Vito & Nick’s Pizzeria – Chicago, IL

4 02 2009
  • 8433 S. Pulaski Road
  • Chicago, IL 60652
  • (773) 735-2050
  • Website
  • Menu
Vito & Nicks Pizzeria on Chicagos south side.

Vito & Nick's Pizzeria on Chicago's south side.

When we were home for Thanksgiving, one of the places J’s step-dad recommended we eat was Vito & Nick’s on Chicago’s south side.  We passed and went for ribs instead.  Imagine our surprise when we saw the pizzeria on Diner’s, Drive-In’s, and Dives earlier this month.

After that airing, we decided on our next trip home, we would check the place out.  It’s not far from J’s parents, so we hit the place up for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon.  J’s mom was off work so she decided to join us.  Vito and Nick’s was a place her parents used to take her, but she hasn’t been there in a number of years and wanted to see if it was the place she remembered.

The Original Vito & Nick’s is located on 84th Place and Pulaski.  There’s another location in Lemont, but we wanted to go to the one in Chicago.  J’s mom said she remembered the place as having a red, white and green awning and that’s what we looked for.  By the time she saw it, I had missed the parking lot, so we had to circle around the neighborhood to get back. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Dive Bar, Illinois, Local Flavor, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

7-Eleven – S. Cicero, Oak Lawn, IL

5 01 2009
  • 10441 S. Cicero Ave.
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60453
  • (708) 636-4052
  • Website
7-Eleven on South Cicero Ave in Oak Lawn, IL

7-Eleven on South Cicero Ave in Oak Lawn, IL

I told you I had a new addiction to 7-Eleven.  J and I had to make a quick trip back to Chicago for an unplanned visit that I’m not going to get in to.  We were only there a day and a half, but we still had time to go out to dinner with her parents.  We went to Hackney’s in Palos Park (review HERE) which is a few miles from her parents.  On the way, we noticed a huge range of gas prices.  The stations along Cicero were all at $1.95, but a couple stations along 111th Street were still at $1.75, so after we got home, J and I jumped back in my truck and went to get gas.

I’m not usually one who runs after cheaper gas, but I was shocked that gas was as cheap in the Chicago area as it was in Lansing.  Usually, we’re 30 – 40 cents less than the suburbs which is 30 – 40 cents less than the City, so I didn’t want to miss out on the 20 cent savings. 

So, we filled up at Speedway and started heading home.  Oh sure, I could have just went inside at Speedway and got a frozen Coke, but I knew I was passing a 7-Eleven.  I had been a little grumpy all day and both J and I were exhausted, so I decided to do something nice and offered to stop for slurpees.  At first, she hesitated, but quickly changed her mind.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicago, Illinois, Oak Lawn

Hackney’s in Palos Park (IL)

3 01 2009
  • 9550 W. 123rd St.
  • Palos Park, IL 60464
  • (708) 448-8300
  • Website
  • Menu
Hackneys in Palos Park on 123rd and LaGrange in Palos Park, IL

Hackney's in Palos Park on 123rd and LaGrange in Palos Park, IL

Whenever I talk about the “best burger” people always bring up burgers with lots of stuff on them or a great special sauce, but no one ever takes the time to talk about a really good flavorful piece of meat.  I don’t like sauces and condiments on my burgers.  I want a burger that tastes good with a slice of cheese on a bun that wasn’t delivered to the back door three weeks ago.  I’ve found a few places in Lansing with burgers like that, but it’s never at the places that win “best burger.”  Very few places take the time to grind their own meat and put the emphasis on the cow.  Lucky for me, there’s still a place in Chicagoland that does just that.

If the name Hackney’s sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’re a fan of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network.  Guy Fieri visited the original Hackney’s in Glenview.  There are six restaurants overall including a downtown Chicago location.  We chose to visit the Palos Park location which has been open since 1986. 

Hackney’s in Palos Park sits on the corner of LaGrange Road and 123rd Street.  It’s across the street from the forest preserve and there’s not much else around it. The building looks like an old farm house both inside and out.  We showed up on a Saturday night just before 5:00.  There’s a huge parking lot that was fairly empty, so we were pretty confident seating wasn’t going to be a problem. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chicago, Illinois, Palos Park, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Culvers of Bourbonnais, IL

29 12 2008
  • 983 Convent St.
  • Bourbonnais, IL 60914
  • (815) 614-3638
  • Website
  • Menu
Culvers of Bourbonnais on Convent Street

Culvers of Bourbonnais on Convent Street

It’s always fun when you take people some place new.  J and I have been eating at Culvers for a few years and love the food..well, love it as far as fast food goes.  My family had only been to Culvers one other time when we lived in Morton, IL and they just got custard, so lunch was something new…and apparently confusing for them.

