Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Margie's Candies

Location: 1960 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60647
Margie's Candies on UrbanspoonMargie's Candies on Foodio54
A Quick Word:
Margie's Candies is a well-known ice cream parlor that has been serving Chicago for over 90 years.  Located on the edges of the Bucktown and Logan Square neighborhoods, everyone in the city has access to some of the best homemade ice cream and candies money can buy.  Their signature clam shell bowls are always loaded with scoops of ice cream and topped generously with an amazing whipped cream... so be smart when choosing your creation.  The atmosphere reminds you of your childhood with small booths lining the edge of the parlor and a mound of candy boxes filling the center.  Unfortunately, being such a small establishment has some cons.  A few tables are shared between strangers, making for some awkward conversation or lack there of.  Margie's is an amazing place to end a date, to come and hangout with friends, or just fill your ice cream fix.  I rate it as a 4.5 miles... the lack of seating and sharing tables with randoms kept it from being perfect.

What We Ate:

Hot Fudge Banana Split

Two of my friends decided on getting this huge banana split.  It comes with three scoops of ice cream (your choice), placed on a bed of bananas,  and topped with whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry.  A gravy bowl filled with hot fudge and a lemon wafer cookie sits on the side of the huge clamshell-like bowl.  One of my friends decided to choose strawberry, New York cherry, and banana.  Without question, banana was the greatest flavor ice cream I tasted that night.  Honestly, banana ice cream could substitute for the sliced bananas in the split.  New York cherry is another flavor I highly recommend.  My other friend decided on chocolate chip ice cream, strawberry, and, I believe, their famous french vanilla ice cream.  You cannot go wrong with any combination of ice creams, especially with their infamous homemade hot fudge.  It is served on the side.  The hot fudge reminded me of a liquid brownie... it was extremely rich, thicker than typical chocolate sauce, and something everyone needs to try!  Make sure at least one person orders hot fudge--it comes with a lot so sharing is an option.

Pina Colada Sundae

After figuring out my friends all ordered sundaes or splits with hot fudge, I decided on stepping outside the box and ordering a more refreshing combination.  The pina colada sundae came with three scoops of vanilla ice cream that was sitting on a huge bed of sliced bananas, topped with a generous amount of coconut, whipped cream, and everyone's favorite cherry.  Rather than hot fudge, the gravy bowl was filled with fresh pineapple and also served with the lemon flavored wafer cookie.  I really enjoyed the sundae because of the fresh fruit.  The pineapple was sweet and when combining all the fruits and ice cream into one bite, it really did taste like a pina colada (minus the rum).  If you are not looking for too much chocolate, this is a great choice.

Jumbo Turtle Sundae

My roommate chose the jumbo turtle sundae... jumbo because you get an extra scoop of ice cream (totaling 3) and you get to choose your flavors.  It is accompanied by the side of hot fudge and topped with caramel pecans, whipped cream, and a cherry.  My roommate made his sundae with cookies and cream, chocolate chip, and vanilla.  The pecans were similar to the roasted nuts you find around Christmas time.  And when adding the hot fudge, you are definitely reminded of those turtle candies everyone enjoyed as a child.  This is probably what I will be ordering next time I come back.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Two musts:  Hot fudge topping and Banana ice cream
- There is a good amount of parking surrounding the area, just be prepared to walk a couple blocks.
- There is almost always a wait.  Even coming on one of the coldest days n Chicago this year, we still had to wait several minutes and when leaving, probably 15 people were all waiting for seats.
- Sharing is an option... I personally wouldn't, but a lot of people do.

DON'T:
- Don't expect to sit in an isolated booth.  We came with 4 people total and were still paired up with another family of 3.  Wasn't the greatest table, but what can you expect in a place with only a dozen tables.

How far would I walk for this food?



Friday, January 25, 2013

Sweet Maple Cafe

Location: 1339 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607
Sweet Maple Cafe on Urbanspoon
A Quick Word:
For UIC students, Sweet Maple Cafe fits right in with some of the best brunch places in Chicago.  Not only for location, but for the home-cooked-style meals that college students crave.  When walking into the restaurant, you are greeted by walls painted to resemble an older country-style residence.  After waiting for a table, you are seated in a cramped restaurant and hurried a little more than I would like.  The tables are longer than usual, making you feel far away from whoever you came with... it is sort of awkward.  But once the food arrives, you forget about these minor imperfections, and focus on one of the best brunches you can have.  Definitely order their sweet milk biscuits--the main reason for Sweet Maple Cafes existence... yes, they are that good.  Because of the small dining area and each of the dishes missing that memorable experience... I decided to give them a 4.5 rating (for now).

