Monday, March 18, 2024

Indian Food in the Suburbs

-Grubbing in Chicagoland
Five of a Kind: Suburban Indian Restaurants  

When the question of where to get the best Indian food is discussed you might assume it's Devon avenue aka Little India to some - but that's changing. While there's still a ton of Indian restaurants up and down Devon there's not that many new spots opening up and that's because they're opening in the suburbs. Chicago's Indian community has grown so large that it's spread out around Chicagoland. It's not just one suburb either. There's two large communities in both Schaumburg and Naperville and with them lots of South Asian dining options and grocery stores in immediate vicinity. Today we head to both of those areas to check out some of the newer Indian spots that have opened in Chicagoland. 

_______________________________________

Turmerica (Schaumburg) 

This fast food import comes to Chicagoland via the state of Maharashtra in India. There's not much info online but they're known for their Maharashtrian dishes like Misal Pav. Misal is a spicy curry made with tomato gravy plus moth beans and pav is an Indian type of bread roll. The exact prep varies by region but it typically comes with farsan (salty snacks), onions, cilantro and cheese if you want it. The heat level can vary from mildly spicy to really spicy as it’s a DIY process. The spicy looking dark red oil served on the side determines how spicy you want to go. The end result reminded me of chili but I don’t recall a veggie version of chili quite as spicy and delicious as this. The pink sauce is called Solkadi. A follower on instagram told me it should be thinner than it looks in the pic as it's a drinkable digestion typically used after eating spicy food, which makes sense. I also tried an order of Kothimbir Vadi - a crispy and regionally popular snack from Maharashtra made with gram flour (besan), coriander leaves, peanuts, sesame seed and spices that are molded and fried and served with a savory chutney. Good stuff. Next visit I’ll get the Vada Pav, one of Mumbai’s signature dishes.

Kothimbir Vadi

Misal Pav at Turmerica
_______________________________________


Jay Bhavani Vadapav - Indian Vegetarian Street Food (Hoffman Estates)

Speaking of Vada Pav it's the signature dish of our next stop. Jay Bhavani is another recently arrived fast food chain from India. Bombay style burgers aka Vada Pav are their specialty (a deep fried potato fritter in a bun with chutney). JBV sits in the corner of a large strip mall where it has one of those sloppy slot stops as a neighbor. I visited in the fall when they were just getting going and I clearly wasn't the only one who knew of it as they were busy with customers. Vada Pav is one of India's most beloved street foods overall as it's loved by most everybody with ties to Maharashtra and Mumbai. I have zero ties to India but lots of love for the Vada Pav. It was a little bit of let down that the green and red chutneys come pre-packaged but at less than $5 each they make for a great snack. As much as I like Vada Pav I've never tied one in India so I don't know exactly what separates the good from the great but this one was tasty and I would warmly welcome a closer location within the city.  

Vada Pav at Jay Bhavani 
_______________________________________


WKND PaniPuri (Naperville)

When the Mall of India opened in an old WalMart location its intent was to bring all the benefits of Devon to Naperville and that it has. I visited last year and perused around the ginormous grocery store for a little bit before making my way to the food court where WKND PaniPuri caught my eye. Pani Puri is an extremely popular Indian street food made up of of crispy, hollow, fried balls of dough (puri) that are poked open and stuffed with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, onion, and a spicy and tangy water (pani). The exact origins of this chaat family favorite are murky but it has many regional variations. The Pani puri at WKND PaniPuri is stuffed with a flavorful seasoned mash potato mix and served with cups of red and green water based liquid. The green one is made with herbs like mint and cilantro while the red water consists of tamarind and chiles among other things. The end result is a burst of flavors and textures and an absolutely sensational snack. They also make a variation from Mumbai called Sev puri which is similar to pani puri as far as filling but it gets topped with sev which according to wikipedia are "a popular Indian snack food consisting of small pieces of crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste, which are seasoned with turmeric, cayenne, and ajwain before being deep-fried in oil". There was a time when finding India street food in this former cow town would’ve been impossible but these days the suburb is an enclave for South Asians.

