If you haven’t noticed the eliz-a-bit and eliz-a-tip listed off to the side yet, keep on eye on these relatively new blog bits as I try to change them out every few days. I was about to change the Heinz 57 tip out tonight, but spotted someone over the weekend at Milwaukee’s historic hamburger destination Solly’s Grille whose face was turning redder than the ketchup that wasn’t coming out of the glass Heinz bottle as he repeatedly and violently smacked the thing from the bottom. After what seemed like five cringeworthy minutes, he resorted to the effective, but highly unsanitary knife-in-the-bottle trick. So, I’ll keep the tip for now, and throw in a report this week of something much less frustrating that I experienced at Solly’s, the award-winning and artery-clogging butter burger.
Monthly Archives: November 2008
On the table: Pane Caldo
Four glasses, two napkins, two knives, two forks, two plates, salt and pepper, flower floating in glass bowl. 72 E. Walton St., 312.649.0055
Filed under on the table
Not known for: Calamari at Kuma’s Corner
Kuma's is definitely not known for their fried calamari
Filed under I like to eats, not known for
Happy Thanksgiving
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Like everyone else, I’ll be giving thanks for my family, friends, and hearty appetite today. I also wanted to give thanks to the readers, commenters, subscribers, linkers, guest bloggers, and all y’all who’ve kept up with my four-stomach eating adventures for 5 months! In honor of this day of indulgence, here’s a recap of a few Thanksgiving-friendly recipes I’ve posted in the past. Go ahead, there’s still room for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake shots, right? Right! Speaking of recipes, I’ll be adding another family-gem recipe over the weekend, the very retro and very simple ice box cake. Cook well, eat better and ease up on the tryptophan, yo.
Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Country-style apple pie
Chocolate cake shots
Filed under family foods, I like to eats
Milk & Honey granola grows
I don’t think a weekend goes by where I don’t totally crave the yogurt parfait from Milk & Honey Cafe in Wicker Park, and I’ll happily brave the sometimes ornery line to get one to go. The best part about it is chef-owner Carol Watson’s addictive homemade granola, which first showed its sweet self in the parfait in 2002, and has since spread everywhere from the shelves of Whole Foods to the topping bar at Berry Chill. So, I was overjoyed to discover on my last visit to the café that Watson’s expanded the selection to include reduced fat cinnamon raisin, chocolate banana, blueberry pecan, and pumpkin spice, and I can’t wait to try ’em all, with or without yogurt. 1920 W. Division St., 773.395.9434
Filed under ..and more
On the table: Sai Cafe
Four water glasses, four napkins, four sets chopsticks, four plates, four soy sauce saucers, floating orchid in glass with black stones. 2010 N. Sheffield Ave., 773.472.8080
Filed under fail-safe sushi, on the table
Cafe Con Leche
Cheap, tasty brunch. It’s just one of several new restaurant categories (great for date, take the ‘rents, late-night bite are a few more) I’ll be rolling out on elizabites in the coming months, so you’ll soon be able to search for a spot that suits your local dining needs (drop me a line with specific category suggestions you’d like to see). This weekend I checked out the friendly and fast Cafe Con Leche in Bucktown for brunch. From chilaquiles to chorizo, jalapeño and black bean burritos, this is definitely Mexican-style brunch with a Greek omelet, French toast and egg sandwiches thrown in for good measure. There’s four different egg dishes and I loved the Huevos Divorciados: two eggs sunny side up served on flour tortillas that are irreconcilably divided between spicy green salsa and a fresh, red salsa, but share custody of black refried beans, cheese and tortilla chips. It all works out in the end, but don’t bother ordering a side of potatoes, which were too greasy for my tastes. The veggie burrito is a wheat flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, potatoes, black beans, cheese, sour cream and a creamy avocado salsa. Both dishes are a mere 6 bones and totally filling. The drinks rock too, especially the signature cafe con leche, milkshakes and Aguas Frescas (100% natural fruit water drinks in flavors like hibiscus, cantaloupe and watermelon). Cafe Con Leche serves lunch and dinner as well, with carne asada for $13 and a signature El Cubano sandwich with amazing fries for $5. Other details worth noting: Mexican sweet breads and pastries, Strawberry Crush, and Dum Dum pops with the check. 1732 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773.342.2233
Huevos Divorciados
Veggie breakfast burrito with wheat flour tortilla
Strawberry Crush!
Cheap, tasty, fast and Dum Dum suckers at the end
Filed under cheap, tasty brunch, I like to eats, new restaurants
So long Skewerz
I always wondered about Skewerz, that strange Pacific Rim-themed meat-on-a-stick spot that opened at 1560 N. Damen in the old Half & Half space over the summer. While driving through the intersection of Milwaukee/North/Damen this weekend I noticed that the place is closed. I have to admit, I never had a desire to venture inside once Half & Half shut down and took their egg and cheese croissant sandwiches with ’em. I really have no idea how it fared with the sauced Estelle’s crowd, but I never thought of meat or veggie skewers as a satisfying post-bar bite. They’re great at summer street festivals or as an hors d’oeuvre at a party, but after a Double Door show in the dead of winter? I’m thinking more along the lines of La Pasadita. Speaking of cold weather and Wicker Park’s six corners, I was craving hot tea all weekend and found myself desperately missing Filter coffee shop, which sadly left the ‘hood over a year ago.
Filed under ..and more
ELIZABITES 