Guilty Pleasures: Restaurants where calories don't count.

Today’s post is written by Ron Kaplan of LTHForum.com. Did we miss your guilty pleasure? Let us know so we can share with the group.

So the holidays are in the rear-view mirror, you’ve been diligent in your austere, post-holiday eating but now you’re ready to reward yourself. If you want to “get your grub on,” allow me to direct you to a handful of places where the calorie counts are bodaciously high but the quality of the experience easily squelches the guilt.  These are tried and true eateries that are worth every bit of the indulgence . . .

Barnaby’s Family Inn - 960 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook (847) 498-3900
Does the pizza at this venerable Northbrook institution compare to the pies being produced at the plethora of artisanal, wood-oven joints that have popped up all over town in the past few years? Well, not exactly. Yet, this distinctive, “old-skool,” tavern-style pizza has been hitting the spot for nearly 40 years.

Sausage, Garlic and Jalapenos & a side of Zantac (photo by Ron Kaplan)

Here, the reliably-consistent, delicious ingredients are largely institutional, with nary a hint of “artisanal” about them. The crisp, ultra-thin crust is made even crunchier via the addition of corn meal and its satisfying flavor pleases from the initial bite through the final chew. The sauce, cheese and toppings on these pizzas are applied in perfect proportion, resulting in pizzas that are delectable, crispy edge-to-edge and never soggy.

A slice of the pepperoni & onion and perhaps heaven (photo by Ron Kaplan)

Without really trying to be, the place is a throwback, mostly because it has remained virtually unchanged since it opened. Oh, there have been minor cosmetic updates made over the years, but the cavernous and nearly-windowless room has the same feel it has always had, right down to the dark wooden booths and low amber lighting. My favorite combination here is the pepperoni and onion, on which the salty, spicy pepperoni and sweet, thinly-sliced onions play extremely well together.

Wilmette Chuck Wagon – 1120 Central Avenue, Wilmette (847) 256-0120
I’m almost certain that this is the smallest restaurant in which I’ve ever eaten. In my nearly 30 years of eating there, I’ve never actually counted, but I think there are no more than 10 mounted stools, which run along the 2 “longer” walls from the front door to the back of the place. Behind the counter, owner Sasha and his one-man crew turn out decadent creations that practically make your heart stop just looking at them.

Sasha, owner of the Chuck Wagon, takes an order (photo by Ron Kaplan)

In addition to greasy-good griddled burgers and deep-fried polish sausages, a spit of unctuous gyros meat spins away in the corner. Of course, the requisite pita-based sandwiches are available and they are mighty fine but the Chuck Wagon has a few specialties, which I find myself craving on a regular basis.  One, the Nikki’s Special, is a cheeseburger topped with crispy strips of gyros meat. The Losh takes that one step further with the addition of – you guessed it – bacon.

Go home with "the waitress." (photo by Ron Kaplan)

But my favorite custom creation at Chuck Wagon is known as the Waitress. It’s a grilled cheese sandwich on white bread with gyros meat stuffed inside it.  I dare you to resist it.  Logic says you can, but it’s physically impossible. Trust me. This sandwich was ordered with ‘everything,’ which includes tomato, lightly grilled onions and a side of tsatziki sauce. It’s probably said too often but ‘more than the sum of its parts’ really applies here. This is a gooey, crispy, greasy, meaty and admittedly trashy delight that, in spite of myself, I cannot help but love.

China Chef - 5920 Lincoln Avenue, Morton Grove, (847) 967-6050
As much as I love authentic and exotic regional Chinese cuisine, there’s not much of it to be found in the northern suburbs.  But among the vast multitude of  Suburban-American-Chinese eateries, none shines more brightly than this Morton Grove gem. Here, perfectly-executed egg rolls and potstickers make you understand why these dishes once became classics (even if good renditions are nearly impossible to find these days).

