When you get invited to many a product launch or special event or opening, being part of the media can be pretty sweet. Just picture the event I was at last night: Have a glass of wine, listen to the nice jazz combo...and sink your teeth into the new Angus Third Pounder, McDonald's first new burger since the Big N' Tasty came on the scene in 2001.
Yep, these new burgers are a big deal to McDonald's, so they had a nice little shindig at the 23 S. Clark St. location to celebrate the addition to the menu. I got to sample all three versions of the new burger, meet the chef behind the product, and rub elbows with Ronald McDonald.
Continue reading this entry »
— Jill Jaracz /
Drink Wed Jul 01 2009
Many people celebrate Independence Day with cold beers and fireworks... The Fifty/50, for reasons known only to itself and its PR team, has decided to up the ante by celebrating the entire week leading up to Independence Day with that most storied American beer-product (beloved by NASCAR enthusiasts and hipsters alike!), the 40 ounce malt liquor. I strolled over for a sip of Colt45 earlier this week, served appropriately in a brown paper bag. I find Colt to be one of the better malt liquors out there, certainly putting King Cobra to shame, and $5 a bottle just seemed too good to pass up. But 40 ounces of just about anything gets difficult to drink down to the last dregs... And through, hrmm, experimentation conducted with the utmost scientific rigor, I can categorically tell you that two 40s is too many. (On a Monday night at any rate.)
If you'd like to try your hand at the Fifty/50's week o' 40s -- no frat-party inspired duct tape required -- the party continues with hip hop, Cubs viewing (it is the Fifty/50, after all), an Olde English all-day party on the 4th, followed by a Schlitz hangover brunch on the 5th. I would advise steering clear of the Cheesy Cheese Balls on the menu -- never has a bar food been so structurally off-base, falling apart into clumpy half-melted strings as soon as you pick it up. People who have had a 40 and a half cannot gracefully contend with that kind of mess. But there's plenty of other good-looking grease on the menu to keep you properly fortified against all that barley. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, let's hear it for those amber waves of grain.
— Andie Thomalla /
And I'm sharing my find with you, dear Drive-Thru readers: Kress Apiary -- yes, the kindly honey seller at the Daley and Federal plaza farmers markets -- is selling grass-fed, sustainably raised eggs this year for $4.
I bought my first dozen a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm hooked. So fresh are these eggs that my first batch was flecked with bits of hay. So stable are the whites that when I cracked two eggs into a small frying pan, they barely touched. So orange are the yolks that ... well, just take a look at that picture, which is entirely unenhanced.
If you like eggs, you have a very, very good summer ahead of you.
— Mandy Burrell Booth /
When I first spotted Taxim in Wicker Park, I noticed small and quaint tables tucked into a narrow storefront on a historic stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. The look made me think of a relaxing bistro - where you'd duck in off the street to sip a glass of wine and slowly eat a meal. But would anything on the menu be vegan? That's not a question I like to ask when I don't want to turn away. This was a place I wanted to try for its captivating appearance alone. With a little gentle asking, perhaps they'd do something vegan for me and a friend.
This was few months ago. I promptly gave Taxim a try - and then filed away my review without posting it. I'd been waiting for resolution on a simple detail - how to describe the seating in their window. It turned out to be, apparently, Turkish folding tray tables. Here are my first impressions from that April evening.
I asked what the kitchen recommended for vegan. None of the main courses on the evening I visited were vegan. Our server was quick to suggest putting together six of the meze (appetizers) from the evening's menu. There would be slight modifications, but they could easily be prepared vegan. She suggested we take two items at a time for three courses, which was more than enough food, and quite a diverse selection. One of the staff called my friend and I the "nicest vegans." What does that mean to me? Kitchens seem quite willing to accommodate, just as long as you ask nicely.
Continue reading this entry »
— Chris Brunn /
News Wed Jul 01 2009
The Vilcek Foundation is giving chefs and artisans that are under 38 years old and were born outside of the United States a shot at $25,000. The Foundation aims to award culinary professionals who have made notable contributions to the field at an early stage in their career.
The Vilcek Foundation honors the contributions of foreign-born scientists and artists living and working in the United States by focusing attention on the extraordinary drive, talent, and ingenuity new generations of immigrants bring to our culture, arts, and sciences. Applications and more information are available on the Vilcek Foundation website. Applications are due July 31st.
— Gemma Petrie /
Random Wed Jul 01 2009
If you'll recall, two Drive-Thru readers won our Grogood-sponsored Earth Day contest, which gave them free growing supplies to start their home gardens. Each winner pledged to give away some of their bounty to a needy charity.
We wanted to give you some updates on how well they're doing: Jennifer's basil is creeping along nicely, and Erin's tomato and squash plants also look pretty swell. I had some difficulty finding places that would take homegrown produce donations, but Erin dug deeper and found that the kitchen at First Slice will happily receive the fruits of her (and your!) gardening labors.
I also received a Grogood kit and have not been as lucky due to the partial sunlight that plants get in my apartment: I made the mistake of miscalculating sun needs and also trying to grow plants from seeds. My basil and green onion barely survived the germination stage, but the green bean seeds took off; however, I need to move them to a permanent, sunnier home. The plants are starting to wilt--perhaps due to overwatering or the realization that they're in the dark for half the day. Refusing failure, I'm donating them to Editor Andrew's backyard in the hopes that they'll rebound from their miserable beginnings. May the beans grow stronger than my gardening knowledge.
