Reuben "L'IDIOT" H.'s Profile
Date
To top it off, it was the type of joint that is run very well. A perfect mixture of sports bar, corner drinking hole, restaurant/pizzeria, and just damn cool hang out, and somewhat surprising considering this to me felt the most "genuine" of all the places we visited.
Nothing was forced to fit a niche or fulfill a demographic target. Everything was true, right on down to Bam's love of Ranger blue (and the man's not afraid to yell "that's my boy!" when Henrik Lundqvist makes a nice kick save) on through to the way he described his chefs pizzas...
Which were truly incredible and set the bar so high that no one came close the rest of the way through our stay.
But man cannot live off of wood-fired pizza alone (or at least not live a long life off of pizza alone). Bam was courteous enough (see: doing an excellent job as a server and proprietor to up-sell) to describe a couple of their beautiful salads to us from the bar.
Poor guy... He didn't realize that we were there for the pizza and the booze... I'm sure the salads are excellent, and can say so with near certainty because everything else that we sampled at Toby's was top notch.
I sampled a couple of beers on draught- a nice Green Point IPA being the better of the two, and Aurore had a couple of massive pours of a nice Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, even trying at some point to turn away a free half-pour offered up by the hero of the night: Bam.
We started our eating adventure with the Cipolla pizza, my personal favorite. An amazing blend of mozzarella, sweet Gorgonzola, caramelized onion, fresh rosemary, and topped with some prosciutto. The balance was perfect. PERFECT I tell you. I've been dreaming of this pizza since Tuesday night when I went home happy/drunk.
The follow up to the Cipolla turned out to be Aurore's favorite: Smoked Pancetta pizza. Another stellar one, this time with the aforementioned smoked Italian bacon, tomato, mozzarella, crimini mushrooms and black garlic. That black garlic addition sets it apart from other pizzas and is the reason I can say with conviction that Toby's knows what the fuck it is doing...
Pardon my language, but typing this up makes me a little frustrated knowing that I'm back in Chicago and Toby's is all the way in Brooklyn. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great pizza places here in The Chi, but there are very few that I'd ever consider going to knowing that hockey probably will be on TV. For Toby's I would.
Thank you CC for the wonderful recommendation, and special shot out to the most accurate Iggy Pop lookalike circa '79 I think I've ever seen: Bam.
Iggy's cool man... If you hear this all the time- my apologies for being an unoriginal bastard!
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 829-3333
CMYE: Italian 101 @ Viaggio Ristorante & Lounge
Category:
Local Flavor
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, West Loop
So much food and wine. Dare I say: too much food and wine?
My gluttonous self over-indulged, as did seemingly everyone else in attendance, and it all really was fantastic. I was impressed with everything from the wine to the three appetizers (meat ball salad, in the end, isn't a joke), to the three following courses, finished off "lightly" with a bread pudding...
I'd love to comment on all of them, but the thought of them right now, in my current bursting-at-the-seems state is enough to make me want to cry.
Just know this is some seriously delicious Italian-American food, served by attentive, professional and friendly staff, and that the chef clearly not only knows what the hell he's doing, but loves doing it.
You want to hear something funny though? Before heading over there, I was a bit worried that I might not get enough food- so I ate a big bowl of soup...
I'm a foolish one.
Thanks again, Viaggio staff and Mr. Johnny T for putting together such an incredible event. I cannot wait to tell everyone about this place and to come back real soon.
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 579-6120
El Milagro Tortilleria
Categories:
Ethnic Food,
Mexican
Neighborhood: Little Village
Perhaps I was trying to trick myself into believing that food at this price point, and at this high quality, and in such large quantities could ever be matched?
I was dumb, and I ask the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe who shimmers with funky accent lighting to forgive such pompousness...
The food here is exquisite. Such soulfull, timeless, delicious, fulfilling traditional food- and yet full of unique qualities.
You'll get a great helping of the staple product that this namesake is based on- their tortillas- the factory is attached next door), and what you decide to put in them is varied and all of amazing quality.
I have a hard time passing up two specific things here- the steak taco (carne asada), and the pork in green sauce (puerco en salsa verde... doesn't it sound nicer in spanish?!?).
Bottom line- everything is frickin' great, so you won't go wrong. Tamales, guisados (stews), champurrado (corn and chocolate drink- delicious in the cold months!), and those MASSIVE steak tacos (an entire piece of skirt steak, not chopped up bits, served on a huge tortilla, made in house of course, and topped with beans, and this awesome cabbage slaw).
