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"Scarfing"
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- 10 Reviews
- 2 Review Updates
- 2 Firsts
- 2 Fans
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Review votes:
8 Useful, 4 Funny, and 6 Cool
Geneva, IL
Yelping SinceJuly 2007
Find Me InChicago suburbs
My HometownWhat's your definition of "home"? Where I was born or where I mostly grew up?
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm blogging
Why You Should Read My ReviewsThey're so few and far between that they must be for good places.
My First ConcertKenny Rogers and Crystal Gayle
My Favorite MovieThe Shawshank Redemption
My Last Meal On EarthMy wife's beef stroganoff
Date
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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10/4/2008 First to Review
For years, my wife and I have passed by this place and kept saying how "we need to see what they're all about." And we never did. Until recently.
We finally stopped in and got ourselves a couple pizzas. One thin crust and one double dough. And both were fantastic. All the ingredients were in good proportion to one another and the flavors were to die for. Plus they have a quick turnaround. We stopped in and placed our order and they had it ready to go 15 minutes later.
And to top it all off, the go over the top to please customers. We stopped in one time five minutes before they were to close hoping against hope they would help us out... and they did. Even though it meant staying open later than their posted hours.
God love Antonio's.
But today I made myself stop there. I had to see if it was worth the hype.
Oh was it.
As soon as I stepped in, the owner greeted me and treated me like an old friend. He explained his menu to me and started handing me samples of his soups (Beef Barley and White Bean Rosemary today) asking me to enjoy them while he assembled my Italian sub sandwich. Then I looked in his cooler to find a bunch of different custards... all made in house. I bought a small container of the orange dreamsicle that the owner told me would make me feel like I was lost in an orange grove the second I open it.
Hold on.
Okay, he's not joking.
My mother joined me there a little later to eat and she had a slider burger, which was actually larger than a full-size McDonald's burger. She also got their seasoned steak fries with homemade bleu cheese dipping sauce. Damn!
The entire time I was there, he was engaging me in conversation, telling me how his foods are made and how he always orders the best ingredients possible. This was more than evident in the salmon salad. It was an 8 ounce slab of salmon on top of a bed of ridiculously fresh greens.
Yeah, you'd swear I was an employee hyping this place. Nope, just someone who's sure to return.
The good news is that it can be attributed to growing pains. While the cupcake top the first time was almost crunchy, I recently purchased more and they were much, much better. Softer, moister and just downright more enjoyable. Their selection was also much wider ranging and they finally posted a daily menu of what varieties you can expect on a given day.
The only problem I have is that I still have trouble swallowing the idea of paying $3 for a cupcake.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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12/15/2008
To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of this whole cupcake fad.
I love cupcakes, don't get me wrong. They're fantastic both in their sugar infusion capability and the fact that they're not such an insanely large dessert that you go into sugar coma or have to worry about spending the next several hours at the gym because you feel bad.
But to set up an entire storefront around them? That bewilders me a bit.
And that's exactly what Sugar Monkey Cupcakes is... a storefront for nothing but cupcakes.
I will grant them the benefit of the doubt in that they're less than a week old and maybe they don't have all that many different recipes just yet and are still working on their repertoire. But when I went in there, they had maybe a half dozen varieties with anywhere from six to a dozen of each of those types. There was also a sign on the door stating that once they ran out of stock, they would close their doors for the day, regardless of their posted hours. Perhaps this is just temporary as they gauge their demand and adjust their daily supply accordingly. But it still kinda freaks me out a bit considering how high-rent downtown Naperville is.
As for the cupcakes themselves... the frosting is to DIE for. I picked up a half dozen red velvet cupcakes and shared them with my officemates and everyone was ga-ga. The bottom part of the cake was very moist and flavorful as well. However, the muffin top was a bit crisp. I've had my fair share of cupcakes and I've never had one that was crisp. I guess the best way to think of it would be by comparing it to brownies... soft center pieces, harder toward the outside. Now do you see what I'm saying?
I hate to have to rate on more than just the food by thinking about some uncertainty regarding their business plan. But in this economy, you kinda have to, don't you?
And the sub (Italian; that's still Mediterranean) was fantastic. Great, fresh meat and cheese and fantastic bread.
But I did indulge in some baklava. Freakin' awesome. It's taking me several sittings to finish it because it's so rich. I'm such a puss.
