Food Trucks Fri Sep 30 2011

Support Your Local Food Trucks

Andersonville gallery Haymaker teamed up with designer Meng Yang of Know Your Flag to produce the above print in support of Chicago's nascent food truck scene.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Recipe Fri Sep 30 2011

Hummingbird Cake

Aside from an occasional batch of corn bread, I very rarely bake. It involves too much measuring and way too much sifting. I like to improvise on the fly and just don't have the patience to get out all of the items and measure them precisely to create a baked good. But a friend mentioned this Hummingbird Cake recipe by Art Smith that she had at Table 52 and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I adore cream-cheese frosting on cakes. It is, hands down, my favorite. And when I realized the cake was packed full of bananas and pineapple, I decided I had to make it.

And it wasn't as hard as I expected. I will admit that the frosting was made in a stand mixer, but I suspect that a hand mixer would work just as well and not take much more time, or create more of a mess.

However, if I were to do this again, I would drain the pineapple more thoroughly and use more pineapple and less banana. It took me 6 frozen and then thawed bananas to get to 2 cups. And I think reducing that by 1/2 cup and increasing the pineapple in an equal measure would result in more of a pineapple flavor. And I think I would use slivered almonds instead of pecans.

But in the end, the family I fed, and the coworkers who enjoyed the remaining slices, found the cake enjoyable and pretty. One could say they descended on the cake like hummingbirds. They ate until it was gone and then disappeared silently. Which may be how the cake was named the Hummingbird Cake.

Not by me, not by Art, but by Jamaican cooks who are believed to have brought the cake to the US. The Food Timeline has copies of this cake going back to the 1960's, sometimes appearing under the name "The Cake That Doesn't Last". And the recipe published in 1978 in Southern Living is remarkably similar to Mr. Smith's recipe. However, the frosting contains half as much sugar and I suspect if you were to make the frosting with two pounds of sugar, you just might have to fight off hummingbirds to get to enjoy the cake.

— Cinnamon Cooper

Openings Fri Sep 30 2011

More Than Just Cupcakes: Magnolia Bakery Opens Tomorrow

I'm not the world's best baker, but sometimes I get lucky, like I did several years ago while looking for a great cupcake recipe for a friend's birthday. I stumbled upon New York's famous Magnolia Bakery cupcake recipe, and it's been my go-to ever since.

While the above recipe is tastes nearly exactly like the real-deal, if you don't have the time or inclination to bake or fly to New York, you can pick up a freshly-baked cupcake for yourself in Chicago's Block 37, starting tomorrow at 10am.

But let me tell you a little secret: the bakery is more than just cupcakes and sprinkles. Oh sure, those are fantastic (from the classic red velvet to the seasonal pumpkin with maple frosting and pecans), but I *highly* recommend the banana pudding -- and this is coming from a person who is by no means a banana-lover. Other highlights include the double fudge brownies, key lime cheesecake, molasses cookies, and the lemon bars. Heck, everything I sampled was fantastic. And of course Magnolia has great coffee options to go with your desserts. The interior is made to look like a bakery from the 50's - white wood trim, blue metal chairs; it's cute without being cutesy, so feel free to spend some time and check out the vintage signs and knick knacks on the shelves.

Definitely bring your sweet tooth to the loop this weekend, or pop in on your way to work next week. You won't regret it.

-Magnolia Bakery, 108 N. State St.

— Jen Bacher

Foodporn Fri Sep 30 2011

Friday Foodporn: Lobster Spring Roll

Image by swanksalot from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool, which is in the middle of a pumpkin-eating contest right now (and winning!) Submit your pictures.

— Robyn Nisi

News Thu Sep 29 2011

I Wanna Wabi Nabe

I love cooking with cast iron. So, imagine my delight when I came across this gorgeously functional cast iron cookware. This 1.5 quart covered pan can come with a trivet so you don't have to worry about the pot damaging your counter or table top. The gorgeous and smartly designed handles look like charred wood. And for folks who don't cook for an army, this is coolest Dutch oven replacement I've seen. There are 28 days left on their fundraising effort, so you've got some time to save your pennies.

