There is a Chicago restaurant that is the culinary equivalent of Dexy's Midnight Runners. If you've never heard of Dexy's Midnight Runners, it is probably because they are what's known as a "one-hit wonder", a band that achieved popularity with one hit song and then faded to obscurity with the rest of their musical catalogue.
Tufano's Vernon Park has done the same thing with their menu. Dexy's Midnight Runners had "Come on Eileen", Tufano's has lemon chicken.
I first ate at Tufano's about 20 years ago, and it has been a standard for inexpensive, unpretentious Italian-American food for a lot longer than that. (They've long been known to me and many others as a good pre-Bulls game dinner option.) It's a neighborhood place with a nice bar, a chalkboard menu, and a good vibe. They've grown in popularity over the years, but they still manage to make you feel like a regular whenever you walk in.
Now, if they only could make something good to eat besides "Tufano's Lemon Chicken".
Their namesake bird is a simple roast chicken (whole or half) with crispy skin and a lemony, garlicky oil (perfect for sopping up with bread). It's served with sliced roast potatoes, which are as good as any potato side dish in town. It's simple, rustic cooking that just works.
It's really too bad that every time I've strayed from the chicken, I've been horribly disappointed. The antipasti are lifeless and any other meat dish I've had has been disappointing. Pastas are cooked properly, but the sauces are devoid of any flavor. I've never had the Fettuccine Alfredo, but a diner next to me had it the other night and it reminded me of something Chris Kimball would show you at the beginning of "America's Test Kitchen" as an example of a recipe gone wrong.There's a lot of good chicken in this town, from various vesuvios to South American versions all across the North Side. So, there's no reason to drop everything and head to Tufano's. But, I keep coming back. Part of me hopes that I'll find something else that works, one more hit for this one-hit wonder, but I never do.
Check out the lemon chicken at Tufano's Vernon Park Tap, 1073 W. Vernon Park Pl in Chicago, 312-733-3393, cash only, no reservations, valet parking ($4).
I'd love to hear about any other restaurants that you consider a "one-hit wonder".
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