January 24

A Rosded By Any Other Name...

A Thai friend of mine has always sworn by the authentic dishes offered at Rosded (2308 W. Leland, 773-334-9055), urging me to get the catfish red curry, or any other salad off the compact menu. Admittedly, I've driven by the tiny little joint a million times on my way up Lincoln Avenue. It sits on a tiny stretch of Leland that links Lincoln to Western Avenue, and a steel guardrail prevents any parking in front of the business (there's a metered lot across the street). But there's a reason this little mom-and-pop restaurant has been in business since 1976, making it probably Chicago's first Thai restaurant. The catfish is delicately fried, and dressed in a slightly thick, well-balanced homemade red curry - not the usual canned offerings from other B-caliber Thai restaurants in town. Their nam sod, a ground chicken salad studded with red onions, cilantro and peanuts, had just the right amount of seasoning from fish sauce and lime; unfortunately, the pad thai - one of my "barometer" dishes in Thai restaurants - leaned a bit too much to the sweet side, and their som tom (green papaya salad, another barometer dish) lacked the requisite heat-fish sauce-palm sugar balance that's commonly found at places like TAC Quick (3930 N. Sheridan, 773-327-5253) or Thai Pastry (4925 N. Broadway, 773-784-5399). I have a feeling they were going easy on me, since they saw a non-Thai, but it was reassuring seeing lots of ex-pats there, snarfing down salads, curries and fried fish cakes. Next time I go, I'll be sure to ask them to cook it "Thai style."

January 18

From Sausage to Szechwan

I'm just back from the one of the most incredible temples of encased meats I've ever encountered. No, not Paulina Market, and not Hot Doug's, but rather, Ream's Elburn Market in downtown Elburn, IL, about 45 miles West of Chicago. Owner Randy Ream and his family produce more than 100 kinds of sausage, ham, bacon, jerky and other pork products, often smoking them out back behind the immaculately clean store. I was there working on a story about boudin and andouille sausage, and was just struck by how passionate Randy and his family members are about the artisanal approach they take to sausage making. Giant slabs of pork belly hanging in the cooler, some embedded with black peppercorns, others tinged red with Hungarian spices; a six-foot high rack of plump Polish sausages, smokey and juicy, and just delicious; even their assortment of snacking sausages (bier sticks) that would go great with a German lager while watching the football game. If you ever find yourself due west of Chicago, along Hwy. 88, out past Naperville and beyond, be sure to pull off on Hwy. 47 and head up to Elburn so you can stock up.

This afternoon, I was in Chinatown with my colleague, Linda Yu, eating as much Chinese food as we could possibly ingest, doing some "research" for an upcoming story. Linda loves the Chairman Mao's pork at Spring World (2109 S. China Pl., in the Chinatown Sq. Mall, 312-326-9966) partly because the chunky bits of pork belly swim in an addictive brown soy-infused gravy, but I also found their tidy little "salad bar" to be quite enticing. For $4.99, you can choose any three cold side dishes from the bar, including spicy or mild pig's ears; stir-fried gizzards or spicy pickled stomach. It's a feast my friend Monica Eng would devour. Less adventurous types could opt for the mild pickled cucumbers or chili-laced Napa cabbage, which reminded me of the vegetarian panchan you'd typically find in a Korean restaurant. Other main dishes that stood out included stir-fried lamb with a healthy dose of dried chilies and cumin, plus the spicy chicken with thumb-sized rice cakes. Linda tells me that since Yunnan is so close to Szechwan, there are a lot of similarities with the spicing. I also loved the mushrooms with garlic chives, a simple, yet delicious introduction to the Yunnan province.

My true Szechwan dining experience came shortly after the Spring World trip. Just a few blocks away, Double Li (228 W. Cermak, 312-842-7818) is the creation of Ben Li, and he's not holding back on the spice for anyone (unless you make a point to ask him). I counted five different kinds of chilies back in the kitchen, along the giant table that abuts the two blazing woks: dried, pulverized chilies, toasted ones, a house-made paste and a more commercial one, plus whole dried chilies that garnished many of the dishes, such as ma po tofu or dried chili chicken. His twice-fried beef tenderloin is seasoned with tons of garlic and black pepper, while the twice-cooked pork belly (bacon) is simply stir-fried with giant scallions and shards of fresh leeks. Did I mention we ate all of this before 5 p.m.? By the way, if you do find yourself gasping for air, remember, water only exacerbates the heat; be sure to eat white rice, or drink one of the beers you brought along with you.

January 15

"Super Tuesday" Eating

Typically, Tuesdays are the days for me to go out and explore, and catch up on some places I've been meaning to try. Today was no different. I started out the day at Violet (3819 N. Southport, 773-327-0234) for a little breakfast. Despite hearing so many good reports about it, I was sadly disappointed with both the mushy cajun benedict as well as the gummy French Toast "bread pudding." The lunch menu looked a little more interesting, so I'll definitely go back for that.

Breakfast #2 was at the new Uncommon Ground on Devon Avenue, in the former Speakeasy Supper Club space. They had me at free parking. It's not everyday you encounter a menu with too many delicious sounding dishes, but Uncommon has one: from chilaquiles and inventive French toast, to tuna melts and pork belly sandwiches. Everything here - including the fish tacos - was delicious. Metropolis coffee and a serious commitment to using only natural, organic and local produce also ramps up the conscientious quotient.

