Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Bakery in Chinatown; picture by yours truly. To celebrate the Year of the Horse, the Lunar New Year Parade kicks off at 1pm Sunday in Chinatown. Additionally, Redmoon Theater will be holding a free celebration Saturday evening in the Crystal Ballroom at Navy Pier.
— Robyn Nisi
When my Texan friends unwisely decided to visit me during the polar vortex and found Chicago blanketed in a swathe of soul-crushing ice, they were inconsolable. Dashed were their hopes of ice-skating at Millennium Park, taking selfies at the Bean, and walking along the Mag Mile munching on Garrett's popcorn. After a morose trip to the Art Museum, they vetoed deep dish for dinner and suggested what every comfort-seeking Texan resorts to: steak.
Chicago features a wide range of fantastic steakhouses, including David Burke's, Mastro's, and Mike Ditkas, but we decided upon III Forks, a relatively discreet restaurant near Millennium Park. The architectural duality between wood and glass throughout the restaurant made it feel quite spacious, and although I wanted to dine on the rooftop, I was content being next to the fireplace.
— Judy Wu
You may not be up for a polar bear plunge, but you might be willing to try South Water Kitchen's Outdoor Groundhog Day Lunch this Sunday, Feb. 2. The north Loop restaurant will set up tables outside on the sidewalk patio and offer a complimentary two-course lunch to anyone willing to eat it outside.
You've got your choice of two options -- a grilled tomato focaccia and goat cheese fondue sandwich paired with broccoli cheddar soup or a meatloaf sandwich with whipped potatoes, followed by a warm chocolate fudge brownie topped with salted caramel, pecans and vanilla ice cream. Non-alcoholic beverages are included (may we suggest hot coffee?)
South Water Kitchen will do three seatings, at 11am, 12:30 and 2pm. Reservations are required; call 312-236-9300. Sunday's forecast is for a high of 14°, but you better call soon anyway -- last year the event quickly sold out. South Water Kitchen is at 225 N. Wabash Ave.
— Andrew Huff
The creamy tomatillo sauce is what makes the dish, Jennifer Moore tells me as I awkwardly pour the velvety green sauce onto layers of sautéed poblano peppers, corn, beans and golden tortillas. She then hands me a package of shredded jack cheese, which I sprinkle delicately onto the beginnings of a cheesy tomatillo casserole. Dump the whole thing, she advises with an impish grin, and I willingly oblige. If I was going vegetarian, at least I wasn't going to skimp on the cheese. As we wait for the casserole to melt and caramelize into a goulash of Mexican ecstasy, I leave Moore to clean up the prep -- in our case, four plastic bags labeled Meez Meals. After all, the lack of post-cooking cleanup is arguably one of Meez Meals' best features.
As the founder of Meez, a meal delivery business based in Chicago, Moore is a spritely and slender woman, with intelligent eyes and a sharp bob cut that screams business-savvy. Originally from Boston, Moore relocated to Chicago after college and worked as a brand manager for Unilever before launching Meez.
— Judy Wu
Cicchetti is an Italian word for a snack or a small bite. In Venice, there is a great tradition of stopping by the local bacaro (Ventian tavern) for a glass of wine and cicchetti, exquisitely-made small plates. It is from this tradition that the new Streeterville restaurant, Cicchetti, was born.
Upon entering Cicchetti, the newest effort from one of the chefs from Trencherman, Michael Sheerin, the first word that enters the mind is warm. The bar and the main entry exude warmth. From the dark-stained timber beam construction to the modernist aesthetic to the backlit bar, the space emanates both charm and sophistication with a tip of the hat to innovation. These themes carry through to the bar menu, the hors d'oeuvres, the main plates and the incredibly interesting desserts by up-and-coming pastry chef Sarah Jordan (formerly of Boka and GT Fish & Oyster, Jordan was named one of the best new pastry chefs by Food and Wine Magazine in 2013).
The bar menu is full of interesting and varied spirits, including a long list of grappas (or fruit brandy) and an extensive list of gins, whiskeys and ryes. The wine list is similarly long and lively.
— Jeanne Newman
Picture by Mel Hill Photography from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool.
— Robyn Nisi
Soup. It's one of the food categories that may be akin to a best friend. Something about steaming hot food in liquid form served in a bowl on a cold day has the magical ability to make you forget about how much you hate single digit temperatures, icy walkways and seeing your car covered in snow.
For me, soup is that warm comfort place where all troubles wash away in a medley of broth and spice and hopefully kale. You can curl up to it, hold it close. It heals us from sickness, reminds us of our mothers. Soup never talks back. On some level, it makes the world a better place.
