Scooters Frozen Custard

Well you have to have dessert, right? Elyse and I went out with her hrother Barry and niece Emily for some cool treats the other night. We went to Scooters Frozen Custard at 1658 W. Belmont. Packed with people, the line moved fast, and the service was very courteous. Emily had "Worms and Dirt," Vanilla Custard, Oreo Cookies, Gummi Worms, Sprinkles! Unfortunately, she tripped and fell on the way out(so no pics of the sundae) but Scooter's replaced her treat and she was happy! Elyse thought the chocolate custard was creamy and delicious, and Barry thought it was better than the custard places in Danville. So, head on over soon, Scooter's closes in the winter!!

Sapore di Napoli

We went to a Brick Oven Pizza restaurant called Sapore di Napoli, which is located at 1406 W. Belmont. Elyse has been eyeing this small place for some time. Because it was pizza (and I love pizza!), my bottom line was that it was just alright. That is all I can say about it...I am not sure what wasn't great, but it wasn't. The pizza ingredients seemed fresh, but it was more like a Brooklyn-style pizza, with not a lot of sauce or cheese. I enjoyed my pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn much more. There was just no wow factor for us at Sapore. The sauce was not awesome. There wasn't enough cheese and to me the sausage had no particular flavor. Why put the sausage on it if it doesn't add anything except texture? The prices were a bit high, and the 2 pizzas were about $25, not including appetizers, drinks, or dessert (they have a small cooler with gelato). Final decision--skip this place and head east to Giordano's!!

Elyse wanted me to take out the picture of the pizza which really highlights her boobs, but I was too motivationally challenged to do so!

Mi Tierra - 1039 W. Belmont Ave

Hi Everyone! After a 2 month layoff Elyse and I are back on the trail of food on Belmont Ave. Now, as anyone who follows me on facebook knows, we have not gone hungry. I did post some pictures on FB of most of our great meals in New York City! Wow, that was a fun trip and a real food festival! But back to Belmont. We actually went to Mi Tierra before we left but didn't have time to make a post. We met two very good friends, Todd and Lori, there for lunch. Elyse and I had eaten there before, but never for lunch. Much to our surprise they have really have wonderful lunch specials at darned cheap prices. I think we only paid 6 or 7 dollars for a lunch of Enchiladas Suizas. I must add that this seemed like the same portion size that I have had there for dinner in the past. You got the same rice refried beans and a small salad. Of course, the food was fresh and really, really good. I am sorry I didn't take a picture of it but it looked so good when it came I just dug in and ate. Before I knew it they were gone and so was the photo op!

Elyse, Lori, and Todd followed my lead and ordered the same dish. Lori had a combo of beef and chicken and the rest had chicken.

Mi Tierra is a wonderful place to go for lunch or dinner. There is plenty of street parking but you have to pay the pay box. The food there is always fresh and served hot. The staff is always friendly and find it amusing when Elyse and I try to use our minimal spanish when talking to them.

I would recommend that everyone should go there and try it. I believe that they have 1 or 2 other locations.

Jacks on Halsted

Hi to all, Hank here! Well we have gotten back on the Avenue again and are finally visiting places to eat. On Sunday we went to brunch at Jacks on Halsted. Now I know the name says it is on Halsted but honestly it is on the corner and has many windows on Belmont. The address is 3201 N. Halsted. The brunch menu is full of good breakfast items. A lot of standards like eggs with bacon or ham, breakfast potatoes, and there are classic eggs benedict and omelets. There are also lunch items like burgers and steaks. I had a Jack's burger which consisted of a burger topped with pulled pork , white cheddar cheese, and jalepenos. Boy, was it good! The fries were done just right. We went at 11:30 on Sunday and it was not very crowded. I would go back to this restaurant so I could try a few more breakfast items. Elyse had an omelet and I will let her tell you about her experience.






Hi, Elyse here! I started my brunch off with a delicious peach mimosa, and they had some other fun flavors like pear and mango. Best part, only $3! Bloody Mary's were just a dollar more. I had a very fresh and tasty omelet with spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella, it came with roasted potatoes with onions (delish!), marble rye toast, fresh fruit. It was perfectly cooked, not runny, and I liked it quite a bit. The omelet was $8.95, and was higher quality than standard diner omelets (like the Melrose, for example). Orange infused French toast was my second brunch choice, I can't wait to go back and try it. The service was friendly, and the atmosphere was upscale and not noisy. Plentiful pay for street parking in the area, too. They also have brunch on Saturday, although the menu looked a bit more limited. Try it, you'll like it!

