JJ Fish & Chicken

Location: 201 E. 43rd St., Chicago, IL 60653


A Quick Word:
As I drive throughout Chicago, I have spotted several JJ Fish & Chicken restaurants.  I assumed they would be decent if so many locations were present.  Then I started realizing some are closing and then more are closing.  Anyway, I decided to give it a try... WHAT A MISTAKE.  Very minimal seating is seen in most of these establishments and the atmosphere is not very clean.  I found the menus to be inaccurate, yet the prices to be very reasonable.  After trying the food, I realized immediately that I will never be back.  There was minimal meat on the catfish dinner.  Everything was bland.  I actually felt sick after eating this meal... maybe because they make you wash it down with huge 1L bottles of coke or maybe because of the inconsistent cooking technique.  0.5 miles was generous--probably because I don't have a lower rating.

What I ate:

Catfish Dinner

After sifting through the long list of different types of fish, seafood combinations, and chicken combos, I decided to keep it simple and order the regular-size catfish dinner.  This meal came with three pieces of catfish cooked to order and served on top of a bed of french fries and texas toast.  It comes with a side of coleslaw and a cup of buffalo sauce.  The meal was awful in EVERY WAY possible. First of all, the fish had huge bones (not specified on the menu).  I would have rather ordered catfish nuggets of fillets, but there was not option or specification of what comes with the dinner.  Second, the fish was cooked unevenly... some areas overcooked while other parts were slimy.  The fries were extremely bland (no salt at all) and the coleslaw reminded me of wet cabbage aka a poor-poor attempt at such an easy side dish.  Hot sauce wasn't even spicy.  The toast I guess was all right, but that came out of pre-made loaf.  If they messed that up, then something would definitely be wrong.  I couldn't even finish this meal... I hate wasting food, but was this even food?

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do yourself a favor and try Harold's Chicken.  That place is significantly better!

DON'T:
- Don't come here.  If you do, definitely get a fish without bones.

How far would I walk for this food?

Little Goat (Diner)

Location: 820 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Word:
After visiting Little Goat (Bakery) several times, I finally made it out to the Little Goat (Diner).  This restaurant is located just a few steps from the now famous Girl and the Goat.  Because they do not take reservations here, I have had several disappointing experiences... arriving when the wait is easily an hour or more.  Anyway, one late Monday night, my friend and I were seated immediately.  The waiter was extremely nice and took the time to explain their beer and cocktail list to us.  After combing through all the dishes (yes, breakfast is always available), we finally choose a couple sandwiches.  The food was delicious.  Complex, yet simple in a strange way.  I liked to consider this place as diner food done right.  The atmosphere is very fun with a few huge communal tables and of course the coveted booths.  Because the wait time can be so ridiculous, I decided to give them a 4.5 mile rating... it was almost perfect, just a little inconvenient for people on a schedule.

(Little Goat Diner has a great selection of beers and very reasonable prices.)

What We Ate:

All-American Burger

After watching the hawks game, my friend craved a burger.  She wanted to keep it simple, so she went with the All-American option and added avocado.  This beef burger came with the typical ingredients... lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, american cheese, a special sauce, and my favorite part, the sesame seed bun.  The burger was huge.  It reminded me of when my mom used to make hockey puck sized burgers for my brothers and I.  I absolutely loved this burger which was cooked a little short of medium.  The burger flavor was able to shine with such simple ingredients and not many added toppings.  The sesame bun was soft, yet able to withstand all the juices and sauces.  This sucker was filling.  Their sandwiches do not come with fries (finally, my kind of restaurant!).  This allows you to choose whatever side you crave.

Fried Pickle Sandwich

So after deciding between a list of amazing appetizers, we find out that the fried pickle appetizer was not available for the night.  My friend really wanted fried pickles.  So we found out that the rest of the fried pickles were reserved for this vegetarian sandwich.  The fried pickle sandwich starts off with a piece of seasoned naan and is topped with hummus, roasted peppers, goat cheese, tzatziki, and of course about a dozen fried pickles.  The sandwich was extremely flavorful... the goat cheese was rich, there was plenty of tzatziki and the fried pickles were still crunchy and now crispy.  And, surprisingly, the sandwich wasn't that oily.  I would definitely recommend this sandwich to both meat and vegetarian eaters.

