Annual Black Friday Food Crawl - 2022 Edition

I have to admit there was a time (a long time, actually) when I thought there'd never be another one of these. Things change and then they change again. And they feel like they're slipping away forever . . . and then, they kind of change back. And here we are, almost like we never left but not really. Everything's different but at the same time, some things seem like maybe they'll never end. So, we loaded up the family truckster and headed out for the 2022, 'something old, something new, something iconic and something that blew' edition of the Black Friday Food Crawl . . .

First stop, Spiro's Deli in Glenview for their classic Bomber, a sandwich I've been enjoying (off and on) since high school but which my son had never experienced . . .


Spiro's Deli - Glenview
Tucked away in a corner of the strip mall.


Bomber & Fries
Our request to cut the sandwich in thirds was cheerfully accommodated. It was great and really brought me back. My son also enjoyed it. And even though we knew we'd have have limited real estate, I'm very happy we ordered the fries (which we didn't finish). They were sensational.

Next stop, kind of a one-hit wonder . . .


Palace Cantonese in Morton Grove
A bit of construction going on but still definitely open.


Egg Rolls
Hot, crispy and delicious. Are they the best ever? Well, if you'd made them from scratch at home, maybe so -- -- but even by restaurant standards, pretty darned tasty.

Still heading south, next stop Korean-style chicken, also in Morton Grove . . .


K-Coop on Dempster

As much as we tried to keep ordering tight (for obvious reasons), we loosened up a bit here . . .


Cheeseballs
Tough exteriors, relatively bland filling and served sauceless. A friend had recommended ordering these but I just didn't get it.


Green Onion Wings
These were the wing option within the Green Onion Chicken section of the menu. And we opted for Soy Spicy sauce, which didn't rock my world too much. Happily, it wasn't too sweet but it certainly wasn't spicy either.


Seasoned Wings
These were the wing option within the Seasoned Chicken section of the menu. Here, we opted for the Spicy Major sauce, which did deliver some heat but it was too sweet for me and lacked any acidity.

Okay, they can't all be winners. Continuing south to Edison Park . . .


Pizza Boy
A friend had suggested this place, which specializes in Detroit-style pizza. And needless to say, the very name of the place reminded me of a guy I know.

We knew that we wouldn't be getting a full-view experience of the place if we opted for slices but given the nature of our day, that still seemed like the right move . . .


The Don
Crumbled sausage, Ezzo pepperoni, Mike's Hot Honey


Da Pizza Boy
Italian beef and hot giardiniera

Even after having sat around for a while and being reheated, these were some nice and tasty slices. You can't really see it in my pics but the edges were nicely crispy and caramelized. I'd love to go back here and grab a made-to-order pizza soon.

I did mention iconic up top, so hopping over a bit southeast next . . .


Superdawg


Superdawg
There's a dog in there, I swear.


Whoopercheesie
Please forgive the bite marks. Even 5 stops in, there was clearly some impatience!

Okay, room for one more, heading northwest now to a relatively new arrival on the local bbq scene . . .


Mel's Craft BBQ - Park Ridge

Question: What do you get when you show up at a BBQ place at 3:30pm
Answer: Exactly what you deserve.

That is to say that I know this wasn't a great time to show up for bbq. Still, we decided to try a few items . . .


BBQ Tray
Brisket, baby back ribs, pit beans and mac & queso.

Not the greatest showing but I get it. This was the very end of some brisket that had clearly been sitting around a while. It was so soft, as you can pretty much tell, the serrated knife just mushed through it instead of cutting it. And I like moist brisket but the fattiness here was too much even for me. I probably could have asked for something else but after 5 previous lunches, we were pretty full and it didn't really matter anymore. The ribs were more or less falling off the bone, too. I was able to pull the meat away from the bone with my fingertips.

Oh, well. In the end, you give a place a chance to do their best for you and see what they come back with. In this case, that wasn't too impressive but who knows, maybe the place hums at peak hours? In any case, while it wasn't the finishing flourish we'd hoped for, it didn't diminish our day, which was glorious. You think something's gone forever and then it isn't. And that's a wonderful thing. Meat Jell-O be damned!

