Yen's garlic cripsy beef from Yen's on Clark. After 6+ years of searching, I have finally found my go-to for Ameri-Chinese delivery.

Popcorn creme brulee at the Fountainhead. Fantastic.

Braised pork shank (Golonka Strzalka) with onions and carrots from the prepared food counter at Andy's Deli. Tender, juicy, needed only a fork to separate the meat from the bone.

A few days earlier, we had prepared a ham at home. Some parts were a tad dry and my husband remarked that it would be great if we "could find a ham that is all juicy dark meat". That is the best description I can think of for Andy's pork shanks: they are the juicy dark meat of pork.

Andy's Deli
5442 N.Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
773-631-7304
http://www.andysdeli.com

mrsm wrote:Braised pork shank (Golonka Strzalka) with onions and carrots from the prepared food counter at Andy's Deli. Tender, juicy, needed only a fork to separate the meat from the bone.

A few days earlier, we had prepared a ham at home. Some parts were a tad dry and my husband remarked that it would be great if we "could find a ham that is all juicy dark meat". That is the best description I can think of for Andy's pork shanks: they are the juicy dark meat of pork.

Andy's Deli
5442 N.Milwaukee
Chicago, IL
773-631-7304
http://www.andysdeli.com

That sounds awesome. I have been planning a trip out there for a while now and this put me over the edge.

Mi Quang and shrimp/papaya salad at Nha Hang Vietnam on Argyle, and Khao Soi at ATK on Wellington. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Chicago's SE Asian food is far superior to what I've found in the five boroughs. Even my SoCal raised fiance agrees. Chicago still lags in some things Asian - regional chinese (working on it though) Korean (where can I get live octopi) and most glaringly Japanese (though a recent meal at Sumi blew any Robata I've had in NYC out of the water - most notably the perpetually packed and much lauded Robata-Ya on 9th Street). Great things happening in Chicago!

Habibi wrote:Chicago still lags in some things Asian - regional chinese (working on it though) Korean (where can I get live octopi) and most glaringly Japanese (though a recent meal at Sumi blew any Robata I've had in NYC out of the water - most notably the perpetually packed and much lauded Robata-Ya on 9th Street). Great things happening in Chicago!

Just curious, what kind of regional Chinese foods are you eating in NYC these days? I've had Fujianese food a couple times in Manhattan's Chinatown and enjoyed it quite a bit (I had it with my Taiwanese in-laws who could navigate the menus written in Mandarin for us). I was less impressed by Xi'an famous foods.

These days I'd say Sze Chuan Cuisine and Homestyle Taste (Dongbei) are putting out the best regional Chinese food in the area, though Lao Hunan is still solid as well.

Pączki are great, but for a pre-Lenten treat give me a Swedish semla (plural semlor). These are from Swedish Bakery:


Semlor are sweet yeast rolls with a slight cardamom flavor, filled with whipped cream and marzipan. And yes, they are the size of hamburger buns.

Swedish Bakery should have semlor through Lent; they recommend ordering in advance (minimum order of 4).

Swedish Bakery
5348 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640
773-561-8919
http://www.swedishbakery.com

turkob wrote:

Habibi wrote:Chicago still lags in some things Asian - regional chinese (working on it though) Korean (where can I get live octopi) and most glaringly Japanese (though a recent meal at Sumi blew any Robata I've had in NYC out of the water - most notably the perpetually packed and much lauded Robata-Ya on 9th Street). Great things happening in Chicago!

Just curious, what kind of regional Chinese foods are you eating in NYC these days? I've had Fujianese food a couple times in Manhattan's Chinatown and enjoyed it quite a bit (I had it with my Taiwanese in-laws who could navigate the menus written in Mandarin for us). I was less impressed by Xi'an famous foods.

These days I'd say Sze Chuan Cuisine and Homestyle Taste (Dongbei) are putting out the best regional Chinese food in the area, though Lao Hunan is still solid as well.

That's a good question. Yes, definitely Fujianase, with its excellent abundant hand pulled/shaved noodles put to great use in soups and dry (but not stir fried) dishes. Shanghainese as well, not only for XLB (I don't fawn over the stuff as many do), but for noodle (and rice cake) dishes with excellent wok hay, and for beef noodle soups. I don't think the Szechuan or Hunan in NYC is anything that special. Taiwanese is more prevalent, but again, there are issues with quality. I really love some of the straight forward Cantonese spots for good seafood dishes, congee, and of course BBQ. I don't think the quality is much better than what we get in Chicago (esp. BBQ), but the seafood is better and obviously the good restaurants are more abundant. Frankly, I'm sick of having to wade through the madness of Sun Wah, no matter how good their BBQ. And then there's the cooking of Chinese populations in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, something Chicago is sorely lacking in. That doesn't mean though that the quality of those restaurants is all that great in New York, its just nice that they exist. All in all, despite the size of its Chinese population, with some exceptions (Fujianese), the Chinese food here is not so excellent. SoCal on the other hand, now that's the place.

