I tried Troha's last night, as it's sort of on my way home. I was very impressed. The shrimp were light and fluffy and delicious if a little expensive at basically $1 each. The pork was a fantastic deal at $5.50 for two large pieces, enough to split with somebody; the taste was good, not spectacular. The fries were nothing to write home about.

Troha's will definitely hit my rotation, and it's another reminder that 26th Street is a street which deserve exploration all the way from Berwyn to the jail.

I often sit around and crave a good shrimp joint...and scallops...before my tastes got a bit more selective, Fish Keg on Howard ued to do it in a pinch...

But then I met Barnacle Billy's in Oguniquit Maine. Oh my. If I can figure out how to post a picture I will share pure food porn with you all. But, perhaps I better not...

I weep for the fried sclam plate (scallops/clams)...

Stopped by Troha's on Sunday after the Sox game, inspired by this thread. Noted MJN's TO article posted on the wall. The shrimp were better than I remembered, lightly breaded, perfectly prepared.

I need to explore these other spots, though. And I think my affair with Goose Island was only an affair of convenience

As I suspected the southside shrimp house has closed its doors...im sure it has been reported somewhere on the board. Just in case anyone reads this post looking for good fried shrimp dont bother driving to southside shrimp house.

I didnt actually drive there today but I have driven past on more than a few occasions to see it totally shut with a "for rent" sign and today I verified it by calling and getting a disconnected number.

Southside Shrimp House (Closed)
335 W. 31st St.
Chicago, IL 60616
312-567-0000

I've been to Troha's a few times since my last post (I can't believe it's almost been a year). My last time was a week ago last Friday as I was in a shrimp mood. Half a pound hit the spot while meandering the rest of the way home through traffic.

I did notice that they set up a small two-seat counter for people who wish to dine in.

Someone wondering about the status of the Fish Keg? It's as great as it was 30 years ago, though a bit more expensive and now you have to pay extra for the cocktail sauce.

I can broil a piece of salmon in my oven and the house smells for three days. But somehow, Fish Keg frysthe stuff up nearly all night long, every day, and the place smells clean as a whistle. And it still stocks local goodies-- they've always got Maurice Lennell and Jay's piled up next to the cooler. What better way to end your shrimp dinner than with a bunch of pinwheels?

J&J fish on Harlem in Oak Park gets no love but deserves better. Their jumbo shrimp are juicy and get a surprisingly delicate cornmeal breading. When these are "on" they rival anybody's, and are much better than most.Good catfish nuggets too.

I grew up on the South Side and used to love the Fried Shrimp from White's. They had locations on E. 79th by Cottage Grove and E. 71st by St. Lawrence in addition to a few other locations. The shrimp were always fresh and the batter was fried to perfection; golden brown, crispy on the outside and not too mushy on the inside. I'm almost certain they're all gone, but my shellfish allergy would preclude me from trying them again anyway.

Someone wondering about the status of the Fish Keg? It's as great as it was 30 years ago, though a bit more expensive and now you have to pay extra for the cocktail sauce.

I can broil a piece of salmon in my oven and the house smells for three days. But somehow, Fish Keg frys the stuff up nearly all night long, every day, and the place smells clean as a whistle. And it still stocks local goodies-- they've always got Maurice Lennell and Jay's piled up next to the cooler. What better way to end your shrimp dinner than with a bunch of pinwheels?

Sorry, I've been going to The Fish Keg for 40 years, and it smells like....well, like fish, or shrimp, or hot oil, or those piping-hot homemade fries. All those smells together, and I'm almost drooling just thinking about it.

Summertime '77: get a pound of fried shrimp, fries, two cocktail sauces killer stuff), an RC cola & a little box of Lakerol peppermints. Sit out in the parking lot, with the hood of your car as your table, turn on the Cub game loud and just groove with some pals. Then head over to Frankenstein's disco (shhhh...!)


