Nino’s Pizza – Alsip, IL

15 02 2009
  • 4835 W. 111th Street
  • Alsip, IL 60803
  • (708 ) 423-9100
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Ninos Pizza on 111th Street in Alsip, IL

Nino's Pizza on 111th Street in Alsip, IL

Valentine’s Day wasn’t the typical Valentine’s Day for J and I.  We had another commitment that took precedentover a romantic night out.  No worries.  We had our night on Friday night instead.  On Valentine’s Day, after we got done with what had to be done, we started thinking of places to go eat that wouldn’t have a huge wait or be swamped with people.  Most of the usual suspects were booked up, but I remembered a place we have driven by many, many times and never stopped at.  The real funny thing is my brother was raving about a pizza he had in Matteson which is about a half hour away.  I finally figured out the name of it and realized there was another location right down the road from J’s parents.  Even though it had been there most of her life, J had never eaten at Nino’s, so thought we’d give them a shot.  To make this even better, a friend of ours from Peoria told us some time ago that her family actually owns the Nino’s in Alsip…still, we had never stopped in for a pie.

Nino’s Pizza is near the corner of 111th and Cicero right on the city limits for Alsip and Oak Lawn.  It’s a rather old building with neon tube signs on the front and side of the building.  It looks like a throwback pizza parlor.  J had called before we left to see if they had a huge wait and they said we’d be ok if we could get there in twenty minutes or so.  I had a feeling a pizza place wouldn’t be packed on Valentine’s Day and I was right for the most part.  The place was full, but there was no wait.  We found a parking spot and headed towards the entrance which is on the side of the building.

Once inside, we were met by a hostess who said she had four tables and we could pretty much just pick.  We took one fairly close to the door so J’s parents, who were meeting us there, could find us.  The decor is very rustic.  There is a lot of those thatched wood panels that you see on patio’s.  They even made a drop ceiling out of them.  There are several old chandelier’s scattered throughout the joint.  The tables are topped with the typical red and white checkerboard table cloths.  There are a number of old, wooden booths scattered throughout, but they looked pretty small like they were meant just for couples. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Alsip, Illinois, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Jedi’s Restaurant – Oak Lawn, IL

15 02 2009
  • 9266 S. Cicero
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 499-4545
  • Website
  • Menu
Jedis Restaurant on Southwest Highway and Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

Jedi's Restaurant on Southwest Highway and Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

It was time for lunch again and we had a hard time deciding where to go.  We knew there would be six of us because J’s uncle and his girlfriend were meeting us as well.  It took a long time to finally settle on a place.  We needed something that would be quick and something that would satisfy a number of different palates.  We finally settled on Jedi’s Restaurant.

Jedi’s Restaurant is on the corner of Cicero Avenue and Southwest Highway in Oak Lawn.  It’s a typical family restaurant with a large menu and a family friendly atmosphere.  The rest of our party was already seated when J and I arrived, so we joined them at a table on the “upstairs” part of the dining room.  We were seated right next to the fish tank which was a pretty big draw for the kids in the restaurant.

I know our party all showed up at different times which can be frustrating for restaurants, but we weren’t that far apart.  There was maybe 10 minutes between the time J’s parents were seated and when J and I arrived.  Once we got there, we waited another ten minutes for our waitress to come over for drink orders.  J’s step dad and her uncle already had drinks.  J ordered a Diet Pepsi.  I ordered a Pepsi and J’s uncle’s girlfriend ordered a Diet Pepsi with no ice and a lemon wedge.  Ten minutes later, the waitress brought back only the Diet Pepsi with no ice but with a lime instead of a lemon.  She then took care of another table behind us and J and I still had no drinks.  J stopped her to ask about our drinks and she rudely informed J that “they” were working on it.  A few minutes later, we finally got our Pepsi’s. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : breakfast, Burgers, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate – Chicago, IL

13 02 2009
  • 1747 N. Damen Avenue
  • Chicago, IL 60647
  • (773) 489-1747
  • Website
  • Menu
Mindys Hot Chocolate on Chicagos north side.

Mindy's Hot Chocolate on Chicago's north side.

Valentine’s Day came a day early for J and I.  We have other commitments tomorrow, so we decided to get reservations for a restaurant in Chicago we had heard good things about.  When I called at ten this morning to see if we could get a table, the response I got was, “Ooooh…I don’t know.  Hang on a sec.”  Turns out, the only opening they had was at 5:30 which is when they open.  I told them we’d take it.

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate is locate on Damen Avenue in the north side’s Bucktown Neighborhood.  Coming from the south suburbs during rush hour was a little bit of a challenge.  It’s only twenty miles, but with rush hour traffic, it took a little over an hour.  Once we got to the neighborhood, we then had to find a spot to park.  The only options are valet or finding a spot at a meter on the street.  We actually got pretty lucky and found a spot on the corner just about a block away.

