of wonderful green goodness. The oil has a full bodied taste and a slightly spicy tang that I really like. There was a woman getting rib tips and raving about them, I commented that next time I'd get those. When I got home and opened my bag I found he'd put in a small serving of rib tips, which were so good I actually ate standing up holding the container so no one else could get to them. I served the salmon last night as an appetizer to some guests and it got rave reviews. I have to go up that way on sunday and plan to bring back some rib tips and more salmon. I just wish it was closer to me. What a gem!

Hi,

Dropped into Captain Porky's for some shrimp to dine on at the beach. Learned Dino acquired two Jersey cows after scouring Wisconsin and consulting with the Amish for the very best. He desires their cream to mix with the goat milk, which is a regular practice in Greek cheese production.

Once he opens his new location on US-41 and Wadsworth Road, he plans to include Greek style goat on the menu. He feels the Greek style retains the flavor better than Mexican. He felt the Mexican steaming method looses the meat's flavor, then finished with hot sauce diminished the goatiness. He didn't quite explain how Greek goat is cooked, though I will be interested to do a side-by-side comparison without the hot sauce.

A note on dining at the beach: mosquitoes. I was being feasted on as I ate my lunch. Without any bug spray, I just couldn't wait to finish eating to get away. I looked pretty beat up from all the quarter-sized welts. Fortunately they faded after a few hours.

Regards,

Suggestions for al fresco dining at Illinois Beach State Park: Pay attention to the wind direction. A wind from the West will be warmer generally (nice in May and September), but carries insects right into the strike zone of the beach: gnats in early June, biting flies in late June through August or so. A wind from the East will be cooler (nice in July and August), and actually brings in warmer water from the surface of the lake. A humid day in June or July with only a light breeze from the West can be a miserable day at the beach.

DEET works on skeeters, but the biting flies seem to lap it up.

Was in the area and had to stop by- Dino sends his love...but I noticed one thing that has me bothered. You all know that great smell of wood smoked meat and seafood that hits you when you enter? It's so strong that it permeates everything inside, all foods, even things that it shouldn't. Case in point: I brought home a peice of that wonderful home made baklava, and a some cornbread for desert later that night. Four hours later when I opened the styrofoam containers, I could actually clearly smell and taste the smoked meat and fish in the deserts! This wasn't my imagination either, as someone else I shared it with commented on the same thing. This doesn't work for me- I don't care for my sweets to smell like wood smoked fish, and it really brought down the goodness of the deserts a couple of notches. Maybe they could be stored another way that would prevent them from being infused with that smoky, fishy, taste and smell. Dino needs to be made aware of this. Anyone else notice this, or care?

sandman wrote:Was in the area and had to stop by- Dino sends his love...but I noticed one thing that has me bothered. You all know that great smell of wood smoked meat and seafood that hits you when you enter? It's so strong that it permeates everything inside, all foods, even things that it shouldn't. Case in point: I brought home a peice of that wonderful home made baklava, and a some cornbread for desert later that night. Four hours later when I opened the styrofoam containers, I could actually clearly smell and taste the smoked meat and fish in the deserts! This wasn't my imagination either, as someone else I shared it with commented on the same thing. This doesn't work for me- I don't care for my sweets to smell like wood smoked fish, and it really brought down the goodness of the deserts a couple of notches. Maybe they could be stored another way that would prevent them from being infused with that smoky, fishy, taste and smell. Dino needs to be made aware of this. Anyone else notice this, or care?

A friend to whom I recommended Captain Porky's told me the exact same thing about some baklava he ordered there. I felt bad because I'd touted it as the best I'd ever had. Maybe Dino needs to store it in a separate refrigerator.

=R=

Hi,

FYI - The baklava is stored with the salads and other desserts, not with the BBQ.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

FYI - The baklava is stored with the salads and other desserts, not with the BBQ.

Regards,

Yes, my friend said it smelled of onions and oregano.

=R=

Last Sunday we were in the mood for a drive, headed up US 41,and hunger directed us to stop for breakfast at the Shanty on Wadsworth and 41. A great meal, by the way, I had ham and eggs and Mrs. Trpt the pancakes. Both were stellar. My ham steak was enormous and tasty in a smokey honey glazed kind of way, the eggs were perfect. The pancakes were terrific, light and fluffy, and the whole thing with breakfast beers was under $20. We asked about the construction,they said it would be under way shortly and they hoped to have Dino's new spot open in a month. We'll see, we hope. A short saunter eastwards we stopped at Captain Porky's for some take out shrimp and ribs. Both excellent, but next time I know to order the hot bbq sauce on the side. I find the mild to be sweet and kind of neutered. It's a pity it's such a long ride, we would really go all the time if it weren't such a schlep

Captain Porky's has a couple of favorite items back in stock:

Goat cheese, from Dino's goats, fried. The last time I'd had it, this was closer in texture to a feta. This time, it was more like a fresh mozzarella: creamy, a little stretchy. Dino said that the demand is so high, he's not getting the chance to make any aged goat cheese, and he may buy more goats.

