Coalfire

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Coalfire
Location: 1321 W Grand


I was channel surfing the other day and came across the college cheerleading championships or something on ESPN2. Now, anytime I see 18-year-old girls wearing short skirts, I’m gonna stop and watch. I got so excited watching them jump around and yell that I decided to write this review in cheer (yes, it’s its own language).


I love Coalfire,
Yes I do!
I love Coalfire,
How ‘bout you?


Watch out, it’s here!
Bring your own beer!
Let’s eat, and cheer!
And then drink aforementioned beer!


You might order a pizza,
You might start off with a snack,
But when it comes to the calzones
They’re as good as riding bareback
They’re as good as riding bareback


Hey, hey the pizza’s thin,
Makes you feel less masculine.
Hey, Hey I’d do it again,
The sauce was as good as sin!


They put it IN they pull it OUT (sounds like my college years)
The coal-burning oven leaves no doubt
Enjoy the grub that it creates
Cause the margherita pizza dominates!


U.G.L.Y.
You ain’t got no alibi
You ugly
What, what, you ugly
You’re ugly, you’re oogley
Your mama says you’re yoogley
U.G.L.Y.
You ain’t got no alibi
You ugly
What, what, you ugly


Neapolitan pizza is the current sensation,
Popping up everywhere across the nation!
Chicago-style get ready for a fight,
It’s about time we all take a bite!
So who is the champion,
And the style that gets it done,
For Born to Fork,
Chicago-style is still #1!!!!
WHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!


Hey x the ambiance x it’s cozy in here
Seating x is limited x but I don’t really care
Just come x to the counter x to order your food
Then sit down x and wait x they’ll bring it to you
C-O-A-L-F-I-R-E
COALFIRE!!!


When I say BRING you say YOUR
BRING YOUR
BRING YOUR
When I say OWN you say BOOZE
OWN BOOZE
OWN BOOZE
When I say B.Y. you say O.B.
B.Y.O.B.
B.Y.O.B.


Order Order Order it up
Order that caprese salad up
Eat Eat Eat it up
Eat that caprese salad up
It’s It’s It’s OK
The caprese salad is just OK
GO SALAD!


We're back again better than before
Watch out Crust we'll raise that score
We're number one we thought you knew
Look out Spacca Napoli we're coming for you


I don't know what you've been told
I don't know what you've been told
Coalfire is as good as gold
Coalfire is as good as gold
If you heard what I just said
If you heard what I just said
Get on your knees and give me head (what?)
Get on your knees and give me head
Sound off
One, Two
Sound off
Three, Four
When you’re done you’ll want more
When you’re done you’ll want more


OK, I think that’s enough. In case you didn’t follow any of that, here’s a quick recap. I loved Coalfire. Liked it better than Crust (though the caprese salad at Crust is better, even though they call it something different) but not as much as Spacca Napoli or Pizza D.O.C. The calzone was my favorite. Really doughy and not too much ricotta. The pizza was maybe a little too thin (I love Neapolitan pizza, but still say Chicago-style is as good as it gets), but a great sauce and perfectly cooked. BYOB. It was also really reasonably priced. I’ll go back. Probably more than once.

Chest bump.


Got a question? Send it to josh@borntofork.com.

Feed

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Feed
Location: 2803 W. Chicago


There are some experiences that are better “live”. For example, everybody claims that music is always better live. You can feel the music move through you. The crowd adds that extra element of energy. The songs are played with a little more passion. But I disagree. Music isn’t always better live. Go check out a Rhymefest (or almost any hip-hop act) concert and you’ll see what I mean. Or see a show in a venue with suspect acoustics. Or a musician that is so over-produced that a live show exposes their lack of talent. Then you’ve got musicians playing their songs so they sound EXACTLY like they do on the album, leaving you wondering if they are just lip-synching the entire show. And I hate that. Or musicians that play their songs so they sound NOTHING like they do on the album, so you don’t even recognize the songs. I hate that, too. I love live music. I’m one of those people who think, when done right, music really is better live. The problem is that it isn’t done right as often as people want you to think it is.

On the other hand, food is something that is better “live” 9 out of 10 times. Actually, more like 95 out of 100 times.

Take Feed, for example. I’ve been there a couple of times, and every time I say it’s one of my favorite places and that I should eat there more. I love the simple menu, the simple atmosphere, the clucking chicken egg-dispensing machine, the chickens roasting in the back, the old school cooler filled with cans of soda, even the out-of-the-way location. Well, the other night I headed over there for some take-out. And it was no surprise that take-out from Feed wasn’t nearly as good as eating at Feed. And it’s like that for almost every restaurant when you do take-out/delivery vs. eating at the restaurant. It’s just that subtle difference of food coming out hot and prepared just like the chef intended. Whether it’s burgers, pizza, hot dogs, sushi, Chinese food, tacos, whatever, it just looses a little something in the time it takes to get it from the restaurant to your house.

Anyway, back to Feed. Your choices are simple. They have a couple of sandwiches to choose from (pulled pork, BBQ chicken, burger), roasted chicken (1/4. ½, whole, dark or white), and some side dishes (mac and cheese, fries, collard greens, mashed potatoes, etc…).

On the take-out night I got the BBQ chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, ¼ white-meat chicken, fries, and some mac and cheese (just to be clear, it was for me and my wife).

