Tsarpalas Chats

Dengeos

www.Dengeos.com

3301 W. Main St.

Skokie, Illinois 60076

847-677-7911

$5-$10 per meal

Family friendly

The first time I ate Gyros was in 1969 in Greece at a military base of all places. I loved it. It started to appear in the United States around 1972. I loved it so much I opened a restaurant that specialized in gyros in 1974. I consider myself an expert in making and eating gyros. The absolute best most perfect gyros is served at Dengeos. The meat is always perfectly sliced and not over or undercooked. This is not an easy feat with Gyros. Because it is always cooking or sitting, it can dry out easily or when the rush comes be undercooked. Dengeos pita is always flavorful and golden brown. The tomatoes and onions are just the right ripeness. I do not how they accomplish this in the off seasons. The tzazki (white sauce) yogurty good with cucumber and garlic for flavoring. I could go on but:

Dengeos also does many other things well:

Barbecue Chicken-Fantastic

Barbecue ribs- Not dry roasted, meaty and juicy, fall off the bone kind with a wonderful slightly sweet barbeque sauce. They wouldn’t win an uppity rib contest but who cares, they taste good.

Greek Salad and Greek Village Salad- Excellent

Fried Shrimp Dinner-Classic in its style, reminiscent of the 60’s. The wife loves it.

Grilled Chicken Kabob-Again perfect

Fries-Good especially if you ask for their barbecue sauce for dipping.

Baked potato, rice, cole slaw, garlic bread, etc. fine but not great

They offer many other items but these are my favorites.

Both locations have plenty of seating in a comfortable atmosphere. The service is fast, counter only with staff cleaning and busing the tables. Always busy, there always seems to be a table. This is a very well run operation and the owners should be proud. By the way, the washrooms are very nice and well kept.

Kid friendly with balloons for all, big portions, low prices, nice surroundings, something tasty for everyone in the family. I am a regular!

God bless Greek Americans!

God bless Tsipyna (an inside Greek joke), this is the little village where many of the Greek restaurant owners in Chicago come from.

God bless a cash business which motivates most Greeks to go into the restaurant business!

As a long-time political organizer and grassroots specialist, I found how difficult it is to find activist. It’s even harder to capture activists’ stories, best practices, trials and tribulations, etc.

For this reason, I have started a section on my blog called Interviews with Leaders for Liberty to support and highlight the work of unnoticed individuals and help you spot the right people who can help make better your local government.

Enjoy my conversations and please do refer advocates and elected officials I should interview at jtsarpalas@samadamsalliance.org.

Our first interview is with a long time Washington State political activist, Tim Eyman, has accomplished placing nine ballot initiatives up for vote, voters approving seven of those measures. Eyman is a graduate from Washington State University where he received a degree in Business. He lives in Seattle and owns a small business in Mukilteo, Washington.

Listen to the interview made by Eric O’Keefe Chairman of Sam Adams Alliance.

Dengeos

www.Dengeos.com

3301 W. Main St.

Skokie, Illinois 60076

847-677-7911

$5-$10 per meal

Family friendly

The first time I ate Gyros was in 1969 in Greece at a military base of all places. I loved it. It started to appear in the United States around 1972. I loved it so much I opened a restaurant that specialized in gyros in 1974. I consider myself an expert in making and eating gyros. The absolute best most perfect gyros is served at Dengeos. The meat is always perfectly sliced and not over or undercooked. This is not an easy feat with Gyros. Because it is always cooking or sitting, it can dry out easily or when the rush comes be undercooked. The pita is always flavorful and golden brown. The tomatoes and onions are just the right ripeness. I do not how they accomplish this in the off seasons. The tzazki (white sauce) yogurty good with cucumber and garlic for flavoring. I could go on but:

Dengeos also does many other things well:

Barbecue Chicken-Fantastic

Barbecue ribs- Not dry roasted, meaty and juicy, fall off the bone kind with a wonderful slightly sweet barbeque sauce. They wouldn’t win an uppity rib contest but who cares, they taste good.

Greek Salad and Greek Village Salad- Excellent

Fried Shrimp Dinner-Classic in its style, reminiscent of the 60’s. The wife loves it.

Grilled Chicken Kabob-Again perfect

Fries-Good especially if you ask for their barbecue sauce for dipping.

Baked potato, rice, cole slaw, garlic bread, etc. fine but not great

They offer many other items but these are my favorites.

Both locations have plenty of seating in a comfortable atmosphere. The service is fast, counter only with staff cleaning and busing the tables. Always busy, there always seems to have a table. This is a very well run operation and the owners should be proud. By the way, the washrooms are very nice and well kept.

