New Outing plan for the week

Sorry (not sorry ) for the changeup in plans.

After some discussion, some research, some offline conversation I have changed the location of my Friday lunch...

JoelF wrote:Giaccomo's just north of Central on Wolf. A little higher end, really good red sauce joint (try their picky-packy sauce if you like garlic).

Friday Lunch Out (1-18 from 12:10 to 1:00).

Giacomo's Ristorante Italiano
740 N Wolf Rd, Des Plaines

Thanks! for the recommendations!

Sounds like a great restaurant and maybe the best within driving distance from my work (note I am planning to arrive 5 minutes earlier).

Another plus is that they are celebrating their 20th anniversary and for this week they are offering 20% off of your lunch or dinner bill (restrictions apply, see attached flyer).


Looking over the lunch menu and with a strong desire to try their well recommended Picky Packy Sauce (fresh tomato, basil, garlic and onion) the only option appeared to be the 'Create Your Own Pasta Dish' which will be fine. I do understand I could substitute on other menu items but would prefer to keep the chef's vision intact especially on my first visit.

Previous considerations...

Amici Ristorante
7620 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles

Cafe Lucci
609 Milwaukee Ave, Glenview

I haven't visited an Italian restaurant yet? Heard a few good things about this place and an looking forward to the visit. The pastichio from last week always reminds me of lasagna.

I met Panther at Giacomo's yesterday, posted my pictures on that thread, hopefully this is a link to it.

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1202&p=539758#p539758

Plans for the week...

Tuesday Brew Day (1-22 from 4:40 to 6)

Macushla Brewing Co
1516 E Lake Ave, Glenview

Have been having really good visits! Next week I will switch it up and go back to a different place on a Monday.

Friday Lunch Out (1-25 12:15 to 1)

seebee wrote:Just for what it's worth:

JD's Brew and Q;
I'm a big fan of this place. The sides are all darned good. The fries might be a big hit. If the daily specials don't excite me, their half chicken meal was pretty fantastic both times I tried it. For what they are doing, I think they are doing it well. I'd bet for the price and quality, JD might make you smile. It's fast casual. Order at a counter, pay, get a number, and someone will bring a tray out to you. You'll probably be listening to some nice guitar heavy blues piped from the speakers, too. IMO, they are doing what they do pretty well over there. Check the daily specials on their web menu. I'm pretty sure the DINNER specials are valid for lunch, too. If we wind up going on their salad lunch special day, that's when I've gotten the chicken dinner from the dinner specials menu.

That’s the kind of endorsement I was looking for. Changing up plans again.

JD's Q & Brew
286 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights

I’ll be able to get both pulled pork and sliced brisket (My Brides Favorite).

Carson's (BBQ)
200 Waukegan Rd, Deerfield

I have never been or if I'd had, I don't remember. I am imagining not real pit BBQ (baked?)? I rarely order ribs in Chicago (maybe tips), expensive and too much of a gamble on getting less than sublime product.

I would be willing to take that gamble here though. Long history and mostly positive reviews. I do get a Greek baked rib from time to time.

I tried really hard to find a small, good BBQ place close to work.

Dickeys Barbecue Pit, 1448 Waukegan Rd - Seemed to fit the bill but appears to be having trouble lately. Almost decided to go regardless. If someone can come through with a solid recommendation...

Smokey Bones - National chain in a mall. Probably good but...
Andrew's Open Pit - Chicken and ribs. Not a true BBQ place.

Pushing my time boundary brought a few other places into play...

JD's Q & Brew, 286 W Rand Rd - Was seriously considering it.
Real Urban Barbecue (2 locations) - Right on the edge of my expanded boundary. They have been popular here and I had never been. Almost bit the distance bullet...

Just for what it's worth:

Is Dickey's part of the chain? I've seen that name a few times, and stopped at one right across the street from the Woodman's in Wisco just over the border. The sides were pretty bad, the q was fair to middlin'.

Smokey Bones:
I've been to two of them. Not a fan, but bbq can be fickle as we all know. Both times, all meats were dried out. Just not good at all. Been several years.