What We Ate:

Bacon and Corn Pancakes

My friend decided on the pancake special.  Bacon and corn in pancakes sounded like an interesting but potentially amazing creation.  And it was.  It came with two huge pancakes that were extremely soft and fluffy.  A generous amount of bacon and corn was mixed directly into the batter so that each bite had a little of each.  Add just a little of the butter and a good amount of maple syrup to the top.  This combination brings salty and sweet to the next level.  The bacon is surprisingly crispy and the corn plump.  I was expecting soggy and mushy... thankfully, it wasn't!

(After enjoying most of the pancakes, my friend decided to flip them over and painstakingly pick out every piece of bacon mixed into the pancake.  It was a hilarious to watch, but I do applaud her because I would have down the same.)

Chick'n Egg and Cheeser

After thoroughly reading the menu, I knew this biscuit sandwich was my choice.  A fried chicken breast (grilled also an option) is topped with a egg cooked over easy and cheddar cheese.  It is served on one of their famous sweet milk biscuits and accompanied with a side of fresh apple sauce.  All I can say is WOW.  The fried chicken breast is fried to order making the breading have an amazing crispiness.  And I choose an over easy egg so the yolk could act as a rich, creamy sauce.  Other cheese options are available, but cheddar is seemed to be the best fit.  The biscuit is without question the best vessel for this sandwich and would be the best for essentially any sandwich.  You could put a shoe in between and I would probably still eat it.  Anyway, the overall meal was a little on the smaller side and the apple sauce was an embarrassment when sitting next to such a great sandwich.  I wish they had a sausage gravy to act more like a sauce... maybe as a side option?

Sweet Milk Biscuit

The sweet milk biscuit is what put Sweet Maple Cafe on the map.  And out of all the biscuits I have eaten, this one comes in second (narrowly beaten out by my all time favorite... Bang Bang Pie Shop).  The biscuit is oddly shaped and more dense than biscuits most people are used to.  It has an underlying sweetness that is amplified by adding a little whipped butter.  The outer layer has a harder consistency, while the center is as fluffy as can be.  I love them so much I order usually one for my meal and two "to go."  Whenever I have a craving for biscuits, Sweet Maple is always a front runner.

Hot Caramel Apple Cider

This is an excellent Winter time drink.  The apple cider is served piping hot so be careful.  They top it with a little caramel for added sweetness and a cinnamon stick for garnish.  I really enjoyed the couple sips that I tried.  Reminded me example of fresh baked apple pie.  Definitely something to try.

Coffee

The coffee is typical restaurant breakfast coffee.  Made in bulk and hopefully kept somewhat warm in a thermos the waitress carries around.  It wasn't burnt at all which was nice.  Free refills on a $2.50 cup.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Come on Friday! They have a Fried Catfish and Eggs special only offered on Fridays... and it is my favorite breakfast in the city!  Sorry no picture because I had this before I started my blog.
- The wait tends to be minimum of 30 minutes.  I have found that it usually is 5 to 10 minutes faster than what they estimate.
- Must order biscuits.

DON'T:
- Don't be scared off by the huge line outside.  There is not much room to wait on the inside of Sweet Maple, so a lot of people just hang around outside the door.  I have been fooled several times.

How far would I walk for this food?





Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Leona's

Locations: 1419 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607
Leona's Restaurant - Taylor Street on Urbanspoon
A Quick Word:
Leona's has become one of the staple Italian restaurants UIC students frequent.  Located in the heart of Little Italy, Leona's offers a huge menu with portions reflecting the hungry appetites of students.  Each entree either comes with the choice of a massive side or maybe even two... or something equivalent, for instance, a loaf of bread.  Regardless of what you choose, you will become full.  Unfortunately, I think Leona's sacrifices on quality for the quantity they offer.  It appears that most of their pastas are half thought out which makes the overall flavor and experience disappointing.  Honestly, each items is hit or miss and doesn't even come close to any of the other famous Italian restaurants in the city.  For average Italian food with many subpar menu choices, I guess you could visit Leona's... just don't be in a hurry for it.

