Baconfest Chicago 2009, PIMPS!!!!!!!!!!!! Check it!!!!

Bacon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fest!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today my wife and I went to the first ever Baconfest! And as you can imagine, it was pig lovers paradise!! The deal was that every dish served had to be completely based around bacon, and who doesn't love that? Don't answer if ya don't, cause I don't wanna know. Anyway, it was sensational! There were so many fantastic dishes, and amazing taste explosions, and so many things to list. But since I am lazy, I am going to ask that you click on the top pic., the baconfest form, check it out. It has the complete menu for the day. It will knock yer socks off. Now on with the rest of the event.

We met a lot of really cool people, due to the fact that it was standing room only. Which may sound uncomfortable for a foodie event, but it was perfect. They had around a dozen or more little round tables set up, and there were no seats, so every one forced to be on their feet and move through space. It was a mingle-rs paradise. Different people kept moving in and out of our table, and with each new guest we shared the joy of conversation. It was amazing for that alone. Then the food!! Ridiculous!!! Everything was excellent!!! And I truly mean that. We had to vote for our favorite on the Baconfest form, but honestly, there wasn't a weak link in the bunch. I would go into a battle with any one of the meals served today at the event. We even met a few of the gents and woman running the event (Seth Zurer being one of the gents), and they were a pleasure to speak with. As well, we met Gary, and Ron from: http://lthforum.com/bb/index.php they were super cool. And check out their site if yer in Chicago, their site is excellent for any foodie. One of the greatest treats of the day though was reconnecting with an old friend Chuck Sudo. This is a gentleman I grew up with as a child and have not seen for a while, and it was great to see him today. Love ya' Chuck! Well, I didn't write a lot about the bacon, but I hope I set the experience up for ya, cause it was a great one, and I can't wait for the next one.
I forgot to mention the gift bag, that is my last pic. in the blog here, it is a shot of all of the goodies we got to take home with us, check out all that stuff. Amazing gift bag. Amazing! And tons of beautiful woman were there from young to cougar. Thank you Seth and everyone from the fest. Finally, the only thing that could have made it just a pinch more perfect, someone grabbing their chest at the event. You NEED a heart attack at a Baconfest yo! And I forgot to mention, no XXl shirts!!! Xl was the largest! At a Baconfest? Come on fellas!!! XXl shoulda been the smallest.

Hello to everyone who just discovered my blog from the tribune!! Chicago is the #1 food city in America!!!! Hands down!

If you missed the article today in the Trib:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/dining/chi-1022-monteoct22,0,3458716.story

thanks to everyone and anyone who is checkin out my blog. i eat for you. ...well, me too. but i do it fer all of us. chicago is easily the number one food city in america. hands down. my proof: every other big city (n.y., l.a., etc.) are all way to expensive to support the working class, which are mostly immigrants, with old family recipes from small towns. with every other city being so expensive, and chicago still kinda affordable, we're getting a huge bulk of the immigrants moving, and staying here in our great city. and they are bringing with them the hope for a better life through their hard work and labor. which luckily for us sometimes translates into new restaurant owners with great recipes from a foreign land. so we are number one, the first city when it comes to food!!!!! i hope you enjoy my blog, and continue to follow it. i will do my best to entertain you, turn you on to new food types, and show you spots you may not have ever been to before in yer life!!! welcome to "off the eatin path with monte".

Mr. D's!!!!! if you don't know, it's time you do!!!!

spot: Mr. D's Shish Kabob
food type: Kabobs and char grilled sandwiches
address/neighborhood: 6656 w. diversey ave. (by the brickyard mall yo!) 773-637-0042

Mr.D’s steak sandwiches and more(not much)

