MONTI'S






































HONEY 1 BBQ




PANOZZO'S PART DEUX



PANOZZO'S



AL'S ITALIAN BEEF

like last week's post, there is much discussion and debate about who serves chicagoland's best italian beef.  well, these cousin's grew up on al's italian beef on taylor street and we agree with al that it is #1!  more...


there's a reason al's has been around since 1938.  order the combo.  unlike mcdonald's, a combo doesn't mean the sandwich comes with fries and a coke.  at al's a combo is italian beef AND italian sausage on one roll.  don't forget to super-size ("big" in al's speak).  we prefer the hot peppers but both hot and sweet are great additions.  complete awesomeness!  you can't go wrong with them separately either.    don't forget to "lean" when eating as theses sandwiches are juicy!
while anytime is a great time to go to al's, summer is especially good as mario's italian lemonade stand is across the street and open from may to september (since 1954).  a cool, refreshing slightly sour lemon ice (other flavors and treats too) is a great way to finish any meal!
Al's Beef
1079 West Taylor, Chicago
website

Al's #1 Italian Beef on Urbanspoon

Mario's Italian Lemonade
1068 West Taylor, Chicago
Mario's Italian Lemonade on Urbanspoon

JIM'S ORIGINAL

in philly, it's pat's v. geno's for cheese steaks.  in minnesota, it's 5-8 club v. matt's for juicy lucies.  in chicago it's the less-publicized but no less fierce rivalry of jim's original v. express grill for polish sausage and pork chop sandwich supremacy!  this week we visited jim's original and, if this rivalry is for real, we can't wait to visit express grill because jim's is pretty damn good!  you've driven by them many times (they sit side-by-side) heading south on the dan ryan but never stopped.  well, you should.  foot traffic is steady, the grill is crowded with sausage and chops and fries are free with all sandwiches!  we had the two top contenders in this fight - polish sausage with mustard and grilled onions and the on-the-bone pork chop sandwich with mustard and grilled onions.  at first we were concerned as there aren't any seats, just a counter.  fortunately once the food arrived our concerns disappeared, as did our food!
tell us what you think - original jim's or express grill?!
1250 South Union, Chicago
Jim's Original Hot Dog on Urbanspoon

FISHMONGER CLASS

so you want to know how to filet a fish?  there's a class for that.  a hog, a duck, a chicken?  there's a class for that!  thanks to the folks at butcher & the burger who provide two classes monthly and private classes upon request. all classes include a full meal and are BYOB.

1021 West Armitage, Chicago

DE CERO

after a two-year hiatus, de cero is serving lunch again!  the menu has been re-styled to provide a quick, reasonably-priced experience and is muy bueno.  all appetizers (entradas) one price, all tacos one price, all tamales one price, all desserts (postres) one price.  all served muy rápidamente.  guacamole with chips - a standard that doesn't disappoint.  nachos with duck confit and bacon-mashed pinto beans.  uh, yum.  many, many tacos (16 total) to choose from including: tres queso, chicken mole, applewood bacon chorizo sausage, al pastor, panco-crusted tilapia, etc., etc., etc.  and, if possible, leave room for dessert!  mexican cheesecake with cinnamon, apples and coconut caramel?  need we say more?  this cheesecake is a don't miss! (even if you can only eat two bites, which is several less than these cousins!)
814 West Randolph, Chicago
De Cero on Urbanspoon

ALOHA EATS LITO'S

clark street, part three. the 2500 block of north clark street has yet to disappoint:  korean bbq at del seoul, pizza by the slice at cafe luigi and now, spam hand-rolls at aloha eats! it's called a spam musubi, and like everything at aloha eats, it's authenticly hawaiian.  more...





did you know that hawaiians consume more spam per capita than any other state in the country? while we aren't adding this canned, precooked meat product to our diets, try the musubi simply for its uniqueness. aloha is known for its traditional hawaiian "plate lunches" like the chicken katsu, a boneless, skinless filet breaded in panko, fried and served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce. (splurge on the white meat for an extra 45¢.) we had the katsu combo, which came with thinly sliced bbq beef in addition to the chicken. (we'll be going back for more of that beef!) then there's the loco moco, two hamburger patties, two eggs and brown gravy. did we enjoy our meal? absolutely. did we eat enough for four people? as usual, yes, but lito's empanadas is less than half a block north and they serve choco-banana and apple cinnamon empanadas for dessert. no words, the pictures say it all. stay tuned for their savory empanadas and clark street, part four!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES...

