Valentine's Day tends to bring overpriced flowers, stale candy, cheesy stuffed toys, and a rushed dinner at a restaurant. I love a good romantic gesture, but so many of the things that are pushed as "appropriate" just ring hollow. I've written here for years about how I encourage everyone to stop eating out on Valentine's Day--and I'll reiterate my reasons.
— Cinnamon Cooper / Comments (0)
Necco conversation heart candies have been a part of Valentines Day since the late 19th century and can be seen as a reflection of the times. These sweethearts have evolved from the original saying "married in white, you have chosen right," to the 80's message "fax me" and now to the latest pop culture reference "tweet me."
These heart-shaped candies are super easy to make but truthfully the DIY version isn't exactly cheap. Bottles of extract are on the expensive side and finding the food coloring markers was an adventure in itself but the outcome is delicious! Of all the homemade holiday candies I've made so far (candy pumpkins and candy canes) these were by far the easiest and most-like the real thing!
— Shanna Quinn / Comments (0)
If you love something for nothing, all Denny's restaurants will be offering a free Grand Slam Breakfast tomorrow from 6am-2pm.
According to my in-depth research, the closest Denny's are at:
Even though Denny's ad campaign calls this event "A Tough Day to be a Chicken," it will be a HORRIBLE day to be a waiter at Denny's. Tip generously.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
If you like beer and chocolate, this is your week: Two Lakeview establishments are hosting beer and chocolate pairings over the next couple of days.
On Tuesday at 7 PM, as part of its regular Beer School, Sheffield's (3258 N. Sheffield) is offering "Beer + Chocolate = Love." This pairing event puts four beers up with four different chocolates, each designed to bring out subtle flavors. The beers include Peak Organic Expresso Amber, Half Acre Baume Stout, and St. Louis Framboise. Cost of the event is $15.
If that's not enough for you, head to Fizz Bar & Grill (3220 N. Lincoln) on Wednesday the 10th for a different beer and chocolate pairing event. For $10, you can choose four of six desserts, each paired with a four ounce pouring of beer (or, if you'd prefer, you can get a red wine flight). Pairings are:
Both of these sound pretty sweet, no?
— Jill Jaracz / Comments (0)
This past November, my best friend and I took a trip to Seattle - a new destination for both of us, but one that we were both eager to see having heard nothing but good things.
There really is something about the Pacific Northwest that is so perfectly conducive to coffee drinking. The often gray weather, the cozy bookstores, and the abundance of inviting coffee shops that make you want to spend your days enjoying a carefully crafted cup of coffee while writing a letter to a good friend or enjoying a favorite book. One of our favorite stops for coffee was Victrola, a wonderful coffee shop not far from the place where we stayed. It was coffee from people who really care about coffee, surrounded by quirky art and a great space for music. As their website says, "Settle in with a good book, some friends to talk to or just hang out and you will surely get to know your neighbor and our great staff behind the bar." So during these winter months when curling up with a book is one of the things I like to do most, I decided to venture out of my own Chicago abode in an effort to escape hibernation mode - and to find Chicago's most "Seattle" coffee shop.
— Caroline Kraft / Comments (4)
After receiving my daily Tasting Table email on Friday, I was inspired to recreate the featured recipe, offered by Branch 27's John Manion, for an egg-topped pasta dish. Manion's version featured a lot of interesting ingredients - kale, butternut squash, fried sage and ricotta salata - which I didn't have, so I simply boiled some pasta, covered it with tomato sauce and placed the poached egg on top, finishing it all off with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of Parmesan. It was unquestionably simple and uncomplicated but also very satisfying since the runny yolk melts into the other ingredients and creates a silky sauce. Other additions - maybe sauteed onions, a few minced anchovies or a handful of fresh herbs - could turn this simple meal into something more dramatic. The possibilities are endless...
— Dana Currier / Comments (0)
Not all cupcakes are created equal. Chicago may be saturated with these cute confections, but I discovered one stand-out on a recent early morning visit to Swim Cafe in West Town. Swim's Horchata Cupcake takes as its inspiration the beverage made usually from ground rice, almonds, cinnamon, sugar and water or milk popular in Latin America and easy to find at Mexican outlets in Chicago. Moist cinnamon vanilla cake with a medium density supports a smooth, gloriously gooey swirl of horchata frosting. And it's vegan to boot. Served on a plate garnished with orange slices and delivered with a fork and knife, why not a cupcake for breakfast?
Swim Cafe is located at 1357 W. Chicago Ave., 312-492-8600.
