La Pasadita

Location: 1141 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60622

A Quick Word:
At the start of college, one of my friends introduced my group of friends and I to La Pasadita.  This place defines "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant.  Six years later, the restaurant is still open, but I have surprisingly stopped frequenting it.  They offer a very simple Mexican menu with only three different types of meat and one vegetarian item.  The food itself is made quickly... probably because it is cooked in bulk and kept in warmers until ordered.  By doing so, the food isn't served that hot and some of it actually tastes old.  The atmosphere is nothing special.  Just a few booths with cameras placed all throughout (kind of making me wonder why?).  Prices are outrageous these days with burritos over $8.00 and tacos around $3.00.  The steak burrito still has good flavor, but because of an old tasting chile relleno and expensive cost, I decided on giving them a 2.5 mile rating.  This may be on the high side still, but college memories are memories and of course they influence my decision.

What I Ate:

Carne Asada Burrito

This is the must have item when eating at La Pasadita.  A lot of people consider this place "late night food," but it is better than that.  The carne asada burrito is made extremely simple... just a grilled steak, chopped onion, and cilantro wrapped inside a toasted flour tortilla.  They serve their salsa verde on the side.  Definitely ask for the salsa because it adds a great spice to the burrito.  The meat is seasoned well, but it isn't as tender as I would like.  Honestly, I started going here about 6 years ago, and it has gotten worse over time.  Not only that, the prices have skyrocketed to now $8.00 a burrito.  A tasty burrito with an outrageous price makes the burrito just average at best.  I guess I expect more when I fork out that kind of cash for a steak burrito.

Chile Relleno Taco

I always enjoy chile rellenos, especially when in Mexico.  However, the one at La Pasadita is AWFUL.  I wasn't sure if I was eating corn dog or a chile relleno.  It was pre-made, cold, and soggy.  The pepper itself tasted old and the cheese solidified into an unappetizing texture.  There was literally no flavor complexity and no spice.  I couldn't eat the whole thing.  The tortilla was the best part, probably because it wasn't made here.  Please do NOT order this.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- There are quite a few burrito places around this area of Ukrainian Village.  Make sure to choose the correct one.  Lots of imitations out there.
- Order at the counter and wait there for your food to be ready.  Everything is pre-cooked so the folding process takes less than a minute or two.

DON'T:
- Stay away from chile relleno
- Don't expect to escape with a cheap bill.  The prices have increased throughout the year which is disappointing.

How far would I walk for this food?

Rickshaw Republic

Location: 2312 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614


A Quick Word:
I love the motto of Rickshaw Republic... "We peddle Asian street food."  This Indonesian influenced restaurant may be one of the first of its kind in Chicago.  With menu categories titled "Side Street", "Satay Stall", and "Mommy Specials", you can definitely tell this restaurant is family run.  I saw the owner walking around being very attentive to his customers and explaining the different regions of Indonesia and their respective cuisines.  Upon ordering, we were told a story about one of the home made dishes that comes from a secret family recipe handed down for generations.  It was great.  But, when the food finally arrived (after a significant wait), I was a little disappointed.  Some dishes were incredible (wings, chicken gulai), but others were lacking spiciness and some were arrived on the cooler side of warm.  I think the restaurant is still working out the kinks and understanding the concept of timing dishes.  The atmosphere is very friendly and well-decorated.  I can see great potential in this Indonesian style restaurant.  For now, I have decided on giving it a 3.5 mile rating.  I am sure they can work out some of the timing issues and give additional heat when ordering a dish spicy.  And once they do that, I can definitely see myself walking additional miles for their food.

(Dozens of dolls look down upon you while dining in the back portion of the restaurant.  

The steamed rice is brought out in pyramids with deep fried garlic slices and crispy shrimp chips)

What We Ate:

Rickshaw Wings

So many places in Chicago are specializing in Asian style chicken wings.  And, Rickshaw Republic's wings are quickly gaining attention.  Before coming to the restaurant, I heard the "must have dish" was the Rickshaw wings.  And I completely agree.  These fried chicken wings are drenched in a sticky, dry chili, brown sugar, and ginger sauce.  This is not like any ordinary sauce; instead, it has the consistency of caramel with an amazing spice blend that has a little kick to it.  The crispiness is hiding underneath that sauce and is perfect.  One suggestion to change involves making a more uniform presentation with pieces of chili pepper on either all the wings or none.  Some were way spicier than others which can be unwelcoming to some.  The order comes with 4 whole wings (drummette and wing).  If I come back to Rickshaw Republic, I will be definitely ordering these wings and a side of rice for my meal.