J and I were in Bradley because my brother wanted to take a family portrait for my mom for Christmas.  J and I couldn’t get back before Christmas so we did it the Saturday after.  The Sears portrait studio made a huge mistake and took a walk-in of 17 just before our scheduled 12:00 appointment.  It was 1:30 before we even got our pictures started and 2:30 before we got out of there.  By that time, everyone was starving.  Even though everyone was hungry, no one wanted to make a decision.  Everyone my mom asked, “What do you want to eat?” would reply “I don’t care.”  I don’t know what restaurants are in the Bradley/Bourbonnais/Kankakee area, so I left it up to them…even though no one wanted to make a decision.

Finally, someone said Culvers which has just opened within the last month.  My brother didn’t think it was a great idea because it has been packed since it opened.  I just got in the car and started driving.  I noticed it was being built when we were home for Thanksgiving so I knew where it was.  J and I were going to Culvers even if it was by ourselves at that point.  I just wanted food. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : bourbonnais, Burgers, Chains, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

BonaPit Grill & Smokehouse- Palos Heights, IL

29 12 2008
  • 12200 S. Harlem Ave
  • Palos Heights, IL 60463
  • (708) 361-9610
  • Website
  • Menu
BonaPit Grill and Smokehouse on Harlem in Palos Heights, IL

BonaPit Grill and Smokehouse on Harlem in Palos Heights, IL

I told J as we were eating dinner, it’s a good thing we don’t actually live in Chicago.  Every time we go home, I gorge myself when we go out because the food is so damn good!

J and I were at one of her friends house catching up with them when dinner rolled around.  They ordered pizza from a place I’ll probably blog about next time we go home.  They encouraged me to try a slice and a slice ended up being two and a half. It was delicious.  We didn’t eat because we had plans to meet her parents at a BBQ place in Palos Heights. 

BonaPit (not Bon Apetite) is located on Harlem near 122nd Street in Palos Heights.  J’s mom said there used to be a fancy, white tablecloth restaurant in the building and that was the first thing we noticed.  BonaPit doesn’t look like a BBQ joint.  The floor was a wood planked floor, but the tables, walls and ceiling all looked like we should be sipping wine over candlelight.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Chicago, Illinois, Palos Heights, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe – Chicago Ridge, IL

26 12 2008
  • 444 Chicago Ridge Mall #K11
  • Chicago Ridge, IL 60415
  • (708) 422-1219
  • Website
  • Menu
Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe at Chicago Ridge Mall

Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe at Chicago Ridge Mall

For the first time in pretty much ever, I went shopping both the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas.  The same is true for J.  We only had a couple things to return, but we had some gift cards and wanted to get a few more Wii games and I needed to go to Carson’s (Younkers) to get a shirt for a family picture we have to take tomorrow.  The closest mall to J’s parents that isn’t the Ford City Mall is Westfield’s Chicago Ridge.

After taking care of things at Carson’s, we headed to the food court.  I needed a Pepsi bad and the vending machines only sold Coke.  I’ve been drinking a lot of Coke Zero lately, but I really needed a Pepsi.  I still have those bad cravings every now and then.  There was a Taco Bell in the food court and I knew they sold Pepsi, so that’s where I headed, but we got sidetracked when J and her mom noticed a new place open where the customer service kiosk used to be. 

Melt Gelato & Crepe Cafe is a fairly new chain concept founded in 2006.  They have shops in seven states with the most locations being in California.  This particular location at the Chicago Ridge Mall sits near the entrance at the food court.  It’s a stand alone kiosk sort of in the middle of the of the dining area. 

The big draw is the dozens of gelato flavors in the case right up front.  Sure, they do panini’s and crepes, but I don’t think we even realized that until we were walking away.  All three of us zoned in on the gelato.  I wasn’t going to get anything, so I went on to Taco Bell to get my giant Pepsi and left J and her mom at Melt.  By the time I got back, they were trying to talk me into changing my mind. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Ice Cream, Illinois, Reviews

Mr. Gyros – Oak Lawn, IL

25 12 2008
  • 10806 S. Cicero Ave.
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708) 741-4014
  • Website
  • Menu
Mr. Gyros on South Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

Mr. Gyros on South Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

I can only take so many cookies.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas cookies, but usually by dinner time on Christmas day I’m craving some real food.  J and I made it back to her parents in the south suburbs of Chicago and went on a hunt.  Surprisingly, there’s not a whole lot open.  We drove around for ten minutes or so before finding Mr. Gyros open.

Mr. Gyros is in a small strip mall on Cicero near 108th.  Neon signs filled the front window and there signs for their specialty, the “Big Pappa.”  J and I went in to find a counter and a small dining room.  There were a few other people who had the same idea we.  Most of the tables were full and there was even a guy sitting at the bar along the wall.

