Rockit Bar & Grill

We went to dinner at Rockit Bar & Grill in Chicago on a lively Friday night. We went to the location at 22 West Hubbard Street in River North and there is also a location in Wrigleyville. We had heard about this restaurant from Check Please and from hearing that they had been voted as having the best burger in America from Good Morning America.

Rockcorn Shrimp

Rockit is located on a happening block filled with many other bars and restaurants. It definitely seemed like the place to be on a Friday night. The first floor is half bar and half restaurant. The decore included dark wood paneling with exposed brick and reclaimed wood tables.  The bar area was boisterous.  It seemed like a very young and hip crowd.

We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees, which was more than enough food.  Apparently we picked a good time to go (around 6:30pm) because we ended up getting a half off discount on the appetizers - perhaps due to happy hour - we weren't quite sure.  The appetizers we picked were the Rockcorn shrimp and Grapenutts.  The rock shrimp were fried and tossed in a chili lime sauce and served over a bed of romaine lettuce.  The sauce had a good flavor, but from the red look of it we thought the shrimp would be spicy and instead they were more mild. The Grapenutts are not what you think and more a play on the word.  They were jumbo chilled green grapes rolled in goat cheese and crushed pistachios. They had a very fresh and clean taste and at least appeared to be relatively healthy.  We would love to try recreating this dish at home - we just wouldn't know where to find such perfectly round and huge grapes. Both of the appetizers were presented with a bit of an Asian flare.  With the shrimp there was a little rice paper bag to exude the look of Chinese take out and the grapes were served in a large martini glass with chopsticks.

Grapenutts

Inside a Grapenutt

Since part of the reason for eating here was hearing about the burger we couldn't pass up ordering their signature burger, the Rockit Burger.  It is a Kobe beef burger, with melted brie cheese, fried shallots and a medjool (Arabic) date alioli on a red onion brioche bun and served with truffle fries. Obviously with Kobe beef and brie you can't go too wrong.  The meat was tender yet smoky.  The brie was firm enough that it didn't ooze everywhere but was gooey in your mouth.  The date alioli was sweet and tasty - we just wish there was a little more of it on the burger.  We saw the shallots but we really couldn't taste them too much. Natalie felt the bun was a little too big to fit in her mouth but Nick had no problem. Overall we enjoyed the burger, but I guess the term Best Burger in America is subjective so you'll have to decide for yourself.

Rockit Burger & Truffle Fries

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese

The other entree we ordered was a Buffalo Chicken macaroni and cheese. Nick often comments that mac n cheese is a trendy item to have on a menu but he doesn't understand the craze.  With this variation on a mac n cheese he felt it was different enough that he wanted to try it and it didn't disappoint.  It was a 4 cheese mac with thinly sliced buffalo chicken pieces and topped off with blue cheese crumbles.  The blue cheese added a totally new flavor component to the other cheeses and the buffalo essence worked well with all the cheese. The only other mac n cheese we have eaten that has been as different and interesting has been at Zingerman's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan (it was rated as America's best Comfort Food by the Food Network).

Final thoughts on Rockit Bar & Grill:
Food - not your standard bar fare, definitely go here for the food even if the bar scene is not your thing
Service - the service at the restaurant was excellent, the water glasses were constantly filled, the food came out very quickly and plates were cleared promptly.  The main restaurant area is not that large.  In fact when we came in we thought we overheard the party in front of us get turned away because the list for dinner was already filled (so make a reservation). The only complaint we have about service is that when they called to confirm the reservation they made it clear in no uncertain terms that you can only be seated once all your party has arrived and that 15 minutes after your reservation your table will be given away. It seemed like a snide/snotty comment to make.  We already knew that this is a popular spot.  However once we were there the overall experience made up for that comment.
Atmosphere - lively and noisy, not that place for an intimate dinner.  They were lots of large groups of 20 to 30 somethings in the bar and restaurant.

Pannenkoeken

We went to breakfast at Pannenkoeken Cafe located at 4757 North Western Ave in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago. Pannenkoeken are large, thin Dutch pancakes topped with either sweet or savory ingredients.  In addition to these unique pancakes Pannenkoeken Cafe also has other breakfast offerings including eggs, omelets, regular pancakes and french toast.

We chose to order their namesake and ordered both a sweet and a savory pannenkoeken.  Nick ordered a chocolate and banana pannenkoeken and Natalie ordered a sausage, mushroom and Havarti cheese one.  Despite being very thin the pannenkoeken are surprisingly filling.  Both the sweet and savory combinations are quite tasty.  It was great to have a bite of the pancake and topping all at once - it was a burst of flavor.  The savory one would have been a great brunch or lunch option. The sweet one was similar in flavors to a dessert crepe.