What We Ate:

Garlic Bread Loaf

This huge loaf of garlic bread comes with the any of their pasta entrees.  It feels like a freshly baked loaf with garlic and other italian seasoning baked right on top.  It is served with a huge helping of garlic butter.  My brothers and I split the loaf, spreading generously the garlic butter.  In my opinion, it was a little too salty.  The garlic flavor did stand out if you used the butter.  The bread was also a little on the oily side so just be aware.

Meaty Mac (Petite)

I ordered the Meaty Mac... which reminded me of the days of Hamburger Helper.  The dish was their four cheese mac & cheese covered with their homemade meat marinara sauce.  The petite portion is half the size... making the price seem ridiculous.  It was nice to offer a smaller portion, but maybe help the customers out on the price too (not just a couple dollar discount).  The mac & cheese was supposedly made with a sharp cheddar, but I honestly couldn't tell any specific cheese.  The marinara was the classic sauce.  It also came with the garlic bread and a cup of soup or salad.  Overall, the dish left us all wondering if something was missing?  So couldn't have been that great.

Avocado Burger with Five Cheese Lasagna side

My older brother stuck with a classic burger.  The Avocado Burger was a 1/2 lb patty topped with avocado, roasted onions, cheddar cheese, and a chipotle sauce.  He requested raw red onions on the side and it also came with the typical lettuce and tomato.  The burger was big and after adding all those ingredients, it was huge.  The avocado added an awesome creaminess to the burger and the chipotle sauce was actually spicy enough to stand out.  I really enjoyed the burger.  I was disappointed however in the fact that they charged I think $1.00 for raw onions.

The Five Cheese Lasagna could have been called however many # cheese because once again you couldn't tell the differences because very mild cheeses were used.  The only one I noticed was the ricotta cheese because of the thick layer they use.  The side portion was huge... just as big as the petite version of my dish I ordered.  Once again the price discrepancy is confusing and one that should be addressed (but I guess it is a great deal for the person getting the burger).  Overall, the lasagna was nothing special in my mind.  The same tangy marinara covered the lasagna and it tasted italian, but it was definitely not memorable.

Chicken Tenders

My little brother choose chicken tenders for his meal.  He was caught off guard however when asked what TWO sides he wanted.  I guess he didn't realize it came with two sides.  Anyway, he choose the broccoli and the rigatoni and pesto (described below).  First of all, the entree comes with 5 huge chicken tenders.  They are fried to order and sprinkled with sesame seeds. They come out piping hot with the perfect crispiness without having too much breading.  It comes with a honey mustard sauce and also a ketchup.  I did wish the ketchup was more fancy... maybe horseradish added to it or something.  The honey mustard was my favorite of the two sauces.  The broccoli as his first side was more like broccoli scampi... huge chunks of broccoli swimming in a plate of butter and topped with cheese.  For trying to be healthier by ordering vegetables, the butter and cheese is definitely overkill.  It also comes with a Lena Cake for a nice little dessert (also described below).

Rigatoni and Pesto Side

My little brother choose the pesto based pasta as other side.  Rigatoni noodles were cooked well and generously covered in their pesto.  Unfortunately, the pesto had an overpowering basil flavor... as if they didn't use any other ingredients besides pureed pesto.  It also appeared to lack olive oil because it sort of beaded up and stuck to the noodles as opposed to covered them entirely.  I wouldn't order this side.

Pepperoni Pizza

The pepperoni pizza was awful.  Luckily, I had a coupon for a free 9 inch pizza with purchase of $25 or more.  The pizza came out looking like it was pre-made or frozen.  The pepperonis were placed under the cheese which didn't allow them to get hot and crispy.  The crust appeared pre-made from the perfect circle and cardboard like flavor it had.  I was really disappointed.  But I guess what can you expect for free?

Lena Cake

This is an awesome little dessert that is included in a lot of the entrees at Leona's.  The Lena cake is a chocolate cake base that has some kind of fruit or jam filling and is finished off with a cheesecake-like topping.  It reminds me exactly of those cheesecake brownies you can bake from a box.  I did find the cake portion to be a little on the drier side but the cheesecake topping made up for it.  The filling I thought was raspberry but I may be mistaken.  No need to order any other dessert.

