Here’s a post dedicated to reviews and eating out in Chicago, including a super duper Chicago Rib Fest!!
Consuming all these meals within 48 hours is recommended…once in a while.
This weekend, the boyfriend and I headed to the 2009 Chicago Ribfest to sample some good old ribs…which isn’t exactly Chicago’s forte…but NONETHELESS, we were missing our ribs! This 3-block long fest had live bands, 6 different rib kiosks (including seitan ribs), vendors, ice-cream stands, funnel cakes…and much much more!
Stop #1: Smoke Daddy’s Rib Sampler!
For $5, we got 3 pieces of ribs and a buffet of bbq sauces. Our verdict of Smoke Daddy’s? DRY DRY ribs but yummy, smoky, flavorful BBQ sauce. We wondered where the “fall off the bone” meat went…
Even topped with sauce…you can see how dry and charred it was.
Stop #2: Chicken Gyros
Unsatisfied by those ribs, the bf and walked past a gyros stand and I couldn’t resist but buy this uber delicious meal in a tin foil. BEST chicken I’ve had in my entire life…the chicken was moist, smoky, and intermixed with caramelized onions. It was topped with this awesome feta and yogurt sauce…man…SO GOOD.
Stop #3: Hickory’s BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
I know…I should have stopped at just the gyros and the ribs, but I REALLLLY had a craving for pulled pork. For $6, we got this sandwich from Hickory’s. UH. Unfortunately, I only got through half because the sauce was way too salty and way too sour all at once. However, the pork was hot and tender.
My overall review of the Ribfest?? Don’t buy Ribs from a Ribfest where the meat isn’t BBQ’d in a real kitchen. Go for the Chicken Gyros instead. 😛
(P.s. For those wondering about the vegan Ribs, they were 3 pieces of seitan skewers slathered with BBQ sauce for $6. I was not impressed so didn’t spend any money on it.)
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Koi
Japanese & “Chinese” $$
Koi is one of my favorite fusion/Asian restaurants in Chicago! Koi doesn’t have an extensive menu, but their spices and flavors are always spot on, though not necessarily always “authentic”.
Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Shrimp & Tofu ($5)
Inside the rice paper were a sorta skimpy amount of shrimp, basil, and tofu, but lots of rice noodles. What made this dish awesome was the peanut dipping sauce!! Nick and I tried not to drench our rolls in sauce, but the dish was CLEAN by the end of the rolls.
Koi Maki ($13)
I had been craving some good old sushi, so we ordered a Koi special roll that consisted of tuna & avocado on the inside, then it’s topped with slices of mango and more avocado. It was yummy, but I prefer my sushi without the sweet contrast from the ripe mango – though most people probably wouldn’t complain about that!
We split 2 entrees between the bf and I, and both came with a large refillable bowl of white Jasmine rice.
Sesame Shrimp (~$14)
This was AWESOME!! Though I’m not normally a fan of battered/fried/sweet&sour food, these shrimps were big, lightly coated in batter, and fried. Somehow the chef managed to keep the shrimp sweet, succulent, and PERFECTLY cooked so it was chewy and not rubbery. The sauce itself was addictive. Unlike those sweet and sour chicken/pork dishes you find at say, Panda Express, the sauce was liquidy and tart. Paired with lots of sesame seeds, spring onion, and served on top a bed of fried rice noodle pieces, this was seriously…the best sesame shrimp I’ve had in my life.
Scallop & Vegetables in Light Gravy (~$14)
(No picture, sorry!) There is no such thing a sauce called “light gravy” in Chinese food, but whatever the sauce my veggies and scallops came in was really nice, light, garlicy, and a delightful. I did have to ask for siracha though…fyi. No complaints with this dish, it was just really yummy, the scallops were scant but cooked well. Perfect with rice and PERFECT paired with the sweet and sour flavors of the shrimp.
My favorite thing about not-truly-authentic Asian restaurants?? FORTUNE COOKIES!!! (Unpictured because it was devoured too quickly)
RATINGS
Taste: 4/5 (Entrees were excellent, appetizers could use a little help)
Originality: 3.5/5
Plating: 3.5/5 (Elegantly served, but not shockingly gorgeous)
Value: 4/5 (It’s really yummy…good “Chinese”/Asian food)
Service: 4/5 (No complaints, no wowing)
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Of course…you can’t be in Evanston without getting yourself a large cup of Red Mango regular fro-yo with mochi and blueberries right?!?!