Mac N' Cheese

Rather than having french fries, we decided on the mac n' cheese as out side.  After a couple of bites, she asked if I could taste the goat cheese... and yes that is what was making this side incredible.  I have never had goat cheese mac n' cheese before and of course, I would have it the Little Goat Diner.  Our waiter said it was actually a four-cheese blend that makes the mac n' cheese so rich.  The only main complaint was the topping.  It lacked any sort of crust.  Instead, literally 12 bread crumbs dusted the top.  Pretty awful and poor attempt at a crust, but such a great side I will order it again and again.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- One of the best LATE NIGHT restaurants in the city!  Do come here after a night of drinking.
- Do check out the bakery next door.  They have a limited sandwich menu, but they have incredible desserts, breakfast items, and breads.

DON'T:
- I wouldn't come during peak hours.  This place doesn't take reservations so waiting can be in the upwards of 1.5 - 2 hours, especially on weekends.

How far would I walk for this food?

Garifuna Flava

Location: 2518 W. 63rd St., Chicago, IL 60629

A Quick Word:
Garifuna Flava is one of only a handful of Caribbean restaurants in the city and maybe the only one that features foods from Belize.  Located on the south side near the neighborhood of Englewood, Garifuna may be a trek for most people living in the city, but it is WELL WORTH the trip.  I mean, where else could you try conch soup, jerk chicken, and stewed pigtails in the city?  Not only is the food unique and delicious, the staff is extremely friendly and are definitely willing to walk you through several dishes until you find the one you want.  Even though the location is a little far and each dish had a flaw or two, all the food was memorable; therefore, I decided on a 4 mile rating for Garifuna Flava.

What I Ate:

3-3-1 Appetizer Platter

The 3-3-1 platter was a sampler of their more popular appetizers.  Each platter comes with 3 panades, 3 jerk wings, and 1 garanaches.

Panades are corn patties that are stuffed with a chopped up buffalo fish and served with a sweet vegetable sauce.  The outer shell is soft and soggy rather than crisp (may be because I ordered to go).  The filling is not very flavorful.  I honestly only tasted the vegetable sauce which seemed like a vinegar based coleslaw to me.  It may be popular, but I wasn't a big fan.

The jerk wings are simply baked chicken wings covered in a spicy jerk seasoning and sauce.  The wings each include the "wing" and the "drummette", making them more filling than the sound.  The spice was delicious.  Not too spicy, but still typical bold, jerk flavors.  A nice char taste was also present.

Finally, the garanches is the Belizean spin on a Mexican tostada.  In fact, they are the exact same dish.  A fried corn tortilla is topped with refried beans, lettuce, cheese, and a sweet ketchup sauce.  I added salsa to the top of mine and some chicken... otherwise it is too plain.  Nothing too special.

Belizean Stew Chicken

For my main entree, I decided on the Belizean stew chicken dinner.  First of all, this meal is INCREDIBLE.  The stewed chicken dinner comes with a half of a chicken chopped into smaller pieces and stewed with bell peppers and onion.  The use a vinegar base in the stew and heavily season with paprika and pepper.  The chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and extremely moist.  The flavors were unreal and everything tied well together.  The dinner comes with a side of spicy cabbage, fried plantains, and rice/beans.  The plantains added a nice sweetness, which contrasted the vinegary cabbage.  The rice was the only disappointing part.  There was a coconut flavor that dominated every bite because of the rice.  If I could change one thing... just serve plain white rice please. 

Stewed Beans & Pigtail 

I always enjoy trying to weirdest menu item... at Garifuna, this happened to be a side order of stewed beans with pigtail.  Immediately, I thought of the curly pig tail seen in children's books.  When the dish arrived, I was surprised to see more of a cartilaginous tail that reminded me of a turkey neck from Thanksgiving.  Anyway, the pigtail was stewed with Belizean spiced beans.  The pig tail had a little meat, but was mostly fat and skin.  It had a stronger pork flavor, which is a little overwhelming.  I could never eat a full meal of pigtails, but it was definitely worth trying.

