Pie Lady wrote:My feeling is that restaurants with "Golden" in the title are bound to suck. Golden Flame, check. Golden Nugget, check. Haven't eaten at Golden Bear, but from what Mr. Pie's told me, it fits.

Got another exception for you: Golden Chef on Milwaukee in Wheeling.
Not LTH-level, but pretty darn good Cantonese and Dim Sum. I called them tonight and said, "Do you do chow fun?"
GC: "Yes, we do"
JF: "With roast pork?"
GC: "Cut in big pieces, right? With mixed vegetables?"
JF: "Perfect"

I've had better Chow Fun (at Sun Wah, in particular), but this was very good. Apparently, it's off menu, but they'll do it on request.

To keep it on topic though, don't eat their Kung Pao Chicken.

stevez wrote:That was a great episode where (among other things) the Golden Apple waitresses discovered that treating the customers rudely actually resulted in bigger tips.

I thought that was Lula Cafe. Seriously. I'm not trying to be snarky about Lula Cafe; I remember a This American Life episode about how the Lula waitresses discovered that treating customers rudely actually resulted in bigger tips.

I remember it, too. It was Lula Café.

Under the brand "Amora," American Airlines has outsourced its Admirals Club food services to Sodexo, the Blackwater of dining. So I suppose I should have tempered my expectation that the $9.50 Admiral's Club Sandwich at LaGuardia would actually be edible, much less palatable.

Processed ham and turkey-style lunch meat substance, Swiss and cheddar cheese food and pasty, cold bacon. Topped with wilted lettuce and a mushy tomato slice, served on a soggy, molded-to-look-like-a-croissant bun. And, because NYC makes them disclose it, a complete waste of 650 calories.

Blecchh.

I have been desiring veggie sushi lately, so I decided to fulfill my longing with a visit to Local Sushi Joint (name redacted because I am not sure if a mention would get this post deleted). I paid for the order, and then spent the next several minutes observing the sushi maker coughing into her gloves and sneezing on the sushi. I ended up getting my money refunded and left, as the owner didn't seem to think this was a problem, and instead went to...Dominick's.

Granted, it wasn't the worst thing I have eaten ever, but definitely the worst lately.

Pulled pork torta at Frontera Fresco in Old Orchard. What a train wreck of a sandwich. The two bites of meat (honestly I tasted meat in two bites) were tasty but the rest was just a mess. Both the habanero mayo and habanero hot sauce not only lacked any noticeable heat but pretty sure also had mango as were very sweet. Huge pile of pickled onions added more sweetness and a little sour. Overall worst $10 I've spent in a long time. Still cursing myself for not going to Portillos for a beef and cheddar on a croissant.

Was going to post about my experience at a Fort Wayne, Indiana Cheddars yesterday but actually this was worse.

Had a terrible lunch at Mack's Golden Pheasant in Villa Park. I think I now agree with Pie Lady that one should be dubious about places with "golden" in their name. We've driven past the place many times over the years and always wondered if it was like the 'northwoods supper clubs' that we enjoy in Wisconsin. Indeed, the interior of the restaurant and bar raised our hopes that we were going to escape to Eagle River or Ashland, Wisconsin. The menu of German and Austrian specialities served to kick our appetites into full gear. However, our disappointment and food arrived at the same time. The homemade bread was so dry and 'crispy' that one stroke of the breadknife caused crumbs to fly all over the table, us and the floor. I ordered the Vienna Platter (One Quarter Roast Duck & Weiner Schnitzel, served with Bread Dumplings & Sauerkraut and a salad starter) and DH had the Canadian Walleye served Sauteed with a Lemon Sauce or Broiled with Almonds. The salad was drowned in the creamy garlic dressing that was recommended by our server. It was creamy, but not garlicy so the salad was iceberg covered with mayo. DH had the baked french onion soup which he said was "OK" but he changed his mind to "Meh" after he'd eaten the cheese off it and found that it really was chicken broth with a bunch of sliced onions.

The only things enjoyable about my entree were the duck skin and the sauerkraut. The skin was very crisp, but at the expense of the rest of the duck portion which was cooked to a near jerky state (poor duck!). The weiner schnitzel was tender, but was fried at too low a temp so it was very greasy. The walleye was cooked appropriately but had not been seasoned at all.

The service was remarkable because there was hardly any of it. Our server was busy chatting with two regulars, and by 'chatting' i mean that he sat with them from the time he put down our entrees until the time he brought our check - he never checked on us, nor did he offer dessert. He did however, deduct the cost of the duck from the check when I complained. Had he checked on us, he would have had the chance to make it right during the meal, but alas, no chance of that.