Pastel

The empanadas were an OK appetizer... not one to share with more than two people though.  It comes with two empanadas stuffed with a combination of chicken, peas, vermicelli, and boiled egg.  Be careful if you are allergic to peanuts!  It comes with a sambal peanut sauce which is strongly peanut flavored, almost like a spicy peanut butter.  The actual pastel crust had a sweetness to it, which I enjoyed, but I think the filling was lacking flavor.  I personally make my own empanadas, so I may be a little biased on this review.

Pempek Bulat

I was extremely surprised to find deep fried fishcake balls on the menu.  I absolutely love eating this dish in the streets of the Philippines.  Unfortunately, this appetizer was very disappointing.  The fishballs were on the tough side and came with just 3 fish balls.  At $6.00, the price is outrageous especially when street food price would cost a few cents.  They are deep fried so naturally they are a little oily.  The vinegar sauce, which appears to be white vinegar, a little soy sauce, and maybe some chopped garlic helped to ease the oil.  Something to try... but nothing to come here for.

Babi Kecap

Listed under the "Mommy Special" section (which are the daily specials), we decided to try this pork belly dish.  It was stewed in a sweet soy sauce aka teriyaki sauce and served with steamed rice.  The presentation was a little unappealing, especially when the pork belly looks soggy and the black sauce appearing as if it was spilled onto the plate.  The pork belly was very gelatinous with no texture contrast at all.  I understand pork belly is supposed to be fatty, but I enjoy when restaurants do a flash fry before stewing to give that extra crunch factor.  Or at least, sprinkle chicharrones on top.  The steamed rice with the fried garlic was a great compliment, but is that really saying much?  Definitely wouldn't get this again.

Beef Rendang

The beef rendang was a beef curry also stewed in the same coconut cream curry that is used in the chicken gulai.  Obviously there are minor differences, but, overall, a strong coconut taste was still the dominant flavor.  It comes with a side of the white rice with fried garlic pieces which adds the crunch factor to the stew-like dish.  The beef was a little on the tougher side; definitely not as tender as the chicken gulai (see description below).  It was also a much smaller portion.  This dish did come out a little on the room temperature side which was disappointing.  Bring it out hotter next time please!

Pempek Telor

Before ordering, we asked our waitress about which dishes to try.  After listing essentially ever dish, she told us a short story about the Pempek Telor.  The owner's mother hand makes each of these submarine shaped fish cakes.  It is a secret recipe that has stayed in the family for years.  No one is allowed to watch her make the fish cakes except her son.  We knew immediately we wanted to try it, and we were glad we did.  The fishcake is stuffed with egg and deep fried.  It is served with side of egg noodles topped with cucumbers and supposedly dried shrimp and more egg.  I think they may have forgotten the dried shrimp and additional egg, but that didn't take away too much from the dish.  The fishcake itself was excellent... more tender than the fishballs and a more interesting flavor with the stuffed egg inside.  It was also served with a house vinegar sauce.  We ordered it spicy, and once again, it came out more mild than a honey BBQ chicken wing.  It had more of a sweet profile than spicy which was disappointing.  Personally, I like sweet dishes as well, but just ADD SPICINESS please!

Nasi Goreng

The Nasi Goreng is a traditional chicken fried rice that is served with a sunny side egg.  They offer it as either mild or spicy... but in our case, it seemed like the offered it as either bland or somewhat seasoned.  We specifically ordered the "spicy" version, but when the rice arrived, we encountered a fried rice that was great for sharing, but not spicy and under seasoned.  The fried egg on top had a cracked yolk, disappointing when the description states sunny side up.  The runny yolk would have added richness to a dish that was lacking depth.  Also, the dish wasn't served piping hot like some of the others.  I think the chef is still working on the timing aspect of finishing a table's dishes at the same time.

