“U.S. Pizza Cup” from Paulie Gee’s Logan Square If you’ll excuse the alliteration, the pandemic has made plenty of pizza parlors pretty popular, particularly for pickup. But for the last century or so, ordering a pizza in Chicago meant you had one of three options: a round, thin-and-crispy, square-cut pie; a circular deep-dish – chunky … Continued
A new bakery celebrating Mexican culture and tradition recently opened next door to its more popular sister restaurant in River North. The breads and pastries alone are worth a trip. From traditional conchas and taleras, to a few creative takes on sandwich bread, there’s a lot more than just croissants and coffee. Panango! 720 N. … Continued
Chef Rick Bayless has been a part of Chicago’s food scene for over 30 years, but his latest project — a subterranean bar beneath his Frontera Grill — is a collaboration with his daughter, who is a cocktail impresario. BAR SOTANO Alley behind 443 N. Clark St., Chicago 312-391-5857
A month ago, the James Beard Foundation – at its annual awards gala – named Topolobampo the best restaurant in the country. Rick Bayless’ more upscale Mexican restaurant opened nearly 30 years ago, but the menu keeps changing and adapting – pushing the boundaries of what many of us consider “modern” Mexican.
You might think River North restaurants fit into one or two categories: steakhouses or something by Lettuce Entertain You. Lately, that’s a pretty good guess. Lettuce’s latest effort – a Mediterranean-by-way-of-California restaurant, offers some unique flavors for the neighborhood.
Whereas retail boasts sales aplenty after the holidays, restaurants typically suffer low attendance – not to mention worn-out staff whose vacation (if such a respite exists) lasts a few short days in January. Restaurant Week, running from Friday, January 22 through Thursday, February 4, aims to ameliorate a typically quiet two weeks with prix-fixe feasts across … Continued
Now revered as one of summer’s most versatile fruits, the tomato was once the hapless scapegoat of lead poisoning and aphrodisiac affections. To commemorate the now-celebrated tomato season (June to October), Osteria via Stato in downtown Chicago hosts their fourth annual multi-course dinner featuring the heirloom fruit. Join third-generation owner Nick Nichols of Nichols Farm & Orchard on Wednesday, September 23 … Continued
The sheer variety of freshly-made pasta at Eataly can be daunting, and when faced with a dozen or so options, one might simply fall back on a known entity, like linguini or angel hair. But this Friday, Eataly is giving you a good reason to experiment. Their Fresh Pasta Friday means everything at their fresh … Continued
For years, you had to venture into the basement of the Palmer House to get those fun rum drinks and crab Rangoon with a side of bamboo, but a pair of expertly curated tiki bars call Chicago home: one in trendy River North, the other in laid-back Logan Square.
So many doughnuts in Chicago, so little time (and calorie allotment) to eat them all. On the South Side, there’s no questioning the supremacy of Dat Donut or Old Fashioned Donuts, but on the North Side, the undisputed champion has to be The Doughnut Vault. I’ve been warming to Stan’s over the past few months, … Continued
Twenty five years ago, when Goose Island Brewing was still hustling to get sales going, Shaw’s Crab House became its first corporate account. Now Goose Island is helping Shaw’s celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary, with a limited edition beer crafted to pair perfectly with Shaw’s seafood menu, namely its oysters. The unique brew is called Pearl: … Continued