Update on Bridget McNeill's - The Patio is now open

Hi everyone - Hank here! I wanted to let people know that Bridget McNeill's now has their patio open. It faces Belmont Ave and is a great place to sit in the early evening. The service is stil.l the same great service only you are sitting outside. We went there last Thursday July 1 and Thursdays are $3 off pasta nights. I had Pasta Diablo which is fettucini with chicken in a cream sauce with red pepper flakes to give it a kick. Try it you will love the atmosphere!

New Modern Grill

The New Modern Grill is at 3171 N. Halsted Street on the corner of Belmont. There is nothing new or modern about this grill, but it is a blast from the past! We were greeted with a warm hello from Chris, the owner's nephew. It is just an old fashioned diner, about 40 years old. Only a few tables, and some well-worn leather stools at the counter, it is nothing fancy but the food is really good. The menu is on the wall behind the counter, and we had breakfast (grits available until 11 am!), lunch and dinner looked pretty good to us also.

Hank had eggs over easy with ham and hash browns and Elyse had French toast. The food was wonderful. The eggs were done perfectly and the hash browns were not greasy and done just right. Elyse said that her French Toast was done exactly as she likes it, with the right amount of cinnamon and soaked perfectly with eggs, and a side of bacon. But here is the best part...with drinks and tip breakfast cost us $15. An amazing value for a good meal in the neighborhood!

We are going to go back again, maybe for lunch this time. Burgers were $3 or $4, and if they are anywhere as good as breakfast, look out!!

Chicken Hut!

Chicken Hut is at 3200 N. Broadway at the corner of Belmont and Broadway. It is one of the best places to eat in Lakeview. The chicken is high quality Perdue, grilled to perfection, and has some wonderful Mexican spices. Half a chicken and side and drink will cost you under $7. The sides are usually mashed potatoes with gravy (to die for), potato salad, or cole slaw, or corn on the cob for about a dollar extra. It is always served hot and fresh and is always good. They make a really nice salsa that they serve with each portion along with 1/2 of a warm pita. They also deliver locally, a guy on a bicycle will bring it over, even in winter! It is truly a neighborhood gem. Our motto around here is that "Nobody doesn't like Chicken Hut!"

Bridget McNeill's

Bridget McNeill's is at 420 W. Belmont. It is right next door to the building we live in and is really our "go to" place for delicious pub food and good drinks. Amanda is the bartender most nights, and she is very friendly. It has a special side, and that is their burgers.They are some of the best burgers in the city, and on Tuesday nights they are $3 off. The Pub fries are to die for, with cheese and bacon. But, this is not just a burger place. The nachos are great, and tonight I had the Pasta Diablo, which has a spicy marinara sauce with chicken and red pepper flakes. My dining partner tonight, Jeff, had the Shepherd's Pie and he said he loved it. There are different specials for food and drinks each night. Elyse loves the goat cheese croquettes as an appetizer!

It is a very comfortable atmosphere inside. There is a fireplace and a pool table and many TV screens to watch sports events. This is a Purdue bar, so Big Ten games are the feature. Come in and enjoy the reasonably priced, good food cold drinks and really friendly staff in a fun atmosphere. A small outdoor patio is opening soon!!

Their website is http://bridgetmcneillspub.com/

We will be Blogging the Restaurants Soon

Hi, I wanted to let everyone know that Elyse and I will going out to eat very soon. Our first place will be Bridget McNeils. We have been figuring out a few things and rules before we get started. I promise we will be starting very soon! I hope that you all are enjoying the lovely weather we are finally getting. Please keep checking the Blog for our evening at Bridgets!

Introduction

Hi Everyone,

We are Elyse and Hank and we live on Belmont Ave near Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Hank drives all the way down Belmont everyday to work in Elk Grove Village near the airport. We have noticed many restaurants that we would like to try so Elyse decided that it would be a great idea to eat our way from Lake Shore Drive all the way west to Cumberland, and enjoy all of these places, in order, from East to West.

A few rules:

• No chains (a chain is defined as a restaurant with 4 or more locations, like Giordano's)
• No coffee houses
• Diners, dives and bars that serve food are included!
• Part of the restaurant must be on Belmont, although it may have a different street address (e.g., Jack's on Halsted)

We'll try to visit at least one restaurant per week, and maybe more! Join us on our eating adventure!!