Food/Restaurants

Hard to go on a diet in a place like this.

Taking the Blue line home from O'Hare I couldn't resist getting off at Western Ave. which put me within a couple of blocks of Honey 1 BBQ. It was a Sunday and they were closing at any minute but I had just enough time to order (and partially devour) an extra-large order of rib tips. Mama mia, Chicago has its advantages!

That's the word from Sid Levitz, head chef for North Central College (and old friend from high school) in this article from Glancer Magazine:

Al's Beef had a "Customer Appreciation Day" today. Its signature Italian Beef costs just a buck. Needless the say, the line was going out the door and down the length of the place's parking lot. About 3/4 quarters of an hour wait, I'd say.

It's practically an institution on the North Side of Chicago. The Hot Dog Stand 'Wieners Circle' has been closed down by the Board of Health due, according to a sign on the door, to problems with their "hot water service". In other words, the pipes have burst.

I remember going there as an undergrad after a late night on the town. We'd first go to Neo's (then in its 'New Wave' phase) and then hit Wieners Circle for a Polish with grilled onions. This was way before they developed the schtick about swearing to customers and concentrated instead on the quality of the food.

I don't go very often but the best place for rib tips in Chicago, Calvin's BBQ (formerly Smokin' Woody's) is moving from near Lincoln Square to Armitage just west of Western.

Mayor Daley has famously said that the law banning fois gras in Chicago is the "silliest ordinance that was ever passed".

I kind of look at the recent vote by the Illinois State Senate banning horse slaughter in the same light.

The head of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says horse slaughter "is inhumane because our society considers horses to be companion animals or pets".

That's one perspective.

My approach comes from the years I spent in Paris when they served it on a regular basis in the student university restaurants. I was short of money and this meal would literally be my only one of the day. Sometimes they'd serve something really gross like rognons, tripes or cerveaux fouettés which I was unable to eat no matter how hungry I was.

So you can imagine my relief when they'd have something like cheval which kind of resembled boeuf in color if not completely in texture. The truth is, I ate it with relish.

I haven't had the dish since then but it doesn't strike me as the end of Western Civilization to contemplate it being produced here and sent out to the four corners of the world. At least we've got something we can still export.