Café Bionda’s Valentines Day Menu Delivers

Ahhhh….The Hallmark Holiday…a special day, with special meanings created by corporations to make some money. Although we’re not generally down with this concept, we still seem to celebrate it annually. We try to avoid the traps of chocolate and silly stuffed animals and rather focus on the benefits of the holiday…

And by benefits we mean a great dinner. This year we decided to try out the much raved about Café Bionda, located at 1924 S. State street (not to be confused with it’s sister restaurant up in wicker park). As imagined it was packed with various couples and parties enjoying the ‘holiday’.

Upon walking in we were greeted warmly and settled in for a quick pre-dinner ‘valentine’ martini. Like most flavored martinis, half the appeal is the presentation and this one was no exception. Although I’m not a fan of sweet drinks, this was actually pretty good. I personally opted for the house cab which hit the spot.

The seating was cramp, but thankfully that didn’t backfire for us as the people sitting next to us were nice and actually offered some recommendations on appetizers. The atmosphere overall was lively with traditional fixtures, but contemporary art sporadically placed throughout the restaurant.

It was relatively late, so we focused on our main courses which were both on the special Valentines Day menu. The decision: Parmesan Encrusted Chilean Sea Bass and Jumbo Stuffed Tortellini. The sea bass was definitely the highlight as it did a great job of blending flavor with the tenderness typically found with the fish. Although the tortellini was solid, we weren’t as impressed with this dish.

The service was prompt and seemed well educated about the menu. We did suspect that there was some mix-up in the kitchen since the people next to us received their entrees much quicker then we did, but overall it didn’t take away from the experience. With that said, no doubt we will be hitting up Café Bionda again…probably before the next Hallmark Holiday.

Don't trust us...checkout Cafe Bionda reviews on yelp and metromix.

Hackney's Mediocre This Time

After a long night of Flacos Tacos and drinking, we decided to hit up a well respected Printer's Row spot, Hackney's, for a late lunch. We've been once before and enjoyed our meal that time, but the star of that visit was the distinctive beer selection.

This time, beer wasn't on the mind so the food took center stage. After everyone decided on their main entrees, we had second thoughts and put in a quick order for the "Original French Fried Onion" appetizer which amounts to a large loaf of beautifully fried onions strings. Judging by the pace that we took down the mountain of onion rings it's safe to say they were enjoyed.

The main courses got mixed reviews. Two of us got the 'Chicken Avocado Club, which was good but noticeable large and messy. The 'Stuffed California Burger' seemed appealing, but unfortunately didn't live up to the hype of the menu. It was noted that the cheese wasn't as prominent as expected.

Breakfast is usually consumed prior to noon, but given the option one of us opted for the omelet with avocado. Again, solid but not excellent. The final person wasn't particularly hungry and decided on the soup of the day, Clam Chowder, which was probably the best received out of the group.

All in all the food was ok, but not something most of the group would seek out again. Regardless, the atmosphere was nice, the service was relatively prompt and it was a nice place to catch up with some good peeps.

Flaco's Taco's Now Open Late

So Sloopin hit up Flaco’s Taco’s in October of ’08 and although we were all a little intoxicated at the time, it was a big hit and somewhere we knew we wanted to go again.

Fast forward to some random late, drunk Friday night in Wicker Park and man were we hungry. We flag down a cab, head south on 90/94 back to the Sloop when a great thought enters my mind…“I need a burrito, I need Flaco’s Taco’s”. We quickly call an audible to the cabbie and it’s off to Flaco’s. We pull up and to our chagrin it’s closed. Evidently Flaco's isn’t open at 2:35am. Naturally we’re disappointed, especially since this same thing has happened at least twice since this initial incident.

Needless to say, this past Friday presented another opportunity to hit up Flaco’s. Lucky for us it was open when we strolled up to the restaurant this time. We had a large group and although we didn’t take a formal poll, it seemed like everyone was quite happy with the decision. The highlight for me personally was the $3 beer that was on tap. I can’t remember the name, but damn it hit the spot.

The moral of the story is that it now seems that Flaco’s is open late night, which is good or bad depending on what you think. Sloopin’s take…it’s a good thing.

Mercat a la Planxa Gets Mixed Reviews

We haven't been there yet, but from what we've read reviews are mixed. It looks beautiful and this most recent review from the Chicagoist makes us want to go tomorrow!

