Liver and Onions of the Gods
Posted by Jonathan on December 22nd, 2011 (All posts by Jonathan)
This was a great lunch, except for the corn, which was tasteless. But, overall, it was really good.
The liver beguiled me as the Sirens beguiled Odysseus. However, unlike Odysseus, I lacked the strength to have myself lashed to the restaurant booth. That is what really happened in the Odyssey. The Sirens lured mariners onto treacherous rocks by creating a fragrant mirage of liver, onions and fries in front of them. Only Odysseus had the foresight to have himself tied to his boat’s mast, and to have his men’s nostrils plugged with beeswax so they wouldn’t be tempted by the fatal aroma.
My only regret is that I didn’t take a picture of this before I started eating, but I was hungry.
Cross posted on Jonathan’s Photoblog.
December 22nd, 2011 at 9:50 pm
Liver! The one thing from my childhood that I despised that has stayed – for 61 years.
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:03 pm
You forgot the bacon , LOB. (and leave dripping on the plate!!!)
December 22nd, 2011 at 10:25 pm
hmmm, overcooked liver
December 22nd, 2011 at 11:38 pm
I’d eat that.
Ever get the chicken livers at Harold’s?
Very good.
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:41 am
Lex – My wife absolutely loves fried chicken livers. Jonathan, this dish looks tasty too.
December 23rd, 2011 at 7:04 am
One has to have a strong stomach just looking at it.
December 23rd, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Dan, yet another reason for a Chicago visit.
December 24th, 2011 at 8:41 am
I see that Ribs ‘N Bibs is still around. Do they still sell bags of fried livers and gizzards with sauce? A site visit to investigate may be in order.
December 24th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Liver is an acquired taste. I was well into my thirties when I finally started to actually enjoy it, alsthough my mother cooks some delicious liver dishes.
December 24th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Liver tastes great, no need to wait years to acquire. It is the combination of liver, ketchup, potato fries and raw onions that is shocking.
Liver should be lightly sauteed with red wine, shallots and S&P. Or made a terrine of. Or sauteed in chicken stock and finished with a dollop of sour cream and flavored with parsley.
As pictured, it should be marketed to pharmaceutical companies producing heartburn medications…
December 24th, 2011 at 10:10 am
Ribs & Bibs I never cared for. We took our lives in our hands and went to Leon’s at 83rd and Stony Island. But if you went there it was for rib tips. For livers and gizzards it was Harold’s.
December 24th, 2011 at 10:44 am
I have a vague memory of a place on 61st or 63rd, could it have been Bo Diddly Barbecue? To this day I remember the Gunslinger Sausage, but not the movie I attended after dinner.
December 24th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Yes, Bo Diddley’s. Long gone, I think. I once went to Lem’s at 55th and State. It was two blocks South of the Southernmost Robert Taylor home. We went in around 11:30 a.m. for lunch. Being caucasian our arrival provoked surprise, not hostility, but the palpable concern you feel among the locals that your presence can cause trouble no one wants and you should not be there. But there was no incident and the ribs were good.