Comments Off

By admin, June 22, 2009 7:01 am

Hello,

Sara will be starting a core training circuit Monday June 29 at 8AM  Join her for this intense workout.  You can email Sara for more information at sara@phenomfitness.com

Comments (0)

By admin,

Hello All,

Please join Sean and Maria down at Millenium Park Friday Morning for a demo on strength training.

Date:
Time:
Location:
What to bring:

Comments (0)

By admin, February 23, 2009 5:34 pm

It’s cold and we are sick of the cold.  It seems like all I can think about these days for food is spicy or hearty or if I am lucky, both.  Yes this droning winter weather is taking a toll and I am ready for summer weather desperately.  Well, if we can’t be on some tropical island relaxing in the Caribbean we can at least have a taste of it.  I am referring to Jamaican food.  Recently, we came across an interesting little Jamaican place on the North Side in Rogers Park called Good to Go located at 1947 West Howard.  It’s a bit inconveniently located just because it’s smack dab in the center of two ways to get there, but worth the trip for something unique.

My wife (Sandra) is Haitian and has introduced me to a lot more Caribbean food than I would have expected.  It does not take much to get her to say yes to going out for Jamaican food.  The restaurant is  a very clean establishment and located right next to some bar with lots of locals and Jamaican clientele.  On one side of the restaurant they do carryout and the other is a nice little eat in area that’s dimly lit and nicely decorated.  If you like Jamaican food they have the most representative menu I have seen outside of Jamaica or New York.  They have authentic dishes that include of course patties and jerk chicken, but also include:  curry goat, oxtail, cow foot, curry conch, butter fish, goat fish, ackee and saltfish and more. All dishes between $8-13 the seafood a bit more.

We went for the Jerk Chicken Dinner that included rice & beans, plantains and vegetables.  Additionally, we tried a beef patty and caramel cake for dessert.  The chicken was moist and delicious and not greasy.  It had a great jerk sauce that had a little sweet taste to it and not too hot.  It seems like so many times I have ordered jerk chicken and the seasoning always taste the same.  Not the case for Good to Go it had a unique flavor.

Next rice and beans.  My mother-in-law makes the BEST rice and beans in my opinion.  And God love her I never pay her a visit without her sending me home with a fresh pot.  I have to say the rice and beans at Good to Go are right there.  Seriously, great rice and beans, not mushy not flavorless, but rather light and cooked to perfection.

The beef patties.  I don’t know how Jamaicans can make these flaky, delicious pastries filled with seasoned ground beef taste so good and not be dripping with grease and oil.  These were good.  Good like you know when you get done you want to order one to go for lunch the next day.  The plantains, something else I have grown to love, were sweet and perfectly cooked with a lot of flavor.

Lastly, the caramel cake.  With a little arm twisting we ordered a slice to go because we were stuffed.  Now I am typically not a fan of Caribbean desserts, often times the cake is dry and dense.  I got to say this was a damn good slice of caramel cake.  It was moist, fresh and delicious.  It is a little more dense almost like a pound cake, but not so much.  A great finish to the meal.

An honorable mention for great carryout only Jamaican food is Jamaican Grill in Oak Park, 10 East Chicago.  It’s a small place with a limited selection but their jerk chicken is juicy good.

So, if you find yourself up on the North Side for no particular reason or you are heading back from a drive to Evanston, make a stop.  I think  you’ll like it.