Comet Cafe - Milwaukee, WI

 

 

 

It had been a long time since I had been to Milwaukee, and it is pretty close so I decided to take a day trip.  There are a lot of Amtrak trains that run between Chicago and Milwaukee, so it was easy to arrange a trip that arrived in the morning and left in the evening that gave me enough time to see what I wanted to see. Milwaukee is much smaller than Chicago, so I could have walked to the different areas that I wanted to go, but there were some legs that would have been pretty long walks, so I decided to employ a shared bike a few times.  There are a lot of good off road bike paths that are able to get you where you want to go, so riding a bike was advantageous.  I was able to see some cool spots that I may want to visit in more depth, like the Milwaukee Art Museum and I was able to get where I wanted quickly and inexpensively.   Milwaukee has been known for beer forever and I was going to try some of that, but I figured that if I was going to do that, it would be smart to eat first.  It was recommended that I try out a place called The Comet Cafe, located in the Lower East Side.  It has been featured on both the Travel Channel and on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so I expected that the food would be good and even a little offbeat.  The shared bike parking was a few blocks away, but it's a nice neighborhood with a lot of art on the walls and light traffic.  Walking up to the building, I was very happy to see a lot of bike parking which I will have to file for future reference for when I come back on another day trip.  Walking in, it retains its retro look.  The entrance is on the corner of the building and the dining area is L-shaped with a counter/bar on the inside of both sides of the L.  In front of the restaurant is patio dining.  There are tables in front of the window on the inside at the front  and booths behind the counter as you walk toward the back of the restaurant.  There is a Specials Board featuring both savory specials and what cupcakes and pies are on the menu for today.  There were several sweets that sounded good, but as I was already going to have a high calorie day, I decided to wave off and just get brunch.

For brunch, I was looking for something hearty and some fruit.  Luckily they had both.  I also had coffee and Orange Juice.  I was very happy with their Fruit Bowl which contained a lot of seasonal fruit, Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Bananas.  I was especially happy to see that the fruit bowl contained no canteloupe.  What was there was fresh and goodand involved no picking through (because I really dislike canteloupe).  For the savory portion of my brunch, I had what they called a Commuter Sandwich.  I will guess that it was called that because it has everything that you might want in a good breakfast in sandwich form, which is good for a commuter.  The standard sandwich has eggs, either scrambled or fried, I went for Scrambled, and Cheddar Cheese , on Grilled Multi-Grain Bread.  You could also add Grilled Ham, Sausage, or Bacon, and I added bacon.  The sandwich was also served with Hashbrowns on the side.  This is a little bit of a fail in reference to the commuter, but I wasn't commuting anyway and they were crispy, buttery (actually everything was cooked in butter), and very good.  This was filling, a lot of fun to eat, very good, and I will definitely return, so I can try some of their pie.     

Mabel Gray Kitchen, Hazel Park, MI

 

 

For my last trip to the Ann Arbor/Detroit area, while I started with breweries, food was going to be a major part of it.  I previously wrote about the day in Ann Arbor starting at Zingerman's Deli and ending at Vinsetta Garage.  The next day started with Supino Pizzeria, which I had visited before and liked a lot, but our crowning finish was at Mabel Gray in Hazel Park.  The cinder block building has been a neighborhood restaurant for many years, but it opened as Mabel Gray in 2015 as a scratch kitchen serving local, seasonal, and farm-to-table food with no set menu and a choice of tasting menu or a la carte and it blew up.  It won Best Chef for Chef James Rigato in the Eater Detroit Awards in 2016, James Beard Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2016, and Detroit Free Press's Restaurant of the Year in 2017.  They take reservations one month in advance and on the day that reservations opened, the earliest we were able to get a reservation was 10 pm, but as we had a large lunch, a late dinner was fine.  Located in the north Detroit suburbs, the road was quiet when we got there despite the fact that it looks like a major road.  The neon sign was on top of the awning, which with walls, formed an enclosed entrance/dining area that was open on one side.  Entering, the space is long and narrow with the bar/grill/kitchen taking up one side behind a counter and a banquette on the other side.  It kind of has the appearance of an old diner or cafe. The lighting was a combination of track lighting and lights that seemed to be built from/supported by recycled lab equipment.  The lights above us were supported by a lab stand.  We were seated and really enjoyed the menu because it was hand written.  While we could have gone either with the tasting menu or a la carte, we decided to go with the tasting menu, because we figured that we would be able to try more things and it would be a better value.

