Thanks. I've seen the truck around, but have never caught up with it. Of course, the Rib Joint is in that BBQ rich area near 79th and the Ryan. It has good BBQ and would get more press if Barbara Ann's, Uncle John's and Lem's were not nearby. I'm looking forward to trying it. That's a pretty good price for a small combo.

The address on the side of the truck said 87th St. if I'm not mistaken.

Yeah, it's at 87th between MLK and Cottage. I was referring to the general area above.

was on way to check out rib truck when 3j's guy spotted me, so i had to eat there. the beef ribs were suggested and did not disappoint! same as kafein's pcture above, but with meaty beef ribs cooked in own gravy-no sauce. And, i agree on the greens, mac n cheese and the sweet potato--very good stuff. ep

I wanted to get a bit more info on these trucks that serve bbq and Jamaican Jerk before I make the long trek down that way.

- Are both of these trucks out there by 11am or do they show up later? And have they been out there the last few days?

- Are they typically situated in the same spot (i.e. Jackson/Franklin for the bbq, not sure about the Jamaican)?

- Do I need to get there early to get the goods before they run out of their popular items?

Thanks in advance! Looking for some decent BBQ in the Loop!

I've seen the 3Js truck as early as 11:00 a.m.

JimInLoganSquare wrote:I've seen the 3Js truck as early as 11:00 a.m.

Is that the Jamaican truck?

Although I know LTH prefers not to say too much about chain restaurants, I do want to note that Bennigans (at the Illinois Bldg) offers a great special on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'm not sure if this applies to all Bennigans in town.

The Monday special is Monte Cristo sandwiches for $5.99 w/fries.

The Wednesday special is Burgers for $4.99 w/fries.

Today, I enjoyed the burger special (which was a carry out order) and it came out to $5.50 w/tax. Even better was enjoying it outside in the beautiful weather while listening to a live latin trio in the plaza in front of the Illinois bldg.

It's such a bargain and pretty tasty too, I had to share...

foodie1 wrote:Although I know LTH prefers not to say too much about chain restaurants, I do want to note that Bennigans (at the Illinois Bldg) offers a great special on Mondays and Wednesdays. I'm not sure if this applies to all Bennigans in town.

I wouldn't say that. Note this recent Red Lobster thread.

It's probably more the case that chain restaurants less frequently capture the attention of people here. But hey, you're people, you're here, you had something to say about a chain restaurant. That's how it's supposed to work.

rdstoll wrote:

JimInLoganSquare wrote:I've seen the 3Js truck as early as 11:00 a.m.

Is that the Jamaican truck?

Yes.

Found 3J's on the corner of Monroe & Wacker today. Had the tips & links combo. Sauce was surprisingly good and complemented the links well. Overall, I was impressed with the offerings, including the plain white bread they serve along with it (details matter!).

Nice extensive menu. Will be going back shortly to try the jerk chicken. Mr. Joseph said he gets out there about 11:30 every day and when I asked him if he was on the same corner he said "yes" but I got the feeling he goes wherever he can find a spot. He also offered to run some grub to my office if it's early enough!

Again, thank you LTH for the tip!

Binko wrote:Skrine Chops
400 S. Financial

Their pork chops are great and their chicken is pretty good too. Wasn't impressed at all by their ribs, but pork chops is the main reason to go here. Any place that specializes in pork chops can't be bad.

I second this place - Skrine Chops. I had the Pork Tenderloin sandwich with mashed potatoes on it and was blown away. Everything about the sandwich exceeded my expectations. The pork tenderloin was done just perfectly and had a good amount of spice to it. The mashed potatoes on top had very good flavor and were neither not too thick nor too thin. Finally, the bun holding all of this magical goodness did a great job holding everything together.

This was my first time at Skrine but I will be going back often in coming weeks to try their other fare.

Now that my office has moved up, up, up to the East side (well, to 180 N. Michigan from 188 W. Randolph), I've got a bunch of new places to check out. One of them is right in my building.

Despite its location scarcely a dozen steps off Michigan Avenue, the Old Timers Restaurant and Lounge is a real bar, filled with construction workers mid-afternoon and office workers having a beer after work. The beer is cheap (especially if you like PBR), the smoke is thick, and the barmaids friendly and exceptionally well-endowed. There are diamond-shaped windows in colored glass, classic 70s-style dark wood furnishings, and free wi-fi.

