I never thought I’d say it, but the time has come to leave my beloved Roscoe Village neighborhood.
So what new ?hood have I chosen? East Rogers Park is on the top of my list. I’m diggin’ the vibe and the lake proximity, but mostly I’m excited to burn a new trail across a different part of the city.
What makes me passionate about food-and-the-city all over again is the thought of finding a finger-lickin’ pork filled tamale and really debating where I’ll go for late night hand cut french fries.
For the past few weeks, I’ve researched real estate and somehow slogged though all the choices that are out there?which, surprisingly, are not too many.
The hunt has been helped by one of my new favorite food finds right by my side, the incredibly delicious Robey Pizza Company, 1958 W. Roscoe St.
Of course, Robey’s is a Roscoe Village mainstay, but for some reason I only ate there once and I wasn’t very impressed. This past time, however, something changed.
Every new home I discovered on craigslist.com was met with with mmmmms and aaaaahhhhs. Not because the condos were so fabulous, but because the Italian sausage and gooey mozzarella cheese pizza I’d gone out to pick up was utterly divine.
The crispy thin crust was wood-fired perfectly and the quality of the spicy sausage was better than that found at a typical pizza place.
I’d gone a little buck wild and ordered a few sandwiches as well (gotta sample everything) and both had the exact precision needed for a superior sandwich.
Warm crusty bread?wrapped in wax paper no less?and hyper-fresh ingredients always make for a handful of goodness. My brilliant red tomato, basil and wet mozzarella sandwich gave Pane’s Bread Cafe a run for its money. The grilled chicken pesto sandwich with mozzarella and tomatoes was enough to make me shake off the veggie blues for a bit.
Now that I’ve rediscovered you Robey, it’ll be hard to let you go. Nahhh! Not that hard.
THE FINAL RAVE: With the soul-satisfying honesty of a good fire-cooked meal somehow made finding the perfect place to live all the sweeter. By the way, I do believe I’ve found the perfect place. Bellyaching opportunities abound in a new ?hood and I can’t wait!
KEEP IT GOING:
EAT IT: Jamaica Jerk, 1631 W. Howard St.
This little strip of Howard has got to be the next boomtown and it all starts with the fiery chicken and super sweet desserts at this little chicken shack.
DO IT: Sweet Magic Studio, 6960 N. Sheridan Rd.
Now that I’ll be moving to a new ?hood, perhaps it’s time to take up a new skill: Belly Dancing. This E. Rogers Park studio offers up classes three times a week.
EXPLORE IT: Argyle “L” stop
Hop off the train here and be totally transported to Little Vietnam. Funky grocers with things you’ve never heard of, crazy teashops and delicious Asian restaurants abound.
GET CRAZY WITH IT: Evanston
I mean, come on! A whole new dining mecca is just sitting there waiting for me to bike over for a visit. What exciting times ahead!
