Hi, everyone!
Last week’s inaugural Reddit Ask me Anything (AMA) session went incredibly well. Everyone was kind and openhearted, and I was able to answer a ton of great questions. I was mentally prepared to deal with trolls, but surprisingly, none showed up.
It probably had something to do with the immediate dive into questions about shoving food up my ass that kept them at bay (if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, see my very different food newsletter here). But whatever it was, everyone was in a cheerful mood, and I couldn’t have felt more welcomed.
After visiting a few newer restaurants in the past few weeks, I thought it’d be a good idea to dive into a place that many people consider a Chicago classic. For years, people have told me that this joint is a treasure and a North side institution, but it’s one of those places I haven’t had an occasion to step into just yet. I’d say writing this newsletter’s a pretty terrific excuse to go exploring, don’t you?
And, as always, thank you all for supporting me in all of this. It’s been really encouraging.
Today’s edition of the newsletter is about an establishment has been around since 1932, and it’s a well-documented haunt of someone whose name you might recognize: Frank Sinatra. It’s also been featured in movies like The Dark Knight, Conan O’Brien is a fan, and Chicago’s certainly fond of the restaurant and tavern, because it’s still going strong after 90 years.
And if you mention the name of this place, everyone who’s been will tell you to get one thing: the ribs.
So today, we’re checking out Twin Anchors in Lincoln Park.
I’ve lived in Chicago for 20 years now, and honestly, I’m not sure how I’ve never been inside Twin Anchors.
There was a time when everyone would tell me to visit, but little by little, people stopped mentioning it in favor of newer places that have opened up over the years. A mention of it on social media got me remembering those recommendations, and a craving for baby back ribs was all the motivation we needed in order to get our butts in gear.
You can just feel the history of this place seeping through the walls.
It’s one of those dark wood-paneled taverns that invites you to stick around, have a few beers, and engage in some long conversation. The space is currently dressed to the nines in a Christmas getup, with tinsel and lights everywhere, and I have to say, the atmosphere is enough to charm a holiday grouch like me.
Twin Anchors describes its chili as “acclaimed,” so you know we had to try some of it.
We ordered a cup-sized portion ($6; $7 for a bowl), and shredded cheddar, chopped onions, and sour cream are available on the side upon request. Maybe it was the fact that it was dreary and rainy out, but this Midwestern-style chili of beans, stewed tomatoes, and ground beef really did it for us. It’s nothing you probably haven’t had, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good—you know what you’re getting from a bowl like this.
Though Midwestern chili only seems to be spicy after I douse the shit out of it with Tabasco, Twin Anchors version has a nice little kick at the end, which Davida and I appreciated very much.
We ordered the fish fry plate ($17) as a last-minute addition, purely out of curiosity, and this was an unexpected hit.
The pieces of cod look like enormous Chicken McNuggets (I don’t mean this as a bad thing!), and they crunch in the same exact way. The fish itself is firm, meaty, and satisfying, and doesn’t fall apart while you’re eating it, which makes it easy to munch on by hand.
The tartar sauce served with it is simple, but it’s just right, and honestly the fish is so good by itself, all you need is a squeeze of lemon to finish it off. We loved the fish fry, and if we hadn’t had other plates to try, we’d have polished off this platter in mere minutes.
Sides at Twin Anchors include fries, onion rings, baked beans, baked potatoes, pepper jack creamed spinach, or steamed green beans. Normally we’d order fries with fried fish, but today we thought we’d order the more interesting sides, hence the baked beans.
The beans are simmered in the house Zesty barbecue sauce and contain pulled pork and diced onions. These are much more sweet than they are savory, so if you like sugary baked beans, I’m sure you’ll enjoy these.
Out of the three plates we ordered, the half-chicken dinner ($19) was the one I’m not sure we’d get again.
You order it finished with your sauce of choice between the house mild (seasoned with cumin, mustard powder, white pepper), Zesty (tangy tomato-based sauce), or Prohibition (sweet and spicy).
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trashing the chicken; it’s just regular roasted and grilled chicken, painted in barbecue sauce. No more, no less. This is just one of those things that you can easily make at home, so going out to get a plate of something you can make on your own feels like the wrong move, you know?
Davida and I were somewhat fascinated with the pepper jack creamed spinach (she loved it), because it’s unlike any other creamed spinach we’ve ever had. It’s relatively thin-textured, and almost feels more like a milky baked spinach dip than anything else. The spice from the pepper jack doesn’t come through much, and is tempered by all of that dairy.
And if you end up taking some home as leftovers, I bet dipping a piece of toasted bread in it later would be pretty nice.