The BBQ chicken sandwich was the best of the bunch. It’s normally really good, and somehow suffered the least in the drive from Feed to my house. If I’m not eating the roasted chicken, I usually go with the chicken sandwich. The pulled pork didn’t have the same results. Granted, if you’re looking for pulled pork Feed isn’t the place to go (I’d head to Calvin’s BBQ on Armitage, which isn’t too far away). Feed is known for their chicken, as it’s about 90% of their menu. But if you want pulled pork, get it only if you’re eating there and not taking it with you. The roasted chicken at Feed is some of the best in the city. It’s usually juicy, perfectly cooked, and just tears apart with ease. You don’t even need any sort of sauce or anything to enjoy it. The juices and roasting process are enough. However, my car must have a dehumidifier, because the chicken was a little dry by the time I got home.

That being said, the sides suffered the most. The mac and cheese is so delicious at feed it hurts. It’s normally just a bowl of cheese and noodles with some spices. In fact, the mac and cheese is a little sweet. I’m not sure what they put in there, but I could eat a gallon of it. At home? Not as cheesey. A little cold. And it felt like a slightly smaller portion size. It was definitely missing something. The fries were even worse off. They have hand cut fries here, and I usually just devour them. But when I got them home I ended up leaving half of them uneaten. And that’s saying something.

So, if you want some good chicken and some down-home cooking, head to Feed. Just make sure you eat there (and try the fried okra. It’s fantastic.).

A tasty chest bump (but a disappointing fist bump if you get it to go).



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Battle of May Street

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


(First, an apology. I wrote this review a long, long time ago (right before I went to Europe), then forgot that I wrote it. It seems a tad dated (like the fact that May St Café has been on Check, Please! so it’s not “relatively unknown” anymore). But now I remembered, so here it is. My apologies.)


THE BATTLE OF MAY STREET

Undercard
The Roots vs. Jurassic 5

Main Event
May St. Café vs. May Street Market


Welcome to Mandalay Bay, where tonight we have THE heavyweight bout of the year. In one corner you have May St. Café – a small, relatively unknown restaurant that bills itself as serving the finest in “Nuevo Latino” dining. In the other corner you have May Street Market – a popular restaurant that serves American food with a twist and has been quickly climbing the rankings through stellar reviews from websites and magazines across Chicago. The crowd is buzzing with anticipation to see the two do battle to decide once and for all who is pound-for-pound the best May St. in Chicago.

But before we get to the main event, let’s take a quick look at tonight’s undercard – The Roots vs. Jurassic 5.

The two will touch gloves and fight to determine which group will hold the belt as the best live hip-hop performers. Let’s go ringside to Josh Kell for a call of tonight’s action.

Well, recently I got to take in a Roots show AND a J5 show on back-to-back nights. Each band has their distinct style that has gotten them to where they are today, and as the matchup proved, when it comes to watching these two do their thing, there are no losers.

Ding. Ding.


Round 1
Roots come out swinging, as I get to do a meet-and-greet with the band before they go on. Everyone seems really nice, but I gravitate towards Questlove. Probably because his afro has it’s own gravitational pull. I can’t figure out if he has a pick in his hair or if it’s just an orbiting moon. After a minute of small talk with me and another guy it’s obvious he doesn’t love being the center of attention. As he looks for the nearest exit, I mention that I love the new album (Game Theory, in stores now). Even though it’s only been out three days, I’ve listened to it seven times or so, and it really is great. He immediately lights up, tells me he really appreciates it, ‘cause they put a lot of themselves into the album, then he gives me a half handshake, half chest-bump hug. Needless to say I nearly passed out. Round 1 goes to The Roots.

Round 2
J5 is playing at the House of Blues, while The Roots are playing outside next to the lake at the South Shore Cultural Center. In Chicago there may not be a better place to watch a concert than the HOB. Great acoustics, but an intimate venue where you always feel like you’re sitting on stage no matter where you are in the theater. But there’s something about being at a concert while watching the waves crash on the shore with a beautiful South Shore Cultural Center lit up in the background. Too tough to call. Round 2 is a push.

Round 3
The crowds at both concerts are hype, but in different ways. When you walk into the J5 concert you look around, double-check your ticket, and then look around again. Then you ask someone to make sure you’re not at a Dave Matthews concert (which is probably why they actually did a song with Dave on the new album (Feedback, in stores now)). The second the music kicks in so does the crowd. Heads bob, shoulders start dipping, and hands start getting thrown in the air. For 90 straight minutes the entire crowd is dancing, rapping along, and screaming every chance they get. The crowd at The Roots concert has a lot more coordination, but less people are dancing. Round 3 goes to Jurassic 5.

