In case you missed it, I headed south about a week ago, engaging in a food trip for the ages we affectionately referred to as Austin BBQ Armageddon. We tackled nine places in three days – hitting one of them twice – with a doughnut shop and a modern Mexican stop to boot. There’s no … Continued
In honor of today being “Italian Village Day” in Chicago, I thought it only appropriate to delve into some of the city’s best red sauce joints. If you’ve come looking for Rosebud or La Scarola, you’ll be disappointed they’re not here. What these joints all have in common though, is their hospitable surroundings, serving comfortable, … Continued
I have to admit, today’s list is by no means an exhaustive rundown of a well-researched, thoroughly-curated gastronomical tour in The Crescent City. It’s more a result of a few concentrated evenings of eating and drinking. Clearly, not enough time to provide you with a week’s worth of exploring, but at the very least, … Continued
There are so many charitable causes throughout the year in Chicago, it can be hard to choose which ones to support. Honestly, for most people, it’s because the cause is close to their heart or they have some other personal connection. I choose a few organizations each year to get involved with, but I … Continued
I realize that anytime you include the words “hot dog” in a sentence about Chicago, there will be disagreement. People have talked until they’re blue in the face about the merits and pleasures of Gene & Jude’s, yet the fact they still use pencil-thin size 10s (10 to a pound) has always annoyed me. To … Continued
There are few things more satisfying than hot, crispy, thinly-sliced fried potatoes. I tend to respect folks who cut Idaho russets all day long, par-blanching them first, and then, right before an order comes in, frying them a second time to crisp them up. It doesn’t mean serving them soggy and limp, but rather, … Continued
Yet another Chicago week of brutally hot weather, kicking off the first days of Summer. This week’s forecast has me (probably somewhat prematurely) clamoring for all manner of things cool, icy and sweet. Here are my top 5, although really, the order is somewhat interchangeable.
I’ve been receiving a lot of pitches for Father’s Day brunch ideas over the past week or so. Many of them come from the usual publicity firms, representing the fine folks at Lettuce and other large restaurant groups. Nothing against Hub 51, Paris Club and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, they all offer good options for dad this … Continued
Here’s a Top 5 that’s sure to stir the pot of pickled onions a bit. After the remarkable little beauties I had last night at Antique Taco in Wicker Park, I was inspired to pick my top 5 in town (and can’t believe I haven’t even made an attempt at ranking them previously). Obviously, … Continued
A doughnut can be a wonderful thing. It can also be dead weight, as in an overly processed, sickly-sweet pastry (yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, Dunkin’). But Chicago’s love of fried dough – be it yeasty or cakey – hasn’t subsided, despite the invasion of chain stores in nearly every neighborhood. More significantly, individually-owned, local … Continued
Truly great sandwiches are studies in contrast. The soft chew of a Leidenheimer French bread encasing warm, fried shrimp, crisp lettuce and tomatoes in a New Orleans po’boy at the Parkway Tavern; the perfect crust of a D’Amato’s loaf housing a bevy of thinly-sliced, appropriately fatty Italian meats, dressed with fruity olive oil and thick … Continued