Country House Restaurant – Alsip, IL

25 11 2008
  • 5400 W. 127th St.
  • Alsip, IL 60803
  • (708) 389-4618
  • Website
  • Menu
The Country House Restaurant in Alsip, IL

The Country House Restaurant in Alsip, IL

Can you believe that my first meal back in Chicago wasn’t an Italian Beef?  J and I went to see her grandma and on the way back to her parents, we decided to stop for lunch.  There’s a Portillo’s close, but I suggested we stop at the family restaurant that looked packed.  If there’s a lot of cars in the parking lot on a Tuesday afternoon, it must be good.

Country House Restaurant is located in Alsip near the intersection of 127th Street and CalSag Road.  There are entrance from both roads with most of the parking being behind the building on the CalSag Road side.  We found a parking spot near a light pole (more on that later 😦 ) and headed inside. 

Once inside, it looked like a seat yourself deal.  I didn’t see a hostess and there were no signs that said wait to be seated, so I found a booth along the wall and sat down.  I noticed while we were sitting there that there actually was a hostess seating people, but a waitress noticed us and brought menus over without making a big deal about us sitting down.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Alsip, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

Casey’s General Store – Peotone, IL

22 10 2008
  • 900 W. Wilmington Road
  • Peotone, IL 60468
  • (708) 258-9150
  • Website
  • Menu
Caseys General Store in Peotone, IL

Casey's General Store in Peotone, IL

I’ve always thought it was weird to rave about gas station food, but Casey’s General Stores are better than a lot of quick service restaurants.  Like most things I loved about Central Illinois, there are no Casey’s in Mid-Michigan.  The closest would be in Mishawaka, IN.  There are Casey’s all over the place in Illinois.  It seems like every little town has one.  There was always a running joke at my last job.  I worked in TV news and on Friday night, we would shoot a lot of high school football.  When you got sent to a school you were unfamiliar with, the Sports Director would always say “Turn at the Casey’s” and chances are, you’d end up at the school.

We stopped in Peotone on our way back to Michigan.  Niether of us had eaten yet.  The plan was to have dinner in Grand Rapids before the concert so we didn’t want a big lunch.  I thought there used to be a Taco Bell in Peotone so that was the original plan, but when we got off and saw there wasn’t, but there was a Casey’s, our plans changed. 

To me, the best thing about Casey’s is the pizza.  It’s crazy that some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten comes from a gas station, but it does.  There was a Casey’s just down the street from my old job and there were many nights we’d order pizzas from there.  They do sell pizza by the slice since it is a gas station and most people who stop in are just looking for lunch.  We both passed on that today and instead, grabbed a cup of popcorn chicken.  J’s favorite is the cheesy potato bites, but they didn’t have any of them.  They did have loaded potato wedges, but we thought that would be too hard to eat in the car.  The other options at this time were cheeseburgers or chicken fingers.

Like I said, we both grabbed the popcorn chicken because it would be easy to eat in the car.  J grabbed a couple packets of dipping sauce for hers, but I went au natural.  It was easy for me to put my cup in the cup holder next to the steering wheel.  Easy access while I was driving. 

Casey’s is a great alternative to fast food if you’re lucky enough to have one near you.  For the most part, they pop up in small towns where they’re the only gas station and only food option, but you will see them in the bigger cities every now and then.  I’ve got some fond memories from these little gas stations and it’s one of the things I miss most about Central Illinois


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Gas Station, Illinois, Peotone, Reviews

Monical’s Pizza – Gilman, IL

22 10 2008
  • 625 US Highway 24
  • Gilman, IL 60938
  • (815) 265-7272
  • Website
  • Menu
Monicals Pizza in Gilman, IL about 40 miles north of Champaign.

Monical's Pizza in Gilman, IL about 40 miles north of Champaign.

This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about Monical’s, so I won’t rehash the whole history.  If you’re interested, there’s more information on my review about the store in Champaign, IL (review HERE).  As a quick recap, Monical’s is a Central Illinois based pizza chain that my family ate at very often.  The choices were either Pizza Hut or Monical’s.  Like everything else with my family, I chose Pizza Hut because I liked their bread sticks better and everyone else chose Monical’s, so we ate at Monical’s a lot.  Even though J grew up in Illinois, she had never been to a Monical’s.  They don’t go that far north, but there were a couple stores in the Peoria area where we lived before moving to Lansing.  We still never ate there. 

J and I were home on a short vacation to see friends, family and my new niece.  We got up on Monday and needed to make a grocery store run and find food.  We could do both by driving fifteen miles south to Gilman and that would give her a chance to finally try Monical’s Pizza. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Big Ten Tour, Gilman, Illinois, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Lumes Pancake House – Palos Heights, IL

19 10 2008
  • 12401 S. Harlem Ave.
  • Palos Heights, IL 60463
  • (708) 361-7744
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Lumes Pancake House in Palos Heights, IL

Lumes Pancake House in Palos Heights, IL

I know I say this every time I do a breakfast review, but I am not a breakfast person.  My girlfriend’s parents, however, are.  Day two of J’s vacation started bright and early (for me anyway) with breakfast at a popular destination in downtown Palos Heights. 

