Rock Bottom

I have been here for happy hour and the place is a zoo. It's a tourist trap in every sense. Located on the corner of Grand and State, this place should be avoided by locals at any cost. The food isn't even good pub food. When Tom and I went there for dinner one night (since it's in between work and home for me), Tom actually had to ask them to take his food back and bring something else out. We NEVER do that - we love food! It was just unedible. While the "micro brew" marketing might get some people to come in and try their fare, don't say I didn't warn you! You have to be a little tipsy to even slightly enjoy the atmosphere or the food!

This place is rock bottom, alright. Ugh.

OPA Estiatorio

OMG - the portions at this restaurant in Vernon Hills are HUGE! Tom and I went there after he had gone for a wedding rehearsal dinner. The restaurant is located where a million other restaurants have failed...I hope it doesn't happen to OPA, because the food is awesome! Tom loved some sort of lasagna thing with sugar on top and I loved everything:) Service was really great for a slow Saturday afternoon. Just be sure to go there on an empty stomach - you will not go home hungry!

Scoozi's

This was a favorite of the Mulherin family's at Christmas time. Over the year's, it seems that this Lettuce Entertain You restaurant has kinda gone down hill. Tom and I went there with some friends to visit our friend who was bartending, but we would not go there for a full blown meal. All in all, this is an old standby when everything else fails:)

Emil's Pizza

Good times, good prices, and the waitstaff are always accommodating! After a night out, you can order a pizza for delivery and the driver will take you home on his way to your house! Sweet:)

Tom finds this little cabana a gem. It's certainly a home away from home for many in Mundelein, IL:)

Pete Miller's

Tom and I received a gift cert to Pete Miller's - it was probably re-gifted to us. We sat outside in the autumn sun, and it was nice enough at first. Then came the bees. There were so many flowers, and probably sticky substances that weren't cleaned up, the bees migrated to our table the entire dinner. The steak was weird and squishy. The server was beyond rude and the service left a lot to be desired.

Not good, Pete Miller, not good. -- Megan

Sushi Samba

Sushi Samba is one of our favorites. The atmostphere is relaxed and modern with vaulted ceilings and good music! This place is right down the street, so we can just pop in for an appetizer on short notice. I hear there is a heated rooftop, but we haven't been there yet. The sushi is really good, but probably overpriced. I love the crab legs and Tom, well, he always likes the eel. Gross:)

The servers are always very nice and the wait has never been long. The bathrooms are a little weird - you can see right into them. So far, we have liked everything we have tried at Sushi Samba! -- Megan

OTOM

OTOM was suggested by one of my co-workers and Tom and I both thought the space was really cool and different. It is located in the Fulton Market district and is cozy and modern at the same time. Hands down, if you are going to OTOM, you have to have a mojito. The bartender wrote down instructions and showed us how to make the perfect mojito and talked with us for about an hour after we finished our dinner - service was impeccable!

We had the shrimp with jalapeno noodle for an appetizer - not so appetizing. The noodle looked and felt like a long green snot. I had the short rib ravioli which was amazing but a smaller portion than what we Americans are used to:) Tom had the lamb shank for dinner and it was good - but I could tell he didn't love it because he didn't finish it! Then for dessert we had the apple crumble which was AWESOME. I would go back just for that. We ended up going to SushiSamba for an additional dinner that evening - which has nothing to do with how much we liked OTOM, it just wasn't very filling. -- Megan

Dover Straits

Dover Straits just might be one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I started coming here when I was about 12 with my parents and family friends for the famous "surf and turf." This then became the place to go for Homecoming and other high school dance dinners. Dover Straits is still the awesome place it has been for the entire 15+ years I have been going.

First of all, the crab cakes are the best I have ever had anywhere, and I usually always get crab cakes at a seafood place. Tom likes the oysters, but I'm not a big fan of them at any location. The dover sole is the house specialty and it is delicious. All entres come with the salad ship - either the nina, pinta or santa maria will deliver a customized salad to your table. Very fun!

