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Hackney's in Chicago: The Best Underseasoned Mushy Burger in Town
The one in Lake Zurich is great both in ambiance and food quality.
I've never been dissapointed there.
I have driven past it every day for over 30 years & the lot is always
active. You don't do that without having something special. As to the salt
issue, I don't mind adding my own.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
They have been around forever. Back in the early '70's they were THE
place to go for Pizza in Lake county. There was not a whole lot else around at that time, and I remember their pie was much better looking than
these photos. The atmosphere is charming, with all the stuffed animals
and lack of windows. Most charming are the 'JackAlopes' (Rabbits with antlers) that are scattered around the place.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
@WikiAdam; Yes just the bacon pie is the one I referred to.
The proportions of the other pies look great.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Hackney's in Chicago: The Best Underseasoned Mushy Burger in Town
The one in Lake Zurich is great both in ambiance and food quality.
I've never been dissapointed there.
I have driven past it every day for over 30 years & the lot is always
active. You don't do that without having something special. As to the salt
issue, I don't mind adding my own.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
They have been around forever. Back in the early '70's they were THE
place to go for Pizza in Lake county. There was not a whole lot else around at that time, and I remember their pie was much better looking than
these photos. The atmosphere is charming, with all the stuffed animals
and lack of windows. Most charming are the 'JackAlopes' (Rabbits with antlers) that are scattered around the place.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
@WikiAdam; Yes just the bacon pie is the one I referred to.
The proportions of the other pies look great.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
Looks good but isn't the outer crust rather large?
Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco
I have 2 of these in the garden now along with Brussel sprouts, Parsnips & Carrots. All have survived 5 or 6 days below 29 degrees in Northern Illinois. These tolerate cold weather pretty well. If it stays warm for 2 or 3 more weeks I'll have a good harvest. Freezing actually improves the flavor of Brussel sprouts. Some years I wait till Jan or Feb to dig the sprouts out of the snow & enjoy!
Pi Pizzeria, St. Louis: Checking Out President Obama's Purported Favorite Pie
I would hit that like a bad dog!
Video: 'Hot Kitchen' Cook Dishes Up Something 'a Little More Appetizing'
Posting this here was like throwing chickens at Sigfried & Roy during a show.
Participation in This Promotion May Be Hazardous To Your Health
This is the most un-appetizing thing I have seen recently on SE.
You couldn't pay me to eat that, much less X6!
Hot Dog of the Week: Chicago Dog
How could Gene n' Judes RUBBERDAWGS be left off the list?
http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/2284/gene-judes
Are my sauerkraut and kimchi fermenting yet?
The most important thing is to keep the cabbage covered with brine. Add more water if you have to. The biggest mistake with Kimchi or Saurkraut is fermenting at too high a temperature, kraut must not be warmer than 70 degrees. 65 degrees seems to be ideal. If you ferment at too high a temp, the kraut will not taste right. Cover it with a plate weighted down by a milk jug filled with water. Skim the scum (if any, sometimes there is very little) once a week and transfer the whole batch into a new container, thus evening out the batch. Kraut improves with time, I ferment 5-6 weeks (in the dark) Taste it every week, for done-ness. Raw kraut is a great probiotic and will keep in the fridge for about a month. Heat canning kills the probiotic bacteria but then you can store it for over a year.
Kimchi is another story, I ferment with no weight or plate on top, jars covered with cheesecloth. The volume of the mash increases when fermentation starts. In a quart jar, I leave about 2" headspace. I usually ferment Kimchi for about a week before it goes in the fridge.
Electric Stove Top: Please Help
Get a camp stove. Problem solved.
Can we call them something different?
@SqueezeBottle
Thanks for sharing Adams' excellent post on this subject from last year.
I was on vacation when that was posted & as usual he's right spot on.
You Can't Go Wrong with Sliders at Eat Rite Diner in St. Louis
Am I the only one offended by these being called 'Sliders'? They look like a nice quality burger for sure.
I know that the term 'Slider' has come to mean a small hamburger by most people these days. My understanding of a 'Slider' is quite different.
I grew up with the square, steamed low quality burger with minced onion (you all know the places I'm talking about). While these are tasty & I still get a craving for them sometimes, one trip every 2 or 3 years reminds me of why we call them 'Sliders'; They slide in ya, you get stomach cramps & then you get the poops! 'Slide out!
Not the sort of thing to be proud of.
Taste Test: Mustard
Colemans' dry (powdered) mixed with Wild Turkey instead of water= head explosion. My Grandpa's trick I learned in 1967.
Archaeologists May Have Found Nero's Revolving Dining Hall in Rome
Funny but I don't see the mirrored ball on the celing. Are they sure they got the right place?
Dinner Tonight: Fried Egg Sandwich
White bread, buttered both sides with a double egg= heaven.
Yours looks great!
The Crisper Whisperer: Kohlrabi Remoulade
@ hungrychristel
Regular variety cant' help but get woody when they get much larger
than a baseball. I exclusively grow "Kossak" variety (from Jung seed co)
they get to be 10" diameter or more & never get woody. They are
just as tasty as the regular variety.
