Video Mon Mar 05 2012

Behold, the Butcher

The latest edition of Sky Full of Bacon examines the renaissance of the butcher shop. It's well worth half an hour of your time.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Thu Feb 16 2012

The Grid: The Mediated Plant

"The Mediated Plant" is the seventh installment of our short film series, The Grid. These documentaries are posted throughout Gapers Block and compiled in their own multimedia feature section.

An examination of how The Plant -- Chicago's Vertical Farm and food business incubator -- has been represented in the media. Learn more at plantchicago.com.

The Grid co-creators Ben Kolak and David Nagel have been documenting The Plant since 2009. More information about their work towards a feature-length documentary is available at vimeo.com/plantchicago.

About The Grid

This video is part of a series profiling Chicago businesses, subcultures and landscapes. These short, lyrical documentaries aspire to be art cinema, ethnographies, and experiments in form. Producer Ben Kolak's directorial debut, Scrappers, won Best Documentary at the Chicago Underground Film Festival and made Roger Ebert's list of top documentaries for 2010. Editor Dave Nagel is a recent University of Chicago graduate. Graphic Designer Akemi Hong is a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's graduate program in Visual Communication Design. Jenna Blackburn, an undergrad at University of Chicago, and Victor La Porte, an undergrad at DePaul University, also contributed.

— Drive-Thru / Comments (0)

Dessert Wed Feb 15 2012

Alinea Floats its Lightest Course

Next may get all the press these days, but Alinea still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Like, you know, making a Willy Wonka-esque edible balloon out of apples.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Thu Jan 19 2012

The Grid: Snaggers

"Snaggers" is the sixth installment of our short film series, The Grid. These documentaries are posted throughout Gapers Block and compiled in their own multimedia feature section.

Snagging fish is allowed seasonally in a few spots on Lake Michigan. Find out more from the Chicago Reader.

About The Grid

The Grid is a series profiling Chicago businesses, subcultures and landscapes. These short, lyrical documentaries aspire to be art cinema, ethnographies and experiments in form. Joe Riina-Ferrie and Mel Gonzalez teach filmmaking to high schoolers on Chicago's South and West Side through Community TV Network. Ben Kolak's directorial debut, Scrappers, won Best Documentary at the 2010 Chicago Underground Film Festival and made Roger Ebert's top 10 list of documentary films for that year. Graphic designer Akemi Hong is a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

— David Schalliol / Comments (0)

Video Wed Nov 30 2011

Fun Food Videos from Fruit Bonus

In its spare time, local filmmakers Fruit Bonus make fun and rather odd food-related videos.

Continue reading this entry »

— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

Video Tue Nov 22 2011

The Practice of Butchery

Practice & Space, a new web series by Sergio Salgado that "investigates people's commitments to their craft and is filmed on location in their unique spaces," chose to focus on Butcher & Larder in its debut episode. [via]

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Mon Nov 21 2011

Your Own Mini Food Film Festival

If you missed out on this weekend's Chicago Food Film Festival festivities, you can still watch a film or two.

Sky Full of Bacon's headlining short film, Farm to Barstool, takes you behind the scenes at Pleasant House Bakery:

Continue reading this entry »

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Mon Sep 19 2011

The South Side's Barbecue Heritage

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

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

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Event Thu Aug 25 2011

Not So Starving Artists: Interviews with the Chefs

Chef Koren Grieveson and her portrait by Tim Anderson
All photos and video by Andrew Huff

Last Thursday, Aug. 18, the Chicago Artist's Coalition hosted a fundraiser event called "Starving Artist" -- essentially a benefit for the CAC -- where four of Chicago's top chefs were paired with four of the city's top artists to collaborate on a "unique sensory experience," inspired by each other's work. One sixtyblue pastry chef Hillary Blanchard-Rikower was paired with Lauren Brescia, avec's Koren Grieveson was paired with Tim Anderson, Girl & The Goat's Stephanie Izard was paired with Richard Hull and Province's Randy Zwieban was paired with Judy Ledgerwood.

Each artist's work was displayed next to the respective chef's station, where guests could sample the appetizer-sized dish prepared for the evening. The artworks and "experiences" at each chef's restaurant were offered in a silent auction, while works by CAC members graced the walls. In addition to the chefs' dishes, desserts from Alliance Bakery were served in the Bolt Gallery in back, and drinks from Koval Distillery, Tito's Vodka, Haymarket Brewery and several wineries were pouring all night. The event showcased the the CAC's new Fulton Market space to its fullest extent, both as a gallery and studio space and as an event venue.

