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Take it in the chin at "Pita Inn!"

spot: Pita Inn
address/info.: 3910 Dempster St. (1-847) 677-0211
food type: Mediterranean Cuisine
neighborhood: Skokie, Illinois safe suburb just north of Chicago


Pitas Inns!!!!

I love me some Pita Inn yo! This place is as tasty as it gets! They have delicious chicken shwarma (like a gyro, but with chicken meat), kefta kabob (ground beef kabob), falafel etc. you get the picture.
They have a "Business Special" lunch for just $4.95 that comes with enough food for two people. Not people my size, but Two normal size people with a healthy B.M.I. unlike me. 42% B.M.I. I should be gone by next week.
I recommend the "Chicken Shawarma" entree, it's "Monte-Riffic!" It comes with a healthy amount of absolutely delicious chicken shwarma, which is puled chicken, seasoned and slow cooked on a spit. So darn good! With some yellow rice, and a side salad. I also suggest you get some tahini sauce to spill all over yer food.
Tahini sauce is basically just sesame seeds ground into a smooth sauce. So not only is it tasty, but it's not bad for you.
There is not one cute waitress at "Pita Inn", it's all dudes workin there. Bummer! But the food is good, and the dessert, Kinaffa, which is a custard sweetened cheese, topped with shredded wheat and honey. And it is "Monte-Licious!"
Hope to see you there one day!

ISSS time to go to FREDDIE'S Yo!!!!!!

spot: Freddie's!
address/info.: 701 W 31st street 1-312-808-0147
food type: Italian/American
neighborhood: Bridgeport SOUTH SIDE!!!!! Soxxies!!

Freddie's is one of the best spots to get a really huge sandwich at reasonable price with a mountain of flavor. Freddie's is a little family-run, sandwich stand on the southwest corner of 31st. and Union in lovely Bridgeport.

Freddie's is my favorite place to get a breaded steak sandwich. What is a breaded steak sandwich? Good question. At Freddie's it's a massive piece of rib eye steak breaded in Italian breadcrumbs and seasonings. Then it's deep fried to a wonderfully crispy golden brown where it is then placed into a soft 8-to-12 inch bun and then smothered in Freddie's own marinara sauce.

It is so good, you will want to hug me!.

If you like cheese -- which I do, but my stomach won't have it -- you can order melted mozzarella cheese on top of the entire sandwich.

This sandwich is so huge that the bag actually has some weight to it; so you'll need to work out a little before you go.

Freddie's offers more than a great menu. They open their patio during warm months - which attracts cute girls -- an exquisite perk.

Freddie's also makes an awesome Italian beef sandwich and a great Italian sausage sandwich. The Italian sausage is so long when they put it in the bun they have to cut it in half. It's like two sandwiches in one. Score. It's char grilled to perfection.

Did I mention Freddie's has a char grill? Everything tastes good on a grill. They make a superb grilled burger and a plain -- not breaded -- grilled rib eye steak sandwich. Sound good? I'm not done.

For the peeps watching their figures, Freddie's makes half-size sandwiches at half the price -- perfect for the tight budget.

Even though my intolerant stomach, I have to mention they make pizza slices. A slice is the way to go, because they're already cooked. Instant gratification. Seriously, they're the size of a small pizza and cost only $2.66 for cheese and $2.88 for sausage. That beat's spending $10 for an entire pizza.

Now for a little something sweet to whet your pallet & At Freddie's they make some of the best lemon-flavored Italian ice in the city -- better than Mario's on Taylor Street in my opinion. Freddie's is the spot for ice.

Freddie's has tons of other stuff from hot dogs to salads, appetizers, tamales, soup, chili and one of my childhood favorites: GRAVY BREAD. Gravy bread is a sliced piece of Italian bread soaked in beef gravy and then eaten with a fork. MONTE-RIFFIC!

Check out this place. It's a Chicago treasure. Almost all their sandwiches clock in at around $5 a piece. You can't beat the price, because unless you're an animal like I am, you're sure to have leftovers.

Enjoy.

some of the prices have changed since i wrote this, but not by to much, it is still really inexpensive.

Jimmy's Hot Dog!!! [[said like a gang slogan]]

spot: Jimmy's Hot Dogs
address/info.: 4000 W. Grand Ave. 1-773-384-9513
food type: HOT DOGS!!!! [said like a gang slogan]
neighborhood: Humboldt Park/Logan Square


