LF_012518

18 | January 25, 2018 | The lake forest leader Dining Out
LakeForestLeader.com
Quick Bites
Bacon mania runs wild on North Shore
Eric DeGrechie
Managing Editor
In the late 1990s, enthusiasm
for bacon seemed to
hit a fever pitch here in the
United States. Now, years
later, it doesn’t appear that
what some have coined
“bacon mania” is slowing
down anytime soon.
Bacon is so popular that
it even has its own day on
Dec. 30. While some argue
for or against the health
merits of the salt-cured
pork, few outright dislike
the taste. Even vegetarians
get in on the fun by adding
meatless bacon knockoffs
to the diet.
Finding ways to slip
bacon into every dish is
a challenge many chefs
are more than willing to
take on. Last week, 22nd
Century Media editors
ventured out to different
North Shore establishments
to get their bacon
fill and taste some unique
creations. The results were
delicious.
The Defibrillator — Chief’s
Pub, Lake Forest
Chief’s Pub in Lake Forest
put its own spin on nachos
by substituting a few
ingredients and changing
its name. At Chief’s Pub,
502 N. Western Ave., Lake
Forest, guests can try the
Defibrillator appetizer
($8.99), which substitutes
nachos for tater tots and
ground beef for bits of bacon.
The dish is also covered
with cheddar cheese
and jalapenos.
The bacon is cut up into
tiny chewy pieces making
it easy to dive into. The
tater tots are soft and are a
great combination with the
melted cheese.
Joe Knesley, owner at
Chief’s Pub, said the dish
was coined by his father
and former owner, Chuck
Knesley.
“My dad loves bacon
and he is kind of nutty.
He wanted to make nachos
with tater tots and we
chose to put bacon on it
instead of pulled pork [or
other traditional meat toppings
on nachos],” he said.
The name ‘Defibrillator’
comes from a device used
by paramedics when a patient
is having a heart attack.
Joe Knesley said the
staff at Chief’s Pub know
this is not the healthiest of
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dishes and many people
look at it and think “heart
attack,” which is how it
got its name.
Chief’s Pub is open
from 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Saturday
and 11 a.m.-
11 p.m. Sunday. For more
information, visit www.
chiefspub.com or call
(847) 234-3444.
Story by Contributing Editor
Alyssa Groh
Bacon pancakes — Walker
Bros., Wilmette
Bacon and pancake lovers,
rejoice. I introduce
you to the ultimate twoin-one:
the bacon pancakes
at Walker Bros. The
Original Pancake House.
The Wilmette restaurant’s
manager, Tom Zehnder,
said the restaurant has
served up the speciality
pancakes for as long as
he could remember. And,
that’s not by chance, but
by choice.
“We make maybe 35
orders or more a day,”
Zehnder said. “It comes in
a close second as the most
popular dish to our apple
pancakes.”
When ordered, customers
can expect six fresh
pancakes to come straight
from the kitchen’s griddle.
The fresh bacon is sliced
and added to the pancake
batter — a secret recipe —
just for this dish.
“We’re not going the
cheap route here. We actually
use the same bacon
that would be served as
a side, not just dry bacon
bits,” Zehnder added.
When I tried the pancakes
for myself, I could
tell. The bacon wasn’t
overly cooked or sparse.
The flavor wasn’t odd either;
the bacon complemented
the pancake nicely.
The Defibrillator ($8.99), at Chief’s Pub in Lake Forest,
is a twist on nachos made with tater tots and covered in
bacon, melted cheddar cheese and jalapenos.
Alyssa Groh/22nd Century Media
It also came with a side of
maple syrup and whipped
butter, which provided a
sweet flavor to the more
savory pancake.
The bacon overload
doesn’t stop there. Recently,
the restaurant’s bacon
cheddar omelette was featured
on Food Network’s
“The Best Thing I Ever
Ate.”
For more information,
call (847) 251-6000 or
www.walkerbros.net. The
restaurant is open daily
from 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
at 153 Green Bay Road,
Wilmette. There are also
locations in Highland
Park, Glenview, Arlington
Heights, Lake Zurich,
Lincolnshire and Schaumburg.
Story by Contributing Editor
Megan Bernard
GH loaded tots —
Glenview House, Glenview
Walk into any restaurant
in Glenview, and I’m sure
you’ll find a handful of
bacon-centric menu items.
Yet, none do bacon better
than Glenview House,
1843 Glenview Road.
When I visited the longtime
North Shore staple,
I immediately keyed on
the GH loaded tots ($10),
complete with tater tots,
jalapeno, nacho cheese,
roasted peppers, over-easy
eggs, Tabasco and chive
sour cream — oh yeah,
and plenty of bacon.
The dish was delicious,
and while the bacon added
a much appreciated level
of tastiness, I’d order it
again even if meats vanished
from the menu. The
cheese, egg, Tabasco and
sour cream soaked into the
potatoes at the bottom of
the bowl, and the peppers
and jalapeno provided a
nice kick.
Other bacon-infused
menu items include the GH
potato skins ($10), chopped
salad ($10), roast turkey
salad ($10), habanero ham
melt ($11) and roasted turkey
sandwich ($10).
Glenview House is open
from 3 p.m.-midnight
Monday-Thursday, 11
a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday
and 11 a.m.-midnight
Sunday. For more
information, visit www.
theglenviewhouse.com or
call (847) 724-0692.
Story by Contributing Editor
Chris Pullam