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Jean-Georges Talks About Year One at The Pump Room

Jean Georges Vongerichten has a lot going on – as usual. But he spent some time last week in Chicago, celebrating the one year anniversary of the re-boot of the historic Pump Room, inside the Ian Schrager-designed Public Hotel (formerly the Ambassador East). JGV talked about losing his opening chef, Bradley Phillips, how the menu … Continued

Raving (Glad) About My New App

I’ve been raving about this dish at the Glass Onion since I had it in Charleston, SC   Over the past year, I’ve been doing a lot of traveling. Invariably, all of that eating results in getting an email or a text or a call from a friend, asking for a recommendation. “Where can I … Continued

Austin BBQ Armageddon

We came, we saw, we gorged ourselves silly on barbecue.   AUSTIN, TX – I’ve always had a number of “fantasy” food trips I’d like to check off of my list – boudin in Cajun country, clam shacks up the Eastern Seaboard and sushi at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market rank among my top five. But going … Continued

Kaiseki Sundays at Takashi

  You may have had a chef’s tasting before, but they do things a little different in Japan, as Dave Beran and the crew have been showing fans recently at Next: Kyoto. Kaiseki dinners are multiple courses of thoughtfully prepared creations, and this fall – perhaps due to the heightened profile for all things Japanese – Takashi … Continued

Chicago’s Chef Ball Dishes up a Good Cause

  No plans next Friday night? Join fellow foodies and philanthropists for the annual Meals on Wheels Celebrity Chef Ball. Not only will you be supporting the philanthropic efforts of the Meals on Wheels program – which helps feed thousands of Chicago’s homebound and elderly – you’ll also get to attend one of the biggest chef … Continued

Lowcountry Comes to Wicker Park

  Mark Steuer didn’t look like he was too nervous last night. Settling into expediting at his new restaurant, The Carriage House, in Wicker Park, the South Carolina native wasn’t phased that the likes of Chicago Magazine’s Penny Pollack or “Check, Please”‘s Alpana Singh were both dining at the same time (separate tables). He seemed … Continued

Chicago Gourmet Rides Again

Organizers couldn’t have dialed up a better weekend for Chicago Gourmet. With crisp, slightly warm weather and clear skies, the city never looked better, as more and more VIPs made their way here for two days of classes, tastings and seminars with some of the city’s top food talent. The festivities kicked off Friday night, … Continued

Savouring Stratford (Ontario)

STRATFORD, ON – Don’t ask anyone for directions to Justin Bieber’s house, or for that matter, any other details about the pop singer’s life before YouTube. The teen with the famous ‘do and the baby face may have grown up here, but locals have been just as proud to host their annual Shakespeare Festival, entering … Continued

Singapore Dumplings

Rachel Tan Hapless Intern   SINGAPORE – There’s always room for a plump dumpling, no matter where you’re eating.   Something as elemental as a small crepe-like disk of rice flour and water creates the perfect canvas for meat, vegetables or sweet fillings. In Singapore, some of the most popular types include traditional soup dumplings, … Continued

Happy 85th, Italian Village

If you thought Gene & Georgetti has been around awhile, the River North steakhouse has nothing on the Italian Village. Today, the City of Chicago is proclaiming it Italian Village Day, in honor of the legendary restaurant’s 85th anniversary. Alfredo Capitanini opened the restaurant in 1927, which has played host to politicians, celebrities and more … Continued

Lowcountry’s Bounty in Charleston

I’ve always been a fan of lowcountry cooking, but as much as I would see a deviled egg here or some pimento cheese elsewhere, I had never really spent any significant time in the South, with the intention of purely eating. In Charleston for work last week, I had an opportunity to have a couple … Continued