Flo & Santos Earns Honor of One of Chicagoist's Best Pizzas

Flo & Santos gets some love from Chicagoist's 18 Best Pizzas in Chicago- 2014 edition:

Flo & Santos
This South Loop restaurant continues to impress me and people I suggest it to, four years after I first reviewed it for Chicagoist. The pizzas here are the foundation and Santos’ menu and perfectly encapsulates Flo & Santos’ Polish/Italian mélange. The Polish pizza, topped with house made kielbasa, sauerkraut and crumbled bacon, is a gut buster, while Santo’s Margherita pizza is a stellar, light pie. Fans of Canadian bacon and pineapple can’t go wrong with the Kai’s Hawaiian pizza. My favorite is still the Buffalo Bill’s pizza, a tangy, zesty eating experience with grilled chicken breast, bleu cheese, green onions and Buffalo sauce. Diners would do well to give the rotating farmers market-inspired pizzas a look, as well. —Chuck Sudo

Flo & Santos is located at 1310 S. Wabash Ave.

They do have some tasty 'za - our favorite is "Grace's Favorite" consisting of sausage, mushrooms, red onion and green pepper.

However, surprisingly our favorite thing on the menu are the tantalizingly tender "Flying Pork Wings" - all we can say is wowsa:

Things Going Well at Flo & Santos

Things are good at one of our favorite spots in the Sloop, Flo & Santos (1310 S. Wabash).  If you're a loyal reader of Sloopin you probably remember a post we did last year confirming that Flo's was expanding their restaurant space back to the alley.

Upon a recent visit we had a chance to take a peek at the space.  The structural components are all done and from what we've been told they're now going to work on the inside.  When it's all said and done it will be a much bigger space.  The intention is to keep the look and feel very similar to what's already been established in the front of building.

Beyond the expansion back, there have been rumors swirling around the neighborhood about a beer garden next door on the vacant space.  While we can't confirm that this is definitely happening, signs point in that direction.  First off, if you've been to the restaurant or walked down Wabash you've probably noticed that their outdoor space has been expanded to include the sidewalk space in-front of the vacant lot:

Expanded outdoor seating at Flo & Santos a sign of things to come?

What does this mean?  We will let you read between the lines...  

Beyond the changes to the space, we continue to be impressed with the most important thing at any restaurant, the food.  Every time we go we've had the luxury of trying something new.  This time it was the "Flying Pork Wings".  All we can say was wow!  Amazingly tender and left us wanting more.

Busy Times at Some of the South Loop's Finest

There has been a lot of doom and gloom around some recent businesses and restaurants closing, but not all is bad in the hood. While some restaurants have been struggling, others seem to be thriving.

We recently had a two dinners at South Coast Sushi (obviously on two different nights) and the place was packed both times. Once there was a wait, which we've never had before, and the second time the only seating available was at the sushi bar. We tend to prefer a regular table, but opted for the different experience at the bar. Although it wasn't what we typically like, we were happy to see one of our favorite restaurants doing well. Good for them!

Last week, we had a friend coming down to the Sloop and decided we would hit up Flo & Santos. We know it's a good place, but our guest had never been. We told her we would pick up the bill, but made her send us her thoughts on the place (there is no such thing as a free lunch/dinner):

We visited South Loop favorite Flo and Santos on a busy, recent Thursday night but we found out that the restaurant is always busy. We arrived on the earlier side -- 630pm -- and their was a wait.

Our server was pleasant and interested in helping us but one member of our party knew to order pizza almost as soon as we were seated because pizza takes longer. One downside was the location of our booth -- we were the last booth before the restrooms and we were right next to the carry-out order pickup and cash register -- so there was a lot of traffic nearby. Luckily there were only 3 of us in our party so we had plenty of room in a booth sized for 6 or more.