— Cinnamon Cooper

Event Thu Sep 29 2011

Holidays on the 50/50 Range

Friday night, the Kenmore 50/50 Range will present an evening with Suzy Singh. The former MasterChef contestant will be giving out her best tips to prep you for making multiple dishes at once over the holidays. Every year your Aunt Sue makes lumpy vegan potatoes and Uncle Joe continues to insist that pizza is a traditional Thanksgiving dish, dating back to the pilgrims of course. Well that's a-okay! Singh encourages us to embrace the fact that every household has their own set of holiday traditions. Including her own. In this Kenmore Live Studio event, she'll demonstrate how to juggle making the "classics" but still give it your own flare. The event will feature Singh's twist on classic recipes, including harissa spiced brie cheese puff pastry, spice rubbed turkey, and ginger and chai spiced creme brulee. You can even start your own tradition of sorts and watch the event online! Event is free. Samples given. Kenmore Live Studio Chicago is located at 678 N. Wells Street. Starts at 7pm. 312-265-0871

— Katie Johnson

Contest Thu Sep 29 2011

Get Ready for the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest

Registration for the seventh annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest is now open. The contest takes place in Holstein Park, 2200 N. Oakley Ave., from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, Oct. 16.

Even if you're not a baker, you can come check out the 150 entrants, try some of them, and also enjoy music and kid-friendly activities like face-painting and pony rides. (Adults can probably ride the ponies, too.)

Contest registration is $20, and for the first time there will be a separate professional division; whole pies from the pros will be available for sale from $25. All the pies will be judged by a panel of expert pie tasters -- including Gapers Block's food editor, Robyn Nisi -- on appearance, filling and crust, and overall flavor.

— Andrew Huff

Openings Wed Sep 28 2011

Toni Patisserie

OK, so yeah, this place technically was open before the official grand opening par-tay and yeah, I know I'm a little late talking about it, but we're going to ignore all of that!

Toni Patisserie is a cute, European inspired Patisserie and Café dedicated to providing the highest quality "from scratch" products in an inviting atmosphere.

The Grand Opening party on Wednesday, Sept. 21 took place at the new Chicago location of the Hinsdale-based cafe at 65 E. Washington St., just east of Wabash Avenue.

The sweet, delectable treats were yummy. Since there's also a cafe, sandwiches, savory tarts and quiches are also served.

Continue reading this entry »

— Ryan Frieson / Comments (1)

Chicago Gourmet Wed Sep 28 2011

Shaking & Stirring at Chicago Gourmet

During Saturday's Champagne toast opening ceremony for Chicago Gourmet, Editor-in-Chief of Bon Appetit Adam Rappaport said, "The New Yorkers in the room don't want to hear this but there is more great food, more great restaurants, more great chefs here in Chicago than any other city in America." This year, I think Chicago Gourmet proved that. Check out our earlier post in the week for a visual summary and the admission that (gasp!) this year, CG was worth its ticket price. And about that last part, I'd like to expound on it a bit.

Honestly, CG reminded me of Green City Market Chef's BBQ, but with better coiffed patrons in a more picturesque setting. We had bites of every restaurant in town with locally sourced ingredients and plenty of booze to wash it down, but does the setting alone make up for an extra $50 on the sticker price? No. So why did we think it was so worth the sticker? A cocktail class.

Continue reading this entry »

— Joanna Kanakis

Review Wed Sep 28 2011

@Stevedolinsky slams Trotters, then fills up at Avec

@Stevedolinsky, who recently revealed his shiny new website caused a furor in Twitterverse last night. Read from the bottom up.

Is the old guard losing its touch?

— Joanna Kanakis / Comments (3)

Chicago Gourmet Tue Sep 27 2011

Things We Saw and Ate at Chicago Gourmet

The fourth annual Chicago Gourmet treated patrons this past weekend to another slightly damp, but mostly bright and temperate weekend of wine splashes, tiny bites, and of course ubiquitous bright red totes of swag.

