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.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (2)
HarvesTime Foods could be one of the best kept secrets on the north side. It's like the Millennium Falcon. From the outside it doesn't look like much. The awning is torn and a bit sun-faded. The LCD sign's functionality is sometimes spotty. The building is coated in a stark whitewash in a neighborhood where one side of the street is rundown and the other is neo-gentrified. So at first glance, purchasing even canned food from this market may make you cringe a bit and wonder if you're taking your life into your own hands.
— Cliff Etters / Comments (11)
Even though fans of Lula Cafe are heading down to the restaurant's newest southward incarnation, Pilsen's Nightwood, DT staffer Andie and I sat down to dinner tonight at Lula for a bite of what made this restaurant so good in the first place, and weren't disappointed.
We started off with a spinach salad with baby fennel, egg, grilled spring onions, and romesco; the dish was a bit small for the $10 cost, but the tradeoff of quality ingredients was obvious. Lula's gone a bit crazy with plating sauces in a bold, paint stroke-like motion at the base of dishes--the look of both the salad and seafood appetizer that we ordered reminded me of a very cool t-shirt that I used to wear in the 80s. But I liked the 80s, right?
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (4)
Last week, my husband and I went to the May Street Market to take advantage of the Yelp Eats' prix fixe menu--a three-course meal for $25. As is often the case with these promos, we had to ask for the "Yelp menu," but our waiter was gracious when asked. The selection was intriguing: choosing one each from the two appetizers, four entrees and two desserts was a marginally agonizing affair though we did come out of it in one piece. I chose yellow corn veloute, smoked spring chicken and ice cream flight, my hubby fried green tomato, smoked scallops and cupcake flight.
They were all very tasty, but what stood out was the use of aromatics, unexpected and delightful. Almost every dish had a hidden perfumy surprise or two. My corn veloute (cream corn soup) was scented with orange rind, while the asparagus that came with the smoked chicken had sneaky bits of fresh mint that provided a nice contrast to the earthy, green sweetness of the asparagus. (I took mental note to steal that technique.) The refreshing mint paired surprisingly well with the meaty mushrooms (porcini?) in the same dish. Mint and mushrooms--who knew? My husband's smoked scallops sat on a bed of curried couscous, which, in itself, isn't anything new, but a little drizzle of orange-based sauce lifted the couscous to an aromatic heaven. Desserts didn't disappoint, either; my husband's cupcake flight included one that paired lavender cake with earl grey (I think) butter cream. Yum.
It was early on a Tuesday, so we shared the roomy "bistro" area with only a handful of other groups. Late afternoon sun cast a nice, warm glow on our table by the windows, while the bar sank in comforting semidarkness in the back. Toward the end of our meal, as the afternoon sun gave way to growing cloud cover, staff dimmed the lights and distributed votive candles. We watched the flickering dance of the tiny flame for a while after the meal, sipping coffee. It was a thoroughly relaxing evening with great food--we'll definitely be back.
If you missed the Yelp Eats, don't despair: May Street Market has practically extended the deal. $25 three-course dinner is available Monday through Wednesday for the time being (our waiter didn't know how long). According to him, these three days of the week will also be BYOB nights, meaning no cork fee for wines you bring in.
May Street Market
1132 W. Grand Avenue
312-421-5547
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (0)
With a grey and drizzly Memorial Day in our rearview mirrors, the official backyard -- or back deck alley, sidewalk, whathaveyou -- barbecue season is upon us. And sure, you could simply pull out the Weber and grill up some hotdogs and hamburgers. But if you really want to impress your friends, take it to the next level and start smoking -- meats, that is.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (5)
Being on bed rest for 23 hours a day has really put a damper on my ability to prepare healthy meals for myself. Therefore, I'm feeling particularly glad that I recently learned about The Stock Option, a local soup delivery service. I've been enjoying the soups at home, but I may continue to use the service once I go back to work.
Every day, owner Jack Price (a former insurance salesman who began The Stock Option when the recession started taking a toll on his old line of work) prepares a soup of the day, using lots of fresh produce and organic ingredients. Customers email or call before 10 a.m. for lunch delivery or before 2 p.m. for a dinner delivery. You receive 16 oz. of soup, along with bread and sometimes other garnishes, for $6 (which also covers taxes and delivery).
— Leah Williams / Comments (1)
This week, many Chicago restaurants may have a little extra going on in their wine offerings thanks to Riesling Week. While it may not be much more than a PR move to train the spotlight on German, Austrian and Alsatian wines just when spring is beckoning oenophiles towards Pinot Grigios and Sauvignon blancs, and everyone else towards Memorial Day Miller Lites, Riesling Week couldn't have come at a better time. The first few perfect days of spring, a participating restaurant on my way home from work...patio seating. Sold.
Located in the Affinia hotel, C-House specializes in imaginative seafood and features a nicely tiered menu of bites from the bar, appetizers, entrees, and sides -- all of which work in endless combinations to appease big and little hungers, sushi-enthusiasts and anti-raw stalwarts alike. And many of which work really nicely with the sweetness of their featured Riesling flight. Our server noted that rather than pairing each wine with a course, the chef rather intended all three to be tasted with everything we ate to see how the different flavors played off each other with each individual sip. It certainly took the concern out of ordering. We tried various combinations of bites and apps, standouts being the crab salad (wrapped up in paper thin slices of apple to create something resembling more of a candy than a summer salad), lobster club sandwich, and the seemingly grilled and freeze-dried corn kernels that accompany the very popular yellowtail fish tacos.
The wines were a relatively dry 2006 Keller Riesling Trocken from Rheinhessen, Germany; a sticky sweet 2007 Monchoff, Robert Eymael, also German and with a sweet and tart punch that made me think of mead; and a 2004 Schloss Lieser, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Spatlese, which was the most balanced of the three, though try ordering another one of those after you've had a few. A classic, dessert-friendly Riesling which went really nicely with the tartness of the fish tacos' pickled onions, the buttery richness of the lobster and yellowtail, and the sweetness of the crab salad. Bites at C-House start at $4, and the wine flight runs $22 through the end of this week. Zum Wohl!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
When I last made it to New York City, I had a culinary check-off list of places I wanted to visit. My top priority was Magnolia Bakery, whose mention in Sex and the City (and later, Lazy Sunday) catapaulted the small storefront to fame. When I got to the building, I was melting from the summer heat; the last thing I really wanted to do was step inside, as the tiny bakery was packed with tourists waiting for staff to finish frosting more of Magnolia's picture-perfect cupcakes, but I had a goal. When I finally did taste the cupcake, I thought its huge roof of frosting had a nice butter- and vanilla-laden taste, but the actual cake was a dry, flavorless disappointment. As I threw the remainder into a garbage can, I quietly suspected that the cake had been baked several days (weeks?) before. Meh.
Shoddy cake has been to blame for a lot of my cupcake experiences. It seems like a lot of bakers put more of the heavy lifting into the frosting and little into the base--senseless, as this is a cupcake (not a cupfrosting, tee hee). But the cupcake itself has a lot to live up to--after all, it's a subset of a grander item that's the centerpiece of graduation parties and wedding receptions, and if portion control or the pretty daintiness of a cupcake is to be its calling card, it better be a worthy representative.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (4)
Since moving to Chicago a year and a half ago, I have come to love Middle Eastern food and jump at any chance to further explore the cuisine. After hearing friends rave about Maza for months, I finally got around to trying it out. This was my first time trying Lebanese food and I was thrilled with the helpful service and the ease of sampling many of the items on the menu.
The restaurant is very small cozy and I immediately felt the day's tension melt away as I got settled into our candle-lit table and had a sip of the Lebanese wine that was waiting for us. The owner of the restaurant, Joe, greeted us immediately and brought us menus. It must have been obvious that we were a bit overwhelmed because he didn't hesitate to offer suggestions for first-time Lebanese diners.
At the owner's suggestion we ordered the maza (similar to tapas, maza is an array of small dishes) for two and, though we knew it would be a lot of food, were shocked when 26 little plates came out from the kitchen. First though, was the lentil soup and it may have been one of the best cups of soup I've ever had. It was the perfect way to start the evening.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
Friendship Chinese, that is. This past Tuesday night I entered the bustling Logan Square restaurant (2830 North Milwaukee) to take advantage of one of the neighborhood's (hell, city's) best-kept secrets: everything on Friendship's menu, from the simple fried rice ($10) to the high-end (and delicious) Hong Kong Steak ($22), is a mere $8.95. Yes, $8.95. I enjoyed their champagne lemon chicken and gawked at the dishes being served around me (a curry-lime salmon, the bird's nest of vegetables and fish) and making mental notes for my next visit, which will likely be...on a Tuesday.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
I dream of vegan restaurants that hold their own against non-veg restaurants. My latest inherently biased vegan recommendation goes to Delicious Cafe in North Center. They're an adorable cafe with classic Chicago style "tin" ceilings, chalkboard menus, a back patio coming soon, and a floor of simple large plywood-esque squares laid on a grid angled some 45 degrees with the walls. Delicious has quite smooth coffee, from soy lattes to drip to slow brews. You can sip yours on the couch at the window by the coffee table with an old-school globe of our illustrious planet, or at a window counter or one of several small cafe tables.
My friend looked at my slice of cake, and then said something like, "it looks so fluffy. That's hard with vegan." The humming sounds that soon followed from her mouth suggested a great enjoyment in the cake. Chocolate frosting and strawberries combined with a creamy wet feel like custard, and separated three layers of tender, moist yellow cake. More chocolate frosting topped the slice, underneath chocolate chip-shaped frosting droplets.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)
A couple of weeks ago some friends, Rob and Jess, were visiting from London and we were on a mission to introduce them to everything Chicago. They had been here before a few years ago but somehow didn't have a chance to try Chicago-style pizza. I usually prefer thin crust myself, but I do love Art of Pizza's deep dish. On their last night in Chicago, we ordered a pizza to go and took it over to The Ashland.
A few nights before we found ourselves at Tony's Burritos for some late night eats and Rob ordered two burritos, saying while he was in America he wanted to eat a lot of dirty American food, like Americans. So when we told him we were getting pizzas he told us, half joking, that he wanted his own pie - piled high with meat. When we got to the bar with our pizzas (a meat lovers for Rob and a veggie pizza for the rest of us) and opened the box, they couldn't believe how thick it was. Rob immediately took out a one pound coin and stood it up vertically next to the pizza and took at least a dozen pictures to show everyone in London how thick the pizza really is.
When I was in London last fall, we stayed with these friends, Rob and Jess, and there was a pizza joint just down the street from their house called "Chicago Pizza." They're no strangers to pizza but after just one bite, Rob exclaimed that he had never had pizza before this. After just two pieces, Rob was stuffed and we told him he was falling into a pizza coma. From his spot on the couch at The Ashland he laughed and said, "I like that, a pizza coma."
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (2)
The Cheeseburger Show made its debut yesterday on CLTV, starring Tribune writer Kevin Pang and a cavalcade of Chicago food and cultural celebrities, from Q101 DJ Electra to chefs Homaro Cantu and Doug Sohn to "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" host Peter Sagal, all talking about one of America's favorite foods: the cheeseburger. Episode 1 is now available online.
The show immediately brought to mind the Chicago Burger Project, a long-running blog whose mission has been to try every burger (as well as fries and shakes) on Time Out Chicago's 2007 list of the city's best burgers. They've been plowing through as time and bellies allow, veering off-mission occasionally to try more recent additions to the burger scene. So I got in touch with one of the CBP co-founders, Nathaniel Grotte, for his thoughts on the Cheeseburger Show.
A couple of things I have to call out:
- Pang praised the "sharp tang" of American cheese at Top-Notch. The cheese is either sharp or American, but not both.
- Doug Sohn likes the burger at Jury's?! Whoa. OK. I know that place has fans, but I've been there more than a couple of times and am always disappointed by a . Maybe Doug is too exhausted by the high quality and brilliant execution he deals with at work that he prefers to relax with a slab of mediocrity.
- I assume that the (albeit unspoken) conceit of this show is that Kevin Pang's on a quest to find great burgers, which is what people always assume that the Chicago Burger Project is about, when, in fact, it's actually about making fun of Time Out Chicago. It's my belief that really good burgers make for kind of boring analyses, but bad ones can be very entertaining (see the "rollercoaster of flavor" at Riverview Tavern). It's my hope that Pang runs across some real duds and gives people hell about it, because that's good television.
Overall, though, Grotte enjoyed the first episode and said he'd tune in again. I agree -- it's fun and funny, and bound to stay interesting, especially if Pang's net is wide enough to cover some of the more colorful places in the suburbs as well as the city. Keep an eye on his progress by following the "burger yeti" on Twitter.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (4)
Ipsento is a quality coffee shop. That is their goal. That is what they effuse. I stopped into Ipsento on a rainy night with my friend Leah. I had come here once before last summer and had a pleasant enough experience. But after reading on their website that ownership has changed as of April 4th and they intend to give all profits back to the community, I was intrigued.
This living room-esque coffee shop is soul stroking. The décor is mostly found and second-hand objects giving the small space a feeling of familiarity. When you walk in the front door you are greeted with a coffee-roasting machine. That is because the new owners, the Coffee Ambassadors, are a direct-trade coffee roaster, which is actually a step above fair trade coffee. After talking with the barista I learned that their vision goes far beyond just supplying direct trade coffee to Bucktown residents. They want to be a place of community, sustainability and mutual learning. The vision is formidable. But some may argue that a vision is not enough. To that I say, have their soy chai latte! This chai latte is by far the best I've had in Chicago. I rejoiced after the first sip, literally yelling about how wonderful it was across the quaint coffee shop to the next customer at the counter. My friend had a sip and concurred that there was something unique in my mug. Soon after, I realized it tasted like a cup of campfire and all the good sentiments that go along with a campfire. It was one of those drinks that after the second sip I was already sad thinking about the last.
Currently, Ipsento is in its budding elementary stages. Run by a group of young people they welcome the input of community members. This place breathes creativity, tasty flavors and community engagement. Come spring, they hope to be serving mostly local foods from farmer's markets. Stay tuned. I believe this is the beginning of something beautiful.
Ipsento Coffee House, 2035 N. Western Ave., 773.517.4123
— Jessica Gingold / Comments (1)
Rural food in India seems simple and lean. Chutney Joe's, an instruct-them-how-to-assemble-your-meal-at-the-counter type of place, just South of the Loop, doesn't claim to be rural food so far as I know, but it does remind me of that. Their Web site indicates an interest in wanting to change from "Americanized Indian food," and the chickpea masala held especially true to this on my visit. The flavors could be tighter and more mingled, but the essence feels refreshingly simple and lean.
The garbanzo masala, as they call it, isn't oil-laden like so many that I've had eating out in Chicago. It feels brothy, light and simple, and the sauce softly warmed and soothed the lining of my mouth. The chickpeas resisted my bite at first, and then crumpled without hesitation. The gobi potatoes, or cauliflower and potatoes, didn't include diced potatoes, as the online menu suggests, but instead whole, skinned, oval-shaped potatoes, as I probably would have preferred anyway. These potatoes were tender and firm, with a soft touch of oil. The cauliflower still held a bit of its snap. If you "create a meal" of it, like I did, you get your choice of basmati rice or one flat bread. I chose a soft, tender and nicely textured whole wheat flatbread that "should" be vegan, I was told (the other bread options had dairy). Other items are clearly identified as vegan on the menu, and they offer non-vegetarian and other vegetarian items, as well.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (3)
Tell me that your veggie sandwich is vegan and has homemade cashew butter, and you've probably got my attention. Tell me that you plan to have vegan scones made in Evanston and baking fresh in your oven on the weekends, and I'll be back. Tell me you threw in some potato salad - it's vegan, you tell me - as you hand me my takeout, and I've already written the start of this review in my head. Birchwood Kitchen opened today with all of this in a quaint storefront on the quieter side of Wicker Park - on North Avenue, a few blocks west of Damen. The feel is warm and accessible: nicely finished wood floors, wood tables, a brick wall, windows visible front and back, and a glass display case with bowls of potato salad, green beens, olives, fruit salad and some meats in front of the open kitchen. They're into local products, including Metropolis Coffee and Co-op Image hot sauce for sale. I left with two of these cashew butter veggie sandwiches for my friend Jessica and I, who continues the story.
