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Uncle Mike's Place - Filipino Breakfast, American Diner

Uncle Mike's Place - Filipino Breakfast, American Diner
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  • Uncle Mike's Place - Filipino Breakfast, American Diner

    Post #1 - April 30th, 2010, 8:46 am
    Post #1 - April 30th, 2010, 8:46 am Post #1 - April 30th, 2010, 8:46 am
    LTH,

    Uncle Mike's Place, subject of Thursdays Chicago Tribune Cheap Eater column by Kevin Pang, was completely off my radar, though when Pang extolled the joys of their Filipino breakfast over a recent meal at Franks n' Dawgs it was but a few days till I found myself tucking into moist garlic rice, perfect over easy eggs and the star of the show, Tocino, lightly charred subtly sweet thin sliced pork. As bonus not only is choice of toast included with breakfast, but a vinegary tomato onion mix and gratis soup, deliciously spicy bean one visit, vegetable another, and on the weekends Lugaw, thick rich rice porridge, think Filipino congee.

    Tocino, garlic rice eggs over easy, tomato onion salsa

    Image

    Tocino

    Image

    Longanisa, basic flavor as tocino in sausage form, though it skews a bit sweeter.

    Loganisa, tomato onion salsa

    Image

    Loved the complimentary Lugaw, thick creamy comforting rice porridge, scattered bits of chicken with a fish sauce induced umami pop. American breakfast does not get short shrift, crispy hash browns, creamy grits, omelets and good looking spinach and cheese scramble one of my table mates ordered.

    Spinach and Cheese Scramble with Hash Browns

    Image

    American diner fare dominates the menu, with a wall board of Filipino specials, and though my next visit will be spicy Spam, over easy eggs and garlic rice, Patty Melt is high on my must-try list. A surprisingly tasty looking fruit plate, pancakes, pumpkin sounded good, and full range of American style blue plate specials round out the menu.

    Filipino Breakfast Menu

    Image

    Two comfortable dining rooms with well spaced tables plus a small conversation conducive counter, reasonable prices, spot-on service, endless cups of Intelligentsia coffee and off the beaten path breakfast specials place Uncle Mike's solidly in my diner rotation.

    Enjoy,
    Gary

    Uncle Mike's Place
    1700 West Grand Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60622
    312-226-5318
    Breakfast and Lunch
    Monday - Saturday 5am - 3pm
    Sunday 6am - 3pm
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #2 - April 30th, 2010, 8:55 am
    Post #2 - April 30th, 2010, 8:55 am Post #2 - April 30th, 2010, 8:55 am
    HI,

    JustJoan had mentioned Mike's recently commenting on their corned beef hash. If she had also mentioned in the same post the Filippino offerings, my attention would have been aroused faster.

    Glad you made it! I also appreciate their 5 am start time. I could eat there, pick up a brisket and make it home before the traffic builds.

    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,
  • Post #3 - April 30th, 2010, 9:09 am
    Post #3 - April 30th, 2010, 9:09 am Post #3 - April 30th, 2010, 9:09 am
    I went to Uncle Mike's in my pre-LTH days and was impressed by their breakfasts. I tend not to eat breakfast outside my home, so I never returned, but I am pleased to see it get some ink. This is a truly under-the-radar joint.
  • Post #4 - May 16th, 2010, 12:10 pm
    Post #4 - May 16th, 2010, 12:10 pm Post #4 - May 16th, 2010, 12:10 pm
    Great breakfast here this morning. My first time with Filipino longanisa left me very impressed. The flavor profile is something like Chinese sausage, but brighter, and the texture easily trumps my beloved Chinese links. The garlic in the rice was present, but not so much as to preclude normal human relations after consumption. The vinegared tomatoes mingled as nicely with rice and pieces of longanisa on the plate as in my mouth. I substituted very good, simple hash browns for eggs, and had a side of white toast. Given the volume of food, I passed on the offer of lugaw--but that's what second trips are for. Sitting at the counter, I watched every plate come out, and concur with G Wiv's praise of the overall quality--it all looks solid.