Mr. Gryos must have brought the whole family in to work Christmas Day.  We were met at the counter by a kid who couldn’t have been very far into his teens.  He asked what we wanted and started writing down the order.  J asked for a grilled cheese and fries then I ordered the Special #5 which is an Italian Beef, fries, and a pop.  I think we confused him.  He wasn’t writing as fast as we were talking and he got all confused.  He thought the #5 was the grilled cheese and it took some explaining to straighten things out.  Finally, it must have sunk in.  I got my beef without peppers and onions, but I did add mozzarella.  In another weird twist, J ordered a Diet Coke to add to her sandwich.  After we paid, the kid turned around and grabbed a can of Coke out of the cooler for me then got J a fountain Diet.  That was bizarre.  Why they have both cans and fountains and why one comes with the special over the other beats me. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicago, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Urbana Garden Family Restaurant – Urbana, IL

22 12 2008
  • 810 W. Killarney St.
  • Urbana, IL 61801
  • (217) 328-1514
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Urbana Garden Family Restaurant in Urbana, IL

Urbana Garden Family Restaurant in Urbana, IL

It’s always fun when you’re in a strange city to go out to eat with the locals. I was working at Assembly Hall for a University of Illinois basketball game with a few other guys who live in the area. I’m somewhat familiar with the Champaign/Urbana area, but not nearly as familiar with the local joints, so I was happy when one of my co-workers took the lead and suggested we go to Urbana Gardens for dinner.

Urbana Gardens sits near Interstate 74 in Urbana a few miles from campus. It’s one of those down home, friendly restaurants where it’s more about having a good time than white table cloths. Five of us left the arena together for lunch. When we showed up at Urbana Gardens, we were relieved to see the holiday shoppers didn’t make it down this far. The place was pretty empty for a Saturday night and we were seated at a table together. I sort of felt sorry for the other patrons. We were loud. The guys I was with all have a sarcastic sense of humor and the waitress was playing along, so things got a little noisy. The table sitting next to us didn’t seem to mind as eventually, they started asking questions about our line of work.

The waitress came with drinks. I ordered a Coke. We also had one coffee, a Sprite, an iced tea and two Arnold Palmers. The waitress looked at the first guy that ordered it and said, “you’re going to be surprised I actually know what that is.” I had no idea, but after a quick Internet search, I now know it’s half iced tea and half lemonade. The waitress had a system when it came to keeping track of orders and she wasn’t about to let anyone mess it up. She started with the first guy to her left. He asked what the specials were and eventually decided on chicken fried steak. He asked if it had mushrooms and if so, to keep it off. The waitress asked if he was alergic and just didn’t like them. He said he didn’t like them. She said she would have to check if it even had mushrooms because the gravy was already made and if he was alergic, she’d pick them off….if he didn’t like them, he’d just have to deal with. That sounds mean, but she was being sarcastic and messing around with him. It was all in good fun and I don’t think she would have actually made him eat them. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Urbana

Assembly Hall – Champaign, IL

22 12 2008
  • 1800 S. 1st St.
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • (217) 333-5000
  • Website
An empty arena at the Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois

An empty arena at the Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois

Until last year, even though I lived near it all my life, I had never been to Assembly Hall in Champaign for a basketball game. Heck, until earlier this month, I had never even been to a college basketball game tha wasn’t for work. The same is still true in Champaign.

I spent another Saturday night in Illinois working. Assembly Hall isn’t the most modern arena in the Big Ten, but it does have it’s charm. The arena looks like a giant UFO. It must be a thing with Illinois arenas. I used to go to events at Assembly Hall when I was younger. We went to many Ice Capades in Champaign, but like I already mentioned, last year was the first time I had been there when the basketball floor was set up.

When you walk in to Assembly Hall, you come into a concourse level. You have to go up a series of ramps on the outside to get to the main gates. From the concourse level, you can enter the arena and either go up or down. Most of the day of sales tickets are up. Like most college basketball arenas, season ticket holders get the lower bowl while every one gets up in the B and C levels. There are portable bleachers in each end zone. The side near the tunnel and Illinois’ bench is for family and the band. The other end is for the Orange Crush (Illinois’ version of the IzZone.) Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Entertainment Venues, Illinois, Live Entertainment, Reviews

Jewel-Osco – Kankakee, IL

20 12 2008
  • 446 S. Washington Ave
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 935-2040
  • Website
The Jewel-Osco store on Washington Avenue in Kankakee.

The Jewel-Osco store on Washington Avenue in Kankakee.

When you grow up in a small town, the closest supermarket isn’t always just around the corner.  In our case, the closest supermarket is a half hour away.  My family doesn’t have the luxury of deciding what they want for dinner then running to the store to get it.  I grew up in a time where there were no hypermarkets and supermarkets were a once a month trip.  The only one of those big chains that is still around today is Jewel-Osco.

Jewel-Osco started life and Jewel Food Stores and Osco Drugs.  Somewhere along the line, they merged to become Jewel-Osco.  The weird thing was, they were almost always in the same building and connected.  Osco was more like Walgreens with some items and Jewel did the food thing.  When other supermarkets started doing pharmacy’s along with some merchandise, Jewel and Osco just merged together.  I remember how this store used to be set up and it always seemed dumb.  There were two separate entrances and a hallway connecting the two stores, but you had to pay for each stores merchandise in their store.  Now, pretty much all Jewel-Osco stores are in the same building even though both brands usually have their own management teams and marketing identity. 

Jewel is pretty unique to Illinois although you can find stores in eastern Iowa and Northwest Indiana.  The homebase is in Melrose Park. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Illinois, Kankakee, Reviews

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