Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
One year after Jim retired, we finally closed on the selling of our industrial building. This required us to deal with several banks. Somehow things like this never go easy for the Dining Duo. You can write a check on a paper airplane, fly it through the bank lobby, and they will snatch it up and take your money. Asking for a withdrawal is another story. You have to be vetted by the FBI and your paperwork has to be examined by a Congressional subcommittee. Even after all of that, there is a waiting period for the check to clear. This is to allow time for the Pony Express rider to saddle up his horsy, put the check in his saddlebag, and gallop off to the other bank. Because of this, we were in a “nasty” mood and decided to stop at The Southern Cafe in Roselle, home of the “Nasty Biscuit”.
The Southern Cafe
511 N. Roselle Road
Roselle 60172
(847) 252-9102
thesoutherncafe.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to Roselle Road South to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 28 minutes
This location has been several restaurants over the years, and the latest incarnation is a breakfast/lunch cafe. It’s a huge restaurant with a bright and cheery country atmosphere. The menu features breakfast and lunch items with a southern flare. There is something to please everyone on this menu.
This large menu posed a problem for Nancy. Keep in mind, she has trouble deciding which flavor of ice cream to put on the top, and which flavor to put on the bottom of a two scoop cone. Let’s not even talk about the 31 flavor choices. She finally decided on the Cajun Shrimp Po’boy ($13.99). This was shrimp sautéed with Cajun spices on a garlic toasted French baguette with fried green tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and house made remoulade sauce. This came with two sides, and she chose a side salad with jalapeno ranch dressing and homemade chips. She 86’d the fried tomatoes. This sandwich was just okay. She thought maybe the tomatoes would have completed it, unfortunately, she despises tomatoes, especially green ones.
Jim picked the perfect meal for his temperment today. He chose the “Nasty Biscuit” ($12.99) which was a buttermilk biscuit stuffed with a crispy southern fried chicken breast. It was topped with cheezy scrambled eggs and smothered in country gravy on top of crispy hashbrowns. OMG, when this dish arrived, both our mouths hung open and the waitress patted him on the back and said, “good luck”. This huge dish could easily feed two people. The chicken stayed crispy even with the cheezy eggs and biscuit gravy. It was unbelievably delicious. He met his match, he took half of it home.
Because we ate light, we spotted the (4) Beignets ($5.99) on their “Specials” menu and had to try them. They were disappointing. The chef had the oil to hot and they were crispy on the outside, but gummy on the inside. Bummer….
Watching the food that was coming out of the kitchen, you could tell the pancakes were the size of frisbees, and the biscuits were the size of a hamburger bun. It looked like two people could share most dishes.
The price for our “nasty” day of banking was $42.84. It sounds like a lot of money, but if two people share, it turns into a sweet deal.
Jim’s take: I’m in love, this is my new favorite breakfast place. Can’t wait to try more items!
Nancy’s take: Jim’s meal was a deal. The jalapeno ranch dressing was really eye popping, I loved it. Next time I’m going for breakfast, that seems to be a better deal.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
