May St. Cafe

We ate dinner at May Street Cafe in Chicago.  We had heard about them from both Check Please and the Best Thing I Ever Ate program on the Food Network.



Interior with fun artwork

Brie and Pear Quesadilla

This is an quite unassming place.  It is next to an industral part of town and wouldn't be where you would think to locate a nicer restruant.  But as you pass by you can't miss it - with it's festive green paint job. One really nice thing it has a parking lot that isn't valet only. It also is a little oasis in the grim industral area with trees and flowers and an outdoor seating area that would have been nice if it hadn't been a 100+ degree day. We were able to come right after work so we were the only ones in the very small and intmate place. So if you are thinking on coming on a weekend get reservations.

Beet Salad

There were a lot of interesting Latin fusion choices and this is what we ate:

French double cream brie & winter pear quesadilla with sour cream and chipotle sauce; we liked this combination so much that we made it at home later.  It had sweet notes from the pear. The pear also gave it a good firm crisp texture and the brie made it smooth with a hint of salt. It was served with a chipotle sauce that we weren't sure would complementt the brie, but it blew it away with a dynamic flavor.



La Pina de la Playa

Special beet salad - beets, arugala, chipotle goat cheese, and mango vinaigrette.  Tasty, it apears that beet salads are our new favorite salad.  Our taste buds did not get bored with the goat cheese and mango. 

La Pina de la Playa de Puerto Rico - the pineapple of the beach of Puerto Rico - shrimp and scallop spanish fried rice made with chipotle coconut sauce (but not spicy) served in a half pineapple; this dish made us feel like we were eating somewhere on the beach. It was served in a hollowed out half of a pinapple. It was a nice combo of the sweet acidity of the pineapple and the smoky favors of the chipotle. The coconut aroma wafted over us when it was brought out and it made Nick yearn for a beach vacation.



Fajitas

Fajitas - steak fajitas, with squash, zucchini, red onions, portobello mushrooms, rice, beans and chipotle cream sauce. We haven't often ordered this out since it is such an easy dish to do at home but it sounded like a good fit for the rest of the meal. The steak was flavored well and cooked medium rare.  But what made this dish unque whas the grilled zucchini and mushrooms that came with it. The next time we make fajitas at home we will definitely grill up some zucchini.



Sides that went with the fajitas

Tostones - fried plantains with garlic sauce. They were lightly fried and served warm.  These were a great addtion to our meal.  They came with a garlic dipping sauce. 

  White chocolate flan with caramel sauce - Art Smith (from Table 52 in Chicago) chose this dish as The best thing he ever ate for the Food Network show's chocolate episode.  Hmmm...we're not sure that we agree.  First of all it was really small and not what we were expecting. When you hear flan you expect something like a half inch deep and giggly with a caramel top. These were wafer like and sweet and tasty but not as satisfying as a Best Thing I ever ate should be (see the sea bass apppetizer from the Las Vegas  episode). Also the chocolate flavor was really subtle.  For a "Best Thing" chocolate we figured that would have been a bit more pronounced. To get enough of what we wanted we would have had to order three of these each - once again it was quite small. 

Flan

Final Thoughts on May St. Cafe:Food - very good, the food is pricey for the hole in the wall location but worth it.  All of the savory items were worth it - but we were disappointed with the dessert.

Service - This is hard to judge since we were the only ones in the restaurant.  But they were attentive and filled our water all the time and were at our call as all of the staff were sitting at the bar very close to us.  It seemed like it took a little longer for our food to come out but that may have just been a perception.

Tostones

Atmosphere - the exterior neighborhood does not match the cuteness of the interior.  The interior is very small - probably 10 or less tables.  We went right after the 4th of July on a super hot day and we were the only customers there (and we were there at least 1 1/2 hours if not longer). We felt a little strange being the only customers.  We saw the video of this restaurant on Check Please and all the tables were filled so maybe this was a fluke.