It's attached to a real restaurant, of the Greek breakfast house variety, except that on account of the bar, it's open til 8 at night. I stopped in tonight.

First the bad news. The salad greens couldn't have been more boring: iceberg lettuce, a drying radish, a few thin slices of industrial tomato. The vegetable was corn, I'm assuming straight from a freezer bag. I wouldn't swear that the potatoes hadn't come from a box. The smoke from the bar definitely makes it over to the restaurant. So does the noise, which would be fine except they were having so much fun in there it was hard not to feel a little left out.

But everything else was a delight. The salad dressing almost, but not quite, made up for the greens. The rolls had a nice hard crust that left shards of crumbs all over the table. The butter was real. The clam chowder, joy of joys, was not a gloppy pile of library paste garnished with a few rubbery bits of alleged clam, but instead a wonderful Manhattan style chowder, with big pieces of vegetables and the occasional bit of crab shell and clam grit. The gravy, I do believe, had spent some time in contact with meat drippings. And the pork chops, ah........! Perfectly seasoned, fat and juicy. And they came on the bone. Which I gnawed, gratefully. It drives me nuts that so many restaurants have come to the conclusion that people won't meat unless it's been trimmed to some perfect geometric form, devoid of anything--a bone for example-- that might remind patrons that it was once part of an animal. The waitress couldn't have been more friendly, and clearly has long-time friendships with some of the other customers. As I was starting in on the porkchops she said "wouldn't you like a little dish of applesauce with that? Applesauce is always good with pork. I'll bring it to you."

Dinner, with tax. $10.46.

I regret I didn't have my camera, but there's a photo on Flickr here

Old Timers Restaurant and Lounge
75 E. Lake
Chicago

You can take a peek at the menu (Monte Cristo! Francheesie! Olive Burger! here

Ann Fisher wrote:And they came on the bone. Which I gnawed, gratefully. It drives me nuts that so many restaurants have come to the conclusion that people won't meat unless it's been trimmed to some perfect geometric form, devoid of anything--a bone for example-- that might remind patrons that it was once part of an animal.

You need this book.

ChgoMike wrote:Maybe it's been covered, but I'm curious if Oasis Cafe is ever going to re-open?

YES! Open now, a block south, according to this very informative post from chicagocarless.com (via gapersblock).

Now at 17 S. Wabash, Mon-Saturday.

Passed by La Cocina's newest location on approx. 178 N. Franklin this morning to see Grand Opening signs and appears it opened on Monday.

The unremarkable Dagwoods couple doors down closed a couple weeks ago.

While getting lunch today, I saw banners announcing a new location of Wow Bao in the former Krispy Kreme spot @ Financial Plaza & Van Buren.

Didn't look like much work had been done yet...but it's still damn good news for those of us who work in that corner of the Loop.

Another Tokyo Lunch Box and Catering is scheduled to open at DePaul's CTI building (Jackson & Wabash) in 2007. There isn't really much Japanese food around this area (except for sushi at the Under 55 cafe on Adams & Wabash and Osaka Express at Van Buren & Michigan) so this is pretty exciting.

There's an article here about the current and future fast food restaurants in DePaul buildings: http://newsline.depaul.edu/newslineadmi ... .asp?a=641

I had lunch for the first time at Goodwin's today. They have a large selection of sandwiches and wraps as well as some salads and soups. I had the 1/2 sandwich and soup combo of the ravinia sandwich and the tomato basil bisque. My 1/2 sandwich was a pretty decent size too - I was given an entire filet of chicken breast. The soup was good - not too tangy, decently spiced. Here is a link to their website.

Goodwin's
175 N. Franklin
312-634-1134

Anyone know what the deal is with Perry's Deli across the street? The line is always out the door whenever I am in the area.

perry's deli is known for it's schtick -- HUGE sandwiches that are piled high with more meat that can easily fit on a sandwich. i have a hard time even getting through a 1/2 sandwich over there.

so, it's big with the guys that like to eat.

and perry's is somewhat of an institution: awhile back, when cell phones were getting big, they decided to make a stand & put up a sign stating something about not using cell phones in there. i guess some people that aren't aware sometimes catch flack about it.....

i don't know, the food is okay, certainly not bad. but i'd rather save a few bucks & get a sandwich i can actually finish. i also love goodwin's, i'm glad it's survived my time in the loop. it had just opened when i started working & continues to do great business. in fact, the other day i walked out at 1:15 as the line was still too long for me to bother waiting.

miss ellen

smellen wrote: i also love goodwin's, i'm glad it's survived my time in the loop. it had just opened when i started working & continues to do great business. in fact, the other day i walked out at 1:15 as the line was still too long for me to bother waiting.

