Hey All,

I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

The little spud is 13 months old and loves to try new foods. Last night we
had a crying fit cause after 50 minutes and fearing that she was going to
eat 'til she exploded we took her out of her high chair. She loved the
homemade egg noodles. Didn't like the chicken much but had quite a few
carrots and mushrooms. For right now her favorite meat is pulled pork with
out sauce and with a little salt. Which gives her smoke bbq breath that mom
complains about.

Chef

"Master Chef Richard Campbell" wrote in message gy.com...
Hey All,

I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

Chef

Not kid friendly but the best steak I ever ate was at Chicago Chop
House. Their grill is amazing. I had a New York strip that was all
black on the outside and hot red in the middle. The black crust was
less than a sixteenth of an inch thick. Apparently they sear the meat
at something like 1600 degrees. Along with the steak I had a salad
with the best roquefort dressing I've ever had. And the potato wasn't
bad either.

Cam

I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

If you're just visiting, find a pizza place. Hopefully someone local will
tell of a good one near the zoo. If you're on an expense account, there's a
couple Weber Grill restaurants in that general area...ok but pricey. There's
a zillion places to eat good food out there.

-John O

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 14:50:10 GMT, "Master Chef Richard Campbell"
wrote:

Hey All,

I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

The little spud is 13 months old and loves to try new foods. Last night we
had a crying fit cause after 50 minutes and fearing that she was going to
eat 'til she exploded we took her out of her high chair. She loved the
homemade egg noodles. Didn't like the chicken much but had quite a few
carrots and mushrooms. For right now her favorite meat is pulled pork with
out sauce and with a little salt. Which gives her smoke bbq breath that mom
complains about.

Chef

With any luck Gary W. will chime in here for you. He can nail dead on
every place in Chicago. I don't know about transportation but
Chinatown would be good. Little Three Happiness is excellent. Just say
"Bring the Gary Wiviott snack and chili oil." That will feed 6. G

Bruce

"John O" wrote in message
m...
I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday
while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we
get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

If you're just visiting, find a pizza place. Hopefully someone local will
tell of a good one near the zoo. If you're on an expense account, there's
a
couple Weber Grill restaurants in that general area...ok but pricey.
There's
a zillion places to eat good food out there.


John: I dunno about bbq, but your visit is right up my alley, so to speak.
This restaurant, Klas,

http://www.klasrestaurant.com/

a mile or so from me and no more than 20 minutes' drive from the zoo, is a
classic. It is in a (still safe, heh!) neighborhood that used to have lots
of Bohemian residents, and its menu reflects this, though there is probably
stuff on the menu to please any palate.

My parents got engaged there, almost 50 years ago, and I took them back last
week--my mother RAVED about it, and wondered why they had not been back
since that fateful day. It is really old-world sorta romantic, and the food
and prices kick ass (an expensive entree is like, 10 bucks) . I can almost
guarantee you shall not be disappointed. I had smoked butt and some sort of
duck, and even without the generous sides (ooh, the bread dumplings!!) it
was great. The place is big enough that they shall certainly be able to
accomodate you, and on a weeknight you should need no reservations.

Let me know what you think, if you take my advice.

Otherwise, a pizza place is definitely in order. I might suggest Vito and
Nick's (I went to school with one of the owner's kids, Sandy Barraco, who
probably now helps run the joint), in Willow Springs, just a few miles down
the road from Brookfield Zoo. I grew up on their pizza. It is kind of a
different pizza from what most would call "Chicago Style" in that it has an
extremely thin crust, but everyone I have turned on to it has raved. Tell
the manager that a Kriho from the St. Denis Parish, 8th grade class of 1976,
sent you. They shall get a kick out of that. The place has genuine South
Side roots.

http://www.vitoandnicksii.com/

Both of these places are an easy drive from the Zoo.

I can give you directions from the Zoo to either of these places. Let me
know if you need them.