Lumes Pancake House is situated on Harlem Avenue just past downtown Palos Heights.  When we pulled up around 10:30, the parking lot was packed.  We debated not stopping, but J jumped out of the car to go put our names on the list and see what the wait was.  I went with her and when she got to the doors, I started to wonder if this was a good idea.  There were a lot of people inside.  J got a number and came back out and said the wait was around twenty minutes.  We decided to stay.  Turns out the wait wasn’t all that long and by the time we were seated, things started to calm down a little bit. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : breakfast, Illinois, Local Flavor, Palos Heights, Restaurant, Reviews

Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ – Palos Park, IL

18 10 2008
  • 6523 W. 127th St.
  • Palos Park, IL 60463
  • (708) 489-1800
  • Website
  • Menu
The menu logo from Smokin Joes BBQ in Palos Park, IL on Chicagos south side

The menu logo from Smokin' Joe's BBQ in Palos Park, IL on Chicago's south side

Good BBQ is so hard to find in Mid-Michigan.  Not in Chicago.  J hasn’t used any vacation days since starting her new job and since we wanted to go see my niece, she decided to take a few days off which would give us a chance to catch up with both of our families and a number of friends in Illinois.  On our first night in town, we hung out at one of J’s friends in Crestwood.  They have a little one of their own so carry-out is one of their best friends.  We were hanging out in their living room when it started to get close to dinner time.  I haven’t known these people all that long yet, but they knew BBQ was a good way to earn a special place in my heart.

Smokin’ Joe’s is a little carry-out place in Palos Park.  I didn’t go pick up the food, but I’m told they’re in a strip mall.  The joint is strictly carry-out and since that’s what we were looking for, Smokin’ Joe’s was a good fit.  I didn’t want to eat ribs in front of people I still don’t know that well, so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and fries.  When we were all putting in our orders, J’s friend asked me if I wanted coleslaw on my pulled pork.  Cole slaw?  That’s something I’ve never encountered before.  I know it’s a very Carolina concept and I see people doing it in the cooking shows I watch, but I’ve never actually eaten at a place that actually puts coleslaw on the sandwich.  I wasn’t really wanting to try it so I asked to leave it off.  J and her friend bothgot the pulled pork with the slaw and a side of jalapeno beans.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : BBQ, Chicago, Illinois, Palos Park, Restaurant, Reviews

Brickstone Brewery – Bourbonnais, IL

5 10 2008
  • 557 William Latham Dr.
  • Bourbonnais, IL 60914
  • (815) 936-9277
  • Website
  • Menu
Brickstone Brewery on William Lathan Dr. in Bourbonnais, IL

Brickstone Brewery on William Lathan Dr. in Bourbonnais, IL

After a couple long days at the hospital, I needed some real food.  I grabbed my mom and we headed to Bourbonnais (home of the Chicago Bears training camp) for some grub.  Brickstone Brewery is still one of the hottest places in the Kankakee area.  We went to dinner on a Friday night knowing we could be heading into a wait.  You see, if you get there after 5:00 on a weekend, you will probably have a wait.  We got there about ten minutes before 5:00 and were lucky enough to get a table without a wait.

Brickstone is located where the former Greenbriar Restaurant used to be.  Brickstone is a total overhaul.  Having lived in a couple different cities over the last decade, I’ve gotten used to finding restaurants like this, but Kankakee has never seen any place like this.  Brickstone is a brew pub.  They brew their own brews, but they’re smart enough to have the domestic staples on hand.  In a place like Lansing, you could get away with just having your beers.  Not in Kankakee.  They’d be out of business if they tried that.

That night was also Game 2 of the ALDS featuring the Chicago White Sox.  When we were seated in the dining room, I made sure I sat where I could see one of the LCD TV’s in the corner.  Yes, they had TV’s in the dining room.  The interior design is, again, nothing like anything else in Kankakee.  It’s got the same feel as most brew pubs which is the exposed, dark woods.  We were seated at a booth along the wall.  We were pretty close to the bar, so there was a lot of noise from the game that carried over which was ok with me.  That way, I knew when to look up at the TV. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : bourbonnais, Burgers, Illinois, Kankakee, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews

Poor Boy Restaurant – Kankakee, IL

5 10 2008
  • 1514 E. Court St.
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 939-1880
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Poor Boy Restaurant on Court Street in Kankakee, IL

Poor Boy Restaurant on Court Street in Kankakee, IL

After twelve hours, I finally got to welcome my niece into this world.  Needless to say, after twelve hours, my sister-in-law was exhausted and hungry.  Her first meal post delivery was Wendy’s, but the next day, she wanted something deep fried.  I went back to the hospital hoping I could hold her again, but she was put under the blue lights due to the jaundice, so instead, I just got to hang out with my brother and sister-in-law. 

