Mariscos El Veneno

Location: 1024 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622

A Quick Word:
Mariscos El Veneo is one of two popular seafood restaurants located across the street from one another in Ukrainian Village.  In my opinion, it is the better of the two, but is also much smaller and just as crowded.  When it comes to the food, one way to describe it is UNREAL.  They are famous for their crabs cooked Narayit style as well as their huge langoustines.  The atmosphere is very laid back with a great BYOB policy.  The place gets a little loud, especially when everyone is drinking heavily.  I highly suggest coming earlier before the crowds arrive and before the place gets a little messy.  Because of the limited table space, especially with such huge plates and the price, I could only give them a 4 mile rating.  The price is definitely fair for the food, but still I wish they offered smaller portions for students.

What I ate:

Shrimp Tostada

As soon as you sit at the table, the waiter/waitress arrives with glasses of ice water, tostada shells, and a FREE shrimp tostada.  The tostada shell is topped with ground up shrimp, tomatoes, onions, and a little cucumber.  It sort of reminds me of a ceviche with less citrus.  I suggest adding a little bit of their "suicide hot sauce" and a squirt of lime juice.  In terms of the quality and quantity of shrimp, it isn't very generous, but then you realize the appetizer is free.  Like I previously mentioned... think ceviche on a tostada shell.

Crab Legs Narayit Style

An order of their crab legs comes with I believe 3 crabs cut in half or maybe even more.  They are cooked in a special Narayit style sauce, which reminded me of a spicy broth based sauce with a little bit of tomato added.  The crabs were cooked perfectly.  The shells were not soggy at all, making it a lot easier to break with your teeth.  Tons of crab meat and they were FRESH.  The sauce is unbelievable... not too spicy, but enough heat to put a little sweat on your nose.  I highly suggest pulling the crab meat out and then dipping it into the sauce.  I actually like the sauce from the langoustines better so even try dipping the crab meat in that.  The price is a little steep, especially without a half order option.  So don't be surprised when you see this dish costs about $40.

Langoustines Nayarit Style

Their other famous dish is made with more than a dozen langoustines split in half.  This dish is also cooked "Nayarit style," but is flavored differently than the crabs.  The langoustines are sautéed in a similarly rich sauce, but some version of dried shrimp paste is added to it, along with a generous amount of black pepper.  I think the shrimp paste is the secret.  It adds a complex flavor that continuously tricks the mind.  Some may think it is a little too salty, so I suggest eating these with rice.  Also, adding some lime to the dish helps cut the salt.  This comes in different sizes from 1/2 order to a party tray.  Four of us shared the crabs and a full order of the langoustines and couldn't have been happier.  Once again, the price may be a little steep.

Mexican Rice

If you are like my family, we enjoy eating everything with rice, especially if the dish has an amazing sauce.  And after a few bites of seafood, we knew we needed rice.  Their mexican rice side dish is very simple.  Their rice is cooked using chicken broth (rather than water) and a few carrots and peas give it some color.  The chicken broth is key because it adds a salty flavor to the rice.  Honestly, it can be eaten on its own, but adding some sauce and shrimp to the rice is something you should try.

The DOs/DON'Ts
DO:
- Everyone gets a free shrimp tostada!
- It is BYOB... some ice cold Victoria or other beer would be amazing to eat with the Crabs.

DON'T:
- The hot sauce here is RIDICULOUSLY spicy.  It does have great flavor as well, but be careful.
- There tends to be a wait because of the small restaurant, but DON'T go across the street because this one is the best.

How far would I walk for this place?

Jamaica Jerk Villa

Location: 737 W. 79th St., Chicago, IL 60620

A Quick Word:

Caribbean food may be the worst craving to have in Chicago.  For the many years I have been living in the city, I have only come across a couple Caribbean restaurants, which are both located extremely far from the downtown proper.  Luckily, one of these places, Jamaica Jerk Villa, recently opened a second location near the Chinatown area.  And wow, the food is just as incredible.  Plenty of flavor and of course the slow burning heat that is packed in each dish.  The meals are huge portions and fairly priced.  Unfortunately, their second location is more of a pick up joint with only couple of bar stools in the waiting area.  Also, I came for lunch and I guess they have a lunch special... The staff didn't even mention their special when I ordered the exact same meal at "dinner price" because I didn't mention lunch special.  I thought that was unfair and bad customer service.  Despite the not so truthful service, I continue to find myself coming back for more of this great food.  I highly recommend the food, just be aware of the atmosphere... And for that reason a 3.5 mile rating is fair.  The food deserves a higher rating, but it is difficult to overlook the other aspects of the restaurant.

What I Ate:

Jerk Chicken Dinner

For my meal, I choose their specialty... The jerk chicken dinner.  This huge meal consisted of 1/2 a chicken that had been chargrilled with their homemade jerk recipe.  You get a choice of two sides--I stuck with their famous steamed cabbage and the Caribbean staple of beans and rice.  The chicken was outstanding.  It had plenty of seasoning and rather than being too spicy to enjoy, the jerk sauce was more of a slow burn. The side of cabbage was incredible.  I am unsure what spices they use, but it is steamed for so long that it just melts on your mouth.  The beans and rice was nothing special unfortunately.  I mean they served as a filler but were more bland than anything.  Definitely ask for extra sauce, it is worth the cost.  I do wish they included plantains in the dinner.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Call ahead and BE LATE... this place is notorious for making their customers wait despite how long you order prior to arriving at the restaurant.  Or maybe arrive early because they way they line up orders seems a little strange.

DON'T:
- The 22nd St. Location is more of a grab-n-go option.  So don't expect to find nice tables and chairs.  Pick up the food and move along.

How far would I walk for this food?

Chi Cafe

Location: 2160 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

A Quick Word:
When late night rolls around, an urge for Chinese food is met by limited options in Chicago.  Yes, you have the typical fast food, Panda express-style restaurants, but for more authentic dishes, you have to make a trek to Chinatown.  Luckily, Chi Cafe is open late and definitely the place to go after a long night of drinking, studying, or just wanting a second dinner.  Located in the newer strip mall side of Chinatown, Chi Cafe is frequented by locals and tourists.  They offer a more limited menu, when compared to other establishments, but they definitely do not lack the variety needed to please just about anyone.  The flavors are very traditional and their dishes very reasonably priced, making this place popular among college students.  The atmosphere is more modern with a couple of flat screen TVs and booth-style seating.  You can definitely tell the younger crowd is who they try to attract.  Each dish we tried had a minor flaw to it, but because of the great prices, huge portions, late night options, and of course the cleaner, modern atmosphere... I can safely give them a 4 mile rating.

What We Ate:

Mixed Vegetable Chow Mein

When it comes to noodle dishes, the crispy chow mein noodles is always a must.  Here, we ordered the mixed vegetable chow mein which consisted of broccoli, bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, green peppers, and more.  The egg noodles were stir fried with the vegetables and soy sauce until the noodles had both a soft and crispy texture.  The dish was huge... it easily served our table of four with leftovers for the next day meal.  The dish itself wasn't too salty.  The vegetables were plentiful, but were cut extremely large.  I mean, who wants to eat half of a bell pepper in one bite?  And, with chopsticks, what are we supposed to do with such large pieces of vegetable.  I know this may be a little picky, but it did make the dish a little harder to eat.

Orange Chicken

One of my friends loves the Panda Express entree -- orange chicken, so we opted to try the more authentic or should I say less Americanized version of this dish.  The chicken is lightly fried before being tossed in an orange glaze.  It is served with a side of broccoli and a cup of white rice.  The orange glaze reminds me of a sweet and sour sauce with a hint of orange.  The generous coating may overwhelm the palate so I suggest rolling it around a few times on your plate to rid the chicken of excess sauce.  The white rice also cuts the orange flavor.  I actually enjoyed this dish.  The chicken had a nice crispy texture and after minimizing sauce intake, the orange flavor was quite pleasing.  The dish came with a couple dozen pieces of meat, so definitely enough to share!

Garlic Chicken Fried Rice

We stuck with the more safe option of fried rice... their garlic chicken version.  This group of friends shies away from seafood and other meat options, so I was completely fine getting this classic filler dish. The rice was cooked very lightly in soy sauce before a medley of chopped chicken, carrots, peas, garlic, and scallions were added.  In my opinion, the dish lacked some flavor (garlic was prominent), but my friends compensated with hot sauce.  I added some of the orange glaze from the chicken and enjoyed it very much.  One of my friends even added some of the chow mein to their rice and mixed it all together.  You can't really mess up fried rice, and here, they did just fine.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Great late night spot!  Definitely come here after 9pm for easy parking and amazing food.
- SHARE each dish... they are good sized portions

DON'T:
- Don't expect to sit and talk here... the atmosphere is quick paced food with people always waiting for next available table.

How far would I walk for this food?

Hash House A Go Go

Location: 1212 N. State Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610

A Quick Word:

What I tend to look for in a brunch restaurant is quantity and greasiness. These two characteristics are great whether you had a heavy night of drinking or just want to hold yourself over for a couple of meals.  Hash House A Go Go has a few dishes that highlights these qualities, but also a few that miss it entirely.  Their motto is "Farm Food with a Twist," which is definitely exemplified by their use of fried chicken and meatloaf in a number of their dishes, including a meatloaf eggs benedict.  The atmosphere of the restaurant is real relaxed with pictures of tractors and corn filling the walls.  Also a more industrial feel is kept with plenty of aluminum wall panels.  The location keeps this place fairly busy especially on weekends, so just be aware.  Unfortunately, some of their food doesn't have the same impact of flavor as their signature dishes.  For that reason, I felt as if they focus on just a few dishes when preparing meals.  And, that is why I decided that a 3.5 mile rating is fair.

What We Ate:

Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles

As soon as We arrived at the restaurant, I anticipated chicken and waffles being on their menu.  Not only was it on the menu, it was considered one of their specialities.  Their dish is made up of a bacon waffle tower (yes, there are 4 waffles with bacon pressed right in). They then layer two sage fried chicken breasts and finally top everything with fried leeks and a warmed maple syrup.  This dish is absolute heaven.  The size is incredible by itself, but the flavor takes it up to the next level. The sage is definitely noticeable in the chicken and the aroma from the rosemary stem that holds everything together reminds you have that thanksgiving smell.  The waffles could stand alone and adding crunchy, salty leeks also helps being together that sweet-salty combo everyone craves.  This is one of my all time favorite breakfast plates and I highly suggest it to anyone.

Veggie House Hash

With the restaurant name including the word hash on it, how could you not try their house hash?  My friend thought the same way and she ordered the veggie version.  It was made with mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach.  All the ingredients were tossed with their hash potatoes and the dish came with two eggs and a biscuit.  The ingredients were definitely all fresh... Not farm fresh, but much better than other breakfast joints. However, the flavor was well short of spectacular, and probably closer to average at best. All I tasted was the oily potatoes until you bit into a sun-dried tomato (maybe the one key ingredient that made you come back for more). The biscuit is on the drier side but definitely addicting. These biscuits are huge so you will for sure have plenty of food.

Tangerine Juice

Fresh squeezed juices were on their menu with one being tangerine. We figured we would try it to see how it compared to everyday orange juice. It was a little on the sour side, but that's because no sugar was added.  I never know if the cost of fresh juice is worth it especially when it hits the $4 price level. Anyway, give it a try I guess.

The DOs/DON'Ts:

DO:

- Stick with their featured dishes... They have multiple dishes featuring their sage fried chicken and meatloaf, including a meatloaf benedict. I know I'll be trying that one next.

- Share dishes!  These portions are some of the biggest I've seen for breakfast.

DON'T:

- Juices... I'll pass.

How far would I walk for this food?

Wishbone

Location: 1001 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607

A Quick Word:
Somehow, this southern restaurant evaded my obsession of country-style dishes.  Huge hearty brunches is something I love and I expected Wishbone to continue the trend.  Unfortunately, I was let down.  My family and I walked into a wonderfully decorated restaurant with that southern feel to it.  The menu looked great (minus the fact that there is no chicken and waffles).  However, two things really annoyed me.  First of all, the portions... I know we are in a country of obesity, but seriously, when you get a plate with half of the plate showing and you are extremely hungry afterwards... isn't that also a problem?  Luckily, the prices were a little on the friendlier side, so ordering an extra side wouldn't be too much of a problem.  The other part that annoyed me was the service.  They aren't very attentive, at least at our table.  I mean this place is always packed despite the small portions.  Either there aren't many places people know about that serve this style of food, or people are being more healthy.  I suggest trying Big Jones for southern breakfast.  I guess I will give them an average of 3 miles for my rating.

What We Ate:

Crab Cake Benedict

Immediately, my parents both decided on the crab cake benedict... and they knew it would be big enough for them to share.  And, it was!  The meal consists of an english muffin split in half that is topped with crab cakes, spinach, two poached eggs, and the traditional hollandaise sauce.  It comes a side of the house potatoes and choice of toast (my parents chose the raisin cinnamon swirl).  I managed to snag a bite of their meal which was delicious.  Real crab meat with enough to give the cake a nice seafood flavor and texture.  It wasn't made of too much binder so you actually feel like you are eating crab.  The eggs were poached perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was rich.  Personally, I thought the dish was enough for one person, but for smaller appetites, sharing is an option.

Red Beans & Rice

One of my favorite southern dishes is cajun red beans and rice.  Seeing it for breakfast, I was immediately sold.  Their spin on red beans and rice includes the New Orlean's style red beans slow cooked with chicken andouille sausage, peppers, and onions.  It is ladled on top a bed of white rice, served with two eggs over easy, and I opted for the corn muffin, rather than biscuit or toast.  I was very disappointed with the overall size of the meal.  They skimp on both rice and chicken sausage which is disappointing.  At least give me enough rice to make me full.  Two small corn muffins were essentially thrown on the plate with one of them breaking into small chunks.  The muffins do have a nice crust on the outside and real corn kernels, so this was definitely the best part of the meal.

Southern Benedict

My little bro is all about some kind of southern creation when it comes to breakfast.  This time, it was the southern benedict.  Rather than the typical english muffin, they top a freshly baked biscuit with ham and two eggs and then drown the entire dish in sausage gravy.  Rich is the first thing that comes to mind, especially with all the thick gravy.  But it is tasty.  Unfortunately, after a while, the flavor is to one-note that you kind of lose your appetite.  Maybe spice of the meal with a side of fruit or a corn muffin or something.  Giving griddled potatoes just adds more oil.  Or maybe reduce the gravy and add some freshness... tomatoes and spinach?  Just a thought.

Smoked Beef Brisket Hash

If I could have ordered a second breakfast, I was going to choose the smoked beef brisket hash.  Luckily, my older brother picked the dish... allowing me to have a few bites.  This hash was made with chopped beef brisket, house potatoes, peppers, and onions.  He decided on two eggs over easy and corn muffins for his starch.  This dish was a little on the smaller side as well.  The brisket had a smoke flavor, but it wasn't as prominent as I would have hoped.  Everything else was essentially standard and with being standard in a hash, it was just average.  Looks like my two choices flopped.

Oatmeal with Brown Sugar and Raisins

My brother's wife was smart, she chose to have an order of oatmeal and a smaller order of biscuits and gravy.  The oatmeal was great... slow cooked whole oats served with a side of milk, brown sugar, and raisins.  You could add other mix-ins, including pecans, bananas, or flax seeds at an additional cost.  It is hard to mess up oatmeal, unless you add too much water, but not to worry here, it is just the right consistency.

Biscuits and Gravy

Similar to the southern benedict listed above, the biscuits and gravy is essentially what the name implies.  A biscuit was placed into a smaller soup cup and covered with their sausage gravy. This was the right amount because of the richness of that gravy.  I would suggest this side over the southern benedict just because you can order something else and not feel like you are eating the same thing over and over again.

The DOs/DON'Ts:
DO:
- Do come early for brunch on weekends.  This place fills up fast and they do not take reservations.
- Driving is easy to this area; plenty of parking so no worries on that end.

DON'T:
- Don't have too high of expectations.  The food is average, but there are much better brunch places in the city.  (Even for southern/soul food style food)

How far would I walk for this food?