LTHForum.com

Hi,

This evening after dining at OTOM, I drove over to Mario's. My hope was to see bits of light from the behind shed's windows, then knock on the door. Yes, I was hoping to get the very first Italian lemonade of the year.

When I arrived the windows were open, the lights on and customer's were being served. I greeted the manager to learn they had been open since 5 PM. Of course the official opening is tomorrow, but they had product ready and simply opened tonight.

Summer has arrived!

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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I love lemonade! Mario's Italian Lemonade looks absolutely awesome! Is it nearby to SmoqueBBQ?

Not really. Mario's is down in Little Italy.
Mario's
1068 W. Taylor Street
Chicago

Reading back to the comments upthread, I wonder whether I am the only person who distinguishes between "Italian ice" and "Italian lemonade."

I think of Italian ice as a water ice or sorbetto made with any sort of fruit or flavored syrup and sugar, frozen into a mixture that you eat with a spoon. Italian lemonade, however, must be made with lemon -- it can have other flavors added to it, but the base is lemon. And it is slushy -- a beverage, that you drink with a straw.

At Mario's, it all starts with lemon, so I always caution first-timers to choose a flavor that to their taste is compatible with lemon. I also advise choosing one of the flavors made from fresh fruit instead of flavoring syrup. However, since fruit is seasonal, you have to be mindful that, in May, watermelon might not be the best choice.

Early in the season I tend to stick to tutti-frutti (which changes as the season progresses and starts out with a lot of apple in it) or pina colada, switching to cantaloupe and watermelon as those fruits come into season, and then finally, for its all-too-brief period, peach.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

Valuable guidelines. I agree (but didn't know tutti-frutti was from scratch - a good find). Thanks!

I completely agree with the difference in ice and lemonade. Whenever people ask me "where to get the best" I always ask them "best lemonade or best ice". Mario's has great Italian lemonade and the best in the city but Tom & Wendee's has by far the best Italian ice and a much better overall product.

Sure Mario's is half the price of T&W but thats the price difference in limited fruit with lots of lemon peel/syrup in a lemonade from Mario's and 100% fruit made in T&W's ice.

Tom and Wendee's Italian Ice
1136 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-327-2885

GNR Freddy's in Cicero also has dynamite scratch Italian ice (edit: lemonade, using the definitions above) with peel. It does not keep in the freezer for more than a day, though.

One other difference: Italian ice/sorbetto -- depending on the way it's made and the flavor it's made from -- can sometimes be cold and intense without being refreshing. On a hot day, there's nothing like an icy, slushy Italian lemonade.

I should point out that Mario's is all made from scratch: fresh lemons and sugar are the basis for all the flavors. But some, like blue raspberry* and chocolate, get their additional flavor from syrups, whereas some -- tutti frutti, cantaloupe, watermelon, coconut, pineapple, pina colada and peach -- have fresh fruit added.

* No one over 10 years old should order blue raspberry.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

Does anyone know the hours and/or days of operation of Gina's on Roosevelt? I made a trip out there last year hoping to go there, and was so bummed to see it wasn't open.

Meeting friends at Leona's on Taylor for dinner and drinks but am heading down early to grab my first Mario's Italian ice of the year. I had one from Johnnies a couple weeks ago which was jsut as good as always. Thinking of lemon and watermelon.

If anyone is in the area and sees me on my black motorcycle, wave!

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I used to think the brain was the most important part of the body. Then I realized who was telling me that.

I'm an admitted Italian ice novice, but I have to second the motion for Gina's over Mario's. Sampled Gina's lemon ice and watermelon ice over the weekend and was wowed by the fresh taste and on-the-spot sweetness.
In either case it's really a great thing that these family-run operations can do what they do. I'll return to both.

I recently had a lemon Italian ice at Tom and Wendee's. Not only was the price quite a bit more, the pucker power of the lemon was overwhelming. I finished my lemonade like a forced march, but I won't likely go for a repeat. Or go with some dread to accomodate someone else.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Stop # 2 today was Mario's.

I didnt come away that impressed and think the basic lemon Italian lemonade at Johnnies is better(my wife agreed). Also got a strawberry one that had more flavor and both worked as a palate cleanser for me between the chinese food i had just ate and the IB i was going to get @ Al''s. Price was right $1 for each small lemonade and service was friendly.

I think my wife and daughter liked it better than I did & Im glad we tried it, not sure if Ill go back(i just dont have a big sweet tooth or like flavored ice alot)..

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Must say, we felt the same way, having had Italian lemonade at Mario's on Sunday and Johnnie's on Monday. Still, Mario's has the advantage of having Mario there, and he is one of Chicago's most interesting food people. I'd go there largely just to interact with this great man.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

The fresh-fruit-enhanced flavors at Mario's are my main reason to go there, not to mention the ambiance.

I order Johnnie's lemonade frequently, but I always find it over frozen (you have let it melt before you can drink it with a straw) and for my taste slightly too high in peel oil.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

nicely done Mr. Hammond, did you do an Al's beef and Johhnie's beef as well on those days?

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Had a beef on the Johnnie's visit (hot sweet wet). My brother was in town last week from Seattle -- a region largely bereft of Italian beef -- and he went to Johnnie's three times in a six-day period; on the days he didn't go, he wistfully talked about going.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

Yeah, the soupy lemonade ice at Mario's is not the best Italian ice in town. But the canteloupe, the watermelon, the ever short-lived peach-- those fresh fruit ices are all great.

Of course, the street theater is in a class by itself.

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I'm sure it's come up before, but Italian lemonade and Italian ice aren't the same thing. You could make a case that both are types of water ices. But "Italian lemonade" is a frozen beverage -- you drink it with a straw -- and it starts with lemon. You can add other flavorings to it, but the lemonade base is requisite. At Mario's, even the chocolate flavor starts with lemon.

Whereas "Italian ice" is a frozen dessert that you eat with a spoon, and it can be made from any kind of fruit puree or syrup.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

The straw and spoon point of difference is confounded at Johnnie's where straw and spoon are conjoined in a rare combination utensil.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

The spraw is one of my favorite utensils, screw the spork.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Mario's gives you both a straw and a spoon. They're old-school enough to spurn the stroon.



For what it's worth, I used the spoon almost exclusively for this small cup of watermelon lemonade. The little bit of liquid that remained at the end got tipped into my mouth. It would have been a tough go armed only with a straw.

Mario's
1068 W Mario DiPaolo's Italian Lemonade St
Chicago



Or is that 1068 W Al's Italian Beef Blvd?

We went to Mario's the other night and as a heads up to all.....there is a Lupini bean shortage and Mario's doesn't have them and doesn't expect to have them until August. That and the horrible overpriced Al's Beef did not make my day.

I love love Al's Beef and was so disapointed by how bad it was, the meat was so stringy.

We went down there to try the new Chickie's that opened, but I chickened because I really wanted a good beef and was a bit scared to try a new place. Big Mistake.

Must express my personal contempt for straw or "stroon" usage @ Mario's. Spoon only for this guy. So much so, it's become a running joke amongst my friends.

Personally, I eat mine with a stratula.

_________________
Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.

The spoon is for the fruit pieces ... and the impatient.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

When do they have the peach? Did I miss it?

not until late august probably

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Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

Hi,

I wonder if it will be that late, because everything else has been early by two weeks this year. It doesn't mean it will a longer peach season, just one that is moved up.

Regards,

_________________
Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

What about the Wendy's fpoon?
Mike G, you tickle me! A much needed laugh after a shitty day.
Can't wait for that peach flavor...I missed it last year!

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