Currently browsing Something You Should Eat

Hong Kong Roast Pork

One of the daily rituals people in Hong Kong are accustomed to is seeing whole roasted duck, chicken and pork hanging by metal hooks in storefront windows; they will often pop in to get a styrofoam container to go, or just eat it right there. Four years ago, on my first visit, I hired Daisann … Continued

Best Cinnamon Rolls in Chicago at Bittersweet

Cinnamon rolls are usually a favorite treat for a Sunday brunch. But a recent addition – only available for about a month-and-a-half and for now – are available on the weekends only at one of Chicago’s best bakeries. Bittersweet celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, and the Lakeview bakery shows few signs of age. They still … Continued

Mooncakes at Shanghai Terrace

(photos and video by Kristine Sherred) The annual Autumn Moon Festival is coming in Chinatown, but rather than purchase pre-made mooncakes from a local bakery on Wentworth Ave. or in the Chinatown Square Mall, the chefs at Shanghai Terrace, inside The Peninsula Hotel, have decided they’ll start making their own. Granted, the filling isn’t traditional … Continued

Smoked & Cured Fish at Manny’s Deli

After more than 70 years in business, it was time to hit the “refresh” button. Manny’s has been a well-worn staple in the South Loop, hosting politicians and city workers of all stripes, but its best days were behind it, and if the Raskin family hadn’t done something with it, the temple of corned beef, … Continued

Happy Lobster Truck

Food trucks are a fleeting business in Chicago, and depend on good weather (when was the last time you saw a truck on Wacker Dr. in December?) We’ve had a streak of great days, however, and I had a chance to visit the Happy Lobster Truck recently, making its usual stop in The Loop, during … Continued

Soft Serve at Urban Belly

I’ve always been a fan of Bill Kim’s soft serve at Belly Shack: the coconut water-infused vanilla, the unique flavors (Vietnamese caramel, huckleberry), but at his newest Urban Belly outpost in Wicker Park, he builds on that momentum, creating two new flavors that blew me away (and have me coming back for more). This is … Continued

Okonomiyaki in Osaka

You think you’ve tried every kind of pancake out there? Sure, you’ve had the sweet ones with ricotta, topped with fruit, or maybe the savory ones embedded with sweet potatoes or some other nonsense, but I’m guessing you probably haven’t seen (or tasted) a lot of okonomiyaki. This savory cabbage pancake is the star of … Continued

Panuozzo at Forno Rosso

I’ve always thought Nick Nitti had a way with dough. Ever since he opened Forno Rosso in the Dunning neighborhood, on the city’s far West Side, he’s been consistently cranking out some of the best Neapolitan pies in the region. He is somewhat of an evangelist on the merits of fior di latte, San Marzanos … Continued

French Fries at De Quay

I’ve always loved French fries, especially the crispy, thin frites you find in French and Belgian restaurants. I’ve also begun leaning toward a mayo-based dip as opposed to my ketchup-laced childhood preferences. There are several great version of fries in Chicago, but none that have stood out as much as the ones I had recently … Continued

How To Make The Best Fried Chicken

Paul Fehribach knows plenty about frying. The chef and owner of Big Jones, in Andersonville, has just written The Big Jones Cookbook and spends his days researching and recreating dishes from the American South’s delicious culinary past. I asked him for some pro tips this weekend, as many of us are going to be attempting … Continued