South Side Cheap Eats: Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant
By Chuck Sudo in Food on Apr 10, 2006 3:30PM
During our tenure here at Chicagoist we've briefly touted the merits of Healthy Food Lithuanian Restaurant, that longtime Bridgeport standby. Years ago, when Chicagoist was a Wicker Park resident, we loved our Sunday Polish breakfasts at Sophie's Busy Bee (the building is now home to the Blue Line Cafe and a Penny's Noodle shop). But when we moved down to Bridgeport our longings were quickly filled by the man-sized portions, tiny booths, formica countertops, and authentic Lithuanian wood carvings found at Healthy Food. Yesterday we met with two friends moving from the city for their first, and possibly last, meal there. And we did it up in style.
Two dishes that are must-orders at Healthy Food are kugelis and blynai (both $6.95). Kugelis is a baked pudding made from grated potatoes and homemade bacon bits. After baking the kugelis is grilled, cut into brick-sized slices, and served with sour cream and apple sauce. The "breakfast of champions" ($7.50) consists of two eggs, your choice of toast, and one slice of kugelis. Blynai are lithuanian-style pancakes. Blynai aren't rounded. Instead, the pancake is folded on top of itself in layers. Between each fold the layers are filled with cheese, and the blynai is topped with fruit (a choice between sour cherries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, cranberries, and peaches) and served with sour cream. One member of our dining party ordered the prok chop dinner ($9.99), consisting of a pan-fried pork chop, home fried potatoes, and apple sauce. Chicagoist ordered the veal cutlet dinner ($9.95), served with mashed potatoes, country chicken gravy. Health conscious folks can order a smoothie made with Lithuanian yougurt, strawberries or blueberries, wheat germ and honey, and an optional raw egg. ($3.50) Cold sauerkraut soup is homemade and available for purchase for take-out.
Healthy Food is comfort food at its very essence. Visit them at 3236 S. Halsted. Their phone number is (312) 326-2724.