Chicken Gulai

Another great sharing dish.  The Chicken Gulai is a traditional coconut based curry made with chicken breast.  It is served with steamed white rice with the deep fried garlic pieces.  The chicken was tender and the coconut flavor strong.  I loved this curry.  Definitely mix some of the fried garlic pieces into the curry and rice and enjoy.  It couldn't be made any  better.  Another must have!

The DOs/DON'T:
DO:
- Be prepared for a wait.  They don't have much seating, especially for larger groups.  We had to wait easily 20 minutes at 1pm despite having several open tables... and we only had a group of 5.
- Supposedly they have free parking in the adjacent parking structure, but I am unsure how this works.
- Definitely ask for spicy... because we did, and the food did not come out spicy at all.  I don't even want to imagine the possible blandness that may ensue if you order mild.
- It is BYOB.  We didn't bring anything, but that is because we found out when we arrived.

DON'T:
- Don't come if you don't have time.  The food took quite a while to arrive at our table.  Luckily, all of us had extra time to wait.

How far would I walk for this food?

I would definitely walk 4 miles for these wings!  

Plenty of room to grow and get better with everything else!

Garrett Popcorn Shops

Location: 625 N. Michigan Ave. and 4 E. Madison St., Chicago, IL

A Quick Word:
When it comes to popular, tourist attraction establishments, Garretts Popcorn Shops may top the list.  People come from far and wide to try their famous popcorn.  But, I see just as many locals doing the same... and I am guilty of this crime.  Garrett's has been dishing out bags of popcorn for decades and secretly pumping the incredible smell into the streets of Chicago.  During the summers, I have seen people wait in roller-coaster-sized lines just to grab a delicious bag of popcorn.  And, yes, it is worth it.  Garrett's has the best popcorn in the city and honestly, I can't think of anywhere I would rather order popcorn.  Unfortunately, the line doesn't move fast enough for people with busy lives and some of their prices tend to be outrageous.  If it wasn't for the sky high prices for one of their tins (in the $30-range), I would consider giving them a perfect rating.  But for now, I would still walk 4.5 miles to grab one of the less appealing, wax-paper bags full of the Chicago Mix.

What We Ate:

The Chicago Mix

What do peanut butter and jelly have in common?  Or salt and pepper?  Does the combination of Oreos and milk help out?  If you can't figure it out, these are combinations that are perfect together... just like The Chicago Mix.  This creation combines two of Garrett Popcorn's main flavors--Caramel Crisp and Cheese Corn.  And honestly, this combo should never be separated... IT IS THAT GOOD.  When eating apart, the caramel crisp has an extremely buttery and brown sugar flavor that can actually become overwhelming.  Personally, the butter flavor is over the top and I can't stand eating the caramel crisp by itself.  Now, when the Cheese Corn is separated from its partner, you taste the sharp cheddar that covers each popped kernel.  Some people don't like sharp cheddar and that is why the Chicago Mix  makes everyone love Garrett's.  Together, the sharp cheddar is mellowed out by the sweetness of the caramel, while the burnt buttery flavor is made less prominent by the salty aspect of the cheese.  It is the perfect pairing.  And, it keeps locals and tourists coming back for more.  A must have treat!

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- The lines will be long especially during the summer.  But, Garrett Popcorn is well worth the wait and I highly suggest spending the time in line rather than spending time regretting not tasting the Chicago Mix.
- Chicago Mix.... could and should be the only popcorn offered.

DON'T:
- Don't walk near the store if you are not planning on purchasing popcorn.  They are smart and strategically pump the fresh smells of popcorn into the street, luring more and more customers each day.  It has worked on me several times already.
- Don't be fooled by all the beautiful looking tins... the tin may be the most expensive part and it isn't worth the price.  Just get a normal wax paper bag and dig in.

How far would I walk for this food?

