De Cero Taqueria
814 West Randolph Street
Chicago, Illinois  60607
http://decerotaqueria.com/

I was in Chicago on business and I wanted to try something new.  As much as I would like to say that the expense account is a blank check for prime steakhouses, I like to fly under the radar a bit and not seem too eccentric.

Eater 38 is usually a dependable list.  Sometimes I think that it should be called, If I were a hipster, where would I like to eat.   The big names are on the other lists and I always think of it as an insiders guide.  I was in a mood where I didn’t want a ton of food (patting myself on the back for that rhyme) and Indianapolis is without a fancy taco place, so I thought that I would give it a try.

What I Ate:  Duck Confit, Chipotle Chicken and Tilapia tacos; $3.95 each.  Chips and Pico; $2.95.

The duck confit was served with corn salsa and that is it.  The duck desperately needed salt and I thought that this was a great idea, but poorly executed.   The Chipotle Chicken was grilled chicken, lettuce, crema, cilantro and pinto beans with bacon.  I liked this on a lot better, but it had a strange smell to it.  It had a smoky smell to it, like you just light a firework.  The beans were a non-factor.   The tilapia was topped with a Mexican slaw.  I love a good fish taco (no jokes please), but this was not one of them.  The tilapia was tasted more like smelt fries and it didn’t taste freshly fried.

Chips and pico were the standard adaptation.   A little spicy than normal, but again, nothing special.

Would I Buy It Again?  No, definitely not.   What a wasted dinner in one of our best culinary cities in the US of A.  Maybe the bar was set too high.  After all, did I really expected tortillas, meat and beans to taste that differently than what I can get in Indy?  My bad.

I think that I am done with fancy tacos.  I have tried a few different takes on tacos and I am always happiest with the simple ones done well.  I’d rather replace duck confit with slightly chewy, cheap carne asada and call it a day.

Long story short, it might be best to leave tacos alone – they are perfect how they are.

-wibia

Portillo’s
http://www.portillos.com

At times, I can admit that I am wrong about food.   It is few and far between that I will actually admit it, but it is on the record now.  A lot of my friends love Portillo’s and I have always thought of it as average at best.  Portillo’s is the food equivalent of being IndianapolisEater’s best friend.  He loves it (from IndianapolisEater:  not anymore; I am tired of it).  I think that he loves it as much as he does because I am not a big fan.  Then again, I might be flattering myself (from IndianapolisEater:  you are).

Portillo’s is the fast food version of Chicago Style Italian Beef.  Italian Beef from Chicago is a staple and it should be.  It is so ridiculously simple to make that even my mom can make an edible version.  However, most restaurants outside of Chicago do a horrible job at it.

What I Ate:  Big Beef with Hot Giadano Peppers and fries; $6.49 + $0.39.

To tell you the truth, the normal size is big enough for lunch.  I was just being a fat ass here.  I usually like the au jus on the side, but I got it dipped this time.  Thinly sliced roast beef in a beef broth and peppers on the bun.  Like I said, really simple and not a lot to talk about.  The baguette was excellent with a little corn dusting on the bottom.  Bread, salt (broth), beef and spicy peppers.  It covers most food groups for me.

The fries are crinkle cut and very tasty.  If you like fries from Culvers, you should like these.

Would I Buy It Again?  Um, sure.  It is still not the best beef that I have ever had.  There are other chains in Chicago like Al’s Beef that are good as well. You can get this sandwich anywhere in Chicago and I am sure that are better versions.  Portillo’s is a good, consistent version of it though.

I can’t say that I will be raving about it like my friends, but a return visit made me realize that no matters if it is from Portillo’s or somewhere else, Chicago Style Italian Beef is an amazing simple and beautiful sandwich.

-wibia

Xoco
449 Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco.html

I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and found myself unexpectedly free from a scheduled business dinner.  It was a perfect chance to change out of the suit and hit Xoco.  This is Rick Bayless’ take on Mexican street/market food.  The place opened in 2009 and I’ve tried on a couple of occasions to eat there but was driven away by long lines or the joint being closed (no service on Sundays or Mondays).  Rick Bayless to me is friggin’ genius.  He doesn’t seem to be the maniacal self-promoter like Bobby Flay, but he has a command of the genre that dwarfs Bobby.  I watched an Iron Chef America “Battle” several years ago where Bayless and Flay squared off.  When Bayless eventually lost to Flay the look in Rick’s eyes said, “What the !@#$ am I doing here?”  I haven’t watched that show since.