    The wait staff was friendly on all counts, and the clientele--a charming mix of regulars and families--seemed universally pleased. The joint was mostly full, but conversation-friendly. I don't feel qualified to label anything "GNR," but Uncle Mike's had both great food and fine character, with enough quirk to easily elevate it above the rest of the burgeoning breakfast pack.
  • Post #5 - May 16th, 2010, 9:36 pm
    Post #5 - May 16th, 2010, 9:36 pm Post #5 - May 16th, 2010, 9:36 pm
    I was at Uncle Mike's Place for brunch this morning as well. As a proud Filipino, I'm very thrilled about all the buzz it's currently getting (and about time too!). They now offer a combo option which gives you a taste of both the longanisa and the tocino. I liked the tocino (which evoked many pleasant memories of road trips to Pampanga, the province that this meat product is indigenous to, when I was a kid), but the longanisa was just superb! It was firm, sweet, garlicky...and beautifully grilled. I loved the free chicken lugaw as well - very robust and comforting with many, many pieces of shredded chicken meat (which you wouldn't expect in a complimentary dish). Mike also sent over to table groups ordering the Filipino breakfasts today's special: homemade "pork and beans" with huge chunks of very tender braised pork meat.
  • Post #6 - May 16th, 2010, 9:55 pm
    Post #6 - May 16th, 2010, 9:55 pm Post #6 - May 16th, 2010, 9:55 pm
    fusionfan wrote:I was at Uncle Mike's Place for brunch this morning as well. As a proud Filipino, I'm very thrilled about all the buzz it's currently getting (and about time too!). They now offer a combo option which gives you a taste of both the longanisa and the tocino. I liked the tocino (which evoked many pleasant memories of road trips to Pampanga, the province that this meat product is indigenous to, when I was a kid), but the longanisa was just superb! It was firm, sweet, garlicky...and beautifully grilled.


    This is good to hear/read. Not that the other endorsements weren't credible, but for many [non-Filipinos], longanisa and tocino are relative novelties, and it's always hard to weigh first impressions against the experience and frame of reference that comes with growing up with these foods. Swine dining and I have discussed now a few times how we both want garlic rice and longanisa to be our last meal--we love it so.

    I'm excited to have Uncle Mike's Place so close to my house and am looking forward to ending my Tuesday morning run there for a first visit. Also, as an early riser who is usually ravenous for a larger, savory breakfast as soon as I wake up, I totally dig that they open at 5am.
  • Post #7 - August 5th, 2010, 9:43 pm
    Post #7 - August 5th, 2010, 9:43 pm Post #7 - August 5th, 2010, 9:43 pm
    Hi,

    I had some preconceived notions of Uncle Mike's Place that did not play out. For whatever reason, I thought it was going to be a somewhat worn at the heels diner like Moon's with terrific food.

    My first notion I was wrong was the stylish neon sign over a door. The interior was neat as pin and attractive. The menu was well put together, not a greasy photocopy in need of retirement.

    My first visit was just before 6 am on a weekday to celebrate a friend's birthday. We came specifically for the Filippino breakfast spelled out on a chalkboard. This is a fairly new addition to menu, which will likely be added to their standard menu.

    After we ordered our breakfast selections, we were asked if we wanted chicken noodle or bean soup. I joked about chicken-rice soup missing in action, to learn it is available on weekends only. We ordered one of each soup.

    The chicken noodle soup gave all appearance of a made on the premises product.

    Image

    I had the bean soup, which was a bit heavy for a warm July morning. It would be more welcome on a winter's morning. This is a matter of taste, though it was my goal to try as much as possible. Next time, I might opt for chicken noodle or come on the weekend for chicken rice.

    Image

    We both ordered a combo Filippino breakfast. It arrived on a charger sized plate with enough food for two people to share.

    Image

    Clockwise from the top is a fresh tomato salsa seasoned with vinegar and garlic; the fried eggs are sprinkled with crunchy bits of fried garlic; underneath is garlic rice; grilled pork tocino (sweet cured) and two grilled longganisa sausages.

    A special this day was a stack of three fresh mango and blueberry pancakes. This is a picture of the bottom showing freshly chopped mango.

    Image

    The menu had a few more unique food items, which are not replicated in their take out menu unfortunately.

    Uncle Mike's is a comfortable place to visit and eat. Why I thought otherwise I will never know.