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Frankie’s Scaloppine
Italian $$-$$$
I’m not the hugest fan of Italian restaurants because the dishes can go either way – drenched in oil, or light and refreshing. Frankie’s would be the former. All the dishes were heavy on seasoning, flavor, and butter.
We started off with the complimentary bread basket. The bf and I both agreed that the bread was WAY too salted, inside and out. Even though the bread itself had a fluffy & doughy texture (that I liked), the salt in this was SO overwhelming even the bread-lover in Nick couldn’t bring himself to pick up a second piece.
Calamari My Way (~$8)
Crispy and chewy, this calamari was really yummy dipped in the warm marinara sauce. It does however leave a ring of grease on your lips, so beware.
Frankie’s Chopped Salad ($9)
Better re-named to the bacon-izer salad, this chopped salad was super flavorful even without the dressing thanks to the MANY MANY MANY pieces of bacon bits throughout. I liked the flavor a lot, but found the pasta way over-chilled and texture-less.
Smothered Brick Chicken ($16)
This was the boyfriend’s dish and consisted of a piece of chicken breast cooked in a pail of butter (clearly) with a brick on top to squish it flat. Then it’s topped with an array of mixed peppers. Though the chicken was moist, the boyfriend and I were both wondering if Frankie’s wanted to use up all their butter for the night in his dish.
Daily special – Lemon-butter Halibut ($21)
I didn’t think this dish was worth it for $21. The fish had a breading over it and pan-fried in butter (I couldn’t taste ANY lemon whatsoever). I don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered this, but again the asparagus was floating a pool of butter. The bottom of the fish where it was in contact with the butter sauce was so drenched in oil the breading got soggy and fell apart in the plate. Nevertheless, the flavors were great!! (That’s the redeeming factor)
Tiramisu ($6)
I guess this was the best part of the meal. hahahaha. A nice creamy hunk of tiramisu…cold and indulgent straight from the kitchen.
RATINGS
Taste: 3.5/5 (Good flavors, but man, the chef needs to chill out with the butter!)
Originality: 3/5 (Nothing on the menu especially interesting for an Italian restaurant)
Plating: 3.5/5
Value: 2/5 (I would not recommend anyone come here)
Service: 3.5/5 (Just fine)
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Now, just a heads up, a giveaway will be coming up soon (the biggest one I’ve ever done!!) so keep your pretty eyes peeled!!
So I’m curious, What was the last “indulgent” meal you had? What made it so indulgent?
The tiramisu looks awesome. I love the idea of BBQ seitan, thats a fun idea! My last indulgent meal was pizza – I wish I hadn’t because I ended up with a stomach ache.
Ribs! I am so sad that they weren’t good. 😦
wow all the eats look ultra good! i love delicious BBQ!
last indulgent meal was here in Chi town and in wicker park at this amazin Italian restaurant…i cant remember the name but it was fabulous and free bc it was a date! haha. Just so good! I cant even remember the last time I had bread, pizza, pasta and gelato in one night over a 2 hour time span…really interesting dining experience for sure…
p.s I was gonna go to rib fest but had to work…FAIL
xoxo
lo
Hmmm, I’m not really sure what my last indulgent meal was.
But calamari, chicken gyros, fro-yo, and wicked Asian food? I want to come play with you!
Oh gosh…I can totally see how you would go nuts for those shrimp. I’m salivating just looking at them. But yeah, not so much “authentic” Chinese food there! Still tasty though! I wouldn’t turn it down 😉
these all look soooooooo delicious!!!! 😀
what makes an indulgent meal??? mmmm….. the one that makes me to break my usual eating habits! 🙂
Everything looks so incredibly delicious! I LOVE FORTUNE COOKIES!!!
❤ jess
xoxo
WOW that’s a lot of food! I loooove ribs and BBQ! That looks like the best “fest” ever!
google my blog— rachelsworkbites.com
Oh my gosh- so much fun and food!!! I want that platter of Sesame Shrimp right now (is it lunch yet??) Glad you guys had a blast! Have a good Tuesday
I LOVE pulled pork/chicken…it’s one of my favorite meals! I need to learn how to make it, but maybe that would be bad because I’d eat it everyday.
