Flippin Eggs

Brunch Anyone? I love brunch! And Sunday is the best day to eat brunch. The best spot to eat breakfast and lunch combined is Flippin' Eggs, located right next to Otto's Night Club at 122 E. Lincoln Hwy. The entrance is quite small, so be sure to take the time to find this one. As soon as you enter, you'll notice pictures all over the right wall. These are pictures of those who have attempted, but failed at eating Flippin Eggs massive 3 lb. Monster Burger. Not only does the burger weigh 3 lbs, but it sits on a perfectly fit large bun, topped with 8 pieces of cheese, half a head of lettuce, a whole pickle, 2 whole sliced tomatoes, and half an onion. Only two have succeeded, but if you finish it in under and hour you get this $15 burger for free, as well as having your picture taken and placed on the wall of fame. Right after walking in you will hear a waitress yell "Seat Yourself". And luckily, if you're there before church gets out, you might get a seat, because the place it ALWAYS packed. Flippin Eggs is only open from 5:30am till 3:00pm but that's because it's strictly a brunch joint. The menu at Flippin Eggs is ginormous, and it's filled with an array of dishes. From Early Bird Specials, to egg dishes and 3 egg omelets-which are heavenly, to their famous Breakfast Skillets and Eggs Benedict galore. And finally to their Sensational Sandwiches menu which features 25 delectable sandwich platters. Their breakfast dishes range in price from $4.50 to $7.50, and their sandwiches don't cost more than $8. The dishes they give you could feed three people, or for a college student it could feed you 2 to 3 meals a day. I went for a Sunday brunch and ordered the Veggie Skillet. This skillet starts with hash browns covering the entire bottom of the plate, topped with an assortment of perfectly grilled veggies, smothered with cheese, and finally it's dressed with two eggs your way, I chose scrambled. You also get your choice of toast or pancakes...is that even legal? And to top it off you get an appetizer with your meal, with your choice of oatmeal or grits. And oh mamma, you better believe a girl like me with southern roots chose those grits! The dish was absolutely amazing, and literally fed me for the rest of the day. This breakfast and lunch joint is hands down the best spot for brunch any day of the week. I can truly say that I'm in love with Flippin Eggs, and will probably return every week, so I guess I'll see you there!

Fushi Yami

Attention those who have been deprived! After waiting four long years, sushi has once again come back into my life. Oh how I have longed for raw fish, rolled in seaweed and rice! You would think "A sushi place in Dekalb, Il?...probably not safe". But let me tell you, this is exactly the sushi you have been waiting for. Located at 822 W. Lincoln Hwy, in the Junction shopping center, is Fushi Yami, Dekalb's only authentic, outrageously delicious, sushi restaurant. As soon as you walk through the doors, you hear the sound of a waterfall, and are at once embraced with a Zen-like feeling. You are at peace, and close to reaching enlightenment. But not yet, you must order before completely being taken out of this world. The menu at Fushi Yami ranges from Hibachi, which means that this dish is prepared by a Japanese Teppanyaki style of grilling. Hibachi includes an enormous helping of your choice of white or fried rice, grilled veggies, and your choice of chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, or a combination of any two in each dish. The prices, depending on what protein you choose, range from $6 to $10. And that's not even half of it. The sushi at Fushi Yami is split into two sections, Maki Mano, which are the signature sushi rolls, and Uramaki which is a fresh hand cut sushi roll cut into 8 pieces. Each signature roll costs $10. A little pricey, but believe me, well worth it. The Uramaki rolls range from a standard California Roll for $4 to a Spider Crab Roll which costs $6.50. And let me tell you I've tried everything. But my favorites are the Fire Cracker which is a chef made special and consists of spicy tuna, spicy tempura crunch, masago, unagi sauce, and spicy mayo -SERIOUSLY AMAZING! As for the Uramaki rolls, I would choose the Shrimp Tempura Roll which is $5.50, the Snow Crab Roll is $5, and definitely you must try the Spider Crab Roll which is $6.50. At the end of the menu you notice that Fushi Yami actually has appetizers too. They range from your typical Miso Soup to my all time favorite Edamame. But my choice for an out of this world appetizer would have to be their Crab Egg Roll. This roll consists of crab meat, cream cheese (anything is good with cream cheese), asparagus, spicy mayo, and masago. It only costs $4.50 folks, and I guarantee you'll order it every time! I think the only downside to Fushi Yami is that they serve everything on plastic ware. But, they do offer delivery which is a huge plus, especially in a college town. Overall, I'd say Fushi Yami is a must see, must eat establishment. It's a little pricey but well worth it.

Los Rancheros

Don't let the outdoor strip mall appearance foul you! Because this recently opened Los Rancheros located at 2350 Sycamore Rd. Suite A in Dekalb, Il is the authentic mexican restaurant you've been waiting for. Immediately after walking in you feel as though you've walked through swinging doors at a saloon. With a wooden decor, and mexican art covering the restaurant walls, your palate will soon be in dire need of a margarita. Their menu is quite large and the dishes range from authentic mexican Appetizers, such as cheese quesadillas, to Your Choice, where you pick and choose from a choice of combinations, to an array of Seafood Specialty dishes. I chose the Pollo Rancheros only because it was one of few on the menu that didn't have a picture of a pepper next to it, which indicated that it was Spicy. And I am surely not one who is capable of handling anything remotely spicy. This dish was served with a whole chicken breast smothered in ranchero sauce..mmm...and a side of rice and beans (gotta love those rice and beans!) along with two tortillas. Outside of only being given two tortillas, which frankly wasn't enough for me, I thought the dish was Molto Delicioso! Along with my lunch I decided to accompany my Pollo Rancheros with a Margarita Deluxe. It wasn't so much deluxe, as it was deceiving. I didn't think the margarita packed too much punch, until leaving the restaurant feeling a little loopy. Prices at Los Rancheros range from $8.00 to $20.00(that's if you want seafood) a dish. A little pricey for a college student, but I think for a family night out this is the place to be. For a family of four, dinner at Los Rancheros wouldn't cost more than $40, but that's not including drinks. On a Saturday afternoon Los Rancheros wasn't nearly packed to its capacity, but it seems like the place to be on the weekend!