Hot Dog of the Week: Depression Dog
They're about a 5 minute ride from me now. Just like sliders though, you crave them, and after scarfing them you wonder why you did...
Critic-Turned-Cook Steels Herself for Canning Season with Canning Across America
I can a lot from my garden & blackberry patch. The hassle is worth it;
-Better taste, fresh
-Organic
I highly recomend a hand crank food mill like the one sold by "Back to basics", find them on Amazon. Using these you do not have to blanch & peel tomatoes; it separates the pulp & sends skins & seeds to a waste hopper. It also separates seeds from berries when you make jams.
Last weekend I made 16 pints off spagetti sauce by myself in 2 hours.
My secret? I add some tomato paste rather than simmering for hours & boiling away half my crop. I have gone the purist route before but it tastes the same & uses a ton more energy.
Overrated hot dog joints Part 3
Hoffys' 1/4 lb extra lean DinnerDawgs 110 calories, 5 grams fat.
Pan seared. Delicious, I don't know how they do it. I blind taste tested
these several times & many guests preferred over Hebrew National
jumbo dogs (31 grams fat)
If nobody's looking then no bun,just rake it thru some ketchup & devour!
Whole Foods CEO Criticizes Health Care, Some Shoppers Boycott
Bogus lawsuits & Ambulance chasing lawyers are a big part of
the healthcare cost problem. So why is tort reform not part of the
debate?
Oh yeah I forgot most politicians ARE LAWYERS!
Albano's Pizzeria in Cicero: The Biggest and Best Pizza Puff in Chicago
We call them "Belly bombs". They used to be a staple of my diet.
I stopped eating them after 5 angioplasty stents. Yes they will kill you.
Zooey Deschanel Guest Judges on 'Top Chef Masters' Tonight
brownie- This mission is looking impossible!
Oh the humanity!
Zooey Deschanel Guest Judges on 'Top Chef Masters' Tonight
I'll gladly have her over for beer & carrot sticks!
Hot Dog of the Week: Pastrami Dog
I'm not a fan of "meat on meat", unless it's a little bit of chili without beans. If the hot dog in the picture was set before me, my first instinct would be to ask for 2 pieces of rye bread for the pastrami.
There was a very popular place in Jersey called Amazing Hot Dog. While I'm not a toppings guy, this place had the widest variety of toppings and combinations I've seen at a hot dog establishment. Most I didn't care for, but some were ok. I usually had just mustard on mine because they served a high quality beef dog that tasted fine this way. But one of my favorite combinations here was the Reuben Dog. It was a deep fried quarter pound natural casing all beef dog (at times they used Sabrett, Best, or Pearl) with Swiss cheese, Sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and Caraway Seeds topped with paper thin Hot Dog shavings. No corned beef.
Katz's has perhaps the best pastrami on the planet and one of the best hot dogs. When I've gone, I've sampled both, but not together. To do so in my opinion would lessen each.
Katz's hot dogs (Sabrett natural casing 9 to a lb) are perfect with just their deli mustard. When I went with a newspaper panel to judge hot dogs in New York, I was the only one (out of 8) to sample my dog with just mustard. Everyone else had chili on theirs. All 7 said it was the worst chili they ever had.
Hot Dog of the Week: Pastrami Dog
How dare you call "meat on meat" an "atrocity"?
Hot Dog of the Week: Pastrami Dog
Der Weinerschnitzel is in my future.
Hot Dog of the Week: Pastrami Dog
A little bit of kraut and I'd be in heaven.
Can we call them something different?
Thank you! It is a peeve of mine up there with "veggies" which marginalizes the most important part of out diet.
Hackney's in Chicago: The Best Underseasoned Mushy Burger in Town
@DanielZemans: Hi Daniel, I came off wrong, it won't be the first time.:) I was weighing the fact that they actually made it rare, which seems to be the first place that "burger joints" err. As a customer, I would have overlooked the lacked of seasoning and been overjoyed that they didn't over-cook it. However, you were there to critique, which is simply what you did. So, I take back the unfair comment.
Hackney's in Chicago: The Best Underseasoned Mushy Burger in Town
@ALRUI: It's possible that the griddle wasn't hot enough, but the medium rare buffalo burger was also mushy.
@RossS: I agree that the problems are with the work Hackney's does, not with the quality of their ingredients. But Hackney's took good ingredients and failed to season them well and then failed to cook them well. How does my writing about that make the review unfair?
Hackney's in Chicago: The Best Underseasoned Mushy Burger in Town
I've only eaten at the Palos Park location. Maybe adding the salt and pepper would have helped, but I was never impressed by a Hackneyburger there.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
I think that Ken's has a nice blend of the Neapolitan style with the bold American palate. Honestly, on pizzas like the margarita, I think the sauce tends to be too much and overpower the crust and cheese. It's when you put some spicy sausage and peppers on it that it works best (though then the crust begins to disappear). That's why it's my third favorite in Portland behind Scholls and Nostrana. I think those tend to be more balanced -- though all three have great ingredients and execution.
