Revolution Brewing Co.

Location: 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647

 

A Quick Word:
When the weekend rolls around and you are looking for a place to start drinking and have a great meal, definitely think of Revolution Brewing Co.  This brewery has a beer for just about everyone and has great meals that pair well with their home brews.  Not only do they have an extensive menu including burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas... they also take the time to create daily specials with whatever seasonal ingredients are available.  I love the laid back atmosphere and the cheap beer prices.  Unfortunately, the location is not even close to the downtown proper.  The restaurant is located in Logan Square meaning a double digit cab ride cost or a long, annoying trip on several public transportation vehicles.  Both the location and the fact that the meals weren't perfect and memorable in every way led me to a more fairly rated 4.5 miles.  I still highly recommend the restaurant and brewery and I know I will be back soon.

What We Ate:

Country-style Venison Sausage

For some reason, I wasn't too hungry when we arrived at Revolution.  I scanned the menu and one of their day's specials caught my eye.  The special came with a country-style venison sausage served with red wine poached pears, cinnamon corn bread, candied jalapeños, and a red wine syrup.  It sounds like a lot, but everything was portioned very well.  The sausage itself had plenty of strong seasonings that made the sausage unique but still keep that venison-gamey taste.  I absolutely loved the poached pears and the candied jalapeños.  Sweet and spicy paired very well with the venison.  Unfortunately, the cinnamon corn bread was inedible.  It was drier that a handful of sand and tasted like a bottle of goldschlager was poured on it.  Thankfully I had a beer to wash it down.

Workingman Burger

One of my buddies decided on the workingman burger.  This burger was cooked medium (upon request) and topped with an aged cheddar, beer boiled onions, and bacon.  It came with a side of fries as well.  His interpretation of the burger was great... "it is hard to find anything wrong with it."  Upon further review though, he did think the burger lacked a sauce.  Maybe some kind of chipotle ketchup or jalapeño creation?  The bun was also your typical potato bun... not the popular pretzel bun that brings burgers to the next level.

Iron Fist Fish and Chips

My other friend knew he wanted fish, but with multiple items on the menu, he went with the waitress's recommendation.  The fish and chips were cod fillets battered in a pale ale batter.  They were served with chips aka french fries, a roasted red pepper remoulade, and a honey jalapeño slaw.  The meal was huge.  Three large fish filets that arrive at your table hot.  They cannot even be picked up.  The outer shell had a perfect crisp and the fish just flaked when the filet was bent in half.  My friend was surprised about the jalapeño slaw.  He described it as being shockingly spicy for typical slaw.  The sauces were great, but if it was my meal, a plain tartar sauce would be nice.

WorKing Mom Brown Ale

This brown ale is aged in Rum and Woodford Reserve barrels.  This is without question one of my favorite beers I have ever tried.  It has a high alcohol content at 11%.  But, the flavors were incredible... I could clearly taste chocolate and toffee without even trying.  Some undertones of vanilla were also present but that chocolate-toffee combo was addicting.  I tried asking to buy bottles or bombers of this beer, but it wasn't bottled.  I guess I have to go back and try more.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- WorKing Mom Brown Ale is a MUST TRY.  Ask if they still have it!
- Definitely come around dinner time and hang around for the wait.  They told us 45 minutes.  One beer at the bar and 30 minutes later, our table was ready.

DON'T:
- Their food isn't high class gourmet or perfect in any way.  So don't expect every aspect of the meal to be memorable.
- DON'T drive here.  First of all, you can drink more beers.  But more importantly, it is impossible to find parking, especially on the weekends.

How far would I walk for this food?

Dark Horse Bar & Grill

Location:  3443 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago, IL 60657


A Quick Word:

When Monday Night Football rolled around, one of my friends suggested coming to this wrigleyville bar for the Bears game.  It happened to be a Pittsburgh Steeler bar, so I felt right at home. Anyway, the bar has an amazing heated beer garden open year round.  They had a decent beer selection and surprisingly had even drink specials.  But it was the food special that sold me.  Either a burger or BBQ pork sandwich with a side for only $3.00.  Unfortunately, we had some awful service with out waitress bringing us wrong beers, bringing us more beer without us requesting, spilling food, and not being attentive for most of the game.  I swear we had to call the bus boy to get out waitress every time we needed something. The food itself was nothing spectacular... Well I guess the price is great... But that's all.  And for those reasons, I thought 2.5 mile rating was fair.