We went to Pannenkoeken right when they opened on a Saturday morning (8am). We did this because we read reviews that it is a very small space and that waits can get long.  The reviews were right about the space being small; there was only enough space for up to 20 space to sit (4 - 2 person tables and 3 - 4 person tables).  Nick was practically sitting in a doorway.  By the time we left it still wasn't completely full yet and we were kind of happy about that because it would have been super tight if all of the tables were full.


Nick also ordered a hot chocolate and because of the small size of the restaurant we were able to see it being made (which was kind of fun).  We also saw that they serve freshly squeezed orange juice made from a funky automated orange "squeezing machine".

This is how close our server was to us .
The green machine in the corner is the juicer.

Final thoughts on Pannenkoeken Cafe:
Food - tasty and different breakfast offerings.
Service - good, but if it were busy it could get hectic really quick.  With the tiny size of the restaurant a server is never too far away though...

Atmosphere - Dutch decor with a modern twist.  This is the first time we discovered Lincoln Square and we noticed a lot of German influence in the neighborhood's other shops and restaurants. Definitely a neighborhood to check out in the summer.  But it is far out of our way so it is kind of difficult to justify driving for just breakfast - maybe we will go back if we are already in the neighborhood.

Los Olivos

Carne Asada Burrito

We ate lunch at Los Olivos, a Mexican restaurant we had heard about on Chicago's Best.  This restaurant does not have its own website but it does have a few reviews on yelp. It is located at 3400 W 31st Street in Chicago, between Pulaski and Kedzie in the Little Village neighborhood.  The menu consists of the typical Mexican cuisine offerings - tacos, burritos, enchiladas, gorditas, etc. Chicago's Best highlighted the burritos so that is what we ordered.  Nick got a chorizo and papa (potato) burrito and Natalie got a carne asada burrito with avocado.  All burritos come with cheese, sour cream, beans and lettuce.  We also ordered mango juice and horchata, a sweet rice beverage with cinnamon and vanilla.

Chorizo & Potato Burrito

The burritos are huge and made to order so they take more than 10 minutes to make, but they are well worth the wait. The tortillas as stuffed to capacity with fresh ingredients.  The chorizo and papa burrito had a great kick to it.  The carne asada burrito had a well balanced flavor and kicked any chain restaurant to the curb. Also the horchata was fresh and silky tasting.

We really liked the food but Los Olivos but it is only open until 4pm so it is not likely that we will be able to return any time soon. We went there on a rare weekday off work. This is another cash only establishment but the burritos are only between $5 and $6 so it doesn't break the bank.

Final thoughts on Los Olivos:
Food - great Mexican fare, very filling burritos, we'll take it over Chipotle any day
Service - polite and friendly, as quick as it could be for made to order food

Atmosphere - small interior, seating is limited to bar stools, seems to be a mostly carry out business.  You can call ahead and place your order to avoid any wait.

Ruby's Fast Food Filipino

As Nick has lived in the Philippines, he was very excited to try Ruby's Fast Fast Food Filipino located at 3740 W Montrose in Chicago.  We had heard about this place from Chicago's Best and Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel. From Natalie's perspective as not much of an expert on Filipino food, she wants to give a big disclaimer that if you do not know very much about Filipino food you should not go to this restaurant.  We were the only non-Filipino customers during a busy lunch rush, which tells you that it is truly authentic food but that it is not as accommodating to customers who are not well versed in traditional Filipino dishes.

Goto - rice soup

One of the main reasons why it is not friendly for newcomers to Filipino cuisine is that the menu does not give any description of the items listed.  It just has the Filipino term and the price.  Natalie had to rely solely on Nick's preferences and judgment because she didn't know what everything was. Also we learned that there is a lot missing from the written menu.  After we had our food we observed others ordering items that were not listed on the menu. As first timers to the restaurant we didn't know any better.

We ended up ordering Goto (a rice soup), Lumpia shanghai (similar to spring rolls) and Pancit Canton (pork and noodles).  Nick felt this was some of best tasting Filipino food he has eaten in the United States - of  course other than what he can make himself at home. Natalie enjoyed everything but was a little turned off by the pieces of pork fat in the Pancit Canton dish. She's sure that Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods would be fine with that, but with her Americanized palate it is a little scary.

Lumpia Shanghai

We got to the restaurant right before the big lunch rush.  The restaurant has walk up service where you order at the counter and wait for your food to come up. We were able to order right away but by the time we left there was a long line to even place an order, so much so that one couple walked in the door and walked right out. The slowness of the line was due to only one employee working the front - both  serving and cashiering. This caused us to not order any dessert, something we were looking forward to.