The Fish Keg
2233 W. Howard
Chicago, IL
(773) 262-6603

[/quote]

Calumet fisheries is excellent. Not to much breading and not to greasy. As someone stated earlier the smoked shrimp are the star attraction. They are smoked on site. Some people call the smoked chub crack fish. I myself prefer the shrimp. Someone smashed into their shop so they will be closed for a while.I believe this is the only fish joint to get a award from lthforum.

Rene G wrote:Troha's deserves to be better known.

Had been years since my last Troha's visit, my mistake. Light crisp greaseless breading and, unlike most shrimp houses around town, shrimp were not overcooked. Mild cocktail sauce made in-house, best fried shrimp I've had in years, agree with Rene G, Troha's deserves to be better known.

Troha's



Robert Troha, heck of a nice fellow, quick with a story and smile.

Robert Troha



Troha's Chicken & Shrimp House
4151 W 26th St
Chicago
773-521-7847

dbrick59 wrote:Calumet fisheries is excellent. Not to much breading and not to greasy. As someone stated earlier the smoked shrimp are the star attraction. They are smoked on site. Some people call the smoked chub crack fish. I myself prefer the shrimp. Someone smashed into their shop so they will be closed for a while.I believe this is the only fish joint to get a award from lthforum.

This thread reminds me of a lovely reference to Calumet Fisheries from a conversation last night. The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts had a program called "How Chicago Are You?" About 10 prominent architects, designers, visual artists and musicians gathered to discuss the role of place in creative work. Each speaker was supposed to choose five things they love about Chicago and five things they dislike about the city.

One of the speakers was Dan Wheeler, founder of the architecture firm Wheeler Kearns (which food people might know as the firm that designed the newest location of Inspiration Café in East Garfield Park). Wheeler is a very poetic and deliberate thinker, and he mentioned Calumet Fisheries as one of Chicago's most awe-inspiring secrets. This was the same talk in which he praised the beauty and brilliance of Chicago's grid. I thought it was pretty rad that he held up Calumet in that way.

FWIW, there were a few other food items that made panelists' lists. The painter Pamela Fraser included Hot Doug's in her five likes, though she's never actually been there. She said she loves the idea of it, said just like someone who's never waited down the block for duck fat frites. The artist and musician Todd Mattei discussed the iconic status of PBR. And Damon Locks, frontman for the band the Eternals, closed his dislikes with this image of "casserole."

Forgive Damon - being from D.C. he wouldn't know a pizza if it walked up and hit him

mrefjl wrote:Forgive Damon - being from D.C. he wouldn't know a pizza if it walked up and hit him

Haha... Does him hailing from Silver Spring, specifically, make it better or worse?

happy_stomach wrote:The artist and musician Todd Mattei discussed the iconic status of PBR.

Since when has PBR had any specific association with Chicago? Maybe Old Style.

SCUBAchef wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:The artist and musician Todd Mattei discussed the iconic status of PBR.

Since when has PBR had any specific association with Chicago? Maybe Old Style.

At least as of a few years ago, Pabst was headquartered in Woodridge.

Getting back to favorite shrimp joints you must try Korner Shrimp House in Garfield Ridge. Great butterflied fried shrimp and other seafood. My favorite other than the shrimp is the walleye. Good homemade macaroni and kidney bean salads. I know they have been there for quite a while, not as long as Troha's, but over 35 years at least.

Korner Shrimp House
6525 W Archer
Chicago, IL. 60638

jesteinf wrote:

SCUBAchef wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:The artist and musician Todd Mattei discussed the iconic status of PBR.

Since when has PBR had any specific association with Chicago? Maybe Old Style.

At least as of a few years ago, Pabst was headquartered in Woodridge.

Still headquartered there, but both PBR and Old Style are brewed under contract by Miller in Milwaukee.

Edit: Recent rumors suggest Pabst may move its corporate HQ from Woodridge to Los Angeles this summer.

jesteinf wrote:

SCUBAchef wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:The artist and musician Todd Mattei discussed the iconic status of PBR.