Tell me that you'll pick me up a sandwich when I'm exhausted after a mediocre work out, and I'm there. I arrived at Chris' home after a quick shower with a big appetite. First I cracked open a Goose Island reserve beer, and next I unveiled the "Vegetable" sandwich. A veggie sandwich tends to be pretty standard across the board. This experience was unique. The menu describes it as "spiced cashew butter, carrot, cucumber, pickled red onion, sprouts" on multi grain bread. The perks of the sandwich were the cashew butter, pickled red onion and multi grain bread. The cashew butter was dolloped on generously. The tinge of sweetness from the butter effused the veggies and created a multi-dimensional sandwich. The pickled onions gave the package its kick. Chris commented that the onions were what made the sandwich "so funky." I agree. They gave the sandwich funk, in a good way. James Brown funk. The bitter pickled flavor coupled with the sweet cashew butter couched in a hearty bread were what made the sandwich for me. I think it would have fared slightly better without the carrots - they were a bit too thick and cumbersome in the otherwise light, fanciful sandwich. Tell me they have replaced the carrots with tomatoes, and it may become a staple.
Birchwood Kitchen, 2211 W. North Ave., (773) 276-2100
(in the space formerly occupied by Cold Comfort)
By Chris Brunn and Jessica Gingold
— Jessica Gingold / Comments (0)
Formerly the 27th Ward's local Chicago Public Library branch, and even more recently closed and vacant for ages, Branch 27 has brought new life to the corner of Chicago and Nobel with a buzzing contemporary American restaurant in a lovely typographically inflected space. The latest from what seems to be a fathomless pool of Rockit and Empire Liquors alumni, Branch 27 feels a bit more mature than some of its cousin establishments, and brings a new sense of balance to the ever-expanding Chicago Avenue dining scene. And you can be sure no one will shush you in the building's newest incarnation -- the prevailing mood seems to be celebratory and the place will be crowded, if this past weekend is any indication.
More thoughts on an opening week meal after the jump...
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
I recently had the perfect Sunday. It began with a cozy skype conversation with a friend in Hungary (and yes, I was); followed by a homemade brunch; wandered into thrift stores on Milwaukee Ave. and culminated in a late lunch. This perfect late lunch was at Letizia's Natural Bakery (2144 W. Division St.).
As I stood in line waiting to order I found myself torn over whether to go with the creamy Tomato Basil Soup or the Bella Capri (A "Grilled Baguette, Fresh Baby Mozzerella, Ripe Tomatoes, with Homemade Basil Pesto"). My friend, Johanna, saved me from my conundrum: "Why don't we split both?" The food was delivered to our table in the sun. It glistened. First: the soup. We each took a spoon, dipped it into the frothy tomato bisque and lifted it to our mouths. I looked over at Johanna and it seemed she was equally moved by the experience. We smiled coyly and lifted our hands to high five in celebration of the flavor. At about the fifth bite (but who was counting?), Johanna said, "I think this may be the best tomato soup I've ever had." I agreed.
Next: the sandwich. This was no ordinary sandwich. The baguette was crispy and tender; the kind of bread that resists your first attempt on breaking through, but eventually gives way and fills your mouth with supreme satisfaction. The fresh ingredients complemented one another to perfection. One might think having both a tomato basil soup and tomato and basil on the sandwich would be overwhelming, but the flavors maintained their distinctness. Once again we took a bite and were forced to clasp hands. Mind you, I do not high five over just any meal. This meal had it all: a great ambiance, a sparkling sun, an enthusiastic eating partner, an affordable price and a delicious bounty of flavors. Some may give it five stars, I give it two high fives!
— Jessica Gingold / Comments (1)
Fuel, opening officially this Wednesday in the old Blend space on Division, is sleek and pretty, but like a teenager sneaking a joy ride with daddy's vintage wheels, doesn't seem entirely sure where it wants to go. Pulling a double-shift as a coffee shop by day, loungey bar by night, Fuel seems to be trying to be all things to all people who might be strolling through east Wicker Park. High-gloss molded plastic tables and chairs evoke a kind of 50's car hop feel, as do the converted gas pumps showing off the liquid goods, while plasma screens and a DJ booth are as contemporary as the baffling but still unchecked upscale sports bar trend. (Hub 51, I'm looking at you.) An online menu promises such luxe libations as an Apple Cucumber mojito and Lavazza espresso infused cocktail, though no drink list was available or even mentioned when I visited. No beers are on tap, and $5 or more for a beer always makes me cringe when Gold Star or Rainbo are but a hop, skip and a sip away.
While I always appreciate a bar with a food menu, the eats at Fuel seemed only half baked. Unremarkable but nicely sized fried chicken sliders come three to a plate, an awkward number to share, served with a single slice of tomato, leaf of lettuce, pickle slice and dab of coleslaw on the side. Guacamole is remarkably flavorful, studded with tomato and jalepenos, but served with the most bland and industrial tortilla chips I've seen since my central Wisconsin school lunch nachos. Crispy crab wontons boast a creative filling favoring vegetables and crab to cream cheese, with a bright lime note against the sweet and saltiness. But an unbalanced sticky-sweet chili sauce and undercooked dough make for an uninspiring appetizer overall.
In the end, the unadventurous food didn't much live up to the sleeker surroundings, expect perhaps in its unevenness. Fuel is new, and I remain optimistic about all coffee-shop openings in the neighborhood -- particularly those that can spike their espresso with other bar offerings. But as it is, Fuel seems like it could use a better-focused and thought out tune-up to really make it.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Seeing The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, the DCA Theater's newest production, was an endurance test for me, as I had to sit for a very long time to watch a cast of actors sweat out the everyday violence of living in Israel and the West Bank while cooking fragrant dishes onstage, which kept my attention but gradually made my thoughts turn to my next meal.
The play had a very bare set design, with a small kitchen setup (complete with prep space, a working sink and a few hot plates) serving as a main area of action. The cast skillfully played mutiple roles in a series of short scenes: a retired teacher and her beer-loving husband trying to live out their golden years in East Jerusalem while shootings take place at their front gate; a hummus maker who uses illegally procured tahini for his wares; a falafel shop that is briefly under siege when a well-meaning but naive customer leaves his backpack on a table, inciting a bomb scare; a gay couple who still tries to enjoy the city nightlife despite the heavy security, and a former New Yorker whose friends can't understand why she stayed, even after her husband is killed.
Every character has a sad story to tell about the ongoing violence, so tears are often shed and many moments are tense throughout the performance. Their devotion to food, however, brings a lot of levity to the play. They still have to eat, despite the horrors of the past and the equally grave predictions for the future, and they eat quite well: I was smitten with a humourous monologue that describes the recipe for hummus, and a mother making a pressed casserole of vine leaves, rice and vegetables for a family dinner.
The play runs over a bit, with a few unnecessary new stories being woven in during the second act: as time dragged on, I found myself getting hungry and losing focus, much to my embarassment. The play is based on real stories and interviews--here I was, watching people recount stories of car bombings and dead children while the smell of falafel and cooking casseroles lit up the background. I felt a little manipulated and unsure of the take-away message. Surely it can't be to chow down while the world falls apart.
The play runs until April 5 at the DCA Storefront Theater at 66 East Randolph. Ticket price is $15-23.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
Nothing makes my day quite like a chocolate vegan cupcake. Except, perhaps, when my roommate is kind enough to surprise me with one. She had tasted a sample from Swirlz Cupcakes yesterday at Whole Foods at North and Sheffield, through staffers wearing shirts lettered with the word "happy," which quite accurately described how I felt while tasting their work -- and seems to sum up the sound of Swirlz Cupcake's website.
"It's not like you'd say they're good for being vegan. They're just good." My roommate emphasized "good." The cake is moist and a tag fudgy, and the frosting is thick and creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness to affirm that you're eating a treat, without feeling like you're eating anything too sweet. Swirlz Cupcakes, 705 W. Belden. 773-404-CAKE.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
The first time I met Unibroue cultural attaché Jim Javenkoski was the first time I had Éphémère, a beer that instantly became one of my favorites. I've since gone on to try and enjoy almost everything the Québécois brewery makes. Their Belgian-style, malt- and spice-forward beers are a lovely contrast to the resinous, floral quality of hop-monster brews, and I prefer to pair maltier beers with most winter meals. Therefore, I was excited to spend Thursday evening with Mr. Javenkoski (previously the subject of a Drive-Thru feature) at C-House's beer dinner, the first Unibroue dinner where beer was used in the preparation of every dish. I showed up because of Unibroue, but by the end of the evening, I had also been charmed by the food.
— Leah Williams / Comments (1)
One of my colleague is a venerable veteran of bread making, with more than 20 years under his belt, during which time, rumor goes, he hasn't bought a single loaf of bread. Since I discovered the fun of bread making (and also the fact that he was a closet bread maker), we've been spending good ten minutes every Monday morning discussing what we'd done in the bread department in the preceding weekend. And we steal a few minutes here and there during the week, too, talking about bread. During a recent chat, he told me about an improbable bread recipe he saw on PBS. He called it "Jacques Pépin's pot bread."
"I just don't see how it can be any good," my colleagues added, "it defies all that I know about bread."
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (6)
I didn't set out to attend the Greater Chicago Food Depository's First Annual "Soup Off" and write a piece about it. No, indeed. I headed over to Custom House this snowy afternoon to enjoy a handful of soup samples by renowned Chicago chefs and support a good cause in the process.
But I was so overcome not just by the quality of the eight soups on offer, not just by the perfectly idyllic space Custom House provided for such an event, not just by the general good nature of the crowd, but also by the generous portions and the unmatched graciousness of chef/host Shawn McClain, that I felt compelled to put a few thoughts down on paper.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)
The first rule of going to lunch during restaurant week: don't show up early, at least if you have the first reservation of the day. I showed up a few minutes early at Naha to find my dining companion already hiding from the rain under the small awning; by the time they opened the doors, ten or eleven patrons were alternately crowding under the awning and glaring desperately at the indifferent staff inside the restaurant.
Once we managed to get inside and were seated next to the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on Clark Street, things took a turn for the better.
I chose the late winter squash soup from the $22, three-course Restaurant Week Menu; the texture was perfectly smooth, with sweet spaghetti squash that melted in my mouth and a nice accent of crunchy green pumpkin seeds. My companion James, a former line chef, was just as satisfied with his house-cured arctic char.
— Leah Williams / Comments (2)
The team behind Northside Bar & Grill, Streetside, Danny's and the Logan Bar & Grill opened Simone's Bar in Pilsen this past weekend. We stopped in Monday night to try the food and check out the completely rehabbed building. The space is enormous, with booth seating, a long horseshoe bar, and a gallery space in back that will be joining the Pilsen 2nd Fridays art walks. The interior is inspired by recycled objects and architectural remnants -- and there are some nice touches like the bar-top made from an old bowling alley lane -- but overall the space seemed a bit cluttered and overly-calculated.
I look forward to trying the black bean & banana empanadas and the potato, Parmesan & rosemary pizza in the future, but we were hungry for a heartier meal. I ordered the vegan burger, which is made in house with quinoa and black beans. The patty was bland, and was just barely saved by spicy mustard and the blue cheese I had ordered on top. My companion enjoyed his regular burger. The fries, a mix of sweet potato and baking potato, were excellent. The dessert list includes the delicious tres leches cake from Kristoffer's and local Black Dog gelato -- a nice touch.
The one thing that will likely bring me back (besides the fact that it is within stumbling distance of my house) is the beer menu -- Rotating Bells, Dark Horse and Three Floyds handles, $2.50 PBR tall boys, Two Brothers Cane & Ebel, New Holland Dragon's Milk, and Dogfish Head 90 Minute bottles.
A review of Simone's seems to beg a comparison to the Skylark, so here it is: The prices are about the same and the service is good at both establishments. If you are looking for a low-key bar, a great burger or a fresh, seasonal salad in Pilsen, I'd still direct you to the Skylark. But, if you are looking for a good beer menu, Simone's might have a bit more to offer.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
This is not a picture of a cupcake from Sugar Bliss, the recently opened Loop designer cupcake joint in the shadow of the Wabash 'L'. I tried to photograph one of their cakes, but when I set the top-heavy thing down, it promptly rolled over, its sickly sweet frosting gluing it with curious strength to the unfortunate top of my Ikea knock-off tulip table.
The above, instead, is a picture of a cupcake from More Cupcakes, the upscale Gold Coast bakery currently suing a former staffer for allegedly ignoring a non-compete agreement and going to work for Sugar Bliss. I have two words for More: Don't worry.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (8)
On Tuesday, March 3, Crain's Chicago Business and "Check, Please!" will host a party at Texas de Brazil to videotape people from all over Chicago talking about their favorite spots to meet for a business breakfast, lunch or dinner. Crain's will post a selection of these segments to its web site, ChicagoBusiness.com.
The party isn't a free-for-all, though. You must register here, and the deciders will let you know if you're in.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
Vosges Chocolate recently introduced a new line of organic, single-origin chocolate bars. Each bar comes in at a steep $8.50 (a buck over a regular Vosges chocolate bar), but this is chocolate worth splurging on.
The five new flavors are: Dominica Noir, Dominica Lait, Peanut Butter Bonbon, Enchanted Mushroom, and Habana.
While I usually prefer dark chocolates, I was very impressed with the Dominica Lait. The chocolate was smooth and rich with a nutty, raisin-y flavor. This chocolate would make an excellent addition to a cheese and fruit course.
I was really excited to try the Enchanted Mushroom, a bar of dark chocolate with reishi mushrooms and walnuts. It was nice, but rather uneventful. The mushroom flavor was barely noticeable and the result was simply a high-quality chocolate bar with walnuts. --Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what I was hoping for.
The Habana bar was my favorite of the bunch. The milk chocolate was perfectly suited to the crunchy, salty plantains. If you are looking for a unique Valentine's Day treat, this would be an excellent choice.
Vosges boutiques are located downtown and in Lincoln Park.
(Image from VosgesChocolate.com)
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
Walking past Piccolo in the middle of winter makes me long for summer days and gelato. I was recently reminded that this charming establishment has plenty to offer patrons in the colder months as well. The menu boasts panini, Italian subs, soups & salads, and bruschetta -- all made to order with fresh ingredients. (The black forest ham panino with Gruyere and tomato is pictured above with an artichoke heart salad.)
They deliver to the surrounding area and you can place your orders online. (The cafe has a much better design than their website.) The menu lists several vegetarian options and they are also accommodating to vegans. Read Chris Brunn's post on the topic here.
Piccolo
859 N. Damen
773/772-3355
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)
Last week I had a rare craving for Thai food so I went to Duck Walk - a Thai restaurant right around the corner from my apartment. It's hard to believe that I walked by this place without a second thought for more than a year and a half. Thai food has never really been my thing, but Duck Walk certainly is.
I can never, ever resist pot stickers so we started out with an order of six - they were a little doughy but still pretty good. For the entrees I had the Pad Khee Mao and my boyfriend ordered the Goey See Me. Both dishes were full of flavor, fresh ingredients and had a little spice to them (both were pretty mild but they have a fantastic spicy sauce you can use to spice it up). Added bonus: BYOB.
Beyond the delicious food, the service is great and it is conveniently located a few steps away from Belmont el stop. The food is also incredibly cheap - we got an appetizer and two entrees for just $20! Duck Walk has a very warm, cozy atmosphere - with just a few tables the restaurant can fill up quickly. Don't be discouraged if it's busy when you get there - the tables seem to clear up pretty quickly. And, if you don't feel like waiting you can always get takeout.
Duck Walk
919 W Belmont Ave.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (3)
Last weekend, Merge scribe and local blog diva Jasmine Davila and I headed to the Macy's State Street seventh-floor food court to sample the popular-but-pricey Marc Burger (Yelp link) that recently set up shop there. After two Angus burgers, two frozen custards, and fleeing for our lives before a phalanx of fast-approaching snow plows later that afternoon, we concur: the burgers are alarmingly expensive. But oh, so nom-nommy good.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (2)
Not long after turning Cincinnati Jamie onto the Asian hot wings of doom during a visit to Pilsen's Take Me Out one tornadic night last summer, he turned around and clued me into Argyle Street's venerable Sun Wah (see here for Facebook group). Super-flavorful, super-cheap Beijing Duck that can feed three people? Ditch that third person and come with me, I'm sold.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (0)
I grew up ice skating on frozen flooded soccer fields and baseball diamonds, where the ice got rougher and more dangerous as the winter drew on -- unless a neighbor or Park District employee thought to revisit the rink with a hose. I don't know that this tradition continues, though I wouldn't be surprised if liability and insurance concerns have made these hand-crafted rinks unfortunate casualties of a more concerned sporting population... Skating in Millennium Park, for obvious reasons, doesn't feel exactly the same as the remembered experiences of my youth. The glow of shining Christmas lights and the sky high faces of the Crown Fountain, the sweeping city scape, and, well, an awful lot more people make for a decidedly more urban experience. But the delightful and terrifying feeling of those first tentative, flailing moments on newly glassed ice is exactly as I remember it. (Here, there's a zamboni to keep that feeling coming back, no neighbors needed.)