Two of us had a pizza with chicken and pineapple but weren't wow-ed with it (probably because it's a slightly weird combo). I had a burger and it was top-notch. I liked the pretzel bun and the waffle fries were done just right. I asked for the burger medium rare and they did it medium rare! I've been to a lot of places lately where you ask for your meat medium rare and it comes medium. I'm not sure if that's a safety issue but why would they ask my preference if they're not going to make it the way I asked. Flo and Santos was 100% on!

The beer was excellent. Two of us had the special, Magic Hat #9. One funny part of the evening was that they gave us an unopened ketchup, so I opened it. Our keen-eyed server noticed this and immediately came over to give me an open bottle saying that I didn't have to do that. I was impressed with her speed and attention.

The menu looked exciting and unique. How many places have you been to that serve Polish and Italian food. I would go back and try more of the Polish fare. The ambiance was jovial -- there were TVs with sports showing -- and it wasn't too loud inside. The place is small -- the website boasts there are seats for 67 people, but that doesn't seems a little high. The art on the walls included old south loop photos from the early 1900s. Flo and Santos is the kind of place you can go back to and order a new item each time you're there. The art combined with the food and excellent service made the evening! I recommend it.

(Hat Tip: D$!)

Regarding the Flo & Santos Expansion...

About a month ago we had a post looking at various construction projects around the Sloop. One of those being an apparent expansion behind the warm and cosy Flo & Santos restaurant/pub (1310 S. Wabash).

Besides a plethora of comments on that post, a reader sent us the following tidbit:

Regarding Flo & Santos Expansion...

It's happening. They are building out the back room to mirror what already exists in the front room. There will be a bar and seats just like the front. The kitchen sits right in the middle of the first floor of that building, so they can feed out to both rooms pretty seamlessly. One of the friendly barkeeps told me this.

We haven't corroborated this, but it seems feasible to us.

(Hat tip: ZM!)

A New Place Going In at Howie's Old Spot?

We recently saw a light on at the old Howie's restaurant (1310 S. Wabash) but didn't think much of it. However, over the weekend we received an email from a reader about the space:

We received a public notice in our mailbox from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Local Liquor Control Commission. After a rousing Friday night thanks to guests leaving Utopia, we were still excited to be informed that an outfit called "Flo and Santo LLC" has applied for a liquor license at 1310 S. Wabash, Howie's old location. They've asked for any objections to be sent to their office, but I think we're all for it. After some Googling, it looks like they've requested to have a catering liquor license and a license to allow consumption on the premises. All sounds good to us!

Sure enough, thanks to everyblock, a "Flo and Santo LLC" has applied for an on premise and catering liquor license at 1310 S. Wabash. So obviously it looks as if something is going to be moving into this space.

Upon doing some more googling, we found that there is a restaurant in the Ukrainian Village (1434 W Chicago) called Flo Cafe and Bar. Although this is complete speculation, maybe it's associated with this space. They do have a specific tab on their website dedicated to catering.

Regardless, glad to see that there probably will be a new cafe/restaurant opening in this space!

Flo & Santos: More Pub then Restaurant?

We celebrated Valentine's Day at Zapatista and had a nice time. Nothing out of the ordinary, just solid Mexican food, good drinks and a lively atmosphere. We like the place and it seems others do too.

However, of more interesting news, we obviously had to ask our waiter about the their sister establishment, Flo & Santos, opening up across the street. Although he didn't know a ton about the new joint, he used the Wabash Tap as a comparison to Flo & Santos. From the sounds of it, the place will be more of a bar/pub then a full on restaurant. They will most likely have food, but from the sounds of it, it will be less expensive.

Obviously this isn't an official statement from the management, but still interesting in our eyes. We're looking forward to seeing this one open.

We thought the Wabash Tap was a good analogy. For people who don't know Mainstay Hospitality, they run three establishments within the South Loop (that we know of). The Chicago Firehouse is a full-on expensive steak house catering to upscale clientele. Grace O'Malley's is a middle of the road Irish bar with a dining area and bar. O'Malley's has a beautiful bar and is very nice compared to most Irish pubs we've seen in Chicago. Their third establishment is Wabash Tap, which is a bear bones sports bar with many TVs, bar games and a younger crowd typically.

