Ed Debevic's - Chicago

Ed Debevic's brings back many childhood memories for Laura and I. It was a staple here in Phoenix and we spent many birthday parties and fun filled nights at Ed Debevic's. The obnoxious waiters, the dance breaks, the goofy hats, the milkshakes and the burgers made for a fun night out; you could never be unhappy at Ed Debevic's. Sadly, our Ed Debevic's closed about 8 years ago....taking with it many good times and a piece of our childhood.

I had always thought that our Ed's was the only one out there, but when we arrived in Chicago, as I was skimming through our tour book, I was surprised to see a listing for Ed Debevics. Once Laura and I determined that this was indeed the same as our beloved childhood restaurant, we just knew that we had to go and check it out! We had gone for Laura's fancy birthday dinner the day before her birthday, so after our post Taste of Chicago naps, Laura was ready to recapture a piece of her youth.

Walking in to Ed Debevics made our childhood memories come back immediately. The interior was identical to our location; the diner counters, DJ booth, aqua blue booths and all the crazy signage....it was perfect! Our waiter came by and dropped off some hats for us to wear, and since we were in a festive mood, we just had to wear them!

Our waiter's name was Col. Mustard, which we found to be very funny, and he was quite the character! We decided to start out with some shakes. Laura went with the Oreo shake and I opted for the double chocolate one. They came out in old fashioned shake glasses and topped with whipped cream. They were so creamy and delicious, the perfect start to our meal. And in my opinion, any meal where you start with a milkshake, is a good meal indeed!

Laura couldn't quite decide what she wanted as her birthday meal, but ultimately ended up with the chicken finger basket. Laura loves a good chicken finger, and these were really good. The breading had a nicely seasoned flavor and the chicken was very moist. The basket was served with golden french fries too; they were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of crunch. She got both ranch and honey mustard for dipping sauces. Laura is a honey mustard connoisseur, and she declared this to be the best she had ever had!

I decided to go for the classic triple decker club sandwich, but upgraded my side to onion rings. This was a good version of a classic sandwich. What really set it apart, is that they use freshly carved turkey instead of turkey lunch meat. The basket was mounded with onion rings, and I have to say, these were some gooooood onion rings! I loved the batter type coating, and the onions were tender making them easy to bite through. I switched between dipping them in ketchup and ranch; and honestly, I could have just made a meal out of just the onion rings!

After we were done eating, Col. Mustard brought out the famous World's Smallest Sundae with a candle on top for Laura. And I do believe yes, that it is the World's Smallest Sundae, it looked like a shot glass, but we were fine with that since we had each already had an entire milkshake! The Col. even gave Laura a souvenir sundae glass to take home!

While Ed Debevic's is not the most gourmet place out there, it has some wonderful classics and the atmosphere adds to the overall experience. The only disappointing thing about the meal is there were no dance breaks for the waiters. I inquired with Col. Mustard why the waiters didn't get up and dance on the counter anymore, and he just kinda brushed it off. How rude! If you are in the Chicago area, go and check it out, it will make you feel like a kid again!

Ed Debevic's
640 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60620
www.eddebevics.com

Taste of Chicago

One of the things that Laura and I were both looking forward to on our trip to Chicago was attending the Annual Taste of Chicago Food Festival. I think this is one of the biggest such festivals in the country, it lasts for 10 days! We have a local culinary festival here, but it is only for a weekend, so we knew we would be in for a treat! We decided to go on the Monday of our visit with the hope that it wouldn't be as crowded as a weekend day; and I think we chose right! While there were a lot of people milling around and sampling the food, we didn't have to wait in any lines to get food....score!

It got quite warm the afternoon that we were there, and while we did try a lot of stuff, we probably could have done better. Its just that when it is so warm outside, the thought of eating a giant turkey leg or fried catfish is just not as appealing. So to any Chicago natives that are reading this, I want to apologize in advance if we didn't hit all the spots that we should have!

Vienna Beef Hot Dogs - Chicago-style Hot Dog

Chicago is known for many things, but the Chicago-style hot dog may be one of its most notable contributions to popular culture. Laura and I both love hot dogs; last May we tried the New York City cart version, so we had to try the Chicago-style dog to make things fair. A Chicago-style dog, is an all-beef Vienna hot dog in a poppy seed bun, topped with yellow mustard, green relish, two tomato wedges, a pickle spear, two sport peppers (for some heat) and sprinkled with celery salt. We made it our mission to make the hot dog stand our first stop at the Taste, and it was a tasty start to our day. The combination of toppings are what really make this dog, and the actual hot dog had a nice flavor. We both really liked the poppy seed bun, it reminded us of this hot dog place our mom used to take us when we were kids.

