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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.
mokenamessenger.com dining out the Mokena Messenger | January 3, 2019 | 17 Créme by Sarah Ashley’s birthday cake cupcakes feature vanilla cake baked with rainbow sprinkles, topped with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles. One of the items on the At Ease menu is the Buffalo chicken sandwich, which is made with fresh chicken, Buffalo sauce, provolone cheese, pickles and lettuce. recipes From Page 16 there was a pizza joint waiting to blossom? But that’s exactly what happened this year, as Joey’s Red Hots took over the space next-door to open a pizza shop alongside its already immensely popular restaurant. Now, we’re looking at other businesses and wondering what secret ambitions they might be hiding, like they’re all some late 1990s high school drama. The Macaron Shoppe offers more than 20 flavors. Not so much what goes into the food as what comes out of it People go to Chicago Dough Co. in New Lenox for the pizza. They go for the buffet. They go for the pictures on the wall. But Chicago Dough Co. does all of that not just for the business but for the charitable opportunities, as well. Since it opened in 2007, the business has donated free food to fundraisers, events, and people and families experiencing hardships. Knowing your money helps support those efforts is just another reason to feel good about dining there. When in doubt, liquid nitrogen There are dessert shops aplenty in the area, but Tasty Chill’s 19-year-old entrepreneur Abdullah Mubarik knew if he wanted to captures a market of both children and adults in Orland Park, he needed to have some fun with things. Enter the Dragon Breath, which comes in two varieties: with cheese balls or with chilled, fruit-flavored cereal. This selection lets customers exhale “smoke” while the chilled, fruit-flavored cereal or cheese balls are in their mouths. The effect comes from the liquid nitrogen that freezes the bite-sized balls to an extremely low temperature. Love for country and beer At Ease Craft Beer Pub displays its military pride everywhere — in the name, on the wood-crafted American flag hanging on a military-green painted wall, and with tap handles made in the shape of .22-caliber rounds. Owner Nick Roppo served seven years in the Army, and he hopes the pub — which now serves food, as well — can be a place for veterans and anyone else looking for a stress-free space. Bob Peplowski, of New Lenox, is the son of Peppo’s founder Jim Peplowski.
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