    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,
  • Post #8 - August 8th, 2010, 7:57 am
    Post #8 - August 8th, 2010, 7:57 am Post #8 - August 8th, 2010, 7:57 am
    Cathy2 wrote:My first visit was just before 6 am on a weekday to celebrate a friend's birthday. We came specifically for the Filippino breakfast spelled out on a chalkboard.

    C2,

    I was at Uncle Mike's for late breakfast yesterday, love the Filipino breakfast but the blueberry/pumpkin pancakes were a revelation.

    Always fun to read about your early am breakfast adventures.

    Blueberry/pumpkin pancakes

    Image

    Enjoy,
    Gary
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #9 - October 23rd, 2010, 3:51 pm
    Post #9 - October 23rd, 2010, 3:51 pm Post #9 - October 23rd, 2010, 3:51 pm
    I capped off a morning of food-dork fun (used my Groupon at Fox & Obel, plus a stop at Northwest Cutlery to have a couple knives sharpened) with an early afternoon meal at Uncle Mike's. It was just after 2, and I hadn't had anything but coffee all day so I was hungry bear. Of course I had the longanisa/tocino breakfast combo, and despite my starviness, I easily had enough leftover for another meal. The food had me sighing with happiness. I haven't ordered a Filipino breakfast in a restaurant since I was actually *in* the Philippines :-)

    Lugao and champorado were packed up to go, and I'm looking forward to having them later. Next time I'm going with the skirt steak. They marinate it in 7-up, just like mom! Actually, mom marinates her pork kabobs in 7-up... anyway, thanks LTH! Loved this place.
  • Post #10 - October 24th, 2010, 10:56 pm
    Post #10 - October 24th, 2010, 10:56 pm Post #10 - October 24th, 2010, 10:56 pm
    I'm lying here in bed still coveting the Filipino breakfast I ate this afternoon. Dragging around one hell of a hangover this morning, this seemed like a natural choice. Uncle Mike's is in my neighborhood and I had stopped in for American breakfasts a few times several years back. I had heard rumors back then that they served up Filipino dishes, but could never figure out how to order them and was too timid to ask. It has clearly caught on now as these dishes are advertised on the front cover of the menu and the chalk board- the place was hoppin and over half of the plates streaming from the kitchen were piled with the charred, bright red meats. My stomach was a bit timid as we waited to order, but I held my ground ordering the tocino breakfast. I was surprised when we were greeted with gratis "soup" which was more like congee. This homey, soothing dish was exactly what the doctor ordered, providing a base for the hearty fare to come. It was flecked with bits of chicken and pork with sizeable chunks of ginger in every other bite- step aside oatmeal, I could eat this every morning. The rest of the meal was near perfect- light, garlicky rice, topped with just- right over easy eggs, yolks adding their creamy joy to the rice. Sweet, salty tocino had a char siu thing going on with a subtle spicing and sublime char. I sampled my buddy's longanisa, which I could also eat a whole plate of. And the brilliant addition of the salsa, bright and sour cutting just right the unctuousness of the rest of the plate. Man, that was a lot of pork, so much so that I brought some home for fried rice sometime this week. Uncle Mike's Place is going to become a ritual in my dining rotation.
  • Post #11 - October 24th, 2010, 11:01 pm
    Post #11 - October 24th, 2010, 11:01 pm Post #11 - October 24th, 2010, 11:01 pm
    Hi,

    What I cannot get over is the plate size for the Filippino breakfast. My friend Helen is absolutely sure it is a charger plate. I took the Moms there a month ago. While we opted for lunch, we could not help but notice the delicious and generous sized Filippino breakfasts. That is what we will shoot for next time.

    The chicken-rice soup is offered only on weekends, though a soup is offered at breakfast on weekdays, too. I make chicken-rice at home, too. It is good at any time of day. :D

    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,
  • Post #12 - November 24th, 2010, 11:07 am
    Post #12 - November 24th, 2010, 11:07 am Post #12 - November 24th, 2010, 11:07 am
    I'm heading into my annual 10-day fast this evening, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to have for my "last" meal. I chose Uncle Mike's. Could the plates be getting bigger?