Harry Caray's Restaurant - Homemade Potato Chips & Fried Dough

For those of you not familiar with Chicago sports history, Harry Caray was the beloved announcer for the Chicago Cubs. He has a couple of different restaurants in town and friends of ours from Chicago said we had to try out some of the goodies that they had to offer. We first tried the Homemade Potato Chips, which was the largest mound of potato chips that we had ever seen! They were cutting the chips right there in the booth and then frying them, so the were extremely fresh. They were very good, seasoned with just a bit of salt. We both felt that the serving was way too big for just two people, so ended up throwing about half of them away, which was sad, but we had to save some room!

The other must try item that we were told to get was the Fried Dough. Basically, it was just a giant piece of dough deep-fried and then dusted with powdered sugar. I tried a bite of it and thought that it just tasted plain, that there was nothing special to it; but Laura really liked it and ended up eating the whole thing herself. Which probably explains why she took a 3 hour nap once we got back to the hotel!

Lagniappe-Creole Cajun Joynt - Beingets

From some of my previous posts, you may know by now that we love beingets! So when we saw that one of the booths was serving them, we knew that we had to try their version. These were different than any other beinget that we had ever had, not in flavor, but in shape. We have only been exposed to beingets shaped like a ball, these were in a long, stick like shape. Nonetheless, they were delicious, some of the best I have had. I think the shape may be the main reason, since they were not as thick, they cooked more evenly and didn't have doughy centers like some versions. Laura loved these so much, she considered going back for more, but after the fried dough, she figured that she had had enough dough for the day.



Original Rainbow Cone - Rainbow Ice Cream

After eating all things heavy and fried, I was in need for something to help me beat the heat, so I decided to try out the Rainbow Ice Cream. When I read the description, it sounded very odd, but very good at the same time, so I decided to go for it and got the small taster cup. Basically, the Rainbow Ice Cream is a combination of chocolate, strawberry, palmer and pistachio ice creams with orange sherbet. I wasn't really sure what palmer was, but I knew that I liked the other flavors so it was worth a try. It was oddly tasty, and just what I needed to cool me down a bit.

Eli's Cheesecake - Chocolate Dipped Frozen Chocolate Chip Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

My family and friends know that I LOVE cheesecake, it is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and has been since I was a little kid. I just found out a few months ago that my birthday (July 30 - hint* hint*) is actually National Cheesecake Day...so I guess the stars were aligned on this one! Eli's is well known across the country for their cheesecake, and it calls Chicago home. My sister and I decided to get our own dipped cheesecakes, we figured it would be difficult to share something that came on a stick (but secretly I just didn't want to share!). This cheesecake was so rich and creamy, it was awesome! The chocolate on the outside was thick enough that it didn't fall off after taking a bite. We both really liked this, but then again, it would be quite difficult to find a cheesecake that I didn't like!

Kasia's Deli - Cheese Blintz with Raspberry Sauce

I was not sure if I had ever had a blintz before, but I knew what the concept was so I figured that this was the perfect opportunity to try one. The filling was very sweet and creamy, an the wrapper tasted like a crepe to me. I liked the blintz part, but I thought that the raspberry sauce was a bit too sweet.


Buona - Italian Beef Sandwich

Next to hot dogs, Chicago is probably most well known for Italian Beef sandwiches. I had never had a true Italian Beef sandwich before, but I like roast beef and all things beef so I figured I would like an Italian Beef. I thought the flavor of the beef was really good, and discovered that an Italian Beef is basically like a French Dip minus the cheese and the au jus. I liked the sandwich, but because I really like cheese, I think I prefer French Dips, but at least I can now say that I tried one!

Mazzone's Italian Ice - Blue Raspberry Italian Ice

Once we had finally had our share of the Taste and decided to leave, I had a few tickets left that I didn't want to go to waste, so as we were walking out, I decided to grab a taster of some Italian ice. This was very tasty and refreshing, and a nice way to end our afternoon. It turned my mouth blue, but it was worth it!

One last thing that we grabbed, but that I didn't get a picture of, was popcorn from Garrett Popcorn Shops. They have been popping corn since the 1950's and Chicagoans will line up all the way down the block in the dead of winter just to get some of their delicious popcorn. After getting a small sample at the Taste, I made sure that we stopped by the shop and got some to take home. Laura was not happy about dragging her suitcase around the streets of downtown Chicago for me to get my fix, but forgave me when I opened it up on the airplane to munch on while we watched the Sex and the City movie!

We had a great time at the Taste of Chicago, but after a full morning of sightseeing and then an afternoon of eating, we were ready to take a rest. But we were happy that we got to try so many different foods of Chicago without having to run all over town!