In addition to such memorable morsels as NoMI's cheddar polenta with chard and onions (so creamily sweet and mild it almost could have been a savory dessert) and braised pig tails from the Purple Pig (fall-off-the-vertabrae-tender, topped with shredded hard-boiled egg, bathed in a fennel-dosed sauce), there were logistical improvements this year that really caught my attention. Plywood sheets replaced those perforated rubber sheets to give attendees surer footing on the wet grass; the line structure had been changed so that multiple vendors could be sampled in one trip through a pavilion, rather than a separate queue for each; a plastic plate with a notched space for your glass joined the gratis wine glass everyone received at the gates.

These seem like small things, but the overall impression I took away was that the event, potentially one of the bigger (and in the past, inflated) line items in the yearly foodie budget, seemed sort of...worth it. Case in point: a cocktail seminar not only introduced guests to the finer points of making a Manhattan, but sent everyone away with a bar set to get them started mixing drinks at home. And for the first time this year, I heard a CG patron say those two magical words that mark the end of a great meal: "I'm full."

Here are some of the sights and bites that made us feel full this year:

All photos by Joanna Ericson and Andie Thomalla

— Andie Cavedo

Business Mon Sep 26 2011

Seamless Ups Ante Against GrubHub

Seamless, a New York- and UK-based food ordering site, raised the stakes in its battle with Chicago-based GrubHub with the acquisition of MenuPages from New York Media. GrubStreet.com, which grew out of the combination of New York Media's own Grub Street blog and MenuPages' city food blogs, was not part of the acquisition.

GrubHub has been on a growth streak lately, and just last week announced $50 million in new financing primarily to fund the purchase of Dotmenu, which owns CampusFood and Allmenus. Allmenus claims the nation's largest database of restaurant menus; the acquisition of MenuPages gives Seamless its own database of menus.

— Andrew Huff

Event Mon Sep 26 2011

The Ultimate Sausage Party

No, it's not a bunch of dudes sitting around playing Settlers of Catan--the Butcher and Larder is hosting chef Michael Ruhlman for a signing of his newest book Ruhlman's Twenty on October 11 (8-9pm), and also holding a Twitter-based contest to privately meet with and watch the chef make sausage and soup with the folks from Butcher and Larder before the booksigning. To win, you need to tweet B&L with an Oprah-esqe "A-Ha" moment gleaned from your cooking explorations as soon as possible (see B&L owner Rob Levitt's own discovery of vinegar in cream-based soups as an example). If you can't make Tuesday, Ruhlman will also appear for a booksigning at the Publican from 5:30-9pm the following night; the restaurant will be serving a special prix-fixe menu in his honor.

— Robyn Nisi

Foodporn Fri Sep 23 2011

Friday Foodporn: Cruciferous Vegetables

Picture by Renee Rendler-Kaplan from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool, which is having a welcoming party for fall tonight. Keep on submitting your pictures!

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)

News Thu Sep 22 2011

Chicago Really, Really Loves Its Coffee

In a new study by some website called Bundle, Chicago was named the most caffeinated city in the country, spending nearly three times the national household average on coffee every year. That sounds like a lot. Then again, if you consider Chicago is home to perhaps the best coffee roaster in the country, it makes sense. [via]

— Andrew Carlin

Event Thu Sep 22 2011

Food And Love, Rick Bayless Style

Apparently Rick Bayless is acting now! The Top Chef is going to make his acting debut starting in March at Lookingglass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works. Grub Street Chicago by way of the Tribune reports that Rick Bayless will star in a circus show "designed for and around him," called Rick Bayless in Cascabel. Lookingglass says attendees will experience a "theatrical adventure while enjoying a sumptuous feast, world-class circus acts, and a tantalizing love story." Tickets will range from $180 to $205--too expensive for my unemployed self, and I have a feeling this will sell out.