After quickly deciding on the Tasting Menu (we had actually pre-decided to do the tasting menu), the next decision was what to drink.  While there was a beverage pairing for the tasting menu, I had to get up in the morning, so I decided I would take a pass on that, though I did look at the cocktail list.  There were several interesting cocktails on the menu as well as a dealer's choice, where given the choice of liquor, the bartender creates a drink for you.  The prices for the cocktails were fairly standard, in the $11-14 range, but the Dealer's Choice was Market Price.  This worried me a little, but I figured that I was splurging a little, I can splurge a little more if necessary.  I ordered a gin drink and was brought a drink with Citadelle Gin, Lemon, Yellow Chartreuse, Grapefruit, Angostura Bitters, and a few other things that I don't remember.  It was complex, but similar to a couple of cocktails that I like already and I liked it as well.  After getting the bill I discovered that it was less than the cocktails on the menu, so it made it even better.

And then the Tasting menu started.  It started simply enough with an Oyster, Hibachi Grilled, with Chipotle Butter, Garlic, and Bread Crumbs.  It was similar to Oysters Rockefeller with less green and more spice and it was a great one bite wonder.  It was cut from the shell, so it was easy to swallow quickly and with the garlic and chipotle butter, it was a taste explosion.

The use of the hibachi continued with the second course as well.  We got Hibachi Grilled Asparagus,

Fermented Chile Mayo, Green Almonds, and Fried Lemon.  I like asparagus and the grill added a nice char flavor.  The fermented chile mayo was interesting.  It had the spice of chile peppers, though softer and with a tartness.  The green almonds were also very interesting.  I had never had them before.  They are unripened almonds and apparently have a very short season when they taste good.  After that, they get a woody flavor and it's better to eat them after they're ripe.  These have a slightly tart and green flavor with a texture that is much softer than ripe almonds.  The fried lemon contributed both lemon tartness and a char flavor.

The next course stayed vegetarian with Artichoke and Kimchi Salad with Black and White Sesame Seeds, and Sour Cream. I hadn't though about it before, but artichokes and kimchi pair pretty well together.  Artichokes have a tartness (with a little woodiness) and the kimchi is very sour and spicy. The Black and White Sesame contributed to the Asian flavor, and the sour cream contributed to the tartness.

From a Korean-ish flavor, we then wandered over to Japan with a Hamachi Crudo with Shishito Peppers, Grapefruit, Ramps, and Grilled Taro Root.  The hamachi was very tender and flavorful.  Shishito peppers are funny. 90% have no heat at all and taste like slightly sweet bell peppers, but the other 10% have some heat.  It isn't a lot of heat, but there is enough to surprise you.  It is fun to eat them because getting some heat is like hitting the lottery.  My Shishito remained mild.  Ramps are wild onions and have a flavor between a green onion and garlic.  The grapefruit added some bitter tartness and the taro root was similar to a corn chip which added a little texture and a vehicle with which to eat the softer components of the dish.

The next course was an Aged Goat Cheddar Dumpling, which was similar to a Tortellini.  It was served in a Benton's Ham Broth with Chili Oil and Greens.  The broth had a significant amount of Chili Oil, so it had a bite in that respect, but it also had a huge amount of ham flavor and it was like drinking liquid ham and all together, it was like a ham and cheese sandwich presented differently.

Normally, palate cleansers are served after the last savory course and before the dessert.  I do however, understand the logic behind serving a palate cleanser after the previous dish.  It was so savory, it may have overwhelmed any more delicate flavors that came after.  For our palate cleanser we were served a Strawberry Rhubarb Granita (a semi-frozen ice dish similar to a sorbet) with Sesame and Mint.  It was simple, tart and sweet, and very good, both with its taste and the ability to clear the palate.

A dessert would normally follow a palate cleanser, but as I said, the dumpling and broth would have overwhelmed the flavors of the next dish, Quail with Polenta, Fried Green Tomatoes, Greens, Benton's Ham, and Parmesan.  The quail was breaded and the body was boned, with only bones in the wings and legs remaining.  It was good, but I am glad that it was mostly boned, because it is so small that it would have been a lot of work to get the beet off of the bones.  With the breading, the greens, the tomatoes, the ham, and the cheese, the flavors were similar to a club sandwich.

