Reviewing the GNR Classes of 2005/2006

I have created a survey seeking input on the restaurants and resources that are current members of the GNRs Classes of 2005 and 2006. Please take a moment to fill out the surveys.

https://goo.gl/forms/J5Opx6jAa58RZX1y2

Thanks
Onur, for the GNRs

Thanks, I know it's a lot of work and most people who volunteer have real life jobs. I just filled out the survey, keep us updated.

Hi Onur, I completed survey but when hit submit my company's firewall prevented the next page from showing, please PM me if survey didn't go through.

Willie

Hey Willie,

Your survey did not come through. Please submit again when you get a chance. I decided to respond here instead of pm, since it was a good chance to bump this thread. Also, I hope to get the next survey loaded up this week.

Yeah, I had a similar issue when I tried to complete this at work. I will try it again from my home computer tonight.

37 responses received so far. We can wrap up this survey in the next couple weeks. Please fill it out if you haven't yet and would like participate in the GNRs.

Should we publish the results here or just a summary of what we learned from the surveys?

We have received 50 total responses to this survey. This is the last call to fill in this survey.

I would like to publish the results here. We can discuss the results in this thread.

The 2005/2006 survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated. We had 47 total surveys (after repeat entries were removed). The following people filled out surveys:

annak
Behavioral
Big Willi
Bnowell724
Boudreaulicious
BuddyRoadHouse
bweiny
chapulin
Cilantro
Cyriaco
Darren72
dirtyappraiser
eieileen
ekreider
EvA
Food Nut
FrankP
G Wiv
gastrognome
GeorgeR
gnarchief
Italy83
janeyb
Jefe
jeffheif1
JoelF
laikom
Leek
MarlaCollinsHusband
mbh
mhl
noneoftheabove
nr706
Pairs4Life
Puckjam
RAB
=R=
Santander
seebee
SteveZ
susan raphael
The GP
the wimperoo
thetrob
turkob
Vital Information
WhyBeeSea

I will post the survey results here for discussion.

Class of 2005

2005 by onurusmen, on Flickr

Class of 2006

2006 by onurusmen, on Flickr

Based on the survey results, here are my initial thoughts. This is just a starting point for discussion and by no means a final decision.

Still GNRs
Al’s Beef
Freddy’s Pizza
Laschet’s Inn
Manny’s Deli
Rivieria Italian Foods
TAC Quick
Calumet Fisheries
Cemitas Puebla
Gene and Jude’s
Honey 1 BBQ
Hopleaf
Johnnie’s Beef (Elmwood Park)
Katy’s Dumpling House
Renga-Tei
San Soo Gab San
Scooter’s Frozen Custard
Spacca Napoli
Tre Kronor

Require Discussion
Podhlanka
Birrieria Reyes
Burt’s Place
Johnnie’s Beef (Arlington Heights)
La Quebrada (Cicero)
Sticky Rice

No Longer GNRs
Lao Sze Chuan (Chinatown)
Lao Sze Chuan (Downers Grove)
La Quebrada (California Ave)
La Quebrada (Aurora)

I'd like to speak up on behalf of Podhalanka. I know many were turned off by their unwelcoming behavior during the chowathon and even more avoid the place all together because of the pushy antics of the famous "nephew". But I'm still a fan boy. It's the type of place I come to LTHForum to discover. I love the food and more often than not we are served by the always sweet Helen rather than he who shall not be named. It's on the short list of places I take visitors to show off something unique to Chicago. (Just checked yelp and a review from 2/19/2018 says the food was great but hated the upselling and felt ripped off. Old habits die hard I guess)

Also, just a word on Sticky Rice. We get their food delivered often and I haven't noticed a drop in quality. It's not as unique as it once was since the Thai food scene has evolved so dramatically over the years, so I understand why many have moved on. I won't be heart broken if they fall off the list (as I would be for Podhalanka) because I've never connected personally with the restaurant. That said, it still scratches the itch for me.