Thankfully I arrived around 11:30, but it didn't take long for the dining area to fill up. When I left, the line was 1/2 way up the stairs.

Funny thing is that since it was my first time there, I took the alley from Wacker to Franklin that leads you right up to the south entrance of Goodwin's. Another pair who had placed an order reached the door before I did - the door was locked and the interior was dark. Someone came up to open the door & told us to use their north entrance instead. Who knew?

The key to Goodwin's is definitely to phone in your order in advance. I work at Monroe and Wacker, and if I call in my order and then wait about 5 minutes, my order is ready by the time I get there (even when calling a little after noon).

I’ve been to Taza’s a few times for lunch now. It really pales in comparison to the lunches I used to have at Pita Inn. The kefta kabob and falafel are usually dry and lacking in flavor. I have had their gyros sandwich and found it to be really greasy and messy. They precut them for the lunch hour rush.

Anyway, I was happy to find another "Mediterranean" alternative in Roti. Their original Palatine location was mentioned in this thread. I was really impressed. The line snaked all the way to the door, but the wait wasn’t too bad. It’s a very clean and efficient machine. There were a couple of manager type people circulating the restaurant ensuring that people’s questions and concerns were addressed – a nice touch for a busy lunch hour location! I had fire roasted steak roti in a whole wheat pita topped with hummus, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and yogurt sauce. A hodgepodge of ingredients b/c I had a hard time communicating/hearing the condiments/toppings people. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed my lunch. It's nice to have something healthy and tasty.

Roti
10 South Riverside Plaza
312-775-7000

I've been to Roti a couple of times also. Definitely a nice addition to the lunch rotation.

Just had to post this photo of three co-workers who, without prior arrangement, all ordered the patty melt at Old Timer's yesterdat,



And, just like at the Eleven City Diner the waitress asks you how you want it done and that's how you get it. A buck cheaper, too. They were all very pleased, and they didn't even know about the dollar they were saving.

I have worked in the loop over 30 years so I have seen everything come and go. I like Cavenaugh's in the Monadnock building for lunch, good burgers. And the cafeteria in the basement of the Board of Trade building. Good salad bar, good BLT's, huge and good fried fish sandwiches. I also like their fried chicken and they have real mashed potatoes and gravy and fresh vegetables that are not overcooked. Good salad bar. Excellent soups and good eggplant parmesan. In the upstairs restaurant called Ceres they have some of the same foods. Try their huge and good breaded pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes. Not for the diet conscious. LOL

smellen wrote:perry's deli is known for it's schtick -- HUGE sandwiches that are piled high with more meat that can easily fit on a sandwich. i have a hard time even getting through a 1/2 sandwich over there.

so, it's big with the guys that like to eat.

and perry's is somewhat of an institution: awhile back, when cell phones were getting big, they decided to make a stand & put up a sign stating something about not using cell phones in there. i guess some people that aren't aware sometimes catch flack about it.....

i don't know, the food is okay, certainly not bad. but i'd rather save a few bucks & get a sandwich i can actually finish. i also love goodwin's, i'm glad it's survived my time in the loop. it had just opened when i started working & continues to do great business. in fact, the other day i walked out at 1:15 as the line was still too long for me to bother waiting.

miss ellen

Catch flack? Last time I was there, they caught someone on the phone & that's how I learned they have a siren of sorts - a very loud siren, I must add.

Excepting that, they're good if you're in a position to immediately wrap and refridgerate half your sandwich & save it as a sort of double-lunch. Maybe not the best on earth, but it works well for me when I know I'll be busy the next day.

The key to Goodwin's is either to call in your order or arrive after 1:00-ish. Very good sandwiches and wraps.

Anybody hear know about Teena Mia? How is it?
564 W. Washington St.
312-441-9577

Pucca wrote:Anybody hear know about Teena Mia? How is it?
564 W. Washington St.
312-441-9577

I've eaten there twice about a year ago. I forget what exactly I got but I remember the food being good.

It looks like a Salad Creations is opening up in the Ogilvie/Citibank building food court where a chinese place used to be. I checked out their menu online and they seem expensive for what they offer. For instance wraps are $7 and salads with no meat are around that price as well...

No dates or anything on the opening - just a sign in the empty space.