Cafe 63

A chef known for his dips and spreads sold at farmers markets is cooking up success at a restaurant in the Clearing neighborhood. Chef Dale Andrews and his wife, Donna, launched Café 63 in 2015 at 6411 W. 63rd St., in a space that was home to Ginger & Jerrys Rock &Roll Diner for several yearsand Café Renee for many years before that. A self-described corporate dropout and self-employed catering chef who among other things, has been credited with interning at the legendary Dell Rheas Chicken Basket in Willowbrook, Andrews said he had been looking for a place for a few years and the cozy space in Clearing was a good fit. I grew up in this neighborhood [in nearby Central Stickney], he said, adding that Donna grew up in Burbank. Both first met as students at Reavis High School. Before opening his new restaurant, Andrews was basically retired, he said, although his culinary skills services were available through his website (mychefdale.com), and his Chef Dales Sensational Spreads were building quite a following at farmers markets. Dale and Donna gave the interior a different look. Gone are the colorful, decorations linked to pop music. In their place is an interior featuring plenty of wood and earth tones. We wanted a really clean look, so we went with wood, which brings out natural beauty, Dale said. We handpicked all the oak, and its gorgeousthe walls, the countertops, the tabletops. Theres a warm and inviting feel here, Donna added. The star of the show, however, is the food, all prepared from scratch, Dale said. Café 63 boasts all the steak-and-egg basics in ample portions that Southwest Siders expect from a breakfast/brunch diner. Our plates are huge, Dale said. Lets just get a platter and fill it, thats my way of thinking. People are going to know if theyve had enough. Thats why, for example, when we serve French toast, youll see six pieces on the plate. But Café 63s menu also shows flairs of the Andrews creativity and even whimsy, such as our red-velvet French toa