Heaven on Seven

Location: 600 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL & 111 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL

A Quick Word:

Southern or cajun style meals are difficult to come by in the city.  Heaven on Seven has been serving Chicagoans for years with several locations in the city... meaning they must be doing something right.  Immediately after walking into the restaurant, you are overwhelmed with thousands of hot sauce bottles from all over the world.  They line the walls of the entire restaurant.  When it comes to the food, the cajun style seasonings are very prominent, however, some of the "classic" dishes aren't that great.  They do make a great hoppin' john, but are slacking on their gumbo preparation.  And their turtle soup is just awful.  I have read several reviews about poor service at Heaven on Seven restaurants, but our experience was just the opposite.  We had a very attentive waitress that answered all of our questions.  They also have a $20 all-you-can-eat special, but I would steer away from that option.  Because some dishes were amazing and some were near awful, I decided on giving a 3.5 mile rating.

(Their Angel Dust seasoning and sour dough bread with honey butter)

What We Ate:

Mini Po' Boy Appetizer

For appetizer, my brothers and I chose the mini po' boy sandwiches.  There are different quantities you can order so we chose the eight sandwich option.  The choice of proteins include catfish, chicken, oysters, shrimp, bbq brisket, and bbq pork.  We opted for two of each of the first 4 from the previous list.  Overall, the appetizer is a good size.  Each po' boy comes with a well buttered slider bun and has a generous portion of the protein of choice.  It is topped with lettuce, tomato, and a little mayo.  Out of the proteins we chose, the fried oyster was the best.  It had a great crisp and was not fishy at all.  The shrimp was my second favorite because of the cajun spices used.  It was cooked perfectly.  I wasn't a big fan of either the chicken or catfish po' boys mainly because they weren't crispy at all. They were poorly seasoned, so definitely add some hot sauce to the sandwich.  If you have never had a po' boy, this is one way to try them... it isn't as authentic, but you will get the idea.

Hoppin' John

Hoppin' John may be one of my all-time favorite meals... and at Heaven on Seven, they do a pretty good job making this southern classic.  This dish is made with a mixture of blackeye peas and andouille sausage that has been cooked for hours until tender and topped with white rice.  The cajun spices are very prominent in their version with a great spiciness to the dish.  It comes out piping hot so just be careful.  I do suggest adding some of their house-made "angel dust" seasoning.  Definitely order the meal size portion because it is a significantly larger bowl and also comes with your choice of soup.

Texas Chili Cheddar Burger

My older brother without question had the best deal of the night.  For $10.95, he ordered the Texas chili cheddar burger which is a thick burger cooked medium and topped with their chili and a homemade salsa.  It came with a side of coleslaw and my brother asked to substitute the french fries for tater tots... Great idea.  Also, it came with a soup. My brother chose the gumbo which will be described below.  The amount of food was once again borderline ridiculous.  It was enough for two people to share.  The most disappointing part of the meal was the bun.  The bread was awful... it wasn't made to withstand the sauce-like consistency of chili mixed with a salsa.  In fact, it fell apart almost immediately, making it more difficult to eat.

BBQ Brisket Platter

My little brother is a sucker for brisket so when he saw the BBQ brisket platter, he was sold.  This huge dish came with easily 10-12 slices of thick cut and slow smoked brisket.  It was piled high on a slice of texas toast and generously covered in their sweet BBQ sauce.  Even though it was already a huge portion, the meal came with a side of their mayonnaise based coleslaw and your choice of two sides.  Some of the sides you can choose from include red beans and rice, jambalaya, french fries, hoppin' john, tater tots, or vegetarian black beans.  My little brother wisely chose the red beans and rice and the jambalaya.  In terms of the whole meal, it was tasty.  The brisket had just enough snap in it to give it a nice chew.  I prefer the chew rather than fall apart tender... especially for brisket.  The jambalaya was well spiced with at least 3 or 4 little shrimps and andouille sausage chunks mixed in.  The red beans and rice was a little disappointing.  It was very bland and the bean consistency was too mushy.  They should have left it chunkier.  The slaw was the fresh flavor so definitely enjoy it.

Turtle Soup

I was very excited to see turtle soup on the menu at Heaven on Seven.  This excitement led to even larger disappointment when finally tasting the soup.  First of all, the consistency was strange... some chunks of who knows what kind of meat.  And, before serving, they added a shot of sherry wine on top which gave an awful flavor... my little brother described it as bacon?  I am pretty sure they weren't going for a bacon flavor.  Worst part of all, this costs an extra $1.50 charge.  Waste of money and waste of stomach real estate.