Andrew's Open Pit:
My sister used to RAVE about this place. She lives nearby, and it was one of her staples for great fire grilled diner style meats. I recently spoke with her about this place two weeks ago, and she said it seems like new management. Portions are much smaller, and much less of a draw for her. I think there's a thread for this place here on lth - several fans.

JD's Brew and Q;
I'm a big fan of this place. The sides are all darned good. The fries might be a big hit. If the daily specials don't excite me, their half chicken meal was pretty fantastic both times I tried it. For what they are doing, I think they are doing it well. I'd bet for the price and quality, JD might make you smile. It's fast casual. Order at a counter, pay, get a number, and someone will bring a tray out to you. You'll probably be listening to some nice guitar heavy blues piped from the speakers, too. IMO, they are doing what they do pretty well over there. Check the daily specials on their web menu. I'm pretty sure the DINNER specials are valid for lunch, too. If we wind up going on their salad lunch special day, that's when I've gotten the chicken dinner from the dinner specials menu.

Another great meal!

Panther in the Den wrote:New Outing plan for the week

Sorry (not sorry ) for the changeup in plans.

After some discussion, some research, some offline conversation I have changed the location of my Friday lunch...

JoelF wrote:Giaccomo's just north of Central on Wolf. A little higher end, really good red sauce joint (try their picky-packy sauce if you like garlic).

Friday Lunch Out (1-18 from 12:10 to 1:00).

Giacomo's Ristorante Italiano
740 N Wolf Rd, Des Plaines

A stew. Good flavor with all the expected ingredients. In my area it traditionally has broth and the inclusion of cabbage. Enjoyed it very much but I would prefer a soup.

Cheese Ravioli and Picky Packy Sauce

The desire to try the Picky Packy sauce drove this choice. My Brides love for Cheese Ravioli drove the pasta choice (not a bad regular price choice!). This menu item also had add-on's for Meatballs and Sausage which rounded out the items I wanted to try.

Cheese Ravioli - Very tasty, not overcooked.
Picky Packy Sauce - Not nearly as garlicky as I expected. Maybe I have a hight tolerance? A nice fresh tomato sauce with chunks. Perfect for My Brides ravioli as she does not prefer a deeply cooked sauce.


A little lacking in seasoning and texture. Would of liked a bit of browning. Otherwise a good rendition of the genre but not my favorite. A little sauce and parmesan gave them a boost.


Very good! Nicely seasoned with a touch of browning. I was looking forward to this leftover.

with a side of Spaghetti

Ever since I was a kid I've been a fan of Veal Parmesan. Loved it so much it would be requested as my birthday dinners. Later in life I discovered that I could switch out for chicken at a substantial savings (for instance, here $19 vs $12).

I also had a hankering for a sandwich to round out the meal and give them a chance to shine at a lesser dish.

Awesome!

Bread - Had a nice crunch (but not too deep) and a very tender interior. Very good tasting.
Breaded Chicken with melted Mozzarella Cheese - The chicken would vary in thickness and brownness which I prefer. Tender and juicy with a good flavor to the breading.
Marinara Sauce - Mostly soaked into the bread. Fresh and similar to the Picky Packy.

As a package a great sandwich that almost stole the show. Not too big nor messy. Just right,

with Marinara

Maybe here I should of requested their Bolognese Sauce so I could give it a try? Pasta cooked just right.

Bread and butter service. The bread had sesame seeds similar to the Greek place last week. Warmed, crunchy, soft and very tasty.

Giacomo = Joc Ko Moe

I was enlightened to the correct pronunciation

Panther in the Den wrote:Plans for the week...
Carson's (BBQ)
200 Waukegan Rd, Deerfield
I have never been or if I'd had, I don't remember. I am imagining not real pit BBQ (baked?)? I rarely order ribs in Chicago (maybe tips), expensive and too much of a gamble on getting less than sublime product.

I would be willing to take that gamble here though. Long history and mostly positive reviews. I do get a Greek baked rib from time to time.

