Poor Boy Itaian Style - Nonna Soluri's Italian Deli, Chicago, Ill

  Located in the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago sits a little Italian deli that makes sandwiches. We first saw this place on Chicago's Best t.v. show, and after seeing the breaded steak sandwich, we thought we would give it a try.
  We arrived early and waited for them to open.  They were just cutting the bakery fresh bread for the day, and the steak was cooked right after we ordered.  It was nice and hot.  We were asked if we wanted any marinara, or giardinera on it.  We declined but got some eggplant sauce on the side.
  The sandwich was pretty dense.  We split the sandwich because it was already our second meal of the day in just a few hours.  We found the steak to be a little on the plain side and would I wished I would have tried the the marinara, that they offered.
  Live and learn.
  Nonna Soluri's has a different sandwich banner on the fence as a special for different days of the week. There are no tables to eat at inside the restaurant, so we ate in the car. If you would like to give Nonna Soluri's a try, you can find them at

3142 S Morgan Stin Chicago.

A Chicago Legend - Jim's Original Hot Dog, Chicago,Ill.

Usually, on our way out of Chicago, I would see it.  A yellow hot dog stand that stood out from the other buildings.  After seeing the place on t.v., I decided to give it a try. Jim's Original Hot Dos Stand has been a Chicago tradition for 70 years. They were originally located on Halstead street and later moved to their current location on Union St.
  Their menu features Polish Sausages, hot dogs, fish, chicken and pork chop sandwiches.  All f their sandwiches come with fries.  I decided to try the sausage and Rebbel got the hot dog.  We got these as soon as we arrived because we had a lot of eating on our schedule.
  The sausage is especially made for Jim's with the same blend f spices they have had since the 1940's.  It has mustard and grilled spanish onions on top.  I founf it to be more peppery tasting than I care I like.  Rebbel cot a natural casing hot dog that instead of a nice snap was rubbery. Maybe it was on the grill too long.  The fries were good, though.   After reading all the positive reviews of this place, I was expecting a bit mre and maybe that is why I found this place disappointing. At least the fries worked out.  Jim's original is located at 1250 S Union St in Chicago, Ill. They also have a location at 16 E. 95thSt. You can find the on the web at : http://www.jimsoriginal.com/jimsoriginal/Menu/

Two Great Snacks in One! - Firecakes Donuts, Chicago, Illinois

Nothing is better than a fresh doughnut....except a fresh doughnut with good ice cream sandwiched between it.  That is what was on the try menu on our recent trip to Chicago.  We first saw this marvelous desert on You Tube.  After watching the program, there was no way out, we had to have it! As we pulled up, on what was a somewhat chilly evening, we noticed a line out the door.
  Firecakes has a small storefront only big enough for maybe ten people to fit through the door.  They sell some very original donuts along side some doughnuts that look familiar but are kicked up a notch. Some of their varieties of doughnuts are, Valrhona Chocolate Iced, a seasonal fritter, wildflower honey glazed, and even some that rotate dependingon the season.
  We got a Classic Sandwich. The Classic Sandwich features a honey glazed doughnut with ice cream and Valrhona Chocolate Sauce on top of the ice cream.  The only variation I made was choosin pistachio ice cream. They have a choice of 4 doughnuts and three ice creams.They also have nine toppings you can choose between.  Next time I will choose the vanilla ice cream, but other than that, it was a scrumptious treat. Even the chilly wind couldnt change that!
  Firecakes has four locations and a food truck.  You can find them on the web at:firecakesdonuts.com

How Can Fried Chicken Be Improved? - Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Chicago, Illinois

  On our recent excursion to Chicago, we decided to pass by some of our favorite food places and try some new ones.  We started our journey on You Tube.  We watched many episodes of Chicago 's Best.   This show is a show that highlights some of Chicago's restaurants that are sent in by viewer tips.  From the many places we watched, we picked the ones that tripped our food triggers.  Right from the start Honey Butter Fried Chicken did just that.
  As we located the restaurant and tried to find a place to park,  we noticed a line going out the door.
As we went inside the door, there was a sigm telling us to grab a menu, order at the counter and we will be seated.  We decided to bypass eating inside and ordered it to go.  We decided to try two thighs and a some creamed corn.  We found the corn to be good.  It wasn't your typical creamed corn,this was Thai green curry,and you could taste the flavor in the corn.  It was a good flavor ithout being overwhelming.  The bone free chicken had an extra crispy crust that held up well to the honey utter that we slathered over it.  The sweet buttery taste paired well with the slightly spicy chicken.We needed many napkins to get through this juicy chicken.
  Honey Butter fried Chicken is a little pricey, but they use the finest ingredients that are locally sourced, cage free and antibiotic free.  The employees don't work for tips and are paid industry leading salaries with benefits. They are located at 3361 N. Elston Ave in Chicago.  They accept charge cards.  You can find them on the web at; https://www.honeybutter.com/ .  You can order online at the site.