Star of Siam - Chicago

On our first night in Chicago we went to see Cirque Shanghai, which is a version of a Cirque du Soleil show. I had never seen this kind of show before, but I really enjoyed it; the performers were very talented and had our mouths gaping in awe during most of the show. The show got over at about 9:30, but we were still on Phoenix time (7:30 pm), so we were ready for some dinner. I had looked up Thai restaurants that were near our hotel before we left, because both Laura and I love us some Thai food. It had rained during the show, so it was really humid and sticky outside, we decided to just head towards our hotel and eat somewhere nearby it so that we could avoid being outside as much as possible....it may be hot in Phoenix, but it is a dry heat! So we were both thankful that I had some options already picked out for us.

We settled on Star of Siam, mostly because we came across it first and were ready to get in some air conditioning, but also, my friend who is from Chicago highly recommended it. The rush of cool air that we got as we walked in the door was much needed, and we were happy to get to sit down as well. The inside was a mix of regular tables with chairs and then there were two rows of tables where you sat on cushions on these platforms that made it seem like you were sitting on the floor. Laura and I were lucky enough to get one of those tables which we thought was fun, we had never seen that in a a restaurant before. The rest of the restaurant had a very industrial look, with an exposed ceiling and various wall hangings. It was very cute and a nice soothing atmosphere.

We had had a late lunch that day when we got into town, so neither of us were overly hungry, so we decided to just get a couple of appetizers and then share an entree. I am much more of an adventurous eater than Laura is, so we just ended up going with some basics. We ordered the crab rangoons and the Gyoza, neither of which I think are of Thai origins, but both are standards that we like to order.

The Gyoza had a chicken and vegetable filling and were lightly pan-fried until lightly browned and crispy. They were served with a side of spicy soy sauce, which I think was soy sauce mixed with a bit of sirracha. Most restaurants that I have Gyoza at are usually made with pork, so the chicken was a nice change. The filling was very good, it had a nice flavor and the dumplings were perfectly cooked. The sauce was also a really nice change from the norm,we liked the hot and salty flavor paired with the Gyoza.

Crab rangoons are a weakness of mine when I get Chinese food, so if they are on a menu, I usually end up ordering them; and this night was no exception. Laura really likes crab rangoons as well, and these were her first choice when she spotted them on the menu. Well, we were not disappointed with our choice, we both agreed that theses were the best crab rangoons we have ever tasted! The filling as creamy and full of crab, and it had a flavor profile to it that neither of us could quite pinpoint, but it is what made these so special. They too were served with the spicy soy sauce, rather than your typical sweet and sour sauce; the combination made for a delicious dish, with Laura even contemplating if we would be able to come back for a second time before we headed home!

For our entree, we decided to share the classic Pad Thai with Shrimp. Laura does not like spicy food, so we ordered our dish mild, I usually get mine a medium heat level. I have to say, when you eliminate the heat element from the dish, the fresh flavors shine through. This was a delicious dish, the sauce was light and sweet and the bean sprouts added a nice crunch. We both agreed that this was one of the better Pad Thais we have eaten.

Our meal was a wonderful end to our first day in Chicago. The food was delicious and we couldn't believe how reasonable the prices were for a downtown Chicago restaurant. Our total bill was something like $22.00! When we went to the Taste of Chicago a few days later, Star of Siam had a booth there, and the line was quite long, so we were happy that we had already tried their delicious food and didn't have to wait in line!

Star of Siam
11 E. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL 60611
www.starofsiamchicago.com

Brasserie Jo - Chicago

Happy 4th of July to everyone! I am going to a friends house for a barbecue and some pool time later; I am bringing a new dip recipe, but I haven't made it yet so that post will have to be for another day. In the meantime, I thought I better get going on my Chicago posts so I don't get too far behind.

My sister and I went to Chicago over her birthday, so it was only appropriate that I take her out to a nice dinner to celebrate. About a month or so before our trip I called her up and asked her what kind of food she wanted to go out for, and not surprisingly she wanted French. I am not sure when she became such a French foodie, but it is her current love (we even went for French with our parents when we got back home!). I did some research online and found Brasserie Jo, not only did it have good reviews, but it was only 2 blocks from our hotel. I made us a reservation online and we were all set!

Our reservation was for 7:30, and when we arrived we were given the choice of sitting inside or on the patio. It was a nice breezy evening, and since sitting on the patio in Phoenix right now is not an option, we opted for the patio. While we were scanning the menu, a waiter brought out some bread and butter and some herb marinated carrots for us to munch on. We had never been served carrots quite like this. Basically, they were carrot sticks that were marinated in olive oil, garlic and herbs, they were quite good and a nice fresh start to the meal.

