Dimo's Pizza

Location: 3463 N. Clark Street., Chicago, IL 60657

A Quick Word:
After falling in love with Ian's Pizza and hearing that it had closed... I was disappointed.  Luckily, a similar joint, Dimo's Pizza, opened in its space.  I still am a little confused on the actual story behind Dimo's and whether or not Ian's renamed itself as Dimo's, but regardless, I encountered delicious pizza with the most interesting toppings.  A thin crust pizza has toppings that could be eaten alone or toppings that are typically served on other vessels.  Unfortunately, some of the slices are big misses--blandness is the first word that comes to mind.  I can't wait to try more of the toppings... especially the s'more slice, but overall I could only give Dimo's a 4 mile rating.  Maybe because some slices are struggles, but more likely because Ian's Pizza was imitated and not perfected.

What We Ate:

Guacamole Burrito Pizza

Our first choice was the burrito pizza.  We chose the guacamole burrito slice which contained black beans, rice, guacamole, cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of sour cream.  The other option would be a spicy chicken burrito, but guacamole sounded better.  When you first bite into the slice, you really get confused if you are at a mexican joint or a pizza place.  The burrito actually tasted somewhat authentic and was tasty.  The guac gave a nice creamy consistency.

Chicken n' Waffles Pizza & Spicy Chicken Taco Pizza

Once I saw Fried Chicken and Waffles on the menu, I knew I had to try this slice.  The slice was made with breaded chicken fingers and mini waffles chopped into bite sized pieces.  They were sitting on a creme fraiche base, topped with mozzarella cheese, and drizzled with both maple syrup and melted butter.  Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with the slice.  There was no flavor whatsoever.  In fact, I couldn't tell you if it was chicken, waffles, or even pizza at all.  I would never order this again unless they find someway to make the chicken more moist and have more flavor.

Mexican themed pizzas are very popular at Dimo's.  This spicy chicken taco slice is honestly their buffalo chicken with a Mexican twist.  It is topped with marinated buffalo chicken, pico de gallo, mexican seasonings, and both mozzarella and cheddar cheese.  There was a really good spice to the pizza slice; I wasn't sure if it was from the buffalo seasoning or the jalapeños in the pico de gallo.  It really tastes like a taco and I really suggest getting this slice.

Spinach Feta Pesto Pizza & Tomato Pesto Pizza

For a more fresh slice of pizza, the spinach feta pesto slice is the way to go.  It is topped with sautéed spinach, mozzarella cheese, and crumbled feta cheese.  A pesto base is used which gives that Italian flavor.  It was another great slice to enjoy.  It broke up the greasy feel from some of the other slices.  The spinach and feta combo also reminded me of Greek flavors... so maybe this slice is a little confused, yet still very tasty.

After ordering so many intricate slices of pizza, we all decided to try a simple one.  The tomato pesto pizza is exactly what it's name describes... sliced tomatoes, extra mozzarella cheese, and a pesto based sauce.  The thin crust is still a perfect vessel for the toppings.  The pesto is basil heavy so I really enjoyed it.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- I encourage sharing.  There are so many different slices that sharing is the only way to try a majority of them.
- Do call ahead and ask for the specials.  They have a weekly rotating slices.

DON'T:
- Don't come during Cubs games... the place is ridiculously packed.
- Don't drive to this area.  Street parking is scarce and sometimes impossible.

How far would I walk for this food?

Three Happiness

Location: 290 W. Cermak Road, Chicago, IL 60616

A Quick Word:
For many of my childhood years, my family frequented Three Happiness for one type of meal... their dim sum.  We would come on weekend mornings and order over a dozen different dumplings and I could remember the taste of each and every one.  However, in recent years, new establishments (Phoenix and Cai) have opened which easily trump this restaurant's dim sum.  And after truly thinking about it, I found many flaws in the Three Happiness cuisine.  First of all, the dumplings all are average... nothing is spectacular, not even their signature dish.  The tea came out extremely strong as if we got a left over pot of tea, and the ice water just tasted dirty.  I saw them pouring water from a pretty disgusting service station.  The service was OK, I can't really complain.  But because of the food and the dirtier building, I could only give them a 3 mile rating... and honestly that was a stretch.