    Image

    My first thought was to order bangus, but as these are my final hours of eating for a while, tocino seemed like it would hold me over longer. My sister got the longanisa, and Uncle Mike sent out some fried rice with lovely bits of pork, mushrooms and green onions.

    Image

    I skipped the fried rice since I've steadily been working on leftovers from Thai Bar-B-Que in Milwaukee, but my sister loved Uncle Mike's version and ate it instead of the garlic rice that came with her sausages. My last meal before a fast is always a very important one, as it usually occupies my thoughts for the better part of the 10 days. Breakfast at Uncle Mike's fit the bill perfectly.
  • Post #13 - November 24th, 2010, 2:29 pm
    Post #13 - November 24th, 2010, 2:29 pm Post #13 - November 24th, 2010, 2:29 pm
    happy_stomach wrote:I'm heading into my annual 10-day fast this evening, and I thought long and hard about what I wanted to have for my "last" meal.


    You're beginning a fast the day before Thanksgiving? Now that's bucking the trend! :wink:
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #14 - December 3rd, 2010, 12:02 pm
    Post #14 - December 3rd, 2010, 12:02 pm Post #14 - December 3rd, 2010, 12:02 pm
    Another fabulous breakfast! Finally made it this morning while carrying out some seven-thousand-odd food-related errands. Can't say enough good things about this place. I had the combo breakfast (tocino/longanisa) and it brought back very fond memories of old Manila. Well, okay, not old Manila, exactly. Old Honolulu, actually. I lived there for a while in the late 70s and Filipino food is among the various ethnic specialties to be found in Hawaii. My breakfast called up very fond memories and, though I didn't grow up in a Filipino household, the food struck me as dead-on. Needless to say, I defer to Sharon and fusionfan on the subject (note: Jude, have you been?) and am pleased to see that they both approve. Service was great and aimed to please. Highly recommended.
    Gypsy Boy

    "I am not a glutton--I am an explorer of food." (Erma Bombeck)
  • Post #15 - February 6th, 2011, 6:22 pm
    Post #15 - February 6th, 2011, 6:22 pm Post #15 - February 6th, 2011, 6:22 pm
    All of the love flowing for this place has scared me away from posting any negative comments for a few months. For some reason I keep thinking of Uncle Mike's Place even though I did not enjoy my fist experience there. I think my mind recalls it with the wish that there was good Filipino food in my neighborhood.

    It was late last year, I didn't particularly want non-American breakfast that morning, but I figured a couple over easies with meat would satisfy. And since the bf was gunning for this place we gave it a whirl.

    The place was packed with Filipino families and neighborhood couples mid-morning on a Saturday, and we waited about 20 min for a table. We saw the sign proudly boasting Intelligentsia coffee, but after we ordered were informed that they were out and were brewing more. That was a fine reason until a table that was sat well after us received coffee and we still had none after our meals were served. The coffee could barely be called that - it was so watered down, it was basically hot brown water. I joked that if Intelligentsia knew what this place was doing with their product they'd stop selling it to them. This was such a far cry from Intelligentsia's individually-brewed cups that when we left we went straight to Swim for a real caffeine injection. (Yes, I know Swim serves Bridgeport coffee.)

    Onto the meal. I ordered the tocino, having seen plates upon plates of the combo breakfasts coming out of the kitchen during our wait. I really wanted the tocino/loganiza combo, but didn't see it on the menu. After putting out order in, I asked the server if I could get both meats. She checked with the kitchen and came back with a negative response. I was pretty shocked they wouldn't accommodate this request - they could easily have sent out a side of loganisa after they served our meals. Usually a business would want to sell more rather than less, and I found it off-putting and got a sense that they just didn't care, which is the last sentiment I want from a restaurant.*

    The flavor of the tocino was good, not great. The garlic "fried" rice was an abomination. Really, how can they call it fried if it never touches the griddle/wok/hot surface other than rice cooker? The rice was obviously steamed with garlic flavor, certainly not fried. I was really looking forward to some charred flavor from the rice but sadly this did not deliver. Everything was a large portion, and the tocino had some char on about half of it. The eggs were not very fresh tasting, some of the least-flavorful eggs I've had in years, which may just speak to the great quality eggs we've been getting recently. But this also detracted from my breakfast. :(

    The bf ordered the half portion of skirt steak and this turned out to be the highlight. The meat was a nice thick cut, really juicy and flavorful after adding a pinch of salt.