In the future, we will continue to drive by Mack's Golden Pheasant. There wasn't anything there to make me want to try it again.

Mack's Golden Pheasant - 668 W. North Avenue - Elmhurst, IL 60126
Telephone: (630) 279-8544
www.macksgoldenpheasant.com/

An Asian chicken sandwich at the Animal Kingdom at Disney World. Shaved chicken roll on a ciabatta-like bun with what was supposed to be an Asian slaw. Yuck.

An asada and pastor taco at the newish Rockin' Taco on Irving Park. I had high hopes, cause I pass by twice daily on my walk to/from work and wouldn't mind a solid taco place on the way. This was not it.

The good: I like the space, the counter service was incredibly nice. The tortillas were fine, and tacos come default with onion and cilantro, as it should be.

The bad: That meat. Ugh. The asada and pastor tasted almost identical. I think they marinate their meats and they must use the same marinade. If that's the case, they overmarinated by a longshot, the meat was mushy and bland, slightly sweet, absolutely zero char. There is a line between tender and mushy, and when I have to open the taco to make sure the asada hasn't been pre-chewed, we've crossed that line. The negatives were enhanced by the way the meat was hacked into chunks instead of chopped.

I'll try this place again, but with different meat choices. Hopefully their horchata will be decent, that would be great for humid summer days.

Yes, I agree with the review about Rockin'Taco. I can confirm that the horchata is decent. I will be trying their veggie taco/burrito offering next, and they also have a tofu option. This is the second time in a row that I have gone to a mexican place and gotten mushy meat for my taco, instead of nice tasty pieces. Is this a trend? If so, I hope it dies quickly.

vickyp wrote:DH had the Canadian Walleye

We could all use a designated hitter, or maybe a pinch eater,
to take one for the team once in a while!

A tasteless Italian submarine,cheap flavorless lunchmeat,tiny piece of lettuce & tomato. The dressing tasted like plain vinegar & oil with no seasoning. The Turano bread it was served on was good though. I've lived in the area for several years and have driven through that intersection well over a hundred times and never even knew the place was there. No I know why.

Avia
8350 Hohman Ave
Munster,In 46321

SCUBAchef wrote:

vickyp wrote:DH had the Canadian Walleye

We could all use a designated hitter, or maybe a pinch eater,
to take one for the team once in a while!

That would be me on 2/16 - viewtopic.php?f=14&t=27575&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=60

connie and mike wrote:Goumet House on Algonquin Rd. Picked up $45 take out and basically threw most of it away. Very little taste or flavoring to any of the food. Egg rolls...mediocre..baby shrimp rolls...we both liked these...egg fu yung...edible .....sweet and sour chicken...just okay....
2 beef dishes...thrown out...still on the search for tasty chinese food in McHenry county.

The best Chinese food in McHenry County is, unfortunately, in Schaumburg!
I have lived out here, McHenry County, since 1979 and we still go to HO LUCK and YU MANDARIN on Golf Road by Woodfield and also Jockey's WOK N ROLL on Roselle south of Golf. Best Noodle House by far is the NOODLE HOUSE next to Valli's on Roselle Road.

Beef Lo Mein at Ho Luck, Weekend Dim Sum at Jockey's and anything at YU plus noodles at Noodle; there is not one restaurant in McHenry County that can beat these 4 selections.

imbottito wrote:

connie and mike wrote:Goumet House on Algonquin Rd. Picked up $45 take out and basically threw most of it away. Very little taste or flavoring to any of the food. Egg rolls...mediocre..baby shrimp rolls...we both liked these...egg fu yung...edible .....sweet and sour chicken...just okay....
2 beef dishes...thrown out...still on the search for tasty chinese food in McHenry county.

The best Chinese food in McHenry County is, unfortunately, in Schaumburg!
I have lived out here, McHenry County, since 1979 and we still go to HO LUCK and YU MANDARIN on Golf Road by Woodfield and also Jockey's WOK N ROLL on Roselle south of Golf. Best Noodle House by far is the NOODLE HOUSE next to Valli's on Roselle Road.

Beef Lo Mein at Ho Luck, Weekend Dim Sum at Jockey's and anything at YU plus noodles at Noodle; there is not one restaurant in McHenry County that can beat these 4 selections.

That's a bold statement!

Puns!

jesteinf wrote:

imbottito wrote:

connie and mike wrote:Goumet House on Algonquin Rd. Picked up $45 take out and basically threw most of it away. Very little taste or flavoring to any of the food. Egg rolls...mediocre..baby shrimp rolls...we both liked these...egg fu yung...edible .....sweet and sour chicken...just okay....
2 beef dishes...thrown out...still on the search for tasty chinese food in McHenry county.

