Bring Your Appetito

I know. . . you've missed me. Well, we've returned and there are so many new places to discuss here. Well, I'll discuss them. You can listen. The first on my list has to be L'Appetito. Cafe L'Appetito, actually since there are actually two other locations in the city. This one though, located on the west side of Broadway at the corner of Broadway and Buckingham, is the newest. It is in the formerly cursed site of that awful taco place. What was it before that? I can't remember, but I recall seeing them cook my food in front of me. . . in a microwave. Sorry, no thank you. But, luckily for us we now have one of the best additions to the East Lakeview neighborhood. I'm really impressed so far. Don't get me wrong, like any new places (or old places I guess) it has its quirks, but in general this place is great.

Careful on a wet day. For some reason they put wall tile on the floor. Um, that's not smart. This has nothing to do with the food, but from a designer's perspective it's like "duh". 

Ok, back to the food. This place is a little Italian deli essentially that serves sandwiches, soups, salads, hot prepared foods, gelato, coffee, deserts, etc. Yeah, that's a lot, but it's doing a pretty good job at a variety of those. 

What I Eat: 

I really have honed in on the sandwiches. You can get a pressed hot sammy called a "Tostino" or a sandwich on a giant focaccia, or a meatball sub. But, I stick with the cold sliced meat Italian Sub. If we were back in Philly, this would indeed be a Hoagie (Pronounced something like "Hewwgee", or "Houwgie" by my Philly friends). But, alas we are not in Philly. We are in Chicago where everyone wants something dipped in meat juice. I get a mixture of turkey and roast beef with either Provolone or Mozarella on Italian bread. The lettuce is shredded. I'd get a tomato but it's really not worth it if you like good quality tomatoes. Just so hard to get these days. No mayo. I've decided it ruins this particular sandwich. I also get a side of mild Giardiniera. For those of you not from Chicago, this is not a parasite you pick up while camping. It's a condiment made from peppers, carrots, celery, cauliflower and olives that's been marinated or pickled in olive oil and vinegar. It's a must I think. I get it on the side as it will be all over the place if they put it on. I like to put it on afterwards and get a little into each bite. Frankly, the other Italian sandwiches look great, but this is what I get. Oh, don't expect a ton of meat and cheese. It's not that kind of sandwich so stop complaining.

I love the bread. It's soft and chewy. I must be like 90 years old, but I just can't chew the bread down at Pastoral. I love those sandwiches, but it's like a chewing marathon and my jaws feel like they've been in a MMA boxing match after eating. No, the bread at L'Appetito is really perfect for my cheeks. 

What She Eats: 

So my wife gets the Tonino. A Tostino sandwich of mozarella, sliced chicken,  basil and tomato. It's very good. Last time we were there she said something like, "Ooooh, that meatball sub looks so good. I'll get the Tonino." 

Desert is good here too. I have only tried one gelato and it was insanely delicious. I loved that it was a bit firmer than I find at Paciugo. Not many flavors. Just enough. The lemon cookies are also very good. Crumbly and lemony. My wife may just now be finding out that I've been eating those. 

What They Eat: 

My daughter pretty much always gets the Tonino without tomato. My son gets the pizza. I don't love the pizza. It's a bit greasy for me and is a thick style. Not for me. But there are plenty of options for kids. 

This really is a takeout place mainly, but there is a great outdoor seating area when you've got nice weather. There are only two tables inside and some counter seating. Service is relatively fast, so it's a good spot for an On the Go meal. This is family run and there usually or always is one of the family members at each location. They are super nice. The guys behind the counter can be a bit short, but maybe that's part of the charm. Or maybe they don't like my picky,  off the menu order. 

As I said, there is plenty to sample from here at L'Apps, and you can get whatever you want. Up to you really. But that's my usual.   

Why Can't I Stop Eating Tacos?

I was waiting to put out a review of this relatively new Lakeview restaurant, but after my meal there this week, I was compelled to do so. It's one thing to go to a restaurant on your own and be blown away by the food, but when you take your Mother to this restaurant, and the place lives up to your hopes and recommendations, you just have to spread the word.