About 3:00, the new mom decided she was hungry, but the hospital kitchen stopped serving.  No bid deal.  LIke I said, she was really in the mood for deep fried anyway.  When she worked at a flower shop on Kankakee’s southside, Poor Boy Restaurant was a frequent stop for lunch. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Chicken, Illinois, Kankakee, Restaurant, Reviews

Blue’s Cafe – Kankakee, IL

3 10 2008
  • 1190 W. Station St.
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 933-5315
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Blues Cafe on Station Street in Kankakee, IL

Blue's Cafe on Station Street in Kankakee, IL

If you watch ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson, Blue’s Cafe is a place you may actually heard of.  A few weeks ago (September 18 to be exact) Barbara Pinto showed up in Kankakee to do a Wall Street vs. Main St. story.  Blue’s Cafe was one of the places she visited to get the “regular Joe” insight into the financial crisis.

Blue’s Cafe is a spot that many people in the area automatically suggest when I ask for a local restaurant.  According to my brother, the food is ok, but the pie is to die for.  As I was waiting with my family for my niece to be born, my aunt mentioned she was hungry and hadn’t eaten all day.  Since I’m always hungry, I offered to go to “lupper” (the meal between lunch and supper) with her.  Since everybody always suggests it, I said “How about Blue’s?”

Blue’s Cafe is located on Station Street not far from the hospital.  It’s a very plain building with an old sign out front adorned with an old Pepsi logo and the words “Blue’s Cafe.”  Since we got there at such a wierd time, the dining room was fairly empty.  There are two dining rooms that probably used to be the smoking and non-smoking section before Illinois got smart and banned smoking in public places.  There’s also a lunch counter near the kitchen in the first dining room. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Big Ten Tour, Diner, Illinois, Kankakee, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews

Luconi’s Pizza – Bradley, IL

3 10 2008
  • 496 S. Kennedy Dr
  • Bradley, IL 60915
  • (815) 935-5235
  • Website
  • Menu
Luconis Pizza on Kennedy Dr. in Bradley, IL

Luconi's Pizza on Kennedy Dr. in Bradley, IL

Finding places to eat in the Kankakee area has always been tough for me.  Growing up, my parents always hit the chains.  We didn’t really go out of our way looking for local restaurants.  I’m back in the Kankakee area this week because my brother and his wife are having a baby.  Their first and my parents first grandchild.  Because it was everyone’s first, my parents and my sister-in-laws parents were at the hospital bright and early this morning.  I didn’t get up and get going until lunch time.  The hospital is a half hour away so once I was in Kankakee, I wasn’t going home until I had a niece. 

I got to the hospital around 11 and started trying to convince everyone to go to lunch with me.   I got no takers, but did get some good suggestions.  My sister-in-law’s parents suggested a few places including Luconi’s.  They raved about the pizza, but also couldn’t stop talking about the hamburger.  Sounds good to me.  I do love me some burgers.

I found Luconi’s Pizza on Kennedy drive next to the Taco John’s we always went to when I was kid.  The last time I lived in the area, the building where the pizza joint now is was a cyber cafe.  It’s a really small building with a really small parking lot.  I found a space along the side and parked there.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Big Ten Tour, Bradley, Burgers, Illinois, Local Flavor, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Gold Coast Dogs – Downtown Chicago

1 10 2008
  • 159 N. Wabash Ave.
  • Chicago, IL 60601
  • (312) 917-1677
  • Website
  • Menu
Gold Coast Dogs in Downtown Chicago

Gold Coast Dogs in Downtown Chicago

It’s just not possible for me to go to Chicago without getting an Italian Beef.  Let me back up for a second and tell you why I was in Chicago.   You see, my brother and sister-in-law are having a baby!  They’re set up to make Thursday morning the latest possible day the doctor would let the pregnancy go, so I hoped on an Amtrak and headed home.  The Amtrak doesn’t quite make it home though.  In fact, I’m still an hour and a half short.  So, once I got to Union Station (an hour late.  Thanks, Amtrak!) I had a thirteen block to Millennium Station to catch a METRA train to get a little bit closer to home.  From there, my dad would have to pick me up and drive me the rest of the way. 

So, like I mentioned, Amtrak screwed up my plans and I missed the 12:30 Metra out of town.  I had to wait for the 1:30 and I was starving.  Now, there are a ton of places to eat in the theater district where Millenium Station is.  In fact, J and I had a great date one night just down the road at a place called Petterino’s (review HERE) before seeing Wicked at the Ford Theater.  I didn’t have time for anything like that.  I needed a sandwich shop.  I walked a few blocks from the train station then turned around to head back and eat at one of the 6,546 Subways in the three block area.  As I was crossing the street, I noticed a sign for a hot dog shop a block off of Randolph on Wabash Ave. 

Gold Coast Dogs is a small Chicago chain with locations at the airports, train stations and a few stand alone shops all in Chicago.  This particular Gold Coast Dogs shares a building with Popeyes Chicken.  It’s a very bland, strip mall looking store front.  Not very inviting.  I could see the menu from the sidewalk and I saw they served Italian Beef so I went in.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Chicago, Downtown, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

« Previous Entries Next Entries »