It's not succulent long-smoked barbecue, it's not meat jello either, it's a unique, high-quality, although pricey product. It's what I grew up on for barbecue, so it's still something special to me. Don't mind a wait when you get there, as (unless they've economized) there's a cart with chopped liver, onions and little rye slices to tide you over while your table is getting ready (skip the barcheeze). 30-ish years ago we lived across the street from the original in Skokie, and when the wind was blowing right, there was no choice about carrying it out. One "garbage salad" (with an excellent anchovy dressing) and a slab of ribs was enough for two.

Thanks seebee for the ringing recommendation.

Friday I will be heading over to JD's Q & Brew.

My above post was edited.

Carson’s and their ribs will have to wait for another day. Thanks JoelF for the information.

Panther in the Den wrote:JD's Q & Brew
286 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights

This addition is a virtual delete of the paragraph below, since I was bashed when I deleted something before. I was somehow confused by something else in a similar location (maybe further out on Rand, just past a strip mall?), once inside I knew I was never there before. I'm pretty sure that building had a previous incarnation, though....

OMG, looking at the map, I went there before my divorce...meaning last century, or perhaps it was a predecessor. I'm thinking it was cajun, but don't recognize the name.

Tentatively in for the blackened tilapia or similar.

Kinda sorta, probably. God willing and the creek don't rise (or the roads don't freeze).

I was in the neighborhood and stopped at JD’s at 2:30.

The fries were decent but not top tier, the crisp outside was rather thick and the soft inside did not have the pillowy texture of the best.

The bun on the brisket sandwich was pretty good but the brisket was dry and not very flavorful.

The back ribs were reasonably well cooked but I found the house sauce to be unpleasantly sweet with no spice or heat as a counterbalance.

scottsol wrote:I was in the neighborhood and stopped at JD’s at 2:30.

The fries were decent but not top tier, the crisp outside was rather thick and the soft inside did not have the pillowy texture of the best.

The bun on the brisket sandwich was pretty good but the brisket was dry and not very flavorful.

The back ribs were reasonably well cooked but I found the house sauce to be unpleasantly sweet with no spice or heat as a counterbalance.

I have found that with Chicago BBQ places that timing is everything.

Fresh Q will be coming off at lunch and dinner and during the off hours it is a roll of the dice.

I do have a strong hankering for some Q so I will give it a prime time visit.

Besides it sounds like the best in the area and while Carson’s is consistent with their baked product there’s nothing like Hickory.

Thanks for the heads up!

For some reason, a lot of Chicagoans assume hickory is the wood of choice for BBQ. At least three of LTH’s favorites, Smoque, Honey 1, and BBQ Supply, don’t use hickory. This false assumption is so prevalent that when the publicity for H1 on Western was released it bragged about the hickory logs out front.

Carson’s uses Southern Pride smokers, as does JD’s. They don’t bake, boil or broil their ribs. This is not to say that it is normal to detect any smoke in their product, it’s quite unusual, but facts are facts. Their quality has faded over the years but the tips are more likely than the slabs to carry the essence of barbecue.


The best timing varies with the spot. SBR, on less busy days, only runs the smoker in the morning. If you go to Exsenators at noon you will get rewarmed meat from the previous day. In any case, timing certainly does matter and a ‘Q review that doesn’t mention the time of the visit does not do a lot of good.

Waiting to hear it, Panther.
Hopefully JD's did you right?

There doesn't seem to be a thread for JD's Q and Brew, and I'm not enough of a Q fan (I like my own, but won't initiate a trip to a restaurant) to start one, so I'll post here. If somebody else starts one soon, I'll post there too. Panther scheduled a lunch at JDQB. I got the seafood trio, taking the blackened option, and upgraded to sweet potato hush puppies since white potatoes are not supposed to be on my diet.

Don't know how they are "supposed to be", but I liked the hush puppies, crisp and crunchy on the outside, soft inside.



Seafood trio was OK, I prefer bit more blackened, next time I would get just fish, or something else. I don't like shrimp as much as most people, and the third item (scallops?) was pieces the size of kernals of corn, so hard to evaluate. I took a "close up photo of the seafood, but it was out of focus, so below is just a crop of the original photo, not reduced in pixels like the first two photos.

My plans for the week (back on schedule!)

Tuesday Brew Day (2-5 from 4:45 to 6)
Macushla Brewing Co, 1516 E Lake Ave, Glenview
I'm a regular there now.

