Pequod's | Pizza | Parents | Solid deep dish pizza. We had one with pepperoni that had been kept under the broiler so long the pepperonis became blackened and acquired a slightly grilled flavor. It worked well. The atmosphere is pub-ish. | |
Max's | Jewish | Parents | A comprehensive Jewish deli, with dozens of feet of counters featuring traditional Jewish fare to more novel items like chocolate-covered matzoh. We split an order of potato pancakes (with sour cream and/or apple sauce), chopped liver on a bagel, and pastrami on rye. All were very good. The potato pancakes were the traditional size, not the thin ones that some places make nor the hamburger-sized monstrosities confused cooks make. The chopped liver was good and rich and exactly what it should be, I couldn't stop eating despite being stuffed. I finished it all. The bagel on which we piled it was quality as well. And the sandwich was traditional, overloaded with lots of thinly-sliced, warm, meaty pastrami goodness. It quickly disappeared. This place also provides a basket of assorted breads and a bowl of sliced (!) pickles to each table. The latter weren't very good, and was probably the only negative to the whole experience. | |
Hackney's (Wheeling location) | American | Grandparents | All I can remember is a burger so overcooked it was inedible. And since I eat everything, that's saying a lot. I grabbed some food from my parents' plates and that was a little better but still doesn't make up for the burger. | |
Cafe Fourteen | Diner | Grandparents | A diner with friendly waitresses who remember their customers. Has an amazingly cheap three-course option. The appetizer salads are so large, one could stop eating then and take the rest of the meal home for leftovers. Yes, everyone winds up with lots of leftovers. Although the chicken parmesan I had was fairly tasteless, the food I stole from my parents' plates (a fish dish and a pasta dish) was better, making this a fairly respectable diner. And the selection of quality desserts in the glass case -you get one with your dinner- is commendable, unmatched by nearly every restaurant to which I've been. | |
Russian Tea Time | Russian | Mine | All I can remember from my visit in 2005 is a classic beef stroganoff, nicely creamy and with good quality meat. Well executed. We also had quite buttery pirogies (technically "dumpling combination" as listed on the menu). And, according to the receipt, we also had some form of meatballs. The restaurant is fairly fancy. | |
Pita Inn | Middle Eastern | Parents | I went here when it wasn't even a proper meal time and I wasn't that hungry. It's a simple counter joint. I had a "lamburger." Served as three patties in a pita, it was so tender and delicious I had to have another. |
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