Nuevo Leon

(December 14, 2011 and about 10 visits before and after!)
1515 W. 18th St., Chicago IL, 60608

A Quick Word:

For some of the most authentic Mexican food in Chicago, I would definitely come to Nuevo Leon.  They have so many options for both breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  Very few Mexican restaurants come close to this place, especially when considering both taste of food and COST.  It is extremely reasonable with prices usually around $8 - $9 an entree.  You can't really find much better!  Only think keeping it from a perfect rating is that they try to get you in and out fairly quickly and the inconvenience of needing CASH.

What I Ate:  (I've been here so many times... but only have a few pictures! sorry!)

Chicken Soup

One of their free appetizers.  And yes, I said FREE!  Every person at the table will get whatever the restaurant is serving that day!  It rotates and can range from stewed pork with a tortilla to chicken soup and if you are lucky a small flauta!  And of course everyone gets the normal chips and salsa too!

Carne Asada Tostadas

This is my "reliable" dish... whenever someone ask for a suggestion on what to get... I tell them I have eaten just about everything on the menu and if you are looking for something guaranteed to be good... try these tostadas.  They can be topped with just about anything and can even do two toppings.  The order comes with three overloaded tostadas each with refried beans, choice of meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro!  I usually eat one or two at most and take the third one home.  and all of it for just $6.00.  It can't be beat!

Beef Enchiladas Suizas

The beef enchiladas here were excellent.  The order comes with three and I chose the red sauce.  It wasn't too tangy and spicy as I was expecting which was a nice surprise.  I usually enjoy the green sauce (pictured below) on my enchiladas but I wanted to try something different.  The beef was ground... I was hoping they had a barbacoa option but they didn't.  The rice and beans were amazing.  I THINK THEY HAVE THE BEST REFRIED BEANS IN CHICAGO!  I will admit I am hooked and sometimes just order a side to take home!

Chicken Enchiladas Suizas

The chicken version of these enchiladas.  This time with the green sauce and also covered in plenty of cheese.  These were better because the chicken was a pulled chicken cooked in some mexican spices.  The rice and beans again were the greatest part of the meal and almost stole the show.  I like to get a little rice, a little beans, some salsa and put them all on one of their tortilla chips!  It is delicious!

Pork Tamales

The Pork tamales were good but a little disappointing.  They were not as moist as I like tamales to be so I had to ask for extra salsa to cover them with.  The filling rotates also so depending on what day it is it might be filled with jalapeños and cheese or chicken or in my case pork.  Luckily this meal came with rice and beans which made me happy!

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:
- It is BYOB so bring some Victoria!
- Ask to sit in the back area... It is much nicer atmosphere and people waiting won't be bothering you at your tables!
- OTHER SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO EAT:
Frijoles Sabinas (my favorite appetizer.. sometimes I eat is as my entree!  but get the SMALL order... it feeds like 5 people easily)
Red Snapper (this is to die for!  an entire red snapper with rice and avocado and tortillas!)
Flautas (if you are not too hungry this is a good sized meal)
Combination Plate (if you don't know what to get... you won't be disappointed!)
Carne Asada Dinner (this is a huge steak and you cut it up yourself and make tacos!
- Drive!  They have free parking and also street parking is pretty easy to find around here and cheaper than rest of Chicago!

DONT:
- Don't forget to bring CASH!!! it is CASH ONLY! they do have an ATM but a fee is charged!

How far would I walk for this food?

Friendship Chinese Restaurant

(November 28, 2011)
2830 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60618

A Quick Word:
Friendship Chinese is a descent restaurant if you are looking for the "Americanized" style chinese food.  It is better than Panda Express and those other fast food places, but it doesn't compare to the places you can find in Chicago's Chinatown.  I fortunately had a Groupon for this restaurant otherwise I probably wouldn't have chosen this place.  I will admit I didn't dine at the restaurant... so maybe the delivery was just not that appetizing? I gave them a 1.5 mile rating just because the crab rangoon was pretty good and the orange chickens was amazing for the first few bites... and also because I was being nice since I had all this food "to-go."  I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that the food is better at the restaurant!

What I ate:

Crab Rangoon

The best part of the meal by far... but can anyone really mess up crab rangoon?  They were still crispy after arriving to my front door.  And were stuffed with plenty of cream cheese.  Not much crab flavoring in them... but thats ok.  The usual sweet and sour dip was used with these!

Spicy Honey Glazed Orange Chicken

I got the honey part of this orange chicken... but not much spice to it at all.  I was hoping for a little extra heat so I just added additional chili sauce and ate this with the white rice.  I was pretty hungry at the time so it tasted pretty good... but after eating it for a while, I started to get all that oiliness that makes you nauseated.

