North Shore Foodie Finds

Deerfield Roll Is a Sushi Delight

Wild Fish’s unusual combination of sea food, vegetables and grains is good for a meal or to share.

Patch likes to poll its readers and others to learn opinion around town and that is how we arrived at Wild Fish’s Deerfield Roll as this week’s North Shore Foodie Find. The handmade Sushi roll is created with spicy mini lobster, black rice, white rice, super white tuna, cucumber and avocado before it is wrapped in a soybean sheet and topped with wasabi mayo. All the ingredients are there but each roll looks a little different displaying the elaborate work required to create Sushi. “It depends on the chef,” owner James Oh said of the final product. “We have (edible) soy bean paper on the outside. One side is black rice and one side is white rice,” he added accounting for the slightly different look but identical taste. The chef’s intricate …

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What’s Your Favorite Food or Drink You Tried in 2012?

Tell us where you ate the item and why it’s a must try in the comment section.

Why order a hot dog when you can have a fowler? From movie-inspired sandwiches to Chili Bombs at an Evanston hot dog shop. North Shore Foodie Finds has trekked to some interesting eateries in search of the strange and delicious.  We want to know, what are some of your favorite food or drinks you tried in 2012? Tell us in the comment section below. To get your brains churning and possibly your bellies rumbling, here’s a look at what North Shore Foodie Finds devoured in 2012: 

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North Shore Foodie Finds

Café Fleurette’s Croissant is a Must Try

Located in the Winnetka Metra station at Elm Street, the café serves traditional French baked goods.

Flaky is not a great word for people, but when it comes to croissants, it’s a must. And that’s exactly how the croissants at Winnetka’s Café Fleurette are.  Located in the Metra Station at 754 Elm St., Winnetka, the tiny bakery often sells out of the chocolate croissants by 7:30 a.m.  “It’s wonderful and exciting to stop in here and be able to pick up wonderful baked goods,” Winnetka Village President Jessica Tucker told Patch during the café’s grand opening in August. “When we were looking at bids from businesses we chose Café Fleurette because of its delicious, delicious menu. It’s different and not something already offered in town, plus she already sells goods at Northfield Farmers Market and has a following." See photos from the grand…

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North Shore Foodie Finds

The Wall of Weird Sandwiches at Little Louie's

Why order a hot dog when you can have a fowler?

There are two menus at Little Louie's at 1342 Shermer Rd. in Northbrook — one with standard burgers and hot dogs and everything else you would expect from a fast food joint. The other menu is less typical, offering items called McLovin, Ace Ventura and La Bubba Rosa.  The weird wall of sandwiches at Little Louie's has about 20 different items inspired by flavors, movies and whatever else might be on owner Peter Weiss's mind at the time.  "Everything that up there is good and it sells," Weiss said. "Some people come in and just order off the wall."  The 45-year-old business hasn't always offered quirky, movie-inspired sandwiches. Weiss came up with the idea after he bought the restaurant 15 years ago.  "I'm all about flavors," Weiss said. "…

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North Shore Foodie Finds

Isaac and Moishe's Green Drink a Salad in a Glass

Kale, orange juice and granola put through a blender may not sound delicious, but it is.

If you've been to La Casa de Isaac and Moishe recently, you've seen it: the green drink. If the look of it doesn't catch you off guard -- a thick, glistening green liquid -- its preparation will. The drink is spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, cactus, aloe vera, pineapple, flax seed, oatmeal, granola, orange juice, ice and honey blended together and poured into a 16 or 32 ounce glass. Some of you may have stopped reading this at "kale." Those still here get to be let in on a little secret: this drink is delicious. Last fall, the minds behind Highland Park's La Casa de Isaac, a Mexican food gem on the North Shore, decided to install a juice bar in their Highwood grocery store. Isaac and Moishe Nava borrowed a recipe from a weight-lifting …

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North Shore Foodie Finds

Oxtail Hash, Eggs and Sriracha Hollandaise at Wilmette's Fuel Breakfast

The Wilmette restaurant puts a new twist on a classic dish.

For some, good corned beef hash is a time-tested staple required at any breakfast eatery, diner or greasy spoon worth its salt. But the minds behind Fuel Breakfast in Wilmette dared to deviate from the norm, putting their own twist on the classic dish with the eatery’s "Oxtail Hash." The dinner menu item comprises red wine braised oxtail, diced fingerling potatoes, peppers, pickled red onions, a sunny-side up egg and Sriracha hollandaise sauce. Fuel, 1222 Washington Ct., has been open for a little more than three years and specializes in breakfast and lunch fare. However, a year ago, the eatery began offering a small-plate dinner menu, as well. Head chef Derek Dwyer said the oxtail hash came together like most of the restaurant’s dishes: …

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North Shore Foodie Finds

Philly Cheesesteak Soup: Local Favorite or Strange Pairing?

In Patch's ongoing column looking at unusual foods along the North Shore, we focus on a creamy culinary remix at Red Rooster in Glenview.

Red Rooster has been serving groceries and deli food in Glenview for six years. The family-owned business, owned and run by Mike and Melissa Hogan, has offered Philly Cheesesteak soup since the beginning.  When I saw the item on the menu I thought it was an unusual find, but it might actually be a local favorite.  Mike said customers admit the soup seems weird, but Melissa noted that it is constantly gaining popularity.  "They can't believe how good it is," Melissa said.  The cream-based soup's ingredients are standard enough — beef, carrot, peas, potato. Plus Cheddar and American cheese.  The deli calls it an entrée soup. "This is the meal," Melissa said. She called it "comfort food-ish." Mike couldn't even think of something to pair it …

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North Shore Foodie Finds

Winnetka Store Takes Hot Dogs to the Next Level

In Patch's weekly column looking at unusual foods around the North Shore, we check out interesting hot dogs at D’s Haute Dogs.

Exotic sausages are a specialty at D’s Haute Dogs in Winnetka where the foods also have interesting names such as the Zeus, the Marley and the Delmonico.  So what exactly are in these dogs?  Zeus – gyros sausage, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, feta cheese and Tzatziki sauce. Marley – Jamaican jerk pork sausage, green onions, shredded lettuce and garlic aioli. Delmonico – Rib-eye steak sausage, sautéed mushrooms, fried onion crisps and horseradish cream sauce.  “Our butcher hand crafts our sausages for us on a weekly basis,” said owner Jared Boyar.  One of the best sellers at the store is the JHA, named after Boyar’s friend Jim Anderson. The JHA is a burger covered in Merkts cheddar, bacon and fried onion crisps.  While the store may be …

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Lake Forest Cupcake Flights are First Class

Market House on the Square lets diners have their cake and eat it too - or in this case, several cakes.

North Shore Foodie Finds

Lake Forest Cupcake Flights are First Class

Market House on the Square lets diners have their cake and eat it too - or in this case, several cakes.

There comes the inevitable moment in a cupcake connoisseur’s life when they step up to the counter…and they just can’t pick which flavor to get. But at the Market House on the Square in downtown Lake Forest, nobody has to play favorites. The restaurant’s cupcake flights – a dessert comprised of four small assorted cupcakes – is the perfect solution for those who just can’t choose.   House pastry chef Eleanor Davidson has been serving up her famous cupcake flights since she first began at the Market House in August. Much like more traditional wine flights, the cupcake flight is supposed to start with the most light of the flavors – in this case, it’s the vanilla buttermilk cupcake with lemon curd and toasted meringue. Next comes the banana …

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