Big G's Pizza Review

Big G's Pizza
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Last night was bittersweet in the land of Wrigley, as the Chicago Cubs wrapped up their final home stand of the 2014 season. I was fortunate enough to have been in attendance for the 3-1 win, and what a night it was. Being in Wrigleyville is an experience in itself, as a bevy of bars and restaurants line the streets, making it a great atmosphere for someone who loves food as much as I do. I am slowly making my way through the restaurant scene, adding another quality place to my list last night in the form of Big G's Pizza.

Jack Daniels BBQ Pulled Pork Slice
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Big G's is a stone's throw from Wrigley Field, located at 3716 N. Clark Street, and is a popular spot for fans, workers, players, and other members of the organization. Owners Jeronimo Gaytan and Jamie Gamez, both Chicagoland natives and Wisconsin-Madison grads, opened the doors of this location in 2012, serving up a variety of menu items, but centered around pizza. Their traditional and unique pizza creations have the place hopping on the regular, so I figured I had to stop in and give it a try.

In a space with nearly more kitchen than seating, Big G's makes sure their product is something that customers can walk around with. Whether you are ordering by the slice or full pie, it is all very easy to eat. Stepping up to the counter, my brother and I got a preview of the different pizza types. Being someone who normally just orders traditional pepperoni, I decided to be different, ordering two uniquely-topped, specialty slices. The first was a Jack Daniels BBQ Pulled Pork, which had healthy amounts of sauced pulled pork with some cheddar cheese and french-fried onion straws. The second was a BBQ Steak and Fries, which had slices of thin, seasoned steak, bbq sauce, and crinkle-cut fries. The flavors were unique on both slices, but all ingredients flowed together well. On the first slice, the pork was tender, flavorful, and had just the right amount of sauce. The cheddar cheese and onions added more flavor, as it felt like I was literally eating a pulled pork sandwich, but in pizza form. On the second slice, the steak had a nice seasoning, which was complimented by the sweetness of the bbq sauce. The fries added another element of flavor and had a nice crunch. Again, it felt like I was eating a sandwich on a pizza. The crust resembled more of a New York style, as it was fresh and had a good crunch to it, but was sturdy enough to hold all of the contents of the pizza.

BBQ Steak and Fries Slice
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Between my brother and I, we spent $18.50 on four specialty slices, which are $4 a piece, and two cans of Cherry Coke, which is fairly priced considering the size of the slice and ingredients used. In reality, spending a little north of $9 on dinner is a great deal, especially in the city. Great food and a great game is an ideal night in my world. If you are the same way, or if you just enjoy good food, head on over to Big G's and order a couple of slices. It never hurt anyone to try something different.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food/Nature Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Au Cheval Review

Au Cheval Bar & Diner
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

 Downtown Chicago is a food lover’s paradise. A variety of bars and restaurants line nearly every street, giving someone no excuse to run out of options when it comes to a finding a meal. Being from the suburbs, I have not even scratched the surface of the Chicago restaurant scene, but will try to tackle it one place at a time. My most recent journey took place on Thursday night, when I visited Au Cheval, an upscale American bar/diner on 800 West Randolph Street.

Single Cheeseburger With Bacon
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Nestled in the West Loop, Au Cheval is known for its unique take on food, and of course, out-of-this-world cheeseburgers. The atmosphere is typical of a Chicago bar, but there was an upscale feel to it. There were tables and booths lining the walls, but the main attraction was the bar, which nearly rant the length of the restaurant. At Au Cheval, things are done on a first come, first serve basis no matter who you are. With it being the dinner rush, I was told it was going to be a 45 minute wait. This did not scare me, knowing the food would be worth it. A spot on the bar opened up within 20 minutes, so I was seated right then and there. Looking over the menu, I found many things that the ordinary person would question, like chopped chicken liver on toast and roasted beef marrow bones on toast. I was told in good confidence by people I know, and those who I did not know, that everything is prepared in such a way that even an unrefined pallet can enjoy. While sampling the menu would have been a great experience, I did not have the time or money to do so. I dove right in and ordered the menu item I had heard so much about, the single cheeseburger.