Pancit Canton with Pork

Although Filipino food is very tasty it hasn't caught on like Thai or Chinese food in the United States due to its lack of color and presentation when being served. Nick wishes that Filipino food (and service) were a little more mainstream so that it could catch on more in the United States.  There was place in the Chicago western suburbs that tried to make Filipino food more westernized but unfortunately that restaurant closed a few years ago. So if you have any recommendations please let us know.  Otherwise, the best Filipino restaurant that we have been to in the last year is Isla Pilipina in Chicago.

Final thoughts on Ruby's:
Food - tasty but you need a guide to help you order
Service - slow for a place that is called "fast food", it is cash only but fortunately the prices very low for the portion sizes
Atmosphere - small location, tight seating, authentically Filipino with TV programs from Manila streaming in the background

Which Wich

Which Wich counter with menu & sandwich order bags

We went out to dinner at a sandwich place called Which Wich. There are 4 locations in the Chicago area - Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace, Naperville and Hoffman Estates.  We went to the Oakbrook Terrace location; it is almost across the street from Costco. Nick had come across the Chicago location a little while ago and wanted to try it.

Sandwich Order Bag

The concept is kind of like Subway in terms of customizing a sandwich but we think Which Wich takes it to another level.  At the front of the restaurant is a counter with large menu overhead.  There are 50 different base sandwich options, divided into 10 categories. Each of these categories has a corresponding menu bag on the counter that the customer needs to fill out and then present to the cashier.  The customer picks from sandwich size, type of bread, type of cheese, type of sauce (mustard, mayo, dressings), veggies and spices.  It may sound complicated, but it is much simpler in person.

How the sandwich comes to the customer

For Nick's pick he chose the broad category of Ham & Pork sandwiches and specifically "The Hula" which is Ham & Pineapple. He picked toasted white bread, with provolone cheese, honey mustard, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers and garlic.

Natalie had a BBQ Pork & slaw sandwich from the Comforts category.  She picked toasted white bread with provolone cheese, BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, tomatoes and spicy ranch dressing on the side.

We both really enjoyed our sandwiches.  We liked Which Wich much better than Subway because of the much larger flavor profiles available.  There are so many more options than at Subway that you would never get bored. Also because the customer writes out their entire order there is less chance for it to get messed up. They give you your sandwich in the bag you filled out with your name on it.

Ham and Pineapple Sanwich

Part of the reason Nick wanted to go here is because he saw how popular the Chicago location was at lunch time.  We were a little concerned when we drove up to the Oakbrook Terrace location because we were the only customers there.  Hopefully they do a more booming lunch business or else that location may not last too long.

BBQ Pork Sandwich

Final thoughts on Which Wich:
Food - tasty and fresh, our biggest critique of the food is that we both asked for toasted sandwiches and they only toast the bread and not the entire sandwich.

Service - Hard to tell what it is like during a busy time as we were the only customers there.  The staff were hiding in the back and after we had filled out our bags we had to wait for them to get to the register.

 Atmosphere - Clean and modern looking, lots of stainless steel and bright colors.  They were hyper integrated into new media - all of tables had QR codes to critique the restaurant.

Clara's

Bruschetta

To celebrate Natalie's father's birthday we went to Clara's, an Italian restaurant located at 6740 S Route 53 in Woodridge. Considering we would be going on a Saturday night we tried to get reservations but they do not accept reservations for smaller parties.  So we decided to get there before 5:30 so as not to have a huge wait. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes to be seated - it seems there were quite a few larger parties and there was even a special party of about 40 people that took up 1/4 of the restaurant for another birthday celebration.

For appetizers we ordered Bruschetta di Roma and Sausage and Peppers.  The bruschetta was fresh, clean and had the right balance of herbs.  The only critique of the bruschetta was that it may have been plated a little early as the bread was a bit soft from the juices of the topping. The sausage and peppers wasn't anything super special - something someone may have easily been able to make at home.  For the next course both of us had a bowl of cream of artichoke soup.  We both love artichokes and had never heard of cream of artichoke soup before so it was appealing for both of us.  It tasted great - Nick describes it as tasting like steamed buttered artichokes without all the mess of peeling and getting to the heart. The soup wasn't much to look at but that is typical of cream soups.

Chicken Vesuvio

Ravioli

For an entree Nick ordered the Chicken Vesuvio.  Clara's only makes this dish on the first full weekend (that also includes a Friday) of the month. As we are writing this we just learned that Chicken Vesuvio had its origins in the city of Chicago. It is a dish with chicken, potatoes, onions and peppers sauteed with garlic, oregano, white wine and olive oil and then baked.  When Natalie took cooking classes 10 years ago she remembers that this is a dish that takes several hours to make - so she encouraged Nick to order it because she probably won't be cooking it any time soon. Nick loved the dish - it was very aromatic, the chicken was tender and juicy, the potatoes were crispy.  In short everything was perfectly cooked.  It was a large plate of food with three chicken breasts so there was plenty to take home. Clara's has many options of picking your own pasta and sauce combination.  Natalie chose meat ravioli with vodka tomato cream sauce.  The ravioli were huge, filling and fresh.  It was a well balanced dish and perfectly portioned with the other courses.  Natalie's parents both ordered shrimp pasta dishes that they loved and would order again (Clara's Pasta al Fresco with shrimp and pine nuts and Rudy Jr.'s Shrimp Special). At the end of the meal the waitress brought out a piece of tiramisu and a small cannoli to celebrate Natalie's father's birthday.  The rest of us were too full to order anything else.