    We actually thought the coffee was a mistake - that they wanted to serve it as quick as possible and maybe filled our first cups after hastily fetching coffee from a not-fully-steeped pot, but upon having our mugs refilled with the same disappointing brew, came to the conclusion that that's the way it was supposed to be.

    I hope my experience was a fluke, I wanted to like the place. But I got off my seat wondering aloud what the appeal was. And I've been stumped these past few months stewing and seeing more glowing reviews of the place. I haven't wanted to commit to another meal to here just to be disappointed, using the "fool me once..." mentality.

    There are just so many places to try, and I can't see myself walking into this place of my own accord again.

    As an aside, I don't like slamming places after just one visit, but the attitude of the staff and the atmosphere of the place made it seem that this was the norm. There were no clues that they were striving for something better. The staff gave us no vibe, no clues that anything was out of the ordinary. Everything seemed to be running just like it was supposed to be.

    *A measure of a good restaurant in my house is one where you can say "they don't fuck around," meaning the food is beyond reproach, you can tell all links in the chain are well-oiled and they make no excuses. If a place doesn't care, they must "fuck around," thereby eliminating them from the acceptable realm of eatingdom. In essence, I only want to eat at places where they don't fuck around.
  • Post #16 - February 7th, 2011, 8:25 am
    Post #16 - February 7th, 2011, 8:25 am Post #16 - February 7th, 2011, 8:25 am
    cabrito -- Don't know what caused the problems you cited, but we have never experienced such missteps in the dozen times we have been to Uncle Mike's (cue the Twilight Zone music, here). We love the place and the people.
  • Post #17 - February 7th, 2011, 11:05 am
    Post #17 - February 7th, 2011, 11:05 am Post #17 - February 7th, 2011, 11:05 am
    cabrito wrote:The garlic "fried" rice was an abomination. Really, how can they call it fried if it never touches the griddle/wok/hot surface other than rice cooker? The rice was obviously steamed with garlic flavor, certainly not fried.


    Filipino fried rice is cooked on a low temp, just enough to impart a subtle garlic flavor to the rice. We don't use woks on jet engine burners like the Chinese do so it won't have that char flavor.
  • Post #18 - February 7th, 2011, 12:43 pm
    Post #18 - February 7th, 2011, 12:43 pm Post #18 - February 7th, 2011, 12:43 pm
    cabrito wrote:As an aside, I don't like slamming places after just one visit, but the attitude of the staff and the atmosphere of the place made it seem that this was the norm. There were no clues that they were striving for something better. The staff gave us no vibe, no clues that anything was out of the ordinary. Everything seemed to be running just like it was supposed to be.

    A statement like this is a real stretch, IMO. I think you'd be well-served to follow your own instincts and not make such proclomations after a single visit. It's a bit unfair to do so.

    My only visit there -- the Friday after Thanksgiving -- was entirely pleasant and the service was notably friendly. I thought everything we ate was well-prepared but the tocino and longanisa were just too sweet for my palate. My wife and son loved them, though.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #19 - February 7th, 2011, 12:53 pm
    Post #19 - February 7th, 2011, 12:53 pm Post #19 - February 7th, 2011, 12:53 pm
    Cabrito - Thanks for posting in detail about your experience at Uncle Mike's. Negative, positive and lukewarm posts help to form a full(er) picture of restaurant.
  • Post #20 - February 7th, 2011, 1:00 pm
    Post #20 - February 7th, 2011, 1:00 pm Post #20 - February 7th, 2011, 1:00 pm
    Well, I had a fine breakfast there yesterday morning. Sure, the garlic rice isn't for everyone, but I appreciate its subdued garlic, as opposed to an acrid punch in the face. Tocino and longanisa are a bit sweet, but that seems appropriate for breakfast, personally. Both can be uneven in texture--yesterday's sausages were a bit chunky, but still tasty, and the tocino sometimes has some less-gloriously-charred fatty bits--but that's part of the appeal. Huge portions of homemade food for good prices in a worn but friendly atmosphere--I walked out tempted to write this up as a GNR.
  • Post #21 - February 14th, 2011, 5:13 pm
    Post #21 - February 14th, 2011, 5:13 pm Post #21 - February 14th, 2011, 5:13 pm
    cabrito wrote: I ordered the tocino, having seen plates upon plates of the combo breakfasts coming out of the kitchen during our wait. I really wanted the tocino/loganiza combo, but didn't see it on the menu. After putting out order in, I asked the server if I could get both meats. She checked with the kitchen and came back with a negative response. I was pretty shocked they wouldn't accommodate this request - they could easily have sent out a side of loganisa after they served our meals...

