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48 Hours of Eating, Drinking in London
As you may know by now, I was in London earlier this week attending the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony. While I was there, I tried to make the most of my extremely short trip. I had lunch at an amazing regional Indian restaurant – Veeraswamy (no relation to Veerasway in Chicago) – the oldest … Continued
Top 5 Easter Brunches
Some like buffets. Others prefer their Easter brunches a la carte. If you’re still trying to figure out where to go this weekend, here are five excellent choices, ranging from casual to partial mortgage payments. 1. The Four Seasons If you work for JP Morgan or Goldman Sachs, go ahead, blow some of your bonus money … Continued
Noma Chef Talks About Back-to-Back #1 Ranking on “World’s 50 Best” List
I was in London for 48 hours earlier this week, attending the San Pellegrino “World’s 50 Best” Awards held Monday night. As one of the 27 Regional Academy Chairs (I oversee Canada/Mid-USA), I’m charged with finding 30 judges each year, which must be broken up equally among journalists, chefs/restaurateurs and gastronauts/world travelers. Another rule is … Continued
Baba Ganoush from Taboun
I’ve seen it spelled a number of different ways: baba gannoush/ganoush/ganouj, etc., but no matter how you spell it, the dish is pretty much always the same – roasted, chopped eggplant, combined with garlic, tahini and spices, whipped or finely-chopped into a spread that is ripe for wedges of warm pita bread. ‚ The … Continued
Chicago’s Grant Achatz Talks About Alinea Ranked #6 in the World
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants today named Alinea number six- making it the highest ranked restaurant in North America. I was in London for the announcement and spoke with Alinea chef Grant Achatz about what it takes to produce at this level, how it feels to surpass his mentor Thomas Keller and what the secret … Continued
Grana Padano, Prosciutto from San Daniele, Italy (PRI’s The World)
Here’s a Geo Quiz I produced and reported about Grana Padano cheese and prosciutto from San Daniele, Italy. Click to play: [audio:https://stevedolinsky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Italian-Geo-Quiz-1.mp3]
Top 5 Roasted Chickens in Chicago
The best roast chicken I ever had was at Zuni Café, on Market Street in San Francisco. I’m not sure what Judy Rodgers does to it – they’re most likely brined to retain moisture well ahead of time, and the heat, well, I’m positive it comes from a lot of hardwood. Chicago isn’t exactly a roast … Continued
Shrimp Banh Mi at Del Seoul
Everyone has been talking about the Korean-style tacos served up at Del Seoul in Lincoln Park. I do happen to love the well-marinated kalbi that’s finely chopped, buried beneath a mound of Napa cabbage and Asian greens dressed with gojujang (Korean red chili paste) and topped with sesame seeds; not as much of a fan of the store-bought tortillas, … Continued
Going “Whole Hog” at Vie With Unique Butchering Class
Please don’t tell my mom about today’s two posts, she’ll kill me. This morning we talked about the 2nd Annual