I spoke with the chefs about what they made and what they thought of the collaboration. Over in A/C, arts editor Kelly Reaves shares interviews with the artists.

Continue reading this entry »

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Wed Jun 22 2011

From a Meat Packing Plant to an Urban Farm

An interior photograph of The Plant before conversion. Photograph by David Schalliol.

A new documentary project, A Sustainable Reality: Redefining Roots, has launched a kickstarter campaign to support their work filming the development of The Plant, a vertical farming and industrial reuse project on the South Side. In 2010, Bubbly Dynamics purchased the former Peer Foods meat packing plant and is transforming it into a hub for sustainable businesses. The facility already hosts organizations as varied as 312 Aquaponics and the New Chicago Brewing Company, and is adding more groups as the building is transformed. The film plans to document each step and will evolve with The Plant, starting as a a web series and then growing into a feature-length documentary film.

To donate to the documentary project or learn more about it, visit their Kickstarter page. If you'd like to donate directly to The Plant, you can do that too.

Watch the Kickstarter video about the project below.

Continue reading this entry »

— David Schalliol / Comments (0)

Video Mon Jun 20 2011

It's Gettin' Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot

Ashland/School and North Avenue shoppers, put your hands up.

— Joanna Ericson / Comments (1)

Random Thu Jun 16 2011

Go Cone-ing Today!

A wild new fad prank -- "the next planking," apparently -- is evidently sweeping the globe: "cone-ing," in which you order a soft-serve ice cream cone at a fast food drive-through, and then grab it by the ice cream instead of the cone when the attendant hands it to you. The whole idea, of course, is to play it straight while you grab the soft-serve and see what the restaurant worker's reaction is. And to get it on tape.

Originated by Melbourne, Australia comedian Alki Stevens earlier this week, his YouTube video introducing cone-ing has been viewed well over a million times, and the prank has nearly 12,000 members on its Facebook page.

So far, the video above and the one below are the only ones filmed in Chicago -- but I suspect we'll be seeing many more before cone-ing goes out of fashion next week.

Continue reading this entry »

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Video Sun Feb 20 2011

Wolfgang Puck Discusses Post-Oscars Menu

For the 17th year in a row, Wolfgang Puck will serve the Academy's 1,500 at the annual Governor's Ball this Sunday, which takes place immediately following the Academy Awards. From the Hollywood Reporter: "The 2011 menu - created by Puck and chef Matt Bencivenga - is inspired by Latin flavors, from classic paella to coastal seafood, along with signature favorites such as smoked salmon Oscars and pastry chef Sherry Yard's gold-dusted chocolate Oscars." Oh, and they're serving up 25lbs of black truffles. The cost? About a thousand dollars per pound. In this video, courtesy of PopSugar, he discusses -- in his typical goofy accent -- the menu that he and Bencivenga constructed. Which item is his favorite though? Wolfgang can't say. "It's like if you have ten kids, which one is your favorite one? I think you like 'em all." Brilliant. But seriously, the hamachi gets jealous.

— Andrew Carlin / Comments (0)

TV Mon Feb 14 2011

See Chicago on "Bizarre Foods"

Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods" filmed here in Chicago this summer, and that episode finally airs tomorrow, Feb. 15 at 8pm on the Travel Channel. Sadly, our restaurant scene moves faster than that sort of delay allows -- Mado is showcased despite closing late last year. But "Bizarre Foods" does a good job of capturing the breadth of the city's offerings in terms of eateries featured. Zimmern visits Alinea and Graham Elliot on the high end, XOCO and Franks 'N' Dawgs for more of our trendier take on fast casual, Uncle John's for our indigenous aquarium-smoked barbecue, and the Maxwell Street Market for our incomparable Mexican street food, as seen in the video below. He also goes on a mini-tour of Albany Park, checking out Ruby's Fast Food, Kang Nam, George's Grill Kabab and Taco Chino.

There are two more clips on the "Bizarre Foods" website -- blood sausage at Gene's Sausage Shop and freeze-dried soup at Alinea. You might also want to watch Kevin Pang's chat with Zimmern from back in July when he was filming.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Video Fri Feb 11 2011

The Grid: Market Fisheries

"Market Fisheries" is the first short film in our new series, The Grid. These documentaries will be popping up all over Gapers Block and compiled in their own multimedia feature section. Enjoy!

Market Fisheries, located at 7129 S. State Street, has been owned and operated by the Brody Family since 1957. For more information about the store, see this Chicago Tribune article from 2009.

