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How To Make A Weston

You could say Benjamin Schiller is a “spirited” man. His job kind of requires him to be. As the Bartender/Chief Cocktail Guy at Boka, he’s constantly coming up with new drinks that reflect the season, but also, what is made available to him through the markets and his vast network of distributors. This week, Schiller … Continued

Top 5 Underground Dinners in Chicago

  Chicago has a history of underground, illicit activities. Remember prohibition? Just ask Geraldo Rivera about Al Capone’s vault. Apparently, Chicagoans enjoy a little under-the-radar dining as well, choosing to seek out “dinner clubs” that require sign-ups, secret agreements and a willingness to let someone cook whatever they want in someone’s apartment/loft/gallery. The key is … Continued

Mix A Drink Like Don Draper

Celebrate the return of Mad Men this March with a drink-mixing class by Femme du Coupe.  Each Thursday this month, Femme du Coupe is offering a course on making three different cocktails, all of which celebrate the television show’s bygone drinking culture.  The classes include materials and interactive lessons on creating the perfect drink.   The … Continued

Top 5 Chicago BYOBs

  Just the other day, I caught a glimpse of a new wine list in town, from a restaurant located on the Chicago River. They had a few sauvignon blancs from New Zealand, including one from Cloudy Bay (no vintage) that went for about $84, more than a 300% markup. I know that’s typical in … Continued

Beer of the Week: Omer

  This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper looks to Belgium, for a unique, sparkling blond ale that’s only been on the market for a couple of years. No, it has nothing to do with Moto science geek chef Omar Cantu, but rather, Omer. It’s a top fermented beer that gets a secondary fermentation in the … Continued

Charcuterie at 676 Restaurant

  While the nose-to-tail ethos tends to flourish at neighborhood places like The Bristol and The Publican, you wouldn’t think a tourist destination like the Omni Hotel would be a source for bold, in-house curing and aging. But no one was more surprised than myself, when I got a tip that the chef at 676 … Continued

How To Make A Bengali Gem

  I have to admit, I’ve never been a big gin fan. I can definitely trace it to too many years of ordering gin & tonics at parties in my 20s, and always leaving with a headache. But the presence of brands like St. George, Hendricks and Bols Genever has been changing my mind over … Continued

Top 5 Things/Places To Eat in Montréal

I had the distinct pleasure of eating in Montréal last weekend, where the locals are still fuming about their hockey coach, who doesn’t speak French (frankly, I’d be more worried about the team, which looked absolutely lackluster against the Devils on Saturday). My original goal was to just visit Schwartz’s for “smoked” meat (more on … Continued