The India Grill: South Loop

We recently checked out The India Grill at 1112 S. Wabash to see what was cracking at this new joint. We've been by a couple times and it usually looks pretty dead, however on this Saturday night it had a decent crowd.

The menu looks to be your typical Indian fare and I can attest that the Tandori chicken is pretty tender. The prices seems comparable to most Indian restaurants (main courses are $10-20) and the wait staff was attentive and quick. They also have a daily Indian Buffet if that's your sort of thing.

The decor is nice and classy, but definitely nothing extraordinary. The one issue we had was that they have a gigantic neon red sign in the window that casts a weird glow throughout the restaurant.

So to sum it up...standard, good Indian food, but not much to write home about.

Here are the Yelp and Metromix links for additional information and reviews.

Employees Have Fun at Potbelly's in the South Loop

If you haven't been to Potbelly's, you probably don't live in Chicago and you probably don't like sandwiches. If that's the case, you can probably stop reading this post. Like most "faster" food chains, their process is pretty much perfected and as a result the food is always the same (which in this case is good).

So I'm not writing this to review the food, I'm writing to say that employees at the Potbelly's at 45 E. Roosevelt (essentially at the corner of Roosevelt and Wabash) are always joking around and having fun. I'm not saying this is a problem, but just an observation. To be honest, it's kinda nice, usually you get a stale experience at these types of restaurants. Good to know Potbelly's is a little different.

A True Local Market

Yes, there are a lot of good, large grocery stores in the South Loop (Jewel, Dominicks, Whole Foods), but one thing they lack are character. If you like friendly people, quality products and all things Italian, then Panozzo's Italian Market is right down your ally.

Although it tends to carry higher end, pricey products it's usually worth it. They have a variety of pastas, sauces, drinks and various other things. Probably the best thing about the place is the deli, which has freshly cooked dishes, various meats and cheeses and as I mentioned before, friendly service.

My personal favorite at Panozzo's are their sandwiches, which are fresh and large. Although some of the chain's claim to have great deals, I still believe that Panozzo's has the best deal in regards to what you get for the price. Sandwiches range from $6-$8, but they're large and have much superior ingredients then any of the changes.

Lastly, the people are super nice. Every time I go in they're warm, respectful and seem to genuinely appreciate my business. The same can't be said at Jewel...

Daaaaammmmnnnnnn, Lou Makes Good Pizza

So earlier this week, we hit up the new Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria at 805 S. State Street. As you would imagine with any brand new restaurant, it’s clean, nice and comfortable. To be honest, it seemed a little small to me, but I was reminded that most of their business probably comes from delivery so a huge dinning area isn't necessary.

Anyway, everyone loves their legendary deep dish, but this time we opted for the plain cheese thin crust. I don’t claim to be an expert on pizza, but daaaammmmnnnn it was good. All I gotta say is welcome to the neighborhood Lou.

Gioco: A South Loop Gem

Winter's upon us and nothing goes better with the bitter cold then a warm Italian dinner. With that in mind we recently decided to venture out and hit up one of our local South Loop gems, Gioco. Located on the west side of the 1300 block of Wabash, Gioco was Jerry Kleiner’s first restaurant in the South Loop. The restaurant has now been open for about 10 years and has garnered plenty of positive reviews and even awards from prestigious magazines such as “best new restaurants” in Chicago Magazine and Bon Appetit’s “Favorite Places in 2000”.

In typical Kleiner fashion, the décor is distinct and unusual. However, the decorations aren’t as over the top and whimsical as some of his other restaurants (ie Room 21, Carnivale and Opera). The exposed brick and low lighting levels provide an intimate and warm feeling which provides a subtle romantic atmosphere. The kitchen is open to the dinning room for those interested in watching the chefs scramble. The bar area isn’t huge, but has an interesting and hypnotic red glow that gives it an unusual “loungey” type of feel.

During the warmer months, the front windows of the restaurant swing open and lead to a couple of tables on the Wabash sidewalk. Other restaurants in the area also provide amble outdoor seating on Wabash and collectively all the restaurants provide a fun, lively scene for enjoying warm weather and nights (Gioco, Opera, Zapatista and Exposure Tapas Supper Club).

