Favorite Things- Garifuna Flava Restaurant

Ok, so this week's featured spot isn't in Hyde Park, but it is one of the best restaurants I've been to on the south side, and so I think it deserves a shout out.

Mr. Hyde Park and I were feeling like something different and wanted to stay on the south side, so we did a little research and came across Garifuna Flava (2516-2518 W 63rd St), a Caribbean and Belizean/Garifuna restaurant with rave reviews on Yelp. The place, which has developed somewhat of a cult following, is known especially for its jerk chicken, but has a full menu of authentic Caribbean seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

Garfuna Flava (2516 W. 63rd)
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The restaurant is at Western and 63rd, so it's just a quick drive west from Hyde Park. The neighborhood is a bit rougher around the edges than what some Hyde Parkers may be used to, but we parked in the lot right next to the restaurant and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. We went on a Friday night last month at 7ish and the place was completely empty except for one other group. I always feel a little uncomfortable going into a restaurant that's near empty, especially when I've never been there before or I'm not that familiar with the cuisine (I worry it'll be too obvious we don't know what we're doing...). The server we had, though, went out of his way to make us feel comfortable, explaining the menu, telling us a little about the Garifuna culture, and giving us recommendations about what to try.

Half Jerk Chicken w/ Spicy Jerk Sauce
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We ordered conch fritters (which were really fresh and flavorful) to start and then both got the jerk chicken which is, hands down, the best jerk chicken--maybe even the best chicken, period-- I have ever had. (Yes, better than at Calypso Cafe...) The seasoning was on point, the meat was juicy, and it was spicy but not so hot that we couldn't taste the other complex spices. It comes with a delicious gravy/hot sauce that was so tasty I could drink it (according to the waiter, the kid at the table next to us did, in fact, drink a few little cups of it...) The jerk chicken I've had in the past, including at Calypso, often seems to have an artificial liquid-smoke taste to it, but this just tasted really fresh and tangy, with a rich natural smokiness. We had TONS of food (and Belizean beer) and, considering the quality of what we got, it was extremely affordable.

Red Snapper Dinner w/ Rice & Beans, Plantain & Potato Salad
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As I mentioned above, the restaurant-- in spite of it's delicious fresh food and amazing service-- was pretty empty on a weekend night at a prime dinner hour. This makes me really sad because this type of home-grown, mom and pop business is really great for the neighborhood and the south side in general. I worry that a gem like this will not survive if people don't go out of their way to support it. With that said, I urge you to take the little trip and check it out. If you like it, tell Yelp, tell your friends, tweet about it, and do whatever you can to spread the word.

Andersonville, The Other Woman

I've been with Hyde Park for a really long time and, for the most part, I love her dearly. But our relationship is a lot like a marriage... It takes some work to keep the spark alive and there are some things about her that really irk me. I'm not going to lie, once in a while, my eyes begin to wander. I start to daydream about what it might be like to be with someone else-- Would things be more exciting? Would I be more fulfilled?

I've even gone so far as to develop a little crush on someone else. Not any of the obvious temptations-- not sleek and sexy River North, young and flirty Lakeview, classy, sophisticated Lincoln Park, or edgy and mysterious Wicker Park. Nope, I've got a little thing for Andersonville, the cute, down-to-earth girl next door. (Not familiar with the neighborhood? Check out its official website here.)

Top: 53rd Street in Hyde Park (from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/53rd_st_Hyde_Park.JPG)
Bottom: Clark Street in Andersonville (from: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/14/c6/ce/clark-st-in-andersonville.jpg

What is it about her that drew me in? Well, she's definitely my type, i.e. very approachable and easy-going, yet interesting without being frivolous or overly trendy. She's also got a lot in common with my main squeeze, Hyde Park. She too is a bit off the beaten path-- she's as far north as we are south, but, like Hyde Park, she's right by the lake and Lake Shore Drive and thus easy to zip to from other parts of the city. The locals are unpretentious and cool, but not too trendy or overly hip. Also like Hyde Park, Andersonville has a small-town feel that it's very proud of-- the website even describes the neighborhood as a "quaint village in the middle of a world class city." The homes in the neighborhood are not as architecturally interesting as in Hyde Park, but the buildings along its main drag (Clark street from Hollywood to a little south of Foster) are the same low-slung, 50s-era storefronts you find on 53rd and 57th Streets.

What's different and in some ways more attractive about Andersonville is that it is packed to the gills with fun, interesting, exciting businesses and restaurants. Within a one mile stretch on Clark, are affordable tapas, sushi, small plate Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Morrocan, Belgian, gastropub, southern, and brunch spots, not to mention several fun bars. In general, these restaurants are unpretentious and affordable, but the interiors are well-decorated, the menus are thoughtfully planned, the service is solid and professional, and the food is legitimately good and even innovative at times. Andersonville is home to my hands-down-favorite bar/restaurant in the city, the Hopleaf, which has an amazing beer selection and serves up simple and cheap sandwiches and fries but also offers some upscale fare that competes with any restaurant I've been to in a so-called hip neighborhood. The place is always packed and people are willing to drive there from all over the city. I've tweeted about this before, but I see no reason why Hyde Park couldn't sustain a place like this, as it fills so many needs-- a fun bar, affordable food for college students or those on a budget, and nicer options for special occasions or those who have more expensive tastes.