 



Patio area

Manny's Deli

We went to dinner at Manny's Cafeteria and Deli.  We had heard about it from many friends and also saw it mentioned on the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" program. It was a hot and sticky day and you wouldn't think that we would want the massive amounts of food that deli's usually offer but we certainly did not want to go home and heat up the kitchen; and we knew we could probably get in and out quickly and we were not disappointed.

Chaffer Sandwich (pastrami & corned beef)

Nick (with his Jewish heritage) has had a lot of exposure to deli's and therefore and has strong opinions on what is good and great. This was some great food.

When we walked in there wasn't any line so we told the guy behind the counter that we had never been there before.  He proceeded to give us samples of both pastrami and corned beef and tell us about people's usual favorites.

We chose:
Chaffer Sandwich - corned beef and pastrami, muenster cheese and coleslaw on rye (not toasted). This gave us a great sampling combo of both the corned beef and pastrami.  And it has the coleslaw on in which Nick likes instead of sauerkraut. It was a mile high due to all of the meat, hard to get in your mouth, and messy but wonderful taste in your mouth. 

Pastrami Reuben - Reuben with Pastrami, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut.  Natalie decided on just the pastrami because during the sample time she liked that better.  Pastrami, in reality, is just corned beef with more spices on it. It had a little more smoky flavor due to the spices, so it might not be able to be called a traditional Reuben but we liked it. The sauerkraut wasn't to strong or overwhelming so it complemented the sandwich nicely.

Pastrami Reuben with Latke

Noodle Kugel - Ted Allen chose this item as The Best thing he ever ate - at a deli, we agree that it is great.  Maybe not better than the sandwiches, but definitely the best noodle kugel we've ever had at a deli. It compares favorably to homemade.  Manny's Noodle Kugel is more of a dessert with noodles and raisins with an egg based custard.  It is served as a slice, like a casserole. 

Matzo Ball Soup - we really didn't want to order soup on such a warm day, but the broth didn't look too piping hot.  The matzo ball was tasty and large.  It wasn't grainy like Nick's attempts to make it at home. But it didn't quite match up to his favorite in Michigan, but could be a good Chicago substitute. 

Matzo Ball Soup

Noodle Kugel

Latkes - potato pancakes, theses came with the sandwiches for $1.00 more so we went for it. Thye were a little too crispy and not all that inspiring as far as latkes go.  Just stick with the sandwiches.  

Final Thoughts on Manny's Cafeteria and Deli:

Food - really good, the sandwiches had massive quantities of meat.  Great variety of Jewish deli food.

Service - the guy at the counter was very helpful, maybe it wouldn't have been that way when it is more crowded at lunch but it helped us out.  

Atmosphere - old school cafeteria style restaurant; you take a tray, you order at the counter, they give you your food, you get a receipt for what items you ordered, you eat and then you pay before you leave

Grapevine

Interior Space

We had just gotten home from a mini road trip and weren't in the mood to cook anything so we went to dinner locally at Grapevine in La Grange.  We had heard about this place from a couple of people and have passed it many times as it is located just across the street from the downtown La Grange train stop.

Greek Anti Pasto

We didn't know what to expect at all.  We were given menus to peruse through at a table but  we were told that the ordering takes place back at the counter.  They have too large of a menu to simply write down on boards above a counter space.

Spanakopita

We ordered a Greek Anti Pasto as an appetizer which had artichoke hearts, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese.  They also had an Italian style anti pasto as well but the feta swayed Nick to the other direction.  (He must not have read the entire description on the menu because he was hoping to see some meat like you would have in an Italian anti pasto.) Later he heard others order various types of salad at the counter and they were asked if they wanted feta with it so perhaps we could have gone in the other direction and still gotten the feta. But the vegetables and feta were very refreshing on such a hot day.  And Natalie discovered a new way to spice up lettuce by putting dill in with it.

For entrees we stuck with the traditional Greek fare, although they do offer sandwiches, pizza and other Mediterranean entrees. We ordered Spanakopita which is spinach, onions and feta wrapped in phyllo dough.  The filling was very good but it could have used a few more layers of phyllo dough. It was served with a rice pilaf which was more than enough and had to be boxed up to take home.