Coincidently, it's National Soup Month in January, and we've rounded up a few inspiring hot spots where you can get your liquid love on while winter brutally continues. Put that canned soup away and visit some of these places. You deserve so much better.
— Brandy Gonsoulin
Ale Syndicate's new brewhouse equipment arrived at on Monday, following the brewery's successful fundraising campaign.
This Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6pm, Forbidden Root is hosting a community meeting to discuss its plans for a brewery and tap room in the former Hub Theater space at 1746 W. Chicago Ave. Forbidden Root's niche will be "fine botanic beers" brewed with herbs, spices and other natural ingredients. It's incorporating as a benefit corporation, intending to donate all profits from non-consumable merchandise to nonprofit causes, such as the Green City Market. Opening the brewery in East Village will require a zoning change and moratorium exemption, so neighborhood support is going to be necessary for them to proceed.
Begyle Brewing, best known for its "beer CSA" concept and bold dark beers, leaped over its final hurdle and will open to fill growlers and sell bombers at 11am this Saturday, Jan. 25. The brewery is located at 1800 W. Cuyler Ave., just west of Ravenswood on the west side of the Metra tracks.
— Andrew Huff
Chicago Restaurant Week launches Friday and for two weeks, nearly 300 restaurants in the Chicago-area will be serving prix-fixe lunch or dinner menus for a mere $22 for lunch or $33 or $44 for dinner. How's a girl to choose?
Of course, there's the big guys like Blackbird and Carriage House and Embeya and Nightwood and Sepia and on and on. But tucked in this gargantuan list are a handful of (mostly) smaller affairs and wine bars, spots where I've grabbed a cocktail or two or a glass of wine with some friends afterwork. Though Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to check out a restaurant I've been meaning to get to, at a more reasonable price, it's also a chance to explore more of the cuisine served at a place I mostly just drink, a place I know I already like. Again, how's a girl to choose?
— Christina Brandon
Baconfest Chicago announced today that general admission tickets will go on sale on Feb. 24 for $100 apiece, which gets you in the door for all the bacon goodness, drink tickets to wash it down, and a souvenir tote bag. VIP tickets, which get you in an hour before the general hoi polloi, are already on sale for $200 a pop.
The organizers also released a lineup of 160 food vendors for this year's festival, which will have three sessions over two days, April 25 and 26.
— Andrew Huff
For shits and grins, my good friend recently dared me to take a food etiquette class, claiming I severely lacked a sense of dining propriety. Cackling with delight, I accepted the challenge. Naturally, I squirmed through most of the class, mentally mocking all the endless rules that I never followed anyway. Forks on left, spoons on right. No slurping. Don't overstuff your mouth. Then the instructor addressed all the women in the room, advising us that we should select lighter menu options, like salads or vegetarian sandwiches. If we do perchance lack any sort of willpower and submit to that pasta or burger, leave more than half. You are what you eat, the instructor stated with an emphatic nod.
That was when I walked out.
— Judy Wu / Comments (1)
Imagine my shock this week when I entered a Panera for lunch and didn't see my beloved Soba Noodle Salad on the menu board. I was completely dumbfounded. Before I knew what was happening my grandfather's voice jumped out of my mouth, "What do you mean you don't have the Soba Noodle Salad anymore?! I just had one the other day!"
My grandpa could not wrap his head around the idea that each restaurant has its own concept and set of menu rules. He thought of restaurants as food stores, where whatever he wanted to eat could be made and brought to him whenever he wished. Grandpa hated that he had to order from a set menu and couldn't just ask for whatever food he was in the mood to eat. His irritation and complete disregard for how restaurants work provided endless hours of entertainment when I was growing up. It still makes me laugh when I think about it. "No, grandpa, we're in a Chinese restaurant, you cannot order a cheeseburger!" Well, friends, be careful the things you laugh at they will turn around and bite you.
— Jeremy Owens
Picture by swanksalot from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool.
— Robyn Nisi
By now, you've probably heard the phrase "Alinea Baby" circulating on social media, sparked by a couple that brought their 8-month-old into the fine dining restaurant this past Saturday, claiming that their sitter canceled. Of course babies will do what babies will do, and Grant Achatz decided Twitter was a forum for discussion on the topic.
You can imagine the polarizing discussion that then took place, but what you may not have seen yet is the Alinea Baby twitter account started by an unknown author. So far, the account has 748 followers, and whoever is behind the account has a wicked sense of humor.