— Robyn Nisi /
Blog Tue Jun 30 2009
Today in a post on Gourmet.com, David Tamarkin points out that new Chicago restaurants like The Publican and Nightwood are taking a "less is more" approach. He predicts that the end is near for molecular gastronomy and finds the more minimalist dishes he's been tasting to be a refreshing change.
— Dana Currier /
Event Tue Jun 30 2009
If you liked the wildly successful Soup and Bread series at the Hideout from earlier this year, then you'll love Veggie Bingo, which brings together bingo and food--a weekly event where participants play the venerable old-school game and win locally made or grown prizes such as a jar of honey, a bar of soap...and the grand prize being a box of produce from Irv and Shelley's (whoa!). Event runs Wednesdays beginning July 8 through September 9 from 6-8pm at the Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia; cards are $1 each (six for $5) and can be purchased onsite. Hot dogs and tofu pups will be served, so all your early evening needs will be met. All proceeds benefit NeighborSpace.
— Robyn Nisi /
Event Mon Jun 29 2009
Join the Chicago Foodways Roundtable for a tour of (and lunch at) the Naval Culinary School at the Great Lakes Naval Station next Wednesday, July 8. You'll get a tour of the School, which runs a thirty-day training program for students that covers kitchen basics and emergency response skills. Graduates go on to cook on U.S. Navy ships, so get a whiff of their skills before they sail off into the culinary horizon. Event runs 11am-1pm. Tour is free, lunch is $4.25, and RSVP required. Parking is available, and the Base is across the street from the Metra North Chicago station (off the Kenosha Line). Call (847) 432-8255 or email to reserve your space.
— Robyn Nisi /
News Sat Jun 27 2009
Chicago's "new wave of microbrews" is highlighted in the travel section of this Sunday's New York Times. Metropolitan and Half Acre both get shout outs, as well as the venerable institutions where their beers are sold, such as the Hop Leaf and the Map Room.
— Dana Currier /
Recipe Fri Jun 26 2009
I smelled roasted garlic perfuming the air on my bicycle ride home today as I passed an Italian restaurant. Perhaps the hot and balmy weather intensified the aroma. I stopped of for some garlic and went to my kitchen.
Sautéed, minced garlic goes brilliantly with pesto mixed into any kind of pasta. But I used fiocchetti - a type of pasta that, because of its small size, leaves more surface area to soak up sauce. I was fortunate that a few friends brought this pesto by for me last weekend. It was creamy and soft, with a rich oily basil flavor, which I'd been previously enjoying on bread. The pesto was, above all other ingredients, the star.
— Chris Brunn /
You'll see strawberries at the farmers markets this weekend, but late June means the end of the season. Soon, cherries and blueberries will take their place at the farmstand table. Peaches will follow in a few weeks.
This week, I staged my own slightly boozy farewell to strawberry season by setting wild strawberries atop pastry cream that had been spiked with Cointreau, an orange-flavored liqueur. For an even simpler preparation, consider soaking sliced berries with a sprinkling of sugar and a few splashes of Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Serve atop shortcake.
I'm also a fan of The Rustic Kitchen's recipe for Strawberry Bourbon Sauce. Poured over ice cream, it's an excellent answer to our early summer heatwave.
Daniel Shumski works for an orchard and blogs at Fruit Slinger. Follow him on Twitter.
— Daniel Shumski /
Event Fri Jun 26 2009
If you read our recent review of new cookbook Low and Slow: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons, in which LTH Forum founder Gary Wiviott explains the art of making the best BBQ around, you will drop your plans for this Saturday morning and head to Kendall College, where Wiviott (and food writer Colleen Rush) will walk you through the delicate process of cooking some good meat. Event is sponsored by Culinary Historians of Chicago, and begins at 10am at 900 North Branch Street; $3 admission (free for Kendall students and faculty), and there's free parking. RSVP required via email or phone (847) 432-8255.
— Robyn Nisi /
Feature Thu Jun 25 2009
It's economical, ecological, and environmentally-friendly. In many cases, it's downright delicious. And there is a chance that you could die. This seems to be the main thesis of the new "field-to-kitchen guide," Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois and Surrounding States, by Joe McFarland and Gregory M. Mueller.
Continue reading this entry »
— Andie Thomalla /
Chicago filmmaker and environmentalist Dorothee Royal-Hedinger is traveling the country examining the sustainable food movement with OrganicNation.tv. She's been home for a bit, and decided to check out Doc's Juice and Smoothies, a Bucktown spot that touts its organic ingredients. Only they might not be organic, as Royal-Hedinger and partner Mark Andrew Boyer discovered.
However, as we were leaving, Dorothee asked the barista if the drinks were indeed organic, and she replied, "No, but they're all-natural."
Since leaving the store, we've made numerous attempts to contact Doc's owners or managers to clear up the discrepancy, but our emails bounce back and none of the listed phone numbers appear to be in service. I'm not sure why Doc's is so blatantly false advertising (even the URL is docsorganic.com), but I do know that I probably wouldn't have forked over seven bucks for a drink had I known that it contained conventional ingredients.
So, the question is, should Doc's change its name? Are they "greenwashing" their product, making customers believe they're getting one thing when it's actually something else? What do you think?
— Andrew Huff /
