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Tuesday, March 19

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Windy City Blogger Wed Mar 17 2010

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Vintage Cookbooks

Happy St. Pats! I hope y'all are wearing your green today. This week I would like to introduce Amy of Vintage Cookbooks.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I was born in Elmhurst and have never strayed too far for long periods of time. I even worked in the (then) Sears Tower for my first job out of college, at a law firm! It seemed very glamorous. I went to college at the University of Illinois -CU and got my MLIS at Dominican University (then Rosary College) in River Forest. I do travel a lot, though mostly within in the country. I love going to New Orleans, DC, Minneapolis, Memphis, San Antonio.

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Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Mar 10 2010

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Food on the Dole

I hope everyone is loving these warmer temperatures! Dare I say that Spring is on the way?! This week I would like to introduce, Hugh of Food on the Dole.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I've lived all over the country, from Colorado to Boston to Rhode Island to Vermont to Atlanta; by the time I got to Atlanta I really desired a city like Chicago: a bit of an underdog to New York and San Francisco, but with plenty of good food and room and potential for that to grow. Plus I love the lake.

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Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Mar 03 2010

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: 312 Dining Diva

This week I would like to introduce Audarshia of 312 Dining Diva.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I'm technically a Chicago native, but born in Memphis, Tenn.; we came to Chicago when I was six months old. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, attended Columbia College and have been a North Sider ever since.

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Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Feb 24 2010

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Rhymes with Spoon

Sorry for the Windy City Blogger hiatus. I just didn't have any new and wonderful blogs come my way. Please let us know if you have anyone to recommend (drivethru@gapersblock.com). We love meeting new bloggers here on Drive-Thru.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce Sara of Rhymes with Spoon.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I moved to Chicago from Seattle about a year and a half ago for a new job. I've moved around a lot so I have a hard time calling one place home. I was born in Berlin, Germany to two very nomadic parents and lived there until I was four. The rest of childhood was divided between Seoul, South Korea, the Midwest, the South, and the Pacific Northwest. I went to college in Washington, DC, spent some time living in Prague, and then attended law school in Minnesota. After a few Minnesota winters I moved to Seattle, determined to never suffer through a Midwestern winter again. My return to the Midwest was incredibly unexpected but, brutal winter weather aside, I'm finding the move to have been a good one. Chicago is a great city, especially if you love food.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Dec 30 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Eat a Duck I Must!

Sorry for the silence last week. This week we have our first joint interview with Alice and Jared of Eat A Duck I Must!

 SMALL EAT DUCK.jpgPhoto: Sarah Krusen of Chennergy Photography

What brought you to Chicago?
Alice: I was born and raised in the southwest suburbs and kept moving to and from St. Louis for undergraduate school and work. We were living in two different cities and the 3 hour drive from St. Louis to Peoria and back got pretty tiring. After Jared proposed during a monthlong trip around Asia, we made plans to both move back to Chicago and we've been a happily married couple since!

Jared: I pretty much grew up in Chicago (in the city) after moving here from China at the age of 7. Then I went away for college and work for several years, but now I am back in Chi-town. Central Illinois just wasn't cutting it for me. Plus I knew I wanted to marry the love of my life, and she sure wasn't going to move to Peoria ☺

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Dec 16 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Gluten Free Betsy

I hope y'all are staying warm out there! This week I would like to introduce Betsy of Gluten Free Betsy.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Evergreen Park to be exact. I've lived in the Beverly and Ukrainian Village neighborhoods and apparently love Chicago too much to leave. Every winter I say I'm moving to the west coast where it's warm, and then every summer I fall back in love with the city. It's a love/hate relationship.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Dec 09 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: chik n' pastry

Hope you are staying warm out there. This week I would like to introduce Heather of "chik n' pastry".

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What brought you to Chicago?
Graduate school. I grew up in North Carolina and my husband (boyfriend at the time) and I were ready for a change. After being accepted at Northwestern, without a further thought we moved up here in 2004 with intentions to move back to NC in 2006. But by that time, we'd fallen in love with the city and we've been here ever since!

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Dec 02 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: The Whole Kitchen

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week I would like to introduce Jenn the blogger behind The Whole Kitchen.

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I focus on whole foods cooking with a gluten-free emphasis. For the most part, I make everything from scratch, as that's the only way I can really be assured that food is gluten-free.

