Author Archives: steve

Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop

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**** (4 stars)

Considering the owners are not originally from the South, this is a remarkably authentic dining experience.

I had the lunch special of a half blackened catfish poboy and a cup of gumbo. The catfish was the perfect spiciness, still moist, and not muddy, and the bread was fresh. Gumbo was a tasty, rich mixture, served with the rice separate on one side of the cup, which was an interesting approach. My meal came with a pair of corn meal pancakes rather than muffins, which is a bit unusual, but tasty. At under $7 it was a good buy for lunch.

The unsweetened peach tea was very tasty; it’s hard to find good unsweetened tea in the South. The breakfast items and salads I saw also looked good.

I love the funky atmosphere. The space is decked out like a bait shop, and red checkered plastic tablecloths brighten things up. There are also four tables out on the sidewalk.

Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
825 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-9030
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dixie-kitchen-and-bait-shop-evanston

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

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*** (3 stars)

This place is popular due to its close proximity to Northwestern. I have to admit that Chicago deep dish pizza isn’t my favorite style: I don’t like crust that tastes like saltine crackers, and I prefer the pizza to be more about the sauce and toppings than about dough. So I find nothing noteworthy about Lou Malnati’s pizza. It’s a plus that they offer a gluten free variety, which I haven’t tasted, but might be better.

I will say that the service is friendly and efficient, especially considering how busy they are. Frankly I think the best pizza in Evanston is the one we order delivered from Sarpino’s.

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
1850 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-5400
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-evanston

Davis Street Fishmarket

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*** (3 stars)

This is an okay fish restaurant in a town that has good sushi places but no really great seafood places. The food here is similar to what you’d find at a Red Lobster, and the atmosphere not that much different, either. Service is fine, but seems stretched a bit thin. Probably best if you’re in the mood for fried seafood.

Davis Street Fishmarket
501 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-3474
http://www.yelp.com/biz/davis-street-fishmarket-evanston

Coffee Lab

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***** (5 stars)

In a world filled with nasty, weedy Starbucks coffee that has to be diluted with milk and sugar just to make it potable, it’s easy to forget what coffee can and should be. Coffee Lab reminds us of just how great an experience a superb cup of unadulterated coffee can be.

The pour over coffee made here extracts exactly the optimum brew from the beans, with no bitterness, no matter how strong the coffee. It’s a time-consuming process, so don’t go if you’re in a hurry. As with anything, to do it right takes care and attention to detail. But if you think coffee needs to be “fixed” with cream and sugar, you owe it to yourself to experience the real thing at least once.

Coffee Lab
922 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8033
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-lab-evanston-2

Cross-Rhodes

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**** (4 stars)

I would describe Cross Rhodes as more of a diner than a restaurant. With a different menu it would be a typical greasy spoon breakfast place. The food is conventional Greek fare. I had the Gyro dinner, which was a large mound of sliced lamb served over vinegar fries with sliced tomato, onions, greek yogurt and a pita. Quite tasty. The hummus appetizer was also fine, lemony, and fairly thin in consistency, with pita for dipping. Service was fast and friendly, and I was greeted by the staff upon arriving and departing. The place was busy, and I think it is this friendly atmosphere as much as anything that accounts for it. No credit cards and no alcohol.

Cross-Rhodes
913 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 475-4475
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cross-rhodes-evanston

Found Kitchen & Social House

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**** (4 stars)

This trendy new Evanston hot spot bursts out onto the sidewalk with patrons every evening, but it’s possible to find a table at lunch and in the afternoons. Before 4:30 the emphasis is on sandwiches, afterwards on small shared plates. Our favorite was the salmon salad, a baguette slice topped with salmon, mayo, dill, red onion and celery.

There’s an interesting drink list with a short but thoughtful selection of beers, and quite a few interesting bitter aperitifs. I love Amaro, and there were four on offer, plus a sparkling wine mixed with Campari and grapefruit, inexplicably called an lsd.

The funky interior has no matching tables or chairs, and adds a fun off beat sense to the fairly intimate (and often noisy) space.