Round 4
Both bands have a distinct sound they’re famous for. The Roots don’t have a DJ – the band plays their own instruments, with Black Thought as the only MC of the group. Lots of hip-hop groups have bands, or perform with bands when they play live, but The Roots were THE group to do it and make it popular. And not only that, but they can (and have) play as the “house band” for concerts where there are a lot of hip-hop acts (see: Dave Chappelle’s Block Party). But they don’t stop there. The first time I ever saw them (11 years ago) they started off by covering about five classic hip-hop songs (from Kurtis Blow to Wu-Tang) with just their instruments. But the thing is you couldn’t tell the difference between the band and if a DJ was there playing the record. Pretty impressive. Now, J5 brags that they take four MCs and make ‘em sound like one. And you know what, they do. And when you see it live, it’s even more impressive. Here’s the thing, most rappers or groups make the mistake of giving everyone on stage a mic, and everyone just ends up rapping/yelling over each other, and the whole thing sounds like a karaoke night with 8 girlfriends singing a song from “Grease”. Case in point: I was at the Tribe Called Quest concert this past weekend and Rhymefest (Chicago’s own) was an opening act. Now, I like Rhymefest, but it was maybe the worst live rap concert I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying something). Too many guys on stage trying to rap at the same time but making it impossible to understand or enjoy any of the songs. And the really annoying thing is that Rhymefest is supposed to be a solo rapper, yet I have to listen to three other guys perform his songs. It was painful. One of my friends started calling him Rhymetime. That’s how mad he was about the whole thing. My point is J5 has four MCs, and they don’t rap over each other or trip each other up or take away from one another. If you closed your eyes you might think it was one guy the whole time that just changed his voice throughout the song. And doing it on an album is one thing when you have an editing team who can put it together, but to do it live? That’s something special. Round 4 goes to Jurassic 5.

Round 5
Both groups recently dropped new albums, so both concerts featured a lot of new music. My favorite from Game Theory (in stores now) is the title track, Game Theory. Starts off a little slow like an R&B song, and then out of nowhere the beat just kicks you in the heart and you can’t help but want to take on the world when you hear it. My fav on Feedback (in stores now) is Radio. It’s got this hook/sample right from the beginning that makes you put your hand over your mouth and scream, “AWWW SNAP!” The song is great. However, live it was a little hard to hear the music over the crowd and the group, and the music is the part that gives me goose bumps. Game Theory rocked the crowd and had everybody standing up and dancing on the lawn. Plus, I think Game Theory is just a little better than Feedback. Round 5 goes to The Roots.


Let’s go to Harold Letterman to see how he has the fight so far. “OKAY, JOSH. THE ROOTS REALLY GOT THE CROWD GOING WITH ‘GAME THEORY’ IN THAT LAST ROUND. I’VE GOT THE FIFTH ROUND SCORED 10 TO 9. AFTER FIVE ROUNDS I HAVE IT 49 TO 47, THE ROOTS!”

Round 6
Jurassic 5 comes out of their corner, knowing they need to start taking some rounds to win this battle. After landing a couple of body shots and keeping The Roots on their toes with some jabs, they score the first knockdown of the night with one of my favorite moments of the show. The whole time J5 is on stage they have five tarps covering something up behind them. Finally the tarps are taken away, revealing five old-school school desks, each one with a different name stenciled on it. The members take their appropriate seats. I’m convinced that they’re going to perform “Concrete Schoolyard” while sitting in the desks. But I was wrong. DJ NU Mark cuts the music and takes his seat. After a quick moment of silence NU Mark starts up a beat with a turntable that is built into the desk. The crowd gets excited, but then Soup adds to the beat with another soundboard built into his desk. Then each member jumps in, one by one, adding their own sounds from their desk. Eventually the five work together to create one song. It’s unbelievable. The crowd can’t take it. It’s that good. The Roots go down. But after a standing eight count, they get back up. J5 continues delivering the big blows, putting The Roots on the old wobble skates with “Concrete Schoolyard”, probably my favorite song of all time. The crowd feels it, I’m feeling it, and now The Roots feel it, falling back into the ropes. But they don’t go down, and lure J5 in for the rope-a-dope. Out of nowhere The Roots deliver a chin-check with a 90-minute set that never stops. Now, some people might say, “What’s the big deal about 90-minutes? Most bands play that long.” But the show I’m at is a promotional event hosted by Miller Genuine Draft. So, there are only about 500 people or so, and by the time The Roots go on the older part of the crowd has slowly slipped away to head home and go to bed. So you’re left with about 200 people or so standing as close to the stage as possible. Now, since it’s not an official concert, and the crowd isn’t that big, most bands would be required to play for an hour (tops), and at the stroke of the 60-minute mark they’d take off. And on top of that they would probably half-ass it for those 60-minutes. For example, Common was at a similar event recently and played four songs. Four. But not The Roots. They just killed it for 90-minutes, almost having to be dragged off the stage. It was just a classy move. At the Tribe Called Quest concert I just saw they only played for 60 minutes, and this is TRIBE for god’s sake. They have like 1,000 hours worth of songs, and they only play for one hour. And they were playing to a packed house, haven’t played together in years, and are playing for a crowd who paid to see the show. That’s what was great about The Roots show. Playing for a small crowd, none of who are even paying to see the concert, and they go a full 90-minute set. It showed me what they were all about. As they continued to land punches and J5 continued to back down to the corner and cover up, the fight looked like it was in hand for The Roots. And then J5 delivered the knockout blow, A Day At The Races. Wow. Just one of those songs that gets the crowd jumping in unison and you never want it to end. And if that wasn’t enough, they stepped it up a notch. Halfway trough the song they flipped the beat to Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and continued rapping A Day At The Races. It was insane. Right as the song was finished and they left the stage (they would come back out for an encore), my buddies Dave and Neuman both turned to me and told me it was the best concert they had ever been to. Ever. That meant something from two Dead Heads who had seen tons of Dead and Phish shows. The Roots were down for the count.

The belt goes to Jurassic 5.


