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Back in July last year, I posted an episode of Wait, Wait…Don't Tell Me! here with guest contestant J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who's a chef, New York Times food columnist, James Beard Award winner for his cookbook - and has a wonderful YouTube channel with very entertaining videos, wonderfully explained, often were about making basic dishes really well. The explanations are so enjoyable and even if there's only a small tip you didn't know before, I find them worthwhile watching. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a chef, NYT food columnist, James Beard Award-winner and more. He also releases wonderfully entertaining videos for home cooks with tips on making very basic dishes. We haven't posted one of those for a while, so let's make up for that today. And as far as "very basic dishes" go, this certainly qualifies. Here's the one he did on streamlined meatloaf.
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Well, I'm back in Los Angeles, and the elves have left the place in reasonably good shape and didn't leave the refrigerator completely raided. I'll have something else later today, but while I'm unpacking and reacclimating I thought it proper to repost an article I wrote eight years ago on an earlier trip to Chicago. It's about one of my several favorite restaurants, Charlie Beinlich's, of which I've never come across anything like it in Los Angeles. It's very low-key. Began life over 70 years ago as really pretty much a truck-stop tavern in the suburb of Northbrook (basically across the street from Glencoe, where I grew up -- perhaps on that side of the road because Glencoe was dry, until literally the 1970s. Yes, really. In fact, I believe that was the case for all the Cook County suburbs along Lake Michigan because Evanston -- that borders Chicago to the north -- was the world headquarters of the WCTU, the Women's Christian Temperance Union). Mounted fish on the wall. Only about a dozen items on the menu, at most. But what they serve is all so good, and the welcoming service, never feeling rushed even when the place is packed (which is usual) is a joy. Here's more about Beinlich's. Beinlich's Redux April 26, 2017 I was going out to dinner with a friend the other day, trying to figure out where to eat. And I started to pine for a place I dearly love in the Chicago suburbs nearby where I grew up, called Charlie Beinlich's. It's not that there isn't a Charlie Beinlich's in Los Angeles, it's that there isn't a place I know of that's even close to it. And so I must do without -- but always go there when I return to Chicago. I've wrote about the place earlier in the year when I was last there, but realized that it deserves more than just a description of lunch -- though for Beinlich's that a fine starting point. Beinlich's (or to put it properly and in full, Beinlich's Food and Tap) is even a bit odd for Chicago, though it's very Midwestern, and so there are places that are at least somewhat similar. But Beinlich's is idiosyncratic. It began life as a truck stop probably at least 60 years ago, probably longer. (That alone, a 60+ year old restaurant is uncommon.) Indeed, it's the kind of place that reinforces the cliche that if you want to find the best food in a town, follow where the trucks go to. (I don't know if the cliche is true, but it sure holds at Beinlich's.) They actually close for two weeks in the height of summer, during August, so that they can go fishing. Really -- there's a sign they put out front that pretty much says, "Gone fishing." For that matter, they're also closed on Sunday, the busiest day of the week for more restaurants. But like their August closing for fishing, they want their Sunday's off. Monday's too -- they want their two-day weekend. And they don't take credit cards. And Beinlich's being Beinlich's, they don't even list their phone number on their website. Hey, they've been there for over 60 years. People know them, there's not much of a reason to call. But if you do and want take-out, they're in the phone book, look them up. Or you probably wrote their number down decades ago, it hasn't changed. The place isn't in Chicago proper, but the northern suburbs, in Northbook on Skokie Highway, not from the the oft-mentioned here Chicago Botanic Gardens and Ravinia Music Festival. Next door to the town where I grew up, in Glencoe. Beinlich's is basically a pine log cabin, with mounted fish covering the wall, lots of electric beer displays, and a wall-to-wall oak bar, along with maybe 20 tables at most. There is a sign when you enter that says, "Food is served for the convenience of our alcohol-drinking patrons" -- in other words, if you're going to eat here, please get a beer. There are no menus, just a small sign in the corner, but that's all they need because there are only about 10 items they make.  