The other entree we had was Pastitsio, kind of like a Greek version of lasagna.  But instead of layers of long flat noodles, smaller noodles are baked together and topped with a ground beef, cheese and bechamel sauce.  We really enjoyed this dish.  Nick claims that it could have been warmer but it was such a hot day that it really didn't matter. It was served with a small salad so that was a bit of overkill with the Anti pasto we had earlier.

Pastitsio

Final thoughts on Grapevine:
Food - good value for what you get, nice carry out food to get on your way off the train
Service - after you order at the counter the food is delivered to your table.  The dishes all came out quickly.  But the entrees came out too quickly because we weren't even half way done with the appetizer when they came out (maybe that is why Nick thought the pastitsio was not warm enough because we were still eating the anti pasto).
Atmosphere - nice Mediterranean feel. Lots of space.  A little awkward to sit down and peruse the menu but it looks like they have lots of regulars that know what they want to order already or have a take out order ready.

Shaw's Crab House

Interior

We went to dinner at Shaw's Crab House, at the Schaumburg location. Although the Chicago location has been featured on Check Please, Natalie knew generally about this restaurant from residing in the area (and actually may have eaten there in the past but doesn't remember exactly).

The decore reminds you of days gone by with an art deco style.  We were there on a Saturday evening and you definitely need reservations for the weekend. Also, if you don't like seafood at all you are a bit out of luck because almost everything except a few entrees involves some sort of seafood. 

Lobster Bisque

We ordered the old standby of Lobster Bisque. It was good, but not the best ever.  Maybe Lobster Bisque (or any soup) is best ordered when it is colder outside so maybe you can appreciate its warmth. When we order Lobster Bisque we are probably looking for it to top our best experiences in the past and that hasn't happened lately. So maybe we should venture out and try other appetizer type foods.

Tuna & Guacamole

For an appetizer we ordered something that had a very simple name - tuna, guacamole and chips.  But it was a little fancier than that simple name implies.  It was sashimi grade chopped tuna (basically tuna tartare) on top of guacamole.  It was served in a dish that was sitting in a bowl of ice - although we consumed it before it would have gotten to room temperature.  It was served with tortilla chips and was basically a super fancy form of guacamole.  We decided that to spruce up guacamole at home we could try this if we got our hands on some quality tuna.

Crab Cakes

For one of the entrees we got crab cakes, which were served with a red pepper mustard mayo and a small salad on the side. They were good, but they weren't quite as moist as even the crab cakes we have made at home.  We like crab a lot but are reluctant to go all out and order crab legs because we are not skilled at cracking them and getting all the good meat out.  So we kind of settle for other crab dishes to get a similar taste.

Pasta with Lobster, Spinach, Brie and Cheddar

For the other entree we ordered ordered a pasta dish with lobster, brie, spinach and cheddar cheese sauce.  The pasta had generous large pieces of lobster and a good cheese combination.  But when compared to the lobster pasta we had a Parker's the week before the lobster portion was better at Shaw's but the overall combination of flavors was better at Parker's.


Final thoughts on Shaw's Crab House:
Food - the food was good, but if we were to go to a Lettuce Entertain You seafood establishment we would suggest Joe's Stone Crab (which is just a few blocks away from the Shaw's downtown location and has a very similar vibe)
Service - good service but the server could have given us a better idea of the highlights of the menu
Atmosphere - a bit of a step back in time with the decore.  Although we would consider this to be an adult oriented restaurant we did see a family of 5 with younger children venture in (although it sounded like the dad was vocally disappointed that the children all ordered sliders at a seafood restaurant - so maybe completely seafood isn't the way to go even with a sophisticated family).

Carnivale

We went to dinner at Carnivale, in the West Loop of Chicago. We had heard about this place on Check Please and had seen it from I-94 since it is located right near the highway.

It is a huge restaurant with super high ceilings.  The decore matches the tall height with giant mirrors and lighting fixtures.  The whole place is very colorful and does remind you of a Carnivale type of vibe.