=R=

Spiro's Deli
1210 Waukegan Rd
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 729-6650

Palace Cantonese Restaurant
9236 Waukegan Rd
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(847) 966-2231

K-Coop
5900 Dempster St
Morton Grove, IL 60053
(224) 534-7544

Pizza Boy Chicago
6694 N Northwest Hwy
Chicago, IL 60631
(773) 853-0018

Superdawg Drive-In
6363 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 763-0660

Mel's Craft BBQ
24 Main St
Park Ridge, IL 60068
(224) 985-3461

I actually explained the food crawl to my wife earlier this week and wondered if it would come back this year and I am so happy it did. I always enjoy reading about this and marveling at the planning and appetite necessary to pull it off. Congrats to you and family; while every stop doesn't sound like a winner, the fact that you could get back out there is victory in itself.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Mel's Craft BBQ - Park Ridge

Question: What do you get when you show up at a BBQ place at 3:30pm
Answer: Exactly what you deserve.

That is to say that I know this wasn't a great time to show up for bbq. Still, we decided to try a few items . . .


BBQ Tray
Brisket, baby back ribs, pit beans and mac & queso.

Not the greatest showing but I get it. This was the very end of some brisket that had clearly been sitting around a while. It was so soft, as you can pretty much tell, the serrated knife just mushed through it instead of cutting it. And I like moist brisket but the fattiness here was too much even for me. I probably could have asked for something else but after 5 previous lunches, we were pretty full and it didn't really matter anymore. The ribs were more or less falling off the bone, too. I was able to pull the meat away from the bone with my fingertips.

Oh, well. In the end, you give a place a chance to do their best for you and see what they come back with. In this case, that wasn't too impressive but who knows, maybe the place hums at peak hours? In any case, while it wasn't the finishing flourish we'd hoped for, it didn't diminish our day, which was glorious. You think something's gone forever and then it isn't. And that's a wonderful thing. Meat Jell-O be damned!

=R=


Mel's Craft BBQ
24 Main St
Park Ridge, IL 60068
(224) 985-3461

Next time hit the vastly superior Une Annee/Hubbard's Cave. Good brewery, great barbecue: https://www.uneannee.com/

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Pizza Boy
A friend had suggested this place, which specializes in Detroit-style pizza. And needless to say, the very name of the place reminded me of a guy I know.

LOL..."Pizza Boy"...won my vote for one of the the most entertaining threads ever.

always an entertaining read.

EscobarSzn wrote:always an entertaining read.

I'm on page 6 of it. Hopefully will finish it today. Great so far.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Pizza Boy
A friend had suggested this place, which specializes in Detroit-style pizza. And needless to say, the very name of the place reminded me of a guy I know.

Just read that thread. I thought pizza boy looked 30 in the first picture, and by the end of the thread, it looked older. Much older. Very enjoyable thread to read. How is pizza boy doing now? My gosh, his children must be in their late teens now. In college?

Northcenter Joe wrote:I actually explained the food crawl to my wife earlier this week and wondered if it would come back this year and I am so happy it did. I always enjoy reading about this and marveling at the planning and appetite necessary to pull it off. Congrats to you and family; while every stop doesn't sound like a winner, the fact that you could get back out there is victory in itself.

Yeah, it was kind of special after the couple-year absence. By this time next year, the boy will have finished grad school and be working full-time, so if we do it, it might have to happen on Gray Saturday or Taupe Sunday.

spinynorman99 wrote:Next time hit the vastly superior Une Annee/Hubbard's Cave. Good brewery, great barbecue: https://www.uneannee.com/

Very near my office, have had it a few time and yes, definitely better than our showing at Mel's yesterday.

Artie wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Pizza Boy
A friend had suggested this place, which specializes in Detroit-style pizza. And needless to say, the very name of the place reminded me of a guy I know.

LOL..."Pizza Boy"...won my vote for one of the the most entertaining threads ever.

Yeah, he's a highly amusing fellow and I'm glad we work together.

EscobarSzn wrote:always an entertaining read.

Thanks. It was an entertaining day for sure.

Xexo wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Pizza Boy
A friend had suggested this place, which specializes in Detroit-style pizza. And needless to say, the very name of the place reminded me of a guy I know.

Just read that thread. I thought pizza boy looked 30 in the first picture, and by the end of the thread, it looked older. Much older. Very enjoyable thread to read. How is pizza boy doing now? My gosh, his children must be in their late teens now. In college?

Well, we're all older now and as I'm fond of saying, getting older sucks but it certainly beats the alternative!

And yes, his kids are both in college now. He and Mrs. Pizza Boy are now empty-nesters.

=R=

I have lived in Glenview for 25 years, and I must have passed by Spiro's 1000+ times (it is even within walking distance on a nice day!). It was just background. One of those places without meaning. But now I will correct that error and order a Bomber and Fries. Thanks, Ronnie.

