The Local Dish

Plenty of Variety at Gordon Biersch

Despite the German name, the menu features ethnic dishes of all types, plus good old American fare.

In the mood for a Märzen by Macy’s, or maybe a Hefeweizen near H & M? How about a Pilsner at the Promenade? To check out all these delicious beers and some incredible food, head to Gordon Biersch, located at 639 E. Boughton Road at the Bolingbrook Promenade. The restaurant has a wide variety of dishes and handcrafted German beers. You might think that a place known for their German beers might have a primarily German menu, but you’d be wrong. Gordon Biersch’s menu offers Thai, Mexican, American and Italian dishes, among others, on their regular menu, including a variety of seafood tacos that I’m dying to try on my next visit. For the summer, the restaurant is also featuring a special Caribbean menu with items like jerk chicken sliders.  On…

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Grandma Sally’s is Your Go-To Place for a Hearty Breakfast

If you haven’t tried Grandma Sally’s, you don’t know what you’re missing.

When you step inside Grandma Sally's, it’s like being caught in a time warp.  The teal booths, red and aqua carpeting and wood paneled walls adds creates a throwback, cozy atmosphere that really does remind you of your grandma's era. It’s the typical, old-fashioned, family owned sit-down. Enough about the décor. This column's focus is the grub and let me tell you, it's outstanding. Servers give you with large portions, bottomless cups of coffee and fantastic, friendly service. To compliment your coffee (a bit expensive at $1.79, I thought), they offer a freshly stocked selection of gourmet coffee creamers. Take your pick from Irish cream, hazlenut, French vanilla or amaretto. On this particular Tuesday morning, the place was empty – don’t …

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trivialthings

5:00 pm on Friday, June 10, 2011

So Jeff give us the "clue" and recipe for the gravy. You DO have a recipe don't you?   more ›

The Local Dish

Sweet Peppers Does Thai Proud, and Makes a Mean Tapioca Drink, Too

This storefront Thai restaurant does a nice job of mixing the traditional with the more exotic.

SWEET PEPPERS THAI CUISINE There’s a tendency for some to want to lump Thai food in with all of the other Asian cuisines out there -- Schezuan, Hunan, Catonese, even Japanese. And it’s easy to see why when Thai restaurants add items such as egg rolls and pot stickers and chicken teriyaki to their menus, essentially muddying the waters. But to write off Thai as a been-there-done-that deal would be to deprive yourself of flavors, textures and combinations you’ve likely never sampled elsewhere. Sweet Peppers in Plainfield is a good case in point. Décor/atmosphere: This is a simple restaurant that relies on brightly colored walls of burnt orange, amber and lime green and framed paintings depicting traditional Thai scenes to evoke a sense of …

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The Local Dish

Mickey's a Nice Spot to Meet a Friend and Grab a Beer

The menu's a bit uneven, but you won't go wrong with a burger and you'll feel at home in the comforting bar atmosphere.

MICKEY’S GRILLE & PUB Unless you’re a local, you probably don’t know about Mickey’s. Tucked away in a strip mall surrounded by subdivisions, it looks and feels more like the neighborhood hangout that it probably is. Yes, “grille” is included in the name, but it’s a safe bet most are coming for the “pub.” Décor/atmosphere: Nothing fancy here. A simple green awning hangs over a bank of windows adorned with beer signs. Inside, the first thing you see are pool tables behind which sits a large, three-sided bar. On each side of the room are two- and four-seat bar tables with stools that can easily be pulled together for large parties. A couple of electronic dart boards fill one corner. All-in-all, it makes for a comfortable space where you won’t…

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Around Romeoville

Dinner and a Show: Aodake Offers More Than Sushi

A lively chef and hibachi-style grilling make the Japanese restaurant an entertaining night out.

I would describe my recent trip to the Aodake Japanese Sushi and Steak House, located at 462 N. Weber Rd., as an exercise in delicious awkwardness. Not only is Aodake a spot for sushi and other Japanese dishes, they also have hibachi-style dining, where chefs cook food on a grill right at your table. While I have been to hibachi-style restaurants before, I've always gone with a larger group. For this visit, I went as a date night with my husband. This was perhaps not the best choice.   Because there were only two of us and the hibachi tables sit at least six, our table was quickly filled up with another party of four. Enter the awkwardness: though the other group seemed nice (and was full of useful information about other “interactive” …

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Around Romeoville

Gone Country: Cracker Barrel Offers Comfort Food with a Southern Flair

The down-home food hit the spot for Patch's restaurant critic.

Maybe it’s the constant previews for Gwyneth Paltrow’s new movie “Country Strong” on TV. Or maybe it’s the way that gossip about Taylor Swift’s love life has infested all forms of media. Either way, I was in the mood for going a bit country at the Cracker Barrel recently. Though I have visited other Cracker Barrels in the past, this was my first visit to Romeoville’s location at 1295 Lakeview Drive, and I really enjoyed their reasonably priced comfort food. It had been about 15 years since my last visit to Cracker Barrel, and all I really remembered was sundaes in mugs and sitting in the rocking chairs outside throwing gummy worms purchased at the Cracker Barrel gift shop into the parking lot. Neither sundaes nor gummy worms were part of …

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Around Romeoville

All Aboard: Neighborhood Favorite Sushi Train Offers Affordable Food, Good Service

Our restaurant critic and entertainment columnist tells you where to get good eats in Romeoville.

In the mood for some delicious and inexpensive Japanese food?  Then "roe, roe, roe" your boat over to Sushi Train at 70 S. Weber Rd. I have been going to this spot for several years and enjoy the excellent food, great service and outstanding deals.  Sushi Train has a variety of seating styles to suit your needs.  In the mood for a little true crime with your tempura? Then check out the spacious booths and tables up front, where flat-screen TVs almost always seem to be broadcasting Nancy Grace and her pals on CNN: Headline New. Toward the back of the restaurant is Sushi Train's namesake:  a large circular bar with chefs making the various dishes in the middle. It's a great spot to see sushi making in action. On Sundays, a conveyor belt of …

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