Friday Lunch Out (2-8 from 12:15 to 1)
La Donita (Oaxacan, sort of) 598 Potter Rd, Des Plaines

Haven't done this cuisine yet. Looking forward to it.

Here is my report and photos of La Donita from last Friday finally (busy weekend):

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=30860&p=540456#p540456

I will definitely go back to try the mole, as I am a chocolate mole-holic. I like other moles too, though I am ignorant to the finer points of all of them.

Unless somebody here can point me to a better Oaxacan restaurant, I will bring the group I lead here.

Plans for the week...

Tuesday Brew Day (2-12 from 4:45 to 6)

Macushla Brewing Co
1516 E Lake Ave, Glenview

I’m a regular.

Friday Lunch Out (2-15 from 12:15 to 1:00)

There has been some recent talk about Asian food courts and there has been a place I’ve been meaning to visit...

The Food Court at Assi Plaza
8901 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles

FOOD COURT
Doore (Fried) Chicken
Lai Lai (Chinese)
Musashi Japanese
Bob Sang Korean Kitchen
Chu Ga Dek Snacks (Korean)
Seoul Seol Leong Tang (Korean)

IN MALL OR GROCERY
Crescent Bakery (Korean)
Mirim Rice Cake (Korean)
Peking Dumpling House
Sushi To Go

Nothing I love more than a taste here, a bite there.

Panther in the Den wrote:Plans for the week...


Friday Lunch Out (2-15 from 12:15 to 1:00)

There has been some recent talk about Asian food courts and there has been a place I’ve been meaning to visit...

The Food Court at Assi Plaza
8901 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles

FOOD COURT
Doore (Fried) Chicken
Lai Lai (Chinese)
Musashi Japanese
Bob Sang Korean Kitchen
Chu Ga Dek Snacks (Korean)
Seoul Seol Leong Tang (Korean)

IN MALL OR GROCERY
Crescent Bakery (Korean)
Mirim Rice Cake (Korean)
Peking Dumpling House
Sushi To Go

Nothing I love more than a taste here, a bite there.

Sadly, the Assi food court is not ideal for grazing, similar to the Niles H-Mart. It's set up more for meals averaging around $10. There are a few exceptions including the Chu Ga Dek Snacks, and the bakery (Curry donut mmmm).

JoelF wrote:Sadly, the Assi food court is not ideal for grazing, similar to the Niles H-Mart. It's set up more for meals averaging around $10. There are a few exceptions including the Chu Ga Dek Snacks, and the bakery (Curry donut mmmm).

Thanks for the heads up!

I am not worried about buying several full meals. My goal at all of my restaurant visits is to buy three entrees so I have enough to bring home some for My Bride and for leftovers.

Just got done eating some Tlayudas from my visit to La Donita on Friday.

All good.

Panther in the Den wrote:My plans for the week (back on schedule!)

Friday Lunch Out (2-8 from 12:15 to 1)
La Doñita (Oaxacan, sort of) 598 Potter Rd, Des Plaines

Haven't done this cuisine yet. Looking forward to it.

... sort of? Sure the entire menu is not dedicated to Oaxacan cusine the few items they have would have me labeling it as an Oaxacan restaurant.

What a great and delicious visit! While the authentic Oaxacan items were in short supply you could feel the influence in other menu items. It was mentioned in my research into the cuisine that tends to have a richer cuisine than the rest of Mexico and the subtleties showed.

(fried chorizo with melted cheese)

While this item appears in several dishes I had a strong desire to get the appetizer version to let the chorizo shine, Hearing that Oaxacan chorizo followed a different path. Looking at the menu and them referring to "our chorizo" might lead me to assume it is made in house.

A little coarser than traditional, a different flavor profile as well. Heavy on the chorizo and much more so than the traditional Queso Fundido. Served with chips but better off in a tortilla.

Guacamole - Dang! I had left my ordering list at home and forgot to order this tableside presentation.