Hen of the woods mushrooms, also fried. Wonderful flavor and texture, similar to chicken fingers with a little oceanic aroma.

Having the kids home today as I did, and seeking some new adventure I could take them on, I remembered Big Ed's BBQ and decided today was the day to make a 40-mile trek for something I could get at least the equal of just down the street on Western. (Well, not pound cake!)

I checked the website to make sure they were open on Monday, and took off through 18 varieties of road construction. My kids, thoroughly indoctrinated by the Greens like all children in our society today, marveled at all the gas we would be burning (even though we drive a Goreyota Prius) and proposed alternate technologies we might use in the future (what if we had a bomb and blew the car there... what if the dog could pull us).

Get there and... they're closed today and tomorrow. They say. For "maintenance," not that there was the slightest sign of any such thing. The kids taunt me, we came all this way and burned like a million billion bottles of gasoline and now we're going to eat at McDonald's. Not so fast, I say, programming a new address into the GPS, and we're off again.

We drive through even more desolate road construction and post-urban decay (favorite business in downtown North Chicago: Brothers Pawn Shop) and finally arrive, 50 miles from home, at Captain Porky's. Dino, I later learn, is off Mondays but the guy who looks like Jamie on Mythbusters is there and does his best to steer us toward the good stuff. Here's the kind of a place that Porky's is: I try to persuade younger son that fried goat cheese from their own goats will be better than fried mozzarella sticks. He's unconvinced but I decide for him and get the goat cheese. Jamie-lookalike, knowing how kids are, throws in an order of the mozzarella sticks just in case, on the house.

Between that kind of service, the alligator head on the counter, the oddly eclectic choice of foods (yes, fried Hen of the Woods mushrooms, something I ate for the first time ever two days earlier at Vie), and watching him hand-bread and fry the shrimp for my shrimp po'boy, the kids and I are all pretty much charmed. And even though older son is not fond of his hot link sandwich (me either, frankly; I concur that barbecue is not the way to go), there's more than enough food (I'm still full five hours later) and I really loved the fried shrimp and the fried goat cheese slices. I have no idea when I'll next be up here in Way The F'North Illinois, but Captain Porky's will be the default lunch for me in this neck of the woods from now on. And Big Ed's? They may have missed their shot, who knows?



Afterwards we drove past the pyramid house in Wadsworth-- the house is grandly oblique, but the ticky-tacky setting makes it look like a pyramid-themed car wash in Los Angeles-- and then popped into the Bass Pro Shop at Gurnee. The kids tried to decide which motorboat they would buy, and walked out with brochures which kept them happy on the long ride home, while Dad took pictures of things like this:



Only 87 days till Christmas!

Mike G wrote:Get there and... they're closed today and tomorrow. They say. For "maintenance," not that there was the slightest sign of any such thing. The kids taunt me, we came all this way and burned like a million billion bottles of gasoline and now we're going to eat at McDonald's. Not so fast, I say, programming a new address into the GPS, and we're off again.

Mike,

Not to speak for Ed but the road and sewer construction around his place has been nearly debilitating at times, over the past few months. It's possible that he was left without water or some other utility, which may explain the fact that they were closed with no apparent maintenance going on. This is pure speculation on my part but knowing Ed, I'm sure it pained him to be closed, regardless of the reason.

In any event, I'm glad you made the best out of your road trip.

=R=

actually i was up there for lunch last week..Ed is indeed doing needed maintenance in kitchen...

Does anyone know if Dino's expansion at the Shanty on Rt. 41 has happened yet? Back in July it was supposedly imminent but I haven't heard anything.

trpt2345 wrote:Does anyone know if Dino's expansion at the Shanty on Rt. 41 has happened yet? Back in July it was supposedly imminent but I haven't heard anything.

I asked Dino when I was there (see above), and he said they've been too busy to even think about it.

Cooler weather may slow things down... but also slow down construction, and by that time, the Shanty may be aired on DDD, kicking it back up into high gear.

Had a glorious lunch there today. My original intentions were to dine a la trunk. But the crappy weather forced me inside. Needless to say, the inside of my car has a wonderful aroma which can't be duplicated.

lifted from Captain Porky's facebook update:

"Praise the Lard Captain Porky's will be opening on Friday June 4th 2010!!!!!!!!!!!"

This would be the new location on 41 & Wadsworth road...

Do I hear a hallelujah?