— Ryan Frieson

Event Thu Sep 22 2011

You Didn't Start the Fire, But You'll Drink to It

The Chicago History Museum is partnering with Haymarket Pub and Brewery for an October 11 dinner and lecture to commemorate the upcoming 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. Haymarket will pair their beers with the food, with presentations in between courses about the fire that changed the city forever. Get your tickets ($50 for CHS members, $55 for everyone else) now!

— Robyn Nisi

Event Thu Sep 22 2011

A Beery Good Time

Beer Hoptacular returns to the Aragon Ballroom (1106 W. Lawrence) on November 5 for two sessions of drinking and loving drinking: Session One runs from 1-5pm; Session Two, 7-11pm. Piece, Five Rabbit, Finch's, Half Acre, Dogfish Head, Great Lakes Brewing Company and Bell's are among the breweries that will be in attendance. You can also compete in their Homebrew Challenge if you're of the homemade beer persuasion. Admission $35 per session in advance, $45 at the door.

— Robyn Nisi

Food Trucks Wed Sep 21 2011

Food Trucks, Visualized

This is a pretty awesome visualization of keywords related to Chicago's food truck scene -- with truck names, stops and signature items -- created by Drew Wasserman for ChicagoNow. To come up with the list and relative sizes, he analyzed each truck's Twitter and Facebook fans to see who was the biggest.

— Andrew Huff

Chef Wed Sep 21 2011

Ferran Adria Booksigning and Gawking

If you'd like to see chef/molecular gastronomist Ferran Adria of Spain's El Bulli up close and personal, he is making an exciting stop at the Chicago Public Library next Wednesday at 6pm for a talk and booksigning to promote his latest tome; however, the event is sold out, but you can wait in a standby line. Bummer, right?

— Robyn Nisi

Chicago Gourmet Wed Sep 21 2011

Chicago Gourmet Preview

Chicago's fancy food fest returns this weekend to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Tickets are still sort of available for the fourth iteration of the event (Saturday is sold out, but Sunday passes are still available for $163.50, two-day passes for $272.50, and Saturday Grand-Cru tasting passes for $190.75 -- the Dine Around is still an option as well if you've been doing your eating homework over the summer). The schedule is finally available online, so if you've already got your ticket in hand and liver warmed up, you may want to take some time to put together a game plan. Sure, wandering in and just grazing seems like a good idea -- until you find yourself halfway through a line 40 deep, waiting for a single shrimp on a stick, and you don't even have a drink with you. Thoughts on planning a great Chicago Gourmet outing after the jump.

Continue reading this entry »

— Andie Cavedo

Random Tue Sep 20 2011

Pokemon Picnic Shoulder

Meat art is pretty awesome. Local artist Sarah Becan has upped the ante.

— Sunny McDaniel

Business Tue Sep 20 2011

Intelligentsia's Recaffeinated Expansion

After moving into the New York and Los Angeles markets, Intelligentsia's plans to expand into San Francisco got pushed to the back burner. A new co-CEO will help founder Doug Zell reinvigorate the company's growth.

— Sunny McDaniel

Event Tue Sep 20 2011

Come One, Come All to the Locavore Supper

It's not too late to join in on the Locavore Picnic Supper tomorrow night (Wed 9/21) hosted by Green City Market Chicago. (You do however, still have fork over the 30 buckaroos for a reservation to be able to attend). Held in the south gallery of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (much like the indoor winter season of the year round market), the menu features local food from the Honest Meal Project, Limelight Catering and other featured GCM vendors (including noshes composed of elements from Mick Klug Farms, Genesis Growers, Green Acres, Three Sisters, Bennison's Bread and Kilgus Farmstead, to name a few). Join in on the food & fun celebration as GCM's annual Locavore Challenge comes to a close for the season.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is located at 2430 N. Cannon Dr. The Locavore Dinner starts at 6pm Wednesday, Sept. 21. For more information, call the Green City Market office at 773-880-1266. Reservation tickets available online for $30.