(with tasajo/cecina)

Maybe the most traditional Oaxacan item on the menu. As I was researching I was thinking it was a special Nacho preparation but it was actually closer to a pizza with a very, very thin tortilla crust. Big! I had tasted several bites (my fill) before noticing (and verifying with the waitress) the cactus salad like topping that were also provided. Had it with the topping as leftovers at home and it was very good that way otherwise fairly plain. The beef had a bit more chew as would be expected.


This would be an excellent and fun appetizer for a group.

(skirt steak, Choriqueso with large green onions, goodly amount of cactus and a roasted jalapeño) served in a sizzling hot stone bowl (very similar to the Korean soup presentations)


After researching the restaurant online this appears to the be one of their specialties. The large green onions are always a treat and there was a fair amount of cactus. I was eagerly looking forward to this leftover.

(torta? I couldn't tell from the menu but that is what it was) (chorizo, ham and breaded steak along with the standard toppings)

I do have a weakness for signature items and this is the case. I find it usually an opportunity to showcase either the owners or the chefs skills.

Pretty good here! The breaded steak was thin and tender and there was a good balance between the items. I would get this sandwich again.


The chips were good. Light, not greasy. Willing to bet, not house made (too uniform).
Salsa - I was hoping for the 4 bowl variety as shown on the web. They no longer have the special bowls. She did promise to bring out a variety but just brought squeeze bottles.

I asked for more chips and was told it would be an additional charge of $4! Our waitress intervened and we got it comped.


Very nice and warm homemade versions. Carried well and kept its form through reheating.

Items I was hoping to try (not on the menu or on the menu but not available)

Cocido (beef soup) - They do have soup but only on weekends. I was going to see if I could sneak just a cup instead of the massive bowl as is the tradition.

Tamales (large, wrapped in banana leaves with a mole filling) - Not available. I've had this style of tamale at some regular tamale places. Other than the banana leaves, I was curious if the filling would be different.

Black beans - Supposed to be an Oaxacan tradition but not evident here.

Chocolate - Oaxaca is supposed to be a center of this tradition but all they had was a Mole sauce which they let us try. Pretty good! A nice cup of hot chocolate would of been awesome!

All in all a good visit. Everything was a little different in a good way.

Loose Pronunciation of Oaxacan "Wa-Hah-Kin" (drop the OX, my bad)

Panther,

Your pictures are excellent. Natural light really makes food sing in pictures.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:Panther,

Your pictures are excellent. Natural light really makes food sing in pictures.

They're all great and that Molcajete La Doñita shot in particular pops right off the screen.

Once again I found myself without a lunch and needed a quick carryout. We do have companies come in our cafeteria M-TH but it was not pizza I was looking for.

One of my favorite carryouts is Chinese Egg Foo Young (mushroom) and I have tried two places so far and was not impressed. This time I went to the little hole in the wall closest to work...

Redstar Restaurant
909 Greenwood, Glenview


The actually did a respectable job! They actually put the mushrooms inside of the patty (unlike the other two places in the area that I visited who just put the mushrooms in the gravy). Gravy a nice dark brown color, good thickness, not too salty nor greasy. The patties were nice sized and browned nicely.

I also grabbed an order of Egg Rolls and was excited about how big they were when I opened the package! Obviously housemade, flavor a little lacking but tasty. They had meat or vegetable available and I opted for the meat. Seemed like some sort of plentiful ground meat inside.

I would have to say the best I've had. Egg Foo Young was tops and the Egg Rolls win on size alone. Give them some better flavor and it could be destination worthy as many places have small of prefab ones.

FYI a friend texted me that a new place has taken over the old Cho Jung space in Glenview. It's called gangnam ramen.

Couldn't find much more than that online but thought it'd be worth mentioning here.

WhyBeeSea wrote:It's called gangnam ramen.

Wonder which will last longer in the public eye, the song or restaurant.

WhyBeeSea wrote:FYI a friend texted me that a new place has taken over the old Cho Jung space in Glenview. It's called gangnam ramen.

Couldn't find much more than that online but thought it'd be worth mentioning here.

My cubicle neighbor went today.

Pretty good he said and he’s pretty fussy.

Plans for the week...