Sev Puri

Pani Puri at WKND PaniPuri
_______________________________________


A2B Indian Veg Restaurant (Warrenville) 

Whenever I’m going to a spot that I might not know a lot about there’s a few things I like to do including checking google reviews where I like to look at the most commonly mentioned words plus the pictures. This is how I ended up with the Royal Falooda at this vegetarian franchise from Chennai. The cold dessert with noodles has its origins in the Persian dish faloodeh. Variants of this are found across West, South and Central Asia. Traditionally it’s made with vermicelli noodles, rose syrup and sweet basil seeds plus milk and it’s often served with ice cream and powdered pistachios on top. A2B also has an extensive selection of Southern Indian dishes including a well made plate of Appam or hoppers as they're called in Sri Lankan cooking. Appam is essentially fermented rice batter and coconut milk cooked in a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. A2B serves Appam with a savory vegetable curry and sweet coconut milk for dipping. Their massive cones of dosa looked really good. This is the type of spot that's great for groups and boy they do come out during peak eating hours. 

Appam

Royal Falooda at A2B Indian Veg Restaurant 
_______________________________________


Mughal Biryani House (Park Ridge)

Towards the end of last year I did some Christmas Shopping at the outlet mall in Rosemont and it came some very good Indian food courtesy of Dan aka @polski_eater who met me at this biryani specialist. It opened last summer and has had very favorable reviews which is kind of a warning sign with Indian restaurants as the best Indian spots typically have a mediocre rating due to reviewers need to compare every dish to their moms and what not. Haha. But nah most of the good reviews for here were coming from the local Indian - American community plus I was already intrigued with their rather interesting menu. Many of the online reviews mention the chili chicken which is a favorite of mine so that was an easy pick as far as what to start out with. It was very good but lacked a bit of actual heat as it was served lukewarm but they were pretty swamped with orders so we didn’t want to further the delay. Had it been served steaming hot it could’ve been as good a version as I’ve come across in these parts but still not to the level of Yueh Tung in Toronto. On the other hand their biryani was pretty much as good as I’ve come across around here though I haven’t had enough versions to make a claim on where it stands amongst the best in Chicagoland. But it was fresh and fragrant and loaded with tender bits of Chicken 65. Same goes for the masala egg omelet which was a bit of revelation to me, masala seasoning should be a standard ingredient in all omelets. I always like to try Kothu Parotta if it’s on the menu as it is here. Torn up pieces of paratha are stir fried with chicken, eggs, and savory spices among other things depending on the recipe. This one was a real mouth burner (SPICY) but tasty nonetheless. We finished off with a steaming hot bowl of Gulab Jamun, a popular dessert of deep fried balls of dough sitting in sweet rose flavored syrup.

Dinner at Mughal Biryani House 
_______________________________________

See ya next time @chibbqking 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Hugo's Frog Bar

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Happy Hour and Friday Fish Fry in the Gold Coast

Today we head to a lesser visited part of the city, for me anyway. For others the Gold Coast is a playground. It’s an area most tourists staying downtown likely visit during their stay. As one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city there’s plenty of shopping with lots of food and drink options to boot. Though it’s not an area I visit too often I do find myself there from time to time and more times than not it’s due to a visit to Hugo’s Frog Bar - home to my favorite happy hour in the city.

Locals (and tourists) Favorite in the Gold Coast 

Hugo’s sits on a prime piece of real estate along Rush street directly next door to its sister restaurant Gibson’s Bar. I’ve never been a big Gibson’s guy but the steakhouse is one of the highest grossing restaurants in town so it has more than its fair share of fans. Hugo’s is the seafood forward sibling of Gibson’s and I prefer it because of that. Specifically because of the oyster happy hour which is no doubt the best in town. It’s only available on Sunday-Thursday (3-6p) and you can only get it in the bar area which means space is limited but it’s worth going early for $1 oysters and half off almost all bottles of champagne and wine. Not only are the oysters still just a buck each which is rare in of itself but you can choose from any of the bivalves they have on offer and the choices are always really well rounded with pristinely shucked selections from both coasts. We like to add an order of their fantastic fresh cut fries to the mix and with that you got my favorite happy hour experience in all of Chicago.


