Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket

In my constant quest to see the fall color change and hopefully get some nice photographs, on this particular Sunday my wife and I took a road-trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. The main draw for me was that you can hike, or drive through the arboretum which mostly features trees from all over the world. 

The fish were jumpin

Prior to our road trip, I reviewed an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. This episode featured Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Illinois. A quick check of Mapquest revealed that it was located about nine miles from the Morton Arboretum.To view that Triple D episode on YouTube follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n50gUqkngCg.

Peter Peter pumpkin eater

Being at the right place at the right time can be tricky for fall color

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket is not a diner, it’s not a drive-in, and most certainly not a dive. Due to it's close proximity to Rte. 66 and the current I-55, Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket is really more of a roadhouse. Most roadhouses are located along highways or roads in rural areas or on the outskirts of towns. In this case it is the historic Rt. 66, near the present day I-55. Prior to about 1962 Rte. 66 was the road to travel. Once the Interstate highway system was built most businesses on Rte. 66 vanished as the new Interstate passed them by. Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket survived. How is this possible? I wondered. It must be really good food. All I can say is I’m glad that I have GPS or would have been lost. During the day if you really look hard their sign is visible from I-55. Getting there is a little tricky. Ultimately we reached our destination and it was still light out. The sign/historical marker in the front parking lot tells their story and their slogan "Get Your "Chicks" on Rte. 66."

The sign in front says it all

Judging from the many cars in the parking lot I was expecting a long wait to be seated. In the entrance there was a menu board listing their daily specials. Lobster pot pie was one of the selections. Yum! Since we came for chicken, chicken it would be. We were greeted a hostess who showed us to a table and gave us menu's. 

The room was warm and inviting and had a roaring fire in the fireplace. Within minutes we were approached by our waitress and asked if we wanted to order drinks. She left us to look over the menu. 
Under the heading "Chicken, Chicken and More Chicken!" was what we came for:

Our Famous Fried Chicken in a Basket

1/2 fresh Grade A chicken cut into four pieces, hand breaded and deep-fried in TRANS FAT &CHOLESTEROL FREE shortening. Served with French fries, homemade Cole slaw and freshly baked biscuits. Please allow 30 minutes! No substitutions please! All white meat is available for $3.00.

All of this for $11.95. For an additional $5.00 more you can get their Fried Chicken Dinner which is the same as the basket but includes mashed potatoes, green beans and the soup and the salad bar.

Winner winner chicken dinner

When our waitress returned we each ordered the chicken basket. I just kept thinking about their lobster pot pie and their chicken pot pie. I decided that I really wanted the chicken pot pie to go. She told me that they were all out of them and suggested calling ahead next time because on Sunday the pot pies sell out fast. She informed me that they did have 3 lobster pot pies left and if I wanted one to take home they are half baked and ready to be finished at home. She told me that each pot pie had the meat from a whole lobster in it. I took one home to enjoy at a later date.

I got one to go

We were served a basket of fresh biscuits and butter packets. In the basket there was one half of one biscuit in it covered in whole buscuits. Was this a left-over from a previous customer? The biscuits seemed like drop biscuits and were very good especially with honey. 

The dinner was served and it was plump, juicy, and really delicious. This is not the chicken you will find at your average corporate chicken restaurant. This is the real deal chicken dinner reminiscent of the type of chicken you would expect at a Mom & Pop restaurant in the 60's. Support your local Mom and Pop's so they don't vanish.

To see the episode featuring Dell Rheas Chicken Basket on WGN "Chicago's Best" follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QouA_AalJ8
PS. The lobster pot pie was delicious! It took about 20 minutes to finish cooking it in a 325 degree oven. 
Check out Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket menu, directions and website at http://www.chickenbasket.com/

© TMelle 2013

Sausage and Cheese Biscuit Hors d' oeuvres

Fried Bologna

While I do enjoy watching a good football game from time to time, part of that time spent must include an outdoor or indoor tailgate party to help pass the time. As I've gotten older tailgating usually involves a television and indoor or outdoor cooking. Usually during football season a bowl of hot chili takes the edge off of the Midwestern fall weather.