What a fight. Just two great heavyweights going toe-to-toe. The Roots showed a lot of heart, but in the end Jurassic 5 was just a little too much to handle. Well, that brings us to tonight’s main event. Lets take a look at the tale of the tape (stats courtesy of Metromix.com).



Restaurant: May Street Market
Location: 1132 W. Grand

Hours:
Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday
Dinner: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; closed Sunday. The lounge is open one hour after the restaurant closes.

Avg. Dinner Entrée:
$15-$25, $25 and up

Cuisine:
American Contemporary

Parking:
Street parking possible, Valet (Evenings)

Payment Method:
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover

Reservations Accepted?
Yes

Seating Capacity:
90

Smoking:
No

Spirits:
Full bar



Restaurant: May Street Cafe
Location: 1146 W. Cermak

Hours:
Dinner: 5-10 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m.; 5-9 p.m. Sunday

Avg. Dinner Entrée:
$8-$15

Cuisine:
Cuban, Mexican/Tex-Mex, Nuevo Latino, Puerto Rican

Parking:
Free lot, Street parking possible

Payment Method:
Visa, MasterCard, American Express

Reservations Accepted?
Yes

Seating Capacity:
46

Smoking:
No

Spirits:
Bring your own (No fee)



Gentlemen, let’s have a good, clean fight. Keep all blows above the belt. When I tell you to break, break. Any questions? Touch gloves and head back to your corner.

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!


Round 1
May St. Market comes out aggressive and throws the first flurry of punches, landing with the free bread and butter. May St. Café can’t counter punch, supplying only chips and salsa. But not just any chips and salsa. It’s the kind of chips and salsa that make you never want to try chips and salsa again. The chips are stale, and the salsa tastes like ketchup. Market has warm bread and soft butter. Café is lucky to get out of the round without a knockdown.


Round 2
Looking to change the momentum in round two, Café comes out with a southpaw stance, catching Market off guard and landing a series of jabs and a couple of haymakers with a variety of quesadillas. Market stumbles backwards, held up by the ropes. Café continues the pursuit, first with the quick jab of the bean and goat cheese quesadilla, then with the HUGE power punch of the brie and pear quesadilla. Most fighters would come out with your typical chicken or steak quesadilla, but not Café. The work in the gym pays off with quesadillas that have a ton of unique flavor. The brie and pear quesadilla might be one of the best things you’ll ever eat. As Market tries to get out of the corner, Café shoves them right back in with their portion size. Not only are the quesadillas amazing (and there are a bunch to choose from), but one order is enough to feed a large family (even if that family includes me). As the round comes to an end Market tries to land a couple of punches with the crab cakes, but Café isn’t fazed. The crab cakes are good, but nothing spectacular, and certainly not go-out-of-your-way good like the quesadillas. Round 2 goes to Café by a huge margin.


Round 3
Trying to recover from the beating of round 2, Market takes to the offensive and lands a couple of quick punches with its lemon grass and yellow tomato soup. Sound disgusting? That’s what I thought, but it was a great soup with an interesting taste I couldn’t get enough of. But Café quickly countered with its tortilla soup. Just a huge bowl of goodness. And it was hot. Not temperature hot, but spicy hot. The kind of hot that burns your mouth so bad you have no choice but to have another bite as quickly as possible because it’s the only thing that soothes the burn. The kind of hot that had me sweating like a Biggest Loser contestant in a spin class. I probably ruined three napkins wiping my brow. I couldn’t even finish the bowl. That’s how big it was. And how spicy. Tough to really compare the two soups. They were very different, but both great. Round 3 looks like a draw.


Round 4
Café seems to know they have Market on the ropes, and they’re looking to try and finish up the fight and send Market home early. The atmosphere in Café is perfect. It’s a small, charming place that feels both romantic and social. It’s not too loud or cold or warm or anything. It’s just perfect. A big uppercut to the gut of Market takes their breath away, forcing them to cover up. Café continues to throw punches as the chef comes out to check on every table, making sure the diverse dining crowd is satisfied. Market begins to stumble. The extremely loud dining area at Market makes it hard to carry on a conversation with the people at your table, and the crowd is older and feels a little too snooty for my tastes. Market goes down hard. Wow, this could be it. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Market gets to their feet. They’re not sure where they are, but tell the ref they’re OK to go on. Café smells blood, but Market counters with a lounge area that is much quieter, doesn’t take reservations, has a fireplace, and is a great place to sit (especially for 2) to enjoy dinner. Market gets saved by the bell.


Let’s go back to Harold Letterman to see how he has the fight so far. “OKAY. CAFÉ IS JUST DOMINATING THIS FIGHT, TAKING 3 OF THE FIRST 4 ROUNDS. I’VE GOT THE LAST ROUND SCORED 10 TO 9. AFTER FOUR ROUNDS I HAVE IT 39 TO 36, CAFÉ!”


Round 5

Market comes out in round 5 and is noticeably hurt, dancing around the ring and trying to avoid another big onslaught from Café. Unfortunately for Market, Café still has a lot in the tank, throwing its big BYOB haymaker, and then landing the deadly “affordable” uppercut. It’s just too much for Market’s high price tag as they stumble against the ropes and covers up again, waiting for the bell, which can’t come soon enough. Another round for Café.