(Left: Picture menu for late night Dim Sum.  Right: Hot Jasmine Tea)

What We Ate:

BBQ Pork Bun

I always enjoy asian baos, especially when filled with BBQ pork.  This rice flour buns are filled with the typical gelatinous BBQ pork and steamed.  The bun was fresh... it was soft, sweet, and held together quite well.  The BBQ pork on the other hand was sparse and more gelatinous than meaty.  These aren't the worst baos, but not close to the best either.

Three Happiness Dumpling

This house speciality dumpling is made with a soy bean wrapper and stuffed with pork and mixed vegetables.  In my opinion, this dumpling taste more of the soy tofu flavor rather than pork.  And that isn't what I wanted.  This dish comes with three longer dumplings.  I suggest trying this dumpling with a little hoisin sauce or chili oil.

Pork Potstickers

The potstickers at Three Happiness are simple dumplings... and only mediocre at best.  Each wonton wrapper was stuffed with a ground pork meatball.  They crisp up the bottom of each dumpling prior to steaming the entire order.  But, unfortunately, the flavors are not as prominent as some of the other dishes we ordered.  The chili oil will help, but not enough to save the dish.

Shrimp Toast

This was my favorite dish of the night.  The shrimp toast is a fried shrimp-rice dumpling that is topped with a crispy wonton wrapper.  They make it look like buttered toast.  The dumplings are extremely crispy.  They don't skimp on the protein either... each bite has huge shrimp flavor.  Add a little sweet and sour sauce and some chili sauce and enjoy.  It comes with three dumplings.

Salt & Pepper Calamari

My friend really wanted to try the calamari.  And I am glad we did.  The salt and pepper calamari is extremely simple.  Just a little salt, pepper, jalapeño, and garlic coat the calamari and they are lightly pan fried.  The squid was surprisingly tender and full of flavor.  I would order it again.  This dish is a larger size so it is a little higher priced.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Weekend mornings are most authentic experience.  Do try to come during peak hours because carts fill the dining hall and as customers, you can just point and eat.
- Do come in a large group.  It is difficult to try a variety of dim sum with only one other person.  Share it all!

DON'T:
- I wouldn't order the food off their actual menu.  The dim sum is what they are known for.

How far would I walk for this food?

Wafel

Location: 217 N. Clinton St., Chicago, IL 60661


A Quick Word:
As soon as I heard waffle sandwiches were coming to the West Loop area, I was sold on trying Wafel. With a similar concept to Bel 50, I was wondering which restaurant would top my waffle sandwich list.    And without question... it WASN'T Wafel.  This restaurant features a more "to go" style atmosphere.  They serve pre made leige waffles and also Fold & Go waffle sandwiches.  From the savory fried chicken waffle to a not so typical apple and brie waffle, they have options for everyone.  Unfortunately, we encountered waffles that weren't hot... and in fact, were room temperature at best.  I enjoy hot food from restaurants, so this was a huge disappointment.  The next awful experience was the service.  After ordering food for dine-in, we were given waffles stapled up in bags with no napkins, plates, nothing.  The cashier proceeded to say... "Oh, the paper plates and stuff you can grab over there."  He wasn't even busy, just sitting behind his iPad cash register probably wondering how long his restaurant will stay open.  The waffles were ok... much smaller than Bel 50 and less crispy.  Because of mediocre food and awful service, I think I was generous with a 2.5 mile rating.  We may differ in opinions, but try Bel 50 first, and you won't be disappointed.

What We Ate:

Fold & Go Waffle Sandwiches

We had so many sandwiches, I decided to break it down to the basics rather than all the details behind each waffle sandwich.  First of all, each sandwich is made with a thin waffle base that acts just like bread.  It had a little sweetness to it, but in my opinion, was more neutral than anything (very disappointing).  There are plenty of toppings that can go inside as you will see below.

