December 27

Korean BBQ in Lincoln Park...Believe It

Most people know by now that I'm a huge fan of Korean food. The do-it-yourself barbeque, the riot of complementary vegetarian side dishes, the all-night revelry amid hoods of exhaust, smoke and fire...it's always the perfect way to get friends together over a couple of OB beers and do some serious eating. Typically, I make the trek up to the far North side of the city - in Albany Park, along Lawrence Avenue - to places like Chicago Kalbi, San Soo Gab San or Kang Nam. But tonight I met some Korean friends at the Bbop Lounge, a casual BYOB occupying the former Heat space, in a not-so-great stretch of Sedgwick, near a few streets I wouldn't recommend walking around at nighttime. It joins the ranks of a few other Korean restaurants in atypical neighborhoods - places like Jin Ju in Andersonville, Koryo in Lake View and Su-Ra in Bucktown, which are attempting to introduce Korean food to novices. I always refer to these places as "Korean Lite," since they tend to focus more on their drink menus than the food; I've been disappointed at nearly all of them.

The long, narrow room has the do-it-yourself grills along the bar where the sushi counter used to be located, but we opted to sit at the tables flanking the opposite wall. We started off with the classic hae mul pajun, a seafood pancake of sorts, but preferred the kimchi pancake instead, which contained more of a punch; both options were on the limp side, and required a bit more cooking time to crisp up the outside. The dolsot bi bim bop contains assorted vegetables and a choice of beef, pork, chicken or tofu (we had beef) plus a fried egg and homemade spicy chili sauce, which you add to your taste. Typically, this dish arrives in a stone bowl, and the rice on the bottom gets good and crunchy, but this version arrived in a standard plastic bowl, and yet surprisingly, it had a great complexity and good textural contrast. Same goes for the bi bim kok soo, a large bowl of flat rice noodles and vegetables, tinged red from a housemade chili sauce; the o jing ah bokum is a mouthful to pronounce, but the spicy squid and octopus is charred and tender from a wok stir-fry.

The kalbi, sadly, was a little disappointing. I always prefer to cook the thin sheets of marinated short rib myself, but here, they cook it in the kitchen, then bring it to the table with large romaine lettuce leaves for you to wrap it up and eat like an Asian burrito of sorts. The kalbi here is a tad on the thick side, and isn't as tender as it could be. The accompanying bean paste to dip it into is fresh and flavorful, as are the wide assortment of panchan - or veggie side dishes that are hallmarks of the best Korean restaurants. Here, a rotating list of goodies, such as kimchi (pickled radish or cabbage), potato salad, cucumbers, onions, egg omelette and seaweed offer a contrast of flavors, textures and heat levels. They are clearly homemade, and worth the trip all by themselves. Our server made sure to replenish them as soon as he spotted them disappearing on our table. Bulgogi is typically thinly-sliced shards of beef, and here, while the beef was pretty good, the pork option was exceptional. Be sure to order it.

I love the fact the the BYOB policy appears to be permanent: the neon sign in the front window broadcasts for all to see. I also love the attention they're paying to the panchan, the bean paste and some of the rice and noodle dishes. If they could just nail down that kalbi, I would happily drive here weekly to get my fix, saving me that schlep all the way up to Albany Park.

December 19

"Prime" Time at Ruhlmann

I've dined at the new Brasserie Ruhlmann a handful of times by now, and each time I've been there, at least one person in my group orders a steak (they're calling it a "French Steakhouse" afterall). But from the first week they were open, I was stunned at the prices they were charging for Angus (a.k.a. Choice grade) beef. Most options are well into the high $30s and $40s - clearly Prime beef country - but the owners had told me this was a conscious choice on the part of French chef Christian Delouvrier, who prefers serving a leaner, more European-style steak. That plan didn't last very long. In what I'm assuming was some sort of a Chicago beef mutiny on the part of disgruntled customers (the restaurant denies this), the restaurant has now switched every cut on the menu over to Prime beef. More marbling, more flavor. Now, at least, those prices won't seem so inflated when you order that $82 porterhouse for two.