Belizean Milk Cake

For dessert, I tried a piece of the milk cake... it is a pound cake that is covered in a thick caramel sauce. The cake was nothing special.  But, the caramel on top adding the necessary sweetness to make me think dessert.  It was more on the dense side of the spectrum.  I would probably share a slice with someone else, otherwise, it would be too much.

The DOs/DONT's:
DO:
- They have a free parking lot attached to the side of the restaurant.  If that is packed, plenty of street parking.
- They sometimes serve food at the K Alta building in the city.  This way you don't have to drive to Englewood to experience Belizean cuisine.

DON'T:
- I wasn't too impressed with appetizers.  So my suggestion:  Don't order these dishes, just save room for more entrees or side orders.

How far would I walk for this food?

Athena

Location:  212 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661

A Quick Word:
When coming to Greektown in Chicago, I choose between two primary dining experiences--most authentic food vs. best ambiance.  Athena definitely wins the latter... with easily the best outdoor dining experience in the Greektown/UIC area.  Their patio is beautiful, lined with flowers and vines and flowing water pieces.  There is a clear roof for whenever rain hits, but during the summer months, that roof is retracted.  The food here is OK.  The portions are definitely worth the price, but some dishes lack spices, while others are just difficult to eat.  While sitting outside, definitely split a bottle of Greek wine and remember Free Valet Parking.  Because the waiters tend to rush their customers and the minor misses on food preparation, I decided to give them a 3 mile rating.  Amazing patio area, good wine, and average food.  Just please, learn to leave tables along for longer than 5 minute spans.

What We Ate:

Taramosalata

This classic greek dish is not for everyone.  The dish is made by mixing mashed potatoes with a large amount of fish roe.  It is garnished with a couple olives, a few cubes of cucumber, and served with pita bread.  The dish is extremely fishy... for anyone that dislikes that fishy flavor, definitely do not order this appetizer.  If you cannot imagine what this dish is like, think fishy hummus.  The olives are a good contrasting flavor, but overall the dish is pretty one-noted--fish.

Spanakopita

Whenever one of my buddies thinks Greek food, he thinks spanakopita or what he calls "spankatopia". This baked pastry is filled with spinach and feta cheese and wrapped in filo dough.  The spanakopita at Athena is huge and generously stuffed.  After being baked, the filo dough crust becomes crispy and flaky.  The spinach and feta filling is almost too rich from all that cheese.  I suggest adding a little spice or at least black pepper to cut some of the cheese flavor.

Combination Plate

The combination plate is definitely my favorite dish to order.  One of my friends and I split this dish along with with taramosalata and had plenty of food.  Both her and I weren't starving so it worked out well.  The combination plate consists of a small portion of mousakas, pastitsio, dolmades, roasted leg of lamb, rice pilaf, roasted potatoes, and peas.  My favorite part of the dish was the dolmades.  Ground beef and rice is wrapped in grapevine leaves and topped with an egg-lemon sauce.  The acidity from the lemon and grapevine leaves is the addicting part for me.  Mousakas and pastitsio are very similar dishes--both remind me of lasagna with mousaka being layered with eggplant, zucchini, potato, ground beef and cheese, while pastitsio is baked macaroni instead of the vegetables.  Both are topped with a rich béchamel sauce.  The roasted leg of lamb is extremely tender and well flavored.  Definitely mix the peas, rice, and lamb into one huge bite.  With the combination plate... you will not be disappointed.

Ortikia

On of my other friends had the ortikia.  This dish consists of three char-broiled quails that have been seasoned simply with lemon and oregano.  The dish also comes with that amazing rice pilaf and oven roasted potatoes.  The quails had a nice char crust to them, but unfortunately, these were extremely hard to eat.  The quails have to be eaten using your hands, especially with all the small bones.  The price is reasonable, the the quails are on the smaller side.  I would rather have a similar quail dish in Chinatown.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- FREE Valet Parking.  Just pull up in front of the restaurant.  Remember to tip!
- One of the best outdoor dining spots in the city.  Huge porch that can be converted to indoor if the weather gets bad.

