Rate-A-Restaurant #348: Nookies (Chicago)

Restaurant: Nookies

Location: 1746 N. Wells (Chicago)

Type of restaurant: Coffee Shop/Diner



We stipulated: Looking for a simple, late lunch near our hotel in Lincoln Park.



They stipulated: "Situated in the Heart of Chicago’s Old Town, Nookies Restaurant first opened its doors as 'Nookies Snack Shop,' in 1973. Two co-workers, Spiros Alexopoulos, a recent immigrant from Greece, who used to work as a server in a Lincoln Park restaurant, and Ralph Fisher, a cook, joined forces to open what was to become one of Chicago’s favorite diners. The original snack shop was equipped with a deli and an ice cream parlor, and seated only a handful of patrons. Spiros and Ralph named it “Nookies” as in a breakfast nook, although the innuendos of the name where not lost on passersby and local patrons."



What we ordered: Maria: Chicken Piccata (Lightly breaded, sauteed with tomatoes and a lemon caper sauce) $12.45; Mike: Blackened Chicken (Coated with cajun spices, topped with mango chutney) $12.45; Kids: Burger (Lightly seasoned charbroiled and served with lettuce, tomato and pickle) $8.95; kids' spaghetti $3.95



High point:  The blogger kid 2.0's spaghetti with meat sauce was delicious and extremely cheap. Also, loved the '70s/'80s music soundtrack.

Low point:  They didn't accept American Express.



Overall impression: Old fashioned diner, complete with comfort food. Nice vibe.



Will we return: If we stay at the Hotel Lincoln again, I'm sure we'd stop by at some point.

Rate-A-Restaurant #277: Abby's Diner

Restaurant: Abby's Diner

Location: 4862 Eagle Rock Blvd (Eagle Rock)

Type of restaurant: Diner



We stipulated: Taking a bike ride through Eagle Rock, we decided to stop for lunch at Abby's Diner. Maria had been there a few weeks earlier, and was taken by its charm (and even more importantly, its cheap prices).



They stipulated: Simplicity. No-frills menu, nothing unusual. No credit cards. But open late.



What we ordered: Mike: Pulled pork sandwich (special) with cole slaw; Maria: Hamburger; Kids: Corn dog; side of onion rings.



High point: It's no Oinkster pulled pork sandwich, but Abby's was decent and reasonably priced.



Low point: Abby's offers several kids items for $1.95 -- a bargain. The waitress mentioned that we could get a kids corn dog that wasn't on the menu, and I assumed that meant it would be the same price as the other kids offerings. It was not. I wish she would have told me; I might have just settled on the kids stuff on the menu.



Overall impression: I wish the food was a touch more interesting (rather than feeling like stuff that I could conceivably make), but you can't beat the prices (everything is pretty much under $5). I also like the idea of the place -- cozy, classic diner.

Chance we'll go back: I could see us hitting it again while riding around Eagle Rock, but we may first want to try some of the other nearby spots that we haven't hit yet.

FRANKLIN AVENUE IN PALM SPRINGS: Rate-A-Restaurant #271, King's Highway

Restaurant: King's Highway

Location: Ace Hotel 701 E Palm Canyon Dr. (Palm Springs)

Type of restaurant: Diner



We stipulated: For our last day in Palm Springs, we were looking to do something simple that could fill both our breakfast and lunch needs. Eating L.A.'s Pat suggested King's Highway as a dining spot, and Maria wanted to check out the Ace Hotel anyway.

They stipulated: "We restored the old Denny’s restaurant on the property and made it into King's Highway, serving fresh food for hot days. We use the best ingredients we can find, including local, organic and artisanal products whenever we can. We’re working with a local family-owned business called TKB (The Kid’s Business) for our morning muffins, scones, and pastries. They source as many of their ingredients as they can locally, too. We get organic goats’ milk cheese from the Springhill Cheese Company out of Sonoma Calif., which they only sell at farmers markets (even to us). Our Stumptown Coffee is grown in partnership with growers who get a good price for their beans. We work to build good relationships with producers and distributors, like Prime Smokehouse in Oakland, which makes custom thick cut black pepper bacon for us."



What we ordered: Mike: FISH TACOS 8.00 (Corn tortilla, slaw, salsa verde, crema); Maria: MANCHEGO CHEESE & BEET SALAD 8.00 (Walnuts, shaved fennel, baby spinach); Blogger Kid: AMIGO BRISKET BURGER 12.00 (Jack or sharp cheddar cheese, roasted tomato, pickled onions, fries)

High point: The fish taco was good, although a tad cold. The burger boasted a nice pickled onion relish and full grilled tomato.

Low point: We were led to believe that we were ordering a kids burger for the Blogger Kid. (Perhaps because we said, "Do you have a kids' menu?" And they replied, "We have a burger that's perfect for kids." Not realizing that our waiter was referring to the $12 grown-up burger. Luckily, the Blogger Toddler ate some of it too.)



Overall impression: It's a shame that some of the great-sounding breakfast and dinner items aren't available all day. But overall, I like what they did with the space, as well as the interesting menu. And even though there are no kids items (a major oversight), it's still kid-friendly.



Chance we'll go back: Yes, and we'd recommend it to others coming to Palm Springs, including with small kids.

L.A. Plays New York: "Mad Men," Week Five (The Howard Johnson's Episode)

As you know, we like to play "Spot the Los Angeles Location" while watching "Mad Men," as the show always finds crafty ways to turn L.A. locations into New York (or Rome, or anywhere else). On Sunday's episode, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Megan Draper (Jessica Paré) check out the Howard Johnson's restaurant in Plattsburgh, NY, and while Don loves the chain's food -- and orange sherbet -- Megan comes away less than impressed. But where were the scenes shot? After asking on Twitter, I got my answers.

The interiors for the scenes (and those aqua blue cushioned booths!) were shot at Rod's Diner in Arcadia. Read more about Rod's here. (Thanks to Keven Chavez for telling us.)

Also, the exteriors were adapted from an old Howard Johnson's on Dalewood Dr. in Baldwin Park, according to Raul Borja. Read more about it here.

Can't get enough of "Mad Men" locations? Curbed LA compiled a list of 20 L.A. locations from the show here -- and I'm proud to note that Franklin Avenue is used to cite several of them.

(Screengrab via Eater, which offers up an interesting primer on the history of Howard Johnson's restaurants.)

Rate-A-Restaurant #267: Los Feliz Cafe

Restaurant: Los Feliz Cafe

Location: 3207 Los Feliz Blvd (Atwater Village)

Type of restaurant: Diner



We stipulated: I took the boys on a bike ride on the L.A. River Bike Path, and on the way back via Los Feliz Blvd., we were getting hungry for lunch. My usual standby, the Village, was closed for some reason... and after 15 years of driving by that big "EAT" sign next to the Los Feliz golf course, it was time to finally check it out.



They stipulated: Mostly outdoor seating; seat yourself; a varied menu that includes everything from breakfast items to shawrma.



What we ordered: Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - $6.50; French Toast - $5.50

High point: The prices are right, and the location -- overlooking the golf course made famous in "Swingers" -- is pleasant.

Low point: The food itself is nothing special. The French toast with the fast food syrup dipping container was particularly disappointing. And then I had to beg for my bill, which is always a pet peeve. (Are you not in a rush to get paid?)



Overall impression: The menu is all over the map -- what is this place trying to be? If it wants to go Middle Eastern, commit to that, rather than offering a bland Chicken Shawarma. But don't put that next to beef tacos, angel hair pasta and chicken wings, and expect to be taken seriously.

Chance we'll go back: No. There are plenty of other nearby breakfast or diner options available.