@LA Maven
You keep threatening to come up here and eat some 'za yet never do. Put our pizza where your mouth is. ;-) And email me if you do make your way.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
@Daniel: they definitely have some interesting offerings. I've tried the bacon cheeseburger, the taco, the BBQ chicken, and the baked potato pies. While they all accomplish the flavor combinations they seek to attain, none of them ever strike a craving in me quite like the Pizza Pub Special. In fact, I'm craving one right now!
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
@MsHumpal: It's my understanding that virtually everyone who has lived in Mundelein or the surrounding parts of Lake County in the last five decades has been to Bill's. I'm guessing your dad has some good memories of the place.
@Mad Ernie: Thanks. I don't know about Pyramid Pizza, but Beau Jo's has a considerably larger and denser crust than the Double Decker at Bill's.
@steelcity: Every kind of pizza is my kind of pizza! I looked at the website for Bill's in NC and the pizza looked very Midwestern to me (square cut, lots of cheese). Then I read the history section and it all made sense - the people who started it moved there from Indiana. I am very intrigued by the Carolina influence of the place though - they offer a mustard pizza sauce?
@DinnerDuJour and hookrilla: Glad you approve of my description of your local pizzeria. It really was a fun place to visit.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
I liked the review, and especially the pics! Nice job, Daniel. The pictures remind me of the thick braided crust pizzas you would find at places like Pyramid Pizza in Lawrence, KS or Beau Jo's in Colorado. http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/05/beau-jos-colorado-mountain-style-pizza-denver-idaho-springs-colorado-co-review.html
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
This is crazy cheesy! I would enjoy but I'm allergic to mushrooms :(
Funny about the name, I used to eat at a Bill's Pizza Pub in NC growing up. Daniel, I think it would be your kind of pizza... I actually submitted a review to Adam but he hasn't posted it yet. Hassle him so you can get a look at the pictures!
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
@travpard- I think they look really cheesy because they're pictures of the "double decker" pizzas mentioned in the article. As someone who spends her whole day making pizza, that much cheese does seem very extreme. I think the crust is the most important part, and theirs is a little doughy looking. but this was a really fun article to find- my dad is from mundelein. Dont know if he ever ate here though.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
Thin crust tavern style is the way to go
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
Peanuts on the table is a definite plus--reminds me of my favorite chain restaurant as a little kid, The Ground Round, which had bowls of popcorn on the table.
However, that slice looks like a pizza from a box that has been dropped on the floor.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
Some of those pics make the pizza look like it was in a horror movie.
Mundelein, Illinois: Bill's Pizza & Pub
been goin there for a good 20 years and i agree with what DinnerDuJour said... nicely put Z-man! if you're ever back up in the area, give me a holler. you need to try the Hawaiian pizza there (i know, not to traditional but it's awesome) and there is a place right down the street for some great carne asada tacos...
Pi Pizzeria, St. Louis: Checking Out President Obama's Purported Favorite Pie
My mileage has varied. I've been to both Zachary's and Little Star 10+ times (splitting my time between their Valencia and Divisidero locations). I find Little Star consistently better and not prone to the undercooked disease that can sometimes consume Zachary's deep dish pies. Plus, although not relevant to this discussion, the "other stuff" (salads, desserts) etc... is miles beyond Zachary's offerings.
That said, I still think Zachary's turns out a good product and were I an East Bay resident as opposed to an SF resident, I'm not sure whether I'd do bart + a cab to get the incremental Little Star benefit.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
Ken's is one of my desert island pizzas. For all the awesome pizza that we have in SF, I still go to Ken's every single time I'm in Portland.
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
@pizzafreak, L.A. Pizza Maven, & egadman:
Count me in! A vehicle needs four wheels.
Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco
I just saw these at my local co-op the other week and believed them to be either alien food or actual aliens lying in wait for an unsuspecting hippie to take them home. I suppose I'm somewhat of a newbie when it comes to "unusual" ingredients, although I do have a 23-year-old co-worker who had never heard of or seen a fig until a few weeks ago when I brought in your delicious fig and almond cookies. At any rate, I'm going to go hunting for these tonight -- alien or not, if it gets an endorsement from Gina, I'll definitely try it!
Portland, Oregon: Ken's Artisan Pizza
@pizzafreak & L.A. Pizza Maven
Far be it from me to invite myself to a gathering, but if y'all are looking for a Tour du Portland Pizza and want a third wheel, I'm always down for Ken's, and I can help guide you to the city's other char-y hot spots.
wifain gmail.com
Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco
I don't think it's creepy either. It's beautiful.
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About tinytim
Location: Northern Illinois
About: Just an average Gardener, Canner & family cook. Nothing too fancy.
I cook low fat now because of clogged arteries. I try to make full flavored dishes using healthy substitutes to traditional ingredients.
Favorite foods: Deep dish pizza done right like Lou Malnatis.
Street pizza from Naples.
Spicy Southwest cooking.
Anything spicy hot.
Last bite on earth: Gyros & Saganaki with a big plate of onion rings fried in lard.

Want.
Now.