To add to the wonderful irony, Grant's in on the conversation.
Oh, and it gets better. Grant took to "Good Morning America" yesterday in an interview only to have George Stephanopoulos mispronounce the restaurant name. I mean, it's not like Alinea is considered one of the best restaurants in the world or anything. Good work New York. Way to keep it classy.
— Brandy Gonsoulin
Erika Stone-Miller proves that you can be a food truck owner, novice architect, self-trained chef, and run a successful pop-up at the same time. My multitasking aptitudes are less impressive--I can listen to good music, smile at people, and consume food. And that's exactly what I did at The Octagon Mode, a communal dinner party emphasizing modern fine dining. Located in Uptown, the restaurant name pays tribute to Orson Squire Fowler, a 19th century architect whose octagonal houses were more environmentally friendly than traditional buildings.
This obscure architectural title references Erika's major in architecture, although she spent more than 20 years working front of the house in Chicago's finest restaurants, including L2O and Blackbird. When Erika temporarily closed down her ice-cream truck, Ice-Cubed, for the Chicago winter, she decided that an underground supper club would fare better than an ice-cream parlor in cold weather.
— Judy Wu
The Whistler is accepting submissions for its Jan. 30th Friends and Family Cocktail Challenge, in which the night's cocktail offerings will be determined by the best recipe submitted by their fans, friends and/or foes. The winner gets prizes and a lifetime of humble brags. Email your detailed recipe by 5pm this Thursday to the Whistler; two submissions per person. Mine is called the Strawberry Squash Alley Cat.
— Robyn Nisi
Now that we've collectively survived the coldest recording temperatures in Chicago history (the coldest!), heading out in 20 degree weather feels like a picnic on the beach. Maybe not literally. Either way, around mid-January everyone starts to get a bit cabin feverish, and those who choose to brave the cold will find themselves richly rewarded with an array of neighborhood comfort food options-- all the richness and familiarly of all of that holiday season fare, without the pushy relatives.
Sunshine Cafe, Andersonville
Quiet, cozy and unassuming, this family-run Japanese restaurant is working hard to push Japanese cuisine to the top of the "comfort food" directory. Indulge in seemingly bottomless bowls of steaming hot, deeply flavorful noodles, donburi (rice bowls), and traditional Japanese home-cooked snacks such as shrimp shumai and gyoza ("Japanese potstickers"). Wash it all down with a mug of grassy green tea and wonder what all the sushi hype is about, anyway.
— Danielle Snow
Picture by Gary Eckstein from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool.
— Robyn Nisi
If you have ever found yourself muttering, "Man, I wish Chicago had a cider pub," mutter no more. Come late spring, the guys behind Fountainhead and The Bar on Buena will be opening The Northman, cited as Chicago's first cider pub. The new concept will be located at the current location of Copper House, the former Jury's, and will offer a selection of over 100 ciders in addition to other select beers, wines and spirits. Chef Cleetus Friedman of Fountainhead will man the menu. The bar will be operated under the name "Meantime" until opening.
In the, ahem, meantime, here are some things you may not know about cider:
Cider can also be spelled as cyder.
While it may look like a beer, it's technically closer to wine.
Next time you are drinking one, you can thank the Romans. They brought the fermented beverage back to Rome after discovering the Ancient Britons were fermenting crab apples. The drink then became second to beer in popularity.
Updates will be posted on the bar's current Facebook page.
— Brandy Gonsoulin
Looking for a way to combine your two loves -- beer and art -- this Saturday? Look no further! 4 Hands Brewing Co. presents Artists N' Ales: A Winter Brew Event, an exploration of artwork inspired by the aesthetics of craft beer and how it intersects with food, culture, and society. All attendees will receive a copy of the Mash Tun Journal, the world's only journal about craft beer and the culture that surrounds it, as well as pours of the ales that inspired the work and some tasty culinary delights.
Enjoy beer and art by: 4 Hands, Half Acre, Pipeworks, Solemn Oath and others. Artists exhibiting work include: Dan Grzeca (3 Floyd's, Surly, Black Keys, Alabama Shakes), Michael Kiser (Good Beer Hunting), Jim Zimmer (3 Floyd's, Une Annee), BJ Olson (Pipeworks), Josh Rowan (4 Hands Brewing), Danielle Spradley (4 Hands Brewing), Peat Eyez Wollaeger (graffiti artist from St. Louis), Kelly Pelka (graffiti artist from Chicago), Phineas X. Jones (Half Acre) and more.