ETA: yeah, Xian Famous Foods kinda sucks IMO.

Amata wrote:Pączki are great, but for a pre-Lenten treat give me a Swedish semla (plural semlor). These are from Swedish Bakery:

Semlor are sweet yeast rolls with a slight cardamom flavor, filled with whipped cream and marzipan. And yes, they are the size of hamburger buns.

Swedish Bakery should have semlor through Lent; they recommend ordering in advance (minimum order of 4).

Swedish Bakery
5348 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60640
773-561-8919
http://www.swedishbakery.com

Great find, Amata!

Today is, in fact, Fettisdagen ("Fat Tuesday") and THE day to eat semlor in Sweden! I had mine after a bowl of soup for dinner this evening.

For anyone interested (and please forgive me milking these old posts...) I've got a recipe and instructions here:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=17679

I had the Crawrfish Etouffee at Big Jones, Saturday evening. It was fantastic. The waitress said there was about a stick of butter and a bottle of wine in the dish. Calories well spent. Also, the Charcuterie appetizer was quite good, with multiple sausages, a delicious homemade Aioli, homemade breads and many pickled items. The Sazerac didn't hurt any either. First time to Big Jones. Loved it.

TC

Big Jones
5347 North Clark Street
Chciago

Hi Bridgestone,

tack så mycket for the link to your recipe! I must have missed that when you first posted it. Yours look fantastic!

Habibi wrote:

turkob wrote:

Habibi wrote:Chicago still lags in some things Asian - regional chinese (working on it though) Korean (where can I get live octopi) and most glaringly Japanese (though a recent meal at Sumi blew any Robata I've had in NYC out of the water - most notably the perpetually packed and much lauded Robata-Ya on 9th Street). Great things happening in Chicago!

Just curious, what kind of regional Chinese foods are you eating in NYC these days? I've had Fujianese food a couple times in Manhattan's Chinatown and enjoyed it quite a bit (I had it with my Taiwanese in-laws who could navigate the menus written in Mandarin for us). I was less impressed by Xi'an famous foods.

These days I'd say Sze Chuan Cuisine and Homestyle Taste (Dongbei) are putting out the best regional Chinese food in the area, though Lao Hunan is still solid as well.

That's a good question. Yes, definitely Fujianase, with its excellent abundant hand pulled/shaved noodles put to great use in soups and dry (but not stir fried) dishes. Shanghainese as well, not only for XLB (I don't fawn over the stuff as many do), but for noodle (and rice cake) dishes with excellent wok hay, and for beef noodle soups. I don't think the Szechuan or Hunan in NYC is anything that special. Taiwanese is more prevalent, but again, there are issues with quality. I really love some of the straight forward Cantonese spots for good seafood dishes, congee, and of course BBQ. I don't think the quality is much better than what we get in Chicago (esp. BBQ), but the seafood is better and obviously the good restaurants are more abundant. Frankly, I'm sick of having to wade through the madness of Sun Wah, no matter how good their BBQ. And then there's the cooking of Chinese populations in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, something Chicago is sorely lacking in. That doesn't mean though that the quality of those restaurants is all that great in New York, its just nice that they exist. All in all, despite the size of its Chinese population, with some exceptions (Fujianese), the Chinese food here is not so excellent. SoCal on the other hand, now that's the place.

ETA: yeah, Xian Famous Foods kinda sucks IMO.

I've only been to Xi'an Famous Foods once, and only to the original Queens location, and only for the Liang Pi noodles, but they were pretty awesome. I realize XFF now has several locations and perhaps quality varies from location to location

Judge me if you must, and I know you will, but.......

Best thing I've eaten Lately. Two juicy spicy crunchy fried chicken thighs from Popeye's with a side of coleslaw.

I'm not proud of this fact, but sweet blue barking dog they hit the proverbial spot.

G Wiv wrote:Judge me if you must, and I know you will, but.......

Best thing I've eaten Lately. Two juicy spicy crunchy fried chicken thighs from Popeye's with a side of coleslaw.

I'm not proud of this fact, but sweet blue barking dog they hit the proverbial spot.

Imagine how good it might have been if you had just read this:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the- ... fried.html

deesher wrote:Imagine how good it might have been if you had just read this:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the- ... fried.html

Not sure how I feel about double frying Popeye's, but I'm sure I'll be trying this sooner rather than later.

I should add a big part of the 'Best Lately' Popeye's was the absolute immediacy of the spicy crunch juicy goodness.

My last franchise fried chicken, KFC, was so salty, greasy disgusting it took 4-years for me to try again.

Popeye's is almost always good.


best thing I've even lately = the hanger steak at Ruxbin. Just a perfect dish.