Game Day Chili

When my brother moved from Chicago to Mississippi he quickly developed a taste for all things southern, including the laid back, low and slow cooking and lifestyle attitude that goes with it. He quickly developed a taste for things like fried bologna sandwiches, Beaufort stew, pulled pork and ribs, and brisket just to name a few.

Pulled pork sliders

One day he asked if I had ever tried sausage and cheese biscuit balls. I hadn’t. He said that they were a big hit whenever they went to a Mississippi football game. I’m not sure who invented this recipe but it is often associated with a company that makes and sells breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean or Bob Evan’s, or Bisquick.  I personally prefer Bob Evans brand over others so I’ll stick with that.

If you have a party store in your area, they have a large number of sports theme party supplies. Since I was doing football snacks I was thinking of football party supplies. We have a “Party City” near us and they even have sports theme party recipe ideas at http://www.partycity.com/content/football+party+food+ideas.do. I quickly found exactly what I was looking for football shaped party picks and table cloths for my sausage balls.

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits Ingredients

What you’re going to need:
1 pound spicy pork sausage, Bob Evan's preferred
10 ounces cheddar cheese, grated good quality
3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick, or self-rising flour

to taste Sriracha hot sauce, or any hot sauce that you prefer

to taste Kosher salt  

Preheat the oven to 375°F
Options: You have many options when making these sausage and cheese bites. Just before they are finished baking you can brush melted butter on the outside and lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and parsley and put them back into the oven to finish baking.

Breakfast sausage

If you have a stand mixer, using the slow speed and the paddle attachment combine the uncooked sausage, Bisquick, cheese and a couple of drops of hot sauce to your taste. Be careful so that you only combine the ingredients and don't over mix. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and make the sausage balls 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls about 1 inch apart so that they don't grow together. If you don't have a stand mixer just mix the ingredients by hand.

Add flour to sausage

Place the trays into the oven and bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Don't allow to over cook. They will be tough if you do. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Add cheese to flour and sausage

Form 1 inch sausage balls

Sausage balls baked

Serve and may the best team win

Serving suggestion: 

If you like you can make a milk gravy dipping sauce to pour over or as a dipping sauce. 

Melted butter (bacon grease preferred)

Add flour to fat

To make the Milk Gravy you’re going to need:
1/3 cup hot bacon drippings, or melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cup milk
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook roux at least 1 minute

In a saucepan heat the bacon drippings until hot. Stir in the flour and cook for about another minute to get rid of the starchy flour taste.

Add in hot milk

Using a wire whisk slowly stir in the hot milk until until well blended. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Season to taste

Serve immediately in a bowl with a small spoon or spoon over the sausage balls. It's game time!

 

 © TMelle 2013

Diner’s Dives and Drive-In’s Big & little's Fish and Chips

Yes they have parking. A big plus in Chicago

I’m just hooked on Diner’s Dives and Drive-In’s. I have been a fan of Triple D for some time now. Unlike the celebrity chefs on many TV cooking shows, the chefs, cooks and restaurants featured on Triple D are often ordinary people like you or me who really enjoy cooking and eating good food. The places featured, and I hope I’m wrong, just might be our last glimpse of the mom and pop entrepreneurial spirit. I especially enjoy it when the featured venue is in or around the Chicago area, so I can visit them.

No printed menu's! Now where are my glasses?

Initially planning a road trip to Wisconsin to see the trees turning to their fall colors, on this particular Saturday the sky was overcast and it began to rain on and off. So much for a road trip to Wisconsin. I told my wife that I would like to go out for German food, or to Big & little's for fish & chips. Determining where to go was going to be a last minute decision based on traffic congestion. On this day the traffic was congested but not unbearable. It is amazing how we have learned to tolerate traffic jams. We decided to go the distance to Big & little's, featured on Triple D at 860 N Orleans St  in Chicago. 

