What's for dinner, Oppo?

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
07/15/2017 at 20:38 • Filed to: None

I can’t decide between the Sauerbraten, Sausage Trio (bratwurst, knockwurst, smoked Thüringer) or the Reuben.

DISCUSSION (19)

atfsgeoff > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 20:53

I ate a pink lady apple, steamed broccoli, a few grapes, a pear, and a small pizza. it was all delicious.

fhrblig > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 20:58

I made thoroughly non-authentic tacos. I’m talking Lawrey’s taco seasoning mix, store-brand yellow taco shells, Rosarita refried beans, iceberg lettuce, etc. IT WAS AWESOME. Also, I’m drunk.

razorbeamteam > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 21:15

The Rueben is fantastic, but their sausages are good too. The Berg’ is one of my favorite power lunch spots.

ttyymmnn > razorbeamteam
07/15/2017 at 21:24

I went with the sausage. It was more dinner-y.

OPPOsaurus WRX > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 21:24

My wife made shrimp and scallop scampi

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 21:25

Homemade mac and cheese. 10/1 would get the sausages.

ttyymmnn > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
07/15/2017 at 21:26

I did. The brat was the best.

ttyymmnn > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/15/2017 at 21:27

That sounds awesome. One thing I miss about living in TX is proper East Coast seafood.

OPPOsaurus WRX > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 21:34

Yea it was good. We used sea scallops (the big ones) they overstocked so they were 75% off

ttyymmnn > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/15/2017 at 22:01

I f**king love scallops.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 22:56

If you’re still there, and you’re into root beer, order one. They make my favorite root beer.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
07/15/2017 at 23:18

The kids had root beer. I had real beer, the original lager. Not bad.

Kinja'd!!!

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn
07/15/2017 at 23:24

Sausage was the correct answer here. How was Giordanos?

Danger > ttyymmnn
07/16/2017 at 00:50

I loved the Berghoff. Got banned for life from there on St. Patrick’s day some years ago. Great place.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW
07/16/2017 at 00:52

I got the sense that Giordano’s was “safe.” Solid tourist-friendly pizza, but nothing that made me say, “Damn! This is great!” But it was just fine, and the beer was cold. Besides, pizza is like sex. Even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. As for Berghoff’s, I ate there about 20 years ago when I came to audition for the CSO (I didn’t get the gig). My sense now is that they provide solid bar food, but again, nothing too fancy. My older son really liked the Jäger Schnitzel, and my wife had the Sauerbraten. It was a nice Chicago-y place to end the day before the L ride back to Rosemont. Tomorrow it’s the Museum of Science and Industry, followed by a trip to the top of the Sears Tower (I will NEVER call it the Willis Tower). Those are the two things that I listed as must-do activities. When I was living in Oak Park back in the 70s, the MoSI was a regular field trip destination. And my wife an I visited it about 25 years ago when we came north for a friend’s wedding. I’ll be interested to see how much it has changed since then. We head out on Monday morning, and we’ll take a swing through Oak Park so my boys can see where I lived when I was their age. Then we’re off to Springfield to see Lincoln’s grave (we have seen his birthplace and Ford’s Theater where he was assassinated) before ending up in Hannibal, MO.

Maybe I would get tired of it if I lived here, but I found just being in the city to be an exciting thing. Forget about all the tourist destinations, it was a thrill to walk around amidst all the noise and the smell and the activity. After my brother and I moved to live with my dad in VA, we visited my mom when she was still living in the city. She had no car, and we rode the L everywhere. It’s just such a different way of life than what we are used to today. So perhaps it’s a mix of both nostalgia and novelty. Anyway, it’s been a great visit, and I can’t wait to come back again.

ttyymmnn > Danger
07/16/2017 at 00:54

Well, that sounds like an interesting story. I went for the first time about 20 years ago when I came to town to audition for the CSO. It was nice to get back after all these years.

Danger > ttyymmnn
07/16/2017 at 09:46

Haha yeah. We were drinking, not getting too crazy but enjoying ourselves. At the time I was a younger and a bit more dirtbag-ier looking, who just spent a large amount of money, for that point in my life, on a leather moto jacket. At the end of our stint at the berghoff I went to grab it and it was gone from the coat rack near our table. I was mad, but couldn’t see anyone who’s obviously taken it, so I started to leave. Out of frustration I kicked my foot out at the panel next to the door frame, not hard enough to break wood (which is what it looked like to me), but it turned out to be glass painted brown. My foot went straight through it. People were angry. I looked like a drunk malcontent. I told the manager I’d pay for every penny that I had damaged, he just told me to never come back and we’d call it even. Taught me a good lesson in not kicking things that aren’t mine.

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn
07/16/2017 at 12:21

I love Chicago, particularly in the summer. But with a 1 year old and living in the burbs now, I’m hardly ever there.

I forgot the Berghoff is still there. Every few years, they threaten to close it permanently (and have done so at least once) but it keeps coming back from the dead. German isn’t my favorite food, but they do a decent job.

Giordanos thin crust is very much just a safe choice. Not bad, but not that great. Their stuffed pizza us quite good, and certainly popular with locals (to me, Ginos and Uno are the touristy joints).

But the Achilles heel of any Chicago deep dish or stuffed pizza is cooking the crust properly. If they’re crowded and in a rush, you get a slightly undercooked crust which makes the whole thing kinda meh.

Speaking of which, if you’re having lunch in Oak Park tomorrow and aren’t sick of pizza, check out Geppettos (113 OP Ave). It’s been a long time for me (20 years), but they used to make some of the best pizza around- better then any of the chains, hands down. That, or Johnnies Beef on North Ave for Italian beef.

Enjoy the MSI - I’m sure you’ll check out the United 727 on display. Note the name on the fuselage — Bill Norwood was my dad’s neighbor for a long time, and a wonderful guy. I believe he was United’s first black captain, and I know he was one of the first in the industry. I love that place (the model train display was heaven to me as a kid), but the downside is that you’ll see some stuff that clearly hasn’t changed AT ALL since you were a kid, but probably should.

Have fun! !

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn
07/19/2017 at 11:16

Some good source material for this week - I about lost it when the flight attendant was walking down the aisles noting the babies on laps (with an 11 month old as of today, it’s a pretty sensitive topic to me).