Happy Hour Oysters and Fries at Hugo's Frog Bar 

Another strength of Hugo’s aside from its overall charm as a nice spot for a night out is its Friday special lake perch. There's surprisingly few places where you can find lake perch on the menu in Chicago and with that there’s very few places to get a real deal Friday fish fry. There’s plenty of spots to get fish and chips but to me a real Great Lakes region Friday Fish Fry has to have some sort of lake fish on offer be it bluegill, walleye, or lake perch (my favorite of them all). Hugo’s serves a pan fried lake perch special for $32 on Fridays. It’s a bit steep as far as pricing goes compared to a fish fry in Northwest Indiana or Southeast Wisconsin but it’s much closer for those of us in the city plus lake pech isn't cheap out there either. It also comes with your choice of a soup or salad. If you go the soup route you can get a big bowl of above average clam chowder to start off your meal. After that comes six soft and tender pieces of lightly pan fried lake perch sitting in a puddle of lemon butter plus a basket of those fantastic fresh cut fries, some of the best in the city for sure. I like to dip the fries into their refreshing dill tartar sauce which comes out with coleslaw and ketchup. While they don’t call it a Friday fish fry it’s essentially that and it’s probably the best Friday fish fry in the city from a quality production standpoint and it’s also more filling than most of them. So in my opinion it’s well worth it.

Friday Special Lake Perch 

Hugo's Frog Bar
1024 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 640-0999
Website

Monday, March 4, 2024

Gaoku Izakaya

-Grubbing in Chicago  
Japanese-Thai Bar Food in Humboldt Park

There’s never a time when restaurants aren't opening. Some debut in between the food calendar years meaning they open after the years best new restaurants are chosen but also before the year is over. There’s always a handful of these in Chicago and today we head over to Humboldt Park to check one of them out. Gaoku Izakaya and Craft Drinks opened quietly in December of 2023. Its opening on a corner of California and Augusta has solidified that intersection as one of the best for food as it’s joined by Spinning J, Segnatore, and Rootstock - three very good spots. One of the people behind Gaoku runs Q Sushi and Omakase in Ravenswood which I have yet to visit but there’s people in the know who enjoy it. Gaoku focuses on izakaya style Japanese bar food with Thai influences. It’s also a cocktail bar mixing with Japanese and Thai ingredients making it a good choice for food and drinks. 

Recently Opened in Humboldt Park 

Gaoku very much has the feel of an updated neighborhood bar but what separates it from other similar spots is its unique menu of Japanese-Thai dishes. The dinner menu is broken down into two sections including hot and cold. We visited towards the end of the year and I really liked the potential of this place based on what we had. Service was also above average which I feel needs to be said these days. The pace at which the plates came out was on par with what it should be meaning there was minimal time in between us finishing a dish and a new one arriving. There were two of us eating but a group of four or more could easily try the entire menu. First up the Hotate Scallops are made with high quality Hokkaido Scallops and coconut dashi, lemongrass Powder, yuzu juice, Golden Kluga caviar, cilantro. It’s a cold dish that will hit the spot for those that are fans of both ceviche and southeast Asian flavors. The Hirame was just as good - Japanese Flounder marinated in Konbu seaweed, house ponzu, dry miso, Thai basil, Shichimi, grapeseed oil and topped with cilantro. Just like with with the previous dish I really enjoyed the Thai flavors paired with Japanese technique in this one. We both thought the tuna tartare was good but it wasn’t as impressive or satisfying as the first two cold dishes. I wouldn’t call it a miss but unlike the others I wouldn’t order it again. 