And enjoying a hot, ever-so-slightly greasy meal after skating -- well, why stop with tradition on the ice? Michigan Avenue offers slightly more upscale after-skating food and drink options than a dubiously boiled bratwurst served by the local middle school hockey club booster association (located at the counter between the skate sharpener and WWF wrestling video game). The earthy but haute comfort food at The Gage, or slightly more classic American fare at the Park Grill may beckon, but why not wander down to Pizano's Pizza. You either already know this place, or have walked past it a hundred times. If you're in the latter category, stop by for some of the best thin-crust pizza around -- buttery, biscuit-y and deeply flavorful. Make it a great end to a good night of skating, and you may find yourself crafting a new tradition on the spot.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Chickpea, West Town's new middle eastern restaurant, moved into the former space of The Bleeding Heart Bakery in November. While it may be a rough time to embark on a new business, owner Jerry Suqi knows the ropes. With Narcisse, La Pomme Rouge and Sugar under his belt, Suqi hopes to share his mother Amni's traditional cooking with this latest venture.
The space is bright and airy, with Arabic movie posters and advertisements decorating the walls. The prices are modest and the menu offers plenty for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans alike. The dinner menu also includes daily "Mama's Specials" like Koosa Mihshee and Mussakhkhan.
Seven dollars bought me a beautifully presented lentil soup ($3) and a falafel sandwich ($4). The service was excellent and the food was simple, tasty and satisfying.
West Town was in need of a restaurant to temper the plentiful bar food and fast food options in the area. Chickpea delivers serving high-quality middle eastern fare at reasonable prices.
Chickpea
2018 W Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 384-9930
Monday - Sunday, 11am to 10pm
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)
If there's a time and place for a tropical drink big enough for four, served in a pearlescent porcelain conch shell with giant straws, January in Chicago is it.
The aptly named Rum Giggle arrived at our table near the end of the recent media dinner for Chicago's newly-opened Trader Vic's, 1030 N. State St. Three years ago, the city's previous incarnation of the famous tiki bar and restaurant, then-located at the Palmer House Hilton, closed its doors. For those who never made it there, the Rum Giggle sums up the Trader Vic's experience: festive and sophisticated, but with just the right touch of camp.
Read about Trader Vic's behemoth cocktail menu after the jump.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
On New Years Day, a few of my friends and I decided to go out for a holiday brunch. After calling several bars in the Lakeview area and after being let down many times, O'Donovan's (2100 W. Irving Park Rd.) came to the rescue with a brunch special. Let me break it down for you: Multiple varieties of soup and salad, dinosaur-shaped chicken fingers, mac 'n cheese bites, biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, potatoes, scrambled eggs, beans, mini corn dogs, sausage, bacon, mini quiche, French toast, two types of pasta, veggie tray and sloppy joes. That was the first set of tables.
Move across the room to find every kind of fruit imaginable, yogurt, granola (amazing!), muffins, bagels, build your own omelet station, ham and roast beef (freshly carved), waffles (made-to-order), marshmallows, whipped cream. This all topped off with a fountain of chocolate.
I'm sure I'm forgetting a few items but this covers most of it - besides, what else could you ask for? This brunch special takes place every Sunday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; all you can eat for $13.95. I highly recommend checking it out.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (2)
Swings to sit on, a sign promising unattended children an espresso and a free puppy, and vegan and non-vegan cupcakes in a bright and playful storefront full of board game players is Molly's Cupcakes on a Saturday night. I took the vegan chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting - slightly fudgy with a soft, velvety topping - and a cup of decaf Intelligentsia so I wouldn't zip about into the night. I sat at the marble or marble-like counter, snapped a photo through the mirror in front of me, and chatted with a friend, being excited about just having stopped in at Dutch Bike Co. Chicago and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. 2536 N. Clark St., (773) 883-7220. Bus: 22 Clark, 36 Broadway.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (2)
A group of friends was going for brunch and invited me along. I immediately said yes, then asked the biggest question of all: "Where are we going?" The answer would make me darken the door of a restaurant I had hoped to never visit again: the Riverside Cafe.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)
Back in August, I made my first-ever visit to Ohio's Queen City, Cincinnati. Much to my surprise, I was completely blown away by the place--and especially by the chili. I can still picture the shocked look on Cincinnati Jamie's face as I scarfed down five-way after coney seemingly (okay, literally) at every Skyline and Gold Star chili parlor that we passed for three days. It wasn't until I got back to the Windy City that I discovered our one, lonely, yet exceedingly authentic Queen City chili joint. Dear Cinner's in Lincoln Square: you own me now.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (0)
A year ago, I was excited when the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant empire opened the third outlet of their modest Wow Bao Chinese (oh, excuse me, "Asian") bun chain at the corner of State and Lake, a five-minute walk from my house. Before they came to me, I'd often walk over at their postage-stamp-sized Mag Mile location at Water Tower Place for some barbeque pork buns and "homemade" ginger ale. I'm glad my walk is shorter now. If only the prices were more reasonable for some of the most popular items on the menu, the place would be perfect. For now, my advice is simple: hold the rice.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (1)
My German last name hides the fact that I'm a second generation Italian-American on my mother's side. And growing up, Christmas was usually spent with my mom's side of the family -- which meant meant Christmas Eve was far more important, celebration-wise than Christmas Day. Oh sure, we got our presents from Santa on the 25th, but Christmas Eve dinner was the highlight of the holiday season.
The dinner was always centered around lots of seafood; only later did I learn that it was a variation on the Feast of Seven Fishes, a traditional Italian Christmas Eve meal. By my count, we had at least that many: anchovies mixed into the breading on the stuffed artichokes; oysters Rockefeller; shrimp cocktail; fried calamari and smelts; and spaghetti with a gravy containing lobster, calamari, fresh cod (or other white fish) and baccalà (salt cod). Add to that antipasti, deviled eggs, salad, broccoli (always overcooked), scalloped potatoes, Italian sausage simmered in marinara, and whatever other dishes my grandmother, mother and aunts decided to make, and you've got quite a meal.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)
My favorite neighborhood restaurant I wouldn't wish on anyone. Well, at least not on the weekend. That's because Emerald Loop, the Vaughan Hospitality Irish pub on the ground floor of downtown Chicago's Jeweler's Building, is a little bit like Sybil. Just when you're ready to sing her praises, she dishes out something completely unexpected. And at times, awful.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (0)
A friend of mine has been raving about the breakfast at a Guatemalan restaurant, El Tinajon (2054 W Roscoe St.), in Roscoe Village for months now. A couple of weeks ago he took a few of us there to check it out. Chips and salsa for breakfast? This place won my heart immediately.
Back up a second - I started with a cup of coffee and let me tell you, it was the best coffee I've had since I was in Mexico some seven or eight years ago. Dark, smooth and with a hint of cinnamon - I think I had about seven cups. Accompanying the coffee (and on the house) was a glass of warm rice milk - fantastic!
For breakfast I had a delicious combination of tortilla chips, eggs, onions, salsa , cheese and black beans. These breakfast nachos have become my new favorite breakfast. For those who like more traditional breakfast food El Tinajon also offers pancakes, steak and egss and a variety of omelets.
The service was really great and the prices were pretty reasonable. If you're up for an unconventional breakfast, definitely check it out.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
Brasserie Jo has been a culinary nemesis of mine for several years. Ever since first visiting Lettuce Entertain You's take on French casual dining for a sorely disappointing birthday dinner (things started well with a duck confit flatbread and hit an unpleasant wall with the Alsatian choucroute, a bland and boring house specialty), Jo has been on my list. Not the good list. I haven't had many bad meals in Chicago -- at least, not many from establishments where I'd been expecting better, and maybe I've taken it personally. But in a city where eating well can be so effortless, I feel like my disappointment has merit.
So I haven't been back. For over three years. I'm not great with second chances. And just recently, I got a notice about Brasserie Jo's new menu, unveiled at the beginning of November, and featuring such additions as striped bass with artichokes and a classic sounding braised calf's liver. I thought maybe things had changed. Maybe it was time to forgive and forget and forage on. Maybe I'd judged too harshly, too quickly. Or maybe not. More details on a reconciliation meal and the final verdict, after the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (4)
If you've ever had to go to a reception in a church social hall following a mass or religious service, the idea of what constitutes a "refreshment" can boggle the mind. In my past, I've downed my fill of generic orange drink and bland grocery store donuts, and have perused the plastic trays of SuperValu brand vanilla sandwich cookies, heavily sighing, plate in hand, unrefreshed.
Things changed for me tonight as I entered the basement social hall after attending mass. Greeting me was what I always wanted to see in those drudgery-filled first Sundays of the month at Saint Robert's church in my hometown: plate after plate of cookies from Northlake's Ancona Bakery.
Ancona's is the kind of old school Italian bakery that specializes in the sweets that are familiar to an Italian-American: biscotti covered in chocolate and a dusting of pistachio nuts, lemon-covered taralli, crescents dotted with cherries, amaretti, coconut macaroons, crunchy sesame-covered cookies, and almond shortbread quickly disappeared off the tables over the course of an hour. The bakery also specializes in cannoli, breads and wedding cakes. Ancona's has been in business since 1937, a family-owned business that thrived in the city's west side at Chicago and Hamlin until a 1992 move to the suburbs. Sure, Northlake's a far hike from the city, but the product is worth the drive.
Ancona Bakery
25 East North Avenue, Northlake
708-343-4141
anconabakery.com
Open daily
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
As food prices rise, more and more people are moving away from organic products and farmers' markets. But, according to a panel of seasoned organic-food experts at last weekend's Family Farmed Expo, there are ways to save money while still eating fresh, healthy foods.
Among the panelists were Lisa Kivirist, who runs Inn Serendipity, a sustainable, eco-friendly bed & breakfast near Monroe, Wisconsin. She said that she and her husband came to their farmstead 12 years ago with a roll of quarters, a roll of duct tape and a Rodale guide to farming, and they've learned to live richly off of the land around them. Laura Bruzas, founder and editor of the newsletter Healthy Dining Chicago was on hand, as were author and educator Bret Beall, from GOD-DESS lifestyle services, and moderator Irv Cernauskas, from grocery-delivery service Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks.
— Lori Barrett / Comments (0)
After reading the heaps of praise bestowed on Avondale's Urban Belly (3053 North California), I made it over there this past weekend. While I'm a lukewarm fan of Asian cuisine, I was not disappointed by my meal. I started off with the Chinese eggplant in Thai basil, which on its own was a little tangy for my taste (the addition of rice from another dish helped dilute the Eggplant's bite). The dumplings with Asian squash and bacon were just so-so (and bordering on "meh"), but the pork and cilantro version was an absolute knockout -- a a dense little bundle of meaty goodness). The short rib and scallion rice dish also blew my hair back -- a small pile of spicy, sweet short ribs drizzled with crunchy fried onions and scallions atop a heap of rice.
Service was fast for a Sunday morning, the sparse, wooden interior is beautiful (I thought I was in an upscale place straight out of San Francisco when I walked in), and the prices were acceptable for the most part, although the $11-13 range for the noodle dishes seemed a little high. While Avondale seems like the last place you'd expect to get competent cuisine of this persuasion, if you get to Urban Belly and are dismayed by the wait, head over to -- and I'm not kidding -- Stadium West Lounge at 3188 North Elston; the bar has been renamed the Dragon Lady Lounge (although the signage outside hasn't been updated), and serves Korean delicacies such as bi-bim-bop and dumplings. Who knew?
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
Everyday we eat and if we're lucky, we eat well. If not, a pity. But when we eat exceedingly well as I just did, that's another story entirely. I have a hope that by documenting this phenomena so close to experiencing it, i'll be able to prolong the magic of the moment. Or at least get back to it by rereading this.
I've eaten there now about half a dozen times. It's always excellent, but somehow today it was even better than excellent. It just got to me on so many levels. Smell to start with. Primitive senses coursing through my body upon opening the door.
Brain synapses instantly flood my reptilian psyche, saying "me likey"!!!
Visually, a working class family-run storefront. There's thousands throughout Chicagoland and I'm certain that within a few, greatness resides. Maybe few and far between, but some of them have got it going on. That's part of the game. Searching for and ocassionally finding that ellusive, near unobtainable thing. Or quoting Guisspe Verdi "the pursuit of joys untasted".
Like today.
— Alan Lake / Comments (5)
Yes, it's Top Chef time again. Though with New York playing host this year and only one Chicago cheftestant, I already feel like some of the magic is gone. The never-ending cavalcade of Glad products, the ever-shifting landscape of Tom Colicchio's facial hair, Padma and her seductive temptress ways... And this year, self-proclaimed "Team Rainbow" has taken weeks of exciting guesswork off our hands. At least the food still looks as good, if not better, than ever.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Disclaimer: When an over-critical, hypersensitive chef (like myself) eats at a restaurant, it's hard to put that on the back burner (pardon the pun). While you can take the chef out of the kitchen it's harder to take the kitchen out of the chef. Imperceptible missteps which mean little or nothing to the uninitiated civilian can be elevated to deal breakers por moi.
One pea under the mattress ruins my sleep and makes me a tough customer. Not in a cruel or contemptuous way towards wait staff (very tacky), but most often as an aside to my dining companions.
For instance, I know how much the diver scallops cost by the each and the price of the starch, vegetables and sauce that may accompany them. I know when caramelized onion actually is caramelized or, all too often, simply sautéed trying to pass. Or the difference between wild mushrooms (foraged) and exotic mushrooms (cultivated) -- my particular nemesis and cross to bear.
A menu typo means negligence. A menu description that reads one way and a plate that delivers another is either an insult to the consumer's intelligence, proof of the chef's ignorance or a diabolical plot to cheat the patron.
In a home, I'm quite different, but not, alas, in a restaurant. In a word, I'm one picky bastard when I eat out. My friends, critics all, humor or ignore me. But this perspective can be useful here in this arena, that of food critic.
When asked if I'd be interested in reviewing Eve, I jumped at the opportunity. While I'd heard some good things about Chef Troy Graves, Meritage and Tallulah, I had no firsthand knowledge. That was about to change.
— Alan Lake / Comments (0)
When I decamped from New York to the Windy City almost six years ago I did so with love, instantly going native on many things including food. Except for Italian beefs. Local friends still don't believe me when I try to explain neither Gothamites nor most other Americans grow up eating the juicy bovine wonders. They're a peculiarly Chicagoan palate-pleaser.
Until this year, you couldn't get me to touch one of the soggy sandwiches with a plastic-wrapped ten-foot pole (with or without a wet-nap). Then pastry-chef Chris dragged me to Johnnie's Beef in near-west suburban Elmwood Park and much like my relationship with the flat shores of Lake Michigan, it was love at first sight. Well, bite really.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (1)
I work in River North and my lunch options are scarce. Luckily for me, Mr. Beef (666 N. Orleans St.) is just around the corner. I've honestly never had anything except the Italian Beef and I don't think that will change in the near future. Definitely the best Italian Beef I've had in Chicago - shaved meat, lots of peppers (hot and sweet) and incredibly juicy. And, it's cheap. If you're in the neighborhood, check it out. Downfalls: Really messy (nothing a few napkins can't fix) and cash only.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
It is just my luck that an excellent new bar moves into Logan Square just when I move out. Though, if the brains behind the Whistler had it their way, the establishment might have opened months ago.
In Chicago, the build-out of a business needs to be complete before the city will begin inspections and issue business, tavern, or alcohol licenses. After such an enormous personal investment, I can't imagine the horror of being denied such permits. A misguided Logan Square resident convinced dozens upon dozens of neighbors to sign a petition to block the bar, claiming it would be an unsavory addition to the neighborhood.
Thanks to some legal representation and lots of door-knocking, the owners (who also happen to be Logan Square residents) convinced the community to give them the go-ahead. After just a few weeks, business is going well. The low-lights, blue hues, church pews, and wood bar create a stylish watering hole. The space is small, but the outdoor patio can increase capacity in more forgiving weather. The bar doubles as a no-cover music venue for live music (Sunday - Wednesday) and DJs (Thursday - Saturday).
The cocktail menu changes seasonally. When I visited we sampled the Rosemary Gin & Tonic, Hibiscus Sour, and Sazerac. All were delicious and offered at the very reasonable price of $8. The bottled beer menu includes selections from craft breweries like Bell's and Great Lakes and -- perhaps best of all -- they also stock $2 Pabst cans.
The Whistler
2421 N Milwaukee Ave
(between Fullerton Ave & Richmond St)
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
I had strolled into Blind Faith looking for a treat and was pretty sure of my selection once I saw the display case, but it was too easy bait. I asked for help, and the cashier steered me another way. A certain vegan cappuccino brownie was looking right at me from behind the glass. A whole troop of them were there, all in formation on a tray, and all luring me over with the thick chocolate bases that I imagined to be luscious, fudgy experiences. Each also had a lighter-looking layer, both in color and density, which must have been the cappuccino. This made me think of some ultimate creaminess, under a topping of a thick, soft chocolate. Still, I doubted the brownie, perhaps because I had now loaded it with enormous expectations that would be hard to fulfill.
