Why I Oughta...

My days as a beer-spotter continue as I found a bunch of 12 packs of Buck Range Light beer on an end cap near the dairy section at the Elmhurst Jewel.  There are both Miller and Bud products (as you can see) on the lower shelves, so this stuff clearly has priority placing by whomever is merchandising this space in the store. Priced about the same as Big Flats 1901 Lager , Buck Range comes in at less than 50 cents a can - which isn't terribly bad, especially for the Elmhurst College crowd.  But...can't you still get a $9.99 30 pack of High Life Light these days? As for the beer itself, there isn't much on the web to find out if this stuff tastes any good, but I'm guessing it falls down  near Milwaukee's Best and Natural Light.  I *think* it is new to market - as I sure haven't seen it before - and can't find much about it. Even the guys over at Beer Advocate haven't posted on Buck Range Light yet!

**NOTE**  If you're looking to make your own version of this dressing, you should check out the recipe I posted back here:   Lou Malnati's Salad Dressing Recipe . Last week, I was in the Elmhurst Lou Malnati's picking up a pie and noticed that they're NOW selling a bottled version of their salad dressing they've called "Lou Malnati's Sweet Vinaigrette".    That's the second consumer packaged good they have in their take-out shops - with the first being Lou Malnati's Tomatoes.     They sell it in 16 oz jars. I didn't catch a price, but I did catch a photo of the ingredient list. Hmmm...comparing that to the Lou Malnati's salad dressing recipe , it seems that there are a few differences.  First, the bottled dressing uses corn oil (listed first) and olive oil (listed way down), while the recipe posted in the Tribune back 40+ years uses olive oil.  The bottled dressing also has mustard, "natural flavors" and a few differe

Move Over, Trader Joes.  There's a new Private Label beer on the town.  Did you know that Walgreens has their own private-label beer?  I spotted a big display of Big Flats 1901 Lager in the store in Downtown Elmhurst and was a bit confused.  First...I didn't even know Walgreens sold beer.  But, not just any beer.  Cheap beer. Although they bill it as "Premium Brew" made from the "Choicest Hops", the guys over on BeerAdvocate say that although it isn't the tastiest beer you'll drink, it is passable .  They, do, however recommend that you drink this stuff ice cold to enjoy it.  For me, the cans are pretty cute and the price is right:  a six pack was on sale for $2.99 for a six pack.  The other intriguing part is that this stuff is brewed in New York by "Brewers Choice", but the BeerAdvocate guys say that it is actually brewed by Genesee Brewing and is ONLY sold through Walgreens.  Sounds like a nice beer to have in Coloma at the lake

Last night, on a tip from my friend Eric , we went out to Pollo Vagabundo - which according to Google Translate means " Bum Chicken ".   The reviews on Yelp and elsewhere are extraordinarily strong, but I'm withholding judgement.  While the staff were VERY helpful and nice (they gave me samples of EVERY kind of meat they have), they were sold out of Carne Asada by the time we arrived.  This place seems to be a lunch joint - based on both the fact that they were sold out of the top-billed item and when we arrived at 6 pm, the place wass dead. Nat had chicken tacos and said that they were some of the best tacos she's ever had.  We also shared 4-5 salsas from their bar (they have probably a dozen to choose from), and they were all tasty.  Spicy, but tasty.  (thinking now....if they named the place after the chicken, perhaps I should have gone with chicken, too!) The only hangup was the carne asada shortage.  You see, about 10 years ago, I was introduced to La Pasad

Jackstack is what I think most people would call bourgeois bbq.  This isn't a dirty hole-in-the-wall order-at-the-counter bbq joint.  This is upscale.  And, most importantly, it is dee-licious. Once again, I went with burnt ends.  Jackstack's were HUGE chunks of meat that weren't slathered in too much sauce.  The meat was good and plentiful, but the sides shine as much as the main course at Jackstack.  The cheesy corn bake was my favorite, while Nat went with the cheesy potato bake.  BBQ is at the heart of the city of Kansas City, but it is clear by the success of this place, even the folks way out in the suburbs want some of that sweet meat, too!

Anthony Bourdain has a list of 13 places everyone must try before they die that includes a place called Oklahoma Joe's BBQ in Kansas City.  The full list is here .    He describes it thusly: It's the best BBQ in Kansas City, which makes it the best BBQ in the world. Well...consider us one step closer to finishing the list!  We had lunch at Oklahoma Joe's and the wait was worth it.  I had the burnt ends and Nat had a smoked Turkey sandwich.  Both were unreal.   I've been to a few other places around KC including Masterpiece, Gates, Jackstack and others, but Oklahoma Joe's stands out.  One thing to note, though:  we had a few sides at Oklahoma Joe's and they were ALL lackluster.  You can clearly tell that old Joe focuses on the meat and doesn't give much thought to the beans and potato salad.