Aloha Eats
2534 North Clark, Chicago
Lito's Empanadas
2566 North Clark, Chicago

LOCKDOWN

so, the same guys that own phil's last stand happen to own a metalhead, bar/burger joint around the corner.  go figure.  considering how much we love phil's (most hits of any post to date!), visiting lockdown was a no-brainer.  first and foremost, lockdown is a bar that always plays rock music and videos.  always.  second, they happen to serve some mighty good food!  more...

we tried many things on our visit as the food just kept coming (thank you david, PJ & sol)!  from a spicy cheese dip with chips to chicken wings to onion rings to salad (yes, a salad) to chicken sandwich to burgers.  serious burgers.  "the warden" stuffed with cheddar and topped with fried leeks, shallots and truffle oil; "the fat elvis" topped with bacon, bananas and peanut butter (really and it's good!);  and the "flight risk" of three mini burgers - buffalo, portobello and bbq.  wow, almost had another coronary just writing this!  all worth trying.  western avenue has some great food going on so check this place out if you are in the 'hood.
1024 North Western, Chicago

STREET EATS

some "friers" (as our followers are affectionately known) have asked when we plan to visit any of chicago's growing number of food trucks. well, hopefully this post will satisfy their and your mobile food fetish needs! more...






last weekend, the institute for justice hosted "my streets, my eats - a mobile food symposium & meet up" at the university of chicago. the event invited panelists, aspiring food truck owners and passionate foodies to discuss the mobile food industry, its history and the laws preventing chicago from having as vibrant a street food scene as New York, Austin or Los Angeles. after a morning of panels, everyone gathered in the parking lot where more than a dozen food trucks served up lunch. while the panels were fascinating, we know what our followers want, so on with the food (truck) porn!
links to food trucks at the meet up:
brown bag lunch truck                                         
duck n roll     
also, please check out these people and organizations working to promote the mobile food industry: the street vendor projectassociation vendedores ambulantesheather shouse.

CAFE LUIGI

clark street, part two.  while easy to pass by or write off as not worth visiting, cafe luigi deserves a second glance.  pizza-by-the-slice just doesn't happen in chicago the way it does in nyc.  why is that?  if you know, let us know as we wish it did.  anyway, the pizza at cafe luigi is a fair representation of that style of eating.  more...

it isn't chicago-style and it isn't the best pizza you've ever had.  what it is, though, is a really good slice, served up by nice people, at a great price.  we also had the new york roll (basically a calzone) with pepperoni, sausage and mozzarella baked in dough with a side of marinara. mighty tasty and filling!  more from this culinary-endowed stretch of clark street to come...
(note from the cousins:  we expected this post to cover more than just cafe luigi.  unfortunately for you, but fortunately for us, as we rolled ourselves from the pizza and calzone, we just couldn't do another shoot.  more next week as the clark street saga continues.)
2548 North Clark, Chicago

DEL SEOUL

a close friend of the cousins recommended del seoul, a korean street bbq restaurant, after he tried their shrimp taco and went back for it four days in a row!  will he steer us wrong this time?  highly unlikely as those are his cheeks swallowing the atomica in the cemitas puebla post (another recommendation of his)!  more...

korean bbq tacos - sesame-chili shrimp in particular.  korean ribeye steak "banh mi" sandwich with pickled daikon and carrots.  kimchi fries with pork belly and melted cheese.  the interior is unassuming but the food is over-the-top delicious.  more from this culinary-endowed stretch of clark street to come...
2568 North Clark, Chicago
Del Seoul on Urbanspoon

PHIL'S LAST STAND

we love secret menus, especially when they have us reaching for the defibrillator! split-char polish with a char dog in the middle smothered with grilled salami mac & cheese on french bread with cheddar sauce, grilled onions and mustard. "HOLY FUCK!" is right.  more...






"phil's special" (as this sandwich(?) is so innocuously named) is the creation of chicago fat phil.  "always charred never steamed" is their motto and phil and his partner dave from lockdown bar & grill are serving up some of the best char food in town!  char dogs, char polish, char burgers and char-grilled salami sandwiches. a single burger not enough?  ok, order the "double fatso!"  did we mention the fried shrimp po' boy?  how about the two-pound fatso's po' boy challenge?  this cousin just drooled on his keyboard.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES...

2258 West Chicago, Chicago
website

BIG STAR

just like this week's weather, here's a quick tease of one of the cousins' favorite summer spots.  more...






queso fundido, guacamole, braised pork belly taco, beer battered talapia taco, etc. etc. etc.  we love this place year-round, but stay tuned for our summer post to see why we'll be downing many a michelada on damen this summer.  la mas fina!
1531 North Damen, Chicago
Big Star on Urbanspoon

BAKIN' & EGGS

the cousins don't only eat lunch, we like breakfast too!  located in lakeview, bakin' & eggs is a breakfast, lunch and brunch place brought to us by the same people behind lovely: a bake shop in noble square.  more...