I asked the cashier for help. Shall I get the vegan cappuccino brownie or the vegan peanut butter chocolate cake? He wasn't shy about his preference for the cake. But what was the vegan cappuccino brownie like? I don't think he answered that follow-up question directly, but expressed that in his opinion the vegan peanut butter chocolate cake was the best of all the vegan options. Perhaps he was right, but I left wondering about the other vegan treats. There's a thick round dessert labeled vegan chocolate mousse, vegan chocolate cake, a vegan vanilla cupcake that is a toasty looking cupcake topped with swirls of chocolate frosting, a vegan chocolate cupcake with plenty of white frosting, and vegan cornbread. Of course, there are plenty of non-vegan choices, too. But I have my focus.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)
The Fixx Coffee Bar represents everything I love about coffee shops. Great drinks and food, cozy atmosphere and good music - it is truly a neighborhood cafe. Everyone seems very comfortable doing their thing, whether it be reading, working, playing games or visiting with friends, Located at 3053 N. Sheffield, Fixx offers free wi-fi, open mic nights and a cup of coffee that won't break the bank.
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
This charming memoir captures Julia Child's first impressions of France and the joyful adventures she found in her adopted homeland.
Child was first introduced to France in 1948 when she moved to Paris with her husband and Foreign Service Officer, Paul. The book follows Child through the early days of the Cordon Bleu, the intense creative process that ultimately bore Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and the cultural differences between French and United States cooks during the '50s.
This book is a highly recommended companion for these bountiful fall days.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)
As was noted in Merge earlier this week, Potbelly has introduced a new sandwich, the Clubby, to compete with the extra meat options at Quizno's and Subway. The Clubby contains ham, turkey, bacon, provolone cheese and ranch dressing, which is 30 percent more meat than Potbelly's other sandwiches. But how does it stack up compared with what most people would consider Potbelly's previously "biggest" sandwich, the Wreck? Here's a side-by-side comparison, with the Clubby on the right:
You can see that there's more meat (primarily turkey) for a meatier sandwich. But unlike the adding extra meat to a Subway or Quizno's sub, the flavor balance of the Clubby isn't thrown off -- it remains a well balanced bite. And it's not so much larger than I felt stuffed and bloated after eating it, which is a good thing for office workers in fear of falling asleep at their desks from food coma.
The Clubby is $5.39, compared with $4.19 for Potbelly's other sandwiches, but if you skip the chips, you'll hardly notice the price difference -- or the extra calories.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
Ethel's Chocolates is offering a limited edition box of tea infused chocolates. The warm combination of silky chocolate with spicy teas creates a decadent seasonal treat. The box includes: Earl Grey, Citrus, Spiced Chai, Sweet Rose, Jasmine, and Tropical Green. The Earl Grey flavor was the favorite in our house. A box of 24 retails for $32. At over a buck a chocolate, the collection is a bit pricey, but the flavors will be a fun change of pace for chocolate lovers.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
Sauces are the cornerstone of my culinary experience, both at home and when eating out. I appreciate a good sauce when I come across it, savoring it, letting it do its job while at the same time, I'm trying to figure out what it's made of.
In my fridge, the door shelves are stacked with sauces of all kinds. Hot sauces, Asian cooking sauces, dressings, bases, you name it, I'll have it.
Recently, two bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce found their way to me. I'd never heard of it before though the bottle looked familiar. I'm sure, nestled amongst the dozens of bottles that line grocery shelves, this sauce sat, incognito, its more flashy and designed bottles shouting for my attention instead.
— Naz Hamid / Comments (2)
Chicago might have its fill of cupcake places, but a new one opened this past weekend that offers a new version of the precious treats. More, located in the Gold Coast (1 East Delaware), offers a compelling array of both sweet and savory cupcakes. A few Drive-Thru staffers recently met at More, which is located in a tiny space nestled next to a Starbucks (how fitting). The stark interior of More looks more like the set of a Kraftwerk music video than a bake shop, but the offerings are colorful. We were smitten with a BLT cupcake, whose Ranch dressing frosting was dusted with a slice of Heirloom tomato and microgreens. The Madras Curry cupcake was a delicious experience, with its goat cheese frosting and blackberry topping.
More's menu offers a greater number of sweet cupcakes, but only a few of them really shone, notably their Salted Caramel, Pink Grapefruit and Peach Barbecue. More also sells decent versions of a Red Velvet, carrot/ginger and a molten chocolate cupcake for the less adventurous consumer. Pastry genius Gale Gand collaborated with owner Patty Rothman to develop More's recipes, and the products are obviously interesting and attractive. The store's real mastery is in the unexpected flavors of their savory offerings, so don't overlook the other side of the flavor coin when you visit--but you won't be disappointed either way.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
When I moved into my apartment about a year ago, I immediately noticed a small restaurant called Mellos on the corner of Clark and Dickens. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the shiny, pretty Lincoln Park neighborhood - florescent lights, bright signs and a slightly run-down building. I suppose, being new to the area, this is partly why I had low expectations; I didn't know any better. Yet, I was drawn to it - how could I not be?
Having frequented Mellos multiple times in the past year, I'm happy to tell you that my initial skepticism was unwarranted. It's a refreshing break from the upscale, trendy restaurants that populate the LP. I have tried a lot of things on the menu - pizza puffs, burgers and fries and Italian beef, all of them worth stopping in for, but most of the time I go straight for the gyro.
With plenty of moist meat, slices of onion and wedges of tomato topped with delicious tzatziki all wrapped in warm pita bread, the gyro has truly won my heart. Mellos has too, the staff is very friendly and the food is cheap. If you're in search of good, greasy food at a neighborhood joint, definitely check it out.
Mellos
2100 N. Clark Street
773.296.9600
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
The building at the corner of Diversey and Rockwell has housed a few short-lived restaurants. The location is easy to overlook, as it's close to a noisy, litter-strewn I-90 overpass and also on a street that is frequently jammed with traffic. While it's not pictured as the perfect spot for a quiet meal, Kayla's Ristorante, the building's current tenant, provides what I was looking for in a mid-week dinner: dimmed lighting and decently priced Italian food.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
I recently met a friend at Mana Food Bar to sample the vegetarian fare.
We each ordered a lemonade (tangy or sweet for $2) and decided to split four of the small dishes. We started with the house made pickled vegetables for $4 and the baby potato salad in spicy mustard and bleu cheese for $4.
The pickle plate contained some wonderful pickled okra, a nice medium-spiced kimchi, and pickled daikon radish that we found so over-powering that we didn't finish it. The potato salad balanced the bold flavors of bleu cheese and mustard well. I am going to try to recreate this pleasing combination at home.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
Taste TV invited Gapers Block and other local Chicago media to the the beautiful Symphony Center for the first annual Chicago Luxury Chocolate Salon.
Many of the chocolatiers were based in the Chicago-area. These entrepreneurial individuals ranged from professionally trained chefs to a suburban mother of five. Click through to see more photos of the event and to hear about our favorite selections.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
Some restaurants are like Sybil: some people love them, others aren't fans and it's confusing to try and figure them out. A recent client lunch in Wicker Park gave me the chance to try and get to the bottom of the love/hate relationship many of my friends have with the hipster hood's Italian eatery, Francesca's Forno.
For a chain restaurant to locate in the middle of indie-oriented Wicker Park is a brave move. (There are 14 other "Francesca's Family" restaurants across Chicagoland, mostly in the suburbs). The most worrisome advance comment I had heard about the place came from a local who told me, "I'm never impressed, but my husband loves the place. I asked him why once. He said because he was full." But Yelpers seem to like the food, so I knew there had to be a middle ground somewhere. Perhaps the place was just a contradiction in terms?
My clients were 45 minutes late, so there was much time to peruse the sizable lunch menu. It seemed am ambitious list of selections for a Noontime meal, with no fewer than 43 items to choose from among cold and warm anitipasti, pastas, pizzas, grilled paninne, and cheese-and-meat pairings. For a moment, I flashed on the opening of every episode of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (2)
There are two kinds of New York City pizza: the good kind; and the kind my mother warned me about during my Queensborough childhood. They're both authentic. Trouble is, oftentimes in the Chicago area, eateries settle for serving up the latter. On an accidental road trip today, I sampled the best and the worst Gotham-style pizza on offer in Chicagoland.
My foodie friend, Jamie, and I had intended to end up at the Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Ninety-degree weather in the northern suburbs had us ditch that plan fast. We opted for a North Shore lunch, instead. I had been meaning to try the lately much-ballyhooed New York-style pizza at Highland Park's recently opened New York Slices and Jamie, a recent Cincinnati expat, had never had the experience of a good Gotham slice. So we pulled up the pizzeria's Yelp listing, pointed our iPhone Google Map apps to it and off we went.
The press on the place promised a pizzeria experience like I had grown up with: floppy thin crust pies; garlic knots; black-and-white cookies; and Marino's Italian Ices, complete with their cute little wooden tongue depresser-shaped spoons. Walking in, the place looked like home. Pre-cooked slices sitting behind a glass counter shield, waiting for the order to be warmed up.
My, how looks can be deceiving.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (3)
Tomato juice? Check. Vodka? Check. Vegetables? Check.
You'd think, being a fan of all three, that Bloody Marys would be right up my alley. Wrong. I've been on a hunt for the past four years to find a Bloody Mary that I actually like. Every three or four months I'll order one, only to be disappointed (and completely baffled - I SHOULD like these). I was about to come to terms with the fact that I just don't like the combination of the three when I found myself ordering a Bloody Mary at The Globe Pub.
Some friends and I frequent The Globe Pub on Saturday mornings to watch English Premier League football. That particular morning, I couldn't bring myself to drink a Carlsberg so I decided to give Bloody Marys one more shot. For the first time in four years I was not let down. Just enough spice and the perfect combination of tomato juice and vodka. Garnished with a lemon, lime and two green olives this cocktail has renewed my faith in the popular hangover remedy. The food at The Globe is pretty great too. And the football - don't forget the football.
The Globe Pub
1934 W. Irving Park Rd.
773.871.3757
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (0)
How far is too far for a restaurant? Five miles? Ten? Twenty? How about 90?
I'm a lazy ass who generally wants her kibble within easy reach of her lair. (This is why I usually end up eating at the just-passable Thai restaurant on the corner after a busy day.) But when it comes to barbecue, I travel far. Way too far. Ninety miles.
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (6)
I know Orange on Harrison's claims to fame are its delicately constructed rice-and-fruit sushi ("Frushi", pictured) and weekly pancake flights: four mounds of mini-pancakes smothered in a pun of flavors. (This week's schtick, French Dessert toppings: tarte tartin sauteed apples; baba au rhum rum syrup; au'chocolat chocolate ganache and napoleon sweetened ricotta and strawberry anglaise).
I prefer my morning sugar infused in a cup or three of strong coffee. So usually when I hit my favorite downtown brunch palace, I go for the savory side of the menu. At my second of two visits to the eatery this week, the waitress pegged me from my pleading request. "You've been coming here since before we changed cooks, right?"
Right, but I didn't know about the change. A year ago, a staffer told me the eatery was trying to save money by metering butter out only to those who asked for it.
Since then, whenever I've ordered a grilled cheese (my favorite: mild melted white cheddar and mozzarella gluing together two pieces of earthy marbled Rye, zested up with tomato and bacon), or on my rare sweet-tooth mornings, the popular French Toast Kabobs (honey-drizzled coconut French toast and fruit on skewers), I've layed on the begging for an adequate amount of butter to be applied to my meal's griddle of origin. It's long been the only way to make Orange on Harrison's grilled creations more palatable than chewing on cardboard.
I'm happy to report the dry spell is over.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (1)
The perfect pizza. It seems everyone has one. And those who don't are on a quest to find one. I had mine in St. Paul before I moved to Chicago. I could (and sometimes did) eat it multiple times a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.When I moved to Chicago, I embraced the deep-dish pizza. And I like it, I really do. But I missed the thin-crust perfection I had enjoyed so much in Minnesota.
Last weekend I found myself standing in front of Angela's Burrito Style and Café Luigi on Clark Street in Lincoln Park. When the group chose Café Luigi, I reluctantly followed, trying to imagine the taste of chicken tacos from Angela's (delicious).
Much to my surprise, Café Luigi serves the best pizza I've had in Chicago and reminds me exactly of the pizza I used to look forward to when visiting my good friend is Boston. I'll admit, the sight of lukewarm pizza sitting under lights and then re-heated took me awhile to get used to. But these guys know what they're doing. Thin crust, amazing sauce, plenty of cheese and just the right amount of grease.
Added bonus: a slice of cheese pizza is less than $3.
Café Luigi
2548 N. Clark St.
773.404.0200
— Kaitlin Olson / Comments (1)
Seeking a northern escape from downtown Air & Water Show crowds, foodie partner-in-crime Jamie and I found ourselves at Andersonville's Algerian crepe joint, Icosium Kafe. Opened in spring 2007 as the second outpost of the eatery's mother ship down the street in Lincoln Park, Drive-Thru first dropped in last November and found the place to plate up some out-of-the-ordinary crepe creations.
More used to the thickly sauced, velvety goodness found inside French- or Québécois-style crepes, I reserved judgment for the vegetable-heavy Algerian variety I was about to experience. The menu offers more than half-a-dozen savory and sweet crepes all for under $10.
— Mike Doyle / Comments (0)
Shikago, the chic Asian restaurant on the first floor of 190 S. La Salle, opened around this time last year to overwhelmingly positive reviews from serious amateurs and semi-serious professionals alike. I admit, I drank Kool Aid (not literally -- I think I drank water and black tea) and was happy to count it among my favorite downtown eats, even if I didn't get there as often as I would have liked.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. My most recent trip, after a long absence, was one of the most disappointing lunch experiences I've had in the Loop in a really long time. And yes, that includes a stop at The Great Steak and Potato.
The dining room was still cool and dark, and seemed full of happy lunch-goers, so perhaps I'm judging too harshly the wrong section of the restaurant. But the take-out counter was a train wreck. One harried cook was rushing to fulfill an order for a cranky woman who claimed to have placed an order for pick-up 20 minutes ago, as two bored-looking sushi chefs looked on and tried not to get involved. When another kitchen denizen finally materialized to lend a hand, I was skipped in line, despite standing patiently for 15 minutes. A small tantrum got me service, but only after I'd seen the original cook scoop out short ribs from one of Cranky Lady's to-go bento boxes, replace them in their deli case bin, and sub in some barbeque pork. It may not be a health code violation, but come on dude, at least do it out of sight. If the food had been worth this irritation, I probably wouldn't be complaining. But the tofu tomato and cucumber was all water with little flavor, and the spinach salad (which totally looked like seaweed salad, and how would anyone be the wiser, as nothing in the case is labeled) tasted like a dirty dish sponge. Yeeegh. At least the smoky barbeque pork, sticky with an almost chocolate-y five-spice glaze, was still delicious. But I don't know if it was enough for me to consider going back. What a disappointment.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Now that my heart is no longer aflutter and my breathing has returned to normal, I'm clear-headed enough to write about the encased meat sandwich that lured me to Hot Doug's on Friday. Kevin Haas won Time Out Chicago's contest to have his hot dog made and sold at Hot Doug's. It admittedly wasn't the sandwich I voted for, but I was delighted to try it anyway. I love the concept of combining a variety of different ethnic cuisines into one meal. And it almost works really well. But only almost.
The chorizo sausage is one of the best I've had. It packs a lot of flavor and spice in each bite, and it's not so greasy that you end up with orange juice running down your chin which was nice. Fat may add flavor, but too much fat flattens the flavor and ruins the taste. The spiciness of the chorizo was expected and enjoyable for the first couple of bites, but the spice of the sausage combined with the chili mustard quickly became overpowering and drowned out the flavors of the Asian pear chutney and the paneer. Which was a shame, because the chutney was heavenly and made only better by the chili mustard. The paneer was fried, which I hoped would add a little flavor to an otherwise bland, but soothing, cheese. Unfortunately, the paneer was cold when it was placed on top of the sausage, and served in large chunks, so they mostly fell off while I was eating. If the cheese had been in smaller pieces, so they stayed on top of the sandwich, or if the cheese had been soft and melty so it stuck to the sausage, I think the paneer would have provided the cooling sensation that it provides in many Indian dishes.
