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
MIAMI – For the third time in less than an hour, I’m reaching for my SPF 30 sunscreen, feeling like one of the ubiquitous retirees or black hat-clad hasidic men who’s been in the sun too long. It’s a near-record day of heat in Miami, with the mercury pushing 84, and it’s still February. … Continued
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
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
Like a lot of my fellow UW-Madison graduates, I occasionally pine for a little reminder of my carefree days among the cheese curds, fish frys and cheap beer. Thankfully, L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge is bringing the taste of Wisconsin’s north woods supper clubs to the Chicago area each week beginning this Friday. Midwest … Continued
Flemish. Dexter. Pumpkin. Three words you wouldn’t typically associate with great beer, but this week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper is looking to his native state of Michigan – specifically, the town of Dexter – where the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery is producing some really interesting beers, all of which are barrel-fermented and barrel-aged (incidentally, they … Continued
Two weeks ago, I ran a little contest, asking you to tell me (on video), why you think you deserve to win VIP tickets to the already-sold-out WingFest on February 26th. I’m pleased to say, we have a winner.
I’ve been stumping a lot of bartenders lately. Not just the ones from places that have more TVs than cocktails, but even some of the more seasoned pros behind the bars at The Drawing Room and GT Fish & Oyster. “Have you tried Root yet?” I’ll ask them. When I see their puzzled faces, I … Continued
Valentine’s Day might be over, but you now have another excuse to make plans to eat out: the 5th Annual Chicago Restaurant Week. Beginning tomorrow, and running until the 26th, more than 130 local restaurants will be offering a set, prix-fixe, three-course menu for $22 at lunch, and $33 or $44 at dinner. Participating eateries are as … Continued
This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper heads to Quebec (where I’ll be eating smoked meat in a few days) for a fantastic beer from one of my favorites – Unibroue. If you’ve heard of Éphémère and Maudite, then you’ll probably adore their Don De Dieu as well. It’s crisp and refreshing, and still a … Continued
Since we’re talking about love today, I should make a confession: I’ve always been in love with Alsatian food and wine. This tiny sliver of a region within France straddles Germany, so the culture encourages world-class wine production, consumption and hearty cooking influenced by Strasbourg, Lorraine and Germany. I’ve always been a fan of … Continued