Round 6

Market is cut bad, and it doesn’t look like the cut man can stop the bleeding. They’re going to have one last round to try and score their own knockout or they’re going to risk a stoppage by the ref. They come out swinging, and swinging hard. The pork chop brings it and lands a solid shot to Café’s jaw, followed by a body shot of fingerling potatoes that puts Café back on their heels. But Café quickly counters with their own pork chop. As Market looks to make one last run, Café lands a shot to the open cut with the chipotle mashed potatoes. It’s too much for Market, as the ref jumps in and calls the fight.

Winner, and May Street champion – May St. Café


So there you have it. May St. Café is your new heavyweight champion of the world.

Some final thoughts:
I order a lot of pork chops when I go out to eat. I think it’s because they’re pretty safe. When you order, you’re getting one of four things: 1) An out of this world pork chop that can’t be topped. I’ve only had one of these that I can remember. 2) A really, really good pork chop. Seems like this is where 80% of pork chops fall, it’s just that each place has their own spin on it (sweet, spicy, unique sauce, whatever). Both May Streets fall in this category. Both great in their own way. 3) A fine pork chop. Nothing special here. It gets the job done, but you forget about it by the end of the night. 4) A horrible pork chop. And this really only happens if something gets screwed up, like the chop gets burnt or it has mad pig disease or something.

I really enjoyed both places. My biggest complaint about May Street Market is the price. I just feel like for the money you pay you can have better meals elsewhere. When you’re paying over $25 for an entrée I feel like it should be really memorable, but I didn’t feel that way about May Street Market. I should add that everyone I went with LOVED it, and most people who go have that same sentiment. Except for my buddy Geoff, who agrees with me.


May Street Market – Fist bump with a manly ass slap.

World heavyweight champion May St. Café - Half handshake, half chest-bump hug.



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Mundial Cocina Mestiza

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Mundial Cocina Mestiza
Location: 1640 W. 18th St.

Good things seem to come in threes. Three’s Company. The three-toed sloth. My fat rolls. The Three Stooges. The Three Wise Men (and not the Jim, Jack and Johnnie kind). The three pointer. Three Dog Night. Tricycle. Three strikes and you’re out. Babe Ruth. The Holy Trinity. Bulls’ championships. Michael Jordan’s draft position. Ménage à trios (the kind with three chicks, or two chicks and a guy. Not the kind with two dudes, or three dudes (not that there’s anything wrong with that)). The Dahm sisters. Three sheets to the win. Three Amigos. Amazing Grace Smith. The chefs at Mundial Cocina Mestiza.

Katie and Eusevio Garcia and Jorge Hernandez are the three-headed brain-trust behind Mundial Cocina Mestiza (please don’t be confused. This isn’t actually one person with three heads; it is, in fact, three different people. “Three-headed brain-trust” is just a figure of speech.). They all have different backgrounds from different restaurants around the city, so the food is a mix of Latin and Mediterranean and goodness.

The night we headed there we had our choice of tables, so we took the table by the window. Mundial is located in Pilsen, which I love. There are a ton of great restaurants down that way that I don’t explore them nearly enough. There was actually a surprising amount of people out walking around, so the window seat doubled as some good people watching. The restaurant itself is very simple and down-to-earth. Nothing fancy here. Just some tables, chairs, and a couple things hanging on the walls. There are two rooms, a front room and back room. The back room has a little more going on, but I like sitting in front where you can see people coming and going.

Because of the diverse menu we wanted to try as much as possible, so we ordered lots of appetizers. They included:
- Queso flameado con chorizo (basically a cheese dip) which was really, really, really cheesy. Of course I loved it. And stabbed anyone with a fork who tried to steal a taste.
- Nopales empapelados (it had cactus in it). I’ve never eaten cactus. It tastes like cactus, which is surprisingly good. For sure worth trying.
- Sopa del dia (soup of the day). I can’t remember what it was, but it was creamy and spicy and good.
- And I think somebody got a salad, but who cares about salad?
So, the apps were really good. And really filling. The portion size was great, especially for the money. We didn’t really even need to get entrees after the apps, but of course we did anyway.

Allison got a pasta, which was a ravioli in a red cream sauce. It was really good, which I didn’t expect. You feel like the place should really be a Mexican/Latin food place, but the Mediterranean mix adds a great flavor to all the dishes, especially the pasta. Matt got the jumbo shrimp. It was cooked in garlic and butter. I’ll let you guess what I thought of it. Now, when it was time for me and my wife to order, I couldn’t decide. She insisted I get the house-cut grilled ribeye. She said she read it was their specialty. I asked the waiter what I should order, and he said the same thing. Know that I HATE ordering something similar to anyone else at the table, especially when trying someplace new. I like everyone getting something different so you get a good feel for how the place is as a whole. I asked my wife to order first, but she didn’t know what she wanted, so I had to order. And guess what? I went with the ribeye. My wife told me to get it. Something she read told her to tell me to get it. Our waiter told me to get it. So I got it. What choice did I have? Then my wife was ready to order, and you know what she got? The carne asada. The other steak on the menu. Basically the same thing I got. I wasn’t happy about it. She didn’t care. Something about me being a child. Or a baby. I forget. And normally I really wouldn’t care, but hers was MUCH better than mine. I really didn’t think the ribeye was anything special, but the carne asada was fantastic. If you go there, and you want meat, get the carne. And it’s not that mine was bad, it’s just that hers was better, and frankly I should have gotten the fish I had my eye on. Next time.

