By Rachel Tan Hapless Intern It’s rare these days, finding a “seasonal” menu that does more than simply roast pumpkins or pickle beets. In Lakeview, there’s a menu with an international worldview to boot, courtesy previous Top Chef finalist, Dale Levitski. The menu weaves from frogs legs with barbeque sauce to snail ragout and … Continued
Better hurry up. Time is running out on this one. If you’re a fan of Stone Brewing’s IPAs, their latest release is designed to sell out at some point in the next two weeks or so. It’s called “Enjoy By…” and once you listen to Michael Roper’s reasoning, you’ll see why you need to pick … Continued
If you’d rather not hit the malls, there are two fun ways to do some holiday shopping this week, and party a little bit in the process.
MINNEAPOLIS – You realize pretty quickly, while looking for a parking space, there’s an ethnic experience ahead. Inside the giant, concrete lot adjacent to the Midtown Global Market, there are instructions written not only in English and Spanish, but Ethiopian – a nod to the region’s growing immigrant wave from Somalia and Ethiopia. I had … Continued
By Rachel Tan Hapless Intern One of the best things about fall is the great harvest of ingredients. Squashes, pumpkins, beets and mushrooms are indicative of the season, as our tastes shift from light and citrusy to robust, nutty and earthy. Here are some restaurants around Chicago that use the fall produce to their … Continued
This week, Michael Roper goes to Belgium, where world-class beers are as prevalent as corrupt governors in Illinois. Of course, Roper should know; his Hopleaf has Chicago’s best list of Belgians, offering more than 100 by the glass. Today, he’s honoring the trappist monks at Rochefort, who produce one of the country’s best-loved beers that … Continued
Naf Naf Grill has quietly been taking over Chicago’s fast food Middle Eastern niche. It started in Naperville – the result of a former Taboun cook’s passion for fresh pita and juicy-as-hell chicken shawarma – and has now spread to Niles, Aurora and thankfully, The Loop. They’ve whittled down the menu to the essentials: falafel, … Continued
With more than a dozen restaurants in Seattle, Tom Douglas is a one-man empire in the Pacific Northwest. On one block of downtown Seattle alone, he has several different concepts, including the flagship, Dahlia Lounge, as well as Serious Pie (a killer pizza joint) and the diminutive dahlia bakery. The bakery was born to serve … Continued
I sent the query out about a day before this most recent trip, asking for some suggestions for places to eat in Seattle, while here on business for just a day. The responses were quick and confident. Canlis, Salumi and Walrus & the Carpenter were mentioned nearly as much as Sitka & Spruce. I have … Continued
It’s not a hippie, drug-induced kind of thing, but the way 3 Floyds’ Zombie Dust has been flying off of the shelves lately, you’d think they were spiking the hops with something. This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper says the pride of Munster, Indiana has a legit hit on its hands, and its sweeping … Continued
Congratulations to Margaret Pak, winner of two tickets to this Thursday’s Opening Night of the Chicago Food Film Festival. I loved Margaret’s memory of the opening scene of “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman”: “The sound of frying fish, chopping ingredients, and wrangling chicken totally sucked me into this awesome movie!” she recalled. Margaret, you’re all set… … Continued