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glencoeanchor.com dining out the glencoe anchor | November 21, 2018 | 23 Dining Out Glencoe’s Little Red Hen still soaring after 40 years Family-friendly restaurant adding fresh and ‘clean’ options to menu Jason Addy Contributing Editor When Jim Ryba bought into the Little Red Hen franchise in February 1978, the idea of his restaurant in Glencoe outliving the brand likely never crossed his mind. Forty years later, the Little Red Hen is still pumping out classic fried chicken, ribs, pizza and more at its original location at 653 Vernon Ave. Over those four decades, the menu stayed true to its roots. But since Jim Ryba’s daughter Lisa took over the business a few years back, she’s been adding fresh and clean new options — like grilled corn, sweet potato fries and gluten-free buns — to the list of Little Red Hen go-tos. Growing up in the quaint downtown Glencoe restaurant since she was 3 years old, Ryba said she always knew she wanted to go to culinary school and open up her own place one day. “Dad wanted to keep us out of trouble, so he always had us working when we were young, keeping an eye on us,” Ryba said of the childhood of her and her siblings in the restaurant. After graduating from Kendall College in Chicago with a degree in culinary arts, Ryba was well on her way to realizing that dream, but instead she came back to the place she already knew so well. “I thought about maybe opening my own place and everyone was like, ‘You’re crazy. It’s a tough business. You already have [Little Red Hen],’” Ryba said. “So I decided to stay here and help out.” A group of 22nd Century Media editors stopped by the Little Red Hen in Glencoe to find out how the Rybas’ restaurant has remained the talk of the town for the past four decades. To start off our meal, we tried two of Lisa Ryba’s fresh additions to the classic menu. The restaurant serves its summer salad ($9) with artichoke hearts, tomatoes, Little Red Hen 653 Vernon Ave., Glencoe littleredhenglencoe. com (847) 835-4900 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Seven days/week dried cranberries, pistachio nuts, blue cheese and carrots, giving the dish a bit of an autumnal feel as well. For those looking for a little bit of flare in their salad, the southwest salad ($7.50) delivers with barbecue chicken breast, grilled corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and grated cheese piled on a generous heap of greens. Diners can choose any of eight salad dressings. Next, we sampled Little Red Hen’s fried chicken ($10.50 for four-piece dinner). The made-to-order cut of chicken featured an ultra-crispy breading worth risking slight burns for with each bite. To finish, Ryba served up some barbecue baby back ribs ($21 for full slab). All dinners at Little Red Hen are served with French fries or sweet potato fries, coleslaw and a The summer salad ($9) features artichoke hearts, tomatoes, dried cranberries, pistachio nuts, blue cheese and carrots. 50% OFF MANUFACTURERS LIST PRICE dinner roll. The restaurant’s extensive menu also features a number of popular items, including thin-crust and deep-dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, cheeseburgers, wraps, hot dogs, and more, with most options coming in under $10. Ryba and her team are also seasoned pros at cranking out large orders, having participated in the lunch program at Glencoe School District 35 for a number of years. Little Red Hen’s online menu allows diners to order anywhere from 2-50 pieces of chicken ($7.75- $90), a family-sized baby rack ribs meal with three full slabs and all the fixings ($65), and a pound of shrimp with tartar and cocktail sauces ($24). Diners around the North Shore can now enjoy Ryba’s menu from the comfort of their own homes or easily cater their evening get-togethers, with the restaurant recently starting to use delivery services like Grubhub and Postmates. The restaurant now offers delivery from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day to locations in Glencoe and Winnetka, and most places in Highland Park, Northbrook and Northfield, a move that has boosted business, Ryba said. BLACK FRIDAY THRU CYBER MONDAY SALE ANOTHER 5% + Some exclusions apply. One of the most popular items on the menu at Glencoe’s Little Red Hen is the madeto-order fried chicken ($10.50 for four-piece dinner). Photos by Eric DeGrechie/22nd Century Media 1120 N. Milwaukee Ave., Glenview • 847-699-9090 Monday-Friday 10:00 am-6:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am-5:00 pm • Sunday 11:00 am-5:00 pm www.lightingbyfox.com
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