Tuesday Brew Day (2-19 from 4:45 to 6)

Macushla Brewing Co
1516 E Lake Ave, Glenview

I’m a regular. Been enjoying my visits. A nice honey infused beer (takes the bitterness right out of a strong beer) or two, an order of their (Hackney's) awesome Reuben Egg Rolls and an order of Potato Skins (with apple sauce for dipping!). Nice deep fried food to counteract the beer.

Next week we'll take a break and go to a different place and maybe back to a Monday.

Friday Lunch Out (2-22 from 12:10 to 1:00)

I visited once, long ago and made the mistake of simply ordering Cantonese carry-out. The food was fine but I couldn't help but regret not ordering something more regional.

Szechwan North
2857 Pfingsten Rd, Glenview

Panther in the Den wrote:Friday Lunch Out
I visited once, long ago and made the mistake of simply ordering Cantonese carry-out. The food was fine but I couldn't help but regret not ordering something more regional.

Szechwan North
2857 Pfingsten Rd, Glenview

Sooner or later you'll have to try and do a comparison with Empire Szechuan (3580 Milwaukee Ave, 60062; 100ft N of Lake Ave, W side of street), which might even be closer to your office (if you already went and posted, shame on me). North, Empire, & until recently now-shuttered Kingdom (http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=885), were a triad, difficult to distinguish among them.

Assi Plaza Food Court
8901 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles

My biggest meal so far! So much I wanted to try.

I would rotate seats while the last was being wrapped to go.

... and this was before...

:)

Lai Lai
(noodles with black bean and onion)

Not as flavorful (oniony) as Paik's Noodles but still tasty. Thick spaghetti style noodles stuck together in a clump but could be separated when the gravy was mixed in.


Long and thin. Not tightly packed as many. Great flavor and freshness!

Musashi
(Deep fried breaded pork cutlet with katsu sauce)

Juicy and crunchy panko breading. Being elevated on a wire rack was a nice touch. Bowl of Miso, some lightly pickled vegetables and shredded cabbage (with a light dressing) rounded out the meal.

They actually have 6 different preparations...

Cheese Tonkatsu (pork cutlet with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses)
King Katsu (jumbo size pork cutlet with house made sauce)
Katsu Don (Tonkatsu in teriyaki sauce with egg)
Curry Katsu (Tonkatsu with curry sauce)
Chicken Katsu

(Combination of udon noodle soup, shrimp tempura, and assorted vegetable tempura)

Very nice thick noodles with a good broth. I actually ate more of this than I should of. A taste of Udon, a nibble of Pork. Mmmm... I Love Soup!

I really wanted to also try the Gyu Don (beef, sliced thin an marinated, grilled onion and raw green onion, egg) but I already ordered two entrees here.

Seoul Seolleongtang
(Fiery Pork Neck soup)

A little funky, flavorful, more bones than meat, nice assortment of vegetables served in a boiling hot stone bowl. Really roiling when served to me.
Looking forward to trying their namesake soup, Beef Soup.

Doore Hoodo Doore Fried Chicken

(1/2 Hot and Spicy and 1/2 Sweet and Mild)

Breaded then tossed in sauce. Due to the length of time before this was served (20 minutes rather than the 15 quoted) I was pretty full by the time it hit the table. I did eat one and it was very juicy and hot, had a nice crunch still and the sauce mild (I wanted the spicy and guessed wrong).

Reheated well at home over the weekend and the hot sauce lingers after eating. Quite nice.

(fish shaped desserts)

Still haven't tried these yet.

Korean Corn Dogs (Hotdog) - Not available (one day advance notice)
Not sure I will be able to give them notice. After a 20 minute wait for chicken could it be that hard to whip them up? Grrr....

Crescent Bakery
Curry Donut - Sold Out
I passed the bakery on the way in and didn't stop as I heard about the long delay for chicken. Stopped afterwards and there was one in the display case but it was taken by the woman ahead of me. Grrr....

Wanted to visit Bob Sang Korean Kitchen but read some things online that wasn't very flattering. I did happen to sit in the area of their stand and she kept looking at me with my 5 meals and scowling. Maybe I chose correctly?

Oh, the horror!

When your lunch is a little light...

Hi,

Where you are currently working, does a lunch truck stop by? I have always been fascinated by those.

Regards,
Cathy2