The Silo In Lake Bluff

We had a tragedy in our family a few months ago.  The local Jake’s Pizza went out of business, one day they were there, the next day they were not.  This presented us with a dilemma. I am a pizza addict.  I love the combination of bread, cheese, meat and some sort of artery clogging high fat meat all held together by a tomato sauce that whispers tomato at you and perfectly complements the rest of the ingredients.  Jakes pizza always provided a good experience for an addict like me.  When they left we had a choice of Gino’s East and another mom and pop pizza joint in a strip mall near our home.  Of course we have a local Dominos and a Papa John’s but at best I consider both of them purveyors of Imitation Pizza Style Food Substitute.  So now you know the history of why we went to the famous Silo in Lake Bluff Illinois.

Silo has been around as long as I have lived in Lake County and is famous for its food and they have even won the Chili Cook Off at Taste of Chicago three times in a row and that is a marvelous accomplishment.  The décor is okay, it is a bit tired but the quality of the food absolves this place from any real criticism of the surroundings.  In the center of the restaurant in a step down dining area above your head you can watch two model trains complete circuits of a round track.  The box cars bear advertising for local businesses and fits in with the model trains that adorn shelves on the wall. 

On our first trip there we ordered thin crust pizza, half sausage and mushroom (for me) and half cheese and mushroom (for my lovely wife.)  The pizza arrived in short order and was piping hot. On my half of the pizza there was ample cheese, sausage, and mushrooms and the crust was light and crispy.  On the other side of the table my wife also found her pizza to be supplied with just the correct amounts of cheese and mushrooms.  The tomato sauce was not overdone, there was just enough to let you know that the sauce was there.  In other words the pizza was good.

On our second visit we ordered a deep dish pizza with instructions to construct it in a similar manner to the thin crust pizza.  The pizza took eighteen minutes to arrive which is reasonable and it was again piping hot.  I have to confess, I am not a great fan of deep dish pizza.  In this case I have to say we were served a good pizza but I thought that there was just a bit too much tomato sauce slathered on the top. All in all it was good and I certainly wouldn’t spit it out but I really like thin crust better.  If you like deep dish then by all means go for it!  It is probably the best deep dish available on the North Shore.

Service was slightly better than average and our waiter was pleasant but on our second visit the waiter seemed to disappear after bringing out the pizza and we were not offered a refill of our soft drinks as he returned only to present us with the check.

To summarize, The Silo is a great place to eat.  The other items on the menu we have experienced are good, combining reasonable portions and right on target seasoning.  Visit them, you will enjoy the food. 

Hackney's on Lake - A Northern Illinois Tradition

Okay I have to make a confession here.When I decided that I was going to become the author of a restaurant blog I wanted to start off with a bang so I picked a restaurant that has been around since the 1920's which has the reputation of providing both good food and good service.  Alas, I should have stayed home. 

My visit to Hackney's on lake was on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at about noon.  There was an average crowd on hand.  I found the decor of the restaurant rather gloomy, dark, and shop worn.  Our party of eight were seated at a round table near the entrance of one of their dining rooms and there was not very much room for the eight of us.  My wife ordered the soup and sandwich combination and selected lentil soup and a chicken salad sandwich ($8.95). Since Hackney's is famous for their burgers I ordered a bleu cheese burger which comes fully dressed with lettuce, onion and tomato ($11.95). After only a short wait our food was brought.  The presentation of the food was unappealing. Mary's lentil soup needed seasoning so she added salt and pepper, tried another spoonful, added more salt and pepper and unfortunately the soup still had no taste. The half chicken salad sandwich that came with the soup had no flavor at all either. Most of her meal was fed to the dumpster.  My bleu cheese burger arrived and the french fries appeared to be of the frozen variety although they were cooked well but not seasoned at all. The hamburger tasted of nothing, I asked for it medium but it came out north of that and was pretty much overcooked.  The menu stated that they put bleu cheese in the burger as well as on top.  If there was bleu cheese in the burger it was the blandest bleu cheese that I have ever had.  

Our waiter was the only bright spot on this occasion as he was attentive and courteous and he did not balk at providing separate checks. 

Mary and I were charged $25 for food that was completely tasteless. If Chef Irvine from Restaurant Impossible came to Hackney's on Lake he would have dumped the food on the floor. 

With dark, outdated decor, tasteless food, I would have to say that between Hackney's and Wendy's if you want a good burger, try Wendy's, you'll be glad you did. 

Chubby Mike 
The Restaurant Guy

A New Restaurant Blog - Northern Illinois

Okay, why a new Restaurant Blog? Well to be honest I think that the more information that is available to the average person about restaurants will help to spend your hard earned money and get value for your dollar.

I will be operating under the following rules.  No baloney - I will tell the truth as I see it as a matter of opinion.  If a restaurant owner wants to comment on what I write, well, I welcome their comments.

Restaurants will be graded on Decor, Service, Price, and Food quality.

Restaurants being honored with a EXCELLENT will have wonderful decor, fantastic service and food that cannot be beat. Price of the entree is worth it.  This would be 5 out of 5 points.

Restaurants receiving a SUPERIOR rating will have many of the same qualities as above but less spectacular.  Price point matches the quality of the food.   This would be 4 out of 5 points.

Restaurants earning a RUN OF THE MILL rating is average in most respects. Quality of the food is "so so" with an occasional "pretty good or excellent"  Service will be fair but might be lacking a little but all in all this is a good place to eat in a pinch. This would be 3 out of 5 points.

Restaurants rated as BELOW AVERAGE  will have similar qualities to a run of the mill restaurant but the setting may be dreary, or the service may be spotty. The food will be mostly of the commercially available "portion pack" type or it may give that appearance that it is.  A below average restaurant would have a numerical score of 2 out of 5 points.

Restaurants given a score of FAIL will be deficient in food quality, service, and price. . Their product may be sub standard, over or under cooked, bland etc.  Service may be completely lacking or rude, or slow, etc.

My readers are certainly encouraged to comment on their experiences at the restaurants I am rating. Now you may ask what qualifies me to be a food critic? Well, I have eaten food all of my life and have come to know and appreciate both good food and good service.  Enjoy the blog and thank you for dropping by.