Maybe the people behind Zapatista are trying to branch out and copy this model? Best of luck to them.

A Look Back at 2010: #4 - Flo & Santos

Over the final week of 2010 we will be highlighting the five most popular Sloopin posts of the year. This is based on page views from our Google Analytics tool.

#4 From February 8th, 2010

Flo and Santos to Open in Spring

Our take now: There was a ton of optimism about Flo and Santos, and by our grades it's live up to the expectations. A great little, unique bar/pub spot that is great for a casual dinner or a drink. Also a great place to watch a sporting event. It does get crowded, so plan ahead if you're trying to get a good seat!

Expansion at Existing South Loop Restaurants

Yes, it's fun to get excited about new places opening up in the Sloop (see post yesterday), but let's not forget about some of the other restaurants in the area. Two relatively recent, but at this point well established, South Loop businesses have recently expanded the amount of people who can eat at their restaurants:

Flo & Santos (1310 S. Wabash)

The popular Polish/Italian restaurant Flo & Santos has just added outdoor seating:

This is great news because this place always seems to be busy. This should accommodate the large crowds and also offers to the street scene on South Wabash.

Lou Malnati's South Loop (805 S. Wabash)

We've know for sometime that Lou's was expanding into the vacant retail space just south of their current space on South State street, but it appears that this area is finally complete. Again, this is good news because this location is always packed as well.

Do we really love pizza that much in the Sloop? Guess so...

Other Restaurant Tidbits:

On a different note, we posted yesterday about Tribute potentially opening up this weekend. Well we heard from the PR people for Tribute and that doesn't appear to be the case. They are close, but no official opening date has been announced yet. Stay tuned though, they will give us the update once they have something official.

It also looks and sounds like the Scout is progressing. But again, no official update there either.

Finally, we read that Waffles also has a slight delay. They're now shooting for July 13th.

These places are still opening as far as we know, just the typical hurdles to overcome when launching a restaurant in Chicago.

(Hat tip: Blast!)

Flo & Santos to Open in the Spring

First off, we saw an ad for "Flo and Santos" in our monthly coupon book we get in the mail and it sounds like they're planning on opening up in the spring. For those of you who don't remember here is a link to an old post.

However to sum up, this is a new restaurant that is going in next to Gioco at the old Howie's spot (1310 S. Wabash). Although their website is live, there is only a logo. We're not 100% sure, but we've heard and suspect that this spot has some relationship with Zapatista across the street (ie the owner of Zapatista is partially behind this new restaurant).

Regardless, should be a good addition to the hood!

Retail Roundup: Roosevelt Collection Demolition and More

Over the past week we noticed various developments with retail establishments around the Sloop and thought we would kick-off the week with a recap.

Roosevelt Collection Demolition

When the new owners of Roosevelt Collection bought the property they mention that they thought there was a lot of potential, but that they were going to raze the never-occupied buildings in the middle.

Well it appears that this is happening judging by the picture above.

Hopefully this means retail will be coming soon. We haven't heard anything, but we try to remain optimistic.

Flo & Santos Expanding?

A perceptive reader emailed us with a picture of construction equipment presumably digging to lay a foundation at the back of the current building housing Flo & Santos (1310 S. Wabash). It looks like they're expanding back to presumably allow for more seating. Anyone have any updates?

We were hoping that they would expand to the vacant piece of land just to the North, but it appears that will not be the case.

Trade Joe's is Looking Good

No new news here, but the outside and inside of Trader Joe's is looking good. The signs are up, the inside is painted and the shelves are stocked. A sign on the window says they're opening on September 9th which is consistent with what we've heard.

"For Lease" Signs Come Down at Old Entourage Man Retail Space

Not sure if this means that a new tenant is taking over the space or if a new real estate company is taking over marketing responsibilities. Hopefully it's the former. Anyone know anything?

(Hat tip: ND, PB, MT!)