Burnt Toast is a restaurant that we've passed dozens upon dozens of times on the way to and from my wife's childhood home up in the far northwest suburbs. The name immediately caught my attention and, each time we passed, we would always say, "we have to try this place." And, like any good plan, it never happened.
Then, I became reacquainted with an old middle/high school friend and her husband who are brunch junkies and they, additionally being Burnt Toast freaks, suggested we meet up there. We did. And we're VERY glad we did, too.
The food here is fantastic! A great selection of traditional breakfast plates including eggs, omelettes, French toast, pancakes, etc. There is a modest lunch menu, which I would love to see expanded upon as I am a lunch freak moreso than a breakfast one. But I still never have a problem finding something to whet my appetite. I think the bigger problem is actually paring down the possibilities.
BT is right on Randall Road with a second location further north also on Randall and it has easy access from Route 90. The only catch is that there are windows of time that are best to go there as it certainly is a favorite among people from all around. One time, we must've hit their clock's sweet spot because we walked right in. The second time, not so lucky, we had to wait about 15 minutes and the only available booth was a few tables in from the main entrance. Simply put, if you're gonna go, be prepared to wait. Oh, and be prepared to search for parking.
Nosh has a relatively large menu with some standard breakfast fare for those who prefer comfort food like French toast, eggs, omelettes, etc. But for those with a more experimental streak, they have many dishes available with nice twists on regular food such as my eggs benedict cristo (I'm not exact on the name) and my wife's tri-color eggs benedict (again, not entirely sure on the proper name).
Today marked my second and my wife's third time at Nosh (the name was taken from an episode of Seinfeld), and it was just as good as I remembered it being from the first time we dined there many months ago. This was a good thing considering we invited some new friends along who are complete and utter brunch freaks. It would've been terrible if we'd let them down.
On our most recent visit, we had an abnormally great server. Her name was Nicole and she seemed to understand us pretty well. So much so that before she came over, I had identified a wine I was interested in and, when I asked her for a recommendation, she suggested the same wine on the first try with no prompting (Terazzas Malbec, 2007). Impressive considering their wine list contains more than 100 varieties.
I'm a freak for their Ahi Tuna and have never ordered anything other than that. My wife tends to be a bit more experimental and went with the nightly special of grilled vegetables, potatoes, and a nicely sized ribeye. As an appetizer, we had their Tuscan Flatbread, which we both loved.
My biggest concern with Timpano's is the price. Our two meals and one appetizer came out to $100 (the wine was an extra $44). I guess when compared to other Naperville restaurants, this isn't so bad, but it keeps us from returning as often as we might otherwise.
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 243-1740
La Scarola
Category: Italian
Neighborhoods: Near West Side, River West
I was, however, introduced to La Scarola for a business lunch. Visually, it was everything I had hoped for... small, cozy place tucked into a larger building, exposed brick walls, pictures of famous patrons on the walls, the lingering smell of garlic and pasta.
And the food? Oh, the food. I ordered the Pasta Niko and was floored. Shells in a light cream sauce with a ton of vegetables and sliced sausage that was to die for.
I want more.
North Aurora, IL 60542
(630) 892-4400
Harner's Bakery Restaurant & Catering
Category: Bakeries
The bakery itself is immense and with the rapid decline in independent bakeries, it's nice to have something so nice available. Plus they give full-size samples of some cookies and doughnut holes. I like it. I will go back. And I won't wait so long.
No Lists
Kevin hasn't made any lists yet.
But one thing I also discovered in my long conversations with the husband-wife owners (we almost always sit around talking to them for nearly 15 minutes when we go pick it up), is that they've only been the owners of the place for about two and a half years. I mentioned how my wife and I had driven by the place for years and had never tried it. Probably better that we didn't. From what the owners tell me, there was little quality control of the product from the prior owners. They bought it, but rarely showed up and just let the teen employees run it. The hardest obstacle they've had to overcome has been getting people to want to come try it again after having had a bad experience a while back.
I'm here to tell you all, folks, that I have had bad experiences with indie (and chain) pizza places in the past. Yes, these experiences have kept me from going back. But, for anyone who had a bad Antonio's experience dating to before 2007, please give it another shot. The owners are there, literally, every day from open to close. They have a method and desire to make great pies and they've always done so for us. Forget the past, people. You'll thank me.
And, no, I don't work for them or get any freebies. Just great pizza and good conversation.