And while we all contemplated heading to the bathroom to purge ourselves like Meredith Baxter in Kate’s Secret the dessert menu came. Everyone decided they were too full to try anything. So I ordered the sampler platter. I was expecting nothing from the dessert. It was fantastic. Get it. As an appetizer.

The service was great (they let us sit there for over two hours and never made us feel rushed, yet they kept coming by to check on us and make sure we were doing OK). The prices were fantastic (nothing over $16, and most things around $12). BYO. Total bill was $50 a couple (in comparison to $150 a couple at Más a couple of weeks ago). I liked this place much better than Más but not quite as much as May Street Café. So, if you’re heading down to Pilsen, I would say check out May Street Café first, but go out of your way for a second trip down there and have a seat at Mundial Cocina Mestiza.

All things considered I have to give it a chest bump.


Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

The Hot Spot

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: The Hot Spot
Location: 2824 W. Armitage


I’ve done a complete 360 on The Hot Spot. I started hot, got cold, and now I’m hot again. I’m like a 52-year-old lady going through menopause (minus the mom jeans, though I have the FUPA to pull them off).

Here’s the story.

HOT
My wife read about The Hot Spot in Time Out when it first opened up. It sounded great. Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day (not that I mind any meal), so we keep a lookout for places to go, and the Hot Spot sounded perfect. I’d already decided I liked it even though I’d never gone. And it would stay that way for some time. We never found our way to the place.

COLD
Fast-forward about a year and a half. We move from Ukrainian Village to Logan Square. Suddenly The Hot Spot is just a stones throw away from our new place (it wasn’t that far from our old place, but it shows just how lazy we are). So my wife’s family comes up and we head over for breakfast on a Saturday. I loved it the moment I walked in. I love the décor, the atmosphere, and the fact that we don’t have to wait even though it’s ten in the morning. If we were at Bongo Room I’d be standing outside for an hour (which I never complain about since Bongo Room has the best breakfast of all-time). Here? We sit right down. My favorite part is the breakfast bar. Great for grabbing a solo meal. I start off with a coffee and I’m pretty happy with it. There’s a lot to choose from on this menu. Luckily there was a group of us, so we got to sample a lot. They’re known for their Logan Berry pancakes, so my brother-in-law gets those. My wife ops for the lox bagel while her sister gets an omelet. I go for the Belgian waffle. Nothing special, but was in the mood for it. Not good. The waffle was just OK. The omelet was just OK. The lox bagel was just OK. The only thing that was above average was the Logan Berry pancakes. I was devastated. I brought it up with a co-worker (Anne) who had been there and she felt the same way. We decided the problem was that everything just kind of tasted like something you’d make at home. There was nothing unique about any of the dishes. This was worse than the time I saw Anchorman for the first time and nearly sent a letter to Will Ferrell asking for my money back (no joke). I had such high expectations and when the experience didn’t live up to those expectations it makes it worse than it really is. With Anchorman I declared it one of the worst movies of all-time. But then I made myself watch it again. And again. And again. And again (and again multiplied by about 100). And now it’s one of my favorite movies. After this first Hot Spot experience I wasn’t sure I would ever go back. I’m glad I changed my mind.

WARMER
My buddy Dave and I meet for breakfast every Thursday. Gives us a chance to catch up, chat, discuss football lines, and so on. One Thursday neither of us were working so rather than head downtown for breakfast we kept it close to home. The Hot Spot just happens to be directly in the middle of our places. So, we chose to meet there. This time around I got the Huevos Rancheros. What a treat. Just a slop of eggs, beans, salsa, sour cream, and chorizo served in a skillet. You just mix it all together and enjoy. I couldn’t get enough of it. Why didn’t I get this the first time? This changed everything. Maybe The Hot Spot was better than I gave it credit for.

HOT
So I’ve been back several times since, and each time I’ve been satisfied. From the burrito to the breakfast sandwich to the rancheros I haven’t had a bad meal since. The key is to not order the simple things on the menu that you can make at home. Omelets, pancakes, and even the French toast. All just average. And it’s because there isn’t anything unique about them (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I told Anne about my new love for the place and explained the change, and she said she never ordered anything but the plain pancakes or eggs, so now I know why she never truly enjoyed it.

The service is always great. The clientele is diverse. The atmosphere is bright. The prices are reasonable. And I love the food (now).

There you have it. The Hot Spot is like a goiter - it’ll grow on you.

Chest Bump.


Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

Sol de Mexico

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Manly ass slap – ½ star
Fone and fone – 0 stars


Restaurant: Sol de Mexico
Location: 3018 N. Cicero


Back when I first started writing reviews for this site my buddy Geoff begged me (maybe I’m exaggerating) to go to Chilpancingo with him. It was his favorite restaurant in the city, and he wanted to be there when I went (probably because he wanted to be mentioned in the review that would follow). Well, I never went, and Chilpancingo closed down. But I have good news for Geoff – Carlos Tello opened up Sol de Mexico. Why is that good news? Well, Carlos is the brother-in-law of Geno Bahena and Geno was the owner of Chilpancingo. So, thanks to Carlos’ mother-in-law (and Geno’s mom) the mole covered food that made Chilpancingo famous (at least according to Geoff) lives on at Sol de Mexico. Still with me?