All right, for me I love a skinny hot dog so I am gonna tell you about one of my favorite childhood hot dog stands in the city. Jimmy's Red Hots (that’s right the one and only Jimmy's) on the corner of Grand Ave. & Pulaski(kinda crappy neighborhood but safe hot dog stand).
Jimmy's is a Chicago classic and has been in the same location serving nothing but hot dogs , polish's, fries and tamales and no ketchup ever since March 1954. If you like what I like than get ready you are gonna like Jimmy's a lot.
First, lets start with the hot dog shall we(actually that’s all I’m gonna talk about). Jimmy's serves nothing but the best hot dogs from Chicago's very own Vienna Beef. They use dogs in the case(I love hot dogs in the case, that's what gives em’ that snap when you bite into em).
The hot dogs are prepared by being dropped into huge ceramic crocks filled with hot water and as soon as they rise to the top which only takes a matter of minutes vwaa laa they are done.
After that they are gently placed into a steamed plain bun then topped with your choice of mustard, onions, relish and or sport peppers and as I said before No Ketchup Ever! They also come with a massive amount of fresh cut fries, but you gotta get em’ well done or they will sag like a wet noodle(gross).
I get the dog plain and put the little crispy crunchy pieces of fries on top of it for that extra crunch and flavor.
They also have great tamales and polish sausage and that’s it, well they have soda pop and lemon ade too but...
Now how much does all this splendor cost? The dogs are under $2.00(still), with the fries! Usually there is a line but it moves very quickly and the only place to eat is at a counter by the window where you can only stand and it’s only 3 feet away from the line, Boooo!(I usually just eat on my car, even in the winter).
After you pay the if you get any coins for change they will feel very warm because the cash register is by the hot dog crocks. So go check Jimmy's Red Hots out it’s Monte-Riffic! Also after you eat, get the hell outta that neighborhood!

Here is the clip from my foodie segment on "You & Me This Morning" WCIU Chicago

http://www.wciu.com/youandme.php?section=monte&assetID=10000604


please share this with as many people as possible

Monte on Wciu, in a U.S. Cellular commercial, and a map for all my spots!!!!!

Check it out everybody, my foodie segment airs/aired today on WCIU as part of their new morning show, "You & Me This Morning." Plus today my new U.S. Cellular commercial airs on t.v. stations all over the Chicago land area!! And I have attached a link in my "links" section just over to the left that will show you where all my spots are!!!!

Also, post yer suggestions in my comments for places you think I should be eating at! I can use all the help you can give.

offtheeatinpathwithmonte@yahoo.com such a long email address!

Your introduction to Indian/Pakistani food!!!!!!

spot: Shera Punjab
address info.: 2525 W. Devon Ave. 773-262-2080
food type: Indian/Pakistani
neighborhood: West Ridge

i love buffets, and Shera punjab is one of my all time favorite indian buffets! you may or may not be familiar with indian food, and if yer not, buffet is the way to go. and if you are, buffet is the way to go.
i love em for the obvious reason of unlimited eating, and unlimited food choices. and like i mentioned before, if you are new to indian food, this is the best way to go, you get to try a little of everything to find out what you like best. and indian food is nothing to be scared of, it's made up of all the same things you love in other food types like mexican or italian (meats, rice, bread).
indian food consists of all the basics; chicken, beef, lamb, rice, veggies and tasty sauces and seasonings like curry and cumin. and if you love it spicy you will love indian.
in my opinion, the safe way to start is with either chicken biryani (chicken and rice), samosas (basically a deep fried empanada), butter chicken (chicken in a slightly spicy butter n' tomatoe sauce, soooo good!)and tandoori chicken (seasoned and baked chicken). these are easy foods to start with, they give you a good introduction into the flavors and spices of indian/pakistani food.
i especially love the tandoori chicken at shera punjab, and the chana masala (chick peas in a spicy sauce), "Monte-licious!"
go check it out, and have a good time eating some indian specialties. i hope to see you there one day.

Cuban goodness!!!!!

Cuban Goodness! (photos from spot no. 1)
spot: Marianao no.1 & no.2
address: no.1 2246 n. Milwaukee, no.2 4825 w. Armitage
type of food: cuban
neighborhood(s): Spot 1 is in Logan Square, spot 2 is in Hermosa both can be a bit, ya know...
i went to meet some buddies for lunch the other day at marianaos no.2. now i have been to going to marianaos since i was a kid at it’s original location on armitage near kedzie(which burned down in the early 90’s then relocated to milwaukee ave.) for the best cuban sandwiches in the city. i now frequent no.1 on milwaukee ave. but i have never been to the their newest location no.2 back on armitage nor have i ever tried the cuban steak sandwich. so this was a first for me, the cuban steak sandwich and the new location.
let me tell ya’ when i first walked in i was a little worried cause it did’nt look as authentic as marianaos no.1 , which is filthy and always packed with thug types(like the original when i was a kid). this spot(marianaos no.2) was clean and had stools to sit on and the clientele appeared not ready to kill people at the drop of a dime, so of course i was worried.
but i have faith cause as far as the cuban sandwiches go they have never once let me down in over 15 years. so i ordered a steak sandwich with only grilled onions.
wow! it was awesome. it is thinly sliced skirt steak that is deep fried, that’s right deep fried. i did’nt say it was good for your health but i do admit it is good for your taste buds. so while they’re deep frying your steak they are toasting your bun, 6-8 inches of fresh french bread on a grill. as soon as the steak is ready they slap on the grilled bun, lightly salt it and smother it with maxwell street style grilled onions, tomatoes and cheese(which i skip the cheese and tomatoes, lactose problems & i’m not a big tomatoe fan).
the steak and onion juice absorb into the bun making it mushy on the inside and crunchy from the grill on the outside MONTE-RIFFIC! this sandwich will kill you with joy like i will kill you if you say anything bad about it.
you gotta check this spot out on that one day you allow yourself to eat whatever you want to. they have two spots no.1 on milwaukee ave. just southeast of armitage and no.2 on armitage just west of cicero so it’s kinda convenient.
last but not least, of course it’s a good meal at good deal, the cuban steak sandwich clock’s in under $4.00 even for the double stuffed(which i recommend) enjoy.

