Ben D.'s Profile

So I ventured to Hot Doug's yesterday with a friend for the first time. We went around 1pm on a Tuesday. There was a bit of a line, but big deal. How many times have you sat in traffic for 2 hours and not been rewarded with a delicious sausage. Our wait was about 30-45 minutes. Not that bad really, you can talk with the other people in line, see what they recommend if they have been here before or chat about what you are going to order. The wait also gives you some time to mull over what the heck you are going to get. While I was in line someone had mentioned that the bacon sausage was the best dog they had ever had, so at that point I was quite unsure of what to order.

As we got in the door I  had decided to go with the Smoked Apple Chicken Sausage with Spicy Citrus-Apple Salsa and Sartori Raspberry Cheese and I grabbed a honey lemonade because I thought it would be a nice complement to the other citrus flavors. Having Celiac disease I was forced to ditch the bun, which actually was no big deal because the sausage was big enough that the bun didn't matter. So I settled in with my knife and fork like I always do when I eat hot dogs or sausage because gluten free buns at any dining establishment are a rarity. The sausage was quite delicious, it had a nice smokey flavor and the apple salsa gave it just enough a kick. And the cheese was a nice pairing. This could just be me being American, but I would have liked more cheese and apple salsa. I also got the fries, no duckfat fries since it was Tuesday(I'll be back).

So four stars for now until I go back again and try something else. I don't care about the wait, not a big deal to me. Food was good. Lots of options. Someday I hope there will be a hot dog place that offers gluten free buns...

Don't. Go. Here. Ever.

Seriously though, don't.

Do yourself a favor (because you are probably not going here sober) take a walk down to any of the other taquerias on Chicago Ave and get something good because Picante is awful.

Quenchers is great. For some reason a lot of people I know are not fond of this bar and I'm not sure why. Cheap drinks, free popcorn and they have gluten free beer for my fellow Celiacs out there. The also have tater tots (baked, not fried). The live music is hit or miss but who cares. Last but not least the PacMan table! I could sit for days and play PacMan.

If you want a place with a large variety of beer and some decent food without all the hoopla then come here. My guess is the only people that really come here anyway are people from the neighborhood.

So the first time I went to this place was on a Friday night. No thanks. Bro-fest. You could hardly see to get to the bar through all the pastel collared shirts. I got a drink, pretty pricey, but well made. Gimlets are great, almost borderline too sweet though. Once you make your way through the crowded bar area there is a pool table where you will find an entirely different genre of people. From what I've noticed from the 5 or 6 times I've been in, the bro's don't stray far from the front. Maybe to snag the girls as they walk in the door. Then when you walk in the back there is a very nice classically decorated sitting area. I would say this is probably my favorite part of the bar. The DJ booth is set in an old church alter.

So I was skeptical about coming back to this place because I hated the clientele. So I thought maybe a weeknight would be better. I went in with some friends on a Wednesday night. There was a handful of people but not the lameass d-bags you see on Friday and Saturday.

Long story short. If you're looking to bro-down on a weekend and look awesome because you spent 8 bucks on a mixed drink that you don't care about tasting because all you want to do is get drunk then great go by all means. But if you are looking for a well-made cocktail and don't want to feel like you're at a frat party then I'd go during the week because you'll actually be able talk to the people you are with.

So I'm not real picky when it comes to my hair. I usually just give a length and let the stylist do what they do best. So with that said, let me tell you about Elgin because she is the only person that cuts my hair. Elgin is really cool, easy to talk to which is great because you don't want that awkward 1-2 hour deal where you have nothing to say to each other then you hand her a 20 and you're out. I don't go into too much detail to her about my hair because she knows what's good. This place includes shampoo, haircut, friendly atmosphere, wine and recently chocolate all for about 30 bucks. If you go in tell them Ben sent you so I can get another 10% off. It's worth it I promise.

I love you Flo. I love you when I'm tired and hungover on Saturday morning and need a Mojito to go with my huevos rancheros. I love you on Wednesday night for dinner when I want some enchiladas and a margarita.

Great place for breakfast, can get packed on the weekend but they have free Inteligentsia coffee for you to keep you out of the coma while you wait.