In terms of the food, we’ve been twice and loved the tortellini. The veal dish however received mixed reviews from our table. Most recently we tried the scallops, which were very tender and had a great tasting garlic flavor. Like most Italian restaurants, wine is a staple and Gioco doesn’t disappoint. Their list is extensive if that’s your thing.

The place is usually very busy on the weekends and caters to the later dinner crowd. So if you’re up for an earlier dinner you will have no problem getting in, however after 7:30 I would make sure to call before hand.

As our good friend Borat would say, “Weee Liiiiike”! Hope you do too.

Lost in Translation: Joy Yee's Noodles

It was the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and my cousins and I decided to venture down to Chinatown. Without knowing exactly where we wanted to go, we wandered and almost entered a restaurant through the back door. Thankfully we found the proper entrance to the "China Place Street", which is essentially a walking street similar to what you would find in European cities.

Anyway, we ended up at Joy Yee's Noodles, which was bustling with people eating and also getting bubble teas and other unique drinks. After awkwardly figuring out how and where to sit, we were given a massive menu. Ok, so massive is an understatement. This menu was quite impressive as it had over 500 dishes (and most with pictures). It also had a ridiculously extensive drink menu and when I say drinks I don't mean of the alcoholic variety (bubble teas, yogurts, fruits, etc.).

After spending about 30 minutes looking through the menu, we decided on a wide variety of things to try. To be honest, I had a hard time focusing on the menu due to its volume of contet, so if you try this place out, make sure you're ready to focus and not be indecisive.

In terms of the food everything was solid. The highlight was a curry dish served with soft shell crab and chicken over white rice. The service was quick and good, but if you're looking to be waited on, this isn't the place. The decor was nice, simple and basic. If you like asian simplicity, design and soap operas, you will like the look and feel of the restaurant.

All in all, we had a nice time and were happy with the decision. Most likely will be heading back sometime in the near future.

Recent Pizzeria Openings

A couple weeks ago we mentioned that Lou Malnati's and Homemade Pizza Co. were working on opening restaurants in the South Loop.

Well in case anyone wants some pie, both places are now open.

Obama Loves Corned Beef!

And so do I, especially from Manny's in the South Loop at 1141 S. Jefferson.

The President Elect hit up Manny's, which was referred to as a "Chicago Institution", for Lunch today. Money Quote:

Asked about a federal bailout for the auto industry, Obama responded: "I got the corned beef."

What's a Cuban Sandwich?

I've never had one, but judging from this review in the Chicago Reader, it sounds like the shiznit.

Cafetico has only been open for 4 months...has anyone been there? How is it?

Hangover Cure: Bongo Room

After a long night of drinking and debauchery, some friends of Sloopin decided to hit up Bongo Room (1152 S. Wabash) for brunch.  All I can say is that Bongo Room evidently is the cure for a hangover.  One of Sloopin's friends was ridiculously hung over prior to Bongo Room.  An hour and a half later, she came back a new person.  Their eggs must be magic. 

Restaurant Review: Room 21

This past Friday we went to Jerry Kleiner's latest dinning creation, Room 21.  The restaurant is located on Wabash, just south of 21st street (2110 S. Wabash).  For those who don't know Jerry Kleiner, his restaurants tend to have extravagant, eclectic and over the top decor.  If you're into his restaurants, then you will love Room 21.  

Out of all the Kleiner restaurants I've been to (Opera, Gioco, Marche, Red Light, Carnivale) this is probably the most interesting in terms of design and history.  According to Kleiner, Room 21's building used to be Al Capone's largest liquor warehouse and speakeasy.  When renovating the building, they accidentally stumbled onto a secret passage and found a door leading to 21st street that said "Room 21".  He tells the story better then I do:  

If you made it to the end of the video, you saw the private dinning room that overlooks the kitchen.  This was by far the coolest thing about the restaurant (and to be honest probably the coolest thing I've ever seen at a restaurant).  However, they did tell us that it takes a lot of coin to eat in the private dinning room.  A minimum of $1000 on the weekends and $500 on the weekdays.

In my eyes, the building and history kind of overshadow the food.  Although everything we had was really good, nothing was amazing.  However, with most Kleiner dinning experiences the food is only part of the package.