Mr.D’s, a true Chicago treasure in my opinion.
This is a grilled sandwich delight on Diversey and Normandy, northeast corner(far west).
Mr.D is a greek guy with a ton of personality and a very distinguishable voice(he always sounds horse) who has been running his sandwich shop for over 30 years now in the exact same location using all the exact same food since I was kid.
I know this cause my cousins live right by there and we used to go there all the time when we had the munchies.
Mr.D was the best because he would give my cousins credit a lot, and if he was closing when we called he would leave food for us on the doorstep and we could pay him later, that’s kool.
Anyway the food. Almost everything there is either char grilled or deep fried to golden perfection like his fresh cut fries.
The steak sandwich here is one of the best ribeye sandwiches in town (actually I still have’nt had one better). It’s a nice healthy piece of meat that is grilled just right every time and seasoned to perfection thrown in a soft french roll. The key to the sandwich though is the grilled onions, you gotta ask for them or he’ll give it to ya’ just with raw onions and tomatoes(which is also good but not the true way). The grilled onions are prepared earlier in the day and man are they good. He grills em’ up and lets them soak in a seasoned homemade marinade, it is so damn good. He also makes great shish-kabobs and burgers that are so good you’ll wanna punch someone in the gut outta joy. His chili is great and I usually don’t like chili. He also has very good hot dogs and like I said before fresh cut fries. I gotta tell ya’ it’s worth the drive just for the onions on the steak sandwich, I actually get the onions on everything even the fries, but man they make you gassy like bologna. So go there and check it out one day you will be very happy you did. By the way it’s not the sharpest looking place but it’s a diamond as for the flavor. MONTE-RIFFIC! 773-637-0042

side note: mr. d used to hook my cousins up with good deals, and leaving food for us at the front door after he would close, but one of my cousins had to rob a bank, and go to prison. i lost my D hook up. now i get treated like any other jamoke.

The best meal I had in Amsterdam not attached to a “red” light is now in Chicago!

Spot: pannenkoeken (dutch pancake)
Food type: from the Netherlands, whatever you would call that, that’s what the type is.
Adreess/info.: 4757 N. Western/773-769-8800
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square, near where Blagojevich lives!

“The best meal I had in Amsterdam not attached to a “red” light is now in Chicago!”

Pannenkoeken, which basically means pancake, is excellent for a heavy duty breakfast. The deal is, this place makes dutch pancakes. Dutch pancakes are a thinner, yet larger pancake, and they’re covered with more than just syrup and other sweets. I actually had these in Amsterdam while there on vacation in 2003. I was there for completely ho-fess…, I mean, professional reasons, of course. ; ) For me, when I go there, I get the bacon & cheese. This is a massive dutch pancake… oh, these pancakes are baked too, instead of being pan fried. So it’s a little healthier, but maybe not. I don’t really know. Anyway, the pancake is huge, larger than the plate it’s on, and I get it with bacon (labeled “high quality on the menu), which they lay atop the pancake. And each (4) piece of bacon is covered with havarti cheese, which is melted onto the bacon. It is so freakin good, I would still eat it even if it fell on a floor in a prison. It is that “monte-licious!” I really haven’t had anything else there yet to be honest, but I have had this pancake several times. And I can’t, not order it when I am there. still. Sometimes I get that way, I find something I like, and I order for a loooong time before I change it up. And when the bacon and cheese is all gone, ya finish the rest of the pancake off with some syrup. You get yer salt, and sweet, in one meal. Perfect food marriage. And it’s all fer breakfast!!! Talk about a breakfast of champions. This place is definitely worth checkin out if you haven’t. And the sign says “breakfast, 6 a.m.”, but they don’t open till 7 a.m. during the week, and 8 a.m. on the weekends. Freakin dutch! Actually, I don’t think one person working there is from the Netherlands. The place is very small, it feels like a N.Y. restaurant, it’s that small. The bathroom is not crap worthy, way to small for that call. Also, there is a real cute waitress that works there, with big brown eyes. and finally, the prices are considerable inexpensive when you see how big the pancake is. See ya there.

"nuevo leon peeps!!!" you gotta love it!!!