The Bacon
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

The single cheeseburger, which actually has two beef patties, is possibly the most popular menu item. If you order it as is, you will end up with the following: two beef patties, two slices of American cheese, red onion, sliced bread and butter pickles, and a house sauce, all on a fresh, toasted bun with a large bread and butter pickle spear on the side. The wait staff at the restaurant always suggests you add a fried egg and some of their world class, thick-cut bacon to your burger. Those two items send the burger overboard. While I opted out on the egg, I did go for the bacon, which was the best decision I could have made. Overall, everything on the burger meshed together seamlessly. The patties were rich and juicy, cooked to perfection. The cheese was fully melted and draped over the patties, almost as if they were a flavor blanket. The condiments were a combination of sweet and savory, offsetting each other in all the best ways. The pickle was extremely tasty and had the right blend of spices to give it great flavor. The bacon was the kicker. It was the thickest I have ever had. When I say thick, I mean that a person would have to use a real knife to cut through it. The thickness only added to the taste, as the bacon was cured in such a way that the flavor ran all the way through the meat. I also ordered a side of freshly cut fries with their house garlic aioli, which was another great purchase. The fries were hot and fresh, and the aioli provided me with a cool, tangy counter-flavor. All in all, a great meal.

French Fries With Garlic Aioli

I spent $22.54 on my meal, which may seem expensive to most, but I can tell you it was worth it. You are not going to get the type of food and atmosphere Au Cheval offers at a much cheaper price in the city, so know that going in. Dining here is something one just has to experience at some point in their life if they want to recapture the classic, American take on food. So if you are in the West Loop, or even if you are not, check out Au Cheval on 800 W. Randolph Street in Chicago. It will be an experience you will never forget.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food/Nature Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Riverside Bake Shop Review

Riverside Donuts in McHenry, IL
Photo Credit: Riverside Bakery/Twitter: @RiversideBakry 

Traditional Glazed Donut
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Being in the northwest suburbs, we are at no shortage for local, small businesses; restaurants in particular. What I am finding a shortage of in my experience is the number of quality bakery’s who serve up top shelf versions of one of my favorite creations; the donut. Don’t get me wrong, I am not opposed to grabbing something Dunkin Donuts from time to time, they get the job done, but I more so look for something with a homey touch. I want to feel like someone actually put the time in to make my day, and I am not opposed to spending a little extra for that. Being close to McHenry County, I had heard a local spot down the road not only served up fresh donuts daily, but also a number of other specialty treats. I had to give Riverside Bake Shop a try.

Riverside Bake Shop or Riverside Bakery, as it is known to locals, has been serving some of the best baked treats to McHenry and the surrounding area for over 40 years. The emphasis and time they put into their cakes, cookies, bread, sweet rolls, and of course donuts, have kept people coming back for years. They use nothing but the freshest ingredients, and are priced fairly based on the work they do. While I cannot personally vouch for anything but the donuts at the moment having been there only once, those who I have spoken to say everything on the menu is worth checking out.

Cream-filled Cake Donut With Vanilla Icing & Sprinkles
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Now on to the main focus: donuts. Stepping into the small shop at 1309 N. Riverside Drive in McHenry’s downtown provided me with a pretty cool sight. All the baked goods were put on display in the glass cases in front of you or on racks near the back wall. The staff was very knowledgeable about all products and was prepared to answer any question a new-comer like me had. Of the many different types of donuts, I narrowed down my five to a traditional glazed, a cinnamon roll with vanilla icing, a cream-filled cake donut with vanilla icing and sprinkles, a traditional chocolate cake donut with chocolate icing, and a cinnamon twist. Each donut had a good amount of sweetness to it, but in no way was it overwhelming. The dough, both on the cake and regular, was not as light and airy as some of the places I have been to, but it was extremely fresh and had substance to it. The icing was sweet, also fresh, and complimented the sweetness of each donut well. You can tell a donut has been sitting out for a while when the icing is hard and crumbles off after each bite. Not the case at Riverside. Lastly, the two donuts I enjoyed the most, the roll and the twist, had a good amount of cinnamon in every crevice. Other places I have been to in the past seem to only sprinkle on the cinnamon, leaving me wondering if I had even eaten a cinnamon-laced donut. Riverside made sure I was getting some cinnamon in every bite, which I more than appreciated. It was $6 even for the five donuts, which is good based on the quality. Make sure you bring cash or a check; they do not accept cards of any sort.

Cinnamon Roll With Vanilla Icing
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

My first time at Riverside Bake Shop was a success, and I will definitely be sure to try out the other wonderful, homemade creations on their menu in the future. If the other products are anything like their donuts, I think you and I are in good hands.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food/Nature Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Gene & Jude's Review

Gene & Jude's in River Grove, Illinois
Photo Credit: Gene & Judes Gallery/geneandjudes.com

After being on the road for several hours en route to the Chicagoland area, the guys and I decided we wanted a proper homecoming involving food. This could only mean one thing: hot dogs. No matter where you live, whether it be in the city or somewhere in the suburbs, nothing says Chicago quite like a quality dog. If you are looking for a great hot dog close to the city, look no further than Gene & Jude's.