Shrimp & Chips

When we arrived at Big & little's the gated broken asphalt and gravel private parking lot was a welcome site. The North side of the parking lot had deep ruts so we found a spot of level ground on the South side of the lot. It's ironic that their neighbor to the South is Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. I was sure that we were going to have a really good dining experience. The two side entrance doors were propped open with cement cinder blocks and actually stepping into the restaurant entrance was a bit of a challenge as well because of the uneven threshold. Watch your step! The kitchen order counter had a large chalkboard menu overhead featuring the item names and the price. There were no extended descriptions. Under the section "FRIED SEAFOOD" we ordered the Fish & Chips - Cod which I saw on Triple D and also the Shrimp & Chips. Each of these choices were $15.00. Other than chips we were unsure if anything else came with these entrees. For drinks we were offered a choice of bottled soft drinks, or fountain drinks. We opted for the bottled drinks for nostalgia reasons. Our order total was $39.00 and some change which is about what I expected. They gave us our drinks, took our name and said that they would call us when our order was ready.

Cod fish & chips

At first I didn't realized that there were two seating areas in two different rooms. The first, where you order is mostly picnic tables with attached benches. The second room was set up with booths and more picnic tables. My wife went to one room and waited for me. I went to the other room thinking she went off to the restroom. Our name was called on the speaker system and my wife picked up our order. 

The Fish & chips consisted of on very large and thick piece of beer battered cod that was cooked perfectly in my opinion, a generous portion of French fries, two lemon wedges and a plastic portion cup of tartar sauce. The ratio of beer batter to fish was perfect. The texture (crunch) was exactly what I hoped for. The Shrimp and chips consisted of 13 beer battered fried shrimp dipped in the same beer batter, two lemon wedges and a plastic portion cup of cocktail seafood sauce. Prior to leaving for Chicago I looked at photo's on Yelp and saw a picture with 5 large shrimp with the chips. I'm not sure if they changed to much smaller shrimp size and more of them, or if they ran out of larger shrimp and substituted more of the smaller ones. Whatever the reason the ratio of beer batter to shrimp was closer to 50/50. My wife removed much of the fried batter from the shrimp before eating them. Both entrees were served in plastic baskets with waxed paper sheets and very flimsy plastic knives and forks. We were both surprised that there was no Cole slaw served with either meal to balance the richness of the fried fish and chips. The cod was amazing. I can honestly say that my wife and I could have split either entree and been content paying $20.00 instead of $39.00. 
While I was there I asked for a printed menu and was told they didn't have one, pointing to the chalkboard instead. Their choices on the menu were many but I really didn't know what many of them were, especially the "POKE TACOS" which has steamed blue crab included in that section. On the "BURGER" menu I had no idea what a "Hercules, Zeus, Hawaii 5-0, little's MICK DIDDY, or BIGS MACK DADDY" were.   
Overall I would say judging from the clientele during my visit that Big & little's appeals to all ages. The half filled hot sauce bottles on the tables had dried sauce in the necks and tops, the table top was slightly sticky and apparently not wiped off after the last patrons left.
If you've never experienced a Wisconsin cod or haddock fish fry and you're really hungry give Big & little's fish & chips a try. It is amazing! If it's fried shrimp you crave just around the corner at 1011 W. Division Street is the Goose Island Shrimp House, Chicago's oldest shrimp house. Wherever you decide to go bring plenty of cash as both are "cash only" establishments. Big and little's does have an ATM. 
Would I return to Big & little's? You bet! To allow me more choices I would bring people who are willing to split orders. I would love to try the PORKBELLY POBOYS next time. Maybe for the fish and chips they should have two order sizes, Big $15.00 & Little's $8.00.  It could be on a secret menu for loyal customers. Support your local merchant!

© T Melle 2013

Football, Baseball and Mucho Nacho’s

Take me out to the ball game

I’m generally not what you consider a sports junkie, unlike some other members of my family who are perfectly content watching baseball, basketball, hockey or football throughout their individual seasons. If no sports are on TV, like that ever happens, you can always watch Dancing with the Stars. Throw in the occasional game of golf or tennis and you have the fantasy zombie league. My children are sports nuts. They wear team jerseys and cheer for their team whenever and wherever they can. Don’t get me wrong I actually like watching sports once and awhile, but not all of the time, week after week, season after season. It’s a lot like watching corn grow.