Thin n' Greasy!!!

spot: Diner Grill
food type: Diner/Basic American
address/info.: 1635 W. Irving Pk. Rd. 773-248-2030
neighborhood: Lakeview/but not really the nice part

Why I love the burger at the Diner Grill

I love skinny hot dogs, very thin pizza crust and thin greasy bacon hamburgers. The Diner Grill on Irving near Ashland is probably the best place for the the thinnest greasiest bacon burger around. First they have a nice flat grill with what appears to be a tiny coffee pot that sits on the grill filled with lard so it can stay hot and fluid long enough to be placed on the hash browns or grilled onions or whatever they need to lather in grease. which later will coagulate in your veins.
I like to order a bacon hamburger no cheese with grilled onions. Since they only have a counter, I like to sit right in front of the grill and watch them prepare my burger. Watchin the burger gand bacon n’ onions grill up is almost orgasmic. but we all know nothing really beats a babe!
Anyway, they place two pieces of bacon on the grill beneath an old school iron presser to keep the bacon from curling up. Then they put a bunch of onions on the grill lather them in the lard from the coffee pot (that’s where the flavor is) then they place the hamburger bun on top of the onions while they cook, oh boy is that the best, it steams the bun with greasy onion goodness. Monte-licious! Finally after a few moments they place the thinnest most wonderful round, ground burger on the grill, which because they are so thin, they grill up quickly and perfectly.
Soon after that comes the bottom of the bun on the grill for a quick toasting, and then you know your burgers almost done.
They put the bottom of the bun on the plate next to the cold lettuce, tomato and pickle. Then they scoop up the onions with the top of the bun on them and place that on top of the burger then slip it on the bottom bun. After that they lift the iron press where your bacon sits so cute and crispy lookin’, sittin in it’s own grease. Then they use a spatula to lift the bacon and apply it immediately to the burger where they don’t even drain the grease off. So good!
After all that they serve it to ya’ hot and ready to eat. I like to put the lettuce and pickle on with ketchup & mustard. It only takes me a few minutes to eat one of these, so sometimes I have to order another one halfway through the first.
From the first bite to the last bite, it drips with onion, bacon, ketchup, mustard and greasy goodness all around your face and on the plate. This is fun to lick off the corners of your mouth, plus I like to wipe my burger into the stuff that makes it onto the plate, there is alotta good taste in those drippings.
All this tasty goodness comes at under five bucks. This is why I love the burger at the diner grill. Well now I’m hungry so I gotta go get a burger. Oh shoot I almost forgot they serve you water in the “to go” cups which I love, it means I don’t have to worry about it being dirty.
And of cousre, they serve the world famous “Slinger.” Don’t ask, just eat! And if you do eat one, you get a certificate to prove that you ate one. Cool.

Steak n' Eggs Benedict at it's finest!!!

Spot: Orange
Food type: Contempary Brunch
Address info.: 2011 W. Roscoe 773-248-0999
Neighborhood: Roscoe Village/Hipster area

A breakfast for champions!

Ok, Orange is not the typical place I usually dine, it’s a bit pricier than the places I hit, and it’s a very hip crowd. And me, I’m not a hip person. But let me tell ya, Orange is the sh*t homey!!!!

So far everything I have had there is excellent! But the meal I have been getting the last three times I was there is the Steak n’ Eggs Benedict, and as the menu describes it:

Thick sliced brioche bread topped with char-grilled beef tenderloin, poached eggs, hollandaise and drizzled with balsamic reduction.
They forget to mention in the menu that it comes with mashed potatoes!

And seriously, this is one the best eggs benedict dishes I have ever eatin, every bite is “Monte-licious!” till the last bites of mashed potatoes soaked in all the remaining steak, egg, and hollandaise juices/sauce on the plate. This meal is a total plate licker!

They also have excellent freshly squeezed juices, orange infused coffee, and one their most special treats: Fruishi! A fruit sushi, it is frickin amazing!!!! And as I like to mention, super cute waitresses. Super cute. And I always see a lot of “Cougars” there. ; )