Enjoy your stay. Brookfield Zoo is a sprawling, awesome place. For a zoo.
Try to give yourself at least four hours there. I hope the weather
cooperates.

--
YOP...

Nervous Nick

On Thu, 11 Mar 2004 14:50:10 GMT, "Master Chef Richard Campbell"
wrote:

I will be taking my wife and daughter to Brookfield Zoo next Tuesday while
my work does a equipment upgrade. Any suggestions for dinner after we get
out of the zoo. I all that I ask is that it be kid friendly.

Chef,

The area around Brookfield Zoo is a little out of my territory, as are
kid friendly restaurants. I can say, without any hesitation, that
there are no really good BBQ place in the Chicago area, with one or
two exceptions, and they do not serve pulled pork.

If your daughter likes pizza there is an excellent thin crust pizza
place on the Southwest side of Chicago, Vito and Nick's, and Chuck's
Southern Comfort's in Burbank is good as well.

Before I started rolling my own BBQ I used to hit Chuck's once in a
while, he started business as Chuck's BBQ, and I thought it was very
good. My taste in BBQ has changed over the last 6-7 years, but I would
still consider Chuck's BBQ highly edible. He does have pulled pork,
though I would call first.

From what I understand Chuck's new place, actually an expansion and
remodel of the old, serves a full menu and has liquor. I will say that
one of the best meals I have ever had was at the old Chuck's and had
nothing to do with BBQ, but was a New Orleans dinner which Chuck made
for us.

Chuck worked at Frontera for a number of years and has a way with
Mexican as well as Louisiana, if you go say hi from Gary.

If you are going into Chicago proper, and want something specific,
aside from pulled pork, let me know and I can probably come up with a
suggestion.

Do you live in Illinois or close to Chicago?

Enjoy,
Gary

Vito and Nick's
8435 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL
773-735-2050

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe
5557 W 79th St
Burbank, IL 60459
708-229-8700

If your daughter likes pizza there is an excellent thin crust pizza
place on the Southwest side of Chicago, Vito and Nick's, and Chuck's
Southern Comfort's in Burbank is good as well.

She loves pizza so we are going to try Vito and Nick's.

Do you live in Illinois or close to Chicago?
We live down in East Peoria.



Enjoy,
Gary

Vito and Nick's
8435 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL
773-735-2050

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe
5557 W 79th St
Burbank, IL 60459
708-229-8700

On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 15:25:39 GMT, "Master Chef Richard Campbell"
wrote:

She loves pizza so we are going to try Vito and Nick's.

Chef,

Vito and Nick's has excellent thin crust pizza, but, like many of the
best pizza places, is a modest establishment and the overall ambiance
is more tavern than restaurant.

Vito and Nick's is always filled with families, lots of kids and three
generational tables and the pizza is very good. Hummm, have I said I
like the pizza yet? smile

Enjoy,
Gary

"G Wiv" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 15:25:39 GMT, "Master Chef Richard Campbell"
wrote:

She loves pizza so we are going to try Vito and Nick's.

Chef,

Vito and Nick's has excellent thin crust pizza, but, like many of the
best pizza places, is a modest establishment and the overall ambiance
is more tavern than restaurant.

Vito and Nick's is always filled with families, lots of kids and three
generational tables and the pizza is very good. Hummm, have I said I
like the pizza yet? smile

I was thinking that the one in the W Suburbs (Vito & Nick's II, on Roberts
Road), which I mentioned in an earlier post, might be closer than the one on
Pulaski, but a little research showed me that the two are almost exactly the
same distance from the Zoo.

G Wiv described the SW Side location to a tee, in any case. I am sure there
shall be some major St. Patrick's day spirit going on there, now that I
think of it! A perfect time to visit one of the three or four neighborhoods
that *define* (or in this case, used to define) "SouthSide Irish." Consider
yourself lucky. Heh!

Cheers.

G Wiv: It's great that someone else in this group is familiar with the
place! Nothin but the best for us.

--
YOP...