Everything I had at Bien Trucha for lunch on Wednesday: fried fish tacos, the cazuelita de queso with shrimp and chimichurri, and the esquites. The limonada was awesome as well.

My entire family was gathered at my mothers last weekend after my father's funeral. Out of nowhere my sister who never cooks went to work in the kitchen.
She pulled an ancient book off the shelf and quietly started cooking Spicy Vegan Chili from a tattered Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It was weird. It had cashews, 3 kinds of beans, and raisins.

It was awesome.

I'm sure the company helped make it special that day, but I made a pot at home this week and it really is very good.

I work at Vienna Beef, where I run the Hot Dog University program. Last week, I prepared lunch for five of my students who will be opening restaurants in the very near future (two in California, two in Chicago, and one in Phoenix). Using steamed, thinly shaved, Vienna Beef New York pastrami navel, I prepared a pastrami dip on a steamed poppy seed bun with mustard. Vivian, who starred in the Seinfeld episode with George was once quoted as saying," I find pastrami the be the most sensual of all the salted cured meats." My five students agreed.

CSD

I can't say enough good things about Leghorn Chicken. I was lucky enough to get a sandwich before they ran out on their opening day (Pickle brined, thigh, house bun). I now dream of that sandwich.

PaulofChicago wrote:I can't say enough good things about Leghorn Chicken. I was lucky enough to get a sandwich before they ran out on their opening day (Pickle brined, thigh, house bun). I now dream of that sandwich.

I was waiting for an actual post for Leghorn, but when we went last Friday the Nashville Hot breading was unbearably salty (and I like salty foods). We had to scrape the breading off to make it edible. The guy next to me agreed and let the manager know. I don't think they did anything about it, but I'm not sure. I guess we can chalk it up to inconsistency during their opening.

zoid wrote:My entire family was gathered at my mothers last weekend after my father's funeral. Out of nowhere my sister who never cooks went to work in the kitchen.
She pulled an ancient book off the shelf and quietly started cooking Spicy Vegan Chili from a tattered Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It was weird. It had cashews, 3 kinds of beans, and raisins.

It was awesome.

I'm sure the company helped make it special that day, but I made a pot at home this week and it really is very good.

my condolences on the death of your father. when my father died a few months ago, we served mini cheeseburgers at his memorial, because that was his favorite food, by far. they were awesome, too. food is sometimes so much more than what's on the plate- it's the company, the circumstances, and the memories that are evoked while eating it….

justjoan wrote:

zoid wrote:My entire family was gathered at my mothers last weekend after my father's funeral. Out of nowhere my sister who never cooks went to work in the kitchen.
She pulled an ancient book off the shelf and quietly started cooking Spicy Vegan Chili from a tattered Better Homes and Gardens recipe. It was weird. It had cashews, 3 kinds of beans, and raisins.

It was awesome.

I'm sure the company helped make it special that day, but I made a pot at home this week and it really is very good.

my condolences on the death of your father. when my father died a few months ago, we served mini cheeseburgers at his memorial, because that was his favorite food, by far. they were awesome, too. food is sometimes so much more than what's on the plate- it's the company, the circumstances, and the memories that are evoked while eating it….

Thank you Joan.

Kouign Amann at Floriole. When this is done with average talent or effort, it bores me. When it's done right, it's alchemy. I don't understand how those ingredients become this thing in the right hands and conditions. I also had a taste of the giant bean salad with Spring herbs that was like distilled Easter Sunday with no memory of snow.

If anyone hasn't yet please stop by Zenwich in elmhurst. They make asian inspired specialty sandwiches. This week they had a special perfectly charred Korean beef Philly cheesesteak sandwich with sautéed onions and amazing smoked gouda. I highly suggest stoping by ASAP and trying this. Easily one of the best sandwiches I've had. Everything on the menu is fantastic as well.

I'm still in a hachapuri buzz. We stopped by this morning at Argo Georgian Bakery and had one fresh out of the oven.

"

I also had a taste of the giant bean salad with Spring herbs that was like distilled Easter Sunday with no memory of snow.

Can someone explain what this means?

hoppy2468 wrote:"

I also had a taste of the giant bean salad with Spring herbs that was like distilled Easter Sunday with no memory of snow.

Can someone explain what this means?

It tasted good.

pork belly carnitas sandwich at Cookies and Carnitas. They also seem like REALLY nice people there.

As a disclaimer, it is 2 am, and I had quite a bit to drink tonight. But I am surprised by the gyros at Clark street dog.
It is standard Kronos. But they load up the pita. Instead of thin slices,they cut off large chunks of the cone and finish them on the grill. In the end, these pieces are crispy on the outside, but not too dry on the inside. Perhaps the best Kronos gyros I've had. Pleasantly surprised!