Fried chicken skins: they're bad, they're bad, you know it! (photo by Ron Kaplan)

Mongolian Beef, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce and Fried Rice all deliver bold and satisfying flavors and textures; the way the Chinese food we grew up with tasted.  If you’re really in the mood to be “bad,” make sure you try an order of delicately fried chicken skin. After all, who needs that pesky chicken when you can just have the skin? Of course, the flagship dish of this genre is the vaunted Egg FooYoung and China Chef’s version is textbook, with its crispy exterior and tender, flavorful interior. Yes, it’s covered in a gloppy, brown corn-starch aided sauce and it’s a great one at that!

Seul’s Tavern - 1735 Orchard Lane, Northfield, (847) 441-8290 In the tony suburb of Northfield, just up the street from New Trier High School’s West campus, you’ll find this old-school, no-nonsense tavern where the service is friendly and the drinks are as deft as sledgehammers.  The sometimes-surprising menu offers fresh salads, great soups and chili, and pizza (after 4:00 p.m. and on weekends).

Not Reubenesque; it's the real deal (photo by Ron Kaplan)

But my two favorite items at Seul’s are their buffalo wings and their reuben sandwich, either of which could give the best in Chicagoland a run for the money. This isn’t a typical, overloaded, hardcore deli-lover’s version. Instead, it’s a melty and inviting sandwich in which the components – tender and aromatic corned beef, briny sauerkraut and creamy thousand island dressing – are balanced deliciously. These components sit between two pieces of perfectly-grilled, buttery rye bread – just soft enough to tug away at the bite but firm enough to support the sandwich until it is eaten completely.  The synergy of ingredients is intoxicating and the sandwich is impossible to stop eating.

The hot wings at Seul’s are brilliant in their simplicity and reflect the too-often-forgotten philosophy of “less is more.” Here, large wings are split apart and deep-fried naked until they’re crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  They’re then tossed in a traditional mixture of hot sauce and butter. That’s it – no sugar, no extra seasonings, no “artistic vision.” These wings prove that some classic dishes simply cannot be improved upon, and that execution is everything.  Make sure to ask for some extra napkins!

Wiener & Still Champion – 802 Dempster Street, Evanston, (847) 869-0100
Every Chicago suburb has a hot dog joint, so what makes this one so special? Wiener & Still Champion distinguishes itself through the craft and artistry of its owner Gus Paschalis, a former corporate food scientist who decided a few years back to apply his considerable skills and imagination to Chicago’s signature delicacies.

Chili Bomb with a side of cheddar goodness (photo by Ron Kaplan)

Here, in addition to textbook renditions of classic Chicago-style dogs and char-grilled burgers (served on fresh, perfectly steamed or grilled buns), you will find what are arguably the best french fries in all of Chicagoland.  Fresh-cut, double-fried and utterly delicious, these fries are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and nearly impossible to stop eating. Eat them straight or dip them in one of Paschalis’ signature dipping sauces like Spicy Aioli, Argentine Garlic & Herb or Curry Ketchup.

As if that weren’t enough, Paschalis has further mastered his tinkering on the fryolator, concocting delicious items like Deep-Fried Pickle Chips, Country-Fried Gyros and yes, even Country-Fried Bacon. Another very sinful original is the Chili Bomb, which is savory chili, magically encased in a pocket of luscious cornmeal breading and deep-fried. These nuggets are served with a zesty cheddar cheese sauce.

But without question, the crown jewel of the fried-food array at W&SC is the Dipping Dog;

(photo by Ron Kaplan)

the perfect incarnation of the classic corn dog. Paschalis makes up the batter for these dogs fresh every day, and he dips and fries the dogs to order.  You haven’t lived until you’ve downed a trio of these, served with a dipping sauce, for the amazingly affordable price of $6.50.  Add in an order of his legendary fries and your tab still comes in at under $10. This may be the highest-quality culinary bang for the buck in all of Chicagoland.

Ron Kaplan is a moderator and Director of Media Relations at LTHForum.com, Chicagoland’s culinary-based chat site, where he posts under the handle of ronnie_suburban.  When he’s not photographing food, writing about it at LTHForum, cooking or eating, he works in the food industry, selling specialty ingredients.