A little Vietnam right in our backyards, with PHO and I

After trying out a Grub Club Brunch session, we decided to go back to our traditional dinner-time grubbing. Our March gathering was held at the ‘Pho and I’ on Broadway, which opened only a few months back.

Our taste buds were craving some quality Vietnamese food and we were anxious to see if this new-kid-on-the-block could deliver. The sleek and modern appearance on the outside was inviting, and it matched the trendy yet minimalistic feel on the inside (but I’ll leave the rest to be told by Alissa the Ambience Associate, sorry I mean Alissa, the self-proclaimed “Director of Ambiance”).

We all took some time to absorb the menu, while Bernie was jumping out of his seat ready to order, since he had the menu memorized from the moment the location was decided. (However, we also have to remember that Berns has the Asian home court advantage here).

We started out with Tom Yum soups. The hot and sour combo was delicious. We ordered a variety of dishes for the table, including the traditional PHO. This classic Vietnamese noodle soup was served in a bowl the size of my head. My Lemongrass Chicken was good, however it lacked a little something....a little zing that I was looking for.

The service was a little off -they forgot to put Sean’s order in. Then, when we tried to remind them, they thought we were ordering for the first time…being surrounded by good friends came to the rescue when we invited Sean to taste-test from our plates until his food finally arrived.

I personally was missing some sauce supply, after all, the Secretary of Sauce needs some good flavors for her palet, but overall I thought it is a good close-to-home option to satisfy a Vietnamese PHO craving.

I give it a 4.5 out of 10 Sporks for Sauce and a 6 out of 10 Sporks overall.

Fellow Grub Clubbers, what’s YOUR flava’?

We took a shot in the dark with Sarks in the Park on Clark

Soooooo, since we're all busy working people (Alissa) and couldn't find a suitable weeknight to gather for Grub Club, we decided to go on an exciting NEW adventure...BRUNCH!

Now, I personally think brunch may be the greatest invention ever, especially when you've had a rough night of drinking carbonated beverages (non-alcoholic of course...this blog is PG-13) that just ended a few hours ago. It's early enough for delicious, greasy, bacon fat-coated breakfast food, but late enough so you can roll out of bed, put on some sweats, and drag yourself to the nearest fine dining establishment. On this day of celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., what better way to honor him and his accomplishments with a hearty meal surrounded by good friends...

After being woken up by my rumbling stomach (which must have been angry with me for drowning it in burrito the night before), my friend Tommy (first GC guest EVER...hope you enjoyed it b/c it may not happen ever again) and I rambled over to SARKS IN THE PARK at Clark and Fullerton to meet the rest of the GC. While waiting 20 mins (it's called punctuality guys - I'd tell you what it means but I don't think you'd be on time to hear me say it), we decided that the staff there are super nice and surprisingly cool. For example, they asked what we wanted to watch on the TV, constantly filled our water, and were knowledgeable about sports. Then, when the rest of the GCers arrived (FINALLY!) and we took our seats, they turned the TV toward us so we could continue watching. Bottom line, EXCELLENT service.

The speed of food preparation, on the other hand, was not great. We did order a lot of food - Tommy double fisted with a bacon loretta and steaks n eggs - and they brought it out all at the same time, but it took at least 20 mins to come out. When it did come out, I'm pretty sure everyone agreed that everything was delicious. I can't speak for the rest of the GCers, but my steak n eggs were perfectly cooked and the salsa they doused the dish with was spicy enough to give everything a slight kick, but subtle enough to keep the flavor of the meat and eggs as the focus. For spicy lovers like me, there was a bonus tangy hot sauce (ketchup bottle-style) at the table that added even more kick and helped to wake up any sleeping taste buds.

Overall, Sarks in the Park had a great cozy diner atmosphere, good food, and great friendly service. The food took too long (especially considering the it was pretty basic breakfast food), but as long as you're prepared for that (being with good friends helps), it's all good in the hood. I give Sarks in the Park 8 out of 10 sporks. Fellow GCers (and Tommy if you ever read this), what did YOU think???

Grub Club's tryin' something new: Brunch

Monday Jan. 18th, Grub Club will convene for Brunch.....the plan is to hit up a local Lincoln Park breakfast spot. We'll keep you posted on ratings...

Leaving Matisse Hungry...

With outdoor eating, a decent ambiance and steady tunes, a perfect summer night attracts Lakeview residents and passerbys to Matisse Tavern & Grill. Unfortunately, the food did not deliver (not literally although I am fairly certain that they don't deliver). The tuscan chicken panini had everything going for it but came up short in the flavor department.

Alissa gives it:
Food - 1.5 spork
Ambiance - 3 sporks
Company - 5 :)

The Next Foodnetwork Star

I know it's not exactly grub club-esque, but Mahera and Alissa I could totally see you doing this, HA

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star-season-5/package/index.html

I like Tilly's! ~ Sean

I give it a 7.5

Great food, enjoyed the patio and inside is cozy (can't spell aumbeaunce?). Service was very weak (yet, she did agree with pronounciation of fiery)

3.5 out of 4 O-faces for the SURPRISE factor of those saucey string beans