December 11

Move Over, Prosciutto

After years of wrangling, pleading and negotiating, the Pata Negra (black ham) has finally arrived from Spain. Processed much like prosciutto (rubbed in coarse salt, hung in special rooms, where local air helps cure and age the ham, breaking them down and concentrating flavors) the pata negra is a little different. For one, the pigs are almost black - descendants of the wild boar. Second, unlike prosciutto - which is aged for a little more than a year - the pata negra is aged closer to three years; one of the reasons these hams are so special is that the pigs forage for food beneath tall acorn trees, and those acorns translate into a nutty, sweet, aromatic and downright beguiling flavor - even the fat is transcendent. It's the best I've ever had in a cured ham of this type. Sorry Parma and San Daniele.

Only a handful of Chicago-area businesses were able to score some pata negra, since they pre-ordered long ago. You'll find it at: NoMI, Cafe BaBaReeba!, Cafe Iberico, Naha and Carnivale; you'll also find it at Sam's, Binny's and the Loop location of Pastoral Artisanal Cheese. Expect to pay about $90 per pound retail (you'll only need to buy four or five ounces) and I've seen prices at the restaurants range from $13.95 for a two-ounce serving at BaBaReeba, to upwards of $20 for just under three ounces at Naha. I know the portions sound small, but since it's sliced so thin, there is ample amount of snacking - especially if you throw in some manchego cheese, some fruit and perhaps a glass of rioja.

December 7

All Hail Burrata!

There are so many new Italian restaurants opening up in Chicago lately. Il Fiasco, La Madia, Macello and Omaggio are just a handful. But one of them, A Mano, is carrying a product I've rarely seen on local menus. It's burrata, a fresh Italian cheese that contains both mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is typically a spongy, somewhat firm mozzarella, while the inside is much creamier. I've had it on pizzas before, but at A Mano (which is tucked below Bin 36) Chef John Caputo places two giant dollops of burrata on slices of smoked salmon, which flanks both sides of a salad containing watercress, radicchio and pickled red onions. The crisp vegetables and bright greens make the perfect foil to the rich, creamy cheese; the slightly salty and smokey salmon only add to the complexity of the dish. It's a simple salad, yet well worth the $10 investment. Caputo says burrata is extremeley perishable (and expensive), but if demand keeps up, we'll all be better off for it, since he'll have no choice but to keep plenty on hand at all times.

We also tried the house-made gelato, which was some of the best I've ever had. The gianduja (hazelnut) was creamy decadence; I actually fought over the last spoonfuls with my dining companion. The Valhrona chocolate was almost tannic, its bittersweet flavors filled my palate. If you can only choose one though, go for the pistachio, which will put all other imitators to shame.

Another Chicago Italian restaurant using lots of burrata is Macello, in the meatpacking area along Lake Street, beneath the Green Line elevated train. The menu leans strongly toward Puglia, and so the Barese-style pizza has nice blobs of fresh burrata on it, as does a hearty salad.

December 3

Eat Right, And Exercise

There are two questions I get asked the most: "what is your favorite restaurant?" is the most popular, but the second one, "how do you stay in shape and eat as much as you do?" is the one I really look forward to answering. I could say something benign, like "I just eat right and exercise." But I've found a much better solution: Kristin Hubbard, a personal trainer and founder of InCore Fitness.

Two years ago, when I was just getting the promotion at ABC to add a third story per week, for the 10 p.m. news, I was frankly concerned about my weight, as I would have to start eating in more places than I ever had before. I always thought trainers were for super rich people or celebrities, who had the luxury of time and money, and who were just not as motivated as the rest of us. But what I realized is that none of us has the time to waste on an inefficient workout, and none of us really knows how to maximize our time in the gym (or on the treadmill). Within a few months of working out with Kristin, I dropped a full two waist sizes, and my energy level shot way up. My metabolism also sped up - the result of the first full-body workout I'd ever subjected myself to - which allows me to eat just about anything I want (within reason; portion control is still key). Best part of all, I only go two times per week, and I know for a fact I accomplish more in those two hours than most people do in a week of lame workouts. Trust me, meet with Kristin and give personal training a try. Your body will thank you.