Kid friendly with balloons for all, big portions, low prices, nice surroundings, something tasty for everyone in the family. I am a regular!

God bless Greek Americans!

God bless Tsipyna (an inside Greek joke), this is the little village where many of the Greek restaurant owners in Chicago come from.

God bless a cash business which motivates most Greeks to go into the restaurant business!

7500 W North Ave                                       1935 S Arlington Heights Rd
Elmwood Park, IL 60707-4140        (between Golf Rd & Illinois Route 58)
Phone: (708) 452-6000                                 Arlington Heights, IL 60005      

                                                (847) 357-8100

You want to go to the Johnnies location on North Avenue in Elmwood Park. This is the original, in what used to be a very Italian neighborhood. Back in the 60’s many a mobster lived nearby. I remember my cousin Louie, who lived just a couple of blocks from Johnnies, would take me on a tour of gangster’s houses, pointing out the guys sitting in the cars out front, who were the guards. He claimed to have seen their guns once in awhile. When I was nine years old Louie was the coolest.

For those of you not from Chicago, we have a sandwich called an Italian Beef. It is thinly sliced beef which soaks in an au jus sauce that is highly seasoned, served on what looks like a French bread but I am sure they would say it is Italian. It is usually served with a choice of roasted sweet peppers or hot spicy peppers or Giardinara. The best Italian Beef is at Johnnies!

One of the problems I had, (may all my problems be like this) is Johnnies homemade Italian sausage roasted over charcoal is also the best I have ever had. I was always torn between the beef or the sausage. Until one day I realized the perfect solution, the combo. DUH!

So I solved the sandwich beef/sausage controversy, but don’t stop there, top it off with there homemade lemon ice. It’s fantastic. They offer lemon and watermelon. I prefer the lemon.

The perfect order:

A combo so you get both the sausage and beef with sweet peppers with extra juice and a large Italian Lemon ice.

Here’s how to order it so you sound like a native;

I want a combo dipped with sweet and a large lemon ice no cover! Be sure to sound certain when you order, don’t make it a question or they will lose all respect for you. This is not a neighborhood where you want to be perceived as a wuss.

The North Avenue location does not have indoor seating but in the summer there are picnic tables outside. By the way there is almost always a line which moves quickly. The line extends out the door. Do not hold the door open or you will be scolded. A sandwich and an ice will run you about $6 bucks. They also serve Pepsi, something I also consider a plus. Coke should only be used as a rust remover. Not fancy, clientle is very middle class; a must before you die. This is my choice for my last meal.

God bless America!

God bless Italian Americans!

And God bless the animals that had to die to make this great meal!

Many a morning I stop into the McDonald’s across from my office for a sausage, biscuit, hashbrown breakfast. This is one of only a few McD’s which offers the combo for $1. I love the idea of breakfast only costing one dollar and it tastes good. It is just the right amount. Many a day I even give the hashbrowns away. Anyway it usually costs $1.10 with tax. Yesterday it was $1.11. Yesterday the Todd Stroger, Cook County, Illinois sales tax increase went into effect. A 1 1/4% increase bringing the Chicago area the dubious title of highest sales tax city in the land. What’s a penny, you say? It’s four cents on a gallon of gas, it’s three cents on a gallon of milk, it’s two hundred and up on a new car. It’s probably $300 dollars less I will have to spend a year. $300 less to retailers, merchants and their suppliers. $300 for Todd to give 1000 new county jobs to family, friends and patronage workers.

I decided yesterday to start brown bagging breakfast; a hard boiled egg and a banana. I also decided to try a make a list of staples and buy them outside of Cook County, better yet a store that is non-union. I am tired of being fleeced!

Why is it all right to take away someone’s home when they can’t pay their property taxes? Is it “their” home or the governments?
Why is it all right to seize someone’s home that doesn’t pay his or her property taxes?
Why is it all right to put some one in jail who doesn’t pay his or her taxes?
Why is it all right to use force to enforce tax law?
Why does the government have the right to tell what you can or cannot build on your property?
Why can’t I keep a handgun in my home?
Why can’t I cross a state line to circulate a petition?
Why can’t I go to the drug store and buy the medicine I need without the doctors permission? Why did I have to register for the draft? Why will others?
Why are there different tax rates for married people and single?
Why can’t parents chose what school to send their child?
Why are there no choices in schools?
Why is the teacher’s union allowed to run candidates for school boards?
Why am I limited in what I can donate or what I can say about candidate?
Why are two million Americans in prison?
Why is taxpayer money used to lobby for more spending?
Why do you think you are free?

I am working on this blogging thing.

Soon, I will post up my interviews with liberty heroes.

Get excited!