Since when has PBR had any specific association with Chicago? Maybe Old Style.

At least as of a few years ago, Pabst was headquartered in Woodridge.

Yup, and Todd's discussion of PBR wasn't because it's a Chicago beer. All of the Chicago lists were extremely personal, so PBR for him just has a strong association with him settling in Chicago and finding artistic community here. There was also brief discussion of art critic Dave Hickey's five steps to becoming an artist, which involve basically finding a circle of friends and sitting down and drinking. For Todd, PBR is the drink of choice. Interestingly, I think only one of the panelists was a native Chicagoan, which, as kind of a transplant myself, made their likes and dislikes--set in contrast to the coasts and different countries they had come from--all the more poignant.

I grew up on Don's Dock in Des Plaines and still crave it. Their shrimp looks a lot like Trohas. YUM!! I guess I will have to get down there. I went to a place called Franks Chicago Shrimp house in Portage park but I did not find it as tasty as Don's.

Don's Dock
1220 East Northwest Highway
Des Plaines, IL 60016
(847) 827-1817

The place I miss is The Fish House which was on Grand or Ohio somewhere just east of LaSalle. I ate there pretty much weekly when I worked downtown in the early 80's. I don't know when it disappeared.

Their fried fish (shrimp was out of my budget -- had it once or twice and equally good) was crisp and crunchy, a good hot cocktail sauce for that and the shrimp.
I was a growing boy then, and a half pound of fish and a 6" turkey sub on good Gonella bread made a great lunch.

JoelF wrote:The place I miss is The Fish House which was on Grand or Ohio somewhere just east of LaSalle.

I remember that joint from about 25 years ago. I thought it was at the northwest corner of Grand & Franklin. I could be wrong.

Troha's is definitely on the top of my list to check out. Pretty cool that they acknowledge the LTH love on their website at www.chicagoshrimphouse.com

Dave148 wrote:

JoelF wrote:The place I miss is The Fish House which was on Grand or Ohio somewhere just east of LaSalle.

I remember that joint from about 25 years ago. I thought it was at the northwest corner of Grand & Franklin. I could be wrong.

Right -- I meant west, not east of LaSalle.

kuhdo wrote:J&J fish on Harlem in Oak Park gets no love but deserves better. Their jumbo shrimp are juicy and get a surprisingly delicate cornmeal breading. When these are "on" they rival anybody's, and are much better than most.Good catfish nuggets too.

I had the lunch special today at J&J - 10 medium shrimp, fries, 2 slices of white bread, a little cup of generic coleslaw and a coke for $5.49
Not a bad deal - not memorable, but a good lunch none the less.

i moved away from skokie in 1986 but made many trips to grand avenue by kraft headquarters and it was called al's fisheries, addictive fried shrimp and sauce, they closed in the early 80"s and leaving me with the fish keg in evanston or lawrence fisheries in the city to get my fix, no one could duplicate als sauce though

Yup, I loved Al's. They usually had a great deal on smoked chubs.

Al's was great, but while it was on Grand, it was much farther east. It was well east of Michigan Ave. and just a little west of LSD.

nr706 wrote:Edit: Recent rumors suggest Pabst may move its corporate HQ from Woodridge to Los Angeles this summer.

It's official - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-p ... 5265.story

IMHO-
Hagan's Fisheries
5635 W. Montrose
Chicago
773.283.1944
http://www.hagensfishmarket.com/index1.html

does not get enough love outta the lth crowd.
I mean- where else in Chicago, can you bring your freshly caught Lake Michigan Coho to be smoked?......
And- while negotiating the smoking particulars, munch on some very tasty, well breaded (but not too heavy)
Shrimp for $13.00 to $18.00 a lb. (depending on size). The fried scallops and fried smelt are quite good here as well.
The place just reeks of "Old School" Chicago Shrimp/Fish joints.
In a way- it also has that "Door County" kinda vibe, not in a touristy/gimmicky kinda way-
just feels very - "folks-ie"