Esencia Urban Kitchen is a very small Mexican "inspired" restaurant located on the corner of Roscoe and Broadway. It's right by that tiny Starbucks that does probably the best business per square footage in Chicago. You know, the spot that used to be a cupcake place and a sandwich shop before that.
With the change in the weather from unbearable to delightful, Esencia has added a few outdoor tables on the North side of the building. Why does that matter, you ask? Because it gets hot here in Chicago and those tables in the shade are a perfect spot to eat and chill. They are also better than sitting at any outdoor tables directly on Broadway where you are continuously wondering if some moron is going to hit you while he parks his car or if a landscape truck, mason or off duty sanitary and streets department truck is going to spew fumes while they idle next to your imaginary perfect outdoor eating scene. "Oh, isn't it lovely out here? It's like we're in a movie. Would you pass the grey poupon, COUGH!". 

Since Esencia opened, we've been trying it on and off. Taking others to give their opinions of the "Taco Trio". A choice of 3 tacos, duh. No, they do not only serve tacos. In fact, the menu is quite lengthy and spans all meals. They have coffee, baked goods (including biscuits), breakfast choices, and larger dinner items. So far, we're just doing the tacos.

The difference between these tacos though and many of the others out there is in the freshness of the ingredients and the attention to the mix of flavors and textures. It's like WOW! Someone is actually paying attention to what is going on my plate and in turn, down the hatch. And it keeps getting better. Is the chef actually tasting the food?! I think they are indeed. 

What I Eat:

I get the Taco Trio. Typically, I will order the Fish, the Barbacoa, and the Steak Tacos. Depending on the day, one may be better than the others so I like to sample a variety. This week, the fish was one of the best fish tacos I've ever had. Ever. I know, that's a seriously bold statement but I'm totally serious. I tend to be "sensitive" to a fishy taste. The balance of acidity, sweetness and the rich flavor of the fish was perfect. I'm sure I could have eaten 10 of these tacos. No joke. When people talk about eating clean and fresh, this is what they mean. And you can taste every flavor in each bite. Every ingredient was distinct and worked together to create the perfect bite. Amazing. 

The steak can be overcooked and not perfect, but has very good flavor. I'd like them to work on undercooking the steak a bit to keep it a bit juicier and a bit more tender. Room for improvement. Barbacoa - very delicious.   

The salsa is perfect. Just the right amount of spice where you want to keep eating more of it. I do add the salsa to my tacos for just a little kick. 

No filter. Just really that vibrant looking in person. Crisp flavors.

What She Eats:

My wife gets the fish tacos as well, but also goes for the veggie taco. "Wanna try some", she always says. I mumble something out, but I'm too focused on my dreamland taco state that I am probably impossible to understand. They are very good though as well and I would certainly recommend them. Again, more quiet moaning from the rest of the table. "ooh, so good, hmmmm. yumyumyum" 

Delicious, and not bad to look at either.

I strongly recommend going to Esencia. Lunch outside on a nice day. I truly hope this restaurant stays in Lakeview. Inside, I have suspicion that they may go on to bigger and better things one day. I've been so impressed with the consistency and the continual improvement of the food here. Order breakfast, get a hot biscuit or go for dinner and order dive into some of the incredible looking dining options. For me, I'm happy with the Trio of Tacos and a side of the salsa. But that's just my Usual.  

The Bagel (or, Have you eaten anything lately? You're skinny as a rail? How about some soup?)

We have been frequenting The Bagel for years now. 12 or 13 I guess at this point.  Going on and off again in waves when the cravings hit. We have seen prices rise to compete with rent. We have been there with old friends and new. For birthdays and just for warmth. For me, there are only a few places you can go in Chicago and get a proper deli meal. That is, corned beef and Matzo Ball Soup. A turkey sammy you say? No, that would be blasphemous. A Rueben of course would fall into the category and is a totally respectable order. Considering that this restaurant is one of the primary reasons I started this blog, it's about time I reviewed it.
First of all, do NOT tell me you don't like The Bagel and then proceed to tell me you had a salad. Unless it was a cole slaw salad, you ordered incorrectly. For those of you who don't know, for some reason, The Bagel is a Deli Restaurant located on Broadway across from the intersection at Barry. It is across the street from Stella's Diner (the one with the giant fist hanging over the door). You can, and should go to both really. They are not exclusive and have a very different menu and preparation.