The bread was just your typical baguette and butter, but it was nice and crusty and the butter was soft and easy to spread (I HATE when restaurants serve you hard, cold butter with your bread). We both thought that it was very cute that they served it to you in a bag with their logo, rather than your typical bread basket.

The menu was quite vast, including separate sections for hot and cold appetizers. The one appetizer that caught our eye was the Beer Cheese Beingets. First of all, I think my sisters obsession with French food really stems for her love of beingets. Secondly, I had already inquired, and they did not have beingets on the dessert menu, so I think my sister figured she had to get her beinget fix however she could! They came out golden brown and served over a bed of shredded cabbage, with a remoulade sauce spread on the plate. The presentation was just lovely, and so was the flavor! Neither of us had ever had beer cheese before, but I would describe it as having a bit of bite much like a Swiss cheese. The creamy goodness of the center just melted in our mouths. I especially liked putting some beinget and cabbage on my fork and then dipping it all in the sauce. We both were very happy with our choice of starter, and couldn't wait for the main dishes to come.

For her main dish, my sister ordered the Duck entree. She was very excited because she loves duck and it came with it prepared two different ways; a roasted duck breast and a duck leg confit. My sister had never had duck prepared confit style before, but we have heard about it from our mom because it is one of her all time favorites. She always tells us that if she ever gets diagnosed with a terminal illness, she is going to eat duck confit everyday! The duck was served with fingerling potatoes and braised turnips and a slightly sweet glaze. My sister thought this dish was excellent! She said the sauce had a touch of sweetness that complimented the richness of the duck, but was not overly sweet. She absolutely loved the potatoes, and was pleasantly surprised that she also liked the turnips. She ate the duck breast first, and when it came time for her to try the confit, she was in heaven. The crispy skin of the duck was superb, and she realized what our mom has been talking about all this time! She was nice enough to give me a little bite, and it really was delicious. After she was done eating, all that remained on the plate was the bone from the duck leg...so I am thinking she liked her dish.

When it came time for me to order, I just couldn't quite decide. I wrestled with getting the spinach crepes or the macaroni & cheese, but decided that those just seemed too heavy. I also was considering the lamb with sounded delicious, but ultimately, I decided to order something that I had never had before (I sure am a daredevil, huh?). I ordered the Sauteed Skate Wing. Now I had never had skate, let alone had I ever really seen it on a menu, but for some reason I just wanted to try it. For those of you that are not familiar, skate is a mild, white fish....and it is delicious! I almost couldn't believe that I was actually loving fish this much! While I love fish tacos, tuna and sushi, I am not a huge fish person, I don't eat it very regularly, so this was an odd choice for me. But this dish has turned me into a skate fan! It was sauteed in a caper brown butter, that just made the fish melt in my mouth. It was served over pommes puree (mashed potatoes) and spinach with some crispy potato strips piled on top. This dish was amazing, and the portion was huge, as much as I loved the dish I wasn't able to finish it. My sister tried a bite and declared that she too loved it. We both became fans of skate this night...thank you Brasserie Jo!

Since we were celebrating for my sister's birthday, we had to order dessert too! Knowing that they did not have beingets, we scanned the dessert menu and ultimately decided on the "World Famous Profiteroles." They were described to us as being a pastry shell, filled with vanilla ice cream and then covered in chocolate sauce. The presentation was very nice, they came out without the chocolate sauce, then the waiter poured it over them so we could see the chocolate envelope the pastries. We both took a bite, and well, we just thought that they were okay. The ice cream was really hard, so it was hard to get a bite with all the components. And the pastry shells were pretty flavorless, and kind of dry. I had imagined that they would be more like an eclair or cream puff, but with ice cream, I guess I imagined wrong. We nibbled on these, but ultimately decided they just weren't worth the calories!

The waitress had gotten wind that it was Laura's birthday, so she brought out a small container of chocolate mousse with a candle in it. It was cute, and the table behind us even joined in with signing happy birthday! The mouse was pretty good, we were glad we got to try it, but a whole order of it would have been way too much, it was pretty bitter tasting.

Laura's birthday dinner in Chicago turned out to be a success, the weather was beautiful, the food was wonderful and we had a great time people watching. If we ever make it to Chicago again, I definitely think that it would be on our list of places to return to. And, oddly enough, as we were walking out of the restaurant we ran into one of my co-workers! I knew that he was going to be in Chicago during the same time, but what are the odds in a city that big to run into someone for back home...crazy?!

Brasserie Jo
59 W. Hubbard St.
Chicago, IL 60610
www.brasseriejo.com