Traveling further along Devon, I hit both Sabri Nehari (2502 W. Devon Ave., 773-743-6200) for the namesake fork-tender beef stew with fresh ginger and jalapenos, as well as Khan BBQ (2401 W. Devon Ave., 773-274-8600), for the irresistible chicken boti - imagine the most tender, juicy chicken that's been marinated for at least a day, then skewered and grilled with mild Indian spices. Along with a bracing bowl of chana masala (stewed chickpeas, slightly spicy) and some blistered, paper-thin roti, I was in heaven, knowing that the leftovers would make a delicious lunch the next day. I also managed to squeeze in a brief return trip to Argo Georgian Bakery (2812 W. Devon, 773-764-6322) just to make sure the hachapury was as good as ever. It was. Flaky, tender bread dough surrounds salty farmer's cheese to form the most addictive croissant-meets-burek; perfect for a midday snack or a quick breakfast.

For dinner, I returned to Jerry's Sandwiches in Wicker Park, where I had a terrible meal the week they opened, but on this return visit, noticed both the service and food quality were much improved. There are still way too many choices on their menu - at least a half-dozen options for bread alone - but my egg salad on fluffy brioche buns was as addictive as the fried chicken sandwich on an Italian loaf. A Belgian-style Maudite on tap, from the well-respected Unibroue in Canada also hit the spot (finding a beer choice is tough as well, but they'll gladly bring you a sample).

To end the day, we slipped right next door, to Coco Rouge, one of the most avant garde chocolate shops in the country. Owner Jeremy Brutzkus was there - as usual - talking about his passions: chocolate, butter, salt and exotic ingredients with anyone who was interested. He talked me into a gianduja (hazelnut) dark hot chocolate, plus the house milk hot chocolate, which was likely the best cup I've ever put my lips to. A pair of orange blossom-scented dark chocolate brownies was the perfect nightcap. I'm ready to go to sleep now, sweet dreams of heavy cream and cacao beckoning. I'm definitely hitting the treadmill first thing in the morning.

January 10

Just Desserts at Boka

I've been hearing about the new pastry chef at Boka, just up the street from The Steppenwolf Theater on Halsted. Elizabeth Dahl's name is proudly announced on the brief dessert menu, as it should be. The desserts here were as good as anything I've had recently. While much of Boka's success is attributed to Guissepe Tentori, who previously worked at Trotter's, I think the addition of Dahl makes the restaurant so much stronger. Spiced pumpkin cakes were as delicate as the cranberry-chestnut tart was seasonal (aided by bourbon maple ice cream); a rectangular dark chocolate pave is embedded with coffee and cardamom, (paired with some candied kumquats) and I'm looking forward to a return visit to try the rest of what Dahl has up her sleeve.

January 4

Delicious Debut from Takashi

It's about time he got his own place. After spending years in the kitchen at Ambria, under the guidance of chef Gabino Sotelino, then onto a fantastic run at Tribute in sububan Detroit, followed by a brief stint as opening chef at Okada in the Wynn Las Vegas, chef Takashi Yagihashi has finally made it back to Chicago to open his own, namesake restaurant. His name has been appearing in Chicago for years, as a supporter of the local Meals on Wheels gala, and just last year, having opened a small noodle kiosk on Macy's 7th floor. But Restaurant Takashi (1952 N. Damen Ave., 773-772-6170) marks his first, truly solo effort.

The restaurant opened about a week ago, and I had a chance to go check it out last night. It occupies the tiny Bucktown brownstone that used to house Scylla, another outstanding restaurant. Takashi hired the same architect behind Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House, and he's done wonders with a compact space that seats just 55 between the main floor and upstairs. I've had the pleasure of eating Yagihashi's food at all of his previous restaurants, but this latest effort seems to be much more personal.

Yellowtail and shrimp show up alongside prosciutto and hearts of palm; he crafts delicate spring rolls, as well as a trio of tofu, topped with shimeji mushrooms or pickled seaweed. His savoy cabbage and gobo root soup is hearty, adorned with two golfball-sized spheres of lobster sausage. He offers a creamy, crunchy, altogether Japanese snack of steamed peeky-toe crab with organic eggs, speckled with shimeji mushrooms and urchin caviar. His soy-ginger pork belly is sliced into squares, which you eat with a steamed rice bun and a little hot mustard; the organic chicken in a clay pot is nicely crisp outside, moist within, arriving with a few discs of eggplant and more mushrooms.

Desserts proved to be a hit across the board: from the chocolate pave, to a crispy rice milk crunch chocolate mousse; lemongrass and herbs were magical against a mound of brunoise (finely chopped) tropical fruit, while a pear financier with honey milk ice cream arrived with a small speck of sharp blue cheese, which offered an amazing contrast of flavors with the sweet, fruity pastry.

It's only been open a week, but already Restaurant Takashi shows signs of a long run in Bucktown. With Yagihashi's varied experiences in all of those kitchens, combined with his own Japanese acumen, this cozy little slice of Asia should do well in a neighborhood awash in bars and fast-food joints.

January 2

"Iron Chef: America" Debut

It's only taken a year or so of lobbying, but finally, after a taping this past fall in New York, my appearance as a judge in the season-ending episode of ICA aired last night on the Food Network. I shared the judging table with Dana Cowin, Editor of Food & Wine Magazine, as well as Alex Guarnaschelli, the chef-owner of Butter in New York. It was Battle: Rabbit, which, while not being my favorite ingredient, was certainly a challenging one for Iron Chef Michael Symon and challenger Guy Rubino of Rain in Toronto. 10 courses to judge in about an hour-and-a-half of actual eating/judging. You can see the six minutes of highlights right here, on my website, at the Iron Chef page. I'll be sure to post a reminder here on the blog when the re-runs are slated to air.