So I headed there a couple of weekends ago to check it out. The leather-bound menus have the Chilpancingo logo on the outside, but it’s all Sol de Mexico on the inside.

First off, I want to apologize in advance. I didn’t take anything with me to write down what I ordered. And most places have an itemized list of what you ordered on your receipt, but the receipt at Sol was hand written, and I couldn’t read a lick of it. And after all that, I had a couple of bottles of wine (not by myself) because it’s a BYO joint. So, I’m gonna do my best to try and remember what I ordered, but this isn’t going to be my best piece of work (which isn’t saying much).

There are a bunch of ways to go about ordering food here. The menu has a long list of appetizers, tapas selections, and entrees. So, you can just order a bunch of apps and share some tapas, or some apps and entrees, or tapas and entrees, or just tapas, or just entrees, or apps and tapas and entrees. Really the possibilities are endless (not really, as my 10th grade algebra teacher would tell you that there are exactly seven possibilities). And I’m sure you can figure out what choice we made.

Here’s where things get a little cloudy, so bear with me. I do know we ordered sopecitos because my wife had read about them in the Chicago magazine. They are four cute little boat looking things with different fillings – two with chicken and some mole sauce, one with guacamole, and one with some refried beans. And they were tasty, but I wish they were bigger (shocker). Speaking of, I think McDonald’s should come out with a limited edition Mini Mac, where you take a Big Mac, but make it pretty much bite size. Kind of like Minnieburgers or sliders. Then you can serve like two or four (actually, I’d like twelve) of the Mini Macs in one of those Big Mac boxes. Girls would think they’re adorable and want to have them and walk around with them like they were a purse dog and guys could pretend they were healthier because they’re smaller. I think they would sell. But maybe that’s just me.

Um, where were we? Oh, the sopecitos were good. We also got a bowl of guacamole. Not bad, but nothing special. I know that someone ordered an entrée, which was pork related. Someone ordered an app as their meal, and it was quesadilla related. My wife ordered an app that was quesadilla related and another app that was who-knows-what related. And I ordered four different plates of tapas (though I have NO idea what the four plates where). Here’s what I do remember. I liked my wife’s quesadilla, I liked two of the plates I ordered, and I loved two of the plates I ordered. And that’s about all I remember about the food.

Here are a couple other things I remember:
- Trying to order my food in Spanish. The waitress was amused. My wife was not.
- The waitress telling us that we had to take our empty wine bottles with us, because they couldn’t throw them out, because someone might find them in the trash and accuse them of selling alcohol. Um, what? Just bizarre.
- The place looking like not much from the outside, but inside being very comfortable with some really good food. Honestly, when we pulled up we thought there was a chance that it was a glorified Burrito and Taco #4. We were pleasantly surprised.
- The meal cost about $50 a couple ($60 with tip). That doesn’t include alcohol. Not a bad price, but I could see this place getting really pricey if you come with a big appetite, as I easily could have ordered about three more plates of food.

And sadly, that’s about all I got for you. Pathetic? Absolutely. Is it as good as Chilpancingo? I have no idea. Is Geoff mad that I never went to Chilpancingo with him? Who cares.

So, take the rating for what it’s worth. I enjoyed this place and would go back, even though I couldn’t tell you what I ordered. Fist bump.



Got a question? Send it to born2fork@yahoo.com.

pingpong

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star



Restaurant: pingpong
Location: 3322 N. Broadway

The great thing about Chicago is there are so many different neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has tons of great places to eat and drink. The bad thing about Chicago is that people don’t venture out of their neighborhoods enough. They stay close to home, which means they miss out on so many great places in this city.

I frequently fall victim to that, but I make an effort to get out and about as much as possible. What’s my point? Well, this review focuses on a little neighborhood joint in East Lakeview that is loved by the locals. It’s called pingpong.

pingpong features pan-Asian food. Quick story. Just the mention of ping-pong reminds me of the movie "Emmanuelle in Singapore". When I was a kid (like 7th or 8th grade), I used to go to a friends house for sleepovers, and every now and then we’d stay up late to watch Skinemax. The only movie I remember was "Emmanuelle in Singapore" and that’s because she did something with ping-pong balls I’d never seen before, and probably won’t ever see again. Unless I go to Tijuana. It was traumatizing. And enlightening. Anyway.

pingpong the restaurant. A friend lives in the area, and recommended it. The first time I went was on a Monday night. He lives nearby, and really liked the place, so I was expecting the best. I didn’t get it.

I ordered the calamari, and it was awful. Truly unenjoyable. I almost didn’t want the dinner, that’s how disappointed I was. For dinner I got the General’s Chicken (easily my favorite Chinese food dish ever. And I’m not even sure it’s authentic to China, but I’m sure my belly doesn’t care.). It’s hard to find great General’s Chicken. And this was no exception. It was for sure below average. I was unhappy. I wanted my money back, but the place is pretty reasonably priced, so there was no point.

The next day I let my friend know about my experience. He was shocked. He might have even gasped and clutched the pearls. He said there was a mistake and demanded that I go back.

Months later, I did. I ordered the exact same thing, and my second helping was much, much better. I told my friend that I was happier this time, but that I still thought the place was just “good” and not “great” or anything. He agreed. See, he liked the place because it was good food, dependable, and close to home. Whenever he need food and just wanted a place that was solid where he’d know he’d be happy, pingpong was one of those places for him. And really, that’s exactly what a neighborhood joint should be.