Mainly, they make burgers and cheeseburgers -- thick, juicy, rich, fresh and meaty -- which you can get regular with chips, or deluxe with French fries and coleslaw. (And the fries are piping hot, and taste like little baked potatoes.) If you're a non-conformist, though, there's barbecued beef, a ham-and-cheese sandwich, grilled cheese, and they eventually added a chicken wrap, as lighter fare, and egg salad. Honestly, small as the menu is, I can't be accurate with everything since I've only gotten a burger deluxe there for the past probably 40 years. They're that good. (I think once, decades ago, I may have gotten a barbecued beef, but I can't swear to it. The two sides -- and hey, this is Beinlich's, they only need two sides, they're that good -- are shrimp cocktail (which my dad loved), and stunning chili. Okay, my dad loved that, too. As for me, it may well be the best chili I've had. I don't put any onions or cheddar cheese on, but just take it straight. Though I do like their oyster crackers, and dump a bit of red pepper flakes on. (Decades ago, after my dad had quadruple bypass surgery, he cut down on meat. So my mother -- a quiet, demure, small Midwestern lady, who used the telephone like Heiffetz played the violin -- called to ask if they could make a vegetarian chili. They said to call in the morning before we came in, say how many bowls we'd want, and if they hadn't made the chili that day -- something they did 2-3 times a week -- they'd put those bowls aside before adding the meat. Much as I love the Beinlich's chili -- and I said it may be my favorite -- I loved their meatless chili even more. It was lighter, and the flavors came through more, without having the meat predominate. Anyway, a couple of years ago, after my mother passed away, my dad and I were going to head to Beinlich's, so I decide to take on the responsibility and called ahead to ask about getting the meatless chili. Sorry, he said -- but disappointed as I was, I loved and preferred his reason. "We only did that for your mom.")  Beinlich's even still has some staff who I remember from when I first went there when I was eight years old, though at this point it may be down to Andy, who began as a waiter, and is either the general manager at this point, or a part-owner now. But there are about 3-4 "new" guys which at Beinlich's means they've been there for probably 20 years. There are also now a couple of actually-recent servers. And the waiters, bartenders, and bus boys have always, for over half a century, always and only been men. But the last time I was in they had, for a very first time -- a young woman busing tables. Lunch usually isn't a big problem, though the place is always full. But if you show up for dinner too late -- like much past 6:30, the tiny waiting area and tiny enclosed porch is going to be jammed. That's more of a problem than you think -- remember, this is Chicago. If you get there too late at night in the winter, you're going to be standing outside in sub-freezing weather. But people will do just that. But ultimately, it's not a huge problem, because Beinlich's is fast. They zip you your food, and when you're done -- whoosh, it's gone. But somehow magically, you never feel rushed. It helps that everyone who works there, even when they're in a bit of a hurry, has always been Midwest friendly, and will give you time and chat if you need to. And if you want to linger a bit, that's okay. But because there's so much movement around, and a long line, people tend to be polite to others and empty their table. No, there isn't anything like Charlie Beinlich's in Los Angeles. Or most anywhere.  I've enjoyed the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil even before it was on Netflix and was instead on PBS as I'll Have What Phil is Having. Whether others like it or not, I think their trailer for the new Season 7 (which began on March 1) is very entertaining -- but most of all, it's worth for the wonderful punch line at the end. And I mean the very, very end. When you think it's over -- no, it's at the end. (Side Note: I met Phil only once briefly, in a 1988 Writers Guild picket line, and asked if he'd do an Email Interview with me for my WGA website column. Which he immediately said "yes" to. And my sense at the time -- and this was long before his food show was even a thought -- is that what we see now on Somebody Feel Phil is who he has always been. Very nice, thoughtful and exuberant.) [UPDATE: Sorry, the newsletter email I received referred to the season starting on March 1. It did. But that was March 1, 2024. Still, the point of this here is not about the series, but about the trailer, and how funny the punchline is. So, that holds valid.] Anyway, the trailer is only 1:26. So, stick around for the very end. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a chef, NYT food columnist, James Beard Award-winner and more. He also releases wonderfully entertaining videos for home cooks with tips on making very basic dishes. So here’s one he did on making one-pan roasted chicken and potatoes. Back in July last year, I posted an episode of Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! here with guest contestant J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who’s a chef, New York Times food columnist, James Beard Award winner for his cookbook – and has a wonderful YouTube channel with very entertaining videos, wonderfully explained, often were about making basic dishes really well. The explanations are so enjoyable and even if there’s only a small tip you didn’t know before, I find them worthwhile watching. So here’s one he did on making macaroni and cheese. There’s a point to this all, so bear with me. It’s not about a favorite food, though it may seem so on the surface. The tale does begin though with what has become a favorite food. It’s known as “Nashville hot chicken” and has become very popular in Los Angeles, and apparently has