Flo & Santos Overview on the Thrillist

From the thrillist:

Named for the parents of a mixed Polish (Flo) and Italian (Santos) family that one of the owners grew up with, F&S honors both of their culinary roots in a 67-seat exposed brick & red-boothed pub decked with eight flatscreens (plus a 90-inch HD projection screen) and photos of the old Chicago Coliseum, which hosted Buffalo Bill's "Wild West" show, but mercifully was destroyed before it could see the Will Smith version.

(Hat Tip: AM & MS!)

Flo & Santos Delicious "Flying Pork Wings" Get Some Love from Bloomberg

Bloomberg talks about the "Pork Wing" trend and references one of our favorite dishes in the Sloop:

No, pigs don’t have wings, but that’s not stopping restaurants from selling them.

Although chicken wings have long been a game-day staple, non-wing wings are poised to become the surprise star at this year’s Super Bowl as chains like Pizza Hut and Hooters stock up on cheap protein. Boneless chicken wings -- generally made from breast meat -- have been gaining space on menus for years, and now pork wings are joining the ranks. Restaurants are finding that Americans are longing for convenient and non-traditional snacks, and wingless wings seem to fit the bill.

Pig Wings from Pioneer MeatsSource: Pioneer Meats Flo & Santos pub and eatery in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood can attest to their appeal. It’s had pork wings on the menu since opening eight years ago. Chefs toss the “flying pork wings” in buffalo, barbecue or teriyaki sauce, and five of them go for $14.

“They’re an easy sell. It’s something unique, something you can share,” General Manager Nicki Piersanti said. “Pork wings -- it’s funny -- pigs can’t fly.”

Mouth watering....

Sloopin Covid-19 Spotlight: Flo & Santos

Small businesses and restaurants are a crucial element of our neighborhood and we offered to post about some of the specials some of our favorites are running in this challenging time.

Today we highlight Flo & Santos (312-566-9817).  They write:

The specials we have going on right now are as follows

Everyday: 50% off bottles of wine
12$ Virtue Cider pack.
Free order of Paczki with every order while supplies last.

Mondays:Free salads with in-house orders

Tuesdays:Free soup with in-house orders. 

Thanks so much for your efforts to shine a light on open businesses in the South Loop. we really appreciate it!

Flo & Santos to Open on April 15th According to the Red Eye

A reader writes and we confirmed from the Red Eye:

According to the redeye (Page 17) today (March 31st), Flo & Santos will be opening on April 15th

"Italian Eats & Polish treats"

(Hat Tip: KG!)

Restaurants Gear Up for a Challenging Winter as Covid-19 Cases Increase & New Rules Are Implemented for Public Safety

We know winter is upon us and with rising Covid-19 cases in and around Chicago we all are preparing to move indoor.  With that in mind, the state has put in place new measures to mitigate spread of the virus and that impacts indoor dining/drinking.

It's a tough move that no doubt has drawn criticism from restaurant owners and others.  As we look around the Sloop, some restaurants are uniquely positioned to offer outdoor dining.  Places like Flo & Santos, Chicago Firehouse and Roots Pizza have amble outdoor space and seem able to offer outdoor dining (although it's not without challenges and uncertainties).

We noticed Sofi - the Italian Restaurant on Dearborn in Printers Row - has constructed tents on the sidewalk with heaters inside:

We applaud these businesses for trying to soldier on through these difficult times.  

As residents in the Sloop, we highly encourage everyone to try your best to support these businesses.  Even if it doesn't mean eating at the restaurant outside, takeout & gift certificates will go a long way.

Stay safe and support our local business and restaurants!

Next Up for the Restaurant Scene: A Gastropubby Sports Bar

The Ole' Hardwood Gastro-Smokehouse is gone. Today we found out that a new concept is going to be potentially taking over the 'gastro' moniker on the 1300 block of South Wabash. News came today that one of the South Loop's older restaurants, Opera, will be shutting their doors after tonight in order to become a "Gastropubby Sports Bar":

Opera, the contemporary Chinese restaurant in the South Loop, will close after dinner service on Dec. 31. Partner Jerry Kleiner tells us it will reopen in three or four months as a yet-to-be-named "gastropubby sports bar."