Don't get me wrong, Hyde Park has some very good restaurants and fun bars. To be totally honest, though, I feel like I often have to overlook little "quirks," like slow service, outdated decor, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink menus (e.g. guacamole on an Italian menu), and excessively high prices for food that is good, but rarely innovative or exciting. There's also the obvious issue of there just not being enough options, particularly when it comes to restaurants that sit somewhere between super cheap take-out and special occasion spots. The Snail or the Med, for example, are great for a quick weeknight dinner and Park 52 or La Petite Folie are perfect for your birthday or anniversary, but they are too expensive to visit often.

Ok, ok, I'm going to stop here because Hyde Park is still my main girl and I don't want you to think that I don't love and appreciate her for what she is. (I'm not going to go into the details here because that's what I talk about in virtually every other post, but there are of course things I love about Hyde Park that Andersonville could never compete with.) It's just that I think she's capable of more. Neither Hyde Park or Andersonville is the prettiest girl in the room, but both have a special something that catches your eye and hooks you in. Andersonville, though, does a better job of keeping your attention once she's wooed you. It's like this-- Andersonville knows some people love her, but--given that she's off the beaten path and not the hippest hood in the city-- she knows that she needs to style her hair, put some perfume on, and do a little flirting if she's going to keep folks interested. Hyde Park, on the other hand, seems to have let her self go a little bit. She's started wearing sweat pants to bed. She knows that she has the University of Chicago population and folks who want to be in a thriving south side neighborhood in the palm of her hand, so she doesn't feel like she has to work at keeping the spark alive. The thing is, we (Hyde Park locals) are putting a lot into this relationship-- we pay relatively high rent to live here and we invest a lot of money in local businesses, even when there are often more affordable and/or higher quality options in other parts of the city. It's only fair that our neighborhood meet us half way. Local spots owe it to us to step up their game-- to improve their service, to get real leather menu covers, to repaint their walls, to spruce up their menus. And I think the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce should be doing more to lure businesses here, to demonstrate that there is a great need and captive market for more dining and entertainment. Yes, the new Harper Court development may help-- but Andersonville didn't need plastic surgery to woo suitors and neither should we.

New in Hyde Park: The Big Easy-- Not Just Another Orly's

Since last fall, other Hyde Park locals and I had been closely monitoring the storefront at 55th and Hyde Park Boulevard, looking for signs of activity. Finally, about a month ago, a new awning appeared and the walls were painted (yes, I stuck my face against the glass to peek in..). A week later, a sign appears in the window advertising microbrews and Cajun fare. A week after that, lights were on and people could be seen inside eating & drinking, but it did not appear that the place had been opened to the public. It's not everyday that we get a new business or restaurant in the neighborhood, so the suspense was killing us. Finally, about 2 weeks ago, the spot finally opened officially for business under the name "The Big Easy" and Mr. Hyde Park and I rushed in to check it out.

If you're in a hurry, long story short, the food was generally very good Cajun fare reminiscent of Dixie Kitchen, the service was fine (but not great), and the place is definitely worth visiting. Check out the menu here. If you have a little longer, stick around for some history and a more detailed review:

First, the history... 1660 E 55th Street is famous (or perhaps infamous) among Hyde Parkers for its quirky history. The spot was originally purchased by David Shopiro in 1981 and, in the years since, saw several "makeovers" under his ownership. The restaurant and catering company was usually called Orly's, or most recently Hyde Park BBQ, and, in each incarnation, served up an eclectic mix of BBQ, sandwiches, Mexican and Italian cuisine, burgers, and baked goods (yes, all on the same menu). The restaurant (whatever the name) was often criticized for serving mediocre food, for having too broad a menu, and for having so-so service. While some Hyde Park locals had a strange affection for the place, most Hyde Parkers--myself included-- were just lukewarm to it, and it was never particularly successful. (And it was certainly never a place to which anyone from outside of Hyde Park would travel.) Each time the going got tough, Shopiro would announce that he was going to make the place over and then quickly re-open with essentially the same menu and decor. For this reason, Orly's became a sort of running joke in the neighborhood and fueled the negative stereotype that restaurants in Hyde Park don't have their acts together.

This summer, Shopiro announced another remodel of the place, closed its doors, and placed an ad on Craigslist seeking someone to become 90% owner of the spot and take creative control of the menu. (Fellow Hyde Park blogger Hyde Park Progress has a good post about this which provides more details--check it out here.) After this announcement, the neighborhood had little news for several months.