If you can't go to the game bring the TV outside

I grew up in a time when TV was really in its early development. The only sport on TV was baseball. Instead of watching it on TV we went out and played baseball or football. Taking on the kids from the next street over with a good old-fashioned water balloon fight was how we settled territorial disputes. Later in the evening we would play tag, or hide and seek. Being “it” was something you wanted and hearing the words “Ollie Ollie oxen free” meant you survived to play another game. When we got thirsty we didn’t run to the gas station for a bottle of pop. We got a drink of unfiltered water from the garden hose. A couple of kids on the block, future entrepreneurs, set up a Kool-Aid stand and sold Kool-Aid in paper cups for 5₵. At the end of the day we were tired from playing all day. Dinner was at 6:00 pm sharp. After dinner and after doing the dishes, we went out to play again: more hide and seek, or catching fireflies.

Please drink responsibly

Can you smell the brats and burgers?

Crock pot chili

If I must watch a football game then I must have plenty of football-type snacks and ice cold beer on hand. You just can’t drink wine and watch sports. In the Midwest it often gets cold during football season. When it comes to the ultimate football season snack foods we’re talking hot snacks. Wrapping my hand around a grilled bratwurst (brats) smothered in grilled onions dressed with grainy mustard, or the belly warming comfort of a steaming bowl of chili with chopped onions and shredded cheddar cheese on a cold winter's day is enough to begin an endorphin rush to my brain telling me all’s right in the universe, at least for this moment in time.
One of the best ways to take the frost off a cold winter’s day is to whip up a plate or a platter of warm tortilla chips. Generally, you have to go to a sports bar or restaurant to get a good platter of tortilla and spend a considerable amount of cash for it. The more toppings it comes with, the more that you will spend.  The good news is that you can make a Nacho platter better and cheaper at home.

The easy way out

You can take the easy way out and just get a bag of tortillas, some salsa con queso and some chunky salsa. But if you're having a party and want it to be over the top, why not go all out and put out a Nacho platter worthy of you culinary prowess.

Brown ground sirloin or chuck

To make a layered nacho platter you’re going to need a few things: 

Corn tortilla chips
1 pound ground chuck
Refried beans, mixed into the browned chuck (optional)

Drain off fat

Add your favorite taco seasoning

Add water as per package instructions

Real cheese freshly grated blend, or layers of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Jack, Queso Chihuahua, and topped off with Queso Fresco, crumbled.

Your choice of cheese

Shred lots of Jack cheese

Tomatoes, fresh, diced
Pico de Gallo, homemade
Green chiles, chopped
Green onions, sliced thin
Jalapeno peppers, slices, pickled, or fresh, seeded and sliced,

Chopped tomatoes

Peppers and green onions

Black olives, sliced
Sour cream
Guacamole, fresh

Fresh homemade guacamole

Beer, ice coldPlenty of napkins

Cook the meat until well browned. Drain off the rendered fat, add the seasoning packet, and water. Cook according tho the package directions. You may also add refried beans to the meat if you like.  Set meat to the side until needed.
Build your nacho platter in layers on an ovenable plate or platter. Heat the first layer of chips for about five minutes in a 350°F oven. Sprinkle the hot chips with grated cheese. Place the plate in a very hot oven to quickly melt the cheese on the first layer. Then take it out of the oven and sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, green onions and jalapenos, followed by a layer of the meat mixture.
If you are using pico de gallo, either homemade or store bought, work that into your layering process.
Add another layer of chips, more cheese and repeat the layering process. Throw in some sliced black olives to the mix. No need to use the best ingredients here, but do use good quality ingredients. You will want to supply ample sides of sour cream, salsa and guacamole.
Put the plate or platter back into the 350°F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the chips are hot, and crunchy and the cheese is melted. The chips should be sizzling hot. Serve immediately. Nobody wants soggy cold chips.

Enjoy

© TMelle 2013