Gene & Jude's-Style Hot Dog
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Gene & Jude's has been serving up their take on the Chicago-style hot dog since the mid-1940s at the original and only location at 2720 River Road River Grove, IL 60171. When I say "their version", I mean they do not incorporate everything that is on a typical "dragged through the garden" Chicago-style dog. If you order a dog with everything, you would get a steamed, natural-cased dog with mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers, and a healthy helping of fresh-cut fries, all piled on a fresh, seedless bun. Yes, the fries do come on the hot dog. If you are looking for ketchup for any reason at all, you better try elsewhere, because you will not find any in the establishment. If ketchup is a "must have" for you, I have it on good authority that the McDonald's next door will sell you some for a small fee.

The menu is as simple as it gets. You can get a dog or double dog with or without any of the toppings listed above, a side order of fresh-cut fries, tamales, and Coke products. That's it. They keep it simple and quick at Gene & Judes, which is the way people have enjoyed it for years. Whenever I go, which used to be a lot more when I worked in River Grove, I get two dogs with everything but relish. This is more than a full meal and I spend less than $6, maybe around $7 if I feel like washing it down with an ice cold Coke. Talk about a bargain. The dog itself has great flavor and a nice snap to it, which is the sign of a quality dog. The condiments compliment the flavor of the dog quite well. The fries are the kicker to me. Not only are they fresh and flavorful, but they give each bite a rich, fulfilling texture. There are some who choose to eat the fries off the hot dog, which is their choice, but I highly recommend eating the whole thing as one. All the flavors blend together quite well if you give them a chance.

Gene & Jude's was a great way to end a great trip and summer. If you are ever in the area, or even if you are not, give this River Grove spot a try. I promise you will enjoy it. All things aside, I am so grateful that I got to experience new places with some of the best friends I could ask for. A huge thank you to Brandon Magnuson, Chris Stielow, and Brad Baron for trying all these new places with me. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Holtman's Donuts Review

Holtman's Donuts in Cincinnati, Ohio
Photo Credit: Bridgett Raffenberg/365 Things to do in Cincinnati

They say that all great things must come to an end, which is sad, but true all at the same time. As we neared the end of our annual road trip, we wanted to leave the city of Cincinnati with a smile on our faces. What better way to start a five and a half hour drive back home than by eating some great donuts? Cue Holtman's.

A Magnificent Dozen
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Holman's Donuts is a family-opened, local donut shop with three locations in Ohio, and has been serving up freshly made, extremely tasty pastries since 1960. Their downtown Cincy shop, located at 1332 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45202, is in a very nice location and has tons of charm. One of the coolest things about the location is that you can see the donuts and ingredients being made fresh right in the window. Seeing everything being made right in front of you may cause you to stop in your tracks, but the intoxicating smell of hot, fresh donuts will force you to go in and pick some up.

Not only are they fresh, but the variety is outstanding as well. You can choose from different types of dough, fillings, glazes/icings, and toppings, which was difficult to do for me, but I managed. After scouring the options, the four of us purchased a dozen, each person choosing their own three. We selected four original glazed, four vanilla-iced with sprinkles, a cinnamon twist, a key lime-filled, a red velvet, and a maple-iced topped with bacon. The total for the dozen came out to $13, which may seem steep, but the quality alone was worth the price. I personally had an original glazed and two vanilla-iced with sprinkles and I felt like I died and went to donut heaven. Each sweet, airy bite was better than the next, making me want to go up to the counter to purchase three more. I resisted because we had to get back on the road, but Holtman's was everything I was looking for and more.

I had been searching for quality, fresh-made donuts near home for weeks, but never came across anything worth writing about. No, Dunkin Donuts is not worth writing about. Holtman's answered my call and satisfied my craving, proving to me that the places I was looking for did indeed exist. I will continue to search for great donuts closer to home, but will be counting down the days until I can get back to Holtman's. You can count on that.


Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Eli's BBQ Review

Eli's BBQ in Cincinnati, Ohio
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

With the Pittsburgh skyline at our backs, the last part of our summer road trip started in the journey to Cincinnati, OH. After spending the whole morning driving, our group got BBQ fever. Rather than stopping at the Montgomery Inn, which is one of the most popular BBQ spots in Ohio, we decided to try a lesser known spot called Eli's BBQ.