— Katie Johnson

Event Tue Sep 20 2011

Farming Field Trips at Angelic Organics

Were you at the Cheesemaking workshop at Family Farmed expo last March and felt like you still didn't have the tools to make your own? Were you planning on going apple picking this fall, but the thought of a bushel of apples sitting in your fridge seems slightly overwhelming? Have you felt lackluster about the whole homebrewing movement because you've really wanted to give home winemaking a try?

Angelic Organics is a farm, a classroom, an advocacy group, a community center and an overall proponent of good living for Chicagoans located in Caledonia, IL just 2 hours north of Chicago. Angelic provides 1200 families in the Chicago area with a weekly box of vegetables (CSA style), partners with local community gardens and hosts field trips for school children to teach them about a healthy food system. So where do you fit in?

Continue reading this entry »

— Joanna Kanakis

Event Mon Sep 19 2011

Orchard Roundup

Fall officially begins this Friday, which means weekend excursions turn to thoughts of apple orchard visits, complete with freshly made donuts, fudge, and cider.

The downside to a lot of these places, as you probably know, is that they're packed to the gills with folks just like yourself--city dwellers looking for some yucks in the country--so plan appropriately, or even better, go on a weekday.

Here are a few treasured places to get your season on:

County Line Orchard, Hobart, Indiana

Jonamac Orchards, Malta, Illinois

Edwards Orchard, Poplar Grove, Illinois (pictured)

All Seasons Orchard, Woodstock, Illinois

Apple Barn Orchard, Elkhorn, Wisconsin

Harvest Time Orchards, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin

— Robyn Nisi

Event Mon Sep 19 2011

Chicago Gourmet Dine Around

Still holding on hope for a ticket to Chicago Gourmet this coming weekend? All hope is not lost! You have until Sunday (9/25) to dine at five of the participating Dine Around restaurants to be eligible for a complimentary one-day ticket. Not a bad deal, not a bad deal at all.
Meal total must equal a minimum of $35 (whether from regular or prix-fixe menus). Not applicable to Hamburger Hop admission. Must present five original qualifying receipts attached to the Dine Around receipt holder - available at participating restaurants. Dine Around offer valid Aug 29 - Sept 25.

— Katie Johnson

Video Mon Sep 19 2011

The South Side's Barbecue Heritage

Michael Gebert finally got a break from the Reader's Key Ingredient series to release a new Sky Full of Bacon video. This time he delves into the history and influences of Chicago's distinctive South Side barbecue style. He talks with pitmasters at half a dozen spots, and learns about the development of the aquarium smoker.

Sky Full of Bacon 17: A Barbecue History of Chicago from Michael Gebert on Vimeo.

— Andrew Huff

Dessert Fri Sep 16 2011

Trader Joe's New Ice Cream: My New Best Friend

Yeah, it can't hang out with me on the weekends and get brunch, but it's a blend of creamy, spicy goodness that hasn't lasted long at my house: Trader Joe's recently laid its cards out on the table with its Lemon and Triple Ginger Snap Ice Cream. I don't want to tell you how to live your life, but this concoction, which incorporates its Triple Ginger Snap cookie with a lemon ice cream, is pure bliss definitely worth trying, with bits of crystallized ginger, sweet lemon, and generous chunks of spicy cookie. Four measly dollars buys you a quart; four additional dollars will buy you the backup quart that will cover up for the first one you ate in record time. I just want to help you plan.

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

Random Fri Sep 16 2011

Miller's Pub: In good taste?

Miller's Pub, a long time anchor of the East Loop area and maker of one killer Greek burger, posted this on their sign earlier this week. I walked in and confirmed with the host, "What does your sign mean?" "Oh, heh heh," he laughs, "we don't want you to cook! We want to do that for you! Heh heh..."

Penny for your thoughts, Chicago?

— Joanna Kanakis / Comments (1)

Foodporn Fri Sep 16 2011

Friday Foodporn: Apple Cider from the Aviary

Picture by lauren*o from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool, which is wearing several layers of warm clothing this morning. Brrr.

