LOS ANGELES – Damn that Jessica Koslow. The diminutive chef/owner of the quirky Sqirl in Silver Lake has officially made the process of ordering a simple breakfast fraught with potential heartache. No doubt, if you happen to scan the narrow, rectangular menu in her corner store/cafe/hipster hideout, you’ll be racked with such 1st World problems … Continued
Spending two years in oak, along with some Michigan cherries, Goose Island’s Madame Rose is truly a unique brew. This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper urges you to go out and find some, before it’s all gone. Better yet, pick up a few extra bottles and cellar them for awhile; it will only improve with … Continued
Ever since I tweeted from Smalls about their brisket bibimbop, I’ve been having dreams about it (I know, I’m sick). It’s so obvious and yet, no one in Chicago has dared combine the rich, earthy, smokiness of slow-cooked brisket with the bold, assertive Korean chili paste (gojujang) and crisp, blanched vegetables and rice that are … Continued
It’s no secret food is the new rock, but the Food Network is taking things literally this Saturday, Sept. 20th. The all-food cable channel will join forces with musicians like John Mayer and American Idol season 11 winner Phillip Phillips – along with dozens of Chicago-area chefs – to create a unique, all-day concert filled … Continued
LIMA, Peru – The earthenware dish was set before us, samples of raw potatoes, sourced from more than 3900 meters above sea level, were pointed out by our server, who spoke in both halting English and fluid Spanish. On a stone in the center of the plate, three small discs, resembling grey skipping stones with … Continued
LIMA, Peru – The smell of smoked and roasted pig, or lechon, fills the air near an otherwise unremarkable stretch of the beach here along the Pacific Ocean. It’s not the result of some weekend warrior Food Network Star wannabe contest, but rather, a Super Bowl of sorts, at least among Peru’s highly competitive barbecue … Continued
We’re deviating a bit from the hops and barley theme this week, as we take a sip of a refreshing cider from the well-regarded Vandermill Brewery in Spring Lake, Michigan. This particular cider features both ginger and peach, for a light, refreshing, totally quaffable cider that is well suited to drinking with food or all by … Continued
PORTLAND, ME – So much of the press that Portland gets tends to center around a few neighborhoods, all within walking distance of the compact downtown. But if you’re planning to visit this food-crazy city, you have to get in a cab or steer your rental car to South Portland, and make the 15 minute … Continued
[Note: this tour is no longer being sold, but it will give you an idea of the types of tours I can arrange for larger group] I should also point out that EVERYTHING is included once you get to NYC – the food, the drinks the tour, etc. – the only extra money you’ll need … Continued
EASTPORT, ME – A lobster claw the size of a Hot Wheels car is staring me in the face, taunting. It’s perched above a traditional lobster roll, the sandwich that is to Maine what the hot dog is to Chicago. I’m sitting at a blue picnic table, just a few yards from the pristine blue … Continued
Click below to hear my story from Lima, Peru, about the differences between chifa and nikkei cuisines.