Food: Streetside Café

J-School makes one do crazy things. Would I have ever written on food otherwise? Nope. So there ya go.

Nestled in a neighborhood that doesn’t feature too many hospitable watering holes, the Streetside Café (located at 3201 W. Armitage Ave.) caters to those who want a decent meal, friendly place to drink and thoughtful deejays accompanying any evening out.

Upon entering the restaurant, it’s not uncommon to remain un-greeted and simply roam around until a table’s located. The fact that the wait staff is more than hospitable and likely to engage one in conversation ranging from bicycles to your friend’s sweater makes up for any perceived transgression, though.

Being fried, as a Streetside waitress will tell you, makes everything better. Unfortunately, the catfish po’ boy doesn’t seem to benefit from this wisdom. Compounding the let down is the fact that the menu explains the dressing that tops the sandwich as a “homemade Cajun tartar sauce.” Dinners will be hard pressed to taste the assumed flair that should accompany such a description.

Growing numbers of vegetarians have only slightly impacted the Streetside menu which most prominently features anything from jerk chicken skewers to Caribbean-flavored chicken wings. There’s a slightly overpriced hummos appetizer as well as a grilled vegetable wrap that’s been prepared with a marinade just short of delicious.

Almost as important as the vegetable focused fare is the accompanying beverage menu. Properly complimenting most of the entree choices at the Streetside should lead most to the beer menu, but there’s still a small, yet decent range of wine to choose from. By contrast, the beer selection features a wide swath of craft brews including choices from the Great Lakes, Bells and Brooklyn companies.

Streetside’s middling faire, even buoyed by the drink menu, can’t squander the ambience the restaurant offers. All deep, brooding red walls and ornate ceilings dating to the early 20^th century make for a cozy dining environment. The fireplace doesn’t hurt matters either. And adding to Streetside’s overall charm is the rotating crew of deejays that work out ‘90s hip hop – with an emphasis on Chicago natives – ensconced in their booth off to the left of the bar.

Good for a date or a seat to watch the traffic whizz by at Armitage and Kedzie, the Streetside Café might not be as inviting a dining destination in other parts of town, but for Logan Square, it’s not too shabby.