— Robyn Nisi

Contest Thu Sep 15 2011

Five Spot Challenge

Ready, steady, go! Slow Food USA presents the $5 Challenge this Saturday (9/17) at the Green City Market. While shopping the market, the challenge is to create a fresh and healthy "value meal" that costs no more than $5 per person. Favorite recipes using market vendor and farmer product can be submitted now to Salty Fig. Make your value meal recipe suggestion public on the site (or submit to recipes@slowfoodchicago.org), and your recipe will also be added to the Slow Food Chicago $5 Challenge recipe book, to be presented at Saturday's market. Prepared food vendors at the market will also be offering $5 meals. Think you're up for the challenge?

— Katie Johnson

Openings Wed Sep 14 2011

Crumbs #3

If you're like me, you can't get enough cupcake shops. You're in luck! Crumbs Bake Shop is celebrating the grand opening of their third bake shop at 42 South Clark. They're commemorating the occasion by hosting a 1,000 cupcake giveaway this Friday beginning at noon.

In the press release, Crumbs co-founder Mia Bauer stated that "It has been a dream of mine to bring Crumbs to Chicago. The response from Chicagoans with our first shop in the Loop was better than we could have ever expected and we are thrilled to be opening in new neighborhoods!"

Coming this fall, Crumbs will open new locations at 346 North Clark and 1100 Lake Street in Oak Park.

— Ryan Frieson

Random Wed Sep 14 2011

Scooby in the News, in the Grave

The British Department of Health released a survey yesterday claiming that "Scooby-Doo" is the healthiest children's television program. Apparently this was on the basis of the copious physical activity Scooby and the gang undertake on the show -- mostly in the form of running away from monsters and the like. No word about the Scooby snacks or huge Dagwood sandwiches the canine detective is also fond of.

Meanwhile, Pierre's Bakery, 2747 N. Milwaukee Ave., has baked up some rather odd cookies featuring Scooby. Is he hiding behind a gravestone, or are these some sort of a memorial for our pal's untimely demise? Is that a zombie Scooby? Not really sure.

— Andrew Huff

Food Trucks Wed Sep 14 2011

Suzy's Samosas Launches

Chicago's very own top 4 MasterChef finalist, Suzy Singh is making a splash on the food truck scene. After touring all day Tuesday on the Big Sausage truck with Rich Levy of Haute Sausage, the collaboration will continue as Suzy's Samosas launches on Monday, Sept. 19 through Sept. 26. The truck location is being kept secret, but you can get a clue of where the action will be at if you sign up for Singh's newsletter on her website. There will be a cap of 200 Samosas sold per day, so you'll have to be quick to get your hands on one.

The soft-launch opening on Friday (Sept. 16) will include the following samosas : "I'm SO Sweet" (sweetened strawberries and cream samosa with a ganache dipping sauce, topped with powdered sugar), "The Addiction" (tandoori samosa stuffed with butter chicken, served with a yogurt and cucumber raita), "The 'Fall'ing for You" (cinnamon spiced samosa stuffed with butternut squash and served with marshmallow fluff), and the "Original" (traditional potato and sweet pea samosa served with an umami mint and cilantro chutney). Hungry yet? Follow Suzy's Samosas on Twitter.

— Katie Johnson

News Tue Sep 13 2011

Goodbye Pat Bruno, Food Critic & Punching Bag

Pat Bruno, the Sun-Times' longtime restaurant critic, was fired on Monday. His last pieces for the paper will be published Friday. Eater reports a rumor that his replacement has already been chosen.

Bruno has gotten plenty of flack over the years for being less than fresh in his reporting. Grub Street and Chicagoist have been particularly hard on him, noting his very public outing via "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" and his reviewing two locations of the same restaurant in the same year. His reputation (at least among food media and enthusiasts I've talked to) has been for phoning in his reviews. One might have figured the writing was on the wall.