Ice Cream Shot Glasses

For $2.00, you can get a mini ice cream sundae with two ingredients.  We ordered two different ones... one with caramel sauce & oreos and the other with caramel sauce & walnuts.  Each had Leona's vanilla ice cream and was topped with whipped cream.  We were a little disappointed that no cherries topped our ice cream, but didn't realize it until after eating half of the dessert.  It is the size of triple-shot glasses, so definitely enough to share if you just want a bite or two.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Free Parking Lot behind the restaurant.  You have to go south on Loomis and go west on the first side street.  The parking lot is clearly marked and is fairly good sized.  Just remember your car plate and color for when you enter the restaurant... and write it on the sheet to prevent towing.
- CHICKEN TENDERS... best meal and deal at this restaurant!
- The $2.00 dessert ice cream is a great deal.

DON'T:
- Don't get the pizza.  It is very generic--almost like a frozen pizza.

How far would I walk for this food?




Saturday, January 19, 2013

Molly's Cupcakes

Location: 2536 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614
Molly's Cupcakes on UrbanspoonMolly's Cupcakes on Foodio54

A Quick Word:
Molly's Cupcakes is one of the more established cupcake bakeries in Chicago.  With so many of them popping up everywhere, it has become hard to find the good ones and avoid the bad ones.  Throughout the years, Molly's has become my staple for recommending whenever someone asks where to try.  They have an extensive menu of center-filled cupcakes that are spin offs from favorite childhood snacks.  From butterfinger-like cupcakes to oreo, everyone will find one they love.  The atmosphere is very playful with swing set seating, colorful tables, and classic board games laying around the bakery.  The seating is limited which is unfortunate, especially when huge families have to take their cupcakes to go rather than enjoy them in the bakery.  Because of the seating situation and the hit-or-miss on a few of their cupcakes, I decided to rate it at 4.5 miles... highest of all my cupcake posts.

What We Ate:

Cookie Monster

This is one of those cupcakes that everyone loves... because everyone loves cookie dough.  The cookie monster cupcake is a vanilla cupcake that his filled a chocolate chip cookie dough and topped with both a rich buttercream frosting and chocolate chips.  The cupcake reminds me of fresh baked cookies that have been pulled from the oven, but have not cooled off enough to pick up yet.

Cake Batter

This may have become my all-time favorite cupcake.  I like to call it... "Funfetti on Steroids."  The funfetti-like cake base is filled with a gooey cake batter.  It is then topped with light blue frosting and a few sprinkles.  The cake was very light with the batter tasting exactly like what kids fight over... the battered spoon.  Such a simple cupcake with a presentation that reminded me exactly of a birthday cake.  In fact, I may just order a few for my own.

Cookies-n-Cream

Right when you see this cupcake, it speaks Oreo cookie.  A chocolate cupcake filled with a creamy frosting, and finished off with the same buttercream frosting and a mini Oreo.  Overall, I thought the cupcake was good.  I am a bigger fan of break and bake cookies rather than Oreos, so that may be my bias.  Anyway, think Oreo and that is exactly what you will be tasting... just in cake form.

Black and White

This cupcake was probably the most plain one ever created.  A chocolate cupcake was topped with  just a vanilla frosting.  Exciting right?  Not at all.  And unfortunately, they didn't even do a good job with simplicity.  The chocolate cake was dry and the frosting... nothing special.  I would never get this cupcake... ever.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- If you see a seat, definitely grab it and send one or two of your friends to grab a cupcake.  There is limited seating and you may have to wait a while or just take them to go.
- Highly suggest ordering the center-filled cupcakes.  These are significantly better.

DON'T:
- Don't come too late... at a certain time, Molly's stops baking new cupcakes and they begin to run out of the better flavors.  For us... no red velvet.

How far would I walk for this food?



Thursday, January 17, 2013

Butterfly Sushi Bar & Thai Cuisine

Location: 1156 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60642
                 1131 W. Madison St., Chicago, IL 60607
Butterfly Sushi Bar & Thai Cuisine on UrbanspoonButterfly Sushi Bar on Foodio54
A Quick Word:
Whenever my friends and I crave sushi and don't want to drive far, Butterfly Sushi immediately comes to mind.  With three different locations open until 10pm, we always order take out and enjoy sushi at the apartment.  They have an extensive menu of special maki rolls alongside the typical one or two ingredient rolls.  I have also had the opportunity to eat at their restaurant several times.  The staff is incredible... very attentive.  Don't miss out on their thai food as well, their duck and banana curry is their house specialty and very tasty.  The dishes are huge, so sharing is a must.  I frequent the restaurant enough to say consistency is spot on.  And, for that reason, I decided on a 4-mile rating.

