113530 Sat Aug 23 23:18:56 -0700 2003 7 7 Chicago Area 0 617370 so fiance and i made it down to penguin last night to get some gelato; we were unadventurous and both got chocolate. it was very good; the woman behind the counter got us some from the deep freeze (i assume) because we were getting it to go. it stayed nice and frozen until we got home, even with a pit stop to buy me some cigarettes. now, admittedly, i don't have a lot of experience with gelato -- i've had it a few times, but the best i've ever had was mint chocolate chip at the belaggio hotel in las vegas. penguin's was good in its own right -- very nice deep chocolate flavor, very dense texture. we will be back, and of course want to thank the hounds for suggesting it. now, on to my question -- has anyone ever had their empanadas? while i was sorely tempted by one, we had just eaten dinner. worth it to go back for one (or more) or should i just stick to gelato? Sat Aug 23 23:18:56 -0700 2003 0 elizabitch 1 617372 I remember someone a long while ago was mentioning that their kids were big fans of the ham and cheese empanadas at the Penguin. I gather the empanadas hold their own, but are not necessarily special enough to warrant a separate trip. I've always stuck to the gelato (mostly sorbets for me, actually) at the Penguin, although I admit i'm a bit tempted by the $4.99 14" pizza + pop, despite very negative reviews of the pizza in the past. Anyway, last tuesday I hit the penguin and the pineapple sorbet was absolutely fantastic, beautifully fresh. The lemon was, for the first time, not as good as in the past. The woman behind the counter spoke no english except "thank you", but we managed to work it out. -Ed Sat Aug 23 23:27:49 -0700 2003 617370 0 Ed Fisher 2 617376 I think the empanadas are decent, But there are much better ones and good alfajores at the mercado next to tango sur at grace and southport. Next time you are at the penguin, make sure you ask for lots of tastes of different flavors - there's often a huge difference in quality depending on the frshness of different flavors. Sun Aug 24 11:02:39 -0700 2003 617372 0 zim 3 617386 Oh, I do, but I find even if one is fresher, it may be of a flavor I don't particularly care for.. Also, on really hot days, I find the sorbets much more enjoyable than the gelati (they don't melt as quickly, maybe?), so that more than halves my choices. -Ed Sun Aug 24 15:25:45 -0700 2003 617376 0 Ed Fisher 2 617411 I've gotten Penguin's pizza twice (delivered both times) and as far as I'm concerned it's one of the best I've had in this city. The crust was crisp without having that Saltine quality that people here mysteriously love, and the toppings were fresh and not overwhelming -- there was just enough to get some in every bite without losing the taste and texture of the crust and cheese. It's also one of the least oily pizzas I've had here. It's no Pizza DOC, but at $4.00 for a small (and even then that's more than I need), even with the delivery charge and tip it's a bargain for something that good. Speaking of Pizza DOC, I went there for the first time Saturday night after the Bottle Rockets' show; it *is* the best pizza I've had since I moved here in '97. I got the potato-rosemary pizza; there are two or three others I'd like to try soon. I can't believe that, when I ordered, they actually apologized for the wait; not only are they faster than many pizza spots, it's that much better. Mon Aug 25 10:31:50 -0700 2003 617372 0 Bob S. 1 617373 Hi! Mother's Day this year was merely a blip on the radar. We spent it moving a relative from one location to the next. Since I was late, overconfident I knew where I was going, I treated everyone to ice cream at Penguins. We also ordered a beef and chicken empanadas, which came just after we finished eating our ice cream. There was five of us and two wee empanadas, so everyone experienced a tasting. They were fresh from the oven with each empanada having a distinctive decorative crust. Visually, they had a very nice skilled, handmade look to them. The fillings were distinctive from each other and delicious. We liked them enough to know we will order some in the future. Linked below is a prior empanada post for your reference. FYI - I used advanced google to search "empanda penguin" on the "chowhound.com" website. Regards, CAthy2 Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/111738#605785 Sun Aug 24 00:06:40 -0700 2003 617370 0 CAthy2 1 617381 I was there Saturday afternoon for the first time and tasted a number of flavors, all milk gelati. I liked the soft texture they had, though all except one were somewhat grainy and lacked intensity. Now I wish I'd tried the sorbets. The one I had, though, was excellent, a sabayon (spelled sambayon) which had the texture of a somewhat cold flan, truly luxurious in its creamy, eggy silkiness and flavor (not sure if it was marsala, per se, but something similar). I wonder if, because this was sa(m)bayon specifically, this had more eggs in it, and thus had a more velvetty texture? All I know is I'd get that again, but not any of the other milk ones. I also stopped by Miami Flavors I think the same day vitalinfo posted on it (http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards/chicago/messages/29244.html). I tried a few of their flavors and liked the coconut ice cream the best, complete with slices of fresh coconut. Not much flavor to the mamey (ice cream), which was too bad because it was such a delightful pink color (natural). Liked the tamarind ice best among the sorbets. Very nice owners, though a little slow in service, and I'd go back to try more. Sun Aug 24 13:24:21 -0700 2003 617370 0 Michael M. 2 617394 I tried Chocolate Shoppe in Edgebrook tonight. It was both saddening and embarassing to realize how much of what Miami Flavors is serving is Chocolate Shoppe from Madison. (Which, by the way was very good.) I knew the first time that some of the Miami stuff was not made in house, specifically the multi-colored "superman" flavor, but how many others? Chocolate Shoppe had dulce de leche and that coconut with the shavings and mango sorbet, all seem to be Chocolate Shoppe flavors. Now, I have a bit of hope for Miami Flavors. I did see the owner carving up sugar cane, and there were flavors such as the avocado that were not at Chocolate Shoppe. Still, it does make one wary, no? Rob Sun Aug 24 19:46:07 -0700 2003 617381 0 Vital Information