DON'T:
- Sometimes I feel rushed when eating here... so don't be surprised in waiters come around several times to check on how the meal is going.
- No flamed saganaki outdoors... well, that is disappointing.

How far would I walk for this food?

Three Aces

Location: 1321 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Word:
Three Aces is one of the main neighborhood bars in the UIC area.  With a huge outdoor patio, this bar tends to fill up more on warm, summer nights.  Besides offering a nice, yet smaller selection of beers, Three Aces offers a large variety of both bar snacks and full dinners.  Most of their entrees appear to be bar twists on classic dinners.  For instance, rather than serving your typical buttered popcorn, Three Aces has a gourmet approach using parmesan cheese and a garlic hot sauce.  The service at the bar is just OK... the bartenders rotate frequently so more than one seems to be serving you at all times.  I was extremely disappointed in how long the food took to arrive.  The burger was brought out last and nearly 25 minutes after the pizza.  Luckily, my friend and I were sharing some of the dishes so it wasn't awful. Because of this random service flaw, I decided a 3.5 mile rating was sufficient, if not generous.

What We Ate:

Popcorn

Everyone always says to order the popcorn at Three Aces, and at $2.00, how couldn't you?  Anyway, I would vote against ordering the popcorn.  It is honestly the most bland bar food dish I have had in a while.  The only saving grace was the roasted garlic hot sauce, which tasted good, but made the popcorn either soggy from pouring it over the top or messy if you dipped popcorn into the small dish.  The scallions and parmesan cheese added NOTHING to the popcorn.  Stick with movie popcorn please.

Short Rib Pizzetta

After scanning through the pizzettas (small pizzas), the one that caught my eye was their short rib version.  This Neapolitan style pizza was topped with short rib, mushrooms, a mild blue cheese (not sure how this is possible), and rather than typical tomato sauce, a roasted garlic cream sauce.  A little bit of the beef jus was splashed on for added saltiness.  The pizzettas are served on huge disks of a tree trunk (just see picture to understand).  The crust is not uniformly cooked with some areas more burnt than others.  The blue cheese was a nice compliment to the rest of the ingredients.  I just found the other ingredients to be a little scarce in some areas.  Overall, it was pretty good pizza.

Ace Burger

My friend was dead set on ordering the ace burger.  Something I wanted to order, but I knew it was going to be too heavy prior to a night of drinking.  This burger, served on a pretzel roll, was thick cut and topped with aged cheddar cheese, a bacon jam, and garlic pickles.  It came with a side of some rich aioli with no prominent flavor except oil and of course french fries.  The burger was pretty good size.  She preferred to have it cooked medium well, which is way too overdone for me.  The burger did have a good charred flavor and was surprisingly moist for its cooking temperature.  Definitely dip the fries in the aioli.  It is addicting.  Not the best burger in Chicago... but not bad at all.

S'more Doughnuts

Three Aces has a rotating doughnut selection... this day happened to be S'more Doughnuts.  Each order came with two doughnuts (and their doughnut holes) topped with a white russian fluff, crushed graham crackers and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  A small glass of milk accompanied the dish.  I always love the rotating selection... they even featured a peanut brittle-bacon doughnut in the past.  The s'more doughnut was a little more dense than I like.  It kind of reminded me of an old fashioned cake doughnut in terms of consistency.  The fluff was amazing.  Overall, it was extremely sweet so two huge doughnuts is sort of overkill.  I don't drink milk... but the small glass was definitely a creative touch.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- You can make reservations here.  I suggest doing that if you are going on a weekend.
- We sat at the bar which is always a solid option.

DON'T:
- Service is kind of weird... food comes out as it is ready.  Are they trying to share meals?  Don't be alarmed if someone gets their burger 20 minutes after a pizza is delivered.

How far would I walk for this food?