So, upon further review, I give pingpong a high five with a manly ass slap.

Coast

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Coast
Locations: 2045 N. Damen


With all due respect to Rob Gordon, Dick, and Barry, here are my Top 5 Reasons Why I Used To Not Like Sushi:

5. It’s just not enough food. No matter how much of it you eat, you never quite feel full. And an hour later you’re ordering a large pizza or finding the nearest burrito stand. Or both.
4. Chopsticks are hard to use.
3. The first time I ever ate sushi, at some place in St. Louis, I got sick.
2. The second time I ate sushi, I got sick.
1. The third time I ate sushi, I was in LA recording some radio spots, and we wanted to order pizza, but my boss insisted on sushi. I ate it. I got sick.

But the times have changed for me. I’ve actually grown to like sushi, and I think it’s mostly because I’ve finally learned what to order. I know what I’ll like and what I won’t like, and I try not to adventure to far from those things.

So, what I usually like is something spicy. The hotter the better. If it’s spicy enough that I forget I’m eating raw fish, that’s a good thing. And stick with the rolls, or maki, or whatever it’s called. My wife one time made me eat the slabs of raw fish. Then I ended up eating the bottom of the toilet bowl. So, spicy rolls, that’s the ticket for me.

At Coast we ended up ordering four different rolls. My wife got the Fresh Philly, which she must have liked because she ate five of the six pieces. I took a pass. Not a big salmon fan. We shared an order of the Ceviche, which wasn’t bad. It had fish (I think crab) and jalapeño, and some lime, and it was good. The first piece was a little dry, but I think that was a fluke. The Ceviche roll had a very subtle flavor. Very light. So, if you like your food with lots of spices or some taste that overpowers you, then don’t order this. I actually liked its simplicity (which I usually don’t, since I’m big into a lot of flavor).

Let’s see, we also ordered the Crunchy Spicy Tuna. Which was tuna that was spicy, with a little bit of a crunchy layer on the outside. It was really good. The crunch adds a little bit of sweetness to the spicy tuna, which was a nice contrast. I ate four of the six pieces. Yeah, I guess I liked it.

But the best of the bunch was the White Dragon. It’s shrimp and cream cheese and other stuff, and topped with mayo or something. It is incredibly rich, and amazingly good. We ended up having a chopstick fight to see who got to eat the majority of the pieces. As an example of how good it is, my wife took a piece of the Fresh Philly and dipped it in the White Dragon special sauce (which sounds like a porno, I know) that had dripped onto the plate. That’s how good this thing was. You wanted everything you ate to taste like it. It was this great combination of sweet and spicy and thick and rich. If I went back, I’d probably order at least two of these. And that would just be as an appetizer.

Coast is also a BYOB, which I’m always a big fan of. And if you order $15 worth of food per person, there is no corkage fee. So, dinner was $45 after tax and tip, which wasn’t too bad. And the service was great, and I loved the atmosphere. They used to only take reservations for parties of six or more, but I think they have changed their policy. I’d call ahead and find out for sure, because we went on a Tuesday night at about 8:45 and the place was still pretty packed. But now I know why.

So, my wife said she loved this place and not to “give my Coast a bad review”, so I don’t really have a choice here (although I really liked it).

Probably my second favorite sushi place in the city (next to Bob San, not that I’ve tried that many). Chest bump.

Tango Sur

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Tango Sur
Location: 3763 N Southport


Song: WHOA
Artist : BLACK KELL

( Verse 1 )

I had Tango Sur on Southport, it was whoa!
It’s got the best steak in town I mean whoa!
It’s an Argentinian steakhouse, I mean whoa!
Should've seen the size of cuts on these steaks, whoa!
Now money ain't a problem, low prices is like whoa!
The empanadas so good I’m like whoa!
They’re fried and juicy and perfect like whoa!
Prosciutto wrapped around melon, I'm like whoa!
They got steak stuffed with cheese like whoa!
Order beef for two and be full like whoa!
Coming home with a stuffed tummy like whoa!
Waiters running ‘round servin’ you like whoa!
More or less, more or so

( Chorus )
You just gotta go
I live the fat life, I don’t eat slow like whoa!
My tummy like mo’, need mo’
Just go, Tango, great food like whoa!

( Verse 2 )

Dessert right next door like whoa!
Dairy Queen blizzards on the north like whoa!
Or eat Cold Stone, just to the south like whoa!
I'm getting brain freeze from the ice cream like whoa!
It’s a BYOB drink for free like whoa!
See me drink glasses and glasses like whoa!
Be prepared to wait a while like whoa!
Sit on the curb and drink your wine like whoa!
Waits up to an hour on busy nights like whoa!
But the food is worth the wait like whoa!
Go out drinkin’ on Southport like whoa!
I'm on the go to the Tango, bite for bite like whoa!

( Chorus )
You just gotta go
I live the fat life, I don’t eat slow like whoa!
My tummy like mo’, need mo’
Just go, Tango, great food like whoa!


To recap: Great steak. Great food. Awful parody of a Black Rob song. Great atmosphere. Great prices. Vegetarians look elsewhere. Non-meat offerings are just so-so. BYOB. Long waits. Dairy Queen and Cold Stone nearby.

Easily a chest bump with a manly ass slap.