There's so much more, but don't expect to try a whole lot unless you come in a big group and all order different things. You get a TON of food for the money!
El Milagro is a destination place for amazing comida Mexicana.
Listed in: Yo como mucho!, Make a frickin' blog…
3 Previous Reviews:
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3/9/2009
After figuring out that I would be spending a rainy (understatement of the year so far- more like a frickin' monsoon) afternoon in a cool coffee shop in Pilsen with the always eager-to-work wife (wink wink), Reuben's Gluttonous Receptors (the phrase to be scientifically acronym-ified as RGRs) brought about immediate salivation for some well crafted, lick your fingers clean, Mexican grub.
Wait a second.......... Even in typing this now, I wonder what the hell does a rainy afternoon, coffee shop, and more importantly PILSEN have to do with El Milagro (which is not a coffee shop, and is geographically in the heart of Little Village- about 2-3 miles away)???
It MUST have been a miracle which brought us on the long pilgrimage away from the coziness of Cafe Mestizo in order to break bread in a crowded dining room on a late Sunday afternoon.
Reality is (because if you haven't already been able to tell- I am a man of science and reason) the wife had just read a cleverly crafted updated review by the great Tina B extolling the virtues of El Milagro and their most recently updated Lenten menu.
As I sat in the coffee shop trying my best to keep the focus on my own work, my thoughts frequently would drift to something delicious and savory- but these thoughts, I realized later, were acts of grace that came to life as signs to seek out such wondrously scrumptious food. The more I allowed my soul to search, the more I found that what I specifically wanted was El Milagro......... Away from the heart of Pilsen- and onto a different area, for Mexican?
Reason would make one believe that leaving the center of Mexican culture in Chicago to go to a place to eat Mexican food is, well, irrational! But I couldn't stop thinking about all the savory goodness that Milagro offers. Were these thoughts that I was dancing with, actually- dare I say- prayers???
Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways it seems, because as we began to pack up our work and get ready to move on- my wife makes the claim- "Let's go to El Milagro, is it far from here?"
HOLY GOOD GOD IN HEAVEN- YOU DO EXIST!!!
Well, that was at least how I felt at that moment. Afterwards I was brought back down to the natural world by the faith-busting words of my wife telling me that credit had to have been given to Yelp for her inspiration to try Milagro. This brought me back down from a religious high- coupled with a serious dosage of eating too much.
Ain't no way I would be floating to heaven after eating that much!
But to keep the religious overtones of this review, food description in my opinion would be blasphemous. I mean- how does one even try to begin to describe such wonderfully prepared, perfectly seasoned, flavorful food.
I will say what we had though, which is probably the reason why a review should be written in the first place. For me- two orders of guisada (Mexican stew), the first being puerco en salsa verde (slow-cooked pork pieces in a sweet, acid, and ever-so-slightly spicy green sauce; in a word- DIVINE), and the second being the lengua (beef tongue stewed in a spicy red sauce). The atheist, god-hating wife was in the mood for some tamales, and they satisfied quite well.
The only problem we had with ourselves was in ordering. Mi español es malo. While I originally just wanted tacos, and the devil woman wanted certain tamales, God must have failed me and had me speak in the wrong tongues- because we ended up with too much food for me, and a couple of the wrong types of tamales for her.
But God is good- because one of the ordering mistakes turned into a highlight of the meal. All I asked for was to add a bag of their chips from the tortillaria next door, so that we could have some with the meal and take the rest home. The angels behind the counter mistook this as a way to enrich our souls even more and went the extra mile (after already having to deal with my idiot-level Spanish) to put together a nice concoction of freshly fried tortillas, some lovely and vibrant salsa verde, and some queso fresco.
As we left El Milagro the sun came beaming out of the sky after the long storm. I looked over to my wife and saw a tear in her eye. Surely this act of grace touched her so deeply that she finally came to the realization that God is in all of our lives.
Before I could even say anything to her- she wiped the water from her face and said- "Damn rain!" -
1/23/2009
Luckily or not, I got to work right across the street from here again today- and this time I indulged on two tacos of puerco en salsa verde (pork meat stewed in green sauce).
As usual- the tacos are thick and heavy (huge!!!) so two were plenty of food for me. The pork is fork-tender and succulent, and the combination of the salsa verde with their awesome cabbage and beans on their house-made famous tortillas was a nice break for my slow and boring day at work.
