Now open: Cheeky Monkey Deli

• My wife & I decided to try the Cheeky Monkey for supper last night. I ordered the blackened catfish with rice & beans.When the order came I was immedietly struck by how small the portions were. The catfish consisted of 1 small fillet. Whatever spices were used in the blackening process left the fillet extremely salty. The rice & beans portion was tiny. It had been advertised as coming with cajun andoullie sausage, of which I could find no sign. When I questioned the waiter about this he said the sausage was mixed in with the rice & beans. I could neither identify it by sight or taste. All this for $14. I went home hungry & totally dissatisfied with the experience. My wife had turkey pot-pie & found a large piece of gristle in it. We won't be back anytime soon.

• I really, really wanted to like Cheeky Monkey. The decor is lovely, with tasteful design and a warm fireplace and fresh flowers in large vases. The food sounded delicious on the big menu board. A helpful-sounding male employee directed my friend and me to the take-out menus, saying the prices were more accurate (and allegedly cheaper). Unfortunately, the grilled sandwich my friend ordered ended up being $1.50 <em>more</em> than the take-out menu indicated. The haughty young woman behind the cash register wasn't willing to offer much by way of explanation, then charged us an additional $3 for extra onions on the mushroom and brie sandwich. Fortunately, the dispute was resolved after we sat down and a manager-type brought back $3 in cash to our table&mdash;unfortunately, however, that did not prevent us from getting burned food. I would be willing to give Cheeky Monkey another chance, but would recommend that they align their staff and provide training on the principles of good customer service.

• Just had dinner there. Um, I don't think it is a "real" deli if that means you order a sandwich just the way you want it - I go to Subway for that. It is more of a laid back d'amico, with outstanding food for decent prices. I had the chicken pot pie and the rice pudding - both were outstanding! And Two Brothers Brewery Domaine DuPage Ale! Excellent. A really nice, but comfortable place to spend an hour or two catching up with a friend or a date.

• I work in the neighborhood and have enjoyed three great meals since it opened. Nice to have something new and fresh on Selby!

• Sam, you're cracking me up. What is a "real" deli, anyway? Cheeky Monkey is what it is. A wonderful, comfortable spot with great food and great service. The concept and the food are all spot on.

• It's kind of like Coffee News in Mac Groveland, with coffee, wine, food, and space to relax. I'm a fan - the Nutella and banana sandwich is especially delicious!

• It's a fake deli, I tried to order and a sandwich and they explained that it was all for show. I guess plastic food is cheaper and doesn't go bad. I also tried to ask out a mannequin at Macy's the other day. I'm still waiting for her to call me back.

• Is this a real deli? Or another midwestern fake? You say under $10 like that's cheap. Wine and beer... hmm... my guess, not a real deli.

• I'm all over this place. I loved Zander Cafe and was sad to see it go. Glad to see someone from that camp back on Selby.

TotalComments: 9