What I Ate:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

There was one menu item on special that was the clear front runner for my meal.  The BBQ pulled pork sandwich for only $3.00 and came with your choice of french fries or tater tots, which I chose the latter.  The sandwich was not the largest, but what can you expect for such a cheap meal.  The meat was tender and covered in a tangy BBQ sauce.  The bread was nothing special--unless you truly love enriched flour hamburger buns.  I was extremely disappointed to have sweet potato tater tots arrive as my side.  The lady never stated sweet potato and I was craving just regular tots.  Maybe a small scoop of cole slaw would be nice to give a contrasting texture to the sandwich... but I wouldn't want to pay any more than those three bucks if I were to order this special again.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Watching Monday Night Football here is great.  The heated beer garden wasn't packed, even for the Bears game.
- Plenty of food and beer specials.

DON'T:
- If you want the rowdy crowd for football games, this place is not for you.
- Don't expect the best service here.

How far would I walk for this food?

Forever Yogurt

Location:  Multiple throughout the city

A Quick Word:
How do you decide which froyo shop to visit?  For me, there are two separate criteria.  Do I want healthy?  If so, I choose a place like Pinkberry.  Do I want sweet and sugary?  Then, no question I choose Forever Yogurt.  On this trip, we all needed to satisfy our "sweet tooth", or in my case, "sweet teeth".  At Forever Yogurt, you are always greeted with at least 8-10 flavors of froyo, ranging from the traditional chocolate and fruit flavors to the more creative campfire marshmallow or cake batter.  You are also greeted with a couple of sample cups to help you decide.  These froyo shops are the "do-it-yourself" type, meaning you fill your cup with froyo and you add all your toppings.  And with weight as the deciding factor for cost, you are in sole control of the price.  I have found my froyo to range from $5.00 - $6.50, but, one of my friend's has spent closer to $9.00.  I personally don't think this is the best froyo in the city, and with varying prices, I do wish a standard size and topping amount was implemented.  I also like places with less temptation and more emphasis on fruits.  And for those reasons, I could only give them an average 3.5 mile rating.

What I Ate:

"Create Your Own" Froyo

When I have the ability to choose multiple flavors and add whatever ingredients to my froyo, everything becomes fair game.  You get the largest cup and start filling it up.  This time, I tried three different flavors of froyo... pumpkin pie, cookies n' cream , and campfire marshmallow.  I added cookie dough, brownie bites, mochi, watermelon popping bobas, and sour gummies.  The flavors of froyo is probably the main reason I come to this place.  But remember, the flavors are hit or miss.  Some are just plain awful.  The pumpkin pie was perfect for the season, but the cookies n' cream flavor sort of overwhelmed everything.  In terms of toppings, those bobas were awful.  Artificial flavoring is all I tasted which was way to sweet.  The gummies got hard after touching the froyo (bad choice on my part), and what screams more unhealthily than cookie dough and brownie bites?  Yes, fruits are available, but somehow I gravitated towards all of that sugar.  My fault--definitely, but product of Forever Yogurt's concept--absolutely.


The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Definitely ask for sample cups.  This allows you to try different flavors before settling on a couple.

DON'T:
- Don't try anything "Gummy."  The cold from the froyo actually makes gummy bears or worms hard and difficult to chew.

How far would I walk for this food?

Lao Sze Chuan

Location: 2172 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

A Quick Word:
When people ask me where to go in Chinatown, I tend to recommend one restaurant (and it isn't this one).  Then people ask... how about Tony Hu's restaurant?  My response is "Which one?".  Chef Tony has more than a handful of restaurants throughout Chicago, each featuring a different Chinese region's cuisine.  This trip, I revisited Lao Sze Chuan.  This restaurant is infamous for its spicy theme--from appetizers to entrees.  All of the dishes I tried were great, but not even close to the best in Chicago.  Their flavors are unique and their use of the chili is taken to the next level.  The restaurant itself is very classy, with a much cleaner dining area than what you typically find in Chinatown.  I was disappointed once again with the service.  It took a long time for orders to be taken and for even our water to be filled (difficult when the free appetizer was spicy).  Without question, the food is delicious, but when taking the service into account and the prices, a 4-mile rating is all I could justify.

What We Ate:

Cabbage with Chili Oil

Lao Sze Chuan starts off the meal right.  Every table gets a free appetizer or in my opinion, palate stimulator.  The dish is simple--chopped cabbage mixed with their house-made chili oil.  Somehow this cabbage is both refreshing and spicy.  I kept going back for more and I assure most people do.