About The Grid

The Grid is a series profiling Chicago businesses, subcultures and landscapes. These short, lyrical documentaries aspire to be art cinema, ethnographies and experiments in form. Producer Ben Kolak's directorial debut, Scrappers, won Best Documentary at the 2010 Chicago Underground Film Festival and made Roger Ebert's top 10 list of documentary films in 2010. Editor Dave Nagel is a recent University of Chicago graduate.

— David Schalliol / Comments (5)

Event Wed Dec 08 2010

Delighting Your Pleasure Center

"Biologists, physiologists, anatomists think that the pleasure center of the body is...elsewhere. But clearly they have never eaten at Hot Chocolate or Blackbird or had a really good glass of wine. Otherwise they would know that the center of pleasure in the body is between the mandibles -- and not between anything else."

In November NPR commentator Gwen Macsai introduced three Chicago culinary personalities -- Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate, Paul Kahan of Blackbird, and master sommelier Alpana Singh -- at a Chicago Humanities Festival panel, "The Perfect Meal." Watch them discuss what makes a meal perfect, whether it's food and drink that "satisfies the desire of the moment" or "communicating and connecting with the people you're with" or all of the above.

— Ruthie Kott / Comments (0)

Video Wed Sep 29 2010

Craig Schoettler's Job Is Better Than Yours

If any doubts remained in your mind that Craig Schoettler has one of the best jobs in the world, he and the Aviary viral video team are back with more proof that, well, your job sucks and his is definitely awesome. In July, he began aging liquor in different types of oak barrels, from a maple syrup barrel to a Heaven Hills Bourbon barrel. Today, he and fellow mixologist Josh Habinger bust out their calibrated syringes, tap the barrels and test the fruits of their labor. Delicious, alcoholy fruits. [YouTube]

— Andrew Carlin / Comments (0)

Video Wed Sep 01 2010

Bayless at Google

Chef Rick Bayless recently visited Google's main campus to discuss his book, Fiesta at Rick's.

[via]

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Sun Aug 22 2010

Finally, a Bubble Drink We Can Get Behind

Grant Achatz tweeted this awesome video of himself yesterday, discussing an experimental, bubble tea-like concoction with mixologist Craig Schoettler. It's the second in a series of videos designed to promote Achatz's newest venture - the molecular cocktail lounge Aviary. While we admit we're a tad skeptical - perhaps we're just traditionalists when it comes to floating balls in our drinks - we know better than to turn down anything Achatz (or his brain trust) sets down in front of us.

— Andrew Carlin / Comments (0)

Video Tue Jun 01 2010

24 Hours at Alinea

...in three minutes. As Grant Achatz tweeted, "Back door rarely locks. By time the cleaner is done the prep team is arriving."

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Thu Apr 22 2010

The Hearty Boys Hit the Small Screen

Dan Smith and Steve McDonough, the Hearty Boys, are back in front of a camera -- but this time on YouTube -- in support of their new cookbook, Talk with Your Mouth Full.

They're posting recipes from the webisodes on Facebook.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Wed Feb 24 2010

The Secret Behind Too-Perfect Noodles

The Chicago Reader's Mike Sula recently learned the secret behind too-perfect noodles at Jibek Jolu, the city's only Kyrgyz restaurant. Jibek Jolu is located at 5047 N. Lincoln, 773-878-8494.

Making hand pulled noodles (lagman) at Chicago's Jibek Jolu from mike sula on Vimeo.

— Sharon Bautista / Comments (0)

Video Tue Nov 17 2009

Nostalgia: Urbis Orbis and the "Third Place."

Remember Urbis Orbis? The seminal Wicker Park coffeeshop and "third place" closed a little over a decade ago, but you can revisit it and its colorful staff and clientele through this short documentary just posted on YouTube.

(Thanks, Anna!)

— Andrew Huff / Comments (11)

Video Mon Oct 19 2009

Chicago Eats TV Debuts

Chicago Eats TV made its debut yesterday, promising to "deliver hot and fresh videos about some of the most unique places around." That's a tall order that's not really borne out by the first three episodes, which feature fREDHOTS in Glenview, Cans and Canteen in Bucktown, and three spots for hot wings -- Yak-Zies on Diversey, McGees Tavern and Jake Melnick's Corner Tap. Not exactly unique and undiscovered territory.

Hopefully they'll branch out into some truly interesting stuff, but in the meantime, I recommend visiting Sky Full of Bacon, which makes up for its infrequency with excellent depth. The recent two-part series on whitefish fishing on Lake Michigan

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Wed Aug 26 2009

Set your TiVo for "Fresh Food or Factory Fodder?" on Can TV

Today at 4pm, CAN TV airs Ken Davis' interview with Terra Brockman, founder The Land Connection, a non-profit organization devoted to community-based food systems which incorporate sustainable, organic farming practices. Also featured are Chicago locals like Tom Melvin, longtime supporter of Angelic Organics CSA and Lyle Allen, Director of Green City Market.