Artists N' Ales is on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 3 to 7pm at Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219-21 S. Morgan St. in Chicago. Tickets are $25.
— Jeanne Newman
Next unveiled its latest promo video this morning ahead of the debut of its "Chicago Steakhouse" concept's debut tonight.
While most of the ever-changing restaurant's previous concepts sold out most seatings almost immediately, there are plenty of tickets available for early and late seatings this time around. Co-owner Nick Kokonas told Crain's he thought the weather and the weekend release of reservations (tickets went on sale Jan. 4) might have resulted in the low number of bookings -- but one has to wonder if the steakhouse concept in a city filled with steakhouses might not be such a big draw.
— Andrew Huff
Fusion cuisine often conjures up images of taco pizzas or kimchi burgers, but really good fusion food doesn't seem fusion at all. I'm not talking about adding Siracha or sesame oil into pasta to Asianize the dish; I'm talking about delicious bánh mìs and Indonesian curries that combine the East and West, the past and present, the good and bad with effortless grace. Although the fusions I've described below aren't particularly prevalent in the US, I really hope to see more eclectic combinations on Chicago menus in the future:
Cuban-Chinese: The Merging of Culinary Communism
Many Chinese laborers migrated to Cuba in the 1850s, sparking the beginning of a cuisine that blended both East Asian and Caribbean foods. Since both cultures revere the pig, popular dishes include grilled pork chops in fermented black soy bean sauce and Chinese five spice roast pork. Another popular (and delicious-sounding) dish is fried rice with plantains and yucca. Asian fusion is particularly popular in Chicago, with restaurants like Embeya and Le Colonial redefining American cuisine with an Asian flair. But in terms of strictly Latin-American eateries in Chicago, there's wonton ahi nachos at Gallery Bar, tempura chicken burritos at Dos Ricco's, and those mouthwatering kalbi tacos at Del Seoul.
— Judy Wu
Got a kid who can cook? Fox's food competition show "MasterChef Junior" is holding an open casting call in Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 10am to 6pm at the Hyatt Hotel Mag Mile, 633 N. St. Clair St. "MasterChef" judge Graham Elliot might make an appearance, considering he lives here.
Prospective child chefs must be pre-registered to audition, and should bring their own aprons.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)
Yesterday, I made a stop on my way home to pick up ingredients for one of my favorite cold winter soups, a simple black bean with a toasted cumin seed fraiche number that is easy to make (it also doubles as a great base for a plate of nachos, as most of my cooking does). If you weren't able to get out for soup makings and still want that warm, good feeling, the annual Soup and Bread series kicks off this Wednesday at the Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia, 5:30-8pm). Get your fill of soups made using a theme; this week's is (fittingly) "Fire and Ice," with Mana Food Bar's Jill Barron, WBEZ's Monica Eng and Louisa Chu, and Grind Cafe's Tara Swadley, among others. The soup is free, but donations are encouraged for the food-related charity of Soup and Bread's choice (a new one each week), which will be the Community Dinners program offered through Logan Square's St. Luke's Lutheran Church.
— Robyn Nisi
Picture by Renee Rendler-Kaplan from the Drive-Thru Flickr Pool.
— Robyn Nisi
Whenever I frequent sport bars, I expect three things: 1) delicious beer and delicious food, 2) hot servers, and 3) 500-inch flat-screens as far as the eye can see. Chicago has no shortage of such places, so naturally I ended up at one on a weekend visit to Wicker Park.
Conceptually, Fatpour is no different than any other beer-centric restaurant. But what differentiates it is its two-story glass keg cooler, a cerulean chamber glowing like an alien-breeding pod in the center of the restaurant. Their extensive booze menu accompanies a respectable selection of burgers, wood-fired pizzas, fried cheese curds and other caloric-but-oh-so-delicious gut bombers. The menu is even color-coded with suggestions for the indecisive.
— Judy Wu
"I'm done with crepes," read the handwritten note posted on the door of Andersonville's Icosium Kafe, which has closed after eight years. Icosium's closing is another hit for dining in the neighborhood, as the Ann Sather location up the street closes Sunday after 25+ years in business (the Belmont, Broadway and Granville locations remain open). On the topic of closings, residents in South Shore have banded together to find a new tenant for the now-empty Dominick's at 71st and Jeffrey.
— Robyn Nisi
In 2009, food blogging, social media and Yelp were gaining popularity, and America's revered gastronomic magazine Gourmet shuttered after 68 years in business. Former Cook's Illustrated editor-in-chief Chris Kimball followed with an editorial, stating that "The shuttering of Gourmet reminds...
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