Spot: Nuevo leon
Food type: Mexican/my fave.
neighborhood: pilsens yo!!! out on the souff side!! (said like gang slogan)
address/info.: 1515 w. 18th. st. 312-421-1517/312-563-0828

"a meal so good, i ate it on the hood of my car"


this is one of my all time favorite places to eat. truly a Chicago treasure. since i go here with some regularity, i believe i have never had a bad meal and recommend you try anything and everything on the menu. but i am gonna tell you about the nachos . so first the nachos, the main thing i recommend at nuevo leon. even though they have fantastic meals, and i have to recommend this appetizer. i have always loved/hated nachos. love the taste, hate the mess. so i stopped eatin 'em years ago, they're to damn frustrating. until i had 'em at nuevo leon. i actually saw 'em at another table, and i was like: "uh-uh, i did not just see that" it was like i saw a unicorn. each chip was individually dressed with all the fixins. really!! each chip! all of 'em covered with their own layer of melted cheese, beans, sour cream, and a guacamole whip. they are easily the best, most easiest, and tastiest nachos i have ever had.
the other i wanna push are the tortilla shells, fresh made daily! yes. very few places in the city do this anymore, but this is one of the places that does. you can't beat fresh, in house made tortilla shells. "Monte-licious!"

Cuban Steak Sandwich Yo!!!!!!!! Yer goona love it!

Cuban Goodness!
spot: marianao no.1 (is the attached image)& no.2
address: no.1 2246 n. milwaukee, no.2 4825 w. armitage
type of food: cuban
neighborhood(s): pretty shady

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 didn't 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.

The Nawaz Stands alone.

spot: ghareeb nawaz
address: 2032 W. Devon Ave. it's the furthest east, and last indian restaurant in that direction. that' why the nawaz stands alone!!!
food type: indian/pakistani
neighborhood: it’s o.k.

where the food is as good as the place is filthy (it's actually not that dirty anymore, but i still dig the title)

let me tell you if you love indian/pakistani food, or even if you just "like"indian/pakistani food, you’re gonna love this spot. it’s not a buffet but that’s o.k. nothing on the menu is over $4.50, and it's only one item. most of the food is between $2.00-$4.00 and they give servings that could feed two to three people in one dish, or just me. so even if you don’t know exactly what you like chances are you’re only gonna spend $3.00 anyway, versus the $7.00 - $9.00 buffet. and you will still have left overs. i still love buffets, but i love to eat inexpensively too yo. anyway...
on with the food. there are so many things to choose from at ghareeb nawaz and they’re all so good that i’m only gonna focus on a few things.
the chicken bryiani is a great dish. it is chicken cooked with a basmati rice(that’s the orange & yellow rice that tastes soo good) flavored with saffron(saffron? where else can you eat a meal with saffron in it?) and other great spices. this meal is only $4.00. and no joke, you get anywhere from 2-4 pounds of food on your plate. seriously. it even come in a metal military style plate. whish is concerning but hey!
also, chana masala: chick peas cooked with spices. sounds simple and it is, simply “Monte-Riffic!” this meal is only $3.00, i say meal because a single serving of this keeps you full for at least 3-4 hours. maybe 2.
next, gyros paratha: chunks of deliciously seasoned, fried gyros meat served on the metal military type tray with onions and a yogurt sauce. this also comes with a huge piece of paratha, which is a fried bread that i prefer to naan and it’s the size of a medium pizza all for only $2.50.
the prices are so good here you might wanna hug & kiss me just because you saved so much money. as for the spot, it is very genuine, they actually have a prayer room in the back(where i believe they’re praying for my death) and most people eat with their hands which i prefer anyway(i’m an animal). and yes the place is pretty filthy but believe me when i say the flavor is as strong as the filth.
now you have a great place to get a good meal at a good deal. you’ve just stepped “off the eatin path with monte”

side note: i have to credit kumail nanjiani for turning me onto this place, he said "do you wanna get food that's down n' dirty?", you know what i said.

Diner/Dinner grill Burger!!!

spot: diner/dinner grill (they have spelled both ways on the sign. genius!)
food type: Diner/inexpensive grill food
neighborhood: lakeview, best stay away during school hours. crowded!!!





Why I love the burger at the Diner Grill 773-248-2030

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 later to coagulate in your veins. Anyway, they make the perfect burger. I like to order a bacon hamburger no cheese with grilled onions. They only have a counter. I like to sit in front of the grill and watch them prepare my burger, it’s great. 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 man, it steams the bun with greasy onion goodness). Finally after a few moments they place the thinnest most wonderful round ground burger on the grill and 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’ in it’s own grease where they then 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 lettuce, pickle and ketchup & mustard on it(it only takes me a few minutes to eat one so sometimes I have to order another one halfway through the first). Then I dig in. From the first bite to last it drips with onion, bacon, ketchup, mustard and grease goodness all around your face and on the plate. This is fun to lick off the corners of your mouth and I like to wipe my burger into the stuff that makes it o the plate, there is alotta good taste in those drippings. All this tasty goodness comes to under five bucks. This is why I love the burger at the diner grill. Well now I’m hungry so I gotta go. To 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.