    The garlic "fried" rice was an abomination. Really, how can they call it fried if it never touches the griddle/wok/hot surface other than rice cooker? The rice was obviously steamed with garlic flavor, certainly not fried. I was really looking forward to some charred flavor from the rice but sadly this did not deliver...

    I hope my experience was a fluke, I wanted to like the place. But I got off my seat wondering aloud what the appeal was. And I've been stumped these past few months stewing and seeing more glowing reviews of the place. I haven't wanted to commit to another meal to here just to be disappointed, using the "fool me once..." mentality. [/size]


    Re the combo option - this is quite perplexing to me since the combo option is on the blackboard menu (or was, the last time I was there).

    Filipino fried rice is never charred...it is always "soft-fried". In the Philippines, we moisten it with water while frying on low temps so the rice is never rough or crusty. It's quite aggressive to call something an "abomination" if you've never had it.

    Also, if I thought something was a "fluke", I'd go back and try it again one more time just to make sure.
  • Post #22 - July 31st, 2011, 1:06 pm
    Post #22 - July 31st, 2011, 1:06 pm Post #22 - July 31st, 2011, 1:06 pm
    Sup y'all, I thought now was as good a time as ever to bring this thread back into the fold. I cant tell you how many times (100's) I drove by this place over the years, always saying I'll get there one day but not actually making good on that until Da Wiv shared with us his experience here on LTH.

    Image
    Located on Grand ave between Ashland and Western

    I've been a few times since this thread started and returned yesterday for a long overdue visit. My first couple times I wasn't able to pass on the Tocino. Yes it is sweet but I still enjoy it. I'm not the biggest baddest sweet toothed man out there but I love to cut up the pork shoulder into pieces and mash it all together with the garlic fried rice and over easy eggs, throw the pico on top and that's my type of breakfast. You can count me amongst the big time fans of that garlic rice and it's great I can always leave full.

    Image
    Tocino breakfast

    On one of my visits we and a friend split the Longaniza which I thought was also damn good. Again sweet but I'm a sausage man and this was my first experience with a Filipino version of it and just like every other countries sausage offerings, I love theirs too.

    Image Image
    Longaniza breakfast

    Yesterday I was finally able to try what Uncle Mike's labels "the best damned marinated skirt steak east of the Pecos" and I enjoyed it very much. However I would call it "the best damned marinated skirt steak south of the Athenian Room". Still very much enjoyed with the garlic rice and over easy eggs being the perfect compliment to the steak. Again this is my style of breakfast. Comp'd porridge soup was as good in a heatwave as it is in a blizzard. Friendly service as always. I'm looking forward to trying the bangus (grilled monkfish) next visit, I saw someone else with it and it looked great. Also the pork chop will eventually be put down. I actually have three Uncle Mike's on my moms side of da fam. I wish this Uncle Mike was my fourth.

    Image
    Uncle Mike's marinated skirt steak

    *Also I got some sort of sweet refried bean? dish seen in the skirt steak pic, what is that? Anyone know?


    Uncle Mike's Place
    1700 W Grand Ave
    Chicago, IL 60622
    (312) 226-5318
  • Post #23 - July 31st, 2011, 1:24 pm
    Post #23 - July 31st, 2011, 1:24 pm Post #23 - July 31st, 2011, 1:24 pm
    Da Beef wrote:*Also I got some sort of sweet refried bean? dish seen in the skirt steak pic, what is that? Anyone know?

    Great shots, as usual, Beef. Thanks, for the post.