And then we came to dessert.  We were served Chocolate Ganache with Founder's Stout Caramel, Raspberry, Fennel, Graham Cracker Crumbs, and Meringue.  The chocolate was very dense and on the dark side which made sense for the caramel which had a bit of a bitter flavor from the stout.  The fennel added a light licorice flavor, the raspberries brought in a little tartness and the toasted meringue added some lightness.  It was a great finish to a creative and very good dinner.  I'm glad that I had the opportunity to come here.

        

Golden Harvest - Brunch

 

I had heard about Golden Harvest for many years.  I heard that the food was great with large servings, they take no reservations and are cash only, it's very different, and they don't do mean.  Because of all of this, it sounded interesting to me and tried to make plans to go there.  As it is outside Chicago, it also involved planning a trip which had logistical problems the first few times I tried, but once I was able to get Lansing, it was fairly easy.  Located in an out of the way corner in Old Town Lansing, it's pretty small and pretty off beat.  I had to laugh when I got there and saw the large, rusted plate metal "boulder" with the top corner made from a No Passing Zone sign.  The boulder sat on one side of the bike rack and the Golden Harvest sat on the other.  It was not easy to get my bike into the rack because of the way that it was made, but I was able to do it and then came to the line.  I was told to take a look at the door when I got there, but I had to get through the line first.  It seemed that they sat people in groups of four because all of the tables are four tops.  If you were not a group of four you could possibly be made into a group of four with another person or group or sat at the counter.  Before that happened though, you had to wait in line.  Living in Chicago and having experienced the line at Hot Doug's, this was easy.  The people in line were friendly and there was a lot of stuff attached to the building to look at.  There was a wide variety of stuff that seemed to really have no order.  There were several street signs, styrofoam skulls, toys, mannequins, motherboards, and the Incredible Hulk.  The pairing of things were sometimes pretty funny (a spray painted mannequin on a dirt bike or Kermit the Frog riding a stage coach) and there is always something new to look at if for no other reason than to try to figure out where it may have come from.

 

 

 

When the line got short, the hostess let about 7 of us in at once, so I didn't get a chance to look at the door, so I was going to have to make a point to look at it when I left.  I was seated at the counter in front of the grill, so I saw all of the action.  There were Home Fries on one side of the grill, and there were a lot because I think they came with every dish.  The Pancakes were prepared in front of me and they were enormous.  There were also pans on the right for omelettes and several waffle irons.  There was also a lot of interesting stuff on the walls inside although many of those were wall hangings.  Several things that I liked were the They Live movie poster, the rebus that translates to Be Nice or Leave, the Exotic Girlie Photos, 80 for $2.00, and the Alice cast photo.

 

The regular menu was a single fold paper menu with items on 3 pages, so there is a pretty extensive selection.  There were several things that caught my interest, but the always changing Specials Board is where the good stuff is.  Looking at everything, I see why a friend of mine will frequently order two breakfasts.

 

I started out with Coffee because it came from a local roaster and it's a good place to start breakfast.  Presented to me in a Hair Stylist mug, I had to laugh because at this stage, my hair doesn't take much maintenance, and I really couldn't do it for someone else.  Made by Paramount Coffee Roasters, it was a medium roast, but it was very mild.  I've had far worse coffee and it would do the job that it's supposed to, but the flavor left something to be desired.  For my breakfast, I went for something off of the Specials Board, the Baked Potato Omelette.  It was a 4 Egg Omelette with Cheddar, Bacon, Broccoli, (Peruvian) Purple Potatoes, Onions, Sour Cream, and Chives, served with Home Fries, Toast, and a slice of Pineapple.  I also ordered a side of Bacon which, while it was only 4 slices, was still almost too much.  It was crisp and flavorful and made from Berkshire hogs. There were lots of flavors and textures and a lot to eat.  It was one of the best omelettes that I have ever had.

After I ate, paid and tipped, this is a cash-only establishment and uses a cashier with the tip jar next to the cash register, I took a look at the door.  The door states the rules letting people know that it's a cash-only establishment, the line starts on the outside of the door, groups of two will be paired up at four tops when busy and they are always busy, and if you are not nice, they don't want your business.  Their Jolly Roger logo using a fork and spoon instead of crossbones, is also on the door.  It was a lot of fun to come here.  The people, both staff and diners were friendly, the food was great, there was a lot to look at, and the soundtrack was literally all over the place, from disco, to punk, to oldies.  I will definitely return, I just wish I could figure out a way to introduce some of my friends to it.          