we loved the chilaquiles.  we loved the breakfast sandwich.  we loved the bacon and waffles.  we loved the pumpkin muffin.  i think you know where we are headed.  we loved this place!  open space, nice and bright, friendly service, plenty of room to park your stroller (if you have one) and great food.  what more do you want!?
3120 North Lincoln, Chicago
Bakin' & Eggs on Urbanspoon

GLENN'S DINER

as glenn himself says, "simple preparations, fresh products, fairly priced."  all true and one heck of a soft-sell.  this place isn't a "diner."  there are diner elements - breakfast all-day, meatloaf sandwich - but that's just the beginning of what makes glenn's diner special.  other things, like glenn's may be one of the top seafood restaurants in town, also help.  more...


the menu has enough seafood selections to eat three squares and not repeat.  enough cereal choices to do the same (check out the cereal wall!).  clam chowder to die for, a lobster roll that's the real deal and dessert that will have you wanting someone to roll you to your car.  go to this place and go again.  the cousins only had a quick lunch but will be returning for dinner and brunch.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES...

1820 West Montrose, Chicago
website

Glenn's Diner on Urbanspoon

CEMITAS PUEBLA

whatever you call him - pops, papi, old man - one thing is for sure, when he greets you, explains the menu and finds you a place to sit you know you are in a family business that cares about your experience.  more...






 

you will notice from some of the pictures that our table is a mess. the food came out so fast and was so good that we never quite got our act together to take "pretty" pictures.  we had chips & guacamole, appetizer of chalupas, tacos, two specialty cemitas (atomica alone is worth the trip), mexican coca-cola and flan.  we will return and try some other menu items,  at least that is the goal as there's no guarantee the atomica won't pull us back in (update: we did return, and it did!).

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES...

3619 West North Avenue, Chicago
website

Cemitas Puebla on Urbanspoon

SUN WAH BBQ

this update is about one thing and one thing only - beijing duck!  don't let the exterior stop you.  don't let the interior fool you.  more...

the menu is enormous but we ordered the house specialty, beijing (think peking) duck.  you must call in advance to order and it is worth every penny.  they carve the duck table-side, serve it with bao, plum sauce, carrots and scallions, make duck fried rice from smaller pieces of meat, make duck soup from the carcass and finish with fruit sorbet and fortune cookies.  this dinner easily feeds 4 people (or two hungry cousins) and we can't wait to return with more people so we can try other dishes.
5039 North Broadway, Chicago
Sun Wah Bar-B-Q Restaurant on Urbanspoon

BITE CAFE

if you find yourself on the nondescript stretch of western avenue near chicago avenue, stop, park and go to bite cafe.  first, they will be open (hours from 9am-2am).  second, you will have the tastiest and most reasonably priced meal you've had in a long time.  more...



we had brunch items - pork hash (still dreaming about it), breakfast poutine (kind of a canadian version of fries & gravy with a poached egg), grilled cheese with tomato soup and even a salad (at least it had a poached egg, cheese and bacon)!  this owner and chef know what they are doing!
1039 North Western Avenue, Chicago
Bite Cafe on Urbanspoon

PORK SHOPPE

according to dictionary.com the word "shoppe" is used for quaint effect. well, if this isn't the quaintest place for bbq then we don't know what is. this little restaurant is serving some mighty big food. more...

the bbq smell first hits you in the parking lot and it only gets better from there. ribs (st. louis & babyback), pulled pork or chicken, beef brisket tacos...this place has the goods. if you are lucky, pork belly pastrami won't be sold-out when you visit because it is as incredible as it looks. traditional sides are good but make sure you save room for a chocolate chip cookie or two or three (only $1 each). simply awesome...view.eat.enjoy.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE IMAGES...

2755 West Belmont, Chicago
website

Pork Shoppe on Urbanspoon

BIG & LITTLE'S

what do you get when two guys (childhood best friends) who never cooked in the food industry in any formal capacity decide to open a restaurant? more...
you get big & little's, proof that passion for cooking goes a long way toward creating great food!  from fish and chips to fried burgers (possibly the best burger that either of these cousins has ever eaten and we've eaten a plenty) to foie gras and fries to fried this and fried that (they do have grilled tilapia so not everything is fried).  great staff, simple interior and cash only.  a must-add to your dining rotation...view.eat.enjoy.

860 North Orleans, Chicago
BIG & little's on Urbanspoon

WELCOME

Fourfried is a photography blog about food started by cousin & cousin, a collaboration of cousins daniel and marc klutznick.  while neither of us makes a living eating or photographing anything, we decided it was time we combine these passions in a format worthy of sharing.  starting february 3rd we will post photos from our adventures - every friday, one restaurant at a time.  a great food experience is created by much more than food alone.  thus, our posts will be image-driven and capture both the food and personality of the restaurant - exterior, interior, staff and kitchen (if the chefs and owners let us!).

we love great food.  we love great photography.  hopefully you, our reader, will find that we take great photos of great food!