The "Half" Corned Beef on Rye (Extra Lean)

Cross cut of the "Lean" corned beef. Not "Extra Lean"

There are other things to order at The Bagel besides corned beef and matzoball soup and you should definitely venture into the other items if you are going there more than once a month. If you have an endless pit of a stomach for soup, get the Mish Mash Soup. It is served hot in an enormous glass bowl and consists of a half gallon of chicken soup, a massive matzo ball, kasha and bowties, noodles and Kreplach. I have a secret love of kreplach. Doughy pierogi-like pockets filled with ground beef.
They do have blintzes. Blintzes are tough to get just right. Everyone's Jewish grandmother probably made them best. Mine did. I remember that there was about a boat load of butter and they were addictive. Not too sweet and just cheesy enough in a delicate crepe wrapper.  I find the blintzes at the Bagel to be a bit too sweet for my taste, but I'm sure some may love them. The stuffed cabbage is a little sweet for me as well (My Mom's are better). But, like I said, try it all.
Oddly enough, they have very good fries. It doesn't really align with the rest of the items on the menu, but they are crispy, twice fried and addictive. The burgers aren't bad, but again, it's just not what I would order, so don't go there, order a burger and say that you don't like The Bagel.
Oh, the bagels. There really is no wrong time to visit The Bagel, but expect the bagels to be better in the morning. When we go in the morning, we like to just go to the counter, order a bagel with some sort of schmear or and egg and cheese (munster or american work best for me as they are a bit salty.), and take it to go or eat at the small tables in the front. The bagels are pretty fresh and come from Skokie, where most good Chicago bagels should probably be made.
We do like the Nova. I've never loved the lox as much as the nova.
What I Eat: 1/2 Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye bread with a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. EXTRA LEAN. If you don't say extra lean, it will be fatty. If you get a Reuben, it doesn't matter. But, for a classic corned beef sandwich, order it extra lean. I use yellow mustard because I'm from Philly originally, and that's what we do. I like the tangy taste. The sandwich has a tiny corner taken off the side which makes it a "Half". It comes with a small side of cole slaw which I eat along with my daughter's slaw. My Dad orders it with Russian dressing. I think he said it at least four times. It's hereditary. I get a Dr. Browns Cream Soda (Ok, I get the diet one).

What She Eats: My wife is wonderful and goes through different cravings when we go to The Bagel. Lately, it's a baked potato with melted cheddar cheese and a helping of steamed broccoli. It's actually pretty good. She also however eats the challah with some butter, some bagel crisps, and a bit of everyone else's food.  I would too if I ordered a baked potato at a deli.

By the way, The Bagel has parking. A lot in fact located behind the restaurant. More reason to come from out of the area. So come in the morning for a bagel or come in the evening for a corned beef sandwich and some filling soup. It will make you feel good. Order whatever you want, just don't complain to me if you don't order my Usual.

This off menu item is the current favorite of my better half.

Comes with every meal. Go wild.

You can order an egg dish. Not my thing, but many do. It's not unheard of. 

Matzo Ball. Big. Heavy. Goodness.

Interior Renovated a few years back. Walls are lined with old posters.

Yo Quiero Empanada

The blocks just north of the intersection of Clark, Diversey and Broadway, on Clark St. are so desolate that on certain days they can actually feel haunted. And on a dry summer day in August, if there were tumbleweeds rolling along I would not be surprised at all if a Western was actually being filmed on this dead street. I love the Super Walgreens, but it does nothing to reinvigorate those blocks. There are a few spots that have weathered the storm of nothingness over the years in this no mans land. You've got The Duke of Perth, which offers a nostalgic atmosphere along with choice beverages and the infamous endless fish and chips platter. There's the Creperie. I've been there 3 times in the last 13 years and I have yet to be impressed. Sorry to the loyal Creperie customers. Come over on a Sunday morning and I'll make you a better crepe. And some love El Nuevo, but the verdict is still out on my end. But amongst these relics, there is a small corner restaurant that stands out with steaming hot, freshly prepared, delicate-deliciousness.
With it's brightly and boldly painted bright blue facade, 5411 Empanada calls out to those who pass by. And you should answer that call. Eating here some days can make you delirious from the goodness inherent in these small golden treasures. And stepping inside will save you from the dreariness still present on these blocks of Clark St.

Can't miss this? Well, some people do. An oasis of taste.

What I Eat: The Empanadas. Duh. Is there anything else on the menu? There might be, but I don't really care. The Empanadas here are made with homemade care and attention. Each pocket of heaven with different folds and crimped edges indicating what you are getting on the inside. There are a number of choices for the filling. I'm not sure you can really go wrong and it is all really personal preference, but I have honed in on my favorites.

I went twice this week. For some reason, the size of the empanadas weren't consistent,
but I guess that means you order one more. 