Saint Lou's Assembly

In the 40s and 50s, there was a style of restaurant, similar to a diner, called a Meat and three, which originated around Nashville and was popular among the blue collar crowd.  Like it sounds, it is a style where a main course, the meat, is chosen from a list of three to six choices like meatloaf, tasso ham, country fried steak, or a pork chop, and then three sides from a list of up to 12 selections are chosen to make your meal.  Restaurant group 16" On Center recently opened an upscale meat and three called Saint Lou's Assembly in the West Loop which was also the former meatpacking district, so would have been a place where a Meat and three would have thrived.  Located in a non-descript brick building with a small sign, it was originally going to be a counter service, cafeteria tray, find your own seat type of place.  While it still has the long order counter and metal cafeteria trays, it has since gone to a wait to be seated place/menu place.  I went one night recently when I was in the west loop.  The place looks like a factory cafeteria with brick walls and small windows.  There is a menu posted at the entrance like you would find in a counter service cafeteria.  Decorations included sports trophies, newspaper clippings, and pictures of Lou, the grandfather of Bruce Finkelman, one of the managing partners of 16" On Center, who owned a meatpacking place in the area.  The seating in the narrow dining room is booths on one side and banquette seating on the other with overhead lighting in the drop ceiling.  I don't imagine that you would find many meat and threes with a beer and cocktail list, but the beer list was pretty good with choices from the big brewers as well as a pretty good craft selection.  The cocktail list was pretty good with many spins on classics.  I liked the look and appreciated the effort that they took to make it look authentic.  My one complaint was the fact that there was an odor of blood in the room (as in a butcher shop).  If that could be addressed, it would be very nice.  I started things off with a Fluffy Gin and Tonic.  A spin, obviously on the classic gin and tonic.  It used London Dry Gin, a Custom Bitter Cube, Tonic, Lime and Egg White, which was what made it fluffy.  It was an interesting drink with a light top and a flavor that changed as the ice melted (adding tonic).

While this is primarily a Meat and three, it also has appetizers and I figured that I might as well try to get the full experience.  Appetizers included Burrata, Artichoke Dip, Beef Tartare, and Bone Marrow.  While I was really interested in the Bone Marrow, the diners beside me got an order so I saw how enormous it was and decided if I was going to eat my meat and three, I would have to scale back a little (or so I thought).  I ordered the Beef Tartare which was also enormous.  In addition to the tartare, which actually looked lighter than I am used to (more fat?), it also included a Foie Gras Torchon (a round slice vice the typical rectangular piece), Fried Celery Root, and Cocoa Nibs.  It was served with Rye Toast.  This was rich, meaty, and very good.  The celery root added some crunch and the cocoa nibs added a bitter finish.

For the meat portion of my meat and three, I wanted Pork Belly, but they had run out.  I did stick with the cured pork though and went with the Tasso Ham with a House Glaze.  For my three, I chose Beets and Carrots, Red Curry Lentils, and Truffled Celery Root Gratin.  Tasso ham is not actually ham, but is a cured pork shoulder using a spicy cure and has a flavor somewhere between ham and bacon.  The glaze was sweet and spicy and seemed to be a cross between brown sugar and cayenne.  The meat was spicy and tender and the glaze went well with it.  For the three, I expected to like the beets and carrots, which I did.  It was simple, but well prepared consisting of the well prepared beets and carrots and had a sweet and earthy flavor.  The Red Curried Lentils I also expected to like.  I have a soft spot in my heart for lentils, but I have to say that other than the slight spice, I found it pretty boring and disappointing.  The Truffled Celery Root I was unsure about.  I expected it to be bitter and have a truffle funk to it, but other than that, I really didn't know what to expect.  It was tender and creamy and kind of reminded me of scalloped potatoes with a truffle finish.  It was really good and I really glad I ordered it.

After finishing my appetizer and meat and three, I was done.  I did think about a dessert, they were serving pie and a tart on the night that I was there, but I was already pretty full and dessert would have made me uncomfortable.  I will say that the food that I had was very good.  They execute the food and look of the place very well.  Other than the small hiccups, I would easily return.          