Pulled Pork Sandwich Plate
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

Eli's has been serving up great food and great times to Cincy natives for the past several years. Their simple menu does not overwhelm anyone, as you have a few meats and several sides to choose from, which hints that they are all about perfecting what they do best. Their single location, at 3313 Riverside Drive Cincinnati, OH 45226, is minutes away from the Ohio River and is just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Both the indoor and outdoor seating were packed, clearly their great food was not a secret to anyone, so it did take a little while for our food to get to us. Was it worth the wait? You bet it was.

Rib Tips
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

With the menu being smaller, only pulled pork, hickory smoked turkey, ribs, and Nathan's All-Beef Hot Dogs to choose from, I went with the classic pulled pork sandwich, which had a base price of $5. I decided to make it a plate for an additional $3, getting mac and cheese and coleslaw as my sides. I washed it all down with an ice cold coke, it was bottled, which I was a huge fan of. Soft drinks always taste better in a bottle to me. My meal was right around the $10 mark, which is pretty much the norm for BBQ no matter where you go. The most important thing to me is the quality, and Eli's was not lacking in that department. The pork was juicy, had a nice crust and smoke ring, and a great smoky flavor. I doused my sandwich in their tangy BBQ sauce, which  only made the sandwich better. The mac and cheese was hearty and flavorful, displaying all the classic signs of a great side from a quality BBQ establishment. In addition to my meal, I finished the rib tips my brother ordered, which were a special for the day. I don't eat rib tips often due to their reputation as being fatty, but these were not fatty at all. The slow cooking process melted the fat away. They were very meaty, had excellent flavor, due to the dry rub that was applied previously, and the BBQ sauce was an excellent contribution as well.

My first ever meal in Cincy was a success, and it was a great addition to my ever-expanding list of quality BBQ places. If you are in town on business, visiting family, or just checking out a Reds game like we were, make sure you give Eli's BBQ a visit. You will thank me later.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food Writer from the Chicagoland Area

Primanti Bros. Review

Primanti Bros. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

In a city known for it's food, Pittsburgh brought us weary, Illinois travelers a variety of quality food. Being college-aged kids, we are always looking to get good food in mass quantities without cleaning out our wallets, so we made sure our next stop in the Steel City would involve just that. Venturing to the heart of the University of Pittsburgh campus, we walked into Primanti Bros., a favorite among Penn natives.

Primanti Bros. has been serving up super-sized sandwiches since the early 1900s, but these are no ordinary sandwiches. A Primanti sandwich is like a full meal stuffed between two slices of thick Italian bread, served with heaps of fresh cut fries, coleslaw, and tomatoes, in addition to your choice of meat and cheese. The sandwich was created to cater to those who either did not have the time or money to squeeze in a full meal, so Primanti's made sure their guests did not leave hungry or broke. A version of these sandwiches are made in Chicago at Lucky's Sandwich Co., a favorite spot of mine closer to home.

Turkey and Cheese with Bacon Stuffed Sandwich
Photo Credit: Ryan Magnuson/Mealtime With Mags

With locations all over the Pittsburgh area, one does not have to travel far to find an establishment. I visited the Oakland location, at 3803 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213, which was right near the Pitt campus. We walked right in and got our food fairly quickly, which was great because we were hungry. I ordered a turkey breast and cheese with bacon, which costed me in the neighborhood of $9. The turkey was thinly cut with tons of flavor and the bacon was thick and crispy. The fries were freshly cut and added more substance to the sandwich. The bread was light and airy, yet held in the contents of the sandwich quite well. All menu items, including the 20 plus other sandwiches, wings, salads, soups, and sides, will run you around $10 or less. Caution: whatever you end up ordering, expect to leave full. It is a lot of food.

In comparison to Lucky's, the Primanti sandwich had a head up to me. It had more meat, both turkey and bacon were loaded on, whereas meat seemed less ample on the Lucky's sandwich. The fries were more to my liking also, fresh cut and russet potato-like, where as Lucky's uses more of a steak-cut. Both sandwiches are delicious, but I favor the original in Pittsburgh. If you are ever in Pittsburgh, make sure to visit the birthplace of the stuffed sandwich, Primanti Bros., at one of their many locations. You will not regret it.

Ryan Magnuson is a Baseball/Food Writer from the Chicagoland Area