Vegetable and Tofu Lo Mein

This was bland... lots of oily noodles and seemed to be boiled vegetables that were thrown it last minute while the noodles were finishing the stir fry.  I really didn't enjoy these and neither did my vegetarian friends that were eating with me.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Another extremely bland dish.  It tasted like white rice with a little coloring and some vegetables added in.  I still don't understand how someone messes up fried rice.  It is sort of sad.

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:
- Buy a groupon if it is available and use it here.  Otherwise I wouldn't be choosing this place.
- Do order appetizers... It seems like they are better at making appetizers rather than entrees.

DON'T:
- Order from home for delivery... The food just wasn't good and I think it would be better if I had eaten at the restaurant.

How far would I walk for this food?

Gigi's Bake Shop

(November 20, 2011)

1255 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605
 Also, they have a Food Truck... Follow them: @GiGisBakeShop

A Quick Word:

Gigi's bake shop had a huge variety on their truck.  Overall, the cupcakes they have aren't the most unique like some of the other shops around Chicago.  But what they offer, they do well!  Also, the lady on the food van/truck was extremely nice and actually makes deliveries!  I would consider this a place as a "stumble upon like finding their food truck" kind of bakery... but I wouldn't walk to far to their store.

What I Ate:

Pumpkin Spice Cupcake

This sort of reminds you of Thanksgiving.  It is a play on pumpkin pie in my opinion... the spices were there but it just didn't satisfy my craving for pumpkin pie as I hoped for.  I initially bought this for one of my friends but she wasn't too happy with this cupcake either.

Double Chocolate Cupcake

The cupcake was extremely moist on this one... And had a lot of chocolate flavor.  The icing was also extremely rich and chocolatey... adding those sprinkles made me enjoy it even more because of that slight texture difference.  I actually enjoyed this cupcake with a nice cup of coffee!

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:

- Follow them on Twitter so you can find their van/truck (@GiGisBakeShop)

DON'T:

- I wouldn't go running after this truck or running to their store anytime soon.  There are other cupcakes in the city that do a better job.  But if you are around them definitely try it for yourself!

How far would I walk for this food?

Taylor Made Pizza

(Multiple Visits 2011 & 2012)
1220 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Word:
Taylor Made Pizza is a great place to grab a quick slice before heading to the library or after a long night out.  Their slices are huge... they are 1/4 of an entire pizza.  So it will definitely fill you up.  Unfortunately, it is a little greasy at times and there really is nothing unique about their pizza.  Also, their toppings can be from a can rather than the fresh deal... (mushrooms, olives, etc.)  I find the crust addicting despite its cardboard taste... and for $4.50 for slice + soda... not the best, but not bad at all.

What I Ate:

Bacon Thin Crust Pizza Slice

Honestly, I have no idea why I added Bacon to this pizza.  The grease level was unimaginable but it did still hit the spot.  I did feel like I should run 10 miles after eating this pizza just to compensate for the fat intake... but either than that... I was content.

Cheese Thin Crust Pizza Slice

The Cheese thin crust was nothing special... I had to add a ton of red crushed pepper to make it more pleasing... But it was my choice and I stuck by it... The cardboard crust was still my favorite part... Just try it and you will get hooked.  I could honestly get ready of the pizza portion and just eat their crusts! And by the way... That is one slice of pizza (they cut it in two to make it more manageable).

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:
- Do request your pizza NOT BE WARMED... I found that the thin crust pizza is already warm from the circulating display and it tends to be less greasy when you do not have them warm it.

DON'T:
- Don't forget to show your UIC ID... they give a small discount which is always better than nothing!

How far would I walk for this food?

Samich Box **CLOSED**

Latest Visit - May 4, 2012
Locations vary... Follow them on Twitter @SamichBox

A Quick Word:
This was one of the first food trucks I tried in Chicago... and it was memorable from the start.  The crew onboard the SamichBox are super friendly... and just getting to know them has been amazing.  They focus on what I call "anything and everything put between two pieces of bread!" Be sure to checkout my future posts from them ... as you will see I have visited and will be visiting Samich Box many more times!

What I Ate:

Dude Don't Judge Me Samich

Where to start... It has thick cut roast beef (like the kind you get from a high class carving station), french fries, a jalapeño-onion relish, and served with a side of beer cheese sauce (not pictured).  All of this is placed on a huge pretzel roll.  The roast beef was extremely moist and trust me.. it was a generous handful they put on this samich!  Roast beef was falling out of the samich when I opened it up.  The jalapeño onion relish gives it that nice subtle kick and acidity to break up the fries.  Surprisingly the french fries still had a little crisp to them!  