Top choice is probably the Sweet Corn or the Malbec. I'd get the Sweet Corn every time. It can be hot, so wait just a second before biting into it or you'll burn the roof of your mouth. I once stood by the kitchen with my mother at a wedding waiting for the hors d'oeuvres to come out and we made this mistake. But I digress. Same goes with the Mushroom Thyme Blue Cheese. Wait a sec. That one just oozed all out when I got anxious and cut it open too soon. The mushroom is fragrant and scrumptious. I like it a lot but it's a powerful flavor. The Beef is well seasoned and is best with either sauce. I like it with the Chimichuri and dump a lot on to balance out the dryness inherent in the ground beef. It has a classic Argentinian flavor and texture and while it might not be for everyone, I really love it. The Malbec may be tied with my favorite (Corn), or even a step above depending on the day. It's a marinated shredded beef with carrot and onion and is very well seasoned. I don't love the spinach and cheese. Cafe Tola on Southport makes a better version of that one.
What She Ate: Claud got the Date-Bacon-Goat Cheese. She kept moaning while eating it, so I'm assuming that it was quite good. She also had a Sweet Corn (more moaning), and a nutella. She's got more of a sweet tooth than me. I refuse to eat nutella in a empanada. I prefer it in a crepe.
I wouldn't bother with the BBQ chicken. I just don't feel that flavor should be in an empanada. I mean, it's fine in flavor, but it doesn't make sense to me. The ratatouille (my kids say "rat-patooty) is good, but lacking a bit of seasoning.

Your mouth is now watering. Look at how perfect those are.

In the end, they are all worth trying. I'm picky. But to recap, get the Sweet Corn, Malbec, Beef and the Bacon for sure. Get a minimum of 3. I tend to eat 3 and order another. . . which is really 4 I guess.
There are 2 locations now plus a food truck with new stores opening in the loop and in the Southport Corridor. Hopefully, my location in the Dark Clark Corridor will remain. Come and support it. I'll see you there.

Cuban Vibes

Have we really not updated this blog since November?! Yikes. Well, fear not. We are back and eating again. I have put on a comfortable layer of blubber for the rest of the Chicago winter and intend to share my resources so that you too may stay as warm as a happy seal on a harsh winter day. Ok, so I'm breaking the rules a bit to get the food sharing juices flowing again. I don't know if it's because we just watched the movie, "Chef", or if it was just time, but we finally tried Cohiba; A Cuban restaurant across from the BBandB and the TJ Max on Broadway just north of the Diversey Clark intersection. We've been holding on trying this place to give it the benefit of the doubt and work out some "new restaurant in a failing storefront location" kinks. We walked in and were welcomed by the sound of Cuban music. Feet were tapping. Good start. There were 4 or 5 full tables and I overheard someone say how much they loved this place. Also good. Service was pretty quick and the waiter was friendly and attentive without being at all overbearing.
What I Ate: I would imagine, this is the place to get a Cubano. However, since I am on a no pork deal, I was drawn to the Ropa Vieja. A shredded beef sandwich with peppers and onions. Sounds like an Italian Beef right? Nope.  The bun itself was incredible. It was a french roll that was grilled to allow for a tiny bit of crispiness without being too greasy. Maybe it was the luck of the first time visit, but I could not stop eating it and could probably have ordered a roll on it's own with nothing inside. The beef was succulent. So juicy. It required multiple napkins and a wet nap. However, it had an overwhelming flavor of Allspice that I just could not get over. Too powerful and floral for me. I ate the entire ginormous sandwich of course, but I just wished it didn't have that overwhelming flavor. It overpowered the sandwich. Perhaps that is the traditional way to make it, but for me, it took a sandwich that could have been spectacular and put it on my "Ew" list.

Ropa Vieja

Why She Ate: My wife and eating partner in crime ordered the Chicken Cohibarito. It has fried plantains instead of bread and was supposed to have grilled onions (but they were raw), mozzarella cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was really delicious and quite massive. It was indeed the more pleasing of the two dishes. We commented on how it was definitely fried, but not greasy. It wasn't dried out either and was a meaty bite of plantain. Delicious.
The fries were fine, but really nothing special. That's all we got. Much more on the menu and we'll be back.
So here's what I think. Go here. I recommend it after only going once (which breaks my rule, but you'll have to live with that).  I really think it's worth trying. If you eat piggy, get the Cubano. It looked delicious and properly made.
They have a large dinner menu which we will hopefully go back and try. I'm going to give it some time before going for dinner, but maybe will be back sooner for lunch to try a couple of the other sandwiches before determining what is going to be. . . my usual.

Cohibarito