— Christine Blumer / Comments (1)

Video Wed Aug 19 2009

Homaro Cantu Enjoys Being Disruptive

Keep your eye on this page, as well as the Moto chef's Twitter account, for clues as to what happens on, by my calculations, November 14. From the looks of things, we can expect a video aspect:

Might want to make a reservation for that night, just in case.

UPDATE: Cantu tells the Reader's Food Chain:

"A) that's just the tip of the iceberg
B) the iceberg is bigger than the tip"

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Video Mon Apr 27 2009

Bayless on Global Warming

Chef Rick Bayless gets a little cheesy in this PSA about how you can help fight global warming. What is in that blender?

— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

Video Fri Apr 17 2009

Burger Project on Cheeseburger Show

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)

Video Thu Apr 16 2009

Jones' Goodass Barbecue and Foot Massage

Big Dog Eat Child, the sketch comedy troupe behind the viral video Jones' Big Ass Truck Rental & Storage, has come up with another business plan.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Drink Sun Mar 08 2009

U.S. Barista Championship

Mike Phillips, a barista at Intelligentsia's Broadway store and last year's Great Lakes Regional Barista Championship winner, is one of the six finalists in the U.S. Barista Championship. Three other finalists are from Intelligentsia's Los Angeles outpost, and another, Scott Lucey, is from Alterra Coffee in Milwaukee.

Wondering what goes on at a barista competition? The finals will be streaming live at the USBC website; they're scheduled to run from 2-4:30 Central time this afternoon, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: Phillips is the winner! His final score was 730 points, besting second place Nick Griffith of Intelligentsia LA (719.5 points) and third place Scott Lucey of Alterra Coffee (697.5 points).

— Leah Williams / Comments (0)

News Thu Feb 26 2009

RIP James Ward

James Ward, former food critic for WLS-TV and the Sun-Times, passed away today after a long illness. From his Channel 7 bio:

Ward was restaurant critic and food columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, from 1978-1984. Prior to this, he was restaurant critic for the Chicago Daily News.

From 1969 to 1974, Ward served as editorial director for R.R. Donnelley & Sons in Chicago where he was responsible for producing travel and food magazines.

He began his career as a restaurant critic as editor and assistant publisher of Restaurants and Institutions, a food service industry trade magazine from 1960-1969.

Ward, a Chicago native, graduated from Loyola University, and holds a Master's degree in political history from the University of Chicago. He and his wife reside on the city's north side.

Ward was memorable for his often flamboyant delivery and purple prose, employed here in this review of Lindy's Chili (from early 2000s, judging from the website at the end) -- and his trademark red-rimmed glasses.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

Video Mon Jan 05 2009

Sneak Peek: Obama on "Check Please!"

As mentioned previously, our future president taped an episode of "Check Please!" in August of 2001, reviewing Hyde Park's Dixie Kitchen. The show has released this teaser clip in advance of the Jan. 16 airing.

[via]

UPDATE: Here's a little more, courtesy of Hypertext:

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Video Thu Jul 17 2008

Cooking with Coolio

If you've tired of the perk, precision and competition in the world of televised cooking, head to MyDamnChannel to watch Cooking with Coolio. The rapper will "teach your a-- to cook," everything from a Caprese salad (in case your girlfriend is "one of them salad eatin' bitches") to sauteed spinach even a kid will love to a whole turkey (dropped like it's hot into a deep fryer). He keeps his spices in dime bags, wears sunglasses while he cooks and yells, "Bring your a-- to the table" when the food is ready. He's just what the bland world of food TV needed.

— Lori Barrett / Comments (3)

Drink Wed Apr 09 2008

Beer Nutz: Chicago Edition

Though the show itself is somewhat annoying, Chicago beer enthusiasts may enjoy this episode of Beer Nutz. The duo visits the Map Room, Goose Island, Piece, the Siebel Institute, Harry Caray's, Sheffield's, and Rock Bottom.

The excellent Randy Mosher becomes their unofficial tour guide and is eventually rated the biggest "beer nut" in Chicago. The Chicago Beer Society also receives some attention.

— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)

Store Fri Nov 09 2007

Takoyaki at Mitsuwa

LTHForum moderator Cathy2 captured the art and process of making takoyaki, or octopus balls, at Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights this past weekend. The takoyaki were part of Mitsuwa's anniversary sale, which runs through Nov. 19; not sure whether the octopus balls will last that long.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)