Archive for the ‘Chicago’ Category
Well another year has come and gone and Pop Culture Cuisine is officially a two years old! This year our lives have changed dramatically in many ways, including the addition of a new family member. We also may not have traveled as far as in the past, but Adam and I still love finding new ways to seek out culinary hot spots wherever our travels take us. We have compiled a list of some of our favorite and not so favorite spots to share with you with links so you can read our reviews for yourself. We STILL love food and hope to continue to share lots of great finds with you all along the way.
Signature Dish:
1. Al’s Beef’s “Italian Beef Sandwich” – Chicago, IL
2. Kim & Scott’s Café Twist’s “Twist Your Own” – Chicago, IL
3. The Varsity’s “Chili Dog” – Atlanta, GA
Taste:
1. Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL
2. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
3. The Depot American Diner – Chicago, IL
Ambiance:
1. The Walnut Room – Chicago, IL
2. Slow’s Bar-BQ – Detroit, MI
3. Lynn’s Paradise Café – Louisville, KY
Service:
1. Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap – Joe and his staff – Chicago, IL
2. Kouzzina – John – Orlando, FL
3. Emeril’s – Spencer – Orlando, FL
Price:
1. The Varsity – Atlanta, GA
2. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
3. South Side Soda Shop – Goshen, IN
Overall Top 5:
1. Al’s Beef – Chicago, IL
2. Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL (A VERY close 2nd place)
3. The Walnut Room – Chicago, IL
4. Kouzzina – Orlando, FL
5. Emeril’s – Orlando, FL
Top 5 Biggest Letdowns…Not worth the Hype:
1. The Whale’s Rib – Deerfield Beach, FL
2. Brennan’s – New Orleans, LA
3. Camp Washington – Cincinnati, OH
4. Graeter’s – Cincinnati, OH
5. The Loveless Café – Nashville, TN
Best of the Rest…Honorable Mention:
Most Fun – Kim & Scott’s Café Twist – Chicago, IL
Most Memorable – Kouzzina – Orlando, FL
Most Worth the Wait – Hot Doug’s – Chicago, IL
Most Outrageous Dish – Bub’s Burgers – Carmel, IN
Best Excursion – Epcot International Food and Wine Festival – Orlando. FL
Best Sandwich (Burgers Included) – The Depot American Diner – Chicago, IL
Best Sweet Treat – Emeril’s – Orlando, FL
Days just seem to be flying by since Kherington was born. I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week…I mean where has this fall gone? I tell ya, having a baby changes your life in so many ways, the biggest being how my life now revolves around this tiny human, which I love, but man I can’t tell you where all the hours go most days. Sometimes I don’t even know what day it is! I’m open 24 hours baby!
And speaking of 24 hours, there is a diner our old city of Chicago that that is open to its adoring patrons all the time too! The White Palace Grill, a famous diner known to many Chicagoans located on the south side of city has been cooking up their extensive menu since 1939; and while many other restaurants and businesses surrounding it have come and gone, its popularity among locals, visitors, and celebrities alike have allowed it to stay in business for over 70 years. I’m sure many of you have even passed by it a few times, seen its iconic sign, and not even realized how much of a big deal it is. I know for a fact that Adam and I used to pass it almost daily on our way to and from his office, but never decided to stop on in. Once again, this was one of those joints we had to come back to experience on one of our many weekend visits into the city; and it just so happened this was the perfect spot to catch a great breakfast on our way out of town Valentine’s Day weekend last year.
We found out about the White Palace through an old episode of The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” It seemed like the perfect place to get a good breakfast and was located perfectly on our way out of town. When you watch the clip, you realize why that good ol’ greasy breakfast diner food was exactly what we wanted…
Sure, it looks pretty standard, but what trust me…this place is for sure doing it right; and we knew they must be legit when we pulled up and noticed the line of people practically out the door waiting for a table. I mean, White Palace isn’t huge, but it isn’t tiny either, so it’s a good sign with the amount of diners scattered throughout the city that patrons will wait for a specific one. So we jumped in line.