GAF wrote:I have lived in Glenview for 25 years, and I must have passed by Spiro's 1000+ times (it is even within walking distance on a nice day!). It was just background. One of those places without meaning. But now I will correct that error and order a Bomber and Fries. Thanks, Ronnie.

Haha, cool. We used to go there for lunch when I was in high-school (1977-1981). It was in a different, larger location then -- west side of Waukegan and north of Lake Avenue. The food's been pretty much the same all along.

The thick-cut fries surprised me. I usually don't like that style but they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. In a perfect world, one would eat the fries there and take the sandwich to go. I think The Bomber benefits from being wrapped and melding for an hour or so. And fwiw, their Italian is no slouch, either.

=R=

This is such a fun event. Thanks again for sharing!!

ronnie_suburban wrote:

GAF wrote:I have lived in Glenview for 25 years, and I must have passed by Spiro's 1000+ times (it is even within walking distance on a nice day!). It was just background. One of those places without meaning. But now I will correct that error and order a Bomber and Fries. Thanks, Ronnie.

Haha, cool. We used to go there for lunch when I was in high-school (1977-1981). It was in a different, larger location then -- west side of Waukegan and north of Lake Avenue. The food's been pretty much the same all along.

The thick-cut fries surprised me. I usually don't like that style but they were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. In a perfect world, one would eat the fries there and take the sandwich to go. I think The Bomber benefits from being wrapped and melding for an hour or so. And fwiw, their Italian is no slouch, either.

=R=

Top notch sausage products too.

One thing I would be curious about (and apologies if this has been discussed before or is too off topic) but what is your process for planning these? Do you think of a geographic area that you want to go to, or particular cuisines that you want to have, or just go of a couple of restaurants you definitely want to hit and then try to build an itinerary from there? There is obviously so much thought and planning put into these and as someone who is interested in this write up each year it happens, I'd love a little more insight into the planning phase.

Northcenter Joe wrote:One thing I would be curious about (and apologies if this has been discussed before or is too off topic) but what is your process for planning these? Do you think of a geographic area that you want to go to, or particular cuisines that you want to have, or just go of a couple of restaurants you definitely want to hit and then try to build an itinerary from there? There is obviously so much thought and planning put into these and as someone who is interested in this write up each year it happens, I'd love a little more insight into the planning phase.

It really depends on the year. We don't always approach it in the same way. Sometimes, there are specific places we know we want to hit. Other times, we plan with specific foods/items in mind. We generally steer away from places we've all been but that's not a hard rule; case in point being our visit to Superdawg this year. We'd all been there before but it had been a long time. And after watching a recent youtube video about Superdawg (posted here by G Wiv), it was very fresh in our minds. We try to avoid places where we know it's likely to be a longer, sit-down experience (gotta' keep moving). And yeah, there's a bit of geographical efficiency that factors in, too.

So, we make a list of prospects, put them all in google maps and see if a clear route presents itself. I think the most places we ever hit in a single crawl was 9. It really does become diminishing returns at a certain point. You don't want it to just be checking boxes. I want to be hungry enough to enjoy and really experience what we order at each place. And we rarely finish anything. This year, for example, at the end of the day, our cooler contained leftovers from each place we visited.

This year, after a couple of years off, I think we were mostly interested in indulging in certain items while keeping the trek as efficient as possible and working our way south. First thought was Palace Cantonese for egg rolls (China Chef's egg rolls are better but we go there frequently). None of us had been to K Coop or Bonchon (on Touhy) but we decided on K Coop, so we added it to the route (wings, check). Once it was pretty much set that we'd start south down Waukegan Road, I realized that old favorite Spiro's was directly on the route and that my son had never been there. Easy add-on. We'd all been in the mood to try new (to us) pizza and Pizza Boy in Edison Park had been recommended by a few folks I know, so that was another easy add-on. So, as it usually does, the route just sort of came together; this year, with a lot of places of interest clustered in a relatively small area. We actually had a few more that were on the list but after 6 stops, we decided it would be better to save those places -- ones that seem pretty interesting -- for another time.

Thankfully, there was no good reason not to do our crawl this year but in all honesty, I haven't been thinking about restaurants too much recently, so there weren't a lot of "new" places that immediately came up on my radar. Instead, what came to mind first were places that I knew (of) and/or drive past regularly that would allow us to create a pretty fun menu . . . hot beef/cheese sandwich, egg rolls, wings, pizza, dog & burger and bbq. That's a nice progression. Tacos and middle eastern would have been next but again, that didn't really make sense after 6 stops. On the bright side, at least we now have some things on-deck for the future, though I sincerely doubt we'll be waiting until next November to visit them.

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