Results tagged “elevencitydiner”

Take that shot in, will you? Just look at that stein filled with the proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Sometimes you have to keep your beer simple, but not too much.

Two years ago, in our review of Eleven City Diner on South Wabash, we compared Brad Rubin's tribute to classic Jewish delis and diners to the Blues Brothers. We said it was "too good to be a parody, not good enough to be the real thing." That still holds true, which is a blessing and a curse. Shortly after ours and other reviews started pouring in, Rubin pulled the plug on all night weekend service, which would have brought Eleven City closer to the genuine article. The prices are nothing to laugh at, either. We've had more than one friend chew us out on the prices after recommending the place.

Ah, Phil Vettel. When the Tribune's restaurant critic isn't busy with finding bargain brunches or busting restaurants on the use of wine doggy bags, he's a stickler for a clean fork. Vettel writes in today's Tribune that in future dining excursions to restaurants "with ambitions higher than, say, hash house" he's insisting on a fresh, clean fork with every dish. His reasoning being that any restaurant that places hospitality over profit margin would not dare...

It's Easter, y'all. That means, in addition to the re-enactment of the Passion happening as we write this in Pilsen, churches will be filled, families will gather, and restaurants will offer Easter Brunch specials. We have a few for you, in addition to the usual complement of food news and notable events. So sit back and unbuckle your belts. Who Comes Up With These Names, Anyway?: Leave it to us to be late to the...

It is time for Chanukah! Everyone's favorite Jewish festival of lights, Chanukah begins tomorrow night at sundown. Though many think of Chanukah as the Jewish Christmas (and lordy, is it ever an excellent way for the chosen people to rake in the presents come December), the holiday is actually a minor one in the grand scheme of Judaism.

In a follow-up to a story we ran yesterday, Toni Falvo, NBC-5’s Director of Research, Programming and Press says that she sees no impropriety in accepting free meals from the restaurants featured on the station’s “Good Eats” segments, though such a practice is outside of the journalistic standards used by other local food critics and reporters in both the print and broadcast media.

When Chicagoist sees the ever-expanding restaurant options in the South Loop these days, we cannot help but be awestruck. Fans of haute cuisine or Zagat ratings can head to Custom House or Opera; budget-minded diners looking for something above average have Gioco and the Chicago Firehouse; habitues of cheap eats can head to Grace O'Malley's, Taste of Siam, Eleven City Diner, and Hackney's Printer's Row; the truly suicidal can grab a late night bite at the South Loop Club.

Even before the question was asked, Chicagoist knew that its readership was opinionated about diners. Our new infatuation with Eleven City Diner was cut short by a power outage Saturday, so we decided to stick close to home yesterday and head down to an old neighborhood standby. The Bridgeport Restaurant was as close as we got to The Ballmall Formerly Known As Comiskey - we had tickets to Wrestlemania. The combination of springing the clocks forward and an early evening imparting our knowledge of alcohol to Dutch jazz musicians left us a might peckish and our first choice, the Ramova Grill, taken out of play by our desire to stay in bed.

For a goyim, Chicagoist has a healthy appreciation of kosher delis. Whenever we're in New York we absolutely have to grab a nosh at Katz's Deli or Nussbaum & Wu. Living on the near South Side we've also had our share of experiences at Manny's. It takes someone with chutzpah and mishegas to start up a deli with an aim of being mentioned in the same breath as Manny's, even more so to open a...

While Chicagoist awaits the imminent opening of Eleven City Diner and breaking in the on-duty soda jerk they're promising we decided to walk two blocks south to a place that's been serving up affordable food for over two years. Nestled in the middle of a packed block for dining that includes the trendy Opera, Gioco, and Zapatista, proprietor Howard "Howie" Stein advertises his eponymous restaurant as "the South Loop's neighborhood joint." While Howie's doesn't have the pretension level of its neighboring restaurants, the atmosphere is perfect for enjoying a quick nosh; the quality of the food is impeccable for a fast food joint; and, compared to its neighboring restaurants, the prices are affordable enough to fit any budget.