Gumbo

This may be some of the better gumbo found in the city... and unfortunately, it still isn't that great.  Out of all the soups, the gumbo is by far the best choice.  With plenty of andouille sausage and a generous helping of rice piled on top, the soup is actually pretty filling.  A choice of soup comes with almost any entree, so I suggest getting an entree and avoiding that ridiculous a la carte cost.  The soup was a little on the watery side for my liking and all you could taste was the sausage.  It was just OK.

Red Bean Soup

I was surprised when my little brother received his soup.  It almost reminded me of red beans and rice minus the rice.  And honestly, I think that is exactly what this "soup" was.  I described the red beans and rice above... just read that description and subtract the rice and there you go... not a good soup. And not a good choice.

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:
- The Michigan Ave. location is on the 2nd floor in the movie theater building.
- Add the Angel Dust spices to both the bread and butter and also on rice.  It is delicious!
- Definitely share items.  The portions are enormous and everyone will have left overs.

DON'T:
- Don't order the Turtle Soup.  They add Sherry wine before serving which is awful.  The turtle is almost non-existent.
- I wouldn't do the $20.00 family style meal.  The fried chicken refers to fried chicken tenders and the catfish is more soggy than crunchy.  There are plenty of opportunities to try all the sides when ordering their entrees at a lower price.

How far would I walk for this food?

Rosebud

Location: Rosebud - 1500 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607
                 Rosebud on Rush - 720 N. Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611

A Quick Word:
Rosebud and its affiliated restaurants may be one of the most popular Italian restaurants in the city.  They have been around for years and continue to serve high quality  meals.  From their homemade pastas to their signature items like the brick chicken, I always leave Rosebud as full as can be.  Unfortunately, for me, their food prices don't necessarily match the items available.  You will most likely spend nearly 1.5x the amount for a similar pasta dish that will taste just as great and fill you up just as much as another Italian restaurant.  Yes, that restaurant may not have the history of Rosebud, but for a student, history can be put on the back burner if it comes to cost.  When dealing with the wait staff, I have found some waitresses to be on the more annoying end of the spectrum, but that may just be personal experience.  Rosebud does have one of my all time favorite salads... the Napoleon Eggplant Salad, and I do frequent the restaurant just for this savory meal, but if I am craving pasta, I tend to go elsewhere.  Mainly, for that reason, I decided to give Rosebud a 3.5 mile rating.

What I Ate: (will be updated periodically)

The Napoleon Eggplant Salad or Insalata di Melanzane

Without question, my favorite salad I have ever eaten.  This is no ordinary salad.  My way to describe the Napoleon Eggplant Salad from Rosebud is "caprese salad gone wild."  This popular dish starts with the typical caprese salad ingredients including thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes and of course buffalo mozzarella cheese.  Rather than simply stacking these two ingredients together, Rosebud added thinly sliced deep fried eggplant to make a savory napoleon.  With multiple layers, the salad ends up being a good three inches tall and even taller with the pile of arugula and of course the drizzle of that amazing balsamic vinegar.  The balsamic has that thicker consistency showing its aged quality and it has an incredible sweet-tangy balance.  The eggplant adds the contrasting crunchy texture and the mozzarella adds a creaminess.  The tomatoes and arugula are extremely fresh, making it feel like a salad. Even though the individual parts taste great, I highly suggest making sure each bite has a little of each component.  Also, ask for extra balsamic.  This salad is big enough for a meal or can be shared amongst 2+ people for an appetizer.  Do not add chicken to it or any of the other ingredients that are listed.  The salad is perfect the way it was intended.  Wow!  In my opinion, this is the best and most unique item on their menu.  Ever since I discovered it, I order it every time.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- I understand I only have one item under the "What I Ate" section, however, I have been to rosebud and their associated restaurants several times before I started my blog.  I will suggest other dishes under this section and hopefully will update soon enough with other pictures.
- Other great dishes I suggest... Steamed Mussel Appetizer in garlic white wine sauce, Fried Calamari, Cavatelli Arrabiatta, and the Brick Chicken.  The chicken is a huge portion... literally a whole chicken that has been deboned and cooked underneath a brick to flatten it.
- Rosebud on Taylor St. has a bunch of different LUNCH SPECIALS depending on the day so definitely ask about these.