Dove's Luncheonette

I have talked about Paul Kahan several times and have raved about every restaurant that is under his umbrella that I have been to (Blackbird, The Publican, Nico Osteria, Big Star).  He is a master chef and a great mentor who is able to find and lead talented young chefs with the many concepts that he has undertaken.  There are some restaurant groups in which most of their restaurants have a common theme and are very similar.  The several concepts run by One Off Hospitality, the restaurant group in which Paul Kahan is a partner, are very different.  The one common theme between the various properties are their devotion to local farmers and seasonal food.  I went recently to their most recent restaurant, Dove's Luncheonette, an old style diner that serves mostly Mexican food and is located in Wicker Park, next to Big Star.  The restaurant is kind of inobtrusive, with the sign painted on the window next to the door.  The building in which Dove's is located is a beautiful vintage building with wood framed windows.  The inside looks as an old diner should, with stainless steel counters facing the windows as well as a dining counter looking into the open kitchen.  The walls are paneled on the lower half and covered in numerous old photos on the upper half.  There is an old jukebox in the corner as well as a turntable behind the corner with a great collection of old blues and soul records.  The menu is one page (both sides listing all meals including the all day breakfast).  In addition, there is a board behind the counter, near the ceiling, that lists the daily specials.  While there were several things on the specials list that looked really good (the Pork Milanese Cemita), I decided to stick with the menu and started with the Pepper and Potato Hash which in addition to the Fried Potatoes and the Shishito Peppers, had Aioli, Charred Scallions, and Queso Fresco.  Shishito Peppers are long and green and look similar to Jalapeno peppers, so while they are sweet, it was a little annerving to see all of those peppers among the potatoes.  I did try a pepper before anything else and found it to be fresh, crisp and sweet and went well with the crispy fried potatoes, and the slightly spicy aioli.  The queso fresco added a little salt and texture to an excellent dish.

For my main course, I ordered Enchiladas de Cochinilla, or Suckling Pig which was roasted, shredded and wrapped in Corn Tortillas.  The dish was served in a cast iron pan giving it kind of a homey appearance.  They were served with Mole Verde, Pepitas (fried sunflower seeds), Onions, Queso Fresco, Chicharrones, and Cilantro.  The pork was very tender as would be expected and the dish was a wealth of flavors and textures.  It was so good, that while I try to change what I order when I return to a restaurant, it would be difficult not to return to this.  I liked everything about this place and I will definitely return.        

Marmalade

About once a month, on a Saturday morning, I am in Ravenswood to volunteer.  After we finish we frequently go to Glenn's Diner which has become a favorite for brunch.  I was in the area recently and we were again scheduled to go to Glenn's, but circumstances were such that we had to change our plans, and subsequently, the restaurant that we were going to.  We decided to go to Marmalade which I had seen several times and had heard was pretty good, but I had not yet dined there.  Located on a corner, Marmalade had windows on two sides and the look of the place kind of reminded me of a 1960s style diner.  The dining area was built with two tops and larger parties were served by pushing tables together.  The walls were light and from where we sat, there were two chalkboards, each with a different set of specials.  There were several items that would look right at home at a Greek or Mexican diner.  In any case, everything on the menu, both printed and written on the chalkboard, looked amazingly good and it took a little time to make a decision.  There were many versions of many breakfast standards, Omelettes, French Toast, Pancakes, and Eggs Benedict, I decided to start with a side of Applewood Smoked Bacon.  I was given three thick slices of crispy, bacony goodness.  It was sweet and meaty with just enough smoke and was something that I could eat all day except that I also had one of their signature dishes waiting for me.

For my main course, I had Chef Efrain's Texan Bennie, which I (correctly) took to be a Texan-style Eggs Benedict.  It contained Potato Rosemary Flatbread, Potatoes, Slow-cooked Pork Shoulder, marinated in Marmalade’s own secret-recipe House Brine, topped with Pineapple Chutney and Poached Eggs, drizzled with Pesto Hollandaise, and garnished with a slice of Orange and Pineapple.  Everything about this was very flavorful.  It was both sweet and spicy (as in spice flavored, not hot) and everything was cooked perfectly.  The pork was very tender and pulled apart very easily.  While I did like this, I will say that the rosemary flatbread was a little much on it's own.  The fact that it would have been extremely difficult to eat it on its own because it was buried by everything else was undoubtedly by design because it added a lot of flavor to whatever it was eaten with.  I really enjoyed brunch here.  The food was good, the service was very friendly, and I would be happy to return.    

