What's Good in Palatine, IL???

I have to take a quick trip to Palatine on Monday.  Arriving at MKE(half the price of ORD) Sunday afternoon, departing Monday evening.  Any info for good grub would be appreciated.

joe,
Unfortunately, Palatine isn't my stomping ground, but I do get out there enough to know that Brandt's is worth a stop if you're looking for good pub grub.  They are especially well known for their burgers, which I can personally attest to.
 
Also, if you're into good quality Asian "fast food", check out Mitsuwa Maketplace in not far away Arlington Heights.  Mitsuwa is a chain (might even be one in your neck of the woods) of Japanese supermarkets.  The one in Arlington Heights has a better than average food court, operated by local vendors, where you can get all the classic Japanese street foods, all under one roof.
 
Finally, back to classic Roadfood, also in Arlington Heights, you'll find Johnnie's Beef.  This is a second outpost of the original Johnnie's, so highly spoken of, in Elmwood Park.  If you're really hungry, try the combo; Italian Beef with a huge Italian sausage keeping it company in the bun.  Get it "wet", with sweet or hot peppers, an order of their exceptional fresh cut fries, and a big Italian Lemonade.
 
Now, don't you wish you were staying longer?
 
Buddy
 
 
Brandt's
807 West Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL
(847) 359-6373
 
Mitsuwa Marketplace

100 E Algonquin Rd
Arlington Heights, IL
(847) 956-6699

Johnnie's Beef
1935 S Arlington Heights Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL
(847) 357-8100

Couple of suggestions...for donuts I enjoy Spunky Dunkers. Also, I haven't been but the Chinese food at Heng Wing is supposed to be very, very good.
 
Spunky Dunkers
20 S Northwest Hwy
Palatine, IL 60074
 
Heng Wing
121 W. Palatine Rd
Palatine, IL 60074
 
Not in Palatine, but Salerno's Catering in Prospect Hts is very good. I enjoy their pizza very much but their sandwiches and pasta are also top notch.
 
Salerno's Catering
1716 E Kensington Rd
(between Wolf Rd & Lee St)
Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

Have you ever had an authentic Chicago-style hot dog, Joe?  If you see a Vienna Beef sign somewhere you should pull in and order one; there's a Portillo's in Arlington Heights (806 W. Dundee Rd.) that you could add to Mitsuwa and Johnnie's for a trifecta.
 
Since you didn't ask for any Milwaukee recommendations I take it you're heading south from the airport ASAP.
 
Brad

There is an outpost of Emmett's Tavern in Palatine. It's 3 location brew pub that has great food, I especially like the Truffle Fries! Not a beer drinker so I can't comment on that part.
 
http://emmettsbrewingco.com/

BuddyRoadhouse, A combo from Johnnie's sounds like Sunday dinner to me.  Thank You!    
 
Yeah, I wish I had a week to spend in the area.  Or at least be able to schedule during a "Contingent Gathering"
 
mousec, Thanks for the recommendations.  Not a big donut guy, although I am starting to look like one
 
ScreamingChicken, An authentic Chicago Dog is on my hit list.  Portillo's it is!  
 
I won't have any time to explore.  If I did, I would have reached out for a possible meet-up.  Plus I hear traffic is brutal on i94.
 
kland01s, Thanks for the info.  I may need something to wash down the combo on Sunday night.
 
Also, I will probably skip the Hampton Inn breakfast for a local place.  Anyplace serving Chicago Beef n' Eggs?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I have yet to find anything good in Palatine....If you're heading out of MKE down to IL, you should stop at the Brat Stop on Hwy 50 in Kenosha, WI (just north of the IL state line) on I-90/94.  Excellent taste of Wisconsin with brats, beer cheese soup, etc.

What the heck is "Chicago Beef n' Eggs"?  Unless I've been in the dark for the last 53 years, there is no such indigenous breakfast (or any other meal for that matter) dish by that name.  Whoever sold you that bill of goods was pulling your leg.
 
As for your breakfast needs, the entire Roadhouse Roadfood clan (Buddy, Mrs., abe_froeman, Mr. Maki) heartily recommend L&L Snack Shop in Des Plaines (about 6-8 miles from Palatine, down Northwest Highway; Route 14).  Excellent pancakes, omelets, corned beef hash and other breakfast related items.  Everything is served with a couple of hunks of ham fresh off the bone, whether you ask for it or not.  This is a classic Mom & Pop diner with daughters involved as well.
 