So while I had a very, very enjoyable lunch and would even end up ordering this sandwich again, I'd probably split it with someone because by the end of the sandwich all I tasted was the chorizo. Thankfully the ingestion of duck fat fries (which are so amazingly good) provided enough grease to counteract some of the spice so I could eat without sniffling while sitting just a few feet from Anthony Bourdain. Maybe I'm not done swooning after all.
— Cinnamon Cooper / Comments (1)
I'm still in that post-adolescent, pre-"adult" space where, full-disclosure, free food is a major motivational force. So the prospect of a media dinner at Devon Seafood Grill (not to be confused with Devahhhn the street, but rather pronounced after the British seaport) was tempting. But tempered with skepticism. I've walked past the place since it's opened, but have always allowed myself to assume the worst about it. So close to the Mag Mile, so bright and trendy looking -- I assumed it had to be Cheesecake Factory with fish. Which was unappealing on a couple different levels. But the gratuity got the better of me, and I signed on to cover the event. Not to spoil the ending, but I was dead wrong, and Devon is in fact a great alternative to other tourist-trapping Gold Coast restaurants, and probably deserves more tourist and local attention than it currently gets. More details below the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
When Urban Cafe, a new breakfast-lunch-and-dinner spot, opened down the block from our apartment at 1467 W. Irving Park a couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were thrilled. We love our neighborhood, but the lack of a coffee-and-eggs joint within walking distance has been a bummer on Saturday mornings, especially since we had great options like S&G and Wishbone near our old place.
Urban Cafe is a sunny spot with a friendly owner. We've visited twice, the first time on a weekday for to-go coffees and the most decadent chocolate ganache brownie I've ever had. I told my husband that if he is ever in the dog house with me, he'll have a much better chance of getting out if he gets me one of those brownies.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
I have a serious love/hate relationship with the Armitage #73 bus. It travels near a lot of places I regularly visit, so I end up taking it often; however, it is irritatingly undependable.
During my last trip on the #73, I saw Calvin's BBQ, which is nestled on the corner of Stave and Armitage in a rather cute, dainty little building. I had read some promising reviews of the place in other publications, so I decided I needed to make a visit. I called my adventurous pal C and made a date to get some BBQ.
Calvin's has a nice back patio, where we sat among a small but steady stream of customers. We were given menus. We studied and made our choices (the cheeseburger for me, as I had heard glowing reviews, and the BBQ chicken sandwich for her). We waited. Many minutes passed. Finally, the unsmiling counter clerk who was doing double duty as a waitress came out and took our orders. She gave us one plastic cup of water. Just one. Perhaps Calvin's has a commitment to eco-friendly service. In the way that life works, what seemed like a million #73 buses floated past us in both directions.
I want to say that the food was memorable, but all C and I concluded was that Calvin's food was painfully average. My cheeseburger was pretty large and certainly passable; if I had cooked it on my electric kitchen grill at home, I'd be impressed with myself, but it wasn't particularly flavorful. C likened her sandwich to something she would have eaten in a school cafeteria. The location is great, the prices reasonable, but Calvin's wasn't as tasty as I had hoped. C and I parted ways, and I began to walk home, sated but a little unsatisfied, and hoping to digest the meal that was settling in my stomach like a lead weight. A bus passed, but I didn't chase it.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
In these lean times, I like to brew my own coffee at home to save some change. However, the process can be trickier in the summer when what I really want is iced coffee. Here are some tips I've picked up along the way:
First, the guys at Intelligentsia's Randolph Street location tell me that my brewing method is perfect: I just make a pot of coffee like I always do, nice and strong. They recommend avoiding darker roasts, which don't taste as good on ice.
Once the coffee is ready, I pour a big glass and stick it in the freezer. By the time I'm finished showering, the coffee isn't exactly cold, but it's not piping hot, either. I fill my thermos with ice cubes made from coffee leftover from the previous day, and then pour in my chilled coffee and a spot of half and half.
Lately, I've been sweetening the brew with a homemade almond simple syrup. I bring one-third of a cup of water and one-third of a cup of sugar to a boil, then let it simmer for just a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves completely. I take the pot off the heat and stir in a bit of almond flavoring to taste.
Incidentally, Intelligentsia's new summer drink, GG's Horchata -- rice milk, espresso, simple syrup and a dash of cinnamon -- is a refreshing change of pace on days when I don't feel like firing up my pot at home.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (9)
I walked in toward a line of people wrapping away from the counter at Freshii, and then I was led into place by one of many helpful greeters. I was about to taste creamy tahini sauce over steamy brown basmati rice. She asked me if this was my first time. It was. She had stepped back and pulled a clipboard with an order form from on or near a wall. Three sections on the paper were calling out to be completed, plus a spot for my initials in two boxes in the upper left corner. This was a task that I thought that I could certainly accomplish with no real effort, but I was wrong.
Just as I'd breezed through the first part of Step 1, the order form illuded me like a surprise question on a high school final exam. I'd wanted a bowl - not a salad, salad-wrap or soup. That much I knew. But I had no idea what to write in the "type" section next to "chef designed." I could skip down to Step 2 and choose my own toppings, but this is not what I'd come in for. I'd seen something on their online menu that looked good. My helpful greeter was still here, and dashed off to bring me a large, glossy menu with the listings. She was like a temporary personal assistant, filling in the rest of the form for me when I couldn't fend for myself. A check in Step 3 went for chili powder, another check for tahini sauce, and "regular" got circled to indicate I didn't want to deviate from the standard amount of sauce. Soft tender avocado chunks made me a fan of the Power House bowl immediately, as did the optional chili powder, but they could have mixed the sauce more to distribute it evenly throughout the rice, tofu, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, tomatoes and red onions. It was perfect on top, and it all tasted super fresh, but the sauce wasn't plentiful towards the bottom. Maybe I just needed to check the box for "heavy" sauce, and then try to mix it myself without overflowing the tight constraints of the little box it came in.
I handed my form to someone at one end of the counter, strolled in line to the other side to pay, and then waited for my initials to be called. I'd chosen a bag of spicy salt and peppered crinkle cut Kettle Chips and a bag of dark chocolate covered coffee beans from an extensive selection of chips, fruit, popcorn, Cliff bars and licorice.
Outside, a band played as I sat at a patio table aside the lawn out front at 311 S. Wacker and gazed up at the Sears Tower next door. The music continues through the summer Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Here's the plan, from building management: July 2 - Mr. Blotto; July 9 - Maryann and the Professors; July 16 - Diver; July 23 - Goodfoot; July 30 - Waterhouse; August 6 - Jack Straw; August 13 - Angel in the Solar System; August 20 - Gareth Woods Band; August 27 - Lynn Jordan & the Shivers.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)
If, when you when you walk into a new restaurant on a weekday evening, Rick Tramonto is sitting in the window enjoying his dinner...chances are it's going to be a decent meal. Of course, if you have poor eyesight and do not immediately notice Mr. Tramonto in the softly lit confines of Mado, (or even have lingering doubts over the strenuous but whispered protests of your all-but pointing and waving dining companions) you are probably still going to have a more than decent eating experience.
With its exposed brick, wood and gleaming stone appointments, and excellent locally sourced, clean and simple Italian cuisine, Mado is edging fine, trattoria-style dining ever further north on Milwaukee. More details on a great meal, after the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
We reported recently that the always enjoyable North Shore Distillery began distilling a new product, Sirène Absinthe Verte. I recently had an opportunity to try this delicious beverage.
Sirène has a beautiful deep emerald hue. The aroma boasts a very pungent anise, with some citrus and pine notes. The highly herbal flavor is spicy and well-balanced. It tastes delicious neat, but is also refreshing in the traditional "La Louche" style. Mix 3 parts very cold distilled water with 1 part absinthe (or alternatively, add 3 ice cubes to your absinthe for a slow transformation). The absinthe will mellow slightly, allowing you to better taste the myriad herbal flavors. It will also take on a beautiful opalescence as it clouds.
You won't experience any of the purported psychoactive effects, but at 60% ABV you could easily get quite drunk.
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)
According to chef partner Kevin Dusinski, the addition of the brunch menu to Roy's downtown outpost was to take advantage of the Sunday morning traffic created by the church across the street. Or at least, that was the plan until the church closed. (Okay, to be fair, the Holy Name Cathedral isn't exactly closed, but seems to have shut its doors on State Street during its $8 million renovation campaign.) As the Sunday morning plans of me and many others like me more often include opening a menu than a hymnal, however, I doubt Roy's will have any trouble bringing in the brunch traffic with their Hawaiian inflected takes on weekend morning favorites, and a prix-fixe menu that can be upgraded from three courses (at $26.95) to three courses plus bottomless mimosas ($38.95). Bottomless. Without bottom. Think about it. More deliciousness after the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (1)
We join Bravo in the middle of the Iongest recap in history. It has a countdown!
Three Drive-Thruers are better than one. Lori, Robyn and Andie bring you: the Top Chef finale. Oh, the pressure, the heat, the memory montage of our favorite moments this season (Stephanie’s shaking hands, Lisa’s rice debacle... sorry, debacles). At least the final three cheftestants get breakfast while contemplating their impending fate – mmm, Richard’s eggs smell good! But he doesn’t think Lisa should win.
Note: Spoilers live here.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
The remaining Top Chef Chicago episodes may no longer be taking place in our fair city, with only one more show remaining after tonight before a new winner is crowned, but Stephanie Izard is still representing the Chi down Puerto Rico way -- and representing how flushed and uncomfortable Midwesterners look in the tropics. Work that rosy glow, sister! This week the Top Chef kitchen, more exponentially more cramped and sweaty than ever before, sizzled, sneered, and ultimately surprised in a little episode I like to call "There Will be Pigs." Oh yes, here come the meat sweats.
Ed. Note: Spoilers run amok! You've been warned!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
The heat is ON in the Top Chef kitchen, as was the pressure for me to invade someone's home and steal their cable to tune in last night. With only one more elimination before the final four take off for Puerto Rico, the tension was sizzling on set -- and what better way to characterize the bloody battle that is American reality television, than carving up giant hunks of red meat. Aw yeah, America, Top Chef takes out its butcher knives and throws down at the pass of one of Chicago's own. Better late than never, here's your recap.
Ed. Note: Mucho spoilers lie ahead, my friend. You've been warned!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
It’s down to six chefs in the Ikea-furnished Lakeview house … three with an actual future on the show, one hanging by the skin of his ego (Spike) and two surly backstabbers, one of which will surely be packing his or her knives within the viewing hour.
But first, it’s the Quickfire Challenge. At the crack of dawn. This week there’s no time for shots of the chefs brushing their teeth and mourning the loss of last week’s loser. Tom Colicchio tiptoes into the house at 5:45 am, and gets the sleepy chefs out of bed so they can go to Lou Mitchell’s to fry some eggs.
— Lori Barrett / Comments (5)
My husband and I visited friends in Indianapolis last weekend and, frankly, we didn't expect to find anything of culinary note. I grew up in Indiana. Sweet corn season aside, it's not exactly an epicurean epicenter.
But we stumbled upon a little gem that I'm going to share with the throngs of people headed south for the Indy 500 this weekend: snag an outdoor table at the Brugge Brasserie and order the fries.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
Another brisk morning at the Green City Market! If you weren't one of the shivery shoppers strolling Lincoln Park in your parka, you missed even more yumminess than last week. Here are some of the highlights from this week's shopping trip:
Strawberries will be coming to the market soon. So, what's your strawberry-rhubarb pie/buckle/crumble/bar recipe?
The Green City Market is open from 7 am to 1 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Find the farmer's market near you.
— Shylo Bisnett / Comments (0)
Ada's is a familiar lunch spot for many East Loop cube-dwellers, who stop in for decidedly straightforward and affordable takes on diner classics, such as matzo ball soup and the turkey club. Worker bees in the know hit up the joint's 14 Karat Lounge (14 S. Wabash) after hours, to get all that Ada's menu has to offer, plus some of that sweet, sweet nectar.
On a recent visit, I wanted my nectar extra sweet, so I ordered a mai tai. Paired with my usual veggie omelette from Ada's menu, it made for a grown-up twist on a.m. OJ and eggs. The ability to order breakfast for dinner with a tropical drink cocktail isn't all the 14 Karat Lounge has going for it. An unpretentious crowd, baskets of buttery popcorn on every table, and perhaps the most enthusiastic, hardest-working bartender in the Loop give the place a special lustre. My only suggestion is that they turn down the music a couple of notches to make the lounge a less deafening option for friends who want to catch up after work over a drink.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
We dashed for ice cream: espresso Oreo, strawberry and vanilla chocolate chip - all vegan. Two friends and I had just finished dinner using veggies from Green City, when we realized we needed a treat. One of them called. How late are you open, he asked? 9 p.m. We were soon walking down North Avenue, wandering if fast enough. A few traffic lights slowed us down. Some 21 minutes remaining ticked down to ten. We were those last minute customers, but the staff gladly obliged. The cones were vegan. I took the sugar cone - the one I remember loving from childhood indulgences two and three scoops deep. He momentarily left for the cone, and then returned telling me that he'd double-checked to make sure it was vegan - so nice. Each of us took a different flavor. I sampled all three before deciding. The vanilla chocolate chip tasted the fullest to me, with a nice round flavor. All were smooth, and the espresso had a nice coffee flavor. The strawberry was the scooper-man's fav, he enthusiastically told us. Most importantly, each of us liked our flavor the best. My two pals had planned to work out, and they did. I walked with them to their gym. Cardio was next up after dinner and vegan ice cream. Just Indulge, 1755 W. North Ave., (773) 486-6680.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
Thus far Top Chef has served Bears fans, Lincoln Square block partiers, and Second City players. Could the CPD really be that far behind? (Upcoming episode suggestions, before we run out of time and end up in the islands: snacks on the CTA, actually gourmet Garrett's, and some foie-gras carryout delivered to Alderman Joe Moore. Zing!) My personal programming aside, the majority of Chicago's policemen and women probably do deserve a good meal and a PR pat on the collective back in a year where less than their finest have hogged the spotlight. And nothing says "appreciation" like a microwavable meal. Mmm mmm good.
Alert: I got your spoilers right here!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Today marked the re-opening of the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. Scores of Chicagoans braved the threat of morning rain to check out this season's early bounty.
Fave farms such as Kinnickinick, Nichols and Green Acres were heavy on greens, including fresh watercress, beet greens and lettuce mixes, as well as herbs from garlic chives to spearmint. Some fun finds included breakfast radishes, garlic greens and rapini.
In addition to fresh veg and potager plants, hungry shoppers grazed on freshly made crepes, Bleeding Heart Bakery goods and Capriole cheese.
It's still a little early in the season and at least one producer remarked that the past few extra-cold months meant crops were a bit behind, but there's a fine and tasty season is ahead!
The Green City Market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 am to 1:30 pm.
— Shylo Bisnett / Comments (0)
There are eight chefs left in the running for big money from the makers of Glad products, a spread in Food & Wine magazine and other name-brand prizes (including the name Top Chef). Antonia notes that this is the first time since the series started that there are the same number of women and men this far along in the competition. All the chefs are getting tenser, but they’re also getting closer. In the opening moments of the show, Spike and Andrew share a hug of sadness over Mark’s departure, until the mood shifts suddenly to joy, because Andrew gets to take over Mark’s spot next to Spike’s hat-festooned bed.
Then it’s on to the reality element of this fantasy show, starting with the Quickfire challenge. This time, Padma says, the chefs will have to tackle a challenge from last season: the relay race. And the judges are going to up the ante. The winner of the Quickfire challenge will no longer get immunity.
Editor's Note: Spoilers here, spoilers everywhere...you've been warned.
— Lori Barrett / Comments (4)
Thus far on Top Chef, we've seen tempers aplenty, back stories galore, and ever-inflating food budgets. Not to mention some really hateful hats, touching and just plain weird moments of homoeroticism, and that awesome pocket smoker contraption. So it's been a pretty well-rounded season. But this evening's episode achieved a new richness by adding some unexpected components. Namely, children (and the ticking of some surprising biological clocks), tears, and a ten dollar bill. Not to mention Art Smith, and Uncle Ben. Like you'd expect that combination. Leave it to Padma to befuddle you with product placement and yank on the ol' heartstrings at the same time. Saucy.
Editor's/Pirate's Note: Our Top Chef recaps are candid. Here be spoilers, arrgh!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (1)
Let us be very clear: I am not a vegetarian. I am a bacon-loving, steak-charring, carnivorous foie gras advocate if ever there was one. I'm hard pressed to cook anything that doesn't get an extra protein kick from an animal. And it should go without saying I'm about as far from a vegan as a puma. But I've been eating at the new Veggie Bite location on Milwaukee kind of a lot lately. And I'm kind of into it.