Little Goat Diner

What is your next step after opening and running a highly successful restaurant that pushes the boundaries using relatively common dishes and varying them by changing flavor of texture?  If you're Stephanie Izard, Executive Chef of Girl & the Goat, Winner of Top Chef, Season 4, and the 2013 Winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Great Lakes, you decide to open a diner.  While the food at a diner is generally simpler than that served at a fine dining restaurant, I would think that this may be even more difficult in some aspects.  The menu in a typical diner will be larger than that in a typical fine dining restaurant.  They are open longer and the entire menu is frequently available for the entire time that it is open.  A meal typically moves faster in a diner than in a fine dining restaurant.  All of these are on top of the fact that the menu at all diners are pretty typical, so much so, that you could call several items archetypes.  You may run into a problem with the clientele if you vary a standard diner dish too much.  While the dishes served here were spins on diner classics, they retain their essences.  Located on Randolph Street across the street from it's big sister, the Little Goat Diner (and adjoining bakery, Little Goat Bread) is a large space with a high ceiling and a skylight.  While it's look is dineresque, it is very definitely not a greasy spoon.  It does have some vintage wallpaper on the back wall but for the most part, the walls and counter are white.  The room is divided by two half-walls with a row of booths outside of each.  There are some two tops on the inside of the half-wall and a large communal table under the skylight in the middle of the room.  There is also a row of booths beside the wallpapered back wall and side window, and a row of tables at the front.  The counter runs from front to back along the side of the room opposite the side window behind which is the server station and the narrow kitchen.  The expediter has a very cool computerized tablet system mounted on the wall to keep track of orders.  With the large skylight, I am sure that in the daytime, the lighting in the dining room is bright enough but at night the lighting in the dining room is fairly dim except at the counter where I sat.  The extra light comes from the well-lighted kitchen.  The regular lighting is provided by dim hanging lights.  

There were several directions I could have gone for dinner.  I was not really interested in breakfast for dinner and while there were several things on the supper menu that sounded good, there were also some very good sounding burgers and sammiches so that is how I went.  I ordered a Tonkatsu Sandwich.  While a Tonkatsu sounds unlike anything you might find at a diner, it wasn't that much of a stretch from something standard you might find at a diner.  It was actually a Breaded Pork Cutlet with Asian BBQ Sauce, House Mayo, and Shredded Cabbage on White Bread.  It was Served with some pickled vegetables, Carrots, Onions, a Radish slice, and Hot Peppers on the side.  While I did eat the pickled vegetables on the side, they might have gone quite well on the sandwich.  I am generally not a fan of plain white bread but I do understand the logic of using it as this is what a diner might use.  The breading on the cutlet was crisp and held the juiciness of the pork which was also pretty tender.  The Asian BBQ Sauce was soy based so was fairly salty.  It also had a slight bite and some sweetness at the end.  The mayo took the edge off the salt and spice of the BBQ sauce and the cabbage provided a little crispness and slight vegetable flavor.  As a side for my sandwich, I ordered some Smoked Fries (which came a la carte).  I did think that the price for the fries was a little high, until I saw the order.  It was enormous.  The fries came in (and overflowed) what was essentially a cereal bowl.  The fries were crispy, salty, and like their name implied, had a smoky flavor on top of the good potato flavor that came from the potatoes.  I will frequently use ketchup on my fries and I did try some on these but I only used a little ketchup because they really didn't need it.

When you think of dessert at a diner, three things come to mind: pies, shakes, and sundaes.  The Little Goat had selections on their dessert menu that covered all three.  The dessert menu was also where the most creativity was found.  On the menu (among other things) was a Cookie Pie, a Smoked Pork and Toffee Crunch Shake, and a Cheez-It Sundae.  I was torn, but I finally decided to go with the Cheez-It Sundae.  This was built around a scoop of Peanut Butter Ice Cream surrounded by two scoops of Strawberry Ice Cream.  This was then topped with Caramel Sauce, Whipped Cream, and a large number of Chocolate-Covered Cheez-Its.  A Maraschino Cherry Cherry topped everything else off.  Without the Cheez-Its, this sundae wasn't too bad.  The ice cream and caramel were creamy, sweet, and flavorful and who doesn't like whipped cream with a cherry on top.  The chocolate-covered Cheez-Its added crunch, chocolate (what's not to like so far?) and a sweet-salty flavor along with the slightly cheesy flavor that Cheez-Its provides.