This is definitely an interesting change. Maybe Kleiner and crew noticed how well Flo & Santos is doing across the street and decided a change was needed. Although we like Opera and are sad to see it go, it's been evident that the place hasn't exactly been packed over the past couple of months.

We recently had a nice Friday night dinner at Opera and maybe 25-30% of the tables were occupied. Not exactly the amount of dinners a trendy restaurant would expect on a Friday night. Change is part of everything so hopefully they settle on a concept that works. It's a huge space and Kleiner definitely knows how to build an interesting space, let's hope the food lives up to the design.

Anyway, if you're like us, you're hearing "gastropub" being thrown around a lot these days. Although we thought we knew what this meant, as of late we've been less sure. Hopefully the internet and wikipedia can shed some light on this trend:

A gastropub concentrates on quality food. The name is a combination of pub and gastronomy and was coined in 1991 when David Eyre and Mike Belben took over The Eagle pub in Clerkenwell, London. The concept of a restaurant in a pub reinvigorated both pub culture and British dining, though has occasionally attracted criticism for potentially removing the character of traditional pubs.

So it sounds like it's just a focus on quality food. We like quality food, so hopefully that's what we get!

(Hat tip: RG!)

Chicago's Best Goes to Flo & Santos

There has been a lot of talk about Gioco and some of the issues facing this restaurant, so we found it refreshing that their next door neighbor (and newest addition to the block) is getting some great pub:

Various South Loop Restaurants Featured on Curbed/Eater Interactive Maps

One of our favorite things about the Vox media sites Curbed & Eater are their map posts.  It's a fun way to learn about new spots around the city.

Over the past couple of weeks they've had a variety of maps that feature various Sloop spots:

12 Luscious Lobster Rolls:#11:  A two-Michelin-starred restaurant might not seem like the place for a lobster roll but those who sit at the bar are treated to perhaps the finest version in Chicago. Chef and owner Ryan McCaskey, who’s spent time in Maine, produces an indulgent roll that’s lightly dressed with chive mayo and smoky paprika. Guests can also order it Connecticut-style, which is served warm and holds the mayo for butter.

The 20 Essential Outdoor Dining Spots in Chicago  #15: Make the work day a little more bearable by working from this South Loop café. The Spoke & Bird’s 2,500-square-foot patio is a fine stand-in for the office and guests can pass the time with a host of coffees, sandwiches, and — if they desire to get boozy — craft beers.

#16: Dubbed “Reggies Trainwreck Rooftop Deck,” the rock club’s elevated playground is the place to be on a warm day. The patio can accommodate up to 99 patrons and sports a full bar, eight flat screens, picnic tables, a pool table, and other diversions.

20 New Spots for Chicago’s Patio SeasonPut on a bib and get cracking. The seafood boil restaurant emulates backyard gatherings in the South with a patio with abundant foliage and twinkling lights. Dig into bags of delicious shellfish and sip on rotating cocktails from a highball machine.

It's hard to argue with these - that being said, we may suggest adding Flo & Santos to the essential outdoor dining spots, but that's just us.

Asian Outpost Review: Not Asian Fusion, More Like An "Alloy"

We've been closely monitoring the opening of Asian Outpost (1315 S. Wabash) and reading mostly positive reviews of the place on yelp (currently 4.5 stars on Yelp).  While we still haven't had a chance to go, one frequent contributor pens this reviews:

First off, this place isn't imitating anyone. To say it's fusion is too simple: this place is an alloy; something made stronger by the combination of two things. The place setting comes with a fork and chop sticks, and you're invited to use them as you please.

The exterior's simplicity belies a complex and yet subtle interior. Dark but not dingy, with amazing steam punk lighting, herbs growing in the foyer and a tucked away bar with only one silent television. Even on this cold night, the room exuded warmth and comfort.