What brought you to Chicago?
My husband, Mark, and I are originally from Lake Orion, Michigan. After graduating from Michigan State (Go Spartans!), we were interested in living in a city, and didn't want to work for the automotive industry in Michigan. Chicago was a perfect fit - it is still within a day's drive from our families, and I love being in a city where I don't need to drive. We've been in Chicago nearly ten years now, and love our lakeside home in Rogers Park.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (2)

Windy City Blogger Wed Nov 25 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: The View from the 32nd Floor

This week I would like to introduce Emily of The View from the 32nd Floor. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

The first apartment that I rented in Chicago was on the 32nd floor, with a gorgeous view overlooking Lake Michigan. I started writing my blog while I lived there.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I've been able to call Illinois home for most of my life. I had a brief 6-year stay in New Orleans, Louisiana where I was exposed to some of the best food I've ever tasted. I came to Chicago when I graduated college and I can't imagine myself living in any other big city.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I spend my days raising money and planning events for the American Cancer Society here in Chicago. You can find me at the gym about 5 days a week doing both spinning and weights classes, which is a good thing since I love to spend so much time in the kitchen. I love Sunday afternoons when the Chicago Bears are on; it gives me a reason to make a big pot of soup and sit on the couch all afternoon to root for my team.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Nov 18 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Homemaker's Habitat

This week I would like to introduce Rebecca of Homemaker's Habitat.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I've lived in downtown Chicago for about 8 years but grew up in Rockford, IL, which is about 90 minutes northwest of the city. After college there was no question in my mind that I would move to downtown Chicago because I love the pace of the city, the eclectic neighborhoods and, of course, the amazing food!

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I work in public relations, so my day job keeps me pretty busy. At the end of a long week though, my husband and I love nothing more than spending a quiet night at home, creating an amazing meal and enjoying a glass of wine.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Nov 11 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Eating Bender

This week I would like to introduce Jenn of Eating Bender.

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What brought you to Chicago?

I was actually born in Lake Forest but moved away when I was very little, only to come back to Chicago to attend Northwestern University in Evanston (Go Wildcats)! I fell in love with the city after a summer internship my junior year and decided to move downtown and find work after graduation this past June. I love living where all the action is and experiencing city life!

What do you do when you aren't blogging?

I work in public relations at a big agency in the city, so a lot of my time is spent planning client events. I also work a lot with social media at my job, tweeting on behalf of brands and monitoring what people are saying about our clients on blogs, Twitter, and other digital mediums.

When I'm not blogging OR working, I can be found running around the city, playing the occasional round of golf (though I wish it was more often) and vegging out in front of the TV with my favorite shows (too many to name).

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Nov 04 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: To Kiss the Cook

This week I would like to introduce Jessi of To Kiss the Cook.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I was raised in Memphis by a pair of northeasterners, made my way to rural Ohio for college and then took the tunnel burrowed under Indiana by many previous generations into the city of Chicago. I always knew I wanted to be in a city (better food) but until three days before I moved here, I thought I'd be in Boston. Au contraire. This city, which was supposed to be a two year incubator before New York, San Francisco, Boston, London etc. has now been home for going on five years. I am satiated in wanderlust by living right on the blue line, a straight shot to O'Hare. This comes in handy every 3-4 weeks.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Oct 28 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Whipped

This week I would like to introduce you to Caroline of Whipped.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I grew up in Michigan, moved to Europe for a bit while courting my husband and then lured him back to the U.S. with the promise of big city living. Chicago became our home in 2001.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I have my own marketing consulting business where I am lucky enough to work with a bunch of chefs! I relax by playing with my daughter, swimming, doing yoga and scheming up dinner party plans that I don't have time to execute.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt / Comments (2)

Windy City Blogger Wed Oct 21 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: The Kitchen Sink

This week I would like to introduce you to one of the first food blogs that I really fell in love with (and we are lucky enough that Kristin lives in Chicago): Kristin of The Kitchen Sink!

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What brought you to Chicago?
I went to college at Northwestern, where I fell in love with both Evanston and Chicago---not to mention my husband, whose family lives here, too. We spent a couple years in Washington, DC after college, but we've been back for about five years.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
Well, I'm a lawyer by day. Beyond that, I love wandering, in this city and other cities and in the wilderness, too. My family is in Minnesota and I try to get up there as much as I can. Beyond that, I'm usually cooking or eating or scouring the markets (farmers' and otherwise) for food. So, I suppose I'm never that far from the stuff that ends up on the blog.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt / Comments (2)

Windy City Blogger Wed Oct 14 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: The Fearless Cook

This week, I would like to introduce Elizabeth Stephens of The Fearless Cook.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I grew up in the Atlanta area and went to UGA (in Athens) for undergrad, then attended the Creative Circus, a small advertising and design portfolio school (also in Atlanta). I got a job after graduation at an ad agency in Chicago and, though I've since moved to another job, have been here ever since (about 2 and a half years now).

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
Well, being in advertising, I work a lot. I love to do yoga, especially bikram yoga. I also - obviously - cook, but I also love trying out all the great Chicago restaurants. And I read a lot - books, magazines, you name it, I probably have my nose stuck in it.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Oct 07 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Bake and Destroy

This week, I would like to introduce Natalie Slater of Bake and Destroy!