The best Chinese food in McHenry County is, unfortunately, in Schaumburg!
I have lived out here, McHenry County, since 1979 and we still go to HO LUCK and YU MANDARIN on Golf Road by Woodfield and also Jockey's WOK N ROLL on Roselle south of Golf. Best Noodle House by far is the NOODLE HOUSE next to Valli's on Roselle Road.

Beef Lo Mein at Ho Luck, Weekend Dim Sum at Jockey's and anything at YU plus noodles at Noodle; there is not one restaurant in McHenry County that can beat these 4 selections.

That's a bold statement!

Bold but true in my humble opinion.

Yoplait Fat Free Red Velvet Yogurt. Yes, I know.

Mr. Pie saw it and ate it but I insisted on a spoonful. It was a fake, strawberry/raspberry taste followed very late by chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting. Icky.

Steamed vegetables at Cafe Florian in Hyde Park. Just gross. In an attempt to not eat french fries as part of two consecutive meals, I inquired about the veggie option to go along with my turkey reuben. They were not, as advertised, "actually really good." I'm sure they came out of a bag from the freezer, when they came at all - after I was done with my sandwich.

If you want steamed vegetables, all you have to do is live long enough and they'll bring you all the steamed vegetables you want. Even mush 'em up for you. And they'll come out of the same bag as at Caffe Florian.

Mike G wrote:If you want steamed vegetables, all you have to do is live long enough and they'll bring you all the steamed vegetables you want. Even mush 'em up for you. And they'll come out of the same bag as at Caffe Florian.

I don't think ndg deserved this snarky reply, even if you ARE a charter member.

I was in Appleton, WI last weekend and had "Famous Dave's BBQ." It's been a while since I've had this type of Q. Living in the Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park area, I usually head to Honey 1 or even make the trek (all highway) to Smoque (they did a great job catering our son's b-day party in August btw).

I ordered the brisket/hot link combo and let's just say that I was less then thrilled with what I ate. I think my signature line says it all...

Jay K wrote:I don't think ndg deserved this snarky reply, even if you ARE a charter member.

Wow, the irony of someone called Jay K (jk)
having no sense of humor. Well-played!

After a month and a half wait, my wife and I finally dined at a certain Well-Regarded Mexican Restaurant with a Famous Chef. Waiting for the car after dinner, both of us commented on how mostly unremarkable the meal was, save for the bill and the fact that my wife didn't particularly like her entree. Six hours later, she had violent food poisoning that more or less incapacitated her for a day and a half. I called said restaurant, mostly to alert them, and they were polite but still more or less unperturbed. They asked what they could do to make it up to us and I told them I was only calling to let them know. I suppose I could have asked for something, but there was so little about the meal to be excited about that I just couldn't get very ... excited.

Wow, the irony of someone called Jay K (jk)
having no sense of humor. Well-played!

Well, I can't say I'm finding it very funny that someone with 800 posts chooses to sneer at the work of those of us who put in countless hours to start and manage this site for their benefit, either.

For the record— since the moderators deleted this earlier— I was not intending to insult NDGBucktown, and I am not happy about being left in the position of appearing to agree with Jay K's interpretation of my comment.

Mike G wrote:Well, I can't say I'm finding it very funny that someone with 800 posts chooses to sneer at the work of those of us who put in countless hours to start and manage this site for their benefit, either.

Tell us peons how you really feel!

After realizing it would be impossible to get a table at Panes for a sandwich I ended up at Pompei across the street in Lakeview. Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich - 2 thumbs down- Spongy, grease laden, pre-prepped Eggplant parm thrown on a very unspectacular roll. I just don't get Pompei's lure.

senoritap wrote:After realizing it would be impossible to get a table at Panes for a sandwich I ended up at Pompei across the street in Lakeview. Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich - 2 thumbs down- Spongy, grease laden, pre-prepped Eggplant parm thrown on a very unspectacular roll. I just don't get Pompei's lure.

At one time (20 plus years ago) Pompei was one of Taylor streets hidden jems. The shadow is still a powerful lure to some of us, who like to be disappointed

"Jack Daniels" pulled pork from Jewel. What a horrible mistake. Mystery Meat covered in sugar. Yuck!

The product of an angry French chef forced to break off from his anticipated day off to take care of a single forelorn couple who had made the mistake of reserving an off-season table in his cavernous chateau-restaurant.

An amuse-bouche of warmed-over cubes of sweetbread in a warmed-over Campbell's-soup-mushroom sauce (our bouches were not amused), accompanied by a half-dozen cold, deflated gougeres, followed by an entree of frosty escargot between the leaves of a raw mille-feuille pastry. It went downhill from there. The wine was good, tho.