Hi, everyone!
I briefly mentioned in last week’s edition of the newsletter (which was for paid subscribers) that Davida and I had initially attempted to go to two different restaurants that day before we eventually landed on our final pick in Belmont Cragin.
Our first choice had been closed for the day (due to a one-off thing), and the restaurant had announced this on Instagram, but like a fool, I’d read over this too quickly and missed this fact. So we returned successfully this past weekend. A kind gentleman opened the door for us, and we’d find out later that he was one of the owners, as well as the chef of the whole place.
I’m actually glad that this week’s newsletter falls on the free schedule, because it would be a shame to keep this one shrouded behind the paywall. Davida and I were greeted so warmly by this family-run operation serving Belizean food, that we want you all to know about it.
The BlōōhoL (pronounced “bluehole”) is located in Austin, on North Avenue, just West of Cicero.
Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take a picture of the exterior of the corner restaurant for your reference, but Google Maps has you covered.
One of my favorite things about the space is this little neon sign behind the bar that says, “You Betta Belize It.” It’s a small place, with just a few tables and some bar seats, but despite its size, it’s still dine-in friendly. (If you go to the bathroom, make sure to look up at the cheerful decorations hanging from the ceiling in the hallway.)
The menu is extremely small, which makes it easy to order from. The one that’s currently being served is not the one that’s posted on The BlōōhoL’s website; a few things have been removed since that one was initially posted.
There’s an oxtail dinner, a jerk chicken dinner, and a stew chicken dinner for the mains, which come with rice and beans, potato salad, and plantains. Otherwise, there’s also jerk wings to graze on, along with a few other options for sides. Those additional sides are available for a straight swap on your platter, which our server (who was the other co-owner of the restaurant) said they’re always happy to do.
Davida and I started with the jerk wings ($15), which come five to an order, but they’re the entire wing, tip and all, which amounts to five flats and five drums.
It’s hard to tell from the picture, but they’re not grilled or roasted — they’re stewed. So rather than having a crisp chew, the meat falls off the bone. The jerk flavor on the wings is light, but dipped in the accompanying jerk sauce, their flavor is boosted tenfold with the complex flavor that only jerk seasoning can bring. The jerk sauce is spicy, but not prohibitively so, and if you want to add some more heat, there’s a bottle of Marie Sharp’s Belizean hot sauce available to you.
We ordered two dinners (or “dinnas,” as The BlōōhoL calls them), including the stew chicken ($25).
It comes with a ton of chicken amounting to more than a half of a bird; I counted two thighs, some breast meat, a drum, and a wing. If I had to guess, the quantity is just measured by the general rule of “fill up the plate till you can barely carry it.”
I’d liken this to easygoing comfort food, and most of the recipes I looked up for Belizean stew chicken involve simple components like bell pepper, onion, and some ingredients to add color, along with a splash of acid. The chicken itself is warm and inviting, and is stewed to the point where it’s tender without being dry.
But damn, everyone, I am going to come straight out and say it: The oxtail ($35 for the dinner) is some of the best oxtail I’ve ever eaten in Chicago.
The meat was so perfectly cooked it was falling apart (I’m surprised it even made it onto the plate intact), and it comes doused in a rich and deeply savory gravy that has so much natural gelatin in it that you can feel it coating your lips as you’re enjoying it. It’s seasoned perfectly too, salted just right, to really amplify the meat’s beefiness.
And again with the portions; the dine-in plates, which are made of pliant plastic, sagged beneath the weight of the food. You get huge segments of meat, which make up the majority of the platter by volume. I’ve eaten a lot of oxtail in my life (the Korean soup version), so I know how good oxtail can get. It’s obvious that this version is cooked with years of experience.
Some of you may balk at that price, though. $35 is a difficult proposition, but oxtail is an extremely expensive ingredient. The reason why Koreans embraced it back in the day is because it was considered scrap (who’d eat the tail of a cow?), but now that the rest of the world has agreed that it’s delicious, it’s taken on steak-level prices. And considering each cow only has one small tail, you get what you get.
