Soul Food. The very name of it sounds so warm and inviting. Enter Dee's Place in Wicker Park. Possibly not the neighborhood you would think to find a true soul food restaurant, but I can tell you it is! The space is small and cozy, has a stage for live jazz and blues on weekend nights, and the food will definitely warm and comfort your soul.
The walls are adorned with photos from the old south, and music posters from the 50's and 60's.
Owner Kareem Abdullah named the restaurant for his mother, Doris, and his fiance, Denise. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice, southern greens, jalapeno cornbread and catfish are menu favorites.
Upon my visit to Dee's Place, which happens to also be BYOB, we sat down, poured our wine, and proceeded to order an appetizer of Catfish Nuggets. They were piping hot, and perfectly breaded with cornmeal and fried just right. Add a little hot sauce, and "Ooo weee!"
For our main dish, the Fried Chicken was a no-brainer. It was made to order, the skin was superbly crsip and seasoned. So incredibly tasty! The Macaroni and Cheese was not mushy or flavorless, which I find with a lot of mac and cheese dishes served at restaurants. Just cheesy enough, and they didn't overdo the breadcrumbs. Red Beans and Rice was another pleasant surprise, as the red beans were large, plump and plentiful. It wasn't just rice with a few red beans. Loved it. Moving on to the Jalapeno Cornbread, it was the only thing I didn't love. I liked it, the bread had good flavor, but was a little on the dry side-you definitely need to slather it with butter. Last but not least, Dee's coleslaw was excellent-not too much vinegar, and not too much mayonnaise, so you were able to really enjoy the flavor of the slaw which had raisins mixed in, and they complimented each other nicely.
For dessert, Peach Cobbler! Not your average super sugary dessert, it had just enough sweetness to bring out the essence of the peaches, and topped with a light softened crust, and real whipped cream.
While we were enjoying all of that, we got to listen to the sounds of Lil' Daddy, and they happened to be auditioning a female singer, Natalia, who had an unbelievable voice. Even though we were right next to the small stage, we could still hear ourselves talk.
There is no better time than the cold of winter to enjoy some good, hearty comfort food, and listen to the sounds of bluesy jazz to make you feel warm and full of soul!
Dee's Place
2114 W Division
Chicago, IL 6062
312-348-6117
Hours: Monday through Thursday 11:00am - 11:00pm
Friday and Saturday 11:00am - 12:00am
Sunday 11:00am - 8:00pm
Tuesdays - Poetry Night 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Thursday through Sunday
Lil' Daddy 7:30pm - 11:00pm
http://www.deesplacechicago.com
It's a shame, but Dee's Place is no longer in business
Comments