Once you do get seated the wait staff is very friendly and relaxed just looking to make sure you get what you need with no bullshit. The most incredible thing I have ever had here was the tamale hash. It was one of the specials on the weekend and I left a small part of my soul with that plate of food because I could barely move after eating through the entire thing. Solid breakfast the whole way through be it huevos rancheros or huevos verde.

I've been here for dinner as well. Potato enchiladas with red sauce brought a smile to my stomach. Every time I leave here I always have a hard time walking home because I'm so full and all I want to do is stay and eat more.

Habana Libre is another one of my favorite restaurants that happens to be in my neighborhood. The outside looks a little forgiving but when you walk in you are greeted by some friendly people. I have eaten here a handful of times because I usually get carryout because this place is always busy. Which I am thankful for because if this place went out of business I'm not sure what I would do. If you go in here enough, they will know your name. The restaurant is full of fresh flowers and is usually decorated to accommodate the upcoming holiday (the staff dressed up for Halloween).

The food will NEVER disappoint. Not once have I ever eaten here and been dissatisfied. Due to my disease I cannot eat the sandwiches on the menu save one.

Behold the Jibarito. Thank you Puerto Rico/Chicago for giving me this amazing sandwich full of goodness. The jibarito is a sandwich composed of steak, lettuce, swiss cheese, tomato, onion and mayo sandwiched between two fried flattened plantains. This my fellow Celiacs is gluten free living at its very finest.

Eating gluten free here is actually very easy as most of the other dishes are composed entirely of meat, rice and beans. My other favorite dish is the ropa vieja. Don't be fooled by it's translation, "old clothes", it is anything but. Beef braised for hours with peppers and onions in a tomato sauce is juicy and tender. Served with black beans and rice or Cuban rice, it is sure to fill you up. Anything that the fry is sure to be a success. Be it pork, chicken or seafood I swear to you that you will love it.

Also they have great beverages, cafe con leche, smoothies, soda (Jupina).

It is BYOB and you will probably have trouble finding a decent pairing if you go wandering down to Rothchild's to find a bottle of wine, but if you do some research before you go you shouldn't have a problem.

I used to eat at The Breakfast Club all the time when I worked in the neighborhood. I always called in and picked up. The lady that runs it is incredibly nice. Really friendly and always willing to go the extra mile.

I feel like when I first started eating here and I really loved it, bacon and cheese omelets, hash browns and fruit. It was really a solid lunch for a long time. Keep in mind that I did eat here maybe 2-3 times a week for awhile. Then I feel like maybe I just got used to the caliber of the food they were making and it just stopped doing it for me.

I would say its probably a great place on the weekend, you can sit outside if its nice and soak in the sun, maybe read a newspaper. Overall I would say the food is pretty solid. They have your usual breakfast foods and somethings for lunch, meatloaf sandwich (which I cannot eat) but have heard lots of good things about.

Give it a shot on a hungover Saturday morning, after all what's better for a hangover than bacon.

The Hopleaf is another place in the city that has an amazing atmosphere. The first time I came here was with my roommate and his parents the day after Thanksgiving. It was a great night to be in the city as the Christmas atmosphere was starting to ring in. When you walk in the door you enter the bar which I haven't really experienced yet as I have only come here for the food. You have to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant part. There are two levels of the restaurant. I love the top balcony because it overlooks the level below and you can hear the chatter below but it isn't disturbing. Again this place is very comfortable, I could sit here for hours and just eat and talk.

Food = Amazing. Huge beer and wine list.
I loved the sausage plate. Four kinds of sausage and pancetta with white baked beans. I ordered the steak and frites. It was very similar to the steak and frites and had when I was in Poland only the frites come with aioli. Which is probably one of the best things ever. Frites and aioli for days. So good. The mussels here are very good. Two kinds: Belgian and then they usually have a mussels special that changes. I talked about this in my Publican review. The mussels here are very good. Nothing to scoff at but again I would say the mussels at the Publican are better. However if I was going out strictly on atmosphere to get mussels I would choose Hopleaf.

This is a great place to bring friends because if there is a wait you can just sit at the bar and enjoy the giant selection of beer/wine. It is sort of out of the way, a bit north, but it is worth the journey as you will leave happy.