Nibbles and Gulps

Smith and Wollensky
Wine week came and passed, so if you expected a warning from me, sorry. The Condiment Queen loved it so much last year, we went twice this year. I got the same thing on Tuesday and Friday, sliced steak sandwich. This is nothing if not a great deal ($15.50). You get a small portion of prime rib eye, about 10 ounces, too fatty really; plus prize winning french fries (well they should be prize winning), a small salad with cherry tomatoes, grilled sweet onions and a hunk of doughy bread. The steak could have used a better crust, but as I said, for the money a stellar deal. Wines on Tuesday were as inept as the service. Everything changed on Friday. We sat at the bar, where David remembered us and the kids from last year. It's amazing what a great bartender can do to the meal. Friday's Far Niete WAS worth the $10 and then some. At least on Tuesday, it was an excellent way to get buzzed. 318 N. State

Myron and Phils
Likewise, I have been to this steakhouse twice recently. Again, the experiences differed even as I ordered the same dish. Here, the difference is lunch to dinner not bar to table. Myron and Phil's is greater for what they give away instead of what they sell you. Two blue cheese burgers with burnt onions found me unimpressed. I am not sure if I have my finger on the curse of their burgers. It might be too lean meat, too much grinding or too much filler. Regardless, the meat, even when medium rare seems tough and dry. Luckily, dinner at least, is more than saved with some of the best pickles: cucumbers, tomatoes and red peppers in Chicago, plus a strong flavored chopped liver and an excellent bread basket. Lunch only gets you the sliced pickles, no liver and no tomatoes or peppers. Dinner on March 25 also got you a slice of Grampa Myron's birthday cake. I've circled the date for 05. 3900 West Devon Avenue, Lincolnwood

Tufano's
We only had one chowhoundita on Saturday and we stumbled for a while trying to figure out where to eat. Dad rescued the night by pulling his Palm Pilot worthy Tufano's out. Like M&P or Carson's, two other VI favorites, these are places where maybe not so great food is great. An iceberg based salad soaking in red vinegar vinaigrette, Mom's marina, I know plenty of hounds who sneer at Tufano's food. I find crappy food never tastes so good. There is one truly great dish here. The broiled lemon chicken with greasy-crunchy cottage fries. Yet, the pastas we had the other night, cavetelli with simple marinara and spaghetti with oil and garlic demonstrate the greatness of noodles. SethZ could easily eat exactly Italian here. With the either of our appetizers, nicely steamed clams in a red sauce or the above mentioned salad (featuring all sorts of features like chunks of provolone, marinated peppers, oregano dusted onion slices, artichoke hearts and more. I just wish they'd use better quality olives, but like I say, this is not a great place). Then, move on to those pasta's and finish with the chicken. 1073 W. Vernon Park Pl. (Cash only)

Artopolis
Since we were a month early for Taylor Street lemonade, we moved slightly north for dessert at Artopolis. Ms. VI and I both oogled a lenten special of fish salad, taramasalata, and lima beans, but sweets were in order. The kid had a sour lemon tart all to her self, Mom and Dad split an eggy creme carmel. 306 S. Halsted

Kukula Market
Small, recently opened Ethiopian market on Broadway across from Ethiopian Diamond (around 6100 N). Not a huge selection but all cool stuff. Niter kebbeh, the spiced clarified butter used to flavor many dishes, green coffee to do your own ceremony, injera and a few other things. Owners proudly showed us pictures of Ethiopia and shared as much as they could through limited English.

Ras Dashen
The service here has been oft criticized on Chowhound. It was hardly better on a Sunday afternoon. Still, we did not have wait endlessly for our bill to come as others have. We enjoyed the mad dash of flavors. Doro (chicken) alicha tasted nearly sweet from its long cooked onion and featured an ideal just hard, hard boiled egg. After buying a homemade sauce from grilled meats at Kukula, I needed the grilled zilzil tibs at Ras Dashen just for sauce. Luckily one of the daughters wanted that too. The other daughter ate two helpings of the green bean/potato side. I love the way the coffee jug leans preciously, supported by a woven thread ring. The first pour was surprisingly watery, but not for long. Second and third cups left me with the clarity of George Bush. 5846 N. Broadway

Ice Dreams
I've been meaning to try this gelato place for a long time. Like the first cup of coffee at Ras Dashen, the ice cream tasted weak and watery. Unfortunately, time did not help. Trying as advised at the Penguin, I sampled (and sampled). I finally ended with the strawberry-chocolate because, well at least it was not really bad like the dulce de leche. 2865 N. Clark