As for the Brat Stop, no offense to ALLGOOD, but most native Cheeseheads agree you can do better.  Honestly, I've been to the Brat Stop many times and like it just fine.  Many of my Contingent colleagues have their own, lesser known favorites, which I will let them recommend should you be interested.
 
If you need food between Billy Mitchell Field and Palatine, there's plenty to be had on both sides of the border, so just ask.
 
On the other hand, given your short stay, I think we've covered every meal you can possibly eat on this trip.
 
Buddy
 
L&L Snack Shop
456 East Northwest Highway
Des Plaines, IL
(847) 803-6767

Visiting all the payments I've sent there through the years.
 
There was a time when I had my store that I sent five different payments to the same address, different POB's at the same time.
 
As for food, I have no idea.

BuddyRoadhouse


What the heck is "Chicago Beef n' Eggs"?  Unless I've been in the dark for the last 53 years, there is no such indigenous breakfast (or any other meal for that matter) dish by that name.  Whoever sold you that bill of goods was pulling your leg.  

 
BuddyRoadhouse, Just talking out loud about something I would eat for breakfast.  Just watch, one year from now it will be the hottest breakfast item in town.

No one ever heard of lutefisk omelets either until JoeRogo visited Minnesota.

Tony Bad

No one ever heard of lutefisk omelets either until JoeRogo visited Minnesota.

 
And you can think of me every time you order the scungilli parmesan quiche on Long Island.

joerogo

Tony Bad

No one ever heard of lutefisk omelets either until JoeRogo visited Minnesota.

And you can think of me every time you order the scungilli parmesan quiche on Long Island.

 
How's about lutefisk pizza? 
 
 
 
I can't help but notice how much the fellow in this photo looks like our own Davydd 

joerogo

Tony Bad

No one ever heard of lutefisk omelets either until JoeRogo visited Minnesota.

And you can think of me every time you order the scungilli parmesan quiche on Long Island.

 
That was YOU?!?

Bob Chinn's Crab House in Wheeling is only 15 minutes away.  Highly recommend.

 
BuddyRoadhouse, Thanks again for the recommendation.  Johnnie's was outrageous.  I got the combo, and what suprised me the most was how good the sausage was.
 
BTW, they had a pepper, egg and sausage sandwich on menu.  I asked if they would make it with beef.......he said soitenly!  Mark my words, the next big foodie item in Chicagoland....beef n' eggs.
 
ScreamingChicken, I read somewhere you were enjoying a $4.72 Subway sandwich.  How's this for $4.09 + $.29 for the hot peppers?
 
 

 
Nice picture eh?  I had so much grease on my hands, I was afraid to touch my phone to take the picture.
 
Serious though, this was extremely cheap for the size, taste and quality.  In Philly you would pay 8 bucks easy.
 
 

Very nice.
 
So, what are you doing about breakfast?
 
Buddy

Last night, through no fault of my own, we ended up at Gators Wing Shack.  Reason #1, a local guy we were meeting picked the place because he is a Gator Alumni.  Reason #2, good place to watch a football game.  
 
Don't get me wrong, the wings were some of the best I ever had, and I would highly recommend the place, but I can get great wings in Pittston.  My choice would have been some fine Chicago Hi-Talian food, and getting game updates on my phone.   We also had the beef and hot pepper pizza.....bleh.
 
Looks like breakfast will be at the Hampton Inn The Pitt fans are all hung over

You're lucky you didn't get knifed around there!

We decided brunch would be at L & L Snack Shop.  What a great Greek Style, Roadfood Diner, run by some of the nicest people.  Everybody greets you as a regular when you walk in the door.
 
I was undecided.........breakfast or lunch?  Chicago beef, or one of their fantastic looking omelets?  So I asked, can I have both?
 
So Buddy, here is the prototype, The Chicago Beef Omelet.......



 
Excellent breakfast.  The beef was spicy and tender, the hash browns were top notch, and even the Greek toast was extra tasty.
 