We are absolutely coming back, specifically for the oxtail, because it was that good.
We opted for the standard sides on each dinner, which were the potato salad, rice and beans, and plantains.
You get a heaping mound of potato salad, as well as the rice and beans. This version of potato salad is new to me, as it’s studded with extra veggies like corn, peas, and carrots, and it’s pleasantly sweet and creamy. This potato salad is also a touch looser than your typical American version too. I’m a big fan of it, especially for those extra vegetables.
And the rice and beans here are also excellent.
I think I’ve been haunted by too many versions of slightly dry rice with mealy beans, which is why I don’t usually get too excited about that combo, but The BlōōhoL’s version is anything but. It’s nice and moist with soft beans, and it’s actually flavorful, too. The rice also acts as a good way to soak up the gravy from both the stew chicken and the oxtail, which means you’ll inhale every last grain.
The plantains are the sweet variety, and they’re sort of hidden between the rice and the potato salad. You only get a few, but they’re good too.
The restaurant was out of mac and cheese when we went, so we tacked on a side of cabbage ($5) just out of curiosity.
It’s way more flavorful than it looks, and if it’s cooked, it’s barely cooked. The cabbage is still very crunchy, which gives it a welcome freshness. And the seasoning is really hard to place. To me, it’s sort of like a Cuban mojo marinade without the acid (I’m pretty sure the herbal component is oregano), but it’s definitely not pickled. Davida was a huge fan of it, so we’ll definitely get it again.
We did get a chance to speak to both the owners, Rodrick Davis and Felicia O’Connor, who are the father and daughter pair that run The BlōōhoL. They’re both open and friendly, and Davis told us that he learned how to cook from his mother, but he’s since tinkered with her recipes, joking that he’s not so sure she’d be too keen on that idea. He came to America from Belize when he was 17, but goes back to visit frequently.
When I asked about how long the restaurant was open, O’Connor told us that it’d been open exactly one year come June 8th, but seven months of it were spent closed due to some frustrating city construction just outside the building. So they planned on celebrating with a grand “re-opening” of sorts, to both mark the business’ one year anniversary as well as to give the place the proper launch it never started off with.
And the name “BlōōhoL?” I sheepishly had to ask how it was pronounced (it’s “bluehole,” like I mentioned above), and it’s a reference to the Great Blue Hole, which is a large marine sinkhole located off the coast of Belize.
O’Connor said it’s spelled this way because they wanted to avoid conflict with a business that has a similar name. It’s definitely hard to forget, and I’ve found that if you search for it without the macron (aka that long vowel line) over the “o,” it still comes up via Google. She also mentioned the restaurant’s happy hour, which runs from 2 to 6 p.m. during during the week through Thursday, with $5 jerk wings and $5 select cocktails, in case you’ve got some time to spare during the day.
Those are good reasons to drop by, but that oxtail? It’s the best one. O’Connor mentioned that it frequently sells out, and as we can attest, it should. It’s that good. You really betta Belize it. (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. I’m hooked.)
The BlōōhoL
5101 W. North Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
(312) 909-0303
Hours:
Monday - Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday - Friday: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
If The BlōōhoL is new to you too, it’s worth heading to Austin to check it out. And hey, since this edition of The Party Cut’s a free one, one of the best things you can do is to share it online, as it helps the thing grow (and I’ve been told mashing on that little heart button helps too):
Second of all, The Party Cut only exists with your support — without your subscriptions, this little thing would run out of steam.
With all things said and done, what’s coming in now is still just supporting basic expenses, and not any of the work or time that goes into it. This is about as independent as it gets, but it’s sort of a lonely endeavor. So just think about it — plus every other edition goes to paid subscribers.
Okay, everyone, have a great week. Go explore a new neighborhood and enjoy the (finally) warmer weather. Love you guys.
This is so exciting; that's just down the street from me, and I am constantly traversing North Ave and had not yet noticed this spot. Caribbean cabbage preparations are 😍
My grandma used to make an oxtail stew a few times a winter when I was small, and I will die mad that bougee home chefs discovered oxtails and jacked up the price.