Chicago Tribune - Good Eating Section
CHEAP EATS
A GOOSE THAT COOKS
BAR FOOD KNOWS
ITS PLACE AT LAKE VIEW WATERING HOLE
By William Rice
Tribune Food and Wine Columnist
The Wild Goose is a bar and grill, not a restaurant. That fact should curb culinary expectations and help the kitchen focus on what matters to a bar-oriented clientele. Or, to put it another way, when you are catering to a room that contains roughly 20 television sets turned to assorted sports events plus several dozen spirited conversations, don't try to make the food intrude. Here, it doesn't. Attention is paid, however, by the kitchen staff at this neighborhood place in Lake View. The menu contains original dishes, and the dishes--served in generous portions--contain fresh ingredients. And talk about Cheap Eats! How about chicken wings for 10 cents each, all-you-can-eat spaghetti for $3.99 (with garlic bread), a 1/2lb Burger for $2.50? These are specials on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Or how about a $4.50 lunch? It's available Monday through Friday. This isn't a fantasy menu. The house even deals the budget-conscious diner lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, coleslaw and French fries with sandwiches and platters at no extra charge. There is a supplement of 50 cents, though, to add any of more than a dozen toppings to the half-pound "Goose burger" ($6.75). A long bar holds 20 ice cold domestic and imported draft pulls, video game machines are tucked into several corners, and the period photographs of Old Chicago on the walls fight a loosing battle to the TVs for customers' attention. Eating accouterments, including tableware, napkins, salt and pepper, are delivered to the tables in a six-pack container. Settle in with a draft and order any or all of 18 tasty appetizers. Bullets of fire ($4.95) are outsized jalapeno peppers (four of them) stuffed with chorizo sausage and Chihuahua cheese, then battered and fried. The closer to the stem you bite, the spicier each pepper becomes. The tangy blue cheese dressing comes from the chef, not a jar. The batter, a substantial blanket that will not be mistaken for tempura, contains Serra Nevada Ale. It appears again on onion rings. Share an order and dive into them while still hot on arrival. A third showcase for this versatile batter is fried chicken fingers($6.95), made with appropriately tender breast meat. Another, more substantial, a chicken treat is tinga nachos($7.50), for which the chicken breast chunks are bathed in chipotle pepper sauce, piled on corn tortillas that have been coated with refried beans and topped with feta and sour cream. Bibbers with a craving for red meat can look to the "Goose Burger" or a tasty marinated skirt steak sandwich($7.75). The thin steak, perfectly fitted into a French roll, benefits from the addition of a sauce. The house Texas chili ($3.50) was less enthusiastically received at our table. A blend of lively herbs and spices was largely lost under a blanket of tomato. Another hot appetizer, a dip containing spinach, artichokes and cheese ($5.25), had separated, allowing a lake of oil to form on its surface. Popular menu items not tasted include two variations on the club sandwich (one with chicken breast, the other with smoked turkey), Cajun tuna steak and Cobb salad. Sunday brings a brunch menu plus a "build-your-own" bloody Mary bar ($3.50 single, $8.50 unlimited).
---------- Wild Goose Bar and Grill (2 forks) 4265 N. Lincoln Avenue 773-281-7112 D, M, V Kitchen hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Noise level: Conversation-challenged Ratings key: 4 forks: Don't miss it 3 forks: One of the best 2 forks: Very good 1 fork: Good Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members. The meals are paid for by the Tribune.
From the WORLD EATS section of the Chicago Tribune
Tinga puts a tingle in Mexican menu.
Tinga is the kind of menu item that one might skirt past in a rush to order a more recognizable item, say, mole or pozole. Too bad. Tinga-pronounced just the way it looks- is worth seeking out. It is a delicious savory tomato-tinted stew that mixes shredded meat (usually pork or chicken) with a sauce that gets its fiery kick from those dried and smoked jalapenos known as chipotles. Added punch comes from that tangy spice-and-vinegar sauce called adobo. Our favorite way of indulging our tinga appetite is the way we ate it at parties in Mexico City: Piled atop a crisp, CD-sized tostada with a sprinkle of chopped raw onions and a crumble of mild white cheese delivering a cool counterpoint to the rich stew. That is usually the way you'll find tinga in Chicago, at both simple eateries and posh restaurants, from the pork version at Ixcapuzalco to the shrimp version at Lalo's restaurant. One of our favorites is served as a special at La Finca Restaurant (3361 N. Elston Ave., 773-478-4006). Made with pork, it is not fatty nor does it posses a blow-your-socks-off chili powder. Two tostadas, piled with tinga, are topped with chopped cilantro and onion and arrive with sides of beans and rice ($8.95). At Salpicon (1252 N. Wells St., 312-988-7811), tinga can be enjoyed as an appetizer (tostaditas de tinga, $6) with a garnish of soured cream and avocados, or as an entree, a deconstructed tinga that features pork tenderloin slices with a tomato-chipotle sauce and a tomatillo sauce ($18). We tracked down a third version at Wild Goose Bar and Grill (4265 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-281-7112) where a fiery chicken tinga is on tap. Three tostadas, first spread with refried beans, are topped with the stew and finished with a sprinkling of lettuce, sour cream and feta cheese ($7.25). Up against the firepower of these goodies, a frosty beer never tasted so good. - Judy Hevrdejs
More Reviews
*****(5 Stars)
"Had my 30th birthday party here a couple weeks ago and I couldn't be happier with the way that everything was handled by the Wild Goose. The manager/owner was so flexible and accomodating workin gwith Colleen C. to organize the whole thing."............Melissa D.
*****(5 Stars)
"All in all, after spending almost an entire Saturday here, I have to say, 5 stars for great service and
prices!".........Amanda C
*****(5 Stars)
"The owners were phenomenal and worked with her last minute to thrown something together. We had tables reserved for us and an all-you-can drink special from 8-11 for $22! Our server was excellent."......Maria C.
*****(5 Stars)
"My favorite bar to watch da Bears! Outstanding service from 'Da Goose Girls' with cheap, decent eats and good beer specials. Love the wings here and the burgers are good too. Great Bloody Mary bar on Sundays".......Greg G
*****(5 Stars)
- Best Nachos in Chicago.......Katie
*****(5 Stars)
"The service and food is always excellent. I was hooked my first time here, but now they just doubled their on-tap beer selection so the goose wil always be at the top of my list.".......John