I'd like to think I came into Veggie Bite biased, but evenly on both the pros and cons. I'd read some seriously mixed reviews, but also heard some excited interest from among my vegetarian friends. Yes, it's a fully vegan restaurant bringing some pretty restricted dining options down to the average hungry hoi polloi, but at the end of the day, it's just fast food, so how good can it really be? With these qualifiers in the back of my mind, I've now tried Veggie Bite's cheeseburger, cheese fries, nachos, and chicken nuggets, and had tastes of their wrap and milkshakes. (Of course, "cheese," "burger," "chicken," and "milk" are all theoretical terms in this context). For fast food, it's not bad in the slightest. The nachos and cheese fries come slathered in something called Golden Sauce, which does a fair job resembling the barely-dairy cheese sauce at a regular fast food stop. The fake chicken in the nuggets was just as good, if not better, than what I've been avoiding eating at McDonald's for years -- and no troubling, unexpected shards of rock-hard unidentified chicken substance (which are why I'd stopped eating regular nuggets in the first place). I was really impressed with the burger as well, which had the flavor and texture of a single patty nailed -- Golden Sauce replaced the requisite slice of melted American, but it worked. The shakes may be on the sweet side, but they avoid that melted ice cream taste that I always associate with Tofutti.
Granted, there are problems with the service (it's slooooowwwww, my goodness, and on my second visit, my chix-free nuggets seemed to break the deep-fryer and force the folks in line behind me to rethink their dinner options), and the Milwaukee outpost looks like it could be a kindergarten classroom in its free time. But for a fairly cheap snack or dinner on the fly, I'll certainly consider Veggie Bite among my options from now on. Way to go, vegetarians -- you may be onto something.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Week seven on Top Chef: There are ten chefs remaining, and as Andrew points out, it’s a bit uglier in the house, at least in the boys’ part of the house, now that Ryan has been sent home. And, as Antonia notes, there’s no more room for error. Not that there ever was. But mostly what week seven means is that Spike dons a seventh hat.
The opening moments, normally spent with the cheftestants as they relax at home, are very brief. The chefs climb out from under their brightly colored Ikea duvets on their Ikea bunkbeds, somberly button their Top Chef coats and head to the kitchen for the Quickfire Challenge.
Editor's Note: FYI, this recap is as open and honest as your current relationship. Here be spoilers!
— Lori Barrett / Comments (0)
Soy Organic market in Pilsen and the fast food spot called Feed in Humboldt Park were both fun stops on last night's scouting for this year's Veggie Bike and Dine, an event I co-organize – as a disclosure. One can get non-veg items at both places, but they're also quite vegan friendly. Soy Organic, a small, friendly grocery on the corner of 19th Street and Paulina in Pilsen, has tubs full of bulk grains, nuts and dried beans, small bags of dried fruit, Swad brand of Indian products, and, my favorite among a couple grocery aisles, meatless soy chorizo in the refrigerated section – a vegan version of that spicy pork sausage. It should fry up brilliantly on a hot pan in it's own oil. Throw some tortilla pieces or corn chips in the pan, maybe some crumbled tofu, and you could be reflecting visions of chilaquiles. Oh, and Soy Organic is starting up their smoothie machine quite soon, using real fruit.
Hours later, Feed, on Chicago at California, took care of us with good counter service. Our two orders of our fried okra were vegan – they made a special effort to check – batter-coated in small, round nuggets. Ditto for the hand cut sweet potato and regular fries, tender spinach, succotash, coleslaw, beet salad, and juicy fried green tomatoes with a super light batter. Yes, they're all side orders, but combined, they're a meal for four people who just pedaled many miles. Sure, we did have some snacks from Soy Organic earlier. Call them tapas if you need convincing that you can make a meal out of such pieces. Two of my companions put tunes on the old chrome jukebox playing vinyl. We had decided to go in after one of us, a scout if you will, went inside to check on its vegan options. This person emerged with a plate of a few sweet potato fries, as a sample. I was hooked.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
Bravo studiously started this week's Top Chef with a reminder of last week's Springer-esque tensions in the Stew Room, complete with bleeps and chair-tossing. Lest we forget amidst the fancy food vocabulary and Padma's reluctance to just down that last glass of wine and get indecent with Tom (it takes so little to achieve class these days), this is reality TV. A lesson seemingly beyond the grasp of some cheftestants who seemed to be vying for their own celebrity afternoon gab show this week, and embraced all too completely by Mark, Spike, and a bottle of Mr. Bubble. Hold onto your hats and helmets, as Top Chef storms Soldier Field and puts legions of flatbed-truck foodies and grill masters to shame.
Editor's Note: Our recaps are as honest as FactCheck.org. Here be spoilers!
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
Life Vegan is the North Side's echo of the famed Soul Veg, the masters of vegan soul food in Chicago, and a South Side beacon for many vegans. Tucked into a storefront on a quiet street in Evanston, it's a short walk from the Purple Line, and a refreshing journey for me onto unfamiliar streets. Life, as they seem to call themselves, stood out with sincerely gracious service and a smiling sous chef. My gyros spread out on a pita that took most of the plate. I poured all of the accompanying sauce over the crispy slices of the fake meat. My dining companion's jerk wrap held plain tofu cubes slathered with intensely savory spices. My salad came with a garlic and nutritional yeast dressing that I couldn't get enough of, my potato wedges with a thick BBQ sauce. You can get the sandwich without these extras for a few dollars less. 1601 Simpson St., Evanston. (847) 869-6379. El: Purple to Foster (in Evanston), and then walk about 12 minutes one block north, and then west on Simpson to 1601.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
Starfruit opened in Wicker Park today and offered free samples of their new products. Starfruit is owned by Lifeway Foods, which is based in Morton Grove, IL. They offer frozen kefir in plain and pomegranate ($3 -$5), parfaits ($4 - $7) and smoothies ($4 - $7). The 24 topping options ($1 for the first and 50 cents for any additional) range from simple fruits to Vosges chocloate bacon bar bits and Milk & Honey granola. (The small frozen pomegranate with kiwi pictured above would cost you $4).
The shop is bright and colorful and they will offer both front and back outdoor seating in the coming weeks. I'm a fan of Lifeway's kefirs and the frozen pomegranate did not disappoint. It was subtly sweet with a nice texture that could almost make you believe you were eating a creamier dairy. The staff members were not particularly helpful, most notably when a confused middle-aged man inquired about the Brazilian gogi berry topping, but all in all this seems like a great establishment for the summer Wicker Park crowd.
Starfruit Cafe
1745 W. Division
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
Juicy Wine Company, the wine bar/retail store that brought Chicago the butter and salt flight (Tournevent goat-milk butter topped with red Hawaiian sea salt, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company's cultured butter with Black Cyprus sea salt and a Parmagiano-Reggiano butter from Emilia-Romagna topped with truffle salt), now offers Saturday and Sunday brunch.
During the work week, Juicy carries an appealing assortment of cheese, cured meats, and other delights served in tasting portions. The wine list suits wine geeks and novices alike; $15 is added to the price of any bottle in order to experience your purchase on-premise.
— Abbey Gillespie / Comments (1)
In my mind, Spacca Napoli could have made up tonight for one bad review. But what do I know; this was my first visit. Our server graciously stepped us through some of the antipasti, listing ingredient after ingredient when we dropped the vegan word. They cook the eggplant in oil, no butter – and top it with good, fresh basil. She told us how the truffle focaccia, which turned out to be a complete treat, and not on the menu, came without any cheese. I wanted to eat those slices continuously, like a child binge eating after sneaking into a closed chocolate store. Instead, my rational side surfaced, and it told me that I could wait, until my pizza came, to overeat just a bit. A sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, blended with salt, made the marinara pizza brilliantly savory, so much that it felt a touch silky. I think I sensed a crispy bit of rich garlic, definitely basil leaves, and with no cheese by default. It's this vegan's dream for a pizza shop to decide for itself to leave off the cheese on a few selections that hold their own without it.
To anyone who has had a bad time here (and all those who love the place), I'll tell you that service was so tops tonight that one of my dining partners strongly argued that it would be unfair not to give props to our server by name. Maybe you will find that Spacca Napoli has completely turned around and improved. Or perhaps you should just ask for Meredith. 1769 W. Sunnyside. (773) 878-2420. El: Brown Line to Montrose. Bus: 50 Damen, 78 Montrose.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)
This week’s episode of Top Chef was one of the tensest ones yet. The chefs were visited by Ming Tsai, from the restaurant Blue Ginger in Boston. As soon as Padma introduced him, the cameras zoomed in on Lisa, whose background is in Asian food. “I’m all grins,” she said. Moments later, the chefs are blindfolded and asked to identify the higher-quality chocolate, caviar, maple syrup and saki.
Editor's Note: Our recaps are as thorough as your high school transcript. Here be spoilers!
— Lori Barrett / Comments (1)
I stopped into Dinkel's (3329 North Lincoln) his morning while waiting for my brunch dates. I used to spend a lot of time on this block a few years ago, and nothing has really changed, especially at Dinkel's. The interior is old school and the selection has not changed in years, notably because with its popularity, Dinkel's doesn't have to innovate.
I think of Dinkel's as the Toyota Corolla of baked goods: dependable and affordable. Not sexy but attractive. Today was no different. I walked in, and after my number was called (because it's just that good) I got a donut and coffee. Looking around, I saw that chocolate-glazed were nowhere to be found; the counter clerk took a plain donut in the back and fully dunked it into a vat of excellent warm chocolate frosting. I'm also fond of their decorated cookies, and loved the elephant that I also took home. Yummy.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
Recap by Andie Thomalla.
Top Chef! Chiffonade technique! Movies! Drama! Lights, camera and action descended upon the cheftestants this week in more than the usual literal fashion when Richard Roeper (who I once body-checked on my way into Movies in the Park – sorry dude), Aisha Tyler, and a full table of other unknown judge-guests descended upon the Gallery 37 kitchen for a film-inspired feast this week. And unlike the other chef-centric reality show premiering this week, the Top Cookies managed to make a white chocolate inflected wasabi garnish not only appealing, but downright Oscar-worthy. Gordon Ramsay, eat your heart out.
Editor's Note: No stone is unturned in our recaps. Here be spoilers!
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)
The term “gastropub” refers to a pub that offers high quality food, which aims to go a step above traditional “pub grub.” Gastropubs tend to be genuine old pubs that have been overhauled, yet retain the character of a traditional English pub. The furnishings are simple, and the food is usually Modern European. The prices, though moderate for the type of dishes being served, are higher than what you might expect for a typical pub.
The current gastropub trend started in England in 1991 and came stateside in 2004 via The Spotted Pig, located in New York City’s West Village. Although I’ve never been to TSP, I’ve read nothing but positive reviews; a meal at TSP is on the itinerary of my next trip to NYC. The gastropub formula has apparently been a huge success for Chef April Bloomfield, bringing acclaim from national critics, two Michelin stars, and a string of imitators.
One such imitator hoping to jump on the gastropub bandwagon is The Bluebird, located in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. A friend and I ventured out last weekend to enjoy each other’s company, some wine, and hopefully unique yet relatively inexpensive pub food. Bluebird is long and narrow with a front room dominated by the bar and a back room solely for dining. Tables are lined neatly along a banquette that runs most of the length of the building. Lighting is low, brick is exposed, the waiters were rocking hip frames and weird haircuts, blah blah blah. I’m sure you can imagine the rest.
— Abbey Gillespie / Comments (0)
I made the trip over to Milk and Honey (1920 West Division) this past Saturday for brunch, and am still scratching my head over the experience. In a normal restaurant, I can handle putting my name on a list and waiting until my table is ready. But Milk and Honey is a place whose popularity really can't handle its precious seating concept, at least on the weekends; I waited over twenty minutes in the line to order, which curled around the restaurant, then at least another twenty minutes standing like a schmuck cooped up in the corner, watching the lucky ones who ordered before me eat their food and hoping my silent "Finish your panini and split, Andy and Laura" ESP-ish beams would clear up some of the issues. It didn't.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
Recap by Andie Thomalla.
In the first moments of this week’s Top Chef, Jennifer and Zoi (obligatory shot of lesbian bunk bed cuddling) give a shout out to all the ladies in professional kitchens and express the hope for some serious double X chromosome representation in the finals. This refreshingly realistic girl power moment is immediately followed by a shot of Andrew and Spike, the man-child Dopplegangers, chest wrestling and towel-snapping like two pre-teens at summer camp. The dichotomy sets something of a tone for a week where teamwork and confidence, while laudable, are nothing when your food just doesn’t taste good. Best watch your backs, boys.
Editor's Note: No stone is unturned in our recaps. Here be spoilers!
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
When asked by Food & Wine Magazine about his most memorable meal, Paul Virant, Executive Chef of Vie in Western Springs, answered, “Recently, my wife and I ate at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. I have to rank it at the top. Everything was so simple, it was all about the ingredients and the technique. It was kind of a dream.” It makes sense that Chicago’s latest golden boy, who has been touted for his seasonal cuisine, admires Alice Waters, the original pioneer of sustainable agriculture and rustic, no-frills food.
Virant has an impressive resume to say the least; highlights include stints at Charlie Trotter’s, Ambria, Everest, and Blackbird. Last year, Virant was named one of the Best New Chefs by Food & Wine. He was Chicago Magazine’s Best New Chef of 2005 and has received three stars from Chicago’s culinary Grand Poobah, Phil Vettel. So naturally, if everyone else in the freaking country loves Virant and Vie so much, I should too. Right? Well, I didn’t. There. I said it!
— Abbey Gillespie / Comments (6)
Transmission Editor Anne Holub submitted this review of Andersonville's new Great Lake Pizzeria.
Last night, I had the good fortune of enjoying an amazing meal at one of the newest pizza joints to open up in Andersonville, called Great Lake. The little storefront shop, which offers carry-out or dine-in at their single eight-person table, is just off Clark on Balmoral, and is in real danger of being my new favorite neighborhood haunt. It's a simple restaurant, making a thin crusted, quality ingredient driven, lovingly baked pizza that's a wonderful addition to Chicago's growing roster of pizza masters.
The shop, which sells a few dozen gourmet dry goods, teas, coffees (along with a few locally made screen-printed cards), features just four pizzas on its menu — but oh, you hardly need more than that. Last night, I opted to sit at their extremely welcoming table with a couple of friends while we BYOB-ed a bottle of wine and made acquaintances with my new favorite Italian meat, sopressata. This pizza (#2 on their menu) included the delightfully complex sopressata, fresh mozzarella, olive oil and imported sea salt, along with a fresh tomato puree from a farm in Wisconsin. Our second selection, pizza #4 on the menu, included smoked bacon from Kentucky (infused with a rich smokey flavor that I could feel across my whole mouth with every bite) crème fraiche, onion and fresh sage, along with a generous grind of tellicherry black pepper.
The pizzas we opted to wait to try (not for lack of salivating, but merely for lack of room in our stomachs) include a tantalizingly simple combination of tomato puree, fresh mozzarella and marjoram (pizza #1) and pizza #3, which features cremini mushrooms and wine-cured goat cheese. Believe you me, I will eat these pizzas someday soon, and they will be delicious.
Great Lake pizza is open from 3pm to 9pm Wed-Fri, 1pm to 9pm Sat, and 1pm to 7pm Sun. You can call in your order to 773-334-9270 or stop in at 1477 W. Balmoral Ave.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
Recap by Lori Barrett.
This week on Top Chef, the chefs spent some time in Lincoln Park. For the Quickfire Challenge, they were taken to the Green City Market and left with instructions that each could use only five ingredients to make a dish. All of them seemed into shopping at the market except Dale, a chef from Chicago who works at Buddakan in New York City. He turned his nose up because he wasn’t sure if the meat there was truly the freshest meat available. Mark, the chef from New Zealand, left his bag of lettuce at the table where he bought it, and realized it after the chefs were told their shopping time was up. But he just smiled and said, “That’s a bummer.”
Editor's Note: We leave nothing out in our recaps. Here be spoilers!
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
Recap by Andie Thomalla.
