Jimmy John's at Kuykendahl and 2920

I have eaten Jimmy John's sandwiches before, but have not been to a store. I stopped in for a sandwich the other day. Ordered a Big John's (roast beef, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise), Thinny Chips (Jimmy John's has their own chip brands) and a drink. They take Apple Pay, and I spent about a minute fiddling with it before the payment was accepted. The sandwich was done long before my payment. It is as fast as they say.

Otherwise, it is competent but not particularly tasty. I find the bread rather dense and chewy. Give me Subway or Potbelly any time.

The restrooms were being cleaned when I was in the restaurant, and were spotless. The decor is spare, with lots of motivational lists and sayings on the wall. No pictures.

Overall it's worth going there if the minute difference between other sandwich shops and JJ is important, otherwise I would pick Subway or Potbelly.

The owner of Jimmy John's, John Liautaud, has drawn some negative attention for his personal life and politics.  He is famous (infamous) for pictures with big game animals, some endangered, that he has killed on hunts in Africa.  Snopes.com rates that statement as true, and he doesn't deny it.  In an interview with the Chicago Tribune he stated that all the hunts were legal (Snopes supports this) and that he no longer engages in the practice.

As for politics--OpenSecrets.org indicates that he and his wife were very active in conservative politics in 2011-2012, but not so much now.  They continue to donate to Republicans but not at a high level for a wealthy family.

My conclusion is that the hunting story is old news, and that he's a player but not a major one in current politics. You'd have to make your eating choices strictly along political lines to make it a current issue. 

My Yelp Review

Blue Moon Donuts

I first reviewed this shop on Nextdoor when it was called Sticky Fingers Sweets.  Now it is Blue Moon Donuts, though I think the owners are the same.

My experience with Blue Moon Donuts began at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Oops. The hours are accurately listed here, but not on Google. My bad. Blue Moon is not for early risers, as others noted here. I came back later for brunch. Unfortunately on this particular day the owner had sent the rest of his staff home, anticipating a slower day--by the time I got there the selection was pretty picked over.

I had a chocolate frosted glazed donut, a pork and venison kolache, and a cup of coffee. The glazed donut was fine--I am not really a donut connoisseur, and glazed are not my favorite. But that's the only kind they have. Various toppings and fillings, but they are all glazed. I personally prefer a cake donut, but so it goes...

The pork and venison kolache was good. Quite big and filling. It was a bit chewier than your usual pork sausage, which you'd expect with a venison mix. But the flavor of venison wasn't strong at all, I'm not sure I would have guessed it was there without reading the label. I haven't seen that anywhere else so it's an interesting option.

The coffee was standard drip, pretty much just caffeine delivery, but the price was right. The whole bill was $5.37 and $3.75 of that was for the kolache, so everything else was very reasonable.

I had good service from the friendly and personable owner. Some regulars came in while I was there--they definitely cultivate a following through down-home relatability. I ate in the shop, which is very basic. Didn't see a public restroom at all, it looks like you'd go next door to the convenience store.

We have gone to Blue Moon a few times before. They will dip donuts to order, which is messy but tasty--again, so long as you like glazed. A mild down side--if you order a dozen you get them in a small box, packed in sideways. With a mix this means there's a lot of someone else's flavor on your donut, particularly if the donuts are fresh-dipped. Our preferred shops (Snowflake and Top Donuts) put their dozen in a larger, flatter box sitting flat. Blue Moon won't displace them yet.

My Yelp Review

Tony's Street Tacos

I rarely give five star reviews, but I have to for this new place. Tony's Street Tacos replaced Northampton Pizza in the EZ4U. I stopped in today to give it a try. I ordered a shrimp taco and a brisket taco on corn tortillas. Tony had me sample the brisket--it was wonderful, nice and tender even in the lean parts, and well seasoned. He could spin off a barbecue place if he wanted. I had some cilantro rice and grilled onions on the brisket taco. The shrimp taco came with three nice plump shrimp and some very good slaw, with jicama, cabbage, and other items to give it a good crunch. I ordered the special Diablo sauce, and Tony gave me green and red salsas as well. He made the Diablo sauce on the spot, and it's 99 cents extra. He warned me that the Diablo sauce was very hot, and the red sauce was hot. The green sauce is a milder one.

I tried all three. I think I am slightly more sensitive than average to hot food. The Diablo sauce had a nice heat but was not at all overwhelming. A great combination of garlic, asiago sauce and pico de gallo. I thought the red sauce was actually a bit hotter. The green sauce is milder, and has a very fresh flavor. I liked them all, but I think the Diablo sauce is worth the upcharge.

If you pay in credit you pay next door at the EZ4U. I threw in a Dr. Pepper made with sugar, which was quite fine.

The interior is very casual but sufficiently attractive and comfortable if you want to stay in. I was served by the owner with all possible courtesy. All in all, I can't say enough good things about it.  Come on in and support this place, we really want it to stick around.

Fantastic Street Tacos

Tony's Street Tacos on Yelp

Artesano Coffee Shop at Harvest Market

The Artesano Coffee Shop inside Harvest Market has a short but eventful history.  First it was Creative Grounds, then briefly Coffee by Gloria, and the present owners took over a few months ago.

I stopped in for a light lunch. I ordered the Bocadillo panini, which, according to their very active facebook page, has "Jamon Serrano" (Serrano ham, I believe), Manchego cheese, and Spanish tapenade (a spread made from olive oil, garlic, pimientos, red bell peppers, and olives). I had a banana nut muffin and an Espresso Cubano to go with it.

The ambiance of the shop is very nice. Fabric chairs and wood tables, free wifi and board games, all encouraging you to stay awhile. Service was friendly and not rushed. I started with the muffin while I waited for the sandwich. I would say it was a little on the gummy side, but tasty. The sandwich was an interesting and complex experience. The bread was nice and crusty as a panini should be. The sandwich itself is very strong stuff. It is a delicious blend in small doses. But between the ham and the tapenade there was quite a bit of salt, on top of the garlic and peppers. It didn't seem like a large sandwich so I ate the whole thing, but that much powerful seasoning actually put my stomach off a bit. I would recommend splitting it or taking half home.

Of course the delicious Espresso Cubano may have contributed to the acid level. I have had it there both with and without cream and sugar, and it is great either way. A beautiful rich complex coffee flavor, it absolutely fills your mouth.

The shop appears to be run by just a few people, and has a very ambitious menu. There are over 20 coffee drinks, and they offer donuts and kolaches as well as paninis. It's a place you want to like, so it's worthwhile to experiment with the menu to find something you enjoy. Definitely a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Banana Nut Muffin

Bocadillo Panini with Espresso Cubano

My Yelp Review