Italiasian Weekend Eats

We did some eating this weekend.  Here's what we had at Zenwich & Vincitori's....

Zenwich: Asian flavors served up in a familiar western way....in a sandwich.

This small, unassuming sandwich shop in an Elmhurst strip mall is easy to overlook but I'm glad we discovered it!  

The assorted slaws, salads, and chips are all homemade, but what makes it really great is that the sauces, marinades and even the mayonnaises are made from scratch!

The owner and clientele are all very sweet too!  :)

My recommendation: Get the Mu Ping Sandwich!  It's really tasty!

Mu Ping Sandwich
Grilled caramelized pork, pickled carrot and dykon,
cucumber, red onion, jalapeno and cilatro with
homemade sweet mayonnaise

Crab Cake Sandwich
Japanese style panko crusted homemade crab cake
and baby greens topped with homemade creamy garlic sauce

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Grilled chicken with homemade buffalo sauce,
lettuce, mozzarella and ranch

Zenwich 
416B N York St
Elmhurst, IL 
www.eatmyzenwich.com


Vincitori
There's noting fancy about Vincitori.  It's really just pretty basic Italian food... done well.. 


There's a host of classics on the menu ranging from Braciola with Grilled Polenta to Veal Marsala to Clams & Linguine, but Tim really likes their pizza.


I had the grilled calamari appetizer as my meal.  The flash fried spinach reminded me of the kale chips at Cafe Spiaggia in the city.

Italian Beef & Giardiera Pizza

Grilled Calamari
Served over flash fried spinach
and topped with plum tomato relish

Vincitori
14 N Cass Ave
Westmont, IL
www.vincitori.com

Raku Sushi

SLOWEST SERVICE E-V-E-R!  


We decided at the last minute to celebrate Mom's birthday at Raku.  I'd been there before and it was pretty decent sushi but, more importantly, on a Friday night, it was a convenient meeting place for the whole fam.


Because it was a cold day, I opted for a bowl of udon soup instead of sushi.  Mistake #1.  


My brother ordered both sushi and udon soup as well.  His sushi came out first.  OK.... no red flags there.  As he worked through his sushi (the rest of us watching with nothing but chopsticks in front of us), his shrimp tempura udon came out.

Since my brother's soup came out, mine wouldn't be too far behind..... right?  WRONG.


Tim's meal came out next.  And by "next", I mean about 15 minutes later.

Thank God Tim doesn't like ginger dressing... at least I had something to eat while waiting the next 15 minutes before getting my Seafood Udon.

Dad's order for Japanese-style Shrimp Curry came out next (after another 10 minutes).

The birthday girl sat anxiously awaiting her meal.....  A good 75 minutes after placing our orders, Mom finally got her food!


Despite the average food and terrible service, . Mom still left smiling.  What a trooper!  Happy Birthday, Mom!!!  =)

Stir Crazy

One word: Underwhelmed

Pan-Seared Lobster Potstickers
with Thai Red Curry Dipping Sauce & cucumber salad

Seared Scallops in Miso Sauce

Szechwan Peppercorn Crusted Chicken