The literal translation of Xoco is “little sister”, which is an obvious tip of the hat to Frontera and Topolobampo the two cornerstone restaurants of Bayless.  Xoco is located next door to these two so you really have an entire block of ridiculously good Mexican food.  Xoco is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with extended dinner hours for those late-night cravings.

What I Got: Chips and Salsa to begin, Torta Choriqueso, Classic Mexican Sipping Chocolate and Churro with Chocolate dipping sauce; ~$18.00.

Let’s start with the chips and salsa; great, hearty, slightly thick chips with both a red roasted pepper picante and a Salsa Verde.  Great salsa!  I make green salsa all the time and wish mine were this good, little specks of charred peppers and tomatillos with a good kick of heat and an herby cilantro finish.  I killed the basket.

The Torta Choriqueso as you probably guessed was house made Chorizo with roasted poblano, house Jack cheese and a tomatillo salsa.  The sandwich was served on a wonderful crusty bun that gave way to a spongy, light interior.  The Chorizo had just that hint of crispiness that I love with a salty/spicy richness.  Really good.

I finished with the Churro.  The ordering process at Xoco is more cafeteria style in that you order at the counter and then walk down the line to get your drinks and food.  The hostess told me that she’d keep an eye on me and would deliver the Churro when I finished my Torta so that it would fresh and hot.  I really appreciated that.  The Churro was indeed hot and covered in a cinnamon/sugar mix.  Pretty standard presentation but the Chocolate dipping sauce took it to a new level.  The sauce was dark and slightly bitter, but as you  dipped the Churro the cinnamon/sugar mixed with the Chocolate sweetening the sauce with every successive dip.  Pure unadulterated evil genius.

Finally, I had the Classic sipping chocolate which is the traditional  Chocolate mixed with 2% milk.  I don’t like coffee and in general don’t drink anything that is hot.  Yeah, I’m weird.  However, I’d drink one of these twice a day if it were of this quality; rich, creamy, chocolate.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes!  Can’t wait to get back there.  The entire meal cost me about $18 in downtown Chicago.  Amazing.

-Smokin DB

Giordano’s
http://www.giordanos.com/

Food in Chicago is a battle between the million hot dog/gyro/beef joints versus a very progressive food scene with superstar chefs.  To be honest, I am glad that both exist and continue to thrive.   However, if you ask anyone that has a clue what kind of food Chicago is known for, they will say pizza or Chicago dogs.   Both are some of the most awesome things you can cram in your gullet.

In my opinion, Giordano’s is the epitome of Chicago Style pizza.  Uno is a chain whore.  Gino’s East has a crust that tastes like cornbread to me.  Sure there are others in the city and some of them are quite good, but Giordano’s is the king.

What I Ate:   Medium stuffed pizza with Sausage and pepperoni; $23.00.

The most awesome part about this review is….this was my lunch order.  Yes, I was alone.

For those of you that are not familiar, Chicago style is kind of upside down.   From top to bottom:  meat, cheese and then sauce.  You have to plan accordingly because it takes about 35 minutes for the pizza to bake after you order it.  Don’t try to pick it up, this is a fork and knife pizza.  In my opinion, it’s the only acceptable fork and knife pizza.  If you eat regular pizza with a fork and knife, you are either a grandma or a snooty prep.

When they deliver it to your table, they scoop a piece out and the cheese is dangling from the slice to the plate and they have to cut it on the side of your plate with a spatula.  Words cannot explain how much cheese is on this.   In all reality, it is really an unacceptable amount.   The toppings were of good quality, and I really like their sauce.  A sprinkle of oregano and red pepper flakes really bring it to life.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes.  It is one of the most awesome foods in the country.  So basic, yet so good.  I have been going to Giordano’s for a long time while on the way to concerts and Bulls games growing up.  At this point, I feel like I would be letting my family down if I was in Chicago and didn’t go to Giordano’s.

I have to admit though, ordering that much food at lunch was asinine.  I had a ton of leftovers, therefore ate it in my hotel anytime I thought I was hungry.  I think that I gained four pounds from this pizza.  However, it was worth the time at the gym.

-wibia

So Good Blog posted a poll yesterday on the above graphic about whether you agree with the food that your region/state was known for.  A lot of these are obvious and tough to argue with like deep dishpizza for Illinois (predominantly Chicago), thin crust pizza for New York (predominantly New York City), cheese for Wisconsin, pineapples for Hawaii, chiles for New Mexico, etc.