been spreading through other parts of the country. It began back in 1936 when Thornton Prince opened the BBQ Hot Chicken Shack (in Nashville, of course…), which later changed its name Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in the 1980s. I became a big fan of the food five years ago when Kim Prince (great-great niece of the original) opened her wonderful Hotville Chicken in South Central Los Angeles. The inveterate Chris Dunn -- who introduced me to the place -- and I began frequent lunches there, and I wrote about Hotville four years ago here, if you want to know more about the place and its history. Though that’s not the point here. As great as their food is -- and it is great, in fact a “Best of L.A.” award--recipient from Los Angeles Magazine and making the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants list -- the owner/chef Kim Prince is even better. She’d visit with the customers, and Chris and I have always loved our conversations with her, not a perfunctory "How's it going, how was your meal?," but stopping to talk, sitting down sometimes for 10-15 minutes. Full of kindness, not just for her customers, but her community, but even (actually) for her competitors. She wants everyone to succeed, and puts actions to her words, a dynamo going out through the city relentlessly. But that’s not the point here either – though it gets closer to it. Because of COVID and the restaurant’s difficult location (though one Kim insisted on because of the community), Hotville Chicken unfortunately had to close down. However, she teamed up with another pillar of the community, Greg Dulan of the legendary L.A. spot, Dulan’s Soul Food on Crenshaw – and the two created a successful food truck, Dulanville, which has relentlessly (of course) traveled throughout the city for the past several years. And no, that too is not the point, but we’re getting close. The point (and finally, we’re there…) is that last week, Kim Prince and Greg Dulan were on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The reason is that he’s been featuring local chefs who have shown up in wildfire zones to feed people in need – and Kim and Greg, being who they are, are among those. But it’s even more impressive than that. To put it in perspective, when I sent an email to the Hotville account about how nice it was to see her on Kimmel’s show, she wrote back the following note, the details of which blew me away. Though (being who she is), I wasn't surprised at that. She wrote – Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Here’s the video of their appearance on the show – But it goes even further. For all the financial hurdles they face with their efforts, the compensation they get from Jose Andrés’ great World Central Kitchen, as she noted, while substantive, only covers part of their expenses. The rest they're paying out of pocket. But when I asked about them doing a GoFundMe page, she said, no, they weren’t going to do that. Instead, they are only asking people to “Pay it forward,” and order an extra “spare meal” when they show up at Dulan’s Soul Food restaurant on Crenshaw, which will be used to help those their feeding in the fire zones. All well and good, but there’s only benefit with that from people who live in Los Angeles and are close enough to Dulan’s or to help at the fire zone . That said, they are accepting donations through the CashApp or Zelle by using their email address of “[email protected]”. However – being who they are – she wanted to make clear they aren’t even making any solicitations for donations. Just that they’ll happily accept them from anyone who decides on their own to chip in. This is all the more notable since she off-handedly mentioned that, on top of the previously-noted electrical issues with their truck, the Dulan’s restaurant has also had some costly and very unexpected issues. But ones that, in her way, she describes almost dismissively as “Such a distraction given all the work we must do for the community.” What I wrote back was, although they themselves don’t do any solicitations for funding, I wasn't hindered by any such selfless standards or self-imposed restraints. And so, I -- on my own -- am saying that if anyone here would like to donate anything to such noble people exhaustively helping others in great need, I have no doubt it would be appreciated by them. Whatever the amount. After all, a bunch of $5 donations add up. All donations add up. So, if you use CashApp (or download it) or have a Zelle account, you can donate to “[email protected]”. And if you live in Los Angeles and ever want to dine on the real thing yourself, check out her Facebook page here or her Instagram page to find out where the Dulanville food truck will be when their fire mission is done, and they’ve finally caught up on their sleep and are back on the road. (Or take a look at her Hotville website.) It's not just standard food truck service, but occasionally they do pop-ups in conjunction with restaurants around town. Speaking of which, for a sit-down meal, there's of course always Dulan’s Soul Food on Crenshaw. (I don't mean to give Greg Dulan short shrift here, it's just that I've crossed paths with Kim Prince a lot, and haven't yet met the good fellow.) Okay, so now you know -- that’s the point. Thanks for bearing with me… |
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 
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