Jimmy John's jumping on (right behind Google Chicago ) the liberation train. I like the visual, but not sure I can make the connection on their bread.  Is being draped in various salted cured meats followed by getting stuffed into my piehole being "liberated"?

A few weeks back, Nat and I went down to the original Home Run Inn on 31st Street to enjoy a feast with our friends.  We grabbed a booth in the main dining room and right above us was this beauty:  the 1978 menu that they bill as the "original".  The place has been open (as a tavern) since the 1920's, but there must have been a shift restaurant-wise that happened in 1978.  Their current menu is a slick piece of marketing collateral with photos and colors all over the place.  It is really well done. But....there's nothing like a big steaming sausage and pepperoni combo pie served with a side of nostalgia.  I think they should update this version and bring it back.    (Get a load of the prices in '78!)

Earlier in the year, Nat and I spent time at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis near Wash U (Nat's alma mater).  In each of the booths (on the bar side, by the dart room), hung one of these beauties. There must be 10 of them on one wall - all with glass shades.  They're certainly not reproductions, but it is a wonder how they could have kept these in such pristine condition throughout the years.  Nat tells me that "Blue Hill" was a Wash U hangout, so they must not have been as rowdy a crowd as the one I spent many a night with at Kam's.  Guess that's what happens when you're school is ranked 12th in the nation.

York Tavern 3702 York Road, Oak Brook, IL  60523, (630)323-5090 Pizza Snob Says: The York Tavern puts out (as one would expect with such a name) tavern-cut crackery pies that come out a bit cold, under-cooked, under-seasoned and served on styrofoam plates.  Come for the beer and the Hinsdale "slumming-it" crowd. Rating:   Two "Ats-a-Nice" They list five Speciality pizzas on their menu including "The York's Special" - which is a SMOP (sausage, mushroom, onion and green peppers), "The Hawaiian" - with pineapple, bbq sauce and bacon, a Vegetarian, classic Margherita, and the pie we ordered: The Pizza Bianca: a olive oil-based artichoke/garlic/parmesan combo.  The place is owned by the same folks who own Roberto's in Elmhurst and the pizza menu looks surprisingly similar .  (compare the link to the image below) Unfortunately, I didn't grab a photo of the pie we ordered, but I can tell you that it looked nothing like the on

We spent some time this weekend in Holland Michigan and walked past Fricano's Too.  We had pizza at Silver Beach Pizza the night before, so we didn't eat here, but they make some big claims. Original and most famous? We'll have to go back to Holland later this summer to find out what the story is all about.  Has anyone been up to Holland?  Any intel on Fricano's?

To celebrate our good friends' recent engagement, Nat and I wanted to take them out for dinner/drinks.  One way or the other, we settled on Hopleaf in Andersonville.  Being a suburban Dad, I rarely venture into the city at night, so I wasn't the one to pick the place, but I'm thrilled that whomever decided on the location picked Hopleaf. The place is known for their beer menu and long waits and they didn't disappoint.  Fortunately, we decided to avoid the Eisenhower and went up around O'Hare and took the Kennedy into the city.   By the time we arrived, our friends had already put our name in and grabbed a seat in the bar area - thus shortening the time we had to wait for a table.   I won't go into a huge review of the place, but I will say that I'm willing to go back - and for a place in the city that makes you wait for a table - that is rare. I had a beer from a Chicago brewery - Metropolitan called I-Beam Alt  and the ham and cheese sandwich (they hav

We don't go to Chipotle very often.  Maybe once every 2 months or so, but we found ourselves there last week with our niece. They've changed their soda cups, right? I see their new billboards and have witnessed a few branding changes in the stores (new signage?), but I can't wrap my head around what their message is all about.  Don't get me wrong - I really like the food every time I eat there, but it seems like they're struggling to create a cohesive message to consumers.

No sooner did I write a post wondering when/if Lou Malnati's was going to start selling their tomatoes retail do I get an email with the subject line: Famous Canned Tomato Sauce Now In Stores. 3 bucks for a 28 oz can.  About the same price as my Six-in-Ones .  Will have to give them a shot, I suppose.