The Little Goat is loud but the staff is friendly and prompt and they do a good job of putting an interesting spin on standard diner fare while still maintaining the essence of diner food.  As the menu is huge, it will take several trips to explore the menu more thoroughly.

Au Cheval

When I think of diners, I think of a counter with a grill behind it, booth seating with some tables if the place is wide, lots of windows, breakfast all day, and bad fluorescent lighting.  While Au Cheval (which roughly translates to "with an egg") has the counter, the grill, the booth seating, and all day breakfast, it is also pretty dark and has an interesting beer and alcohol selection.  I would say that it looks like a cross between a diner and a dive bar but with a much better alcohol selection.  Located on Randolph Street in the West Loop Warehouse district, the windows are darkened and is done in black with tarnished metal trim.  The booths are black leather, there are old kitchen utensils hanging along the walls, and the metal topped counter has a bar with top shelf liquor and a selection of craft beers that aren't seen in many other places.  I came for lunch one day, but as Au Cheval plays as a diner, the menu doesn't change.  There were many things on the menu that really looked good including several things that didn't really fall under the classification of breakfast food.  I sat at the counter/bar and ordered something that, while it didn't have an egg and isn't exactly breakfast food, it also isn't exactly not breakfast food either.  I had Roasted Marrow Bones with Beef Cheek Marmalade, Savory Greens, and Texas Toast.  The marrow was buttery and well salted, and the beef cheek marmalade reminded me of the bacon jam that I had had in the past.  It was both sweet and meaty and had some nice chewy chunks in it.  I was given a small spoon to scrape the bones and I was to eat the marrow on the bread with the marmalade and greens like an open-faced sandwich.  It was all very good and a little decadent and the beer that I had with it was strangely appropriate.  It was a Red from Local Option called Blood ov the Kings.

While it was dark inside and there was a wait to be seated, the food and drink was good as was the service and while the food menu was really good, I would return simply for the unusual beer list.

Eleven City Diner

There are a lot of diners in Chicago and while there aren't as many as there used to be, there are still many Jewish delis around town.  There aren't many Jewish diners around town, however.  In the South Loop, near 11th and Wabash is the Eleven City Diner, a very good Jewish Diner.  Located in what looks like an old warehouse, it has very high ceilings and cement columns.  The decor is classic diner with a checkered tile floor and large half-round booths.  The menu was a large wall hanging on the wall in addition to the menus that were provided to us at our table.  The cuisine is classic diner fare with all-day breakfast, burgers, meatloaf, and mac and cheese.  They also have a classic soda fountain (with a soda jerk), and cold deli sandwiches.  On top of all of this, they also have a full bar.  I came during the early afternoon and while it is perfectly acceptable at a diner to have breakfast at any time, when I saw the Reuben on the menu, I knew what I had to have.  A Reuben is a classic sandwich made with Corned Beef (or pastrami here), Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, and 1000 Island Dressing.  They serve the sandwich here open-faced and garnished with paprika.  There are still two pieces of bread, but they are on top of each other.  Even if it was served in regular sandwich style though, I am pretty sure that I still would have needed a knife and fork because it was enormous.  It was served with a pickle spear and spicy fries.

Eleven City Diner is a very good diner that does very good versions of classic diner fare with a Jewish twist.  I really liked my visit here.  The service was very friendly and the food was good.  I will definitely be an option if I happen to be in the South Loop and am in the mood for diner food.  

Glenn's Diner

There are two things (besides heartburn) that you are guaranteed to be able to get at a diner.  The first is breakfast all day and the next is a burger.  I went recently to Glenn's Diner recently and while they do both of those things well, they are also very well known for their fish and seafood.  Located in Ravenswood on Montrose, it doesn't stand out a lot.  There is a sign in front with a fancy typeface, but it's black with white lettering so it doesn't stand out exceptionally.  The dining room has high ceilings and there are large chalkboards on both sides with the seafood menu.  At the back of the dining room is a small bar with beer and liquor service but also with a shelf on the back wall behind it that has over 25 boxes of cereal for those that desire cereal and cold milk. 