Drinks are inexpensive for the area with a top shelf Manhattan going for $9. and a number of their unique cocktails are even less. My wife was especially impressed with the Toshi, a mixture of sake, cucumber, mint, lemon and club soda named after the family's dog.

For the main course, I had the aptly named-Chicken with Spicy Nutty Noodles. It was exactly that, with nicely burnt and crunchy peanuts and a bit more zing than you'd expect. My wife had the Asian spare ribs which were only slightly Asian, but were very popular.

They have a sushi menu too, but we didn't need to get that far to know that we'll be back. Prices are somewhere between Flo & Santos and Giocco, and we Sloopers are lucky to have another fantastic addition to an already vibrant block of eateries.

We've been eyeing the Spicy Nutty Noodles ever since we saw the menu and now are craving it even more.

(Hat tip:  JW!)

Top 11 Sloopin Stories of 2011: #1 - Retail Rising

It's that time of year and like many other websites, tv stations, newspapers and blogs, we're going to take a look back at some of the most important and biggest stories of 2011.

#1 - Retail Rising

If you're like us, you've learned to be patient with the South Loop retail scene. For years the space has been ready for businesses to come to the South Loop, but unfortunately it hasn't come as fast as we would like. Well in 2011, the neighborhood retail scene seemed to gain some momentum. New businesses coming to the neighborhood significantly outweighed those closing up shop.

The biggest news on this front was Trader Joe's opening up at the Northeast corner of Wabash and Roosevelt. While we don't completely credit the overall neighborhood retail trend to this opening, it sure seemed to change peoples perceptions. We had a post that took a look at Trader Joe's impact on an area of Lincoln park and pondered whether it could do the same for the Sloop.

Beyond Trader Joe's, two other much discussed restaurants/bars opened in the summer but had very different experiences in the neighborhood. In August, The Scout opened on the Southeast corner of Wabash and 13th (the old Opera space). While many discussed whether or not the new sports bar/restaurant fit into the neighborhood, most seem to agree it's doing quite well and has been a good addition.

Unfortunately the same can't be said for Tribute (800 S. Michigan) who closed up shop in December, only 5 months after opening. It was an ambitious attempt and by most accounts was pretty good. Regardless, it never seemed to gain momentum and clearly wasn't sustainable.

The vacant retail space South of Roosevelt saw a lot of food/drink options open up their doors in 2011. Pita Heaven (1250 S. Michigan), Waffles (1400 S. Michigan), Chi Bakery (2135 S. Michigan) added some solid food options to South Michigan while Donna's Cafe (1255 S. State), Flavor 180 (1511 S. State), Overflow Coffee (1550 S. State) and Burger Point (1900 S. State) all opened up on South State.

And let's not forget about Acadia (1639 S. Wabash), the promising contemporary American restaurant that just opened last week and hopes to usher in a new era of fine dinning in the Sloop.

And it wasn't all restaurants either. Sanctuary (1400 S. Michigan), Ur

ban Remix (1468 S. Michigan), H+ Records (730 S. Dearborn), Urban Grocery (730 S. Clark), South Loop Immediate Care (1430 S. Michigan), Victory Barber Salon (1926 S. State) are new to the neighborhood.

And it wasn't all new stuff - Lou Malnatti's (805 S. State), Flo & Santos (1310 S. Wabash), South Loop Market (1720 S. Michigan) and Jimmy Green's (825 S. State) have expanded or are in the process of expanding.

It wasn't all good news in 2011. Entourage man (1355 S. Michigan), Doctor's Choice (1345 S. Michigan), Grant Park Cleaners (3 E. Roosevelt), Daniela's Hair Salon (705 S. Dearborn) all closed their doors while Marble Slab Creamery (1245 S. Michigan) might be out of business.

We probably missed a couple, so please chime in if you know of something, but all in all we would say it's been a good year on the retail front for the Sloop. Better yet, 2012 is looking even brighter so stay tuned for that post (coming soon in 2012).