— Sharon Bautista / Comments (0)
Next weekend, a lot of couples will go out to celebrate Valentine's Day with a romantic dinner. Many are in love, some are just in like, and some are just pals in search of a nice night out. Regardless of which group you belong to, we're giving you some options for celebrating February 14th.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
According to the Tribune's The Stew, inspectors from the city's Department of Health "seized, slashed open and poured bleach over thousands of dollars of local peaches, pears, raspberry and plum purees owned by pastry chef Flora Lazar" of Flora Confections. More than a thousand dollars worth of food prepared by the Sunday Supper Club, which shares the same kitchen, was also destroyed, although none of the inspectors was willing to say that the food imposed any danger to the public. Sounds like the unclear licensing requirement, concerning shared kitchens, is to blame. Read the whole heartbreaking post over at The Stew.
UPDATE (Tuesday, February 9): According to the Chicago Public Radio, health officials shut down the kitchen at Kitchen Chicago, where Flora Confections and other small-scale food start-ups share the kitchen. On Monday, inspectors returned to destroy more food. Chicago's unclear licensing requirements have some of Kitchen Chicago's clients considering a move out to the suburbs.
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (6)
No more using weak paper ramekins to hold your ketchup! Heinz has debuted the "Dip and Squeeze," a new way of using ketchup that will allow you to keep the packet upright for optimal fry dipping. This is almost as innovative as KFC Bowls!
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
This summer Uncommon Ground (1401 W. Devon) officially cut the ribbon on its rooftop farm. The first certified organic urban rooftop farm in the nation, it hosted a kick-off party for one of the nation's newest sustainable beers: Goose Island's Green Line Pale Ale
Several regional breweries across the United States have taken steps to reduce the environmental impact (I'm looking at New Belgium Brewing and Sierra Nevada among others), and here in Chicago, Goose Island looks to be leading the way. Taking time to study the environmental footprint of their brewing, Goose Island commissioned a study from the Chicago Manufacturing Center on the production impact of a keg of 312 Urban Wheat Ale. The results of that study can be found here.
What this study provides is a target against which more sustainable ales (like the Green Line) can be measured. So what makes the Green Line Pale Ale some much more "green"? Glad you asked!
— Cliff Etters / Comments (0)
While we all gobble down on our pre-weekend celebration donut, here's something to put on your to-do list: Walgreen's will be offering free blood glucose testing at their Take Care Clinics and 24-Hour Pharmacy Locations starting today through February 18 as part of diabetes wellness and awareness campaign. Learn more about blood glucose at WebMD.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
Meet the February special burger at Kuma's. The Sigh is topped with Asian ground pork seasoned with oyster sauce and chile; sauteed celery, scallions, water chestnuts, garlic and ginger; and fried won ton strips. Picture by Andrew Huff from the Drive-Thru Flickr group. Join! It has a peaceful, easy feeling.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
According to Veronica Avila of the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) of Chicago, four restaurant workers of Ole Ole restaurant is filing a federal lawsuit against their employer today. The employees, who are members of the ROC, are seeking back wages and assurance that the swanky Andersonville restaurant will comply with the law, guaranteeing that the tips are paid to the workers and proper compensation is made for overtime work.
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (1)
After several years of delays, Logan Square's Revolution Brewery is now open for business.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
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Next weekend, a lot of couples will go out to celebrate Valentine's Day with a romantic dinner. Many are in love, some are just in like, and some are just pals in search of a nice night out. Regardless of...
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Tue Feb 9 2010
Re-Thinking Soup @ Hull House
Tue Feb 9 2010
Classic Candy @ Chicago History Museum
Tue Feb 9 2010
Safe & Sound Dinner @ Landmark
Wed Feb 10 2010
Soup and Bread @ Hideout
Thu Feb 11 2010
Sweet Tooth Bake Sale/Art Show for Chicago Art
Thu Feb 11 2010
Clandestino's Valentine's Dinner Series
Fri Feb 12 2010
Clandestino's Valentine's Dinner Series
Sat Feb 13 2010
Paczki Eating Contest @ Bennison's Bakery
Sat Feb 13 2010
Clandestino's Valentine's Dinner Series
Sat Feb 13 2010
Valentine's Pastry Market @ Logan Square Kitchen
Sat Feb 13 2010
Sweet Saturday @ Garfield Park Observatory
Sun Feb 14 2010
Feast with the LP Zoo's Felines
Sun Feb 14 2010
Clandestino's Valentine's Dinner Series
Mon Feb 15 2010
Monday Night Dining @ Kendall College
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Drive-Thru is the food and drink section of Gapers Block, covering the city's vibrant dining, drinking and cooking scene.
Editor: Robyn Nisi, rn@gapersblock.com
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