Best Food In The World - Glenn's Diner - Chicago, Illinois

"Best food in the world." That is what the sign read as we visited Glenn's Diner in Chicago. Located in the Ravenswood neighborhood,at 1820 W. Montrose, we decided to go there after seeing them on DDD (Diners, Drive Inns and Dives)on the Food Network. First thing that we saw as we walked in the door was multiple cereal boxes artfully lining the front wall. They offer 25 different types of cereal. You get the idea that this isn't an ordinary place.
On each side are walls of chalk boards. These boards are filled with specials that will make your mouth water. After receiving the menu, we made our choices. I had the french toast that like all the other breakfasts, is available anytime and Rebbel got the meatloaf sandwich. It was then that we really started reading the chalk board. There was plenty of Seafood choices there along with a lot of other foods with unusual twists.
The french toast was excellent. Probably some of the best french toast I have tasted. Didn't even need syrup. Rebbel also enjoyed her meatloaf sandwich, but if I ever go back there again, I will start with the chalk boards! Click the title and you will magically be transported to their home page.

Chicago Lines Up For This Burger - Paradise Pup, Des Plaines, Ill

This wasn't our first choice. We were going to try a place in Alsip Ill. called the Frosted Mug, but, they were closed. Looking over our list that we got from the Food Network site, We decided to drive to a place called Paradise Pup in Des Plaines. As we came up to the little burger joint, we noticed a fairly good sized line snaking from the door to the back of the building. We got in line where Rebbel asked the people in front of us what was the best thing on the menu.
I thought that the place was called Paradise Pup, so the dogs would be the main attraction. I was wrong. They do serve hot dogs, sausages, and Italian beef, but we were told that they were known for their cheddar char burger and now I can see why that is!
Paradise Pup is owned by two brothers, and they have been doing those burgers for over 25 years. . The 1/3 pound char burger was juicy, and tasted like it just came off a backyard charcoal grill. The Merkt's cheddar cheese was oozing out of the sides of the burger from under the grilled sesame seed bun. To go along with the burger, we tried the three way fries. The fries were crinkle cut topped with the Merkt's with sour cream and bacon. It was a real challenge to pick which to eat first.
We were glad that we ended up going to our second choice!! If you want to try this delicious burger that many have said is the tastiest burger in Chicago, drive to 1724 S River Rd. in Des Plaines, Ill. Make sure you have cash, the don't take cedit, and be prepared to stand in line. It will be well worth it!!

True Grits (and Shrimp) - Wishbone Restaurant, Chicago,Il.

Shrimp and Grits. The first time I heard of this combination was on the Food Network. I believe it was Paula Deen. I must admit, I never was a big fan of grits. I have tried this southern staple before when I was at a breakfast buffet somewhere south of Michigan. I found them kind of tasteless and well,... gritty. So when our friend Joyce said she had tried shrimp and grits at Bubba Deen's restaurant in Savannah, and it was delicious, I was kind of curious and skeptical.
On our recent trip to Chicago, we decided to eat at Wishbone. They are known for southern comfort cooking. They had a Sunday brunch and their shrimp and grits came highly recommended by another food blogger. We had to try it!
Wishbone has several locations in Chicago, and we decided to eat at the Wishbone at 1001 Washington that is locted a block from Oprah Winfrey's studios.
Rebbel ordered an omlette that looked pretty good and I decided to go for the shrimp and grits. The grits came with a choice of a corn bread muffin which I went for to keep with the southern theme.
The waiter brought it out in a big bowl. The dish contains cheese grits,shrimp,bacon,scallions,mushrooms surrounded by a pool of wine and cream sauce. It was one big bowl of warm, comforting, hearty, delicousness that I find hard to get out of my hungry mind. I can't wait for another chance to order this meal. Next time, I think we will both order it so we won't have to share! Click on the title to go to Wishbone's page.

The Windy City and the Wasted Wrap

Chicago....the Windy City, the Second City. A city of great food. Rebbel and I have made several trips to Chicago. There was the search for the best Chicago style hot dog, the day we went with our friends from church; and got a great deal on a great hotel room complete with bathroom telephone and robes, the time we were going to tour the Sears Tower with the kids but we somehow lost it , and the time we went with Rebbel's Mom.
I don't know what it is, but the most memorable times are usually involving the Mother aka
my Mother-In- Law.
We arrived in Chicago by Amtrack. It is a nice trip from Jackson. I recommend sitting in the dining car. The seats are comfortable and the windows bigger. You might have to buy something to eat, but it is well worth the view.
We walked for what seemed like miles from the train station all the way to our motel room by the John Hancock building. It was the fourth of July and the fireworks show had just ended. We walked through the throngs of people coming from the opposite direction. Didn't see any cabs except the one we passed up by the train station.
After we got settled in our room, we decided to go for some food. There was a hotel restaurant across the street and we decided to eat at that establishment. Our food was good, but Rebbel's Mom was eating "THE BEST WRAP SHE EVER HAD TASTED!" She couldn't eat anymore of it and wanted to save it. Rebbel talked her into getting rid of it. After all, there was no way to refrigerate it and by the time she ate, it would be spoiled. With great sadness, she let go of it, and we returned to our hotel room where we discovered that we had a refrigerator. OOOPS!!!
To this day, "THE BEST WRAP EVER" that Rebbel made her throw out weighs heavy on her mind.
So,if you are ever by the John Hancock and have a chance to eat at a Hotel Restaurant across from it, make sure you get the wrap, and whatever you do don't throw the leftovers away, you might still be regretting it 4 years later.