I came to the diner in the early afternoon, so while I didn't have to have breakfast, that was the direction that I decided to go.  As this is a seafood restaurant as well though, I also wanted to do that.  Luckily, there were several breakfast dishes that featured seafood so it wasn't hard to find something.  The difficulty came in actually choosing something because so many things sounded good.  I decided to go with hash and eggs.  Specifically, I chose the Rushing Waters Smoked Trout Hash and Eggs.  The hash consisted of smoked trout, onions, and potatoes.  It was smoky, tender, well-seasoned, and very flavorful.  The eggs that I ordered were over-easy.  There were tree of them that were cooked together and cooked well.  The whites were lightly fried on both sides but the yolks were still soft as they should be.  The hash and eggs were served with four slices of buttered wheat toast which came in handy to sop up the yolk and left over hash.

This is a very good diner with very good food.  It is also a very good place for seafood.  I will definitely have to return here to try more of the menu, seafood and otherwise.   

Bleeding Heart Bakery and Cafe

I have written before about Bleeding Heart Bakery and said that I really liked it. In the time since I visited, they have opened two other locations and will be opening a third soon. Unfortunately, they also closed the location that I go to most frequently. One of the locations that they recently opened, in West Town, also has a cafe (actually a diner) in addition to their fantastic bakery so I decided to visit for dinner and pie on Pi day (3/14). The space looks like a twisted 50s diner with a dining bar with vinyl topped stools, tables with a semi-psychedelic design (boomerangs overlaying squares) and booths with vinyl seats that kind of look like old car seats around the walls. They call themselves a punk rock bakery so it was no surprise to hear a lot of 80s punk, mostly California and Minneapolis punk, playing as background music. It wasn't playing too loudly and I like punk rock so it was easy to eat there. As I said, the cafe is more a diner and the dinner menu was full of diner food. It had several breakfast items, some salads, chicken and some burgers. I wasn't really interested in breakfast for dinner so I decided to get a burger. I got the West Town Burger which consisted of two five ounce burgers, topped with crispy pork belly, bacon hollandaise, tomato chutney, and crispy arugula and spinach on a potato roll. This was a very good burger. It was very bacony and had the right amount of sweet, tart, and sour. I am not sure how they crisped the greens but it seemed to concentrate the flavors. The potato roll on which the burger was served was also very good. While the burger was good thogh, I do think that it would have been improved by some sharp cheese. The burger was served with some very good steak fries. The fries were well salted and also had some pepper. I think also that the fries were double fried because they were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
While the burger and fries were good and I really enjoyed it, as it was Pi day, I had come for the pie. While it is a play on words, pies are round and many people do use the pun to celebrate Pi day with pie. As Bleeding Heart Bakery is one of my favorite bakeries, I decided to use the play on words at a place that I knew made good pies. I had had a craving for a blueberry pie and they had a blueberry and lavender pie. I was actually not sure about the lavender but I trusted them so this is what I got. The pie had a graham cracker and almond topping and a nice and stiff crust. It was filled with blueberries which made for a really good pie. While I didn't see the lavender in the pie, as soon as I cut into it, I could smell it. The flavor was infused through the pie and it was incredible. While the pie would have been good without the lavender, the lavender made it one of the best pies I have ever had.

I really liked Bleeding Heart's new cafe and I will undoubtedly visit it again but I will definitely be back for the baked goods especially if there is pie.

Hungry?

At work, I am considered the restaurant expert so it falls on me when we want to go out. It would be very easy to choose a chain but what fun is that? While I will occasionally choose Chipotle, most of the time I like to pick an independent place. Bonus points if it's a place that we haven't been to yet. We were looking for a place to go for lunch on Friday and I came across Hungry? Located in a strip mall that is actually a little difficult to get into, it's a counter service restaurant that is kind of a step up from fast food. It has an enormous menu that resembles what you might get at a Greek diner. It serves breakfast all day, several burgers, a variety of hot sandwiches, in addition to shepherd's pie, fish and chips, pork chops, and kebabs. The service was interesting. While you order do order at a counter, if you are eating there, your food is brought to you on an actual plate and are given real silverware. Standard diner fare includes a reuben which was what I ordered. It was pretty good if not fantastic. The rye was light and was grilled to a nice crunch. the corned beef was finely chopped, and the sauerkraut was nicely sauer. The Thousand Island Dressing was applied very lightly though. While I am not saying that it should have been slathered with Thousand Island Dressing, it would have been nice to not have to concentrate to taste it.

While Hungry? isn't haute cuisine, it isn't bad, there are a lot of choices and the price is pretty good. It's a good choice for lunch in the burbs.