We walked in to Hot Chocolate and were met by a hostess who showed us to our table.  The restaurant is fairly small with a bench along the back wall that acts as a seat for about ten tables.  There are also a handful of four tops, a bar, a small waiting/lounge area and one table near the kitchen for larger groups.  We were seated along the wall and the tables were really crammed in there.  It was alright at first because there was no one sitting on either side of us, but once the tables around us were filled, it was like we were all eating together.  There was just a matter of inches between the tables.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Fine Dining, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

Del Taco – Oak Lawn, IL

13 02 2009
  • 9507 S. Cicero Avenue
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60453
  • (708 ) 229-1988
  • Website
  • Menu
The only Illinois Del Taco location in Oak Lawn.

The only Illinois Del Taco location in Oak Lawn.

Authentic Mexican scares me.  Fast food quasi-Mexican intrigues me.  Go figure.  It’s not that I don’t like Mexican food.  I just don’t have a lot of experience with it.  I had never heard of Del Taco until I started dating J and saw the one by her parents.  I realized it was probably a chain, but it’s not a chain I had ever seen before.   Since it was something I had never had before, I wanted to check it out.

Del Taco is a West Coast chain that is slowly expanding into the Midwest.  The Oak Lawn location is the only one in Illinois.  It sits near the corner of Cicero Avenue and 95th Street in front of  a small shopping center.  When you see Del Taco, you immediately think of it’s competitors.  It looks pretty much the same from the outside.  A small building with a Southwestern flair. 

The inside is much brighter.  J actually described as a kid’s interpretation of a restaurant.  There are splashes of color anywhere and everywhere from floor to ceiling.  The set up is what you’d expect.  There’s a small dining room with plastic furniture and an order counter with little rope maze that you have wind your way through even though you’re the only person there. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Illinois, Mexican, Oak Lawn

Cupid Candies – Oak Lawn , IL

12 02 2009
  • 4707 W. 95th Street
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 423-2729
  • Website
  • Menu
Cupid Candies on 95th Street in Oak Lawn.

Cupid Candies on 95th Street in Oak Lawn.

I sort of get a double whammy on Valentine’s Day.  Getting something for J is not a problem.  She’s got flowers waiting back in Lansing and tickets to a show that I’m pretty sure got lost in the mail.  Not only is February 14th Valentine’s Day, but it’s also my mom’s birthday.  Birthday’s aren’t a big deal in my family.  If we do anything at all, we do something small. 

Since J and I are back in the Chicago area, my mom decided to meet us for lunch tomorrow afternoon at Portillo’s Hot Dogs (review HERE) in Crestwood.  J suggested since we were meeting her before her birthday we should get her some candy or something.  When I was driving around lost this afternoon, I noticed Cupid Candies on the corner of Cicero and 95th.  I suggested we stop in and pick up some chocolates when we went out for dinner. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chocolate, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Reviews

Deja Brew Bar & Grill- Oak Lawn, IL

12 02 2009
  • 5219 W. 95th Street
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 423-0484
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Deja Brew on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn, IL

Deja Brew on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn, IL

After taking care of some things this morning, my girlfriend, her family, and I headed out for lunch.  Our first stop was Palermos 95th (review HERE), but they were even packed for lunch, so we went to J’s parents favorite bar in downtown Oak Lawn.

Deja Brew Bar & Grill is located on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn.  It fronts the busy highway, but the parking and main entrance is actually in the back which is accessible by an alley.  When you walk in that back door, you come into an enclosed courtyard.  From there, there’s another set of doors to actually enter the establishment. 

Inside is a typical sports bar.  There are LCD’s hanging from the ceiling.  There’s a large, odd shaped bar that takes a good chunk of the space.  The shape of the bar is a little hard to describe.  Around the bar are a few pub tables.  Along the opposite wall is a step up with more tables.  We took a table near the windows and waited for a watiress.

The waitress actually came over pretty quickly to get our drink orders, but then took a really long time to come back with them.  She spilled a little bit of J’s mom’s beer and went to get something to clean it up with before taking lunch orders.  It took a good ten minutes for her to come back with a bar towel.  Once we got the spilled beer taken care of, we put in lunch orders.  Another half hour later and we finally got our food.  During the time, J and her uncle both ran out of Diet Coke but there was no refilling until the food came out. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Downtown, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

Patio Restaurant of Orland Park (IL)

8 02 2009
  • 7830 W. 159th St.
  • Orland Park, IL 60462
  • (708 ) 429-7575
  • Website
  • Menu
The Patio of Orland Park on 195th Street

The Patio of Orland Park on 195th Street

We finished up our mini-vacation in Illinois on Saturday.  The  purpose of our trip was so J could judge an IHSA speech regional in Orland Park which is another one of Chicago’s south suburbs.  I slept in, but met her at the school later in the day.  When it was time to head back to Michigan, we left straight from there instead of going back to her parents.  Before we could do that though, we had to make one more stop for food.