On Friday's and Saturday's, there is a live band that plays smooth jazz and 70's disco. It's super fun and we love to get on the dance floor and shake a leg! The service is always great and the host and server's all know us right when we walk in. The atmosphere is that of a supper club and you will always see all different kinds of people. You can either dress casual or dressy - it's up to you!


I love love love Dover Straits - if you're up in Mundelein, IL, check it out! -- Megan

The Annex

Oh no!!!! The Annex is being torn down! This is the dive bar to end all dive bars, and it is sadly the end of an era. A local hangout for the Vernon Hills/Mundelein crowd on a Sunday afternoon, The Annex has often been dubbed "Club Annex." For those of you who can't get enough of darts, beer, and ugly women, this is the place for you! Bye bye, Annex. Others will take your place:)

Catch 35

This won't be a long entry because this restaurant was not good! They try to infuse their second rate seafood dishes with an asian flare - but it just turns out weird and gross. The ambiance is too open, however, the live three piece jazz band is pretty cool and the light fixture hanging from the ceiling is better to look at than the food. Sorry Catch 35 - I give you a Catch 0! -- Megan

Tacos Burritos Express

Arriba!!! Stop in for some tacos and a beer at this place on the Mundelein drag! A great local standby for the upper 'burbs. Try the king burrito - bigger than El Famous and tastes like you're in Mexico!!!!

Aye yay yay!!!

Tramanto's

Tom and I went to Tramanto's when we first got back together in the summer of 2007. The location is a little confusing because Osteria di Tramanto and Tramanto's Steak & Seafood are right next to eachother. We went to Osteria di Tramanto - I think. The decor is to die for...I loved being there. It made you feel fabulous while in the suburbs - very rare. We had the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer which was great. Good portion size, extremely helpful and friendly service, and an ambiance to die for. Don't let the hotel location/link put you off - this one is a hidden gem in the burbs!

Le Peep

This is hands down the best kept secret in the West Loop. I go to Le Peep regularly for breakfast on the weekends and there is almost NEVER a wait - hopefully that won't change! They offer specialty coffee and brunch drinks (think bloody mary's) and there is water waiting at the table when you sit down. I almost always go for the egg white omelets, but I have had lunch and the sandwiches are tasty, too. The food here isn't greasy and the portions aren't so gigantic you feel bloated afterwards. As if that weren't enough, they deliver breakfast on the weekdays - breakfast in bed - how great is that? -- Megan

Nine Steakhouse

The setting at N9nE reminded me of being on the set of Miami Vice sometime during the 1980's. The crowd dressed modern even though the lighting was purple, Tubbs was deejaying, and our server (nice guy) looked like Pee Wee Herman. The food was really good. We started off with the shrooms as an appetizer -- I would definitetly recommend those with a Ghostini to wash them down. For the main course, I ate the Fire Chicken which was very juicy white meat with a nice char on the outer skin. Megan had the scallops which were perfectly cooked -- not rubbery, but very tender and tasty. We also split a side order of mashed potatoes with lobster meat. To wash it all down, the house martini cleverly named the Ghostini named after the upstairs dance "club" called the Ghost Bar.

After dinner we walked upstairs to the Ghost Bar. It is a basically an open room with a bar along the wall. Unfortunately, Ghost Bar was not that impressive (see Annex Lounge). The bartenders will do a shot with you and maybe even throw you a comp here and there, however, the bar was lackluster compared to the restaurant. I give N9nE 3 out of 5 stars. -- Tom

And So We Begin!

The idea for writing a blog about restaurants we visit came from, well, you guessed it - eating food at restaurants. Chicago has a plethora of good food eats and as long as we are spending our money and our calories at these establishments, we thought we would also log where we go, what we eat, and if we like it. The look of this blog will probably change as time goes on, but I wanted to get the ball rolling and start the show!

Mangiare!

Megan & Tom