Hotate Scallops

Hirame Flounder 

Tuna Tartare 

Moving onto the hot options it seems like their Karaage chicken served with a Thai curry aioli is one of the popular dishes early on but we opted for a few other things including a delicious charcoal grilled Hamachi Kama - miso marinated yellowtail collar served with a Thai style chimmichuri. We scarfed that down and both felt it was the best dish up until that point. An order of the Tora Ebi (Charcoal Grilled skull Island Tiger Prawn, Motoyaki Sauce, Thai Curry Powder, Chives) didn’t satisfy in the same way but you might have better luck. I didn’t feel like it matched the pricepoint ($28) as far as size goes and there wasn’t as much flavor to them as I was expecting. However the opposite can be said about the Sakura Pork - Charcoal grilled marinated Duroc pork shoulder is served with a roasted rice ponzu and pickled shallots and scallions. The meat was extremely flavorful and very texturally pleasing from a trip over the charcoal. I've already got a spot for it on my year end 'best of' list. 

Hamachi Kama

Tora Ebi

Grilled Duroc Pork Shoulder 

Gaoku recently introduced a weekend lunch menu - Saturday and Sunday (12p-3p) - featuring a selection of ramen and rice bowls. I would highly recommend the Aburi Engawa - torched pieces of flounder fin served atop a mound of seasoned rice with pickled daikon and green onion. It’s a simple dish which means the ingredients need to shine and that they do. Flounder fin meat is neither easily obtainable or cheap and it’s also not abundant which is why this dish has limited availability. 

Aburi Engawa at Gaoku Izakaya

Each of the ramen options has some Thai flare going for it with the Khao Soi being the most obvious. It uses a Northern Thai curry style base mixed with ramen noodles and topped with Chicken Karaage, scallions, pickled mustard, and shallots. I enjoyed this genuinely spicy bowl of noodles with my only complaint being the fried chicken chunks were a bit too big to handle as far as a soup goes, they should cut them down a little bit as far as size. I thought a few other selections from the lunch menu sounded worth a try including the seafood donburi, specifically the one with charcoal grilled unagi (eel).


Khao Soi Ramen 

Gaoku Izakaya 
2759 W Augusta Blvd
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 698-6261
Website

Monday, February 26, 2024

Eating BIG in the Treasure Coast

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties 
- Exploring Southeast Florida's Less Visited Region  

In all of my years of visiting South Florida I'd never ventured north into the Treasure Coast until just recently. The Treasure Coast being the coastal region north of South Florida. When you leave Palm Beach County going north you enter the Treasure Coast which consists of Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. Popular towns include Port St. Lucie (the largest), Fort Pierce, Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach, Stuart and Vero Beach. I got as far north as Fort Pierce on my two visits, both of which really surprised me. I loved the laid back lifestyle and all the colorful buildings that feel like Old Florida. It's way underdeveloped compared to it's neighbor to the south. The area is home to over 96,000 acres of parks and conservation land as well as the most biodiverse lagoon ecosystem in the nation. It's an outdoor paradise that extends beyond the beautiful beaches giving way to world class biking and kayaking backdrops. Each of the towns has a bit of a different feel to them. I really took a liking to Jensen Beach which is a colorful little community with character. I could totally see myself spending more time around here whether that's visiting the area or living there. Color me impressed. 

Florida's Colorful Treasure Coast 
_______________________________________

Chuck's Seafood Restaurant (Fort Pierce) 

Our first stop is a local landmark for fried shrimp. Chuck's is a prototypical Florida seafood shack. It's got the dimly lit mahogany bar, a carpeted dining room and outdoor seating on the water. I stopped here specifically for the shrimp with a beer and some sun. There's plenty of seafood options on the menu but the fried shrimp are by far the most popular menu item and rightfully so. I got the appetizer which comes with five large pieces of fresh shrimp split down the middle giving them an usual shape. It works well as it splits into three perfect bites. I really liked these with the cocktail sauce while a couple of gratis hush puppies were better than many I've tried. I imagine I'll be back for that shrimp. 