Pasta al Fresco with Shrimp

Rudy Jr.'s Shrimp Special

We got an extra treat during our meal. The large birthday party celebration that took up 1/4 of the restaurant was playing music throughout the evening.   At times they also had a live singer who alternated between singing and playing a trumpet, which happened to be red. This was unexpected but fun to have some entertainment while we ate.

Final thoughts on Clara's
Food: traditional Italian food, the best Italian food we've had so far in Chicago
Service: good, friendly wait staff; felt that our waitress really cared if we enjoyed our food
Atmosphere: since it was a Saturday night, seating was a little tight.  There was a boisterous feel to the whole restaurant.  It seems like the place to go for celebrations.

Sweet Maple Cafe

Chocolate chip pancakes and biscuit

We went to breakfast at Sweet Maple Cafe in Chicago because we had heard about it on a breakfast episode of Chicago's Best.  The night before we read some reviews online about it and it sounded like it can get busy and have long waits, so we decided to forgo a little sleep and go there right after it opened at 7:15.  It paid off and we were able to walk right in.  Sweet Maple Cafe is located on 1339 W Taylor Street in Chicago near the UIC campus and Rush medical complex. It is not much to look at from the outside but has a cute and cozy charm inside.

Omelet, home fries and biscuit

Natalie ordered the three cheese omelet with home fries and a biscuit and Nick ordered the chocolate chip pancakes and a biscuit on the side.  The omelet and fries were standard, filling and tasty.  But the biscuits and the pancakes were exceptional.  The sweet milk biscuit was large, it filled up most of a small plate.  It was warm, filling and airy.  The pancakes had the chocolate chips not only served on top of them but also baked into them as well.  In Nick's limited time in Chicago he thinks they are some of the best pancakes he has eaten. They too were airy, moist and delicious.  They filled you up but didn't have a lingering heavy feeling.

Final thoughts on Sweet Maple Cafe
Food - we definitely recommend the pancakes and the biscuits, this is home cooking with a touch of southern flair
Service - attentive waitresses, water glasses were always full. we weren't there during the peak time so we don't know what that is like

Atmosphere - homey feel - unfinished floors and distressed painting look, there are only about 15 tables so it   probably could get tight when busy, there is plenty of paid street parking

Smoque

After being inspired by the most recent Top Chef episode about BBQ, we decided to go to Smoque, considered to be one of the best BBQ joints in Chicago.  Smoque is located at 3800 N Pulaski.  We had heard about Smoque through word of mouth and know that it was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.

Sliced brisket, mac n cheese, coleslaw, cobbler

We ordered the following: Sliced brisket platter, with coleslaw, macaroni & cheese and cornbread.  Pulled pork with a side of brisket chili.  Peach cobbler for dessert.
We had heard that brisket was the thing to order here and it did not disappoint.  Nick especially loved it because it was moist but didn't fall apart when you stuck your fork into it. The pulled pork was good and flavorful but the brisket is the best we have had in the Chicago area. The sides were all tasty and could have been a meal unto themselves. Nick liked the cornbread because it wasn't gritty and it was moist. The brisket chili was wonderful because it had the great brisket in it and it had a bit of a kick to it - now we have an idea of how to make good chili at home. The peach cobbler was warm and gooey and had a nice crusty top.

Pulled pork, 2 cornbreads, brisket chili 

We knew that sometimes this restaurant can have long lines.  So we tried to get there as early as possible for dinner.  We arrived about 5:45pm on a weeknight and had no line to order and were able to find parking in the lot behind the restaurant.  When we left at about 6:30 a line had formed and seating was starting to get limited. If you are in the area you can call ahead and pick up your order.

Final thoughts on Smoque:
Food - excellent, definitely go for the brisket and try your favorite sides, bbq sauce has a vinegar base
Service - counter service, but all the employees were very helpful and attentive.  It sounds like when things get busier, there is an employee who manages/expedites the limited seating.        
Atmosphere - most of the seating is long communal tables so you might not be sitting next to someone you know.  If you get there at a non-peak time like we did you will get your pick of seats. You can see their many accolades and awards on their walls.

Start of a lineup as we are leaving