Manger

Our favourite places to eat
Again lamenting the loss of my precious ½ price coupon books, I list off some love towards those especial eplaces Gf and I delite in delicating at. In otherwise, our yummiest yummeries. And yes, I know my choices are hopelessly …what, banal?? Ooo the fast foods I love so much!
Those places that are from the ½ priced coupon book are in italics. And again, I fully understand what statements I am making about the banality of my tastes.

+Regulars+
Arabica.==This place was written about last week. It’s a bit out of the neighbourhood,. It’s been renamed Panini, but we prefer to call it by its original name. The workers there are incredibly nice. Food is outstanding; huge panini’s, tasty sides of potato salad or cole slaw, chips. Gf and I get one side each and then share both. As stated in the other post, Gf and I considered it a great triumph in getting mom out to eat ; especially because we like this place much.

Quigleys. ==Irish bar I wrote about then. It’s in the hood (across Pulaski on 111th in Oak Lawn)and also has outstanding food. I always get the bbq Guinness burger. Again, we share the rings (big and good ones) and the cole slaw. They have ciders, and now we will order some crowns. Blackened tuna seasoned/spices sandwich is loved by Gf. I think that all tuna sandwiches are disgusting, blackened or blued or marooned or whatever; but I am way olde enough to know that beauty lies, in the eyes….

B.J. McMahons.==Another Oak Lawn bar. Gf really likes this place, and I like it a lot as well. But she’s always wanting to go there. We get burgers (Sheesh- writing this I’m realizing now why Gf wants to cut down on the burgers- poor girl) and share their huge plate of fries. Cider. And she likes that they always have the paper to scrounge through- she likes that for me, actually. Women.

Villa Rosa. == Pizza !! I went to this place to get 2-1 supersized pizzas when the kids and such were invited over. Always kool to get the spur of the moment idea on a Tuesday or whenever, call around to my sisters to see if they can come over, and then get mass pizza. It’s cool to use these coupons to have arties and save $.

Bennigans.==It’s near Ridge cinema, so we’ve gone here for convenience before films a lot. Gf likes to go here and often suggests it. But, she notes- we don’t go there much no more.

WoW Café and Wingery.==Near Neils Church on the rebuilt Maxwell Street. Again, I’ve written about this place several times, or @ least referenced it. Brilliant sandwiches, and so big we generally only eat half and bring the rest home. Nice near the Loop and on the way to the north side. We both like it lots.
Brought the kids here once after a soccer game Soldiers Field this summer. I remember that it was such a hot day and that the kids had been out in the sun since long before the game. When we got to WOW after the game I immediately asked the waitress for glasses so the kids could hydrate themselves. Again, like taking Mom to Arabica, it was great to take the kids here. So much fun in my decade long campaign to make sure they see parts of Chicago that is not Mt. Greenwood or Oak Lawn (Older kids have stunning luxury of having already spent lots of time in Marquette Park pre ‘91. And if the punks don’t remember, I got lots of pictures to prove it to them. It‘d funny, but we uded to mind them so much back then they really spent a lot of time here.)

Gerties/Lindies.== A neighbourhood place that food wise especializes in chilli. It’s two shops- Lindies is the food place, and Gerites is the ice cream part. Growing up the flagship Gerties was on 59th and Kedzie. It was always an especial treat to - for what was always beauty in my eyes- strawberry shake it up. And as chance has it, in my new ’hood there is one of the chained Gerties now coupled with Lindies food stuuf shop. Funny now that it’s the chili I enter the shop for these days. Gf and I enter into, that is. We love it. It’s a nice option if we are hungry and don’t wanna go far- It’s across from the library and a fun walk. They also have Green River. We share the order of cheese and order of onions to spread over our chili.