The owner loved the idea so much, she is going to include it on the specials board.  Now she is waiting for Buddy to come in to thank him for recommending her place.  She said to just order the omelet and she will know who you are.
 

joerogo


BTW, they had a pepper, egg and sausage sandwich on menu.  I asked if they would make it with beef.......he said soitenly!  Mark my words, the next big foodie item in Chicagoland....beef n' eggs.

Pepper and egg (sans sausage) is what we Chicago Cat'lics eat on Lenten Fridays.

Hey Jim2903, We Milwaukee Lutherans get to eat whatever we want on Lenten Fridays, and most of us look like it. LOL !!

joerogo


We decided brunch would be at L & L Snack Shop.  What a great Greek Style, Roadfood Diner, run by some of the nicest people.  Everybody greets you as a regular when you walk in the door.

I was undecided.........breakfast or lunch?  Chicago beef, or one of their fantastic looking omelets?  So I asked, can I have both?

So Buddy, here is the prototype, The Chicago Beef Omelet.......




Excellent breakfast.  The beef was spicy and tender, the hash browns were top notch, and even the Greek toast was extra tasty.

The owner loved the idea so much, she is going to include it on the specials board.  Now she is waiting for Buddy to come in to thank him for recommending her place.  She said to just order the omelet and she will know who you are.

joe,
I'm glad you enjoyed my recs, especially L&L.  They are, exactly as you describe, "some of the nicest people".  Unfortunately, I'm not an omelet guy.  I usually go with a short stack and a side of corned beef hash; I love the salty and sweet combination of the two.  Mrs. Roadhouse, on the other hand, is an omelet fiend.  I'm sure she'll be willing to try your invention, at which point I expect full recognition from Mrs. L&L.  Not a comped meal, mind you, but maybe just an extra piece of ham on my plate.
 
See you next time you're in Chicago!
 
Buddy

Thanks again to all!  Very nice area with great food.  I hope I get the job I am quoting so I can explore some more.
 
I still need to have my first authentic CSD.  Maybe even prepared by CSD  I like the looks of the shrimp fongul that WanderingJew is raving about.  And maybe another Chicago beef or two, and definitely a pizza from Burt's, and...........

joerogo


I have to take a quick trip to Palatine on Monday.  Arriving at MKE(half the price of ORD) Sunday afternoon, departing Monday evening.

joerogo


Thanks again to all!  Very nice area with great food.  I hope I get the job I am quoting so I can explore some more.

Hmmm...an out-of-town "contractor" comes in for a day to check out a "job".

<<shrimp fongul>>
 
When I was a kid in Brooklyn, "fongul" meant something entirely different, and not food related at all....

joe,
You keep referring to "Chicago Beef".  I assume you mean "Italian Beef", because other than that, there is no other roast beef sandwich (like the Beef on Weck in upstate New York) for which we are known.  If I'm mistaken, please educate me.  Was it Italian Beef that was used in your omelet?
 
Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse, I guess I would have to study terminology for a couple years before I could become a contingent member.  Yes, we had the Italian Beef, but they only had sliced jalapeno peppers, no giardiniera. 
 
 

ScreamingChicken

joerogo


I have to take a quick trip to Palatine on Monday.  Arriving at MKE(half the price of ORD) Sunday afternoon, departing Monday evening.

joerogo


Thanks again to all!  Very nice area with great food.  I hope I get the job I am quoting so I can explore some more.

Hmmm...an out-of-town "contractor" comes in for a day to check out a "job".

 
Huh?  What?  What'd ya hear?  We was diggin test holes.

joe,
Don't worry.  If you wanted to become a Contingent member bad enough, we'd get you up to speed in a jiffy.
 
Just remember, Pizza is baked in a pan with cheese on top of the dough, tomato sauce on top of that, and ingredients over all.  Hot Dogs must have mustard, onion, neon green relish, tomatoes, a pickle spear, "sport" peppers, and a dash of celery salt (okay, last two optional).  And for the love of God...NO KETCHUP!  A beef sandwich is shorthand for "Italian Beef" which is served wet or dry with sweet or hot peppers.
 
After you've got that down, we'll move on to Milwaukee Brats, Fish Fries, Cheese, and Beer.
 
Buddy