Right underneath the Loop rail line at Van Buren and Clark a footfall from the La Salle and Van Buren El stop,  Boni Vino lies in wait, It is pretty unpreposing with a Pizza joint like sign that advertises Pizza and fine Italian food and cocktails. It was hard to know what to expect. A chalkboard outside with some specials and a dimly lit interior with checker table cloths and a mixture of bar and booths was enough to pull me through the door and inside.

I was drawn to the ‘deluxe boni vino famous steak sandwich special’  which was melted cheese and grilled onion on garlic bread italian beef for $8.50. It sounded kind of like a cheese steak but I was intrigued enough to give it a go as it had at least 4 items which I love, all together in one sandwich.

I have to be honest, this was not a pretty sandwich, and it was not perfection, but I did enjoy it. Basically a slice of garlic bread filled with a steak smothered in melted cheese with some grilled onions. What’s not to like? I doubt my Doctor would have been best pleased as it does not exactly fit the more sensible food choices he advises, but I am sure that they just say that, at the same time that they prescribe aspirin and advise you to take a tylenol.  I am sure that they spend at least a semester at Medical school learning how to lecture the middles aged and pander to the paranoid.

Boni Vino has been here since 1967 and to be blunt it looks like it, but would I change that? No. I loved the waitress calling everyone ‘sweetheart’

Located at 111 W Van Buren St, on the Loop stop at Lasalle/van Buren (Brown Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line). Its also serviced by the Lasalle (Blue Line) and Jackson-blue (Blue Line) stops

website: http://www.bonivino.com/