A Huntley trifecta

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with My Sun Day News.

People say we should review restaurants in Huntley. Be careful what you wish for, as you will soon see. Most suburbs have icons which differentiate them from their surrounding suburbs. Schaumburg has Woodfield, Rosemont has the Chicago Dogs Baseball Stadium, and even Berwyn has Svengoolie. We were wracking our brains on what Huntley could be famous for, then suddenly, it dawned on us. Just drive up and down the magnificent miles of Route 47 and what do you see? It is inundated with gas stations, car washes, and fast food. In keeping with this theme, we decided to check out the newest addition to Huntley. This location wins the “Trifecta Award” with a gas station, a car wash, and fast food all in one. We are referring to Kelley’s Market with the adjoining Which Wich Sandwich Shop/Paciugo Gelato.

First things first, gas. We filled up the mini-mobile at one of their many gas pumps. We opted for the deluxe car wash which was only $5 with a fill up. If you want to go a la carte (without purchasing gas) it would cost you $7. Now that our car is filled up and squeaky clean, it’s time for us to fill up our tummies.

When we entered Kelley’s Market, we had a senior citizen dumbfounded look on our faces trying to figure out where to order our sandwiches. Nancy asked the woman behind the counter who was frantically making sandwiches, and she pointed to the kiosk. This is every Del Webber’s nightmare. We started poking the computer screen and found out it was actually pretty easy. One of the workers at the market came over and asked us if we needed any help. Jim NEVER asks for directions or help, so he said “we’re good” and forged on.

At Which Wich, you get a choice of 50 sandwiches and 50 toppings. Nancy’s blonde head was about to explode with all the choices. You can get a regular size sandwich (7”), a large (10-1/2”), or a super (14”). If that doesn’t float your boat, you could get a Bowlwich, a Wrapwich, or a Lettucewich. By this time Nancy was glassy eyed and drooling. She summoned up all her courage and decided on the 7” Grinder ($8.50). This was an Italian sub with salami, pepperoni, and capicola, and she chose 10 toppings.

Jim decided on the Italian Muffuletta ($8.50). This contained salami, ham, and olive salad. He also added 10 toppings to his sandwich. We were handed our sandwiches and they were so heavy it took all of our strength to pick them up and carry them away.

Again, we asked the sandwich maker where we can order our gelato and she pointed to the same kiosk. Here we go again. We didn’t realize we could order it at the same time as our sandwiches. They offer three sizes, small, medium, and large. We chose medium ($5.45 each). Jim went with the Texas Salted Caramel Pecan (which is their best seller) and I wanted the Cinnamon Dulce de Leche.

We hurried out and jumped into our sparkly clean and gassed up mini-mobile to go home and enjoy our gas station cuisine.

We have to admit these sandwiches far exceeded our expectations. They were absolutely delicious. Who would have thunk it??? This was not like the food gas stations are known for. Who could forget the hot dogs that have been rolling around on rollers for weeks on end? The gelato was also delicious, but after that sandwich, a small cup would have been fine.

At this point, we’d like to offer our sincere apologies to our good friends Mayor Tim Hoefft and Village Manager Dave Johnson. This article was written all in good fun.

FYI: This is handicap accessible.

The total price for our “trifecta” gas station cuisine was $30.20. Finding great gas station food, priceless…

Jim’s take: My sandwich was excellent, I’m going back.

Nancy’s take: Who would go to a gas station for a restaurant review? Only the Dining Duo, that’s who.

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com

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