This morning, a stack of pancakes was all that would do and maybe a side of sausage since I like to eat the two together. Plus, a little breakfast protein staying power is always good. Adam perused the menu for awhile, not entirely sure what sounded good, until he settled on the corned beef hash, a waffle, and ham with scrambled eggs. Might sound random, but it was what he wanted, and he is always on the lookout for the perfect hash. Can we say eyes bigger than tummy…
Our food arrived quickly and we dug right in. The pancakes were spot on…, light, fluffy, buttery, with just a hint of sweetness, you almost didn’t need maple syrup. Coupled with bites of ham (I decided against the sausage when Adam ordered the left side of the menu and said I could share), I was in pure breakfast heaven. Adam could not say enough great things about his hash. He has had some bad batches from some diners, so when he finds one he likes, he is always excited. I tried a bite just to say I did…and to be honest…it tasted like dog food to me. But then again, I always think hash tastes that way, so I’m not sure I would know a good one if I tried it. He said the waffle was just ok…, pretty boring, but agreed my pancakes were perfect. And the ham…, also very good, great flavor and not overcooked, exactly how you would want a nice slab of breakfast ham to be.
That morning, this was exactly the sort of meal I was craving. It was simple and delicious and hit the spot! While we both love places that try new twists on old favorites or are maybe a bit more gourmet and fancy, sometimes you just want a great rendition of what you already know and love. The White Palace Grill certainly lived up to its expectations and I would for sure visit again.
SIGNATURE DISH: Like most other diners, the signature aspect of White Palace Grill is that they do it all! They boast a VERY extensive menu with just about every classic dish you can think of.
TASTE: The dishes we ordered weren’t really anything out of the ordinary, but they were pretty good; and although not everything was the best ever, we really liked the pancakes, ham and hash. However, it’s breakfast, which is usually the most basic of tastes…so you’ll have to check it out for yourself. One thing I will say, though, it that is tasted very fresh and home-made.
AMBIANCE: The décor isn’t anything fancy, rather just your classic booths, tables, bar seating that any other diner might have. The bar is pretty fun in that you can see all the cooking going on. Back where we sat was a really cool mural featuring all sorts of famous Chicagoans from Michael Jordan to Oprah. Overall, it is just a fun atmosphere in an up and coming neighborhood.
PRICE: Their prices are slightly steeper than many other diners I have been to, however, I wasn’t shocked by the prices being that we were in the city. While I might typically pay $5 or less for a stack of pancakes around here, they were more like $6.50 there; and their omelets and other similar dishes are more like $7.50. So while maybe a bit more expensive for breakfast, not outrageous and the portions were huge so we still took some home.
SERVICE: Our waitress was very spunky, took our order and got our food to us quickly…always a must for a diner. And while I wouldn’t say unfriendly, she was definitely a no nonsense kind of girl. That being said, she was also trying to deal with a rather large party in our section who seemed to have a lot going on and making her job not easy, so I attribute maybe a slight ‘tude to that, because she was perfectly nice to us when we asked if we could get her e-mail to send this post.
Overall, The White Palace Grill rounded out a very lovely Valentine’s Day weekend in the city and was worth the wait. 3 1/2 ‘Little Piggies’
I would like to say that the following scenario hasn’t happened all that often, but unfortunately there have been more than a few restaurants that Adam and I have either lived near or been extremely close to trying in a given city that we just never made it to. While under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a big deal, but as luck would have it I started writing this food blog and immediately start finding out about all these famous eateries and hot spots that we were at one point literally minutes from, didn’t try, and who knows when we will be near again. In the case of my next feature, it’s actually an entire part Chicago we just never really made it to…Little Italy, located on the west side of the city, is a pocket of small family owned Italian joints known for some of the best authentic Italian food in the city. Why we never ventured over that way, I’m not really sure. However, it was most likely due to the fact that when you live in a city, you often don’t venture out much past your comfortable everyday surroundings. But whatever excuse I give does not excuse the fact that we were missing out, and luckily for us we still live relatively close to the city and can make weekend trips in to experience these places.
