You Can't Have Pulled Pork Again: LT'S Grill

I have often expressed my admiration for the pulled pork sandwich at the late N&N Smokehouse. It was pretty much the entire category of barbecue for me in this city for years, which was surely wrong and yet a fact it is. And no other place's ever compared, not Bone Daddy (look, I can say Bone Daddy!), not Smoke Daddy (look, etc.), certainly not Freddie's Ribhouse or any of them other white folks' BBQ places.

I mourned N&N's closing, rejoiced at the thought that Larry Tucker was making it again at his new L.T.'s Grill in the Wishbone/Munch space on Grand, and yet... I didn't race there to have it, to embrace it like the prodigal pig. Perhaps I feared it wouldn't be as good, or that I, now having begun my own BBQ tutelage under the great Prof. Wiv, would find it now threadbare and pathetic, like the fun house at Joyland in Wichita which seemed so vast and mysterious and magus-like when I was 10, and now seems a collection of shabby, obvious tricks.



But then my friend Wyatt suggested we go there on Tuesday. So I tried it anyway.

It's pretty good.

The meat has good texture, fall off the bone softness which is not, I believe, subject to any trickery as is so often the case with "meat jello" ribs. The sauce has a nice flavor, a little sweet and spicy. What it doesn't quite have is any discernable smoky flavor. I don't think it's smoked in any particular sense, I think it's roasted. (Note: "Tucker is also planning to move a smoker into the kitchen to give loyal N.N. Smokehouse fans a dose of his outstanding barbecue," sayeth the Reader. My guess is he's still planning, not smoking.)

Still, it was pretty good and as the yuppie salad on my plate and the fluorescent pink tortilla on Wyatt's chicken wrap suggests, the sides and general presentation are a step and more up from N&N days (not to mention Munch). You can't go home again, but you should probably add LT's Grill to the places you go for lunch.

L.T.'s Grill
1800 W. Grand Ave.
(312) 997-2400

Not to be argumentative Mike, but being so , hasn't Gary taught you that if you speak of the sauce, it is because the meat is undeserving? This much I know.

Anyway, what with no smoke flavor to the soft meat, and the clearly yuppified sides, I am not feeling any compulsion to go and sample.

Nice picture, though.

d

and it is wonderful to have you posting again.

The meat isn't undeserving. Actually it's quite good. But as I said, it doesn't have smoky flavor (I guess it's to their credit that it doesn't have a Liquid Smoke flavor and that he's simply going for BBQ sauce flavor while waiting, or possibly "waiting," for that smoker).

Actually I think a full line of deadly cholesterol-ridden sides is still available, they're simply augmented a bit now with healthier stuff. He is closer to downtown offices, after all.

Just what the hell is that on the side of the plate?? I thought I'd died and gone to hell for a second...and they had salad for dinner every night.

I'm sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but any place's claim to authenticity is severly tarnished by the fact that they serve a green salad on the side of a pork sandwich.

I know places that you'd get your ass kicked for that.

Could you imagine Lem's or BA's giving you a side of salad with your ribs? It's heresy. Pure heresy.

Sorry. That was my post.

...any place's claim to authenticity is severly tarnished by the fact that they serve a green salad on the side of a pork sandwich.

I know places that you'd get your ass kicked for that...It's heresy. Pure heresy."

Not just a salad, but SPROUTS ferchrissakes!

When I lived in Lakeview back in the late 80's- early 90's there was a 'que joint on Irving Park roughly between Southport and Clark. The chef/owners were a black gent and his Philippina wife. Porportedly, he had at one time been the chef at Ditka's Citylights. Any associations with Rittenhouse et al. notwithstanding this man produced some of the most delicious ribs I have ever gnawed on. Outdone only by a corned beef hash he served on Sunday that had this Irish Catholic ready to convert to the tribe of David. It was that good! Could this possibly be the same culinary master to whom you are referrinf in your post?

john@thebar wrote:.'que joint on Irving Park roughly between Southport and Clark. The chef/owners were a black gent and his Philippina wife.

That's Larry Tucker, and the place was NN Smokehouse. It's gone through several downward adjustments since then, reaching rock bottom recently. I liked it pretty well during the glory years, especially the pancit noodles using BBQ scraps.

I live nearby. They recently papered the neighborhood with menus suggesting that there might be new management, or maybe just a push toward regaining some of the many customers they doubtless lost over the years. Apparently, the name also has changed from "Smoke Country House" to the less enigmatic "Country Smoke House."

For North Side 'cue, I'm holding out hope for the just-about-ready Leon's on Ashland at Fullerton. Unfortunately, the folks answering the phone at the original, and good, Leon's knew nothing about the Ashaland branch and seemed a little dubious.

Jeff,

About two months ago I had the pleasure of chatting with both Leon Finney Sr. and Dr. Leon Finney Jr. Dr. Finney specifically mentioned they (Leon's) were opening a North side branch.

I recently passed Leon's on Ashland, just North of Fullerton, and from signage and activity it seems soon to open.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks for the confirmation and thanks also for jogging my memory of how good those fried noodles were Did I really just use an emoticion? Next thing you know I'll be ordering a pulled pork sandwich garnished with field greens and sprouts instead of the classique- cole slaw!

G Wiv wrote:Jeff,

I recently passed Leon's on Ashland, just North of Fullerton, and from signage and activity it seems soon to open.

Enjoy,
Gary

Thanks, Gary.

Just this morning, I noticed a new sign stating that the restaurant will open on June 22nd at 3:00 pm. I plan to be there. Did they happen to mention what their ambitions are for the place? If I don't see a lot of smoke on my way to work on the 22nd, I'm going to be upset.

The corner of Ashland and Fullerton, once thought, by me, to be the saddest food wasteland in Chicago actually has something to offer these days. The original Taco Burrito House is right there, as is Marco!/Ferrari/Pearl, Big House, the somewhat mysterious polish auto-racing themed Player's Club, with its decent if strange bar menu (steak tartare, e.g.) and now Leons. Big deduction for El Presidente, however.

i live right behind the "coming soon" Leons, and the only activity i've noticed there lately is the changing of the sign from "coming soon" to "opening june 23 3:00pm" (i thought it said 23, but maybe it is the 22nd). another fairly new addition to the neighborhood is the lincoln park noodle house. i can't remember the owners name, but he and his wife run the place, and it's usually quite busy. i've had better food (i like luc thang further south on ashland at north ave), but they are such nice people that i'm hoping for their success.

Then there is the new sweet & savory, the big house -which recently changed owners and is now a sports themed bar/restaurant instead of sinatra/pizza/lounge, pearl supper club (in the former Ferrari space), Tsuki - which i'm guessing is a sushi & lounge place (i haven't looked at the menu yet), and a few blocks further east on fullerton is yet another faux irish pub. and the player's club has been in the neighborhood for a few years now, i find their service to be lacking in friendliness, but they have a great burger that's topped with blue cheese and a slice of granny smith apple.

i'm hoping for great things to come from leons. mmm...ribs for breakfast.
if anyone wants to join me for opening day, around 6-6:30pm, just say the word.

and as for pulled pork - when i went to honey 1 last week, bob said they're anticipating serving pulled pork sandwiches soon.

ciao
sharon

leesh wrote:i'm hoping for great things to come from leons. mmm...ribs for breakfast.
if anyone wants to join me for opening day, around 6-6:30pm, just say the word.

and as for pulled pork - when i went to honey 1 last week, bob said they're anticipating serving pulled pork sandwiches soon.

ciao
sharon

The new Leon's in on my list at least for an initial visit, but I'm going to give them a week or two toget up to speed before I give 'em a try. I'll meet you then, though.

Mike G wrote:What it doesn't quite have is any discernable smoky flavor. I don't think it's smoked in any particular sense, I think it's roasted. (Note: "Tucker is also planning to move a smoker into the kitchen to give loyal N.N. Smokehouse fans a dose of his outstanding barbecue," sayeth the Reader. My guess is he's still planning, not smoking.)

L.T.'s Grill
1800 W. Grand Ave.
(312) 997-2400

We had dinner at L.T.'s last night. Mindful of Mike G's post, I queried the waiter about whether the "barbeque spare rib dinner" was really barbecued. Since he replied in the negative (although I don't think he actually understood my question), I ordered the chicken fried steak, which was outstanding. But we also had an appetizer, "smoked pork quesadillas." These were delicious, served with sour cream and pepper jelly, and definitely filled with smoked meat.

Moreover, after dinner, I passed another patron who was eating the ribs, and while I didn't feel like I could stand and stare or interrupt that party's conversation to ask about them, from what I could see discreetly, there seemed to be a smoke ring on the ribs.

For great pulled pork and ribs, try the far, far, South Side, of Illinois.

17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro Illinois is the single greatest BBQ restaurant in America.

On another board, I often sang the praises of this happy place, close to the Mississippi, the River Road, US51, and infamous, bucolic party school, SIU. My impressions were formed in 1999, a year when I was "on trial," as Chicago lawyers say, down there and ate at 17th Street maybe 30 times over 6 months. Since then, the proprieter, Mike Mills, opened some noteworthy restaurants in Las Vegas (I've seen short lists of Vegas restaurants where his Memphis Championship BBQ sits just below Lotus of Siam, but also have seen negative reviews suggesting that BBQ like this doesn't travel); he also has gotten NYC attention because Mills is Danny Meyer's BBQ muse. I wondered how the original corner bar/BBQ had suffered given these far-flung new pursuits for Mills, the 3-time Memphis in May winner.

Yesterday, finding myself in Mt. Vernon with a rental car and some time to kill, I decided to check back, knowing all too well that my fond memories were likely exaggerated and simplified, and that my BBQ palate was more mature, maybe jaded, having known in the interim some of the paradigm BBQ from Eastern Carolina, Memphis, Alabama, Texas and, yes, Chicago. I hoped for the best.

Here's what I found at the old, familiar place: pork shoulder that would make any pit master in Lexington or the Triangle proud and ribs that the best places in Memphis (or Tuscaloosa or Chicago) wish they could make. And the best BBQ beans you ever had. Same for the slaw.

The pork sandwich, 22 hours, shoulders and butts, was, dare I say, a little better than the one I had at Allen & Son's last year. Mostly, this had to do with the "brown" to "white" ratio. Allen & Son gave me fabulous white pork cotton candy. 17th Street provided the same, but with more skin and smoky surface trimmings incorporated. Like the great NC places, this was pulled, finely chopped, and then blended by somone who understands pork the way some Cubans understand tobacco and some Frenchmen understand grapes.

The ribs, served dry, were as good as ribs can be. Smoky but not too smoky. Like Memphis places, and Chicago places, 17th Street uses natural charcoal for heat and a moderate amount of wood (apple in this case). Like Memphis places, and generally unlike Chicago spots, 17th Street does a true "low and slow" with ribs, not going over 225 and keeping them on for 5 hours or more. A very high quality pork, too, it seemed.

A pleasanter place you will not find. Decent beer on tap, too. And the kitchen is up to the BBQ. Superior fried catfish and bluegill, good burgers, good salads, even.

This is one of those places that everyone knows about, but few have visited. Granted, it's not so convenient unless you happen to be deep in Southern Illinois. But if you are, you must make time and go. It's about 25 miles west of Exit 54 on I57. Carbondale and Murphysboro are contiguous and have interesting, little old downtowns. The train pulls right into Carbondale.

I should note that 17th Street is not completely alone in terms of good eats, though it is probably the only "destination" spot in the area. Pork BBQ is a way of life down there, with good to very good options being Pulley's in Marion (love the small, cheap pork sandwiches with a leaner, drier, sliced pork served on a bun with mustard/slaw/relish spread and great home made pies), Larry's in Carbondale (ok cue, great catfish), and various branches of Triple E (decent ribs, more charred like you get in Chicago). All have little old smokers out back and a pile of wood. No modern gas fired smokers, no cooking in the oven, and surely no boiling.

Carbondale, the college town that it is, has some interesting options for this rather poor, rural and isolated part of the country, including surprisingly decent Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern.

Oh, yeah, a new 17th Street is set to open this fall in Marion, just off of 57 next to the new Fairfield Inn, if you don't have an hour to spend going back and forth to Murphysboro. I'd still try to make it to the original.

Stopped by LT's tonite and it was closed. Sign on the door said hours which did not reflect present circumstances. No sign, no nothing. Drove to La Humita since BYOB was chilling in the wine cooler in the car.

We weren't disappointed.