Cheezy Rider Samich

This masterpiece is for the person that likes a little more of a spice to their samiches!  I sure do, and the fresh sliced jalapeños did the trick!  This samich is served on toasted sourdough bread and has a butterflied chicken breast, monterey jack cheese, jalapeños, and a cream cheese spread.  Sounds too cheesy?  Well it is not.  It is a perfect blend.  In fact, it reminded me of a Jalapeño popper (jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese) on top of a wonderfully seasoned chicken breast.  The bread wasn't as crisp as I would like it, but definitely a great samich!

The Prego Samich 

(Maybe considered a dessert samich?)

WOW.  This may have taken over as my favorite samich.  It is a sliced banana, nutella, and MAPLE BROWN SUGAR BACON samich served in between two huge pieces of Cinnamon Texas French Toast.  The bacon got me hooked instantly!  Just imagine the sweet and salty combination.  It is honestly to die for!  The bacon had a nice crisp to it.  The french toast wasn't too sweet which was perfect because of the generous helping of nutella spread they used and the thick slices of bananas!  I hope this make this into a regular menu item because people will go crazy for it!

Jerk Chicken Samich

Ahh.. My first samich... spicy grilled jerk chicken, mashed red beans, coconut rice, and crispy plantain chips!  I still remember biting into this samich and instantly being hooked.  I tried finding them the next day and was sad when they were far from my usual spot.  So I tweeted them and what happened? This Amazing food truck put my spot back on their schedule for the following day.  I needed more of their samiches and couldn't wait to get them all... now look below and see everything I've tried!

Spicy Duck Mole Samich

This time it was a grilled flatbread being the perfect vessel for the braised duck in a spicy mole sauce, the cilantro-lime white rice, and the pickled red onions. Those onions gave a nice acidity to the Samich! I do wish it was a little spicier... so maybe ill ask for some of their jalapeño slaw that they carry on board.  Once again Duck? on a food truck? AMAZING guys AMAZING!

El Borracho Samich

Tequila line marinated steak with mashed black beans, Mexican rice, caramelized onions, guac, and chihuahua cheese! I have been telling my friends to try this place and everyone loves getting this Samich.  They always rave about it and ask when they are coming back... This is definitely a safe bet if you are worried you won't like one of their options.

Braised Short Rib Samich

An absolutely huge samich!!!! A nice pretzel roll stacked high with braised short ribs, collard greens cooked in bacon or ham, sweet mashed potatoes, and to top it off... A couple fried onion rings. The sweetness from the sweet potato definitely pulled everything together... Nice touch!  This may be one of my all time favorite samiches.  I bought it for a friend and had to steal a few bites from her!

Chicken Fried Steak Samich

God I love this Food TrucK!  This one was a chicken fried steak with garlic mashed potatoes covered in sausage gravy and served on Texas toast.  Imagine eating that classic chicken fried steak dinner on-the-go... and having it be better than those diners you frequent.  It is that good! I swear people in Chicago... If you haven't tried this truck... It's worth a 5 mile journey just to get it!!!! 

Green Goat Samich (Vegetarian)

A great vegetarian option! It had green apples, goat cheese, sliced dates, walnuts and baby arugula. The bread was a soft, onion roll which was extremely flavorful. I will be honest... after eating this samich, I tried mimicking it at home... Couldn't come close to what Samich Box did!  It is amazing.  The meat samiches are my favorite but you can't go wrong with this creation! 

Jerk Tilapia Samich

Jerk seasoned tilapia with coconut rice, grilled pineapple, and a mango jalapeño salsa! All of this goodness was served on a naan-like flat bread. Absolutely delicious guys! Make sure to ask them for the mango jalapeño salsa... its a little on the spicy side but makes a huge difference!

Fried Oyster Po' Boy Samich

Samich box strikes again! Huge oysters, fresh veggies, and a killer spicy sauce to go along with it.  Who would have ever thought a food truck would roll out with Fried Oysters... and have the still be crispy when I was eating them.  They can pull off anything!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus was very flavorful... And the homemade pita chips were to die for.  I can't believe they made their own pita chips. This chips can't compare to those store bought things.

The DOs/DON'Ts

DO:
- Follow them on Twitter because that is the best way to find them (@SamichBox)
- Do TRY ALL THEIR SAMICHES... You will never be disappointed
- COME EARLY... they are popular so getting your first choice may be difficult at times!

DON'T:
- Don't forget to smile when you see them because honestly they are going to make your day better!
- Don't forget to tell your friends.. if you do, they may not be your friends after they see what you are eating!

How far would I walk for this food?