Big and Little's (Although after a few tacos, mostly big)

So, we may have over-ordered for two today.
But, it all disappeared pretty quickly anyway. 

I love tacos. I mean, really, I love em. I like to make them, I like to eat them, I like to talk about them. I would eat them for every meal.  

I'm sort of obsessed with tacos.

So, it's probably time to review Big and Little's or B&L's as we are calling it these days. They have two locations. One on Orleans, just north of Chicago Ave. Yes, it's there. I know you've driven by there a hundred times, but IT IS THERE. Look again. It has a parking lot and everything. Near that car wash with the orange sign and a bunch of cabby spots. 

Sorry, I'll not be reviewing that location. I'm reviewing the second and newer location on Belmont a couple blocks west of the L on the North side of the street. When you go there, you'll most likely be greeted by Omar. Sometimes, a smile and a friendly greeting elevates the perception of the quality of your food (in a good way) and this is one of those places. I hope Omar never leaves. He's awesome. 

There is a ton on the menu here. Get whatever you want. But I get the tacos. 

I generally mix and match. These are not traditional Mexican tacos. I'll review other places for that at some point as well I'm sure. The tacos here are small. I order 3 or 4 depending on whether or not I can take a nap afterwards. I recommend getting a couple fish tacos. There are a number of those to chose from. I essentially order any of the fried fish. The grilled are good too, but I've had some that were a bit on the fishy side and that just doesn't seem worth it to me. But, if you're health conscious . . . blah blah blah. Just get the fried deliciousness.  I love the Samurai, The Big and Little's, and the Banh Mi. The Poke taco is a raw sushi grade tuna in a hard shell corn taco. The Poke sauce is sweet and sits at the bottom. Very good. I don't get it all the time, but it's always been a hit.  

For meat, I stick with the beef. I'm sure the pork is great, but I love the Spicy Beef Short Rib, The Mexican, and the Japanese Short Rib. I also had the Lamb. If you like gyro's, get that. It's just a taste of a gyro without a major meal. Brilliant. 

Now I know all of you die hard B+L fans out there are going to whine and complain about not reviewing the Orleans location and you're going to say, "the tacos are smaller at the Belmont location, it's too clean" etc. Well, zip it already! 

I don't want to hear it! I like the Belmont spot. I can order multiple tacos each time with no problem and I can walk there. 

So, head on over there if you haven't already and high five Omar for me.

Ceres' Table. Pizza, Pastas and More.

With the new blog, it's difficult to even decide what food source to review and discuss next. So, instead of going right into all of the local places that have been around for a while, I decided to talk about Ceres' Table which has only been open since May. Since it's kind of a current obsession of mine and been in constant chatter with the locals as well as being recently reviewed by some more well known food critics, it seemed to be the time to tell you all a bit about it.

Ceres' Table is located on Broadway, a block and a half south of Belmont in what was the Frog and Snail location (Sura Thai before that and Mars Chinese before that. Sorry, that's as far back as I go).  

What I Eat: Pizza . . .  and more. I'm still trying to figure this place out, but I can tell you that after 4 or so times going over the past month or two, you should get the pizza. Now, I know everyone is picky about their favorite pizza. And some of you will immediately say, "oh, but Spacca is really the best" or, "have you tried Nella, so good right?!". Well, I'm not talking about those places so just listen up. 

I like the artichoke, olive, pizza but there are a variety of options and a lot of hammy choices if you are into that. Pizza is about the balance of sauce, cheese, and crust. The sauce is nice and sweet without being thick (I hate thick sauce which is more paste than sauce unless it's in a giordano's deep dish spinach and mushroom pizza). The pizza is cooked in a wood coal oven and the crust really is perfect. Like all thinner crusts, the more toppings and sauce, the soggier it tends to get. 

What Else I Eat: Pasta. Constantly changing right now it seems There always seems to be one pasta I want to try. The veal bolognese was delicious. We've had it as a lasagna and a papardelle. The papardelle noodles were very delicate and the dish had just the perfect amount of salt. My only complaint would be to get some more sauce. Maybe it's more authentic to have less sauce on the pasta, but I personally would have liked it a bit saucier. 

I haven't ordered the whole fish and probably never will. I saw teeth and eyeballs and I just don't need that on my plate. The brussel sprouts are nice and crunchy. Worth ordering for sure as are a few of the other little salads like the Little Jewel. The Burrata is very good. Not quite as good as the Burrata at Bar Pastoral (which I intend to review) down the block, but if you're hungry and love cheesy goodness, order it. 

For dessert, get the Budino. Puddinglike and cookie crumbly. Whoa, that's good!  

That's my take on it. I will continue to go. Oh, cost. I am probably never going to tell you a restaurant is too pricey just because that's really up to you. Check out the menu online and you can always vary your order to fit your wallet. 

Like all of the restaurants I frequent, we've tried a lot more at this place, but this has been what has stood out and I can guarantee will be my usual. Ceres' Table is here to stay ( I hope). 

Not sure she wanted her picture taken, but she was so nice to our kids. There is a nice little bar in the front as well. Our kids end up sitting at the bar every time after the meal.  

If you are one of the only families there on the night, they might give your kids an etcha sketch to play with before the food arrives. Love that. The decor is similar to the previous occupant (FandS) but they removed some of the high partitions allowing the space to feel cozy and open at the same time. 

Pizza. Get it. That's the Papardelle Bolognese on the right but sometimes it's just hard to get a picture in when you're hungry so it's already half eaten. 

The Olive, Artichoke Pizza. You should really make sure you order a pizza when you come here. 

Little Jewel Salad  . . . on the side?

Mint Chip in the Windy City

So I'm going to start off with a non-restaurant. That is, depending on how much you eat here and what you consider a restaurant. 

Windy City Sweets

If you don't know about it already, you're really missing out. If you have kids and haven't taken them there, you may want to reconsider your parenting skills. It's an amazing candy and ice cream store located just north of the Nettelhorst Elementary School in East Lakeview. With all of the choices here, you'd think I'd have tried them all and could give you the full rundown. But, I typically get the same thing every time. Mint Chip ice cream. Very creamy ice cream with just the right amount of chocolate chunks. Not too minty. I don't need actual mint leaves in my ice cream and I don't want it to taste like toothpaste. This Mint Chip (or mint chocolate chip) is fantastic. Yes, I've tried other ice creams flavors there, but this is my go-to. The staff is very nice there and the kids love looking at all the candy. They don't love when we tell them they can't have any. Note: if you have a 5 year old who likes chocolate ice cream, have him or her wear a shirt you can throw out afterwards. I'm not sure what's in that chocolate, but it doesn't come out. This is also the place to come for hand made dipped items including dipped Ritz crackers, Oreos, Twinkies, etc. So, get a bunch of those. Toss our your latest diet and indulge. 

That's my scoop on Windy City. 

It's easily one of the top ice cream/candy stores in the City.

If it's highly caloric, they'll dip it.

Avoid the Beanie Babies if possible. 

Homemade Pecan Turtles

Welcome to, The Usual Please. I'm a pretty particular eater. Always have been. My kids are particular too, and I know many of you out there are as well. I am also an architect who works from home giving me a relatively flexible schedule. I'll be sharing pictures and reviews of our local eateries in East Lakeview, Chicago, and also adding more places beyond the neighborhood as I go. 

But, don't expect me to review everything on the menu. When I like a place, I stick to a few items and that's what we'll be reviewing. Very rarely do you find a restaurant that is great at everything. If you are looking for that, check out a different blog. 

Because I tend to order

THE USUAL.