One such place had been on Adam’s radar screen for awhile after seeing if featured on Food Network’s “Diner’s, Drive-ins, and Dives”… Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap has been serving its locals their favorite Italian dishes for over 30 years. Now operated by 3rd Generation owner Joe and his family, Tufano’s continues to serve quality cuisine, and treats all of their patrons just like one of the family, which we had the pleasure of finding out after talking to both Joe and his daughters. An owner that is continuously making sure his customers come first and feel at home knows how to keep business going and it is very refreshing and welcome as a patron. But before we get to that, let’s see what it was that won Adam over…
All Adam could talk about after that episode was that dish they served with the pine nuts, which was all he could remember later when ordering during our dinner…, but again I’ll get to that. We had decided to take an impromptu trip to Chicago for Valentine’s Day weekend, with no set plans in mind, but possibly enjoying a few days away and taking in some yummy food. Like many of our trips to Chicago, we didn’t have any set food plans in mind, rather we decided we would play it by ear…, or rather stomach. So after enjoying an afternoon at the movies, we decided that a nice homey Italian meal sounded right up our alley, so we ventured over to Little Italy to finally check Tufano’s out.
Although it was definitely a packed house that night, we were lucky we didn’t have to wait too terribly long and actually chatted with another family who was waiting; and they convinced us even more we had made the right food decision as this was the restaurant they always visit when they come into the city. With the copious amounts of restaurant choices Chicago has to offer, if this is the place you seek out in the city every time you come in…, it must be a winner. The father of the family was even nice enough to introduce us to Joe (the owner), and before long we were escorted back to a table by Joe himself, who was full of life just like you would imagine. He genuinely seemed to love meeting and chatting with all of his customers, new and old.
So after perusing the menu for a bit, Adam couldn’t quite remember what the dish was called, but he did know that it had some sort of lemony chicken and pine nuts involved. Lucky for us, the waitress knew right away, since it is one of their most popular dishes…The Chicken Picante with Pine Nuts is the name and Adam did not hesitate after she mentioned it. I chose the simple shells and broccoli, since the first trimester pregnant lady in me was craving some simple flavors. It wasn’t long before both dishes were presented before us.
We quickly and happily dug in and I was able to sneak a couple of bites of that delicious chicken away from Adam. My dish, although simple, totally hit the spot; and although it had quite a lot of olive oil and garlic, mixed in with the bites of broccoli were exactly what I was craving. Adam even managed to save a little room for dessert…, spumoni, one of his favorites. Yum!
We just really enjoyed the cozy and comfortable family atmosphere Tufano’s has to offer, and even though we had never been there before, the way we were treated you would have thought we had been coming there for years…, a true sign of a place that knows how to treat its customers. I can’t wait to go back!
SIGNATURE DISH: They aren’t really known for any one dish in particular, rather they focus on the traditional Italian favorites. However, it would seem that the stand out unique dish is their signature Chicken Picante with Pine Nuts; and we can attest that it is delicious!
TASTE: Everything we tried delicious. The flavors were clean and simple; and you know you are in for some good Italian when even the most basic dishes taste out of this world! There is truly something to be said about focusing on simple flavors and allowing those to really work together, and Tufano’s does this to perfection.
AMBIANCE: I really enjoyed how homey this place felt. It is not overly extravagant, and this is a good thing. Unfortunately, many Italian restaurants try to “wow” you with the décor and fancy additions, probably to mask the fact that their food isn’t all that exciting. But at Tufano’s they don’t have to mess around with a bunch of frou frou and let the excellent cuisine set the mood.
PRICE: Their menu was very reasonably priced, especially for Chicago. I was impressed that we got to enjoy such a great meal for not all that much money. Adam’s dish was on the higher end at only $14.50, which for the amount of food he was served was a great deal.
SERVICE: The service really stood out…in a good way. Not only was our waitress super nice and helpful, but getting to chat with the owner and his daughters just proves that they go out of their way to make you feel like family.
For an impromptu weekend away and a last minute restaurant choice, I was more than impressed with Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap. Not only did we feel as if we had been going there for years, but the food was all-around amazing! So, if you are looking for that special Italian spot to hit up in Chi-Town, this is the place to go! Well deserving of 5 ‘Little Piggies.’