So, about the baby back ribs ($30 for a full slab dinner).
Twin Anchors’ ribs aren’t smoked, but rather cooked homestyle, in that they’re slow-roasted and finished off on a grill for some caramelization. These are the type of ribs where the bones slide straight out of the meat, and the meat itself is so tender that it doesn’t require any chewing.
Some people I know swear by this texture for rib meat, but personally, it’s not my favorite. I’m not into that kind of mushiness; I’d rather have some texture other than just, well, soft. I kind of chalk this up to Midwestern preference, where people prize heartiness, large quantities, and ease of eating.
I hope you guys don’t think I’m being an asshole. I ate most of that rack, so I did like them. Given the choice, I’d much rather go to a dedicated barbecue spot for ribs, and Chicago’s home to some really spectacular places for that in particular.
The onion rings at Twin Anchors are great, by the way. They’re battered, puffy, and greasy (in the good way), and Davida noticed that the batter for them is unusually sweet, which is partially why we liked them. I’d definitely order them again, along with the creamed spinach.
And onto the sauces.
Davida and I were weirdly fixated upon the house Zesty sauce. It’s sweet and tomato-based, but it has a flavor in it that we just couldn’t quite pin down. I got slight nutmeg or cinnamon notes, Davida thought it was some kind of citrus zest. I asked an employee if she knew the secret seasoning, but she told me she had no clue—since the restaurant goes through so much of both their Zesty and Prohibition sauces, those are made off-premises.
So I took a peek at a display bottle. While the ingredients list says that it contains an unspecified spice blend, Davida caught that the Zesty sauce also declares lemon powder and lemon juice concentrate, so her palate wins.
The Prohibition sauce might be the sweetest barbecue sauce I’ve ever tasted.
It was developed in Kansas City in 2010, and is very brown sugar forward, like candy sweet. The sauce is advertised as having a “sweet start and fiery finish,” and that description is accurate. The heat doesn’t exist up front, but shows up at the way end and lingers for quite a while.
Overall, it’s not kick-your-ass hot, but definitely enjoyable if you like spice; you just have to really love sweet flavors in order to dig this fully. I’ve been a Midwesterner all my life, and sweet barbecue sauces seem to be the preferred version in our neck of the woods. I mean, hey, Sweet Baby Ray’s was invented in Chicago.
After sampling all of that heavy food, I was ready to call it quits, but Davida mentioned that when she was scouting the menu online earlier, she noticed that Twin Anchors offers ice cream bars made by a local bakery ($5).
Turns out that local bakery is the acclaimed Brown Sugar Bakery, located in Greater Grand Crossing on the South side. I haven’t been down there yet, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about it, so we dropped a few extra bucks on a chocolate ice cream bar.
I fully expected to take a single bite of the ice cream bar and let her have the rest, but it was too good to stop eating. The chocolate shell is silky and smooth, and the chocolate ice cream interior is fluffy and light. We were able to polish it off so quickly it didn’t have a chance to drip on the table.
So you might have noticed that okay, maybe I’m not entirely shouting for you guys to race to Twin Anchors specifically for its food (except for that fish fry, wow). But you know what? You should still visit.
The place itself feels like a historical site, and there’s not many places in the city that continue to have that kind of charm. When we visited, almost everyone else seemed like a regular; the staff knew most of the patrons, who were mostly white-haired, and greeted them warmly. It felt good to see.
Yes, the food might not be full of bells and whistles, it’s just safe Midwestern home cooking. But Twin Anchors is the kind of place we’d want to be regulars at, to have food we’re familiar with when we need it the most, in a space that feels utterly like Chicago.
Davida said, as we were wrapping up our meal, “This place makes me excited to be old.”
She meant that as a compliment.
Twin Anchors Restaurant and Tavern
1655 N. Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 266-1616
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday: 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Well, that wraps up 2023 on The Party Cut. Just like everyone else, we’ve got a shitload of family stuff coming up, and most people won’t be reading too much internet stuff over the next few weeks—so Davida and I wish you the happiest of holidays.
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Okay, everyone, time to sign off for 2023. If you’re bored, you can follow my personal account on Instagram to see how Davida and I are spending our time off, but otherwise, get some rest, catch up with family and friends, and see you bright and early next year. I love you all very much.
I agree with you that Twin Anchors used to come up in conversation more. I feel like when folks talk about old school Chicago restaurants, Gene and Georgetti is always the go-to. But Twin Anchors is also a classic Chicago spot.
I’ve only been once but this is exactly the kind of restaurant I love - old school and with soul. Those ice cream bars are stellar. Thanks for the reminder to get back!