If you caught Wednesday night’s earlier reality offerings, the ousting of Amis (rhymes with “anus”) from America’s Next Top Model and Syesha’s dangerously close call with the displeasure of the cell-voting populace on American Idol would have been a strong portend of thing yet to come to the headband-clad in TV land. If only the fates had been more kind to poor Nimma and her 21st century take on shrimp scampi – but alas, the curse of the fugtastic headband held sway over all channels, and the sweet and slightly antisocial Southerner was the first contestant lopped off on the Top Chef chopping block this season. Her cauliflower flan-turned-puree did indeed look like baby food, though, and proved apparently even more unappetizing than carnival-barker-turned-gourmand Erik’s vomitous Mexi-Souflee. Maybe the headband wasn’t entirely to blame.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
I joined two friends for dinner at Ravenswood's Caro Mio (1827 W. Wilson) this past weekend, which was my first visit. Will I go back? The reasons why: the food is excellent, authentic Italian. I had a very delicious tortelloni di pollo ($15) that was a nice blend of pasta, chicken, parmesan, eggplant and white wine. The portion was pretty generous (enough for a side dish-sized leftover the next day), and the presentation was nice. One friend had the tri-colored rotolo ($16) a ricotta and pasta concoction that wasn't the most challenging dish on the menu but suited a vegetarian diner well, and another ordered the agnelotti rossini ($17), half-moon pastas stuffed with ricotta and topped with a creamy tomato sauce with prosciutto and peas which he fawned over until the plate was practically licked clean. The menu doesn't take any big risks in ingredients or preparation, but you will definitely like what you order. Caro Mio has a pretty low-key atmosphere and decor and is also BYOB, which easily makes it a solid go-to neighborhood restaurant.
It's evident that the food is good. Very good. But the reasons why not to go back loom a bit larger for me: the entree prices are expensive, starting at $14; for a cheapskate like me (and an Italian cheapskate at that), I don't think I would easily return unless I was celebrating some significant event. I also had major beef with the service, which was inexplicably and frustratingly slow, given that the restaurant was less than half-full of diners. My friends and I were hungry coming in the door, and it took almost twenty minutes to get a few glasses of water and a basket of bread, which we ate like we had just landed on Ellis Island after being stuck in a boat for five weeks. So, this place has my recommendation for serving delicious food, but be prepared for some bumps in service along the way.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)
Since Masouleh opened its door in early February, the tiny Persian restaurant has seen a steady stream of customers--and that's not a surprise.
Masouleh's opening was a welcome surprise in a mostly Mexican stretch of Clark street in Rogers Park. Since its burgundy-colored awning had appeared, we'd waited for its opening with anticipation. Having a place of "fine Persian cuisine with a northern twist," as the sign said, within a walking distance from home seemed fantastic. So, when it opened, we virtually rushed in.
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (0)
best breakfasts in America," and Chicago is represented by the original Lou Mitchell's on West Jackson.
It’s not because the hostesses ply those waiting for a booth with warm homemade doughnut holes. And it’s definitely not the gratis stewed prunes that appear on the table just after you sit down. No, what elevates this Greek-run West Loop diner above the rest is its authenticity, evident in the faithful execution of founder Uncle Lou’s simple cooking. Long before culinary integrity became a restaurant-industry branding tool, Lou Mitchell’s was baking its own bread and using only double-yolk eggs for its masterfully prepared omelets—which are served right in the skillets in which they were cooked.
I gotta admit, Lou Mitchell's is very good. But the best in Chicago? I suppose that depends on what you're after for breakfast (note that it's not the best brunch in America). Someone really into pancakes might go for Original Pancake House first; others might favor the cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather or the gritty atmosphere of the White Palace Grill. I personally am a big fan of Wishbone's biscuits and gravy (though for my waistline, maybe I shouldn't be.)
So, what's your vote for the best breakfast in Chicago?
— Andrew Huff / Comments (3)
Saturday evening, on their way home from their weekly Thai grocery shopping excursion to Lawrence and Broadway, our married friends Steve and Pat popped by for a visit. It didn't take long before our conversation turned to food, and before we knew it - despite that Pat was still finishing her bubble tea - we were all piling into their car for an impromptu excursion to Super H Mart in Naperville.
Super H Mart was a blast - a kimchi bar! pea shoots! mangosteen! five-dollar-per-pound beef tenderloin! However, the authentic Chinese dinner we ate at Tong's Village (1239 E. Ogden Ave., in Naperville, in the very same strip mall as Super H Mart), made battling the traffic on I-290 well worth it.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
Review by GB contributor Marla Seidell
A serene and mellow atmosphere, the humming murmur of conversation intermingled with soothing indie folk rock playing in the background, this could only be one place — the new Uncommon Ground in Edgewater.
Located at the corner of Devon and Glenwood, the new Uncommon Ground finds itself in the same corner as an ominously blinking police light. Apparently, owners Michael and Helen Cameron aren't deterred by the reputation of crime in the area. Although it was a Monday evening, the place was far from empty; by 8pm it was buzzing with patrons. Hip but casual, this is not a place to see and be seen, as the décor and design — mostly squares and rectangles, exposed brick, luxuriously long leather booths, and earth artwork (nature scenes in wooden frames) is far more interesting to look at than what people are wearing or doing.
The key at Uncommon Ground is cozy. My boyfriend and I were seated right next to a blazing fire; on an evening of blistering winds and rain this was startlingly appropriate. Candles burned brightly on the wooden tabletops all around us. Uncommon Ground is a good place for a conversation with an old friend, or a gathering of pals. I wouldn't say it's necessarily romantic, but socially inviting, yes. The demographic was varied, reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood: a few students, thirtysomethings, gay couples, even two cops on a break were enjoying the laid-back atmosphere.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
I fried up oat and nut burger patties with friends tonight. I bought the Tuscan Burger Mix after chewing through the sample-filled aisles at Green Grocer Chicago (whose store opening Drive-Thru mentioned this week) with Sara. An owner, Cassie Green, whose business card gives her the humbling title of "Owner/Head Stockgirl," excitedly showed me their "vegan shelf." The key to these patties - at least for us - was a hot cast iron pan filled with a thin layer of peanut oil. It sealed the soft, tender oatmeal inside with a crispy, hard outside that went brilliantly with the side of kale my roommate tossed around with lemon juice and garlic gomasio, and a side of polenta. After preparing the burger mix on the stovetop, we thought it was too wet to roll into a log and cut, as the instructions suggested. Instead, we hand-formed patties and dropped them into our pan of hot oil. I might try a bit less water next time, but they turned out quite tasty.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
On Friday night, I made a long overdue pilgrimage to one of Chicago's most well-known blues clubs, Kingston Mines. It's been years since my last visit, but I still find myself rhapsodizing to friends about their chicken wings -- and I don't even like wings. In fact, these are the only wings I've ever tried that I actually enjoy eating.
Where food and music were concerned, on Friday, this class Chicago joint didn't disappoint. I'll get to that in a moment. But first, dear reader, I hope you'll indulge me in a short rant about the disrespect with which I was treated by the club's resident curmudgeon.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (1)
I was reading the San Francisco Chronicle a few weeks ago and came across a neat story about a Northwestern University art professor who held a seminar to talk about his Iraqi-Jewish heritage and make the foods of his childhood. The seminar, called Enemy Kitchen, was also an opportunity for the audience to talk about their perspectives on the war and the impact it has had on culture. The professor, Michael Rakowitz, will be bringing Enemy Kitchen to the Hyde Park Art Center this Sunday from 5-7pm, as part of the companion exhibit Consuming War which ends January 20 at the Center. Reservations are required. Click here to register.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (0)
My hubby and I did some holiday returns this weekend, and all of those overheated stores and long lines made us hungry. I had dinner plans with a friend, so I just wanted a snack. He hadn't eaten all day, so he wanted something more substantial. To further complicate matters, we were in Old Town, where few options exist besides overpriced bar food and really overpriced fine dining. That's why we were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon Old Jerusalem.
I don't know why I've never noticed the place before; it's been a fixture since '76. No matter. I'm glad we found it this weekend. I ordered the combination vegetarian entree, knowing Brian would power down my leftovers. The platter had generous helpings of hummus, tebouleh, and Jerusalem salad; the most delicious and exquisitely smoky baba ganouj I've ever tasted; and three perfectly crispy, piping hot falafil. Brian ordered the shawirma sandwich. The beef and lamb shawirma was tender and, notably, not over seasoned. Plus, the pita was so stuffed with meat and the works that we marveled at how it maintained its structural integrity.
Service was polite and prompt. Despite my dinner plans, I decided it would be worth it to sample Old Jerusalem's sweets. The harisa, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made mainly of semolina, burst with flavor. Interestingly, the cake was soaked in a milk and honey syrup, as opposed to the more traditional citrus-spiked simple syrup. I like it Old Jerusalem-style, and I'll definitely make a return visit to try the kinafa, which features ricotta cheese, and the baklawa.
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (0)
Zagat Survey has chosen the top 11 restaurants of the year based on cost, service and decor. It is an interesting mix with only two establishments hitting close to home. All of the restaurants scored a 29 out of a possible 30 points. Has anyone dined at these restaurants?
Bacchanalia - Atlanta, GA
Barrington's - Charlotte, NC
Carlos' - Highland Park, IL
Jean-Robert at Pigall's - Cincinnati, OH
Thomas Henkelmann's Homestead Inn - Greenwich, CT
French Room - Dallas, TX
Sanford - Milwaukee, WI
Restaurant Nicholas - Red Bank, NJ
Gary Danko - San Francisco, CA
The Inn at Little Washington - Washington, VA
Xavier's at Piermont - Piermont, NY
Image: The Creme Brulee at Carlos'
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (3)
I attended the opening of Connoisseur Wine Co. last week. Gerald Lott and Frankie Versean Cox have created an intimate space (seats only 50) for patrons to enjoy wine, champagne and a small plate menu designed by Chef Philipp Vitti, formerly of TRU
Those interested in getting a first-hand look at this new establishment should check out the offer posted on Chicagoist for this weekend.
Connoisseur is located at 1041 W. Grand, a wise choice just off the blue line. The unassuming building was flanked by a doorman who welcomed me out of the cold into their cozy space where I met several courteous individuals involved in the project. Juliana Angel, the Wine Program Director, brought me the Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir, Medoza 2005 ($10/35), the Morgadio Rias Baixas, Albariono 2006 ($12/40) and the Bollinger Special Cuvee ($120).
Samples of their menu offerings were also available. Of note were the Crawfish Rolls: Spicy sushi rolls with ginger and plum sauce ($12), Lobster and Chile Ceviche: Lobster ceviche with grapefruit, hearts of palm, cilantro and key lime ($16), Grilled Asparagus: Marinated, grilled asparagus with toasted walnut and gorgonzola ($11) and truly luscious Sweet Potato Soup ($8). Dan Deaton, the Executive Chef, would like the menu to push his guests to try something new, while still making them feel comfortable.
Connoisseur is a nice addition to the higher end market, providing a refined environment for conversation, a small meal and a glass of wine from their thoughtful selection. Connoisseur felt refreshingly unpretentious to me, but I do wonder if the type of patron who frequents such an establishment might desire more glitz from their surroundings. A few small changes could give the space a more upscale feeling and I believe that Connoisseur will have to make them in order to compete in the luxury market.
Connoisseur
1041 W. Grand Ave.
312-738-3055
Hours: Tues.-Fri. 5pm-2am, Sat. 2pm-3am and Sun. 2pm-2am
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (0)
When I began working in West Town a few months ago, I quickly fell in love with Fiore's Deli. Access to a corner store where I can buy ripe avocados, Vitamin Water, high-quality Italian pantry items and homemade tiramisu has certainly improved my life. Their deli counter always has a surprisingly steady stream of customers given their residential location, but until recently I had not tasted any of their offerings.
The first snow this week was by all accounts a fairly gentle introduction to winter, however I still felt unreasonably interested in moving slowly and staying warm. The two-block walk to Fiore's for a hot sandwich proved to be the perfect quick lunch. The scrambled eggs were rich and creamy, dotted with hearty slices of cooked green and red bell peppers. The sandwich is served on Italian bread and comes in three different sizes. I ordered the 7-inch for $4.50. Not a bad deal for a truly comforting meal.
Fiore's Domestic Import Deli
2258 W. Erie
312/942-9419
— Gemma Petrie / Comments (4)
Chances are, you've tasted Metropolis coffee. It's now served at many Chicago restaurants and coffee shops. But maybe you haven't made the trek up to Granville to the Metropolis Cafe. Yes, it gets crowded with Loyola students and local residents, but there's a reason for that. The coffee is always hot and fresh, and the food is pretty good as well.
— Dana Currier / Comments (0)
This guest review comes from reader Rosamund Miller. If you'd like to submit a review of your own, please email it to drivethru@gapersblock.com.
I love Chinese food. Growing up in San Francisco, I ate a lot of it. Much to my mother's surprise and delight, my generally picky 6-year-old self had no trouble putting away a carton of ma pao tofu, mu shu pork or even scaly, mysteriously delicious chicken feet at dim sum. After a number of years in the culturally and culinary different Midwest, I've come to the conclusion there are four kinds of Chinese restaurants: really bad dives, really good dives, high-end places with average food, and the excellent but at times elusive middle. The middle has great food and surroundings to match. You can go for a nice dinner with visiting relatives or collapse into fried noodles at the end of a long night. Prices are reasonable. The food is the main priority, but atmosphere isn't too far behind.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)
My fiancée and I took the South Shore train home to visit our parents in the ‘burbs this weekend, and we got lucky: my Mom and Dad are Food Network junkies, and they decided to drive our car-free butts back to the city so they could get a taste of Smoque, recently featured on TV’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (1)
I'd love a kitchen like the one on the set of The Cook at Goodman Theatre. It's large enough for a truckload of friends to gather. A long counter top table has room enough to lay out ingredients for a feast, and a pot rack above holds enough pots to cook one with. A retro oven and refrigerator tuck into a long square tiled counter in the background. A vastly over-sized fume hood completes the room's greatness. The performance is quite touching. It explores the personal joys and sacrifices of a wealthy family's cook as she struggles to maintain the house after the Cuban revolution. You get a recipe, too. The playwright, Eduardo Mechado, co-authors a book on exile and identity that seems to compliment the play in Tastes Like Cuba. Chicago Public Radio's Eight Forty-Eight discussed the play which runs through Nov. 18.
— Chris Brunn / Comments (0)
Not too long ago, I scored a copy of Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food to add to my small collection of cookbooks. The pages are understated, adorned with sketches of vegetables, herbs and meat. The recipes seem basic at first glance; Waters gives instructions on grilling vegetables and preparing a chicken broth. But with recipes such as Pork Shoulder Braised with Dried Chiles and Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad, Waters asserts that simple food does not mean bland food.
The recipe for Tortilla Soup is after the jump.
— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (0)
It's that time of year again. The time where everything pumpkin-related seems to come out of the woodwork just in time for the cold weather. From the old classics (muffins, pies, cookies, coffee drinks) to the new ones (ravioli, bisques, risottos, beers, pizza)...I love them all. There's something about the sweet pumpkin spice that makes the impending winter weather seem a bit more tolerable.
I recently had the pleasure of discovering a new pumpkin delicacy--the Pumpkin Spice Cake doughnut from Krispy Kreme. Perfectly spiced with just the right amount of glaze, it's a melt-in-your-mouth treat that's bound to become a new fall classic. Yum.
— Bobbi Bowers / Comments (0)
When I'm trying to see if a restaurant is worth the travel and expense, I head to LTH Forum to see if any of their dedicated posters has written about the place in question. If you aren't familiar, this website forum is a great resource for finding (and posting) restaurant reviews in and outside of the city, as well as a place to talk about recipes and, well, food. Their annual "Great Neighborhood Restaurants" award recipient list was released today, with over 20 new additions to the elite group, (predictably) among them Smoque and Kuma's Corner, as well as some little-known places that are sure to become highly sought after as a result of LTH Forum's recommendation (similar to the "Check Please! Effect").
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
In my never-ending quest to find new coffee shops, I tend to rely on many different sources, word of mouth, the Internet and sometimes dumb luck, as was the case with Sweet Bean and More.
I first noticed a sign in a window almost six months ago about this new addition to the Lakeview neighborhood and made note of it in one of many notebooks since lost. Recently, I drove by on a whim, and, lo and behold, people milling about and patio furniture outside signaled that they were open. Lucky for me it was their first day open and worth the wait. Situated below the newly-constructed Diversey Station condo complex at 1855 W. Diversey Pkwy, Sweet Bean is one of the most elegant shops I’ve seen of late, very comfortable and inviting with rust and gold wall treatments, hand-laid tile accents and a gorgeous wood and marble bar. This new offering just begs for people to sit and enjoy the day, and with plenty of outdoor seating for the warm months and free wi-fi, who could blame you? Sweet Bean serves Chicago’s own Metropolis coffee and espresso as well as a nice variety of baked goods both savory and sweet.
Sweet Bean offers a breakfast daily until 10:30am, the open-face sandwich on French bread with mushroom, red onion, feta and scrambled egg, as well as a variety of salads and sandwiches all decently priced around $8. All of the sandwiches and salads are prepared in-house to order. Sweet Bean is also offering a weekend brunch from 8am to 2pm with a special, elegant menu.
