Eric P.'s Profile

The Central is exactly what you think it is.  It is a very traditional Wrigleyville sports bar.  A great place to go if you're looking for a place to get a drink, an average bite to eat and a ton of TVs to watch a game (or many games, i.e. during March Madness).

My favorite item on the menu is the flatbread pizza, both the BBQ and the pepperoni.  You can usually get a table during the day on the weekends, but it does start to get crowded later into the evening.  Cubs game days are obviously busy as well.

This is a really tough review to write, because my friend used to work for Levy Restaurants, the ownership company who runs Melnick's.  Mike, if you read this, I'm sorry.

Jake Melnick's was very average.  I had the ribs, since Melnick's is supposed to be known for their ribs.  They were overcooked and unremarkable.  The mashed potatoes were hard, not at all creamy, and looked like they came out of a plastic tub.  The service was very poor, which was surprising because I was with my friend who knew the staff.  I thought they would take care of us because my friend was part of the same company, but apparently not.  Based on the other reviews I've seen, it looks like my experience was not a fluke.

Rockit is like that girl from college who drove a BMW that her parents bought for her.  Completely pretentious and devoid of substance.

It's not that the food at Rockit is bad.  Actually, it's pretty decent. I had the Rockit burger, a Kobe beef and brie dish that had a sweet taste but a very dry bun.  The truffle french fries were very good, not over-seasoned.  Our waitress was attentive and very nice.

And yet, I still feel as though I can't stand Rockit.  Maybe it's the Friday night clientele, or the smug hostesses that I don't like.  Maybe it's the deliberate and yet seemingly cheap decor.  Whatever it is, it screams style without substance.  It says "we're a big deal" when in reality, they really aren't.

I live fairly close to Toon's, and decided to stop in a few nights ago.  I had been to Toon's before, although I can't say that I come in often.  I had the buffalo wings, and found them to be pretty good.  I really can't stand it when I'm craving wings, only to order them somewhere and get those wings that are completely overcooked and dry.  Certainly not the best wings I've ever had (sorry, Mom's still rule) but I would definitely go back for wings if I was having a craving.  I have also had the burger at Toon's, and I will admit that I thought it was very good as well.  Better than most bar burgers I've found in the city.

However, I do have a a small gripe that I feel some people will not agree with me on.  I never carry cash.  Ever.  I'm just not in enough cash-only situations where I find it necessary to carry cash.  Plus, if I have cash in my pocket, I tend to waste it on things I wouldn't purchase if I didn't have the paper money burning a hole in my pocket.

One of the situations I run into every once in a while is the business that insists upon having a minimum purchase price for credit/debit card transactions.  I'm not naive, I understand that the credit card fees can quickly cut into profit margins.  And I understand when business put up signs that say "Minimum Purchase for Credit Card - $10."  My feeling is that the sign is like a deterrent.  It is designed to put the thought in customer's heads that if they have the cash with them then that's what they should pay with.

Now I've been in a number of situations where my transaction price is below the minimum when I pull out my card.  The employee usually says something like "I'm sorry, the minimum charge for a card is $10" and I will usually respond by saying "Okay, fine, charge me $10."  Then the clerk will say "Don't worry about it, just remember for next time" and I leave with a favorable impression.

Anyway, my bill at Toon's was about six and a half bucks, and the server told me that the minimum charge for a credit card is $10.  "Okay, charge me $10" I said.  The server then went ahead and charged me $10 for my meal.  Fair enough, I told him to do it, and he did it.  The policy is the policy.  But let's be honest, sometimes we put policies in place, just so that we can break the policy to make a customer happy.  You make the customer feel special, and you really don't lose anything by doing that.

I'm not saying don't go to Toon's.  I think Toon's is a fine bar and I encourage you to go.  I'm just saying, was it worth the difference in the credit card fee between $6.50 and $10 (the difference probably amounted to a few cents) for me to now have a debate with friends about credit card minimums and use my experience at Toon's as an example?  I'm guessing probably not.

I have been at Deleece (which, to this day, I still do not know how to properly pronounce) three or four times after living just around the corner for roughly two and a half years.  Every time I have visited for dinner, it has been very good.  I have also been over for brunch, and while I was not as impressed as I was with the dinner menu, I still thought the food was very good.

The servers seem particularly trendy, very similar to Uncommon Ground.  Actually, I think servers probably start at Deleece, and after they achieve a certain level of trendiness, they graduate and move on to a high level at Uncommon Ground.

Anyway, I had the salmon when I was at Deleece last.  It was very good.  There was a sweet (I think maple) sauce that went very well with the salmon, and a black rice that was good.  Kinda weird, but good.  What can I say, I'm don't like to stray too far out of the box when it comes it my rice.  It's just a thing.

I work just around the corner from Green Door, so I've only visited this establishment during the lunch hour.

Green Door generally gets fairly busy between noon and 1 PM.  However, if you strategically plan your arrival, you can usually get right in.  The food is pretty typical pub fare.  I normally order the buffalo chicken sandwich, a huge slab of breaded chicken slathered in buffalo sauce that extends well past the bun.  I also have ordered the chili on a number of occasions.  The thing I like about the chili is all of the cheese, sour cream, jalapeno peppers and even the chili beans come on the side.  I like chili that isn't overwhelmingly just beans, so this works well for me.  Plus, you get a sizable piece of garlic toast with the chili.

Tango Sur is the best steakhouse in Chicago that no one has heard of.  Problem is, now everyone has heard of it.

I have been to Tango Sur many times, although I have only sat inside on one occasion.  The service is generally only okay, but you don't come to Tango Sur for the service.  You come for the steak, and lots of it.

Just about every time I go, I get El Filet, a two-filet entree for a mere $25.  That's dinner and lunch for the next day folks.  Tango does not serve drinks, but it's a BYOB.  If you're waiting for a table, I recommend heading over to Que Syrah to grab a bottle of wine, just a half block south of Tango Sur on the opposite site of the street.

UPDATE: To my great sadness, it appears that Take Five is closed for business.

I live pretty close to Take Five, and it's been a go-to place for me for about 2 or 3 years now.

To be sure, Take Five is nothing fancy.  In fact, for a lot of their dishes, a side isn't included.  But that is the draw, that you can get a basic meal for a very affordable price.

The original idea for Take Fave was that everything was $5.  However, they changed the prices over the summer, and some items are now substantially more (some even into the $15 range).  Drinks are often a bit more expensive here, because that's where they make up for the lower prices on the food.  Even refills on soda are charged at full price.

That being said, the waitstaff has always been pretty friendly, the food is always pretty good, and if I'm looking for consistency, Take Five does it for me.