Fried Shrimp at Chuck's Seafood Restaurant 
_______________________________________


Sonora Eats (Fort Pierce)

I came across a couple places in Fort Pierce that helped restore my faith with Mexican food in South Florida. Then again this isn't quite South Florida so maybe I shouldn't be hopeful. But Sonora Eats gave me reason to further explore the Mexican spots in the Treasure Coast. The name of this place caught my eye as Sonoran style Mexican food is typically found out west. The menu features quite a few intriguing options including Sonoran style hot dogs plus made on site flour tortillas. As much as I would've liked to try the hot dog I couldn't pass on the burritos which come four to an order with your choice of meat (or mashed potatoes) and refried beans. I got them with machaca which is a dried and rehydrated beef commonly consumed in Sonora and I also got a Sonoran style taco with steak and cabbage and pico on flour. The steak could've been better but everything else was awesome. 

Sonoran Style Mexican Food at Sonora Eats
_______________________________________

 
Super Taquerias (Fort Pierce) 

I was intrigued with this place because ribs were commonly mentioned in the google reviews. Super Taquerias has a handful of locations scattered across the Treasure Coast and one in South Florida (Jupiter). I think this Fort Pierce location is the original and also the most popular due to the bbq they smoke on the side of the building. I watched as locals shuffled in and out of here with the majority of them there for the ribs and or chicken. I decided to try a lunch special with ribs which comes with two extra meaty well smoked ribs. They had just enough chew to them to where they weren't fall off the bone tender but they were far from tough. Ribs come served with a handful of made on site corn tortillas, rice and beans, grilled onions, salsa and lime. I wish we had a spot like this in Chicago. 

Mexican Barbecue at Super Taquerias 
_______________________________________


Shakra's Deli (Jensen Beach)

I always research the local sandwich scene when looking up restaurants in unfamiliar places. That's how I found Shakra's Deli. They've been slinging sandwiches to the people of Jensen Beach for more than 50 years. The Roast Beef Supreme or RBS for short is their most popular. They put thinly sliced made on site roast beef in a sub roll and top it off with a homemade Burgundy wine gravy and melted provolone cheese. This was a sandwich worthy of it's status as one of the best of the Treasure Coast.

Roast Beef Supreme at Shakra's Deli 
_______________________________________


The Magic Oyster Bar (Jensen Beach) 

Life took me to the Treasure Coast like Black Sam Bellamy on the hunt for silver and gold. Except I was on the prowl for a different type of treasure - the quintessential Fish Shacks of Florida. They can be found throughout the Sunshine State but mostly along the 1,350 plus miles of coastline. While some of these Florida Style Fish Shacks are found right on the water most of them are often hidden within the strip malls that line the streets. They’re real local type spots in a state flooded with tourists. The further south you go the more “Floribbean” the food gets, drawing influence from the diversity of the regions population, produce and seafood. You can most always find a signature dish made with locally caught fish. At The Magic Oyster Bar that’s a heaping plate of panko and horseradish crusted grouper with garlic smashed potatoes topped with Myers’s Rum butter sauce and frizzled leeks. Another major component of Florida Fish Shacks is Happy Hour which is served daily here. We drank locally brewed Treasure Kolsch while popping Bam Bam Shrimp and slurping buck a shuck oysters from up the ocean in Virginia - all served with sunshine. Magic Oyster is an ideal Florida fish shack. 

Seafood at The Magic Oyster Bar 
_______________________________________


Burny Pit Stop (Jensen Beach)

You can spot French Canadiens throughout South Florida during the winter and apparently they flock north to the Treasure Coast too. Burny Pit Stop is a Quebec style Casse-Croute or a French Canadian style fast food joint. They make hot dogs, burgers, and poutine. I could tell from the pictures that the poutine was the real deal from the thick fresh cut potatoes that they use so I stopped in for an order. I appreciated the fact they had a few different sizes including a mini which was enough for a taste. I enjoy poutine but it's not something I want to eat a ton of when I have it so a mini was perfect. 