    Image

    I think that's actually chocolate rice in that shot but I could be mistaken.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #24 - July 31st, 2011, 2:48 pm
    Post #24 - July 31st, 2011, 2:48 pm Post #24 - July 31st, 2011, 2:48 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    Da Beef wrote:*Also I got some sort of sweet refried bean? dish seen in the skirt steak pic, what is that? Anyone know?

    Great shots, as usual, Beef. Thanks, for the post.

    Image

    I think that's actually chocolate rice in that shot but I could be mistaken.

    =R=


    Yep, it looks like tsamporado.
    Fettuccine alfredo is mac and cheese for adults.
  • Post #25 - November 20th, 2012, 8:05 am
    Post #25 - November 20th, 2012, 8:05 am Post #25 - November 20th, 2012, 8:05 am
    Don't plan on getting to this place right at 5am, I've tried twice now, even waited in car for 15 minutes & tried knocking on front door, no one opens the door. So much for 5am open :evil:
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #26 - September 29th, 2013, 11:19 am
    Post #26 - September 29th, 2013, 11:19 am Post #26 - September 29th, 2013, 11:19 am
    well my 3rd try was successful.

    Mrs & I both had tocino breakfasts this morning which were delicious. Only complaint is my over easy eggs were "over easy but then cooked for awhile." Mrs had poached eggs which were done perfectly.

    I can easily see taking others here that might not want a Filipino breakfast as I would, so there is the other typical breakfast fare for them, win-win.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #27 - September 29th, 2013, 11:24 am
    Post #27 - September 29th, 2013, 11:24 am Post #27 - September 29th, 2013, 11:24 am
    Sweet Willie,

    What time did you go this time?

    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,
  • Post #28 - September 29th, 2013, 12:13 pm
    Post #28 - September 29th, 2013, 12:13 pm Post #28 - September 29th, 2013, 12:13 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Sweet Willie,

    What time did you go this time?
    I didn't try this morning at 6AM after my previous two early morning attempts. We arrived ~8:40AM this morning Sunday as my princess likes to sleep in on weekends. Front dining room was a bit crowded so we went to the back dining room.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #29 - December 7th, 2014, 2:02 pm
    Post #29 - December 7th, 2014, 2:02 pm Post #29 - December 7th, 2014, 2:02 pm
    We've been meaning for years to give Uncle Mike's a chance, and were finally able to do so yesterday. The food and service were both top notch. From the first spoonful of the garlicky and intensely chickeny lugaw, everything was delicious. The Philippino breakfast has been well-covered in this thread (longaniza and tocino both very good), but the surprise of the meal was the bacon cheese burger. Though clearly not the focus at Uncle Mike's, they happen to serve a darn good burger. Well seasoned, cooked to medium rare, and served on a big, fresh, dense but fluffy egg bun, I'd order one again without hesitation.

    We dug Uncle Mike's and I expect we will find ourselves back again soon.

    --Rich
    I don't know what you think about dinner, but there must be a relation between the breakfast and the happiness. --Cemal Süreyya
  • Post #30 - December 24th, 2015, 5:06 pm
    Post #30 - December 24th, 2015, 5:06 pm Post #30 - December 24th, 2015, 5:06 pm
    Had a chance to bring our Holiday visitor from Pune, INDIA to Uncle Mike's today for hearty breakfast "base" before a busy day of Holiday Shopping - and man- did they make Neha happy!

    ImageFilipino Tocino Breakfast @"Uncle Mike's" on Grand Avenue/ Paulina-CHICAGO... OMG! triple Yummm good! by R. Kramer, on Flickr

    Not enough love's been written for the "congee"-like rice served as an "amuse-bouche"
    ..what a flavorful treat.
    Smooth rice stew w/ chicken and sprinkled w/colorful bits of green onion + toasted,crisped bits of garlic
    with a lemon slice make for a homey-
    heartfelt expression of the kitchens "love" for what they put out and serve.
    This dish alone- would satisfy me.

    The large size plate of Fillipino breakfast is enough to fill any "hungry-man"...add in a complimentary small dish of
    home-made oatmeal- and we all left with a big smile.
    Uncle Mike's is now on our breakfast rotation- along w/ Danny's Egghead on Irving Park Road near Lincoln Ave.
    (& of course Wishbone on Washington @ Morgan!)

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