DON'T:
- I have never been too big of a fun of their plain pastas.  Their spaghetti and meatball isn't anything special except for the huge meatball the sits on top of the pasta base.  It does have quite a bit of breading as a filler which is disappointing.

How far would I walk for this food?

I absolutely love the Eggplant Salad and would walk over 4 miles for it.  

But the rest of the food (which will be pictured soon enough) isn't as impressive.

Pizzeria Uno & Pizzeria Due

Location: Uno: 29 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60611
                 Due: 619 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

A Quick Word:
Pizzeria Uno and Due are the ORIGINAL locations for Chicago's famous deep dish pizza.  These two establishments have survived all the skyscraper constructions and all of the imitators that have come and gone with exception to the "Big Four" deep dish pizza joints.  Personally, this was my first deep dish pizza experience and that may make me a little biased.  I have great memories sitting in the dimly lit, close quarter dining hall with huge deep dish pizzas filling the room.  I still remember waiting the longest time (about an hour) for our deep dish pizza to come.  But, nothing can beat that first piping hot bite after understanding the fork and knife concept behind the pizza.  I am unsure if Pizzeria Uno is the best deep dish in the city, but I do know it is my favorite.  I decided on giving it a 4.5 mile rating.

(Pizzeria Uno and Pizzeria Due... less than a block away from each other!)

What We Ate:

Vegetable Deep Dish Pizza

When I am asked where my favorite deep dish pizza is from, I, without hesitation, say Pizzeria Uno.  For my birthday, my friends bought a large deep dish pizza with onions, green peppers, and mushrooms.  I absolutely love this pizza.  The tomato sauce is extra chunky and has the perfect tanginess to it.  The cheese is just enough... not too much where you feel nauseated and not too little where you forget about it.  The crust has the perfect crunch factor and is just buttery enough where it doesn't need a dipping sauce.  I think it also crumbly enough to not make your jaw hurt.  The vegetables aren't oily and sometime appear to be raw before being put in the oven rather than other places that stir fry them together.  The large comes with 8 slices which is perfect for 4 people.  Each smaller size just reduce the number of slices by 2.  I suggest ordering extra because the pizza tastes just as good cold!

Numero Uno

Another option is the Numero Uno aka "the garbage pizza."  This creation is the big favorite for most diners.  It consists of the same deep dish crust and is topped with sausage, pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, onions, and green peppers.  The pepperoni is laid on thick... honestly it can be four to five pepperonis high.  The sausage is one huge patty so every bite has a little bit of that spicy, italian flavor.  And all the vegetables, these are generously laid on top.  Sometimes they appear sautéed before placing on pizza while other times they appear to be fresh and then cooked just in the oven.  I prefer the fresh option, but regardless... this pizza is incredible.

Spinoccoli

If you are not a big fan of mushrooms, onions, or green peppers and don't want to be lame with just cheese deep dish pizza, definitely check out the Spinoccoli.  This deep dish crust is topped with spinach, chopped fresh broccoli, a three cheese blend, fresh garlic, and that signature chunky tomato sauce.  The broccoli flavor is a great compliment to the already amazing spinach pizza.  A different combination with the same result... DELICIOUS.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Pizzas take minimum 45 minutes to cook.  I suggest heading to a restaurant before you are hungry because there tends to be about an hour wait.  When you arrive, put a pizza order in so it cooks while you wait.  They plan it well so your pizza will be cooked about 10 minutes after seating.
- Check the wait at Pizzeria Due.  It is usually shorter than Uno and they have the same menu, the same pizza, and same service.  It is just the second location literally 1/2 a block down the street.
- During the warmer months, definitely sit on the porch and enjoy the city as you eat deep dish pizza!

DON'T:
- Don't order appetizers.  Keep your appetite for the deep dish.
- Parking is next to impossible.  First of all, the wait is long.  Second, you don't know how long the pizza will take to cook.  And finally, you will be so full, you will want to walk off the food.

How far would I walk for this food?