South-Side Scene
BJ’s Market & Bakery8734 S. Stony Island | 773-374-4700
In a 1998 Reader story, Calumet Fisheries’ Hector Morales lamented the decline in business that came with the death of the steel industry on the southeast side. But the tiny shack at the foot of the 95th Street Bridge is still smoking its own chubs, trout, and salmon steaks, heads, and collars over oak logs. These creatures remain moist after smoking, having been brined overnight. The vulnerable constitution of shrimp is the best endorsement of this process, remaining juicy and intensely smoky—though the monsters come dear at $20.99 a pound. Polyglot sailors still weigh in for fried catfish when they dock, and the fresh, crispy breaded aquatic life—frog’s legs, shrimp, scallops, and smelts—are expressions of maritime rhapsody, like the sea spray that escapes the breaded crust of a juicy fried oyster. The dramatic location—it’s where Elwood jumped the drawbridge in the Bluesmobile—is an ideal spot to clamber down to the river’s edge with an order of deep-fried ocean critters and watch ships chug by. —Mike Sula
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Two restaurants in one single-story building, Chef Luciano tends more toward higher-end meals, Gourmet Fish to more standard fast foods such as fried fish and chicken. Offerings draw from all sorts of influences-Cajun, Italian, Jamaican, African, and chef-owner David Gupta’s native Indian—and the results, as you might expect, are eclectic: Chef Luciano Cajun catfish, for instance, comes with a vegetable stir-fry accented with curry. On the other side of the building, Gourmet Fish turns out exceptional fried chicken, its crispy thin breading seasoned with cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon. Though there are a few tables scattered about, both spots are essentially take-out joints; eating on-site means doing so amid a crowd of people waiting for carryout orders served from the bulletproof carousel. On one of my visits a wild-eyed chef Gupta reamed a customer for requesting extra hot sauce, then chewed out a short-order cook for not having my order ready. Despite (or because of) Gupta’s fiery temper, his food’s generally quite good. In fact, his collard greens were perhaps the best I’ve had on the south side—and that’s saying something. —David Hammond
$$American, Southern/Soul Food | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | Reservations not accepted
Daley’s Restaurant809 E. 63rd | 773-643-6670
In business only since last spring, Hand-Burgers carries on the south-side tradition of hand-formed griddle-cooked patties served with fresh-cut fries. Burgers begin as five-ounce balls of fresh meat that get mashed down into irregular circles on the griddle. After crisp edges form, the patty is bedded on a buttered and toasted bun and dressed with your choice of condiments (don’t skip the grilled onions)—nothing complicated but very well executed. Skin-on fries are good with only a sprinkle of salt, or you can order like a south sider and have them doused with mild, vinegary hot sauce. The basic burger with fries will set you back $3.99. Like many other south-side burger emporiums, Hand-Burgers also feature a turkey burger that gives its beefy counterpart a run for the money. Basic is best at Hand-Burgers, but the spicy Hip Hot Burger or the pepper-and-onion-studded Meat Loaf Burger are also worth considering. Butter cookies and cake baked in-house round out the menu. While you wait—and you will wait, as each burger is made to order—take a moment to admire the minimuseum of stepping memorabilia scattered around the restaurant. Be warned that profanity will not be tolerated; a list of approved expletives (shucks, heck) is posted by the cash register. —Peter Engler