115 Bourbon Street.=Sister.4 bought some coupon sheet (not the book) from a St. Rita student on a fundraising bent totally unbeknownst that she’d stumbled upon a gold mine. She had a good heart- she bought the sheet from a student who asked and then passed it on to me- but my Ph D eyes in this ½ priced matter of interest- oh God, sweet succulent suppence to me- there was so much shit on the coupon sheet- but nicest of them all was this place. 115 is a vast barn of a place, w/ the concert area, the sports bar area, the chill room, the dance factory, etc- it’s huge. I’ve read somewhere that there is a tend - exemplified by this place- to have huge barn like places subdivided up in a very 115 type manner. It’s @ the end of my street, and although I rarely go there, they do have lots of TV’s for the important Fire road game, cider, and good food. Hamburgers, of course. And their added twist id the sweet potatoes fries.

Symphony.== Place in Evanston. Nice place we only ate once at- we never got another 2-1 for the place. However, we are on their mailing list- they send notices and 20% off’s to my house ( Kooler/ Luft Stalag III / Nazi Germany), addressed to “Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Hilts”. We fancy the conceit. We plan to go back to this pace one of these days just to reward them for recognizing us as Mr. and Mrs.

China Lite.== Excellent Chinese on Southport. Only once; no more coupons.

Islands Café. == Downtown Blue Island. It’s a kool suburb just south of my area. Italian food.

+Fast Food+
Popeye’s.==Growing up it was Kentucky Fried Chicken- block and a half a way on Richmond. In my young adulthood it was Harolds-all over the Southside handily wherever I changed buses. But now it is Popeyes, pure and easy. Dragon warned me. Since it was a new Orleans institution, he always favored it. But somehow, over the years, it gradually overtook Harolds in the ‘fried chicken shops’ battle for my heart’ episode. They have so many coupons, its always off this or that. Never ½ priced, mind you. Love Popeyes.

Schoops.== features very high quality burgers. Gf and I stop by the one in Orland Mall. Us plus Mr. Fibulee stopped by one before the last Morrissey show. Huge burgers. Always (four times total- twice in the mall, once on road to Blackies wedding, and Morrisseytime) the people who worked there have been very very nice. Friendly, and we were always right. The last attempt to eat Schoops ended in failure- I drove around endlessly trying to locate a since closed Palos burgerey. Bless Schoops.

Culvers.==First came into my conciousness during trip to see Radiohead Alpine Valley in….2001?? No idea. It was Snowden’s idea, and before the show Gunners, Smokey Treats, Snowden and I munched up some of the famous butterbugers. Beef good guys. Liked it ever since- from that mad dash that started in the parking lot of Milwaukee’s Miller Park in 2003 after a Brewers game to a northern suburb to just catch the culvers open to the repater stops @ the 93d and Harlem location before Fire games. Used the last of the 2-1 ‘s two weeks ago.

Quizno’s.== Blackie introduced me to this shop- he had gotten a 2-1 coupon over the internet in, say, 2000, and we cashed it in for supper @ a Quizmos a block from hi house on Damen. Mom likes it and it is an easy option. Fast food.

White Castle.==The greatest of all fast foods. Rite now I got a buy three get three free card. Simply the best food ever. Oh, what- yr gonna even try to argue this point?

+No coupons+
Harold’s.== Wonderous fried chicken. Chain especially over the Southside, but in other places. Always for me it’s the “¼ white with mild, please.” Ate it last nite after Keegans. I wasn’t hungry, but we were 106st and Western having crowns, and the open till 3am Harolds on 119th was open and close. It was she who wanted to go, too. Seriously- she like sit a lot- more of a ftish for her @ this point. Writing this, however, I want to go now.

Lula’s.== Logan Square. Took Gf there early on ‘cause I hard it was really good and I wanted to impress her. It‘s just a neighbourhood place, but the foods great and lots of kool people go. We’ve gone back there several times- once before a Trust show next door @ the Logan Square Aud. We should go soon again.

Maple Tree .==Expensive place in Blue Island. Have been there with Pepper and BCD, and took Gf there early on (again trying to impress). Ate the ribbs, yum. Everytime I’ve eaten the ribbs, yumm. That first time w/ Gf was especial. It was so early on, maybe third date. It was early evening, and we sat outside. Rite there was a railroad bridge over the canal next to the resturaunt. I remember the spitting steam or whatever spat by the engines idling nearby. That nite was also shared by us with Barn Swallows diving about doing their thing. I was doing my thing- diving desperately as well trying to capture this girl. So expensive.