Speaking of old school spots, Podhalanka is a dying breed if there ever was one. I'm on record all over the place defending them. Hell, I was even the original whistle blower on "the guy" seven years ago. And it hasn't put me off the place.

Re: La Quebrada. I'm a newcomer to LQ. Its a super convenient and regular stop for me commuting on 290. They also strike me as a neighborhood anchor in a comfy diner-y setting, an oasis on a harsh wind-swept stretch of Roosevelt. The grub is always stick-to-your-ribs satisfying. The tacos de cesina are a top 5 Chi-land taco of mine period. Love the huevos plates, the warm salsa de molcajete, home made torts, and the belly busting plates of comida guerrerense!

I doubt I'll ever eat at Podhalanka again because the shenanigans that took (take?) place there happen to be a major pet peeve of mine. But I don't think those things should even come close to disqualifying it as a GNR. If the food is still good, which those who frequent it seem to confirm, it should definitely remain on the list. There are plenty of other places on the list where the service isn't so warm and fuzzy. It may not be for me, but Podhalanka seems to still be an epitomatic GNR.

I also think Sticky Rice should remain on the list. I haven't eaten there in while but friends who live nearby (and whose opinions I trust) still eat there with regularity, and still dig it. Because of that and some of the unique dishes they serve there, it remains in the handful of Thai places that I confidently recommend to folks who ask.

As for Burt's, I'd be very curious to know what people who've eaten there recently think of it. Either way, because of the lengthy closure and the ownership change, I'm inclined to think it should have to be renominated as a new GNR rather than renewed. That said, I could be convinced otherwise if the favorable sentiments were strong enough.

=R=

I visited the La Quebrada in Cicero a couple times some years ago. Loved the food and I supported its place on the list at the time. For that location there is some support though a high number of people have never visited. The other two locations have virtually no track record and even fewer visits. Would it make sense to keep the Cicero location and remove the other two?

turkob wrote:I visited the La Quebrada in Cicero a couple times some years ago. Loved the food and I supported its place on the list at the time. For that location there is some support though a high number of people have never visited. The other two locations have virtually no track record and even fewer visits. Would it make sense to keep the Cicero location and remove the other two?

I'm very mixed on Quebrada. When we first went there, almost 20 years ago, I was immediately struck by how superior it was. That is, it was not so much great as marginally better than other neighborhood places. The menu was broad and interesting; the house molcajete salsa amazing, and the tortillas some of the best I had ever had. Today, the salsa is still great, the menu, still interesting, and the tortillas still well made. A lot of it, though, is that they are not singularly above anything else. It's good but no longer special (in my mind). It's like that first car you'll always treasured, but you've since moved on to others.

And I hate to have to say this, but it's also at the expense of expense. The prices at Quebrada have creeped over the years and creeped and then creeped some more. I know there is an intersection between what is fair and appropriate for what is served and what is actually charge; plus all that value is all in the eye of the beholder stuff, but I find myself very often hesitant to go there because of cost. It's interesting that the place itself has wrestled with the issue. It's like how sometimes a milky way bar gets smaller instead of the price going up. At times, the menu has had, like really bad meat, as a way to keep prices down. I'm sure I'm not being fair on this point, but I cannot help it.

I forgot what I said in the survey. It's hard for me to rule it out as a GNR as I have a well documented attachment to this place. On the other hand, what I said above.

I'm in support of maintaining status for Sticky Rice and La Quebrada Cicero, with recent visits to both. Where prices have escalated or some things have moved off menus I think quality for mainstays is still strong. I also visited LQ Aurora more than most (I'd imagine) when my late great g-ma was out there and the welcome was always warm, but those data points are aging out of relevance.

Podhalanka: what Onur and Ronnie are saying is fine by me. Restaurant schtick (it's all there ultimately for the business bottom line) is a thing here and they have theirs, as self-defeating as it may be for some. If the food is still solid, I'm for it, but haven't been recently.