Iowa-style diner food on Lincoln

Shoeless Joe Jackson's ghost once asked Kevin Costner if he was in heaven, only to discover it was just Iowa. Now they're aiming to cause you similar confusion at the Maid-Rite diner, a Hawkeye state institution making its first Chicago appearance, with Iowan art hanging over aqua booths surrounding a granite dining counter reconfigured from the pizza joint that preceded them.Maid Rite's there-will-be-no-joke-about-its-name calling card is the Loose Meat Sandwich, sort of a sauceless Sloppy Joe made with secretly seasoned, hormone-free Iowa beef, a mixture that also goes onto creations like the Rare Bit, an open-face marble rye number slathered in white cheddar sauce that'll likely make it increasingly rare for anyone to want to see your bits. They're also throwing in a few Chi-exclusive wrinkles like baby back ribs (the GM has a background in BBQ!), and a weekend-only brunch that'll feature Swedish pancakes, something the offensive line really strives for at Gustavus Adolphus College.And because nothing pairs with Loose Meat like jokes! booze, they'll be BYOB, and also plan to stay open late (2a on Thursdays, 3a on Fri-Sat), presumably after a whispering ghost-voice mentioned that if people are drinking, they will come.