564: Tony's Chicken with Three Chili

This trip, we decided to try Tony's Chicken with three chili rather than the signature dry chili chicken.  I figured two chili peppers next to the item menu should still be pretty spicy.  The dish arrived with cubes of lightly breaded and well-seasoned chicken that have been pan fried in a wok.  On top is a medley of peppers.  In terms of the chicken, all I can really say is WOW.  Fried perfectly which still kept the meat moist.  The outer crust was crispy and had a nice peppery flavor.  However, the chili medley on top was extremely disappointing.  They used green and red peppers and if that is considered a spicy chili, then I must have missed something.  I mean the flavor was great--a nice sweetness mixed with that peppery chicken, but I was waiting for the heat.  If I had to choose again, I would definitely stick with the dry chili chicken.

574: Chef's Special Crispy Duck w/ Bone

My buddy wanted to try the duck so after scanning the menu, the crispy duck entree sounded the best.  I wasn't exactly sure how it was prepared, but it appeared to be roasted first, then flash fried to give the skin more of a chicharones feel.  It was a half of a duck and was served with a sweeter hoisin sauce.  I loved the crunch factor of the skin.  Their was ample amounts of meat and the bone essentially fell of the meat with a tug of the chopsticks.  I think I was hoping for a little more spicy dish, especially as a sze chuan style cuisine, so I was a little disappointed. Oh yeah, the dish comes with white rice.

706: Fried Noodles w/ Mixed Vegetables

Now this was the dish that also knocked some of my overall rating a little lower.  The fried noodles with mixed vegetables reminded me of Panda Express.  Traditional egg noodles are stir fried with a carrots, cabbage, snow peas, and green beans.  The dish was a little oily for my liking and had an interesting smoky flavor.  That flavor was almost like it was cooked with burnt garlic or even burnt oil. The noodles are a filler, but I would rather eat rice or fried rice with my dish.


The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- The Dry Chili Chicken is by far the best dish.  Didn't order this time, but it is a must have.
- Stick with their recommendations.  The dishes they didn't recommend were average at best
- Validated parking is available as well as cheap street parking

DON'T:
- Don't expect to have a quick lunch.  Slower service = long time spent at the restaurant.

Complimentary Hot Tea (jasmine)

How far would I walk for this food?

Vegetarian Corn and Squash Chowder - Plated

I recently had the opportunity to try a new company out... Plated.  This company is similar to those subscription type services that send you weekly meals, but at the same time, are completely unique.  First of all, the week before you want your groceries delivered, you look at their website and check out the upcoming menu.  You must order a 2 plate minimum per meal and a 4 plate minimum per order.  It is extremely simple. http://www.plated.com

After selecting your meals, all you do is wait.  The following week, the meals will be delivered either on Monday or Tuesday (depending on your US location).  Everything comes in a cooler with ice packs and insulation.  All of the ingredients have labels and are essentially portioned out to perfection.  Not only that, Plated actually threw in a special tool for my meal (a corn de-kerneler) which was AMAZING!  That surprise made the entire order worth it.

Each dish comes with a card with a picture of the meal, recipe and instructions on the back, time to complete, and difficulty level.  Most of the ingredients are pre-chopped or sliced, so it can be as simple as adding the ingredients to the pot and allowing it to cook.

Overall, I thought the meal was delicious.  The portion size was enormous.  Somehow I ordered to plates worth of the soup, but it was definitely enough to feed 3-4 people.  The cooking time was short and the difficult was very easy.  All of the squash was pre-peeled and cubed, possibly taking some of the fun out of cooking, but at the same time giving me extra time to finish up some last minute work.  The soup itself was very rich and creamy... I think maybe they can offer a lighter version--substituting low fat cream instead of the heavy cream they provided.  Also, a little extra baguette wouldn't hurt.

There was still half the amount left in the pot after these two servings!

Following the meal, my friends and I were wondering what could have made this meal that much better.  All we thought about was dessert.  My suggestion would be to throw in a couple of pre-portioned cookie dough balls so the customer could throw them into the oven and having a freshly baked cookie for dessert.  I don't think that would cause too much inconvenience or be too pricey for Plated to do.  I loved the idea of having groceries shipped to my house and ready for cooking.  I highly recommend others to use their service, especially if grocery shopping isn't your forte.  I truly had a wonderful experience with Plated and be on the look out for another amazing meal from them in the near future.