Right in the middle of our downtown is a HUGE piece of commercial real estate that appears to be poised to help further enhance our City Centre.  It is located at 109 W. Schiller Street - right south of the York Theatre and just north of Plass Appliances.  They're billing it for lease right now ( listing here ), but I think it was for sale for a while. It is the former Elks Club and I believe most of the space is on the second floor.  The developer has put quite a bit of cash into the redevelopment (and the listing reflects that investment).  They show this artist's rendering in the listing: I found this article on the web which chronicles the steps they've gone through to make the street look "real".  They're hoping to attract a sports bar or restaurant into the second floor space.  We have a few watering holes including the Bowling Alley ( Fitz's Spare Keys ), Fitz's, and Buffalo Wild Wings already in Downtown, so I think Nat and I would prefer a

Last Christmas, my brother-in-law Shaun gifted me a MLB Authentic Gordon Beckham White Sox jersey - a pretty great gift.  I haven't been to a game yet this season, so I haven't had a lot of reasons to break it out.  Until last Friday.  Nat came home from her morning activities and told me that we could go to the original Home Run Inn in Chicago on 31st Street and catch a live broadcast of Boers and Bernstein .  I came down from showering with a normal collared shirt on and she said, "shouldn't you wear something White Sox?"   Hmmm...I thought.  Perfect time to break out the jersey!  I quickly ran back up and grabbed the still-new-tagged jersey from my closet.   As I went to cut the tags off of the shirt, I was surprised by the number of tags.  None of them were price tags.   Wonder why so many?  Is it to make sure everyone involved (MLB, Players Association, etc) gets a piece of the action? What's that?  I "yada-yada'ed" over the Home Run Inn

I've always liked the tomatoes Lou Malnati's put on top of their pies.  They tended to have some chunk-age to them and provided nice bursts of flavor/juicy-ness when I bit into the slices.  In fact, as I started to experiment with my own deep-dish pizza recipes at home, Lou's was always the pie I aspired to ape. I ended up using a combination of 6-in-1's and whole peeled (de-seeded) hand torn tomatoes.  They came pretty close to the real thing. This past trip to Lou's, I spotted a note about their tomatoes on their menu.  ( and...no!  This is not turning into a all-Lou Malnati's blog. )   If you can't read it, it says: The Malnatis travel to California each year to hand select vine-riped tomatoes at their peak.  The tomatoes are chose based on their rich color, plumpness, and full flavor. From the photo in the menu, it seems like they can and label their tomatoes specifically for Lou's.  Wonder if they sell them like that?  Or...if they will?  

A few months back, I spotted the original Lou Malnati's Menu hung on the wall of our take-out Lou's in Downtown Elmhurst.  We all noted how cute it was and ever so simple.  Last week, Nat and I found ourselves in Schaumburg doing some errands (bike store, IKEA) and we ran across the Schaumburg Lou Malnati's.  Nat insisted that we head there for supper. After sitting down in their cute house-turned-restaurant we were greeted with this mammoth: Go ahead and click on the picture to get it to blow up.  That menu is HUGE.  And...there's printing on the back!  A bit overwhelming for a place that serves pizza, no? As a reminder, here's the original menu. The price differences are starting: 1960's: Small pizza:  $1.50 Large pizza:  $3.50 2010: Small pizza:  $9.20 Large pizza:  $16.75 I understand the demands of expanding a menu at a restaurant and wanting to please everybody, but you tell me:  which menu do you like better?   For me, the answer is c

On Saturday, we packed up the Babe and headed out to the Kane County Flea Market.  We were rushed a bit - we got there late - but had a good time.  We bought just one piece, but made plans to come back later in the summer when we had more time. On the way home, we had to utilize a McDonald's for the changing table - as the Babe needed a refresh.  I ran in to use the restroom while Nat took the Babe to the women's room.  As I was waiting for them to emerge with a clean diaper, I loitered around by the counter.  I haven't been in a McDonald's very often recently.  We do "go to" McDonald's but it usually the drive-thru for beverages. In this particular McDonald's (and maybe all of them?), they have a "self service" soda fountain.  Above the machine was this sign. The whole thing struck me as kind of odd and unnecessary.  I thought: "What kind of person would bring in a paper (probably disintegrating) cup to reuse at McDonald's.&quo

Have you heard of Jason's Deli ?  Surprisingly enough, it is the fastest growing chain restaurant in America.    They just opened one near our house on York Street in Oak Brook.  Funny location for now - being too far away from the Oak Brook Mall traffic - but it is 300 yards away from the under-construction Elmhurst Hospital.  I'm guessing that they're betting on hospital traffic plus whatever business lunches are taking place in the area. We went to the Oak Brook location last week.  We'd previously lunched at their Oak Lawn restaurant. The place is kind of like Panera without the focus on the bread and baked goods.  I took the photo above at the Oak Brook location. The menu is loaded with choices and it is somewhat intimidating.  The downside of these two factors colliding is that you order at a cash register.  That means that a line (if you go during one of the peak times - lunch or dinner) starts to back up.  I felt the pressure to step up, order and get out of