After reading some reviews online we were a little hesitant to come, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the entire experience.

Ropa Vieja on left, Arepas on right

We ordered several different appetizers and one entree.
Ropa Vieja (which literally translates as "Old Rope") - braised beef, spicy mayo, sweet plantains and queso fresco.  We weren't originally going to order this but the server said it is their most popular appetizer and it didn't disappoint.  It didn't taste like old rope at all, but each morsel was both warm in temperature and to the taste.  The spicy mayo had just enough kick to enhance, but not overtake, the flavors of the beef.

Shortrib Empanada

Arepas with pork belly, corn cakes, plantains, black beans, jicama, avocado and lime puree. The corn cake perch was nestled in the amazing avocado and lime puree. There was very few beans or jicama, but just enough to taste them but not to overshadow the pork belly. The only problem we had with this dish is that it comes on a plate with three arepas and we had to split the third one.

Empanada with short ribs, curry, sweet and sour yams and lime crema. This dish came as one huge empanada sitting on top of the yams and covered/surrounded by lime crema. We've never had short ribs in an empanada before but it was good.  The dish wasn't as unique as the others served but still quite a tasty dish.

Churrasco - grilled beef tenderloin

Trio of ceviches - small portions of kampachi, bass and salmon ceviches. The kampachi was our favorite - it was served with basil, wasabi, garli and chili puree. The fresh basil really stood out with the fresh fish. The bass was served with jicama, radish, cilantro, peanuts and jalapeno puree.  The salmon was served with Serrano chile, olives, celery, radish and parsley.

Ceviche Trio - Kampachi (Left), Bass (Center), Salmon (Right)

For an entree we ordered the Churrasco - a Nicaraguan style wood grilled beef tenderloin with sweet potato puree, truffle oil, choclo corn and herb chimichurri sauce.  This was another recommendation from the server.  He said that most people come away saying it's the best steak they have ever had.  Now we've been to some very nice steakhouses so maybe it's the exactly the best steak ever, but it was up there. It was so tender it melted in your mouth.  The combination of the sweet potato puree and the zip of herb chimichurri really enhanced the beef. The corn kernels were massive, which helped to have them stand out more. Overall a very pleasing dish.

Somehow we had a little more room for one dessert. As we were looking over the dessert menu we saw an interesting dessert called the Big Top.  Obviously we skimmed over it a little too quickly because the $25 price tag seemed quite steep.  Apparently it is lot of ice cream, with a whole plate full of cake and flan and then there is a large portion of cotton candy.  Now of course we didn't order this but just wanted to make everyone aware.  We went with the ice cream sandwich which is quite a casual name for the elegant dessert we got.  It was banana ice cream sandwiched by a thin layer of chocolate cake and then dipped in hot fudge and rolled in cashews and frozen. It was plated with chocolate sauce and some grilled plantains.  It was very good and kept more with the Latino theme (as opposed to another dessert option of Red Velvet Cake).

Banana Ice Cream "Sandwich"

Final thoughts on Carnivale:
Food -  better than expected (from online reviews), actually outstanding, would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes this type of cuisine.  We were a bit worried when we first got there by the much larger beverage menu than food menu that the food would be second rate, but fortunately this was not the case.
Service -  very good, we asked for and received some great recommendations and the waitstaff was quick to refill glasses and remove plates.  The food came out of the kitchen pretty quickly and we were done eating in an hour.
Atmosphere - definitely fits its name. As we were there on a weekday it probably wasn't nearly as crowded as a weekend.  It seems like it could get pretty hectic and crazy on a weekend with such a large space.  But the entire experience (except for some of the dessert options) fit with the Nuevo Latino theme.

Parker's Restaurant and Bar

We ate dinner closer to home at Parker's Restaurant & Bar in Downers Grove. 

Bread & Flatbread

It used to be known as Parker's Ocean Grill - but now it has both a steak and seafood focus.  They are also a farm to fork style restaurant - they don't go through a distributor and have relationships with the farmers and growers.