Finally, this winter, we learned that Shopiro had chosen 26 year-old Jennifer Gavin for the job.
Shopiro didn't seem to publicize this as much as he could have, but not only does Gavin have classical and international training, but she was one of the last chefs standing on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey's reality tv-show Hell's Kitchen. It's not clear, however, whether Gavin has become 90% owner as Shopiro had sought in the Craigslist ad, or if they have worked out some other arrangement. In any case, it seems that Shopiro is maintaining more involvement in the restaurant than he had initially stated he would.

Ok, so now--finally-- back to my review. Mr. Hyde Park and I had dinner there at 8:30ish on their official opening night (they'd had a soft opening earlier in the month). The interior had been upgraded and looked good, although still had some undefinable hints of the 80s. We were greeted by the same goofy, absent-minded waiter who has been there the past 10 years (which concerned us a bit, to be honest). He promptly seated us and bumbled through the Cajun-Creole menu, making mistakes like calling jambalaya "gumboyaya." We ordered a seafood chowder and the gumbo to start-- both were very flavorful and rich. For the main course, my husband had the crawfish etouffee which was solid and fresh. He really liked it and said it was definitely as good as what they served at the well-loved, now defunct Hyde Park Dixie Kitchen, although it wasn't mind-blowing (I think he may have just had food-envy because what I got was better...). I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, which was by far the star of the show. They were DELICIOUS-- the grits were rich, cheesy, and not at all mushy. The shrimp were huge, fresh, and flavorful and they were smothered with a decadent apple-bacon sauce..... It just does not get better than that. We finished the meal with a plate of yummy bite-sized desserts-- including carrot cake, a peach cobbler brownie, and a New Orlean's-style beignet-- that they gave us on-the-house.

Overall, there are definitely some little glitches that will need to be worked out-- we waited too long for drinks, the waiter was pretty absent-minded, the decor still leaves something to be desired-- but I think Gavin knows how to make some delicious food, and that's what's most important. My biggest fear, though, is that the place won't be given the chance to come into its own. Many Hyde Parkers, especially the folks over at Hyde Park Progress, are pretty cynical about the Big Easy because of Orly's history and so they are essentially boycotting the restaurant. I'm not a fan of Shopiro's previous projects, either, and was disappointed to learn that he is still pretty heavily involved in the place. I think Gavin probably could make a better restaurant without him if not for his financial input, but I'm hopeful that she'll have the chance to prove her culinary chops and that her talent and youthfulness will give new life to the space. So, with all of this said, I urge you to check the place out, to approach it with an open mind, and to order the shrimp and grits.

These are a few of my favorite things....#2

In the upcoming weeks, I'll be posting, in no particular order, my 10 favorite things to eat/see/do in Hyde Park, including businesses, parks, activities, you name it. A few days ago, I told you all about Jackson Park/Osaka Garden. Today, I want to tell you about Hyde Park Produce (1226 E. 53rd).

First off, I have a little confession to make that may be shocking to local readers... I've lived and/or gone to school in Hyde Park for about 8 or 9 years, but somehow never managed to visit the place until this year. I never had anything against it, I just always lived a little too far to walk and ended up instead grinning and bearing the crummy and over-priced produce at the (now-defunct) Hyde Park Co-op on 55th. Anyway, when I finally did make the (I know it sounds ridiculous now) 7 block trek to Hyde Park Produce, my world just turned upside down.

This place is amazing. The store is located in an admittedly blah strip mall but, once you walk in, it's a different story. The store is clean, well-organized, well-stocked, and full of piles of beautiful, bright produce of the same quality you would see at an outdoor farmers' market. You can find everything from your standard local veggies to exotic items like wild mushrooms, chiles, and bulk fresh herbs, all for shockingly cheap. Want to make some crazy complicated recipe from a Rick Bayless cookbook? You can easily find everything you would need here.

I was always under the false impression that the store only carried produce, but they actually have a pretty full stock of grocery items. You might not find every major brand name cereal that you look for, but you could very easily do all of your shopping here without having to go to a supermarket. The store also has a full gourmet deli counter, as well as prepared foods like soups, salsas, and tamales on the cheap.

I could go on and on, but maybe it's best I just point you to Hyde Park Produce's Yelp page, where the place receives absolutely glowing reviews.

A (teensy-bit political) Side Note: Some of you may be wondering why I would bother taking so much time to talk about something as mundane as a produce/grocery store. Besides wanting to promote a local business that I love, I also thought it was important to write about this place in particular because I want to dispel the misconception that Hyde Park is a food desert, or that we have less access to fresh foods than northsiders. I actually had a harder time finding cheap, high quality fresh fruit and vegetables when I lived in Lincoln Square than I do now! Of course, there is the broad and complex problem of limited grocery options on the Southside---which I won't even try to touch on here-- but I think Hyde Park Produce is a wonderful example of a place where southsiders of all income levels can and do come to buy fresh ingredients on a budget, and this makes me very happy.