Grahamwich, Goddess & Grocer, and Glen Prairie

A lot of G's this week...


Grahamwich
A few months old now, Grahamwich has gotten a lot of buzz in the foodie world.  Maybe my expectations were set a bit high because of all the hype or because I had high hopes from a chef who's self-named restaurant (Graham Elliott) earned a Michelin star, but his sandwich shop concept was a bit of a let down.


Don't get me wrong.  It wasn't bad.  It just wasn't great. 

Grilled Cheese

Wisconsin Cheddar, Shaved Prosciutto
Tomato Marmalade, Cheese Curds
on a Pullman Loaf

Pastrami Reuben
Rutabaga Sauerkraut, Toasted Caraway,
Gruyere Fondue, 1000 Island on Marbled Rye

Beef Shortrib
Baby Watercress, Shoestring Potatoes,
Pickled Shallots, Creamy Horseradish on a Pretzel Roll

Bahn Mi
Pork Belly, Roasted Pineapple, Daikon Slaw
Shiitake Mushrooms on a French Baguette

Jibarito Taco
Pork Shoulder, Green Mango,
Queso Fresco, Habanero Salsa
and Crispy Plaintains

The highlight of my meal....

Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream
Roasted Apple, Salted Caramel (a lot of it!!!)
and Pie Crust

Grahamwich
615 N State St.
Chicago, IL
www.grahamwich.com

Goddess & Grocer

Beet salad aside, I love everything about Goddess & Grocer (and its sister restaurant Feast).  It's the gold standard of what every takeout shop should be.  If Ward, Wally and the Beave weren't such needy guys, June Cleaver would probably have a shop like this.

There's a selection of prepared salads, sandwiches, artisanal cheeses, and small bites.  They have their classics as well as rotating menu items all served up in a casually elegant style.  


If you're ever looking for a quick bite or a little something for an impromptu picnic, this is the place to go!

Beef  Tenderloin on Toasted Baguette
with Red Onion Marmalade
and Horseradish Cream

  

Wild Mushroom Risotto Cakes
with Parmesan & Truffle Oil

Potstickers

Korean Spiced Chicken Wings

Roasted Beets
with Goat Cheese,
Orange Segments, Red Onions,
and  Red Wine  Vinaigrette

Coconut Chicken Fingers

Mustard & Rosemary Crusted
Lamb Chops

Grilled Vegetable Skewers
with Balsamic Glaze

Goddess & Grocer
25 E Delaware Place, Chicago
1646 N Damen Ave, Chicago
2222 N Elston, Chicago
www.goddessandgrocer.com



Glen Prairie
Everyone down to their own staff will tell you how hard this place is to find the first time around.  Half the problem is the address of Glen Prairie: 1250 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn, IL.  GPS and Mapquest will point you in the wrong direction.  


Hell, even the towns of Glen Ellyn and Lombard are confused as to which town this restaurant belongs to!  Apparently, the restaurant (and the Crowne Plaza it's attached to) is right on the border of the two cities....and is serviced by the fire department on one city and public services of the other.


Aside from the bland exterior, the restaurant is really pretty enjoyable.  After my wild goose chase to get there, my nerves were completely frazzled.  But as soon as I entered, I was greeted by a genuinely friendly staff.  Everyone from the greeter to restaurant manager empathized with my plight and shared stories of their "first time."


Nerves settled, I was interested to learn about Glen Prairie's practice of sourcing all ingredients from local farms within 150-mile radius.

Caramelized Onion Soup
Herbed Croutons, Steiner Bros. Swiss & Gruyere

Organic Baby Spinach Salad with Chicken
Stickney Hill Goat Cheese, Toasted Almonds,
Dried Cranberries, Raspberry Viniagrette

Midwest Cuban
Nueske's Smoked Ham, Becker Lane Organic Pork,
Housemade Pickles, Swiss Cheese,
Whole Grain Mustard Sauce on a Sourdough Roll

Glen Prairie
1250 Roosevelt Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL
http://glenprairie.webs.com

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

Po' Excuse for a Po' Boy

Jerry's Sandwiches (jerryssandwiches.com) is one of my favorite sandwich shops ever.  Their extensive menu was proof that there are infinite possibilities of what you can put between two slices of bread.    


While I was disappointed to learn that Jerry's West Loop location was closing, I had high hopes of the new po' boy shop that would open in it's place.  As I've said before, I hold Cajun food as the gold standard of culinary perfection.  And because Mac & Mins is just another restaurant concept by the same husband and wife team that owns Jerry's, I figured this was going to take the mufulletta to a whole 'nother level!


Ummm....not so much.


All I have to say is that if you really want to try Mac & Min's, go soon.  I don't think this place will survive.....


Here's their attempt at a muffuletta.  (Maybe I should send them my pics from Central Grocery??? http://feastwithfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-orleans-my-food-mecca.html  Not even close!