What we ate - soup - maybe it's crazy to order soup on a warm day in June, but they somehow enticed us.
Manila Clam Chowder - white clam chowder like New England style, but lighter (not as heavy on the cream)

Manila Clam Chowder

Lobster Bisque - with a lobster ravioli, it tasted different than most lobster bisque does so not sure we would order it again.  Like the chowder, it was lighter (not as creamy) as most bisque is, which in this case made us not like it as much, as opposed to the chowder.

Lobster Bisque

Cedar Plank Alaskan Halibut with spinach and whipped potatoes - This was Parker's in season fish from Alaska.  The cedar plank gave it a good smoky and peppery quality.  There was a massive amount of spinach on the plate which seemed odd. especially since it was in the center of the plate. so was the focus the fish or the spinach? Good fresh fish.

Cedar Plank Alaskan Halibut

Lobster Mac and cheese with cold water lobster tail, smoked gouda, pancetta and asparagus - Nick is a bit picky about mac n cheese and he loved this combination.  You can't really go wrong with combining mac n cheese with all those awesome other ingredients.  The asparagus gave the dish a crunch which is kind of unique for mac n cheese dishes. The smoked Gouda with the lobster tail gave the entire dish greater dimensions than so-called good mac n cheese dishes at other restaurants.  We could try to make it at home but we probably wouldn't come close.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

Final thoughts on Parker's
Food - Nick liked it so much he would like to his parents to come here sometime
Service - good, but our waiter didn't explain as much about all the dishes as other wait staff did.  We tried to listen to a server a few tables over when he was going through the specials. But otherwise service was good - drinks were full all the time.
Atmosphere - very fancy looking, with nautical artwork and decore, there is a bar up front that has live piano music.  Nick said if he were to open a restaurant it would be a lot like this place and its theme.

Silver Palm

We finally made it to a place we had seen on the Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Chicago Episode, Silver Palm.  We went for 2 reasons - because Anthony Bourdain loved the food (especially one of the sandwiches) and because you can eat in an old train car.

Complimentary cornbread

Inside the dining train car

We each ordered a sandwich and they were so huge that it was definitely enough food.
The Three Litte Piggy - this is the sandwich that Anthony Bourdain dubbed "The Best Sandwich in America".  Not sure about that title but it was very good - but (and this is a shocker) you have to like pork products to like this sandwich.  There is ham (lots of it), bacon and breaded pork tenderloin. The sandwich also comes with an onion ring, gruyere cheese and a fried egg on top. Now Nick doesn't like runny fried eggs so he ate his half without the egg.  But he missed out because it really served as another "sauce" for all of the pork.  The sandwich is huge so you have to smash it down a bit to get it into your mouth. There wasn't a lot of bacon but almost too much ham.  Natalie took a few slices of the ham off the sandwhich to eat it because the saltiness of the ham was overpowering everything else and she couldn't taste the pork tenderloin. But aside from that it was a great sandwich.

Three Little Piggies Sandwich with Roasted Vegetables

The other sandwich we ordered was the Shrimp Po Boy - now even though this wasn't the sandwich that supposedly this place is known for we saw one of these sandwiches go to every table that was served. In addition to the lightly fried shrimp there was tartar sauce, romaine lettuce and pickled greeen tomato all on top of a tasty bun.  This was a great sandwich and probably something we would order again in the future.
The sandwiches come with either french fries or roasted vegetables so we ordered one of each.  It was kind of different to have such indulgent sandwiches served with the relatively healthy veggies, but they were very good.

Po Boy with Fries

Final thoughts on Silver Palm:

Food - good, we were joking that we sure drove a decent way for just sandwiches but it was worth it.  (This is not saying too much because once we took a trip to Philadelphia for the weekend just to try authentic Philly Cheese Steaks).
Service - nice and casual, very polite.
Atmosphere - it was neat to eat inside of a train car, quite unique.  The food preparation actually is done at the end of the train car. The restaurant is more of a bar than anything. They don't open until 6pm and stay open until 2 or 3 in the morning.  But the food is definitely worth it.