This place is really starting to grow on me......... I might have to suggest to my boss that I help out at this office more often.............. -
12/20/2008
WARNING: Tacos are ENORMOUS here......... If you are like me and used to your tacos being on the smaller size- just be aware that you won't be able to handle three or four of these unless you are a lineman for the Bears.
I recently ordered two tacos asada (grilled marinated steak) and was amazed at the fact that there was a full strip steak on each taco!
Their tacos are filled with some interesting ingredients too. Cabbage is a main condiment and is served cooked and is incredibly flavorful, and yet still crisp enough to give a nice little crunch to each bight. Another nice addition is their addition of a smear of beans on each taco.
Once again- these are huge- so don't expect to have more than two while you are there.
Tortas and everything else they do there are great too- and they serve a lot of freshly made tortilla chips at the tables if you decide to eat there.
If you are ever in La Villita and searching for something a bit different- check out El Milagro.
The fact that this is primarily a little grocery store/butcher's shop actually makes me glad to know that they run a busy little taqueria in the back.
Fresh meat. Enough said.
The menu is actually really extensive, but I have a feeling that due to this place creating such wonderful al pastor, I may never try anything other than that.
The deal is, when you go to a place and order al pastor tacos, what you tend to get is hacked up chunks of seasoned pork, sometimes with pineapple thrown in, that has has been thrown on a flat top grill and cooked. While I'm not about to say it isn't truly "authentic," I can say that isn't how al pastor originated.
Here, they do it right...
Taking an upright spit, much like what you'll find at a gyro stand, they stack large, whole pieces of marinated pork together to form a massive pile of meat. It then goes onto the spit rotisserie where it slowly cooks the outside, melting and dripping a lot of the fat and creating what eventually gets shaved off before a quick finish on the flat top.
This cooking style creates some amazing textures and flavors and is the real deal.
Oddly enough, you won't find this way of cooking al pastor at very many places, but at Tierra Caliente it is on full display.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 227-7960
Santullo's Eatery
Categories:
Pizza,
Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
After 3:00 PM, you can get one of their slices (big!) for $2.00. Even when you eat before 3:00 PM, you can have a monster slice and a fountain drink for $5.00 after tax.
Plus, the pizza is really good! It's that classic NY style stuff that you have to basically fold over to eat. Their sausage is what I tend to order, unless it is a day where they are offering The Brickhouse for slices.
Another thing to note: the music selection in here is excellent. Tends to be more on the metal side of things, but a great break away from the sanitized corporate garbage that gets pumped into the air at work.
Best meatball sandwich in the city.
Best pepper and egg sandwich in the city.
Cheap.
Delicious.
This is a destination for those looking for a great Italian-style sandwich, prepared foods and even pizza puffs.
That's right, this place makes their own pizza puffs, and they are 100x better than the ones featured at your old high school's cafeteria.
Run here, now.
Chicago, IL 60614
Free Annual Polar Bear Plunge
Category:
Active Life
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Training for such an event, at least in the beginning stages before you hurt yourself, is actually quite noble! It gets one in shape, becomes a constructive hobby for many and is a great way to stay active and healthy for a very long time. Human beings after all were meant to distance run in order to outlast our prey which would eventually keel over with a heart attack or be so winded that they'd just stop moving before we inevitably finished the job ourselves.
But marathon running seems like such a natural activity in comparison to what a great number of people willingly and happily choose to do every New Year's Day right around the strike of noon.
These idiots (I now count myself as one) go swimming in the frigid cold of Lake Michigan off the beach at North Avenue.
Unlike marathons- there's really no training or preparation for such a moronic act.
Unless of course, you are crazy (crazy people are different from idiots) and you happen to do this thing more than once a year...
It's a pretty simple process- show up, get nearly nude (and if you have some cut-off jorts like Tobias Funke, wear them!), run into the water, let your bones chill for the 22 seconds or so that you are in contact with the lake (get most of your head and body under, or else it doesn't count!!!), run out of the lake, scream the most obvious thing you can think of like "OH MY GOD, IT'S COLD!" or "I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!", then towel off, get dressed, and leave.
In the midst of all of that it would be a good idea to have a friend around to take some pictures, and if you really want to do any sort of preparation at all- have another friend handy to make you some delicious and warming menudo for after.
You are going to need it!
