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16 | January 3, 2019 | The Mokena Messenger dining out
mokenamessenger.com
Local recipes for success in 2018 Dishes
A look at some of the
things that made this
2018’s Dishes special
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
Restaurants pride themselves
on secret ingredients. They can’t
tell you the exact mix of spices
that make those baby back ribs
taste so good. They might assure
you a sauce isn’t going to trigger
any allergies, but good luck getting
the recipe. And they sure as
heck won’t explain the techniques
handed down from generation to
generation.
But figuring out what makes a
restaurant tick doesn’t have to be
such a mystery. Sometimes, businesses
wear what makes them special
on their sleeves — figuratively
and literally.
So, in 2018, we took a look back
at some of the not-so-secret ingredients
of area restaurants that
caught our attention for The Dish.
The list that follows is far from
comprehensive, but it highlights
some of the best.
Because if we told you everything,
we’d have to...you know.
All about the “guts”
Bob Peplowski, of New Lenox,
son of Peppo’s founder Jim Peplowski,
has no way to hide what
has made the family’s sandwich
shop a popular stop in Palos Hills.
Their sandwiches overflow with
“guts” — a mixture of diced pickles,
tomato and onion, with herbs
and spices, as well as a homemade
vinegar and oil dressing — that
now come in five variations.
There is a small secret we shared
with readers earlier this year,
though: the off-menu “boss guts”
are a mixture of all of the varieties
put together.
Less (sugar) is more
Many bakeries assume if you’re
game for a sweet treat, you’re all
in. You want the sweetest cupcakes.
You want a sugary frosting
topping them. And maybe some
extra candy sprinkled in the mix.
But Orland Park’s Créme by
Sarah Ashley bucks that trend with
items low in sugar, offering cake
pops and more that aren’t quite as
sweet, but still quite a treat.
Secretly loaded with college
nostalgia, not-so-secretly loaded
baked potatoes
When McAlister’s Deli opened
in Orland Park in 2018, its love for
loading baked potatoes was hard to
miss. A variety of options on the
menu are highlighted by the Spud
Max, a giant baked potato stuffed
with ham, turkey, bacon, cheddarjack
cheese, green onion, black
olive and sour cream that acts as a
meal unto itself.
What helped get people in the
doors, though, was a huge helping
of college-town memories. The
franchise has locations in close
proximity to campuses at Illinois
State and the University of Illinois,
and co-owner Ravi Patel first discovered
the chain at his alma mater,
Purdue University.
Macarons with a home-cooked
touch
Many find happiness in a meal
that reminds them of something
mom cooked at home when they
were children. And some restaurants
even jump through elaborate
hoops in frivolous attempts to replicate
something that comes close.
Mokena resident Kim Friedl did
it by just staying home. She simply
started making macarons with her
children. And once the New Lenox
native mastered it, she turned it
into The Macaron Shoppe, petitioning
the Mokena Village Board
to pass an ordinance that would accommodate
her work and creating
cookies that would be difficult for
anyone else’s mom to replicate.
Hot dogs give birth to pizza
Who would have guessed that inside
of an Orland Park hot dog stand
Please see recipes, 17
The “smoke” created by Tasty Chill’s Dragon Breath is a mixture of either cereal balls or cheese balls and
liquid nitrogen. 22nd Century Media File Photos
Chicago Dough New Lenox owner Tim Waters (left) and chef Ernesto Lopez prepare a pizza for the daily lunch
buffet.