My last indulgent meal was my birthday meal! The meal itself wasn’t indulgent, per se (chicken tetrazini – YUM), but I’d say the 2 pieces of cake + 2 servings of ice cream helped. 😉
Wowee those are some yummy looking meals. Gyros are def on my list of “to try” foods–or maybe I could recreate my own?! And btw, that fro-yo looks right up my alley 🙂
Looks like such a fun fest! I miss living by Chi-town and enjoying all it has to offer. The chicken gyro looks amazing (you know how this girl loves a good gyro).
I’ll be on the lookout for your great giveaway! 🙂
Yes, I’m in love with Pbu. It’s a really different texture, more like a sauce, but it makes a great dip, and it’s easy to add onto or into oats. Plus, it makes my pb last longer!
Sounds like you had a great weekend full of various eats :). I loved the way you described the gyro, it really makes me want to run out and get one. I actually don’t like mangoes on my sushi rolls either–it just doesn’t feel right. I love love loooove Red Mango, haven’t had some in weeks!
My last indulgent meal was Sunday, where I had some noodles (japchae), fried chicken, and ice cream cake for dessert. All in small portions though, and the ice cream wasn’t all that rich, but this was the most recent meal. It’s indulgent just because I usually eat more healthier items on a normal weekday, but I do tend to indulge when we go out on the weekends.
The Chicago ribfest sounds amazing! What fun! I love adventures with new types of food, as long as it’s not TOOOO out there! 🙂
We go to the Naperville Ribfest and it is DEEEELicious!
That bbq looks heavenly!!!!! 😀
my hubby would LOVE all that bbq!
last indulgent meal was the last meal we’ll ever have at our favorite restaurant here. we went for our anniversary a few weeks ago – they had the best food and desserts and I already miss it. the best dessert there was a chocolate mousse bombe – it was awesome.
I’ll make you 5/5 level tiramisu! It’s the best dessert in the world!
Loved reading this post! Jealous that you went to BBQ fest – I live 55 miles NW of the City and can’t get my hubby to get into the city – that’s about the only thing I miss living in Oak Park was how close downtown was.
Your chicken gyros looks amazing, of course for me, no onions!
Maybe the ribs just cooked too long waiting for customers – I agree – better to get them in the restaurant.
does eating copious amounts of PB in one sitting count as an indulgent meal?! otherwise it has been a WHILE since I’ve had any fine dining. that’s sall good though, home eating and cooking is what I am all about!!!
chicago rib fest looks fun….but gyros are AMAZING. so crazy they had vegan ribs though!!! the world is changing!!!
i loved your reviews of the different restaurants too! you do such a solid job, lady!!!
so much calamari and seafood too! i love it!!
take care!! 🙂
man you have one freaking lucky pair of tastebuds! the ribfest not my style but the gyros and those summer rolls! holy good food.
That chicken gyro looks amazing!
wow all that food looks amazing!!
i tried Red Mango and wasn’t that big of a fan..maybe I didn’t get the right toppings? oh well.
Nick and I go to the Columbus Jazz and Rib fest every summer. They almost canceled it this year, but it’s back on, yeah! We always try at least 2 of the company’s ribs, but the lines are SO LONG we are lucky if we get get in a third. Of course, we always wait in line for beer, perhaps we should cut that out this year 🙂 Last year I think I actually stopped and got something with chicken, and Nick made fun of me. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who likes to check out other foods!
You know, there’s nothing worse than paying money for not-so-good food. It’s just frustrating and defeats the purpose of eating out.
That said, the tiramasu does look AMAZING and fortune cookies are always awesome 🙂
Indulgent meal? A few weeks ago at the my dad’s birthday dinner we had sooooo much food. All Russian dishes. Lots of meat, creamy salads and (two) pieces of cake at the end. I was stuffed after, but it was worth it 🙂
wow some of my guy friends would go nuts to go to a rib fest!
Mmmm ribs! I love bbq and smoked dishes. So good!
your sushi dinner looks awesome! man i keep seeing all this sushi and need to pick some up! this weekend!!!! i think i would have loved the mango piece. it looks amazing!!! the sesame shrimp looks really good as well. i think you’ve convinced me that sushi dinner is definitely in order 🙂
oooo. love me some seitan. sounds like a fun event! i have never been to chi town…must go soon!!
mmm…i had a nice gelato dessert yesterday after lunch with the fam. i was pleasantly surprised that even in maui they had vegan options…of course i took a pic 🙂 once a blogger, always a blogger…
So much yummy food!
Hi. first time here on your blog…..you’re really lucky coz the RED MANGO here uses Blueberry toppings. Fresh Blueberries are very expensive here.
Why did I have to stumble on this while hungry…