Sweet Bean and More is open daily 6am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 7am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday. It is located at 1855 W. Diversey Pkwy. (773) 857-3100
— Christian Scheuer / Comments (0)
I have never eaten a pannekoeken, but I'm familiar with the Dutch dish, which is a thin, large hybrid of a crepe and pancake that can be topped with savory or sweet items. I realized that very few restaurants in the city actually sell pannekoeken, so when Pannekoeken Cafe opened in Lincoln Square (4757 N. Western) I was all over it.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
Julius Meinl has been one of my favorite bakery/coffee shop in Chicago. Their European-style cakes are always fantastic (excellent on the palate, beautiful on the eyes), and the airy interior always makes me feel as if I were on a trip in Europe. Only nice bike ride away in Lakeview, but everything about the coffee shop puts me in the splendor of faraway continent. Furthermore, Meinl is a special place for me--it was where I met my partner for the first time.
So it pains me to say that I've been a little worried about the operation there. It's not the food quality that I'm concerned about; it's the service that seems to get especially iffy at weekend peek hours.
— Yu Kizawa / Comments (2)
I would almost rather say Shikago was a mere blip on the Chicago dining radar, nothing worth checking out, nothing to see here, move along. If for no other reason than a mediocre review would keep it as airily open and quiet as it was today. It just wouldn't be true, though.
Located at 190 South LaSalle in a building that would be worth visiting even if there wasn't a great new Loop lunch spot on the first floor (gold-leaf vaulted ceilings! beautifully patterned marble floor! air conditioning!) Shikago might have a silly name, but the food is seriously prepared, and seriously worth it. Once you get past the confusion of telling someone you're going to eat there ("I'm going to Shikago." "Dude, you're in Chicago."), bring them along -- it's well worth the trip. Juicy details below the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
After spotting my post about Half Acre Beer Company in Merge, the fledgling brewery contacted me to offer a taste so I could judge for myself how well they make their product. I accepted, and a few days later their point man, Gabriel Magliaro, stopped in the office with six-pack in hand and ready to chat.
Half Acre has been under development for about a year and a half, Magliaro said, and just started selling last week. The company is based on the West Side, but the beer itself is brewed by a contract brewer in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, a common strategy for small, start-up beer brands. Half Acre hopes to one day brew beer themselves here in the city.
Their first beer, a lager, is available primarily in Wicker Park and Bucktown; you can find it at the Charlston, Pint, Jerry's 2 and Bacino's, and in six-packs at the 7-11 on Damen and the Always Open on Milwaukee. They hope to expand to the rest of the city and beyond very soon (it's in the hands of their distributors).
So, what does it taste like? For a lager, it's surprisingly complex, far from the flimsy, watery Budweiser, the number-one selling lager in America. The beer has a dark amber color with a little cloudiness, and a somewhat bitter-tart aroma. I tasted a big orange-blossom note floating on top of a rich caramel flavor that provided depth to stand up to food, but not so much that it can't be drunk on its own. Very effervescent, with a nice balance of yeasty tartness and hoppy bitterness. This is definitely a beer worth seeking out.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
Let me preface this by saying, I'm not a club person. I'm a bar person. A cheese fries and PBR on tap person. A low-enough volume to hear my friends talking person. So it was probably inevitable that I would not be swept off my feet by Plan B, a new snack-drink-and-shake-it shack just north of the Milwaukee six points. But let me just say for the record: swept, I was not.
Plan B Kitchen and Bar puns on being your second-choice destination if the other Wicker Park clubs are too packed, though the name also has a sort of icky morning-after birth control resonance to it. The place's promises fancy drinks (alcoholic snow cones? shut up!) and an interesting but accessible menu ("lollipop" chicken wings, chocolate fondue), but the website, with its pumping club soundtrack and shimmying Flash-based bartendress, is kind of indicative of the entire experience of the place: clever and attractive enough on the surface, but disappointingly shallow and just a touch sad when you dig a little deeper. More thoughts below the fold.
— Andie Thomalla / Comments (0)
The only way to start a birthday is with a special meal, which is why I hauled my cookies this morning up north to Andersonville to ring in a new year with friends at M. Henry. As usual, this place did not disappoint.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (3)
I took two buses and a train this past Saturday morning to get down to Sweet Maple Cafe (located at 1339 W. Taylor), and the travel was well worth the meal.
— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)
Over the weekend, Centerstage's Misty Tosh raved about Mazza Barbeque, a new spot along Devon Avenue. Her review confirmed my opinion of the restaurant and the food: it's a worthy second choice for diners not able to get into Bhabi's or Hema's, and has the potential to become a destination itself.
I stopped in by myself a few weeks ago (it's not far from my home, and I was bacheloring it for the night), shortly after Mazza opened in a space formerly occupied by a sketchy looking cafe. I was the first customer of the night, as far as I could tell; the waiter seemed almost surprised to see me. He handed me a menu, which promised Indian, Pakistani and Uzbek cuisine. Like Tosh, I'd be hard-pressed to identify the specific Uzbek dishes, but no matter.
— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)
If cheese was a hip commodity of the youth culture, like, say, rock and roll, Northern California’s Cypress Grove Chevre would be the Sub Pop Records of the genre. (Just follow me here.)
Adapting and growing since its conception in 1983, the secluded dairy farm first caught on with aficionados and industry types who were taken with the quality and flavors of their offerings in, what was at the time, a sparsely populated goat cheese market. As America’s taste for goat cheese exploded through the 1990’s, Cypress Grove’s reputation for providing fresh, innovative and downright tasty goat cheeses grew. These days, as goat cheese has become less of a novelty and more a regular item on our shopping lists, the dairy has become legendary for maintaining the high quality of their signature cheeses and for the constant innovation and experimentation with new creations. (See a dim parallel with the Seattle record label there?)
(Continued below the flip.)
— Bryan Delano III / Comments (2)
While enjoying excellent seats at Wrigley Field on Monday, I was obligated to indulge in some gameday grub. I gleefully put back a few vapid Bud Lites and stuffed my face with a couple of brats that looked and tasted like they arrived to the ballpark in someone’s back pocket. But it’s all about tradition at ball games and if I hadn’t gone for the Bud Lite and hot dogs, it woulda been Old Style and peanuts. So, price aside, I had no complaints… especially since we split well before the Cubs’ inevitable collapse.
It wasn’t until later, at the Hopleaf Bar in Andersonville, that I had the opportunity to right the evening’s previous culinary wrongs. Still being a bit full from the doggies, I kept it light by ordering the famed muscles mussels appetizer and a pint of De Koninck Bolleke ale. The slightly fruity, slightly malty, crisp brew was an excellent foil for the succulent, nautical sweetness of the Hopleaf’s mussels.
(Continued below the flip.)
— Bryan Delano III / Comments (5)
Recently, I spotted a post on LTHForum about a relatively unknown Filipino place in Niles: Cid’s Ma Mon Luk. According to the post, there used to be about five places called Ma Mon Luk in Manila, all named after a legendary Chinese school teacher who started selling soup on the street to win the hand of a pretty girl. His soup was so good, he eventually opened a restaurant, gained great wealth... and an enduring legend. Yeah, he got the girl, too.
Knowing almost nothing about food of the Philippines, I hastened over to an unprepossessing shopping mall and found Cid’s almost empty on a Saturday night. Apparently, Filipino chow has yet to catch on.
This is somewhat challenging food, and we did have one dish — binagoongang barboy — which we found too unpleasant to eat (it was pretty much chunks of pig fat in what seemed a blood-based broth). That dish, however, was the exception.
My far and away favorite dish was the lechon kawali, a type of roasted pork that’s probably 50/50 meat and fat (i.e., really tasty). “Lechon” is the porcine equivalent of veal, and this delicious young meat hardly requires any help to enjoy, but just in case, Cid’s serves it with traditional liver-based dipping sauce. I had to stop myself from eating my recommended caloric intake for two days in one sitting.
We sucked down a number of unknown sea creatures in a coconut broth as well as in a fajitas-type sizzling platter (shown). There was stuff in there I’d never seen before: parts of blackish squid, what seemed to be octo-parts, and chunks of aquatic beings that I just could not identify. Like I said, this can be challenging chow, but we liked this and just about every other dish we had.
Cid’s seems an excellent place to introduce yourself to food of the Philippines, which is not commonly found in Chicago — just watch out for the binagoongang barboy.
Cid’s Ma Mon Luk
9182 Golf Rd., Niles
847.803.3652
— David Hammond / Comments (7)
Cold spicy tofu with peanuts at Lao Sze Chaun
Sure, there are lots of Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, but it turns out that almost all of them of them (like the vast majority of Chinese restaurants in the US) serve Cantonese food. Now I'd never disparage Cantonese cuisine, which can serve up some real delights, but its the spicy Sichuan dishes that really capture my heart, so I've always been a little disappointed with Chinatown here in Chicago... that is, until a friend told me about Lao Sze Chaun.
— Paul Goyette / Comments (7)
So Addicted, a coffee shop that I pass by on a regular basis, had never enticed me enough to pop in. There are a number of great neighborhood cafés in Lincoln Square, and I wasn't looking to add to my coffee repetoire. Then, I read this review a few weeks ago and decided to stop by. I went in on a Sunday morning, with the New York Times and a taste for a savory breakfast. I was initially disappointed by how cold it was inside (both literally and figuratively—the décor could use some work), but then the owner's contagious smile and exceptional friendliness gave me the proverbial warm fuzzy feeling inside. She also had on a mix of French hip hop and Yves Montand, which made me nostalgic for the country I've never visited.
Although a flavor shot comes for free with any coffee order (score!), I passed on it and ordered a plain single latté. The latté was smooth and milky and served in a dainty coffee cup. So Addicted serves Illy coffee (delicious Italian espresso) and the owner is French, which means you can be assured a consistently good cup.
When our croissants came out, warm and flaky, I got a little misty eyed. This is what happens when I'm overwhelmed by the goodness of what I'm about to eat. The croissants are about the size of my foot (a women's seven). They are perfect little golden pillows that make you wonder how the French got to be such food geniuses. What the filling lacks (they could use a little more cheese and slightly less ham), the croissant makes up for in savory, buttery bites of pure bliss.
The biggest downside of this place is its location. It's located just north of Lawrence Ave, on the east side of Damen (facing west), and the CVS and condo building across the street blocks the store front from getting any sunshine. When the weather is as beautiful as it has been, it can be a major deterrent to wanting to hang out there. However, when it's rainy and dreary anyway, some caffeine, free wireless and the large rack of guilty pleasure magazines (People, Us Weekly, etc.) could be the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
So Addicted is located at 4805 N. Damen Ave. (just north of Lawrence).
— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (1)
Well, so much for a Saturday review; sorry about that. Here are some thoughts regarding the Ghetto Gourmet's current stint in Chicago. The short answer: Go, go, go!
These "underground dining experiences" are being held this time around in a stylish loft space near Archer and Ashland. We got there a little early on Friday, so we got to watch the last bits of set-up as 48 place settings were laid out and ingredients for the appetizer and entrée were broken down. As guests filtered in, the room became much noisier, and it was clear that several large groups had made this their Friday night plan. We brought just one bottle of wine, but some brought one for each course, making us wonder if we should run to a liquor store (the one bottle turned out to be just fine, especially since we'd be driving home).
— Andrew Huff / Comments (3)
I'm pretty certain that what I'm about to say will make some people mad.
So, after having lived across the street from Pizza D.O.C. for the past year (and within a few blocks for the past four), I finally made the trek across Lawrence Avenue to dine there for the first time. And you know what? Spacca Napoli has nothing on this place! I know that Spacca Napoli is the darling of the Chicago food world and all, but my experience there was so disappointing I can't imagine ever returning. I was rather excited when I first learned about it and invited two friends to dinner within weeks of its opening. However, all three of us were sorely disappointed. Sure, our food tasted fine. But that's all. Just fine. And we all commented on the blah-ness of the décor. We felt like we were eating some generic Italian chain. The nail in the coffin was our server. What a jerk! My friend asked for a pizza cutter to cut his pizza. Although I didn't think a pizza cutter was necessary, his request wasn't completely unreasonable. Our waiter scoffed, looked down his nose at him, and replied with a tone that intended to shame my friend. "These knives are special pizza-cutting knives flown in from Italy." I nearly stood up and said, "Oh yeah? Well these fists are special jerk-punching fists flown in from Yousuckistan." Instead, I looked down at my meal as if we had all been scolded.
— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (8)
"Good-humored, easy, and careless, he presided over his whaleboat as if the most deadly encounter were but a dinner, and his crew all invited guests." (Moby-Dick, Ch. 27) In reference to Stubb the second mate of the Pequod, and for whom Stubbs Coffee is apparently named after, Starbuck was the first mate, I love a bit of literary reference in the shops I visit, not to mention the subtle jab.
Stubbs is a nice quiet shop that’s a refreshing change to the other reference from the same book. Decently priced drinks, beans supplied by local roasters Fratelli Coffee, the coffee was quite smooth and flavorful for the medium roast I had. They feature a line of sodas from Filberts Flavors, also a Chicago brand, as well as some of the other sodas you may have seen at other independent coffee shops. Stubbs offers fresh made sandwiches, the Texas toast grilled cheese with cheddar & pepper jack is a good bet, as well as other light fare including pastries from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston. Stubbs also offers free Wi Fi, so it’s a nice place to chill and get some work done.
Stubbs Coffee is a welcome addition to the Chicago coffee shop landscape and will put a smile on your face, even if you don’t smoke a pipe like second mate Stubb.
Stubbs Coffee is located at 3827 N. Lincoln Ave.; Phone (773) 477-9840; Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
— Christian Scheuer / Comments (0)
Save for a very few places, I have a general distaste for restaurants that serve explicitly vegetarian and/or vegan foods. It's not that I dislike this kind of food; it's quite the opposite. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've bought meat in the past year. What I don't like about these establishments is how oxymoronic the food they tend to serve is. Vegan ribs and vegetarian "meat" loaf send me running in the opposite direction.
When my husband suggested we go to a Korean vegan restaurant last week, I was hesitant, but I was hungry and indecisive, so I agreed. The way Amitubul could put the vegetables in back in vegetarian with dishes such as the Tibetan High Noon (a vegetable medley "steam stir-fried" with noodles and an interesting curry sauce) and Chop Chae Bop (sweet potato noodles with assorted mushrooms and mixed veggies), and a cup of ginger tea with a kick that nearly knocked me out of my diner-style booth, I soon forgot the odd décor and thanked Buddha for the omition on the menu of any kind of vegetable protein smothered in barbecue sauce.
Despite claims that no oil is used in the preparation of their food (the steam stir-fry), the amount of sodium in Amitubul's "all-organic homemade sauces" is questionable (there has got to be a catch with vegetables so extraordinarily fulfilling), the food is so fresh and vibrant and colorful that I'm convinced it cancels out any adverse effects. Seriously, my food was so delicious that I began to crave my leftovers no more than 15 minutes after we left the restaurant, leaving me to wonder what kind of addictive substances are used in "Zen meditation cooking energy." No matter. As long as Amitubul keeps serving food this tasty, I'll ignore my skepticism and use my normal old mental energy to plan my next visit.
— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (2)
Tucked into the back of a small parking lot on the south side of Lawrence, near California, is the Korean restaurant Han Bat. Its austerity makes it easy to miss, and even if you happen to stop and peek in, you might be put off by the coldness of the decor and the almost nonexistence of a menu. You'd be remiss to leave, though, and miss Han Bat's specialty -- and, in fact, the only dish on their menu -- the Korean soup seolleongtang.
We visited Han Bat Saturday night. When we sat down, we looked at the options available to us. Seolleongtang is a very basic soup at its root: a milky broth containing glassy noodles and some kind of beef. Every bowl starts with this blueprint. But you are given one option: which type of beef you want in it. Pretty much the whole cow is available: tongue, spleen, tendon, tripe, intestine or plain old brisket. This was our first time, so we stuck with the brisket.
— Sandy Weisz / Comments (1)
I've had to run to catch up with it, but I'm jumping on the "People Who Write About Food Who Are Excited About Smoque BBQ" Bandwagon. Having spent many years in San Antonio and Austin, Texas and many more near the Virginia-North Carolina border, I feel as if I have a thing or two to say about barbecue, and what I want to say right now is that a barbecue joint with a manifesto ain't jokin' around.
— Meghan Murphy Gill / Comments (2)
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Sat Jul 4 2009
Hot Dog Eating Contest @ Purgatory
Sun Jul 5 2009
Pig Roast & Luau @ Fizz Bar & Grill
Sun Jul 5 2009
Taste of Chicago's Last Day @ Grant Park
Mon Jul 6 2009
Iron Cupcake II @ Veranda Greek American Taverna
Mon Jul 6 2009
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Wed Jul 8 2009
Culinary School @ Great Lakes Naval Base Tour
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