What We Ate:

Fire Dragon Maki

Whenever ordering sushi, I always enjoy having one roll that has been tempura battered and deep fried.  It is a great way for people that dislike sushi to start eating it again.  The fire dragon signature maki roll is stuffed with salmon tempura, spicy tuna, cream cheese, avocado, and sweet potato.  The entire roll is tempura battered, fried, and then topped with a spicy honey-mayo, scallions, and golden tobiko.  The roll is served warm and is supposed to be crispy.  Unfortunately, since we ordered take out, the roll was cooked earlier than expected and the batter became soggy.  The filling was very creamy, especially with both cream cheese and avocado, but there was still a pronounced seafood taste from both the salmon and spicy tuna.  The tobiko added a unique crunch-like consistency.  The roll came with wasabi and ginger which wasn't really needed for this roll.

Crunchy Spicy Tuna Maki

My friend chose the crunch spicy tuna maki.  This very reasonably priced roll ($8) was filled with spicy tuna and avocado and topped with mounds of tempura crumbs.  I typically enjoy spicy tuna rolls and at Butterfly, there was actually enough spice that wasabi wasn't needed but still added by us.  The tempura crunch is a nice touch that simply adds a crunchy aspect to the roll.  I did use a little soy sauce and ginger for this roll.

Salmon Skin Maki

The last roll I decided to order was the salmon skin maki.  The name is self-explanatory, but for clarifying, it is filled with salmon skin and cucumber.  The entire roll is drizzled with the unagi sauce and costs $5.  I was surprised with this roll because the salmon skin actually  had some salmon remaining and was crisped up very nice.  Salmon skin tends to be more rich than expected because of its oily nature, but I really suggest trying this roll... definitely a good price for a great roll.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- For late night sushi on a whim, do come try Butterfly.
- BYOB!
- They take reservations if you call!

DON'T:
- Don't order the cooked sushi to go.  Unfortunately, they have the order ready probably 5 min or so earlier than they tell you and it sits in its container.  Soggy tempura batter is the result.

How far would I walk for this food?




Sunday, January 13, 2013

Atino's Pizza

Location: 570 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60607
Atinos Pizza on UrbanspoonAtino's Pizza on Foodio54
A Quick Word:
There are so many "Buy by the Slice" pizza joints in Chicago and so many of them do not do justice to the Chicago reputation of great deep dish pizza.  Atino's Pizza in the south loop contributes to the many horrible pizza places.  It is extremely disappointing when a place turns their typical thin crust pizza into "deep dish" by raising the edges of the crust higher and not changing anything else.  When you walk in, you are greeted by plenty of pizza warmers, run down cardboard signs, and a fridge stocked with cans of pop.  They do have an OK special when you buy two slices of pizza you get a free drink.  It will run you anywhere from $4 to $7 depending on which slices you choose.  Because one of the slices of pizza I ordered had good flavor and the deals they offer, I decided to give it a 2 mile rating, but I will be honest, I was very generous for sure.

What I Ate:

Sausage Deep Dish Pizza

Being in Chicago, I felt like ordering a slice of their deep dish pizza.  On first glance, it didn't look so great with an oily appearance and a crust that looked more like dry bread than pizza crust.  And my first impression was exactly right.  The pizza crust was cardboard-like, dry on the edges, and soggy in the middle probably from sitting for quite some time.  There was minimal tomato sauce, but strangely there was enough oil to not allow the cheese to even stick to the crust.  And for $3.50... I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

Chicken Ranch Thin Crust Pizza

This pizza was promising for the first few bites.  The chicken ranch pizza is I believe $2.50 a slice and is topped with chicken, a few green pepper slices, and some onion.  It is a ranch based pizza so no tomato sauce was present.  I actually enjoyed the overall flavor of the pizza and the price was much better.  The ranch is a nice touch, especially with the chicken, but I did wish they had more vegetables on the pizza. It still had that excessively dry crust with an oily cheese, but I guess that is what happens after sitting in a warmer.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- They do have a "Buy any two slices, get a free pop" special.  I suggest doing this.
- 15 min Standing Zone is right in front of the restaurant so this is helpful when doing a quick pick up order.

DON'T:
- Don't even consider getting the deep dish pizza. It is awful.

How far would I walk for this food?


