TORONTO – David Chang can really rack up the frequent flyer miles. When I caught up with him here during the Terroir Symposium last month, he had just gotten back from visiting his restaurant in Sydney, Australia, and was already planning on flying out to help cook a dinner back in the U.S. later that … Continued
Ever since Half Acre finished building its brewery in Northcenter, it seems they’ve been cranking. Exactly three years ago, they became the first brewer in Chicago to sell their beer in cans; they continue with a relatively new product, the Akari Shogun, which is considered an American pale wheat ale. Cheers.
There’s a new #1 restaurant in the world. After three years at the top of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, Copenhagen’s Noma moved down a spot, to make way for El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain. The #3 spot is now held by Italy’s Osteria Francescana. Six of the top 50 were … Continued
Here comes another year of second-guessing. The annual list of “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” will be announced in London later today (approx. 3/3:30 p.m. Chicago time) and there are bound to be head-scratches. Full disclosure: I’m one of the 26 Academy Chairs for the List, overseeing a group of 35 voters, covering the … Continued
We celebrate yet another Silver Anniversary this week, honoring Brooklyn Brewery’s fantastic, chestnut-colored lager, arriving in a large format bottle. The Hopleaf’s Michael Ropers says cheers to one of the nation’s most influential brewers.
This resurrected concept from Team Melman and Lettuce Entertain You used to sit on Weed Street, in Lincoln Park in the late 80s (I fondly recall eating a mess of crawdads on a ream of newspaper after an Oingo Boingo concert at Metro in ’88). But the trend of slow-smoking pork and brisket was too … Continued
The mission: prepare a menu from the a 200-pound heritage breed pig, nose-to-tail. If you’re the kind of person who gets excited by pig butchery and cooking, and you’d care to participate in selecting a winner from five local chefs, check out tickets to this year’s Cochon 555 on April 28. Don’t want to buy … Continued
Due to the Boston manhunt, two of my stories were held from Friday, but we do have a pair of burgers worth shouting about. One is a Chicago legend – the Big Baby – now being resurrected in a Gold Coast hotel’s brasserie; the other (above) is from Acadia’s fantastic little bar menu, and I … Continued
Click here to read my story in Canada’s national newspaper, about restaurants in Japan focusing on just one thing.
Congratulations to Mary-Carol Riehs and Matt Dayton, winners of our 24-hour free tickets to Pinot Days tomorrow at Navy Pier. Mary-Carol whipped up this lovely little poem: Once upon a Thursday dreary, as I bailed water, weak and weary, Salvaging books full of forgotten lore, Whilst I mopped, energy sapping, wishing I could … Continued
While the bacon lovers hit the UIC Forum for BaconFest, pinot fans will be descending upon Navy Pier once again this weekend, for the 6th Annual Pinot Days Chicago. The event – which features more than 100 pinots from 55 producers – runs from 12 – 5 p.m. this Saturday, the 20th. Consumers will be able … Continued