Kenny's Ribs & Chicken

Something incredible happened to me here.  On July 4th, 2005.  This has nothing to do with food.  I was biking on a hot and dry July 4th along the lake from Lakeview to around 71st and Jeffery. All I could smell was the smokey smell of everyone barbecuing along the lake.  I backtracked to Hyde Park. We had a drought that year. The grass wasn't even brown, but yellow...almost white. I didn't bring my lock as I thought I would just be at the beach with my bike right next to me and I found this place that had (almost like picture windows) huge windows. I parked my bike and thought I'd just eat and sit and keep my eye on it. No sooner had I walked in and stepped to the counter and ordered rib tips....then someone jumped on my bike and rode off with it. I ran out and half way down the block but I couldn't catch him. The commotion got other patrons attention. One man said, 'You didn't lock it?' in an empathetic but fatherly way. I said no and just sat down and waited for my order. The owner's son was sweeping the floor and asked me which way he went. I told him and he jumped in a van. I think I actually said...don't!! it's not worth it. My tips came up and I was sitting there eating them and about ..less than ten minutes later....he came back with my bike. I couldn't believe it. He told me that there were one-way streets and that he had an idea which way the guy was going. I guess when he drove up alongside him in the van...the guy dropped the bike and ran off. I thanked him. I think I was stunned that anyone would do this. It was the first time I had ever walked into the restaurant. I wasn't a regular customer.  I've never been back because I'm rarely in Hyde Park. But I've never forgotten this experience. Great customer service. It's an understatement. What he did that day...was take a second hand bike that I paid my brother $75.00 for and make it PRICELESS!. I still have the bike and I put a lot of money into it this last Summer and Fall. My boyfriend said, 'Why don't you just get a new one?'.  But he wasn't there. I was.  Thank You!

Dear Kenny,

I love ribs.  I love rib tips.  I've only had your rib tips, and they were okay.  But because at times tips tend to be tougher than, say, a baby back cut, I like the tips to have lots of tangy sauce.  You might say I like them swimming in the sauce.  The tips I had from you, Kenny, were a little tough.  And, there wasn't much sauce.  I think if there were more sauce, it might have saved the day.

I hate to say this, but I may just have to go back and visit your competition, Coleman.  Now, I haven't seen Coleman in a few years, but if I remember him correctly, it'll be nice to see him again.

All the best,
John