Still, a summary dismissal by a "mid-level editor" after nearly three decades of service seems a little harsh. As he told Phil Vettel, "I've known (publisher) John Barron for 28 years. All he had to do is pick up the phone and tell me himself. He didn't have the balls to do that. I wasn't expecting roses at my feet, just a phone call from someone who appreciated what I did all these years."

For those itching for a Bruno fix, he will continue to contribute restaurant reviews to WBBM News Radio and Pizza Today magazine. He told Feder and Vettel that he plans to develop a website of his own on which to post his reviews, as well. I guess we'll see if he can beat the nattering nabobs of the blogosphere at their own game.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Event Mon Sep 12 2011

Wednesday Night is a Big Night (for Foodies and Animals)

In these difficult times, animal shelters are filling up fast with surrendered or homeless pets. The volunteer arm of the city's Animal Care and Control facility is holding its annual Big Night fundraising event this Wednesday at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 East Washington), which will feature vittles from a list of local talent (e.g. Koren Grieveson of Avec, Jill Barron of Mana Food Bar), a silent auction, and entertainment. Event starts at 6pm, and tickets are $90. If you can't attend, consider adopting a pet from CACC instead; they're open daily, and for $65 you can get a new furry friend (vaccinations and neutering/spaying included).

— Robyn Nisi

Restaurant Sun Sep 11 2011

It Ends With a Flourish

Sadly today is the last day that Flourish Bakery and Cafe is open to the public. Everything they have left is now half off so you can stock up on your favorites to help make the transition to a Flourish-less future easier to bear. If they have any left, I can't recommend the red velvet anything enough. I firmly believe it was the best in the city and I'll be quite sad to see it leave.

— Cinnamon Cooper

Event Fri Sep 09 2011

Calling All CakeSpies

Fans of Jessie Oleson, the creative genius behind Cakespy, have a lot to be excited about this weekend. Oleson will be in town not only for the two day Renegade Craft Fair as a featured artist on Division St, but she will also be in town to paint a mural at the Oak Park location of The Bleeding Heart Bakery. As the head dessert detective spy herself would say... "totally sweet!"

The 9th Annual Renegade Craft Fair Chicago takes place Sept 10 + 11 from 11am-7pm. Free admission.

— Katie Johnson

Dessert Fri Sep 09 2011

Drowning My Oprah Sorrows

Tonight will be the final turn of the Oprah knife in my back: the last rerun of her final season will be broadcast on Channel 7. Jimmy Kimmel Live will begin airing an hour earlier starting Monday; he's been popping up all over town to promote the move.

To prepare myself for this change to my nightly television schedule, I surrounded myself with one of O's favorite things--Graeter's ice cream, a Cincinnati-based product that recently made its way into the local market. Their "French Pot" method means only a few gallons are made at a time, which shows in the quality of the product--a carefully made, creamy delight. I sampled a few pints over the course of these past weeks of Oprah, as I endured the unbearable two-part finale special, the final Nate Berkus room makeover, and a Peter Frampton and Shaun Cassidy special. I needed something to get me through the final chapters, and Graeter's stepped to the plate.

I'm uptight about my ice cream. I don't like fruit-and-chocolate-mixed varieties, and I'm normally not a fan of solids in the actual ice cream, e.g. nuts, cookies, and particularly chocolate, which always has a chalky, grainy quality that I can't get past, even if the ice cream itself is delicious. However, I was very impressed with the Black Raspberry Chip flavor that I sampled. The chocolate was in the form of fine, flavorful shavings that held their own in the tangy, creamy dark purple ice cream it accompanied. I'm always trying to find a good vanilla--Graeter's was a strong contender. I even tried Oprah and Stedman's favorite flavor, a competent Butter Pecan.

Tonight, as Oprah takes to the stage for the rerun of the final show, I will be tearing into a pint of Graeter's Strawberry, the last of my sampling experience, and closing out a television era. Living my best life was never this tasty.

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

Foodporn Fri Sep 09 2011

Friday Foodporn: Heirlooms Up in Here

Image by Joe Marinaro from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool. Submit your pics! All the kids at the cool table do it.