Found Kitchen & Social House
1631 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8945
http://www.yelp.com/biz/found-kitchen-and-social-house-evanston

El Cholo

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elcholopatio
August, 2013

***** (5 stars)

I’ve been going to El Cholo for so long I can remember when the kid’s menu was spaghetti! If you don’t remember when the place was a little house, you won’t remember that. Since then they’ve added a bar, the world’s best margaritas, the best nachos anywhere, guacamole, and about 200 seats. But the number 1 dinner is identical to the one they served back in the 60s, and probably back in the 20s, when they opened. Sure, it’s not 25 cents any more, but what is?

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If you’re going to El Cholo for authentic Mexican food or for Tex Mex food, you won’t find either. The fact is, El Cholo invented what they serve, and it’s simply El Cholo food. For example, their “taco” is meat rolled in a corn tortilla and fried, sort of like a taquito, but then buried in lettuce, tomato and so on. What is it? Who knows, but it’s good, just eat it! The cheese enchilada has green onion in it, and is smothered in a delicious red sauce. Paired with a taco it’s called a number 1, and I’m making myself hungry just describing it.

Service is always friendly, and it’s not unusual to have a server who has been working (and eating) there for 30 years. It’s a fine tradition to uphold.

October 2025

El Cholo
1121 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 734-2773
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-cholo-los-angeles

Smoke House Restaurant

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garlicbread

**** (4 stars)

I’ve been going to the Smoke House since I was a little kid. In fact the one that used to be in Encino was my parents’ regular Saturday night pilgrimage back in the 60s. The Burbank original carries on, pretty much unchanged since 1946. In fact, I’m not sure it’s had a refurbishment since then.

But it’s not new and trendy that one goes seeking at The Smoke House. It’s garlic cheese bread. This recipe has been keeping the place in business for close to 70 years. The bread is super fresh sourdough, coated with butter, garlic and a pungent, crumbly bright orange cheese coating that I’m pretty sure is a mixture of dehydrated cheddar (the stuff that comes in the packet of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese) and parmesan. The reason I can state this with some confidence is that I’ve been trying to duplicate it for 30 years, and I’m getting close!

There’s lots of other stuff at the Smoke House that’s edible: fish and chips, prime rib, crab louis salad, and some tasty cappuccino ice cream. But you wouldn’t go there just for any of that stuff. It’s that addictive orange powder that brings us back, year after year. Never change it!

Smoke House Restaurant
4420 W Lakeside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 845-3731
http://www.yelp.com/biz/smoke-house-restaurant-burbank

The Vineyard Grill

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**** (4 stars)

This is the main restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, since Normans (which I’m not fond of) is independently operated. So this is the main place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some people list it as a steak house, but when you first walk in it looks a bit more like an upscale coffee shop dining room. I’m sure it has a very different atmosphere at various times of day, but I’ve always gone for dinner, when it transforms into a fairly upscale experience.

I’ve found all of the entrees to be reliable, but for me the highlight is the wine list (not surprising, given the restaurant’s name). The trick is to look beyond the least expensive selections, because the pricier wines are listed at a fairly reasonable markup for a restaurant in such a fancy environment.

The wine manager here is very friendly and knowledgeable, and can give you some guidance as to food pairings. We live in Orlando, yet make it a regular stop on the way back from the airport if we’re picking someone up, so that says a lot for a hotel restaurant.

The Vineyard Grill
4012 Central Florida Pkwy
Orlando, FL 32837
(407) 393-4648
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vineyard-grill-orlando

That Little Mexican Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

The first time I went here I had pretty conventional Tex Mex fare, and it was fine. But on my return visit I decided to see if they could do authentic Mexican food, and I left quite impressed. I had the Pibil, a slow roasted marinated pork, somewhat like pastor. It was brimming with interesting spices and had a piquant tang to the barbecue-like sauce. Served with corn tortillas, it was delicious and authentic.

The salsa here is quite good, a homemade version more about the herbs and spices than tomato sauce. Chips are fairly sturdy, and also seem homemade.

The margaritas are excellent. They’re hand shaken and poured over the rocks, and have just the right level of tartness, and a good balance of tequila to juice.

Service is friendly and attentive. Brunch is available on the weekends.

That Little Mexican Cafe
1010 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 905-1550
http://www.yelp.com/biz/that-little-mexican-cafe-evanston