"Gallows" a punk band from the U.K. These are some cool videos, worth watching. Maybe.

The actual sound on these videos is terrible!!! The sound at the club is great, but my camera does not record live concert sound well at all. Let me explain the videos: "First song, first fight" is a fight that broke out during the bands first song. The fight was between some dude connected with one of the opening acts, and the "Gallows" (headlining band). The fight was fast and furious, and no one got hurt. "Girl flip" is worth watching for some excellent slam dancing, plus a girl does an excellent flip right before a huge mosh pit breaks out. "Last song, last fight" is just that. The last song from the band "Gallows" and there is a fight. Punk not dead!!!!!!!!! Also, there is a huge sign when you walk into Reggie's Rock Club, which states: no moshing, slamming, etc. that seemed to not be seen by anyone, including the staff at Reggie's. Oh, I almost forgot, right at the very beginning of the show, I asked my friend Mark, "Do you think there's gonna be a pit?" he said, very confidentially "No". As soon as the first chord was struck, I mean immediately as the first chord was struck, me and my buddy Mark were hit, and slammed into the wall by the pit. Immediately!

Changs!!!!!! B*tch!!! [[said like: "I'm Rick James, B*tch!"]]

spot: changs
food type: duh, chinese
address: 3718 n. elston ave. 773-588-6906(i have it saved in my cell phone)
neighborhood: o.k.



changs, bitch!!!
Just when i had all but almost given up on chinese food, my buddy invites me to lunch at changs!
as soon as i walked in i knew i was in for treat. it smelled good and looked like it hadn’t been touched since the late seventies, early eighties. it has old school chinese paintings, red carpeting and was kool to see those old school fringe style chinese dragons hangin’ around. totally designed to please americans, i love it!! i actually always thought that look was traditional, until i went with some friends to another chines place that was similarly decorated and they laughed at it. but i splendor in it. it reminds of a time when i was young and ignorant and thought that look was a-1, genuine chinese.
anyway let me get to the food. since everything i’ve tried there is excellent and i’ve tried everything from the moo shu chicken to the #59 “happy family”(shrimp, scallops, beef, chicken and chinese vegetables) i’ll just list a few of my current favorites. first the egg roll. they have an excellent crispy egg roll that is so good sometimes i feel like just ordering four of them and callin’ it a night. i am also big into anything there with vegetables, their vegetables are so fresh that they still have a little snap to them after being cooked, still holding in some nutrients. you gotta try the vegetable soup it is MONTE-RIFFIC! even in the soup the vegetables have snap to them, not to mention that the soup is loaded with huge veggie chunks of everything from broccoli to zucchini. as for an entree, i am big into the vegetable or chicken egg foo young with no msg(typical american choice). it is excellent. again, the vegetables still sustain a nice fresh crunch (that is not overwhelming) with every bite. the chicken is really fresh and all white meat. i have to admit even though i like the brown gravy, it backs me up a little so i wipe most of it off.
and of course it’s a good meal at good deal, most entrees are at or under $6.50 plus they have a bar and you have to walk through beads to get to the bathroom. kool.
i have to mention also that later in the day the owners son is the waiter and he is easily one of the most prepared, professional waiters i’ve ever dealt with. at most restaurants i almost always tip begrudgingly but i don’t mind tipping here. sometimes i even tip an extra buck making it a $3 tip.
so go check out changs for chinese.

Me makin' tortilla espanol.

i look like a total dork with my ear bud in while i'm makin the tortilla espanol. i just followed the directions from this site:
http://rouxbe.com/recipes/77-tortilla-de-patatas

if you're from chicago, this recipe tastes almost exactly like the tortilla espanol from cafe iberico on lasalle. it is my favorite, and this recipe is perfect.