The Patio Restaurant of Orland Park is one of four in a local chain.  It’s another place that J’s parents eat at often and have suggested to us in the past.  The Patio sits on 195th Street.  The building is huge.  The parking lot…not so much.  It took a while for us to find a spot on a busy Saturday night.  I didn’t have much hope of actually getting a table, but J assured me we would be ok.

The inside of The Patio is a wide open space that is decorated to resemble a patio.  The furniture is more patio furniture than lawn furniture and the ceilings are high, vaulted, and decorated to make you feel like it is open air.  The restaurant is set up so you order in the front of the building then take a seat with a number.  Your food is brought to you a few minutes later.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Illinois, Orland Park, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Fox’s Restaurant & Pub – Oak Lawn, IL

7 02 2009
  • 9240 S. Cicero Avenue
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 499-2233
  • Website
  • Menu
Foxs Restaurant & Pub on South Cicero Street in Oak Lawn, IL

Fox's Restaurant & Pub on South Cicero Street in Oak Lawn, IL

The thing I absolutely love about going home is the food.  The south side of Chicago is home to some great restaurants and J’s parents love showing me all their favorite spots.  One of the places I heard them talk about quite a bit was Fox’s Restaurant & Pub, so I suggested going there for dinner.  J’s mom had some coupons that were about to expire, so that’s what we decided on.

Fox’s Restaurant & Pub in Oak Lawn is on South Cicero and 92nd Street.  There are four locations total in the Chicago area.  Other restaurants are in Chicago, Orland Park, and Plainfield.  J asked her mom if she should call and get reservation.  The answer was no because Fox’s is huge.

Fox’s looks like an Irish pub even thought it’s not the typical “we got our bar from Ireland and only serve Guiness” Irish pub.  When you walk in, you’re met by a hostess who then takes you down a long hallway to the main dining room.  There are also two other levels that host private parties and overflow dining on busy nights.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Illinois, Irish Bar, Oak Lawn, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Oberweis Ice Cream & Dairy Store – Bradley, IL

5 02 2009
  • 840 N. Kinzie Avenue
  • Bradley, IL 60915
  • (815) 932-4666
  • Website
  • Menu
The Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy Store on Kinzie Avenue in Bradley, IL

The Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy Store on Kinzie Avenue in Bradley, IL

I have a love/hate relationship with Oberweis.  I love their milk and ice cream.  I hate their owner.  Jim Oberweis is a name every Illinoisan knows.  It would be hard not to.  He’s ran for and lost just about every public office in Illinois.  He’s the king of saying something stupid and can’t make it out of a primary.  Usually, he does more damage to the Republican party by running a smear campaign in the primary that gives the Democratic challenge in the general election a head start.  Case in point, the last gubernatorial election.  He ran a smear campaign against rival GOPer Judy Bar Topinka showing her dancing with incarcerated former Governor George Ryan.  He called it, “The Pay-To-Play Polka.”  When he lost the primary, Topinka’s Democratic opponent and incumbent, Rod Blagojevich started using the same video and same tag lines against Topika driving home the connection to her and Ryan.   Blagojevich won and now Illinois is the political laughing stock of the country.

Oberweis milk on the other hand, is the best cow juice you will ever have.  I hate buying it because all it does is fund another failing campaign, but I just can’t help it.  I started buying the milk six years ago before I really knew who Jim Oberwies was.  The thing that drew me to it was the glass bottles.  No plastic here.  All Oberweis milk is sold in glass bottles. I picked one up at the store and fell in love with the stuff.  I’m not really a milk drinker, but I was drinking three or four gallons a week. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bradley, Chains, Ice Cream, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

One Sixty Four North – Kankakee, IL

5 02 2009
  • 164 N. Schuyler Avenue
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 936-0164
  • Website
  • Menu
One Sixty Four North in downtown Kankakee, IL

One Sixty Four North in downtown Kankakee, IL

Whenever I go to my parents house, I run into the problem of “where do we eat today?”    There’s not a lot of options in a town of 750 people.  The closest “big town” is Kankakee a half hour to the north.  J and I tossed around a couple options, but then I decided I was going to make dinner for my brother and dad tonight since my mom and sister-in-law were working.  In order to do that, I had to find a grocery store…again, a half hour to the north.  Since we were going anyway, I told J we’d just eat in Kankakee. 

One Sixty Four North is on North Schuyler Street near the Paramount Theater in downtown Kankakee.  Growing up, there wasn’t much in this area.  The only thing we went downtown for was a movie.  Most of the people I know are not adventurous eaters.  They prefer their Applebees and Arby’s, so asking about a local establishment is sort of like talking in Greek.  I had asked a few people about One Sixty Four North and the answer I always got was “heard it was good, but too expensive for us to try.”  I checked out the menu on-line and it looked pretty reasonably priced to me. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Downtown, Fine Dining, Illinois, Kankakee, Restaurant, Reviews

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