Of course, as they pointed out, some of these foods that the graphic claims states are known for are absurd.  Their best example was Utah.  Who thinks of Jell-O when they think of Utah?  I certainly don’t, but hey, to each their own.  After reading their synopsis of the graphic, I took a look at the state food for Indiana.  Lo and behold, the state food for Indiana was POPCORN?  Huh?!  I know there are a few local popcorn companies that produce this, so we do have some sort of presence (Orville Reddenbacher went to Purdue!), but wouldn’t you consider the food that Indiana is known for to be a Breaded Tenderloin sandwich?  I know I would.

Anyway, I thought that graphic was kind of interesting and was wondering what you guys thought of it and some of the selections.  We’d love to hear your comments and So Good would also love to see you vote in their poll.  If you have time to do one, choose their poll first so that they can get a larger, more statistically significant response.  If you have time to do both, I would love to see your comments here as well.

-IndianapolisEater

Sluggers World Class Sports Bar
3450 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60657
http://www.sluggersbar.com/

Tucked less than a quarter mile southeast of Wrigley Field on Clark Street, this place is a perfect place for a pregame bite to eat and a few Old Style beers prior to a Cubs game.  Friends and I go here every time we go to a game out of tradition and since I was in Chicago recently for a game (see my prior Wiener’s Circle review), we continued our tradition with a visit.

What I Got:  Italian Beef Sandwich with fries $8.25.

If you are a regular blog reader, I’m sure you are stunned that I got an Italian beef sandwich, but what can I say, I’m addicted.

To mix it up, I got the sandwich served with the au jus, sweet peppers and giardiniera peppers served on the side and that was a mistake.  The only way to order an Italian beef sandwich is “wet” and I certainly won’t make that mistake again.

Anyway, the taste of this sandwich was not bad.  The meat was tender, although slightly dry (had I gotten it wet, this would have not been an issue).  The peppers were both sweet and spicy (giardiniera) and very flavorful.  The roll, while not fresh, was also not stale and was the a nice compliment to the beef.  While it’s not the best Italian beef I’ve ever had, it certainly does the trick.  Other than issues caused by my mistake in ordering, my only complaint about the sandwich itself is that Slugger’s beef is sort of bland.  I prefer a much bigger peppery kick in my Italian beef and this sandwich didn’t (and never really does) have it.

Would I Buy It Again?  Sure, I would do it.  Like I said, it’s not the best Italian beef sandwich ever, but you certainly can’t go wrong ordering it.  Plus, the sandwich is huge and when they serve it with fries, you are really getting a ton of food for a reasonable price.  It also certainly doesn’t hurt that this place less than a quarter mile from the ballpark and is an Indiana University supporting bar, so being surrounded by things supporting my alma mater give this place a nice home away from home feel to it.

I don’t know if I would say this place is world class like its name claims, but if you ever go to a Cubs game and don’t have a “home” bar that you like to frequent, give this place a shot.  It also has a dueling piano bar and a batting cage (neither of which I’ve ever frequented, but I want to give the batting cage a shot in the future), so there’s plenty to do here.  Also, the bar is non-smoking since it is in Chicago and since it is in Illinois, underage people can enter the bar as well.

-IndianapolisEater

The Wiener’s Circle
2622 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois  60614

A while back, I saw a segment on this place on one of the Travel Channel’s many food shows and I was hooked.  I mean, what could be better than late night hot dogs, the city of Chicago and “entertainment”?  So, on a recent trip to Chicago for a Cubs game, some friends and I decided to give it a shot at about 10:00 p.m. (admittedly early in the night if you watch the above linked segment).

What I Got:  Double Char Dog (Chicago-style) $4.75

Before I get into the hot dog’s taste, yes I know that putting ketchup on a hot dog is considered Communist, so sue me.  I like ketchup.

As for Char Dog itself, it was two Vienna beef hot dogs (the best kind) split down the middle and then charred on a flat top grill.  The dogs were then topped with what seemed to be a chunky homemade relish, peppers, tomatoes, onions, mustard, celery salt and a pickle spear.  All of this was served on a poppy seed bun, just like you would expect from a traditional Chicago-style hot dog.

In terms of taste, the hot  dogs were meaty and tender like you would expect from a Vienna beef hot dog, but I can’t say that I’m a fan of the char flavor as it made the skin taste crunchy and somewhat burnt.  I like my hot dogs to be cooked (obviously), but the char flavor kind of detracted from the overall taste of the dog in my mind.  The toppings were semi-fresh and I have to admit, I really liked the what seemed to be homemade relish as it was chunky and flavorful.  The only other complaint I have about this dog (and Chicago-style dogs in general) is that they get so overwhelmed with all the toppings that they fall apart all over the place while you are eating them and make a huge mess.  Instead of taking in all the flavors at once as I’m sure is intended, you end up compartmentalizing everything because you have to pick up the toppings that have fallen off and eat them separately.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, I would.  The price is reasonable and the dog, while not the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten, was a tasty ending to a great day of drinking and watching baseball.

