118658 Sat Oct 29 11:27:13 -0700 2005 8 7 Chicago Area 0 647603 Is this restaurant in Oak Park? Has anyone been there? How would you rate it? Sat Oct 29 11:27:13 -0700 2005 0 vic 1 647604 It's in Forest Park, I've been quite a few times, but not in the past 2 years. Back then it was good, reliable italian-american and italian food. Nice thin-crust pizza, good specials including braciole and escarole and beans. I did happen to cruise by when I was in the neighborhood a week ago, and saw some midgets-for-hire (they were wearing "Got Midgets?" shirts) standing out front trying, I think, to drum up business. It's possible, though, that it was a private party of some sort. That last little tidbit is just a potential warning :) Sat Oct 29 12:07:20 -0700 2005 647603 0 Ed Fisher 2 3445793 I know it's been a YEAR AND HALF since you posted, but I just saw this today and had to reply ... The event with the midgets (and I mean no offense to little people ... these guys call themselves midgets) was my wedding. Since Jimmy's is always open to the public, we thought it would be a good idea to have someone at the door. The idea evolved and we ended up with two wonderful guys who did a great job making everyone feel welcome the second they showed up. So, for the record ... Jimmy's does not employ little people to drum up business. Thanks for the smile! :) Thu Feb 28 19:40:45 -0800 2008 647604 170333 kred 1 647605 I was there about a month ago on a Friday night ... it was the first time I had been there in several months. We sat in their (fairly) new expansion room, and it was so incredibly loud (wood floors, kids yelling/screaming, nothing to buffer the noise) that we ate and got out of there as quickly as possible. I could literally not hear what my husband, seated right next to me, was saying -- and I could definitely not hear my father-in-law across the table. Perhaps we were there on a crazy night, but I am nervous to go back unless I go early or on a weeknight. However, the food is really good - we like the mussels, the cavatappi, the pizza, and the braciole. Sat Oct 29 14:09:33 -0700 2005 647603 0 Cheesehead 1 647613 Jimmy's Place is great...if you're looking for low key, red sauce kinda place. I highly recommend their pizza. It does tend to be very loud on the weekends but that's ok with me. Just a great neighborhood joint. Sat Oct 29 19:33:34 -0700 2005 647603 0 devotiondoubt 2 647614 Definitely what I am looking for. My wife is Italian and nothing quiet about dinners with her family!!!!! Sat Oct 29 20:58:19 -0700 2005 647613 0 vic 3 647619 The rapini and beans has been a frequently-mentioned favorite. Sun Oct 30 12:26:20 -0800 2005 647614 0 Sredni Vashtar 1 648215 My family has been weekly patrons of Jimmy's since its birth. We have many family parties there, including my wedding rehearsal dinner. We are not related to Jimmy or any staff members. Its a neighborhood joint that happens to be comfortable and friendly. But the main reason is because of their pizza. And I've had it all, every pizza in every neighborhood in the city. Without fail and without doubt Jimmy's sausage pizza in the best in the country. Have them throw some pepperoni on it for good measure and you have the best flavor in circular form. The cheese is premium,dense, and with the correct amount of grease. The crust freakishly holds up to the mounds of fresh sausage and tangy sauce. Even an hour out of the oven, the middle pieces do no bend. Jimmy's pizza is a perfect circle representing the epitome of pizza quality, taste, and texture. THE BEST. Fri Nov 18 16:06:01 -0800 2005 647603 0 jeffro 1 2207679 OK, I finally made it into Jimmy's Place with the missus. I immediately saw some of what makes it so likeable - the place was packed and the owner was tending bar and personally welcoming people, nudging them toward bar seats while keeping tabs on table availability and talking to each waitress as she walked by. Jimmy sure can juggle. Thinking that the best way to gauge a basic 'red sauce' kind of Italian place was to order something red, I tried an order of simple spagetti and meat balls. The meat sauce was fine and the two meat balls were huge, but they were so incredibly salty I could not eat more than a couple bites. The house Merlot was decent, the salad with house dressing surprisingly good. And even though the joint was jumping, with large parties and lots of families on a Friday night, service was solid. I'll try the place again soon for a pizza - judging by what I saw on tables around me, this seems to be what Jimmy's does best. Too bad about the meat balls. I felt that my meal was no more impressive than something from Pompei at Lake and Harlem, and I had hoped for lots more than that at Jimmy's. Has anyone visited lately? Did I catch them on a bad night? One proximity note, just in time for Valentine's Day: Le Maison de Bon Bon is a hand-made chocolate shop in a hole-in-the-wall space steps away from Jimmy's. Their french cremes are amazing. And steps away again is a relatively new wine shop called House Red. My wife really fell for this place. The tasting we did on a Saturday afteroon really sold us on the store - the prices are modest and the staff are really friendly and helpful. These stores are two examples of why many Oak Parkers are developing a serious case of Forest Park envy. Jimmy's Place 7411 Madison Forest Park 771-7476 La Maison de Bon Bon 7353 Madison St. Forest Park 366-0775 HouseRed 7403 West Madison Street Forest Park 708.771.7RED http://www.house-red.com/ Fri Jan 19 22:21:09 -0800 2007 647603 42196 OP178