— Robyn Nisi

Openings Thu Sep 08 2011

South Loop Rejoice!

Get ready South Loop, Trader Joe's is coming to your hood. This Friday (9/9) will mark the opening of TJ's highly anticipated South Loop store, opening on the corner of Roosevelt and Wabash in the former Sam's Wines spot. The specialty "neighborhood" grocery store continues its expansion in Chicago, opening amid an area with blocks of retail vacancies and restaurant closings. Opening at 8am, and complete with 47 free parking spaces, the grocery store will add a welcome variety to the neighborhood.

Trader Joe's South Loop is located at 1147 S. Wabash, and will be open 8am to 9pm seven days a week.

— Katie Johnson / Comments (3)

Business Thu Sep 08 2011

The Southern Mac and Cheese Truck to Lose its Wheels

If you love The Southern mac and cheese truck but don't have the time or footwear to follow it all over the city, you're in luck: they're opening a little store at 60 E. Lake St. soon for your cheesy needs. Wasn't the point of a food truck to get away from brick and mortar restaurant model?

— Robyn Nisi

Event Thu Sep 08 2011

Sippin on Small Batch

What makes the cocktails at In Fine Spirits or Longman & Eagle so good? Having a good base alcohol to work with. If you're looking to take your home bar to the next level, swing by the Independent Spirits Expo at Bottom Lounge on Wednesday, Sept. 28 between 6:30 and 9pm for a tour of artisan spirits made here and the US and a few smatterings of those abroad. Meet the retailers, brand owners, importers and others who make it possible for the little guys to compete in the big market. Check out the whole list of exhibitors here and grab your tickets here.

— Joanna Kanakis

Closings Wed Sep 07 2011

Flourish, While You Still Can...

Flourish Bakery will be closing its doors for good at 5pm on Sunday (9/11). The Edgewater bakery cafe will be open during normal business hours the remainder of the week (Monday-Saturday 7:30am-8pm; Sunday 8am-5pm). Unfortunately, due to growing food costs and economic realities, the bakery is no longer able to keep its doors open, despite introducing a direct-to-home fresh bread delivery service and family night dinner events for the neighborhood in the past year. Flourish, you will be sorely missed.

— Katie Johnson

Event Tue Sep 06 2011

Summer Continues at Slow Food Chicago Pig Roast

Even though it's blustery and Fall-like outside, Slow Food Chicago holds its annual pig roast at Goose Island (1800 W. Fulton) this Sunday. Rob Levitt of the Butcher and Larder and Nicole Pederson of C-House are among the chefs participating -- and there's even going to be vegetarian fare if swine is not your thing. Tickets are $60.

— Robyn Nisi

Foodporn Fri Sep 02 2011

Friday Foodporn: Onions

Image by Mel Hill Photography from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool. Add your pictures, because SUMMER IS NOT OVER YET. Say it with me!

— Robyn Nisi

Deals Thu Sep 01 2011

Roeser's Celebrates a Century of Baked Goods

Roeser's Bakery, 3216 W. North Ave., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this fall, and as is often the custom with business anniversaries, its customers are the ones getting presents.

Starting today and running through Dec. 9, Roeser's is "100 Days of 100 Cents" special. The special $1 deals will include donuts, cupcakes, cookies, ice cream and more. According to the September specials calendar posted on Facebook, today through Sunday you can get a red velvet cupcake for $1, limit two per customer. Next week the special will be maple bacon long johns, followed by assorted "cake bites" Sept. 13-17. Call the bakery at 773-489-6900 or visit Facebook for news of future specials.

Roeser's is also giving back to the neighborhood in less fattening ways. From Sept. 1 until Dec. 22, 5 percent of the proceeds from sales of certain goods will be donated to five Humboldt Park schools: Lowell Elementary, Richard Yates Elementary, Humboldt Park Christian Academy, Stowe Elementary and Maternity BVM Schools. Each month from September through December, the school with the most sales will also receive a $500 bonus from the bakery.

— Andrew Huff