The group's favorite was the Fried Chicken Waffle.  This sandwich had a freshly fried chicken breast, maple syrup, and an apple slaw.  Just imagine being able to eat fried chicken and waffles on the go... it is great.  The apple slaw gave the sandwich a freshness taste.  The chicken was the only part hot on the sandwich.

The serrano ham waffle was easily the next best.  This waffle was packed with a generous serving of serrano ham, manchego cheese, quince chutney, and some arugula.  This one was a little more pricey, but definitely worth it.  The sweetness from the chutney which complimented the salty ham.

The prime rib waffle sandwich was awful.  I was extremely disappointed to find frozen sliced cheesesteak meat topped with cheese and a few peppers.  Really?  Don't call that prime rib please.

The Turkey Club Waffle reminded me like a club sandwich.  Turkey breast, avocado, bacon, tomato... what else is needed?  The avocado was creamy enough to act like a sauce and the rest... well you can't really mess up a club sandwich.  Maybe I was already disappointed with the restaurant when trying this sandwich, but still... not that impressive.

A couple of the other waffles that were on the subpar rating include BBQ pork (extremely dry, tasted like it was frozen meat) and the vegetarian waffle (made with apples, arugula, and goat cheese).  Both weren't impressive, and in fact, I would never order them again.

Dessert Folds

Now the dessert folds were something else.  This is how I picture waffle sandwiches to be... maybe because I have a sweet tooth or maybe because these were that good.  We ordered two to split.  First was the S'more fold.  This waffle was filled with a dark chocolate, marshmallow cream, and a graham cracker topping.  There was a lack of graham cracker, but the chocolate marshmallow combo was perfect.  The other dessert waffle was the Banana Nutella Fold.  It was simple... banana, nutella, and whipped cream filled the waffle.  If anyone didn't know, nutella is a hazelnut chocolate.  Everyone knows the chocolate is best eaten with bananas.  I still prefer it on crepes, but the waffle is next best option.

Sweet Potato Tots and French Fries

After the cashier raved about how great the tater tots were, we all decided to order a couple sides to split.  I was disappointed to find frozen sweet potato tots and fries that were double fried, probably because they were pre-fried and not ordered due to the lack of customers.  I didn't like these at all and would rather spend the money on a dessert fold.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Fried Chicken is the best option.  This is cooked to order so the chicken is hot and crispy.
- Do order the sweet potato tater tots... definitely frozen before fried, but can't complain.

DON'T:
- Don't expect this to be a cheap lunch/dinner.  The sandwiches with tax will run you at least $7 and after dessert waffle, you will be closer to the $15 region.  Personally, I wasn't even full after one of each.

How far would I walk for this food?

Tommy Knuckles

Location: 433 W. Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614


A Quick Word:
After spending an afternoon watching the Blackhawks game at nearby Lakeview bar,  one of my buddies and I decided to try this knew tavern/lounge restaurant... Tommy Knuckles.  The menu sounded interesting with plenty variety of sandwiches and pastas.  After ordering, we had some of the worst service with forgetful staff and dirty napkins.  The wrong meals were brought to our table several times and the bill was forgotten several times after requesting.  The experience was also tainted by an overcooked burger despite having some of the most interesting toppings I have ever seen.  The food did bring up my overall rating, but because of the service and big misses in some of the food, I could only give this new restaurant a 2 mile rating.  Maybe they are working out the kinks?  Or maybe it just isn't that good... I guess time will tell.

What We Ate:

Marsellus Wallace

Listed under the knuckle sandwich category, I wasn't sure if this was a burger or what.  After asking, the server clarified that almost all the knuckle sandwiches are burgers except for a couple.  Anyway, I stuck with my choice which was a beef burger topped with a fried egg, a waffle, candied bacon, and a BBQ aioli.  It was served on a typical hamburger bun.  From the first bite, I immediately noticed an overcooked, dry burger.  I requested medium rare but encountered a more well done patty.  The waffle was out shined by the char flavor... even though it was an interesting attempt at a topping. The candied bacon wasn't that sweet and the egg yolk was popped before it reached my table.  I don't know, but the burger was just not that great.  The fries with the runny yolk were still crispy and rich.  A good side to just a subpar burger.