Poutine at Burney Pit Stop 
_______________________________________


Ian & Kye's Pizza (Jensen Beach)

Chicago style pizza is having it's moment right now. I'm not talking about deep dish but what's become known as "tavern thin" or square cut pizza. It's the preferred pizza of most Chicagoans and many parts of Florida too including Jensen Beach. That's where you'll find Ian & Kye's which opened in 2020. They make a pretty good Chicago style thin crust and there's a fun open air bar across the street with cheap drinks where you can wait while they make your pizza. It scratches the itch.  

Sausage Pizza at Ian & Kye's
_______________________________________


Fantini's New Haven Style Apizza (Stuart)

If you're an East Coaster that prefers their pizza cooked in a coal fired oven and and cut into triangles you might want to check out Fantini's New Haven Style Apizza in Stuart. The owner of this place learned his craft at the legendary Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven. When he moved to South Florida he brought his New Haven pizza making skills with him and opened his own place which seems to stay busy. I got a small sausage with banana peppers and thought it was pretty good though it's similar to the previous stop in terms of it being more of a replica than the real thing. 

New Haven Apizza at Fantini's 
_______________________________________


Twistee Treat (Stuart)

If this place looks familiar that's because it's part of a franchised chain of ice cream restaurants, founded in 1983 in North Fort Myers, Florida. Twistee Treat restaurants are characterized by buildings shaped in the form of  ice cream cones. The original company went into bankruptcy in the early-1990s and started selling off the buildings which soon made their way across the country (there's one in Peoria). In 1996 a new Twistee Treat company was formed and today they have more than 30 locations across Florida. This one in Stuart was a good stop on a rather hot and humid day. 

Pineapple Dole Soft Serve at Twistee Treat 
_______________________________________


Frank 'n Stein (Stuart)

With so many East Coasters living in Florida there's some good hot dog stands down there too. Frank 'n Stein in Stuart is an old Roadfood favorite that's been serving the area for more than 40 years. You can feel the age of the place inside. Step up to the U-Shaped counter and place your order for grilled natural casing Sabrett frankfurters served up with ice cold beer. The description of the chili dog specifically mentions no beans so that was my pick over the classic New York style red onion sauce.

Chili Cheese Dog at Frank 'n Stein 
_______________________________________


Tausha's Seafood (Stuart)

There's tons of fishmongers throughout Florida and some of them sell prepared food too. Tausha's Seafood Market is a family owned place that felt like a general store with seafood being the focal point. Huge coolers labeled with the fresh catch they hold line the walls and they have a large selection of beer and wine too. You can also get fried seafood and soups and sandwiches here. The fresh fried shrimp was plump and lightly breaded with a really nice bite. It was clearly made with care. 

Fried Shrimp at Tausha's Seafood Market 
_______________________________________


King Neptune Restaurant (Stuart)

Last up we enjoyed a very Florida forward lunch at this very Floridian seafood shack in Port Salerno. King Neptune is a small old school spot with extra fresh seafood. It has a bit of an old Florida diner feel to it with the regulars and the waitress on a first name basis. First up was a really flavorful bowl of seafood bisque followed up with a plate of the Buffalo fried shrimp and a 1/2 a pound of the cracked conch. Aside from a Cuban sandwich there's perhaps no other sandwich more associated with Florida than the Grouper Rueben. It's a spinoff that replaces corned beef with grouper and it works really well. King Neptune makes a textbook version although the fish is fried whereas I prefer it blackened. Not pictured: $4 drafts of Yuenling. Like I said in the beginning of this post - I love old school Florida style fish shacks and this was one of the best I've come across. Since 1968. That's it for this trip!

Seafood at King Neptune Restaurant 
_______________________________________

Also of Interest: Eating BIG in South Florida

See ya next time @chibbqking 

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails