Anything but Burger King!

If you could pick one late-night food…

If you could pick one late-night food option to eat for the rest of eternity, what would it be? Shot in the dark: It wouldn’t be from Burger King.

Having a hard time making a decision? Think back to your neighborhood pizza-by-the-slice joint, the one that made you the connoisseur of drunk food you are today. How foldable the crust, how deliciously salty the sauce and cheese, how portable the package!

What about the cornerstone of Americana, the late-night greasy spoon diner? Home fries, sizzling bacon, and eggs over easy sound about right…and bottomless cups of coffee to keep the party going until dawn.

For me, the choice was easy. I picked the “Rise and Shiner,” the beloved best-selling menu item from Vermont’s own Kountry Kart Deli. While they lose respect for needlessly misspelling their business name, they earn it back (and then some) every time I order this late-night menu marvel. Picture this: a soft 12” white sub roll stacked with sausage patties, hash browns, fried eggs and melted cheese. The taste combination is incredible, but the benefits don’t stop there – eat the first half at 3 a.m., and save the rest for tomorrow morning! Now that’s a great way to stretch your dollar a little farther.

Call to arms!

Let us know what you think is the best solution to Evanston’s late-night dining woes. More restaurants? Better food at Burger King? An on-campus venue?

Sound off in the comments section and let us know.

The mushroom swiss steakhouse burger

Dear Roberto’s,

Oh how I miss you since I’ve moved away. You definitely put the taco in taco shack. A steady late night diet of carne asada burritos, rolled tacos and quesadillas dripping with cheese and butter did a soul good. You never failed to leave me happy and very full. You are hands-down, the best fast food type Mexican food in San Diego. No place in Chicago can even come close to stealing that special place in my stomach. I have purged all other burritos from my life. I am saving myself for when I return to you. Until then…

Signed,
Hungry for some good Mexican food!

Columbus, Ohio: A good reason to go to church

In Columbus, Ohio, there is a small church near Ohio State University that serves free breakfast to drunken revelers every Friday from midnight to 4 a.m. It’s a beautiful concept: get inebriated people off the street for a bit before they pass out and get them some starchy food to absorb the booze.

And at the Summit United Methodist Church they don’t bother trying to preach to you or ask for money, they simply offer up endless plates of pancakes, sausage and eggs. There’s nothing quite like hearing drunk people scream vulgarities from within a house of god while shoveling their faces with food.

In a town like Evanston, which I’m told has the highest per-capita rate of churches in the country, why hasn’t a church stepped up to fill our drunken stomachs? If any of our good pastors want to take up the challenge, contact Summit United through summitumc.org

Melting the ice rumor

The student body at Northwestern is chock full of rumors about how Burger King is the only restaurant to remain open after last call. Most prominent among them is the notion that selling bags of ice allows BK to operate as a convenience store and thus skirt the late-night dining laws.

As with most of life’s questions, the correct answer comes from a mid-level municipal bureaucrat. Rodney Greene, city clerk for Evanston, recently shed some light on the subject. Simply put, there are no laws that automatically forbid a restaurant in Evanston to stay open after last call. All that’s required is is an application for a specil use permit from City Council.

And yes, Greene buys ice from BK.

Boston: The Hong Kong’s Hot Teriyaki

In Boston, there is a shady bar in Faneuil Hall called the Hong Kong. Apparently they have a full menu, but I didn’t know that until I looked at their website 5 minutes ago. What I do remember is that they have scorpion bowls and chicken teriyaki. Teriyaki girls (or maybe boys, too, my memory is kind of fuzzy on that) walk around the bar selling chicken teriyaki on a stick for a buck, and then stand right outside waiting for the mass of people when the bars shut down at the obscenely early hour of 2 am. And I’m told your options also extend to include the ever popular beef teriyaki – however you’ll have to cough up an extra 50 cents.

The best thing is that you don’t have to make any decisions for late night food, because it’s right there in the bar and you don’t even have to move – they come to you. No need to search for food, no need to worry about where you might eat at the end of the night. Now imagine if a bar in Evanston took that concept and flew with it. Put some finger food on a stick and sell via the shot girl concept after your kitchen is officially “closed.” And then you hit them up again after last call – on their way out. Late night food problem solved.

Evanston: Mostly hooligan free

If anyone tries to tell you that restaurants in Evanston close early to avoid drunken hooliganism, don’t believe them. Conversations with t wo front-line operatives in late-night security confirm that Northwestern students, for the most part, behave themselves while drinking.

A police officer on patrol outside the Keg said they only have to arrest a couple people ay year for rowdy behavior at the BK on Orrington (the only 24-hour restaurant in Evanston). The officer added that he would have no problem maintaining order if more restaurants stayed open after last call. The on-site security team at BK also said raucus behavior isn’t much of a problem, and many offenders even come back the next day to apologize for their drunken hijinks.