Natalie Slater Bake and Destroy

What brought you to Chicago?
Destiny and a moving van. I was born in Joliet and as a teenager I spent every second I could spare in Chicago. As soon as I was ready to go to college I moved to the city. I graduated from Columbia with a BA in Magazine Journalism.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I'm the Internet Communications Manger for a Chicago-based green e-commerce company (ReusableBags.com), which means I'm kind of always blogging. I run our corporate blog, Facebook page and Twitter accounts. Besides Bake and Destroy I also have The Donut Database and Send More Cops. And I contribute to Brutal As Hell and All Things Cupcake. So um...yeah, always blogging.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Windy City Blogger Wed Sep 30 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: What's for Dinner?

This week I would like to introduce Mara who writes the blog "What's for Dinner?"

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What brought you to Chicago?
I was born and raised in Skokie, IL, and with the exception of the 5 years I lived in Peoria for college, I've stayed in the general area. I lived in 3 very different neighborhoods in the city over the course of 4 years, and now live out in the NW Suburbs.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I'm a middle school Spanish teacher, so much of my time is spent planning/grading, but other hobbies besides cooking and blogging include crocheting, photography (of things besides just food) and, my fiancé's least favorite hobby: shoe shopping.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Windy City Blogger Wed Sep 23 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Lottie + Doof

This week, I have to pleasure of introducing one of my favorite Chicagoland food bloggers, Tim from Lottie + Doof.

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What brought you to Chicago?
Birth. I was born near 59th and Kedvale and have spent most of my life in the city. I went to DePaul's Theatre School as an undergrad and Northwestern for grad school so I have lots of ties to the city.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I work at a university during the day but my free time I spend with friends eating good food and enjoying the city. I like antiques and we recently bought our first place so we are spending a lot of time searching for things for our home.

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Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Interview Wed Sep 16 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Marathon Val

I hope that you have enjoyed the weekly interviews of Chicagoland food bloggers.

Next up, Valerie of Marathon Val, who has recently decided to eat Vegan.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I grew up in Valparaiso, IN, which is just across the border from Chicago. I have fond memories of taking Saturday trips into the city to celebrate special occasions and to go holiday shopping. When I met my husband, who is from the Chicago area, it was a given that I would move here to be closer to him since I was already in love with Chicago!

What do you do when you aren't blogging?

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

Interview Wed Sep 09 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: Happy Jack Eats

You may have noticed last week that I introduced you to Food Loves Writing on Friday, but I have decided to move this weekly feature to the middle of the week when you might need a little inspiration or a new distraction in the work week.

This week I want to introduce another one of my favorite Chicagoland Bloggers, Jacqui of Happy Jack Eats.

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What brought you to Chicago?
I've always lived in the Chicago suburbs. I grew up in the Waukegan, and after college I moved to Lisle. Now, I work in the Loop as an editor, and even though the commute can be hell, nothing beats strolling through the farmers market on my way to the office and having lunch in Millennium Park. Winters, on the other hand, I could live without. But I suppose you're not a true Chicagoan until you've survived one or two or twenty-five of those.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I'm an Internet junkie. When I'm not eating or cooking or writing about eating and cooking, I'm reading other food blogs, browsing Flickr, or loitering around Twitter. I'm one of those people who surfs the Internet while watching TV (hooked on Lost and Dexter). Blogging has also sparked an interest in photography, and I'm currently accepting donations for a new digital SLR camera.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt

Interview Fri Sep 04 2009

Food Blog Friday: Food Loves Writing

As a food blogger myself, I have filled my google reader with blogs that I read and enjoy on a daily basis. Many of these bloggers live, write and eat right here in the Windy City. I decided that I wanted to introduce you to some of my favorites with a new weekly series: Food Blog Friday.

First up, Shannalee at Food Loves Writing

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Photo by Rebecca Brogan

What brought you to Chicago?
The Chicago area is where I grew up and where my family is from, and, excluding four years of college, the only place I've ever lived. I'm a big believer that home is where you make it with people you love, but, at least for now, I'm glad that's here.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I love to explore new places, whether that means a weekend in Maine or a Saturday in Oak Park, and I've started really getting into antiquing---have you ever looked at vintage aprons or cake stands? It's like history you can use! Other stuff: Enjoying my first experience with a CSA, finding ways to stay outside and watching entire series of television shows online. Oh yeah, and I have a day job---as an editor/copy writer.

Continue reading this entry »

Whitney Merritt / Comments (1)

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Feature Thu Dec 31 2015

The State of Food Writing

By Brandy Gonsoulin

In 2009, food blogging, social media and Yelp were gaining popularity, and America's revered gastronomic magazine Gourmet shuttered after 68 years in business. Former Cook's Illustrated editor-in-chief Chris Kimball followed with an editorial, stating that "The shuttering of Gourmet reminds...
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Drive-Thru is the food and drink section of Gapers Block, covering the city's vibrant dining, drinking and cooking scene. More...
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