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Meli Cafe

Location: 301 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60661
Meli Cafe on UrbanspoonMeli Cafe and Juice Bar on Foodio54
A Quick Word:
For brunch, a main staple for many UIC students has been Meli Cafe in nearby Greektown.  Whenever I come out here, there is usually a wait of 30 minute or more, especially on the weekends.  But after the wait in the extremely small corridor area, you are seated in a very cramped dining room but happy to be looking at an extremely diverse menu.  There does seem to be a trend of offering various greek-influenced dishes that include feta, but they still offer the typical breakfast foods.  From crepes to skillets, everyone always gets a huge plate of food that screams left overs.  They also offer a variety of freshly squeezed fruit juices, smoothies made-to-order, and incredible homemade jams.  Unfortunately, the crowded atmosphere is met by a staff that tries to get their customers in & out in an uncomfortable and short amount of time.  They not only take orders immediately after sitting, but they also bring the check without asking.  The overall price is very high for brunch food. Overall, I can look past the cost because I love their food, but I still hate the overall experience enough to knock down the rating to just better than average.  Anyway, give it a try and let me know what you think about their food and service.

What We Ate:

Homemade Preserves and Honey Butter w/ Multigrain Toast

The toast and their homemade preserves is a MUST HAVE when dining at Meli's.  The flavors change depending on what is in season and what the chef decides to make.  This time, we were lucky enough to have apricot preserves and an orange marmalade.  The orange marmalade was my favorite with fresh orange zest mixed right in.  The apricot was interesting, but I think apricots in general have a stranger flavor that I am not as fond of.  And of course, they serve a honey butter which actually has the sweetness that I was looking for.  Order bread... LOTS of bread!

Emerald Isle Skillet

Today I decided to stray away from my usual eggs, toast, and potatoes and chose the Emerald Isle skillet.  This skillet starts with a base of their house baby red potatoes topped with corned beef hash, baby swiss cheese, and two eggs over easy.  You can choose a different style of eggs, but I highly suggest the runny yolk of the over easy preparation.  The red potatoes are once again amazing, but I would prefer them separate with a huge pile of ketchup and tabasco.  The corned beef hash wasn't like the cheaper version at some diners, but instead had some texture and a great salty flavor.  They do add a lot of cheese which could be cut back on.  I suggest popping the yolk, adding a little bit of ketchup, and make sure to get a little of everything in each bite.  It does come with your choice of toast (see above description).

Smoked Salmon Crepes

My mom chose one of their savory crepe options... the smoked salmon ones.  It came with two massive crepes that were stuffed with a mixture of scrambled eggs, honey smoked salmon, capers, onions, and tomatoes.  Everything was drizzled with a hollandaise sauce.  These were great.  The crepe was a nice thickness that allowed it to roll into enchilada-like vessels.  The mixture inside was simply a smoked salmon omelet but the ingredient choices were on point!  The capers and onions gave the nice acidity and contrasting flavor that cut some of the richness from the eggs, crepe, and hollandaise sauce.  I will probably get these or one of the other savory crepes next time.

Jicama Scramble (today's special)

After debating between two dishes, my dad ending ordering the Jicama scramble.  This plate included two eggs scrambled and mixed with chicken, jicama, grilled corn, chopped jalapeño, and cheese.  It was served with toast or an english muffin which is great for the jams.  My dad's dish had the best texture with the corn and jicama breaking up the mushiness from the eggs and cheese.  And surprisingly, the grilled corn actually provided a charred flavor that I enjoyed.  It was a little spicier than expected and also had somewhat of a chorizo flavor without having chorizo.  Anyway, I thought it was a smaller portion and was pricier than some of the others... but I guess it was the day's special.

(two eggs scrambled and mixed in with chicken, jicama, grilled corn, chopped jalapeño, cheese)

Pear Juice

For about $3.00, you get a small glass of pear juice.  It is hard to describe because it is 100% pear which makes it not only fresh, but just PEAR.  Definitely order some juices, but be careful with the price.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Be prepared for a wait... they do estimate a little on the higher side, but still I tend to wait nearly 30 minutes every time I eat here.
- MUST ORDERS:  toast, baby red potatoes.  If you don't, you will be missing out and will be disappointed.
- The fruit juices are expensive, but I always think it is worth it.  No additives, just fruit.

DON'T:
- If you are looking to spend a little extra time with the family or friends and just want to talk, DON'T come here.  They rush all tables and seem to dislike letting people lounge around.

How far would I walk for this food?


(I highly dislike their service.)