Chicken Babaloo

My buddy ordered the chicken knuckle sandwich.  This was not a burger... but rather a fried chicken breast that was topped with "shaved ham", swiss cheese, a dijon aioli, and served on a hoagie roll.  The sandwich was huge.  The chicken breast was served piping hot so it was still crispy.  But the most disappointing part was the so called shaved ham.  It was just deli ham slices stacked on top.  Very disappointing when you are thinking holiday ham shaved off the bone.  The sandwich reminded me of a cuban sandwich--just not as good.  It came with sweet potato fries which were significantly better than the regular fries.  Pretty good sandwich; just a more accurate description is needed.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do order the sweet potato fries.  I think that was the best part of all the food we tried.

DON'T:
- Sitting outside here was a mistake.  The service outside was horrible.  I don't know if it was just our server, but it seemed like everyone wasn't have the best service out here.
- Almost no parking around the area.  Don't drive.

How far would I walk for this food?

Johnnie's Beef

Location: 7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707

A Quick Word:
When it comes to the Italian beef sandwich, two Chicago establishments are clearly the front-runners.  Chicagoans are loyal to either Al's Italian Beef or Johnnie's Beef.  And I'll proudly saw that I chose the later.  Johnnie's Beef which is located in Elmwood Park has become one of those old-time restaurants that hasn't skipped a beat.  They still have a simple menu that includes just a few items--italian sausage, italian beef, a combination of both, and red hots.  Rather than adding as the years have gone by, they keep just one italian ice flavor... lemonade.  And somehow, the line keeps growing.  The food is perfection; I could easily see myself eating here several times a week if it wasn't for its location.  Anyway, after careful consideration, I couldn't think of any reason to not give Johnnie's a perfect 5 mile rating.

The line at Johnnie's Beef just shows how good this place is.  People will wait for perfection!

What We Ate:

Combo Sandwich

It is fine to see how people order their Italian beef or combo sandwich.  I say "Combo, both, juicy."  That translates to "italian beef with italian sausage sandwich, add both sweet peppers and hot peppers aka giardinera, and dip that italian bread roll into the beef au jus.  This is my perfect sandwich and Johnnie's does the best at making it.  The bread is always soft and eventually on the soggier side from the au jus.  The italian beef and italian sausage are perfectly seasoned and can be eaten on their own.  And, the combination of hot and sweet peppers gives a nice, crunchy texture and a little sweet undertone.  I always suggest ordering both the beef and sausage because the meats compliment each other really well.  I sometimes find the italian beef to be on the saltier side and the sausage on the smaller side.  So together, the sandwich becomes epic.  This is one of the sandwiches that is a must try when in Chicago.

French Fries

The french fries are nothing special.  They are served piping hot with not much salt.  They are reasonably priced, but I probably wouldn't waste stomach real estate for them.  Much better than many of the other italian beef places' fries.

Lemon Italian Ice

I love Italian Ice and I think Johnnie's has some of the best.  They have one flavor... lemon or lemonade.  I specifically like this italian ice because they don't use as much lemon rind as some of the other places.  They have a good sour to sweet ratio and are very generous with their portion.  I suggest ordering a small because they make a huge mound above the cup.  Delicious and a must try!

Tamale

Seeing tamale on the menu was intriguing.  I decided to give it a try rather than ordering fries.  It was a ground beef or in my case, mush, tamale.  The massa was good consistency, but it was more bland than anything.  I had to eat it with the left over hot peppers that fell out of my sandwich.  Probably wouldn't order it again, but this sub par dish cannot put a blemish on how perfect I think their sandwiches are.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Cash Only!
- I prefer coming on off hours... because there is always difficult finding parking and a long line.
- Do specify if you want it juicy or dry.  Getting it to go is usually better dry.

DON'T:
- Don't plan on eating at the restaurant.  They have about five tables which are always full and a small counter to stand up and eat inside.  Just get it to go.

How far would I walk for this food?