Besides the large dinning area, their is a large bar/lounge and a nice outdoor patio.  I'm also a big fan of Eric Clapton and they must have played 3 or 4 Clapton songs, so in my mind the music was great.  The service was prompt, but our waiter was kind of spacey and wasn't the best.  However, after dinner we asked the manager for the "tour" and he spent about 5 minutes telling us about the history of the building and so on, which we all appreciated.

So all in all, Room 21 is a very cool and interesting place and Sloopin would highly recommend it.  If you go, don't forget to ask the manager for the tour of the building, you won't regret it.

Backdraft Filmed in The South Loop

A friend of mine recently went to The Chicago Firehouse  and mentioned that he really enjoyed the historic building and the great food.  I haven't been there in awhile, so I decided to look at their website again and learned something new.  According to the website, the movie Backdraft was filmed in the building. 

This isn't important information to know, but regardless an interesting fact for those who like these types of things. 

Restaurant Review: Grace O’Malley’s

Grace O’Malley’s is an upscale Irish pub and restaurant located just south of 14^th on Michigan (1416 South Michigan Ave.). The bar itself is beautiful, classy and traditional. There is approximately 5 or 6 tables in the bar area and I’ve never had a problem finding a seat (there is also seating at the bar). That is not to say it doesn’t get busy, but more often then not you can find a seat if you desire.

In the back of the building there is a more formal and traditional restaurant area which caters to people and families looking to avoid the TV and rowdier bar crowd. There are also stairs to the second level, but I’ve never been up there. Judging by pictures online it looks like it can be reserved for private parties.

Besides a couple of appetizers that you can find anywhere (Quesadillas, Buffalo wings, nachos), the menu is mainly traditional Irish food. I’m not the biggest fan of Irish food, but overall everything I’ve had was solid, but not spectacular.

On to my favorite thing about the place, the bar. They have a variety of beers, drafts and liquors, but if you’re in the mood to try out some whiskey and scotch go for the flights (three samples of different kinds). I went for The Walker (black label, gold label and green label), but let’s be honest, I barely could tell the difference.

There aren’t a lot of specials, so if you’re looking to eat or drink for cheap try out it’s sister restaurant Wabash tap (on Wabash between roosevelt and 13th street). All in all Grace O’Malley’s is solid…

Three New Restaurants Opening Soon

As you probably realize if you're out and about sloopin...there aren't a ton of "moderately" priced restaurants in the area. It's either really nice expensive restaurants, bar food or sandwiches (with a couple exceptions of course). Well here are three new "moderately" priced dining options for us Sloopers who can't afford a $45 steak at the Chicago Fire House:

Homemade Pizza Co – 1347 S. Michigan Ave.
Fresh, gourmet pizza’s that are created from scratch at their restaurant. Customers buy the pizza’s at the restaurant and then bake them at home. They also have homemade cookies and salads.

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria – Corner of 10^th and State Street
Voted Chicago’s favorite pizza, Lou Malnati’s is a local legend and a great addition to the South Loop. They’re known for their famous deep dish pizza, but also have a variety of other options on the menu.

U Food Grill – 823 S. State
Opening it’s second restaurant in Chicago, U Food is all about a simple message; Feel Great, Eat Smart. With that in mind, U Food has a robust and broad menu that tries to provide healthy and good tasting options. I’ve never been there, but that’s what they’re claiming.

Room 21 - Info from Chicagoist

The Chicagoist just posted some information about a one year anniversary party for Room 21. Although I've never been there, I've heard good things.

Anyone have any thoughts on this place?

South Loop Dining: Ma and I (1234 S Michigan Ave)

So tonight we went to Ma & I, which is a mid-priced restaurant with a variety of Asian dishes. I’ve been a couple time and have been very pleased with the overall atmosphere and most importantly the food.

However, tonight was a little different. We decided for the sushi and unfortunately we were a little disappointed. I went for the Millennium specialty role which sounded good, but all the ingredients didn’t work well together (mainly due to the cilantro being the overwhelming taste). My girlfriend went for a sweet potato tempura role (which is exactly what it sounds like) and a Uni Q role (which is your standard eel role). She usually loves eel, but wasn’t feeling this one.

Moral of the story, great place, but don’t go for the sushi. Do one of the noodle or thai dishes.