Lastly, the question was asked if dunking ones self in the icy waters would cure a hang over... My answer is that unlike a quick remedy that masks the pain and makes you feel better, this is just pain on top of pain.
Are you now interested?
Somehow, I have a feeling I'll be back in 2013.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 911-9111
New Year's Day 2012 Idiot Swim
Category:
Beaches
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Training for such an event, at least in the beginning stages before you hurt yourself, is actually quite noble! It gets one in shape, becomes a constructive hobby for many and is a great way to stay active and healthy for a very long time. Human beings after all were meant to distance run in order to outlast our prey which would eventually keel over with a heart attack or be so winded that they'd just stop moving before we inevitably finished the job ourselves.
But marathon running seems like such a natural activity in comparison to what a great number of people willingly and happily choose to do every New Year's Day right around the strike of noon.
These idiots (I now count myself as one) go swimming in the frigid cold of Lake Michigan off the beach at North Avenue.
Unlike marathons- there's really no training or preperation for such a moronic act.
Unless of course, you are crazy (crazy people are different from idiots) and you happen to do this thing more than once a year...
It's a pretty simple process- show up, get nearly nude (and if you have some cut-off jorts like Tobias Funke, wear them!), run into the water, let your bones chill for the 22 seconds or so that you are in contact with the lake (get most of your head and body under, or else it doesn't count!!!), run out of the lake, scream the most obvious thing you can think of like "OH MY GOD, IT'S COLD!" or "I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!", then towel off, get dressed, and leave.
In the midst of all of that it would be a good idea to have a friend around to take some pictures, and if you really want to do any sort of preperation at all- have another friend handy to make you some delicious and warming menudo for after.
You are going to need it!
Lastly, the question was asked if dunking ones self in the icey waters would cure a hang over... My answer is that unlike a quick remedy that masks the pain and makes you feel better, this is just pain on top of pain.
Are you now interested?
Somehow, I have a feeling I'll be back in 2013.
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"That's 'Mr. Aurore L.' to you!!!"
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Review votes:
1547 Useful, 1362 Funny, and 1369 Cool
Chicago, IL
Yelping SinceOctober 2008
Things I Lovemy French wife, Top Chef, Sly and the Family Stone, Arrested Development, Harold's Chicken, Doves, Gordon Ramsey's potty-mouth, Birria, puerco en salsa verde, hating on Jerry Bruckheimer, Chicago Fire, radishes, Amelie, dogs named Sake, 4 love Chicago Fire
Find Me Ina beard
My HometownCrookfield, IL
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I 9-to-5 it; lately- 7-to-7'ing it......
Why You Should Read My Reviews"Read this below if you are taste freak."
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadThe Elegance of the Hedgehog
My First ConcertOblivion at the Fireside
My Favorite MovieThe Butterfly and the Diving Bell
My Last Meal On EarthHarold's 1/2 Dark, Mild Sauce, Fried Hard
As for the hype- I have to say that it is genuinely deserved. You want to know why? It is because, quite simply, I've never had a better pizza crust in my life. I used to sling pies for many years back in the day (the Chicago-style thin type, which is quite similar to the thickness and texture of Lombardi's), so please understand that I know pizza pretty well. Lombardi's crust is without a doubt fantastic, and perhaps the "ideal" for the foundation of a great pizza pie...
Which is why the place over all is a disappointment for me. Lombardi's- you got, by far, the hardest part right... So right that I can still say that I like your pizza despite pretty much hating the sorry assortment of toppings that came on our order.
Were we wrong to go with a basic Margherita with the simple addition of wild mushrooms? Should we have assumed that by not adding any extra toppings that our pizza would therefore come out bland? Did I actually use a salt shaker on my presented food for the first time in years, maybe even over a decade, because what came to me lacked even the most basic form of seasoning?
Such a shame!
I think the biggest culprit of "meh" had to be the sauce. To me the sauce lacked both tangy and sweet qualities, two necessary components of a typical tomato sauce... Which makes me think- what was left? There was kind of a hint of a smell- let's call it an essence of fresh tomato, but a pinkish-hued glob of tasteless semi-chunky liquid a sauce makes not. A layering of flavors as the sauce is being "built" goes a long way... Hell- salt would even be a great start!
Dan, you are the man, and I still value your opinion- but I have to say that Lombardi's is a mixed bag of A-OK if I ever saw one. Perfect crust. Perfectly forgettable rest.