But, you don’t primarily go to The Wiener’s Circle for the food, although its taste is a nice added benefit.  You go to The Wiener’s Circle for the same reason that Travel Channel profiled it (see the prior linked segment).  Led by Poochie Jackson and her co-workers, the staff here is “salty” to say the least and I definitely took part in the back and forth that they show in the Travel Channel segment.

Among other things, Poochie, the staff and myself discussed my looks (I tried claiming I was a former child model for Osh Kosh B’gosh), Poochie’s genitalia (this was not my choice as she brought it up; I would have rather discussed the weather or ANYTHING else) and chocolate shakes (check out the video to see what I mean; I didn’t see one by the way).  What was funniest was when Poochie saw a kid and his family come in and told me to behave.  I know that Poochie doesn’t know me and doesn’t know that I would not be a problem (I had already seen the kid and had turned my language more G-rated), so having this very crude woman tell me to behave might be the highlight of my life.

So, if you are ever in the Wrigley Field/Lincoln Park area, are looking for a late night bite to eat that is pretty tasty and don’t find R-rated entertainment offensive, I would recommend this place.  You will definitely enjoy it and be entertained.

By the way, if you want to know what I mean by R-rated, go to YouTube and do a search for The Wiener’s Circle.  I won’t link anything here in order to keep this blog somewhat family friendly, but there are PLENTY of videos on there that people have taken on their visits that will both amuse and amaze you.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.

-IndianapolisEater

Fat Dan’s Chicago-Style Deli
815 Broad Ripple Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana  46220
http://www.fatdansdeli.com/

I’ve had several people recommend this place to me and I’ve seen many positive reviews in the newspaper and other local magazines, so finally I decided to get off my lazy rear end and make my way down to Broad Ripple to try it out.

My first impression of the place when I walked in, or more appropriately as I was walking up to the door (they have a front porch style screen door as their front door…LOL), was “oh my god, this place SMELLS incredible.”  Turns out I was walking in just as they were taking some brisket out of the smoker and it smelled DELICIOUS.

Fat Dan’s also has a very Broad Ripple-y vibe, which really surprised me.  I expected it to be a full-on sports bar but while it did have a sports design to it, it also had that eclectic feel to it that you see everywhere in Broad Ripple.

What I Got:  Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich ($7.50) and Fries ($2.75)

Anyway, onto the Italian Beef.  All I can say about it is “WOW.”  This thing was huge and absolutely delicious.  The meat was cooked perfectly as it was tender, spicy and juicy.  Basically, it’s everything you’d ever want the meat in an Italian beef to be.  The meat was served in a perfect bread roll that was fresh (at least it seemed) and the Giardinera peppers added a nice spicy bite to the sandwich.  I ordered mine “wet” (extra juice poured on) and it was done absolutely perfectly as the sandwich was literally falling apart in my hands.  That’s my preferred way to eat an Italian beef sandwich and this one had everything going for it.  I really cannot say enough about how good this was.

I also got an order of fries and ordinarily I wouldn’t spend a lot of time talking about fries, but these fries were absurdly good.  They were hand-cut, crispy and were covered in a mix of seasonings that gave them a nice kick.  Honestly, these could have been the best fries that I’ve ever had (even better than Rally’s fries) and I would even go there just for the fries alone.  They were that freaking good.

Would I Buy It Again?  Yes, absolutely, without question. It was a bit pricey for lunch, but I don’t really care.  When you get something that was as good as BOTH the sandwich and fries were, it is worth it.  It is easily the best Italian beef in Indianapolis and I would almost venture so far as to put it up against any Italian beef that I’ve had in Chicago as well.  I may be exaggerating slightly, but not by much.

This meal was so good that I’m just going to go ahead an put this place in the Hall of Fame after one review.  I just cannot say enough good things about this place and now I cannot wait to go back and try the brisket, which according to this review, is the best thing that Fat Dan’s has on the menu.  If it is better than this Italian beef sandwich was, then I could quite possibly be making a trip into food euphoria and I am just drooling with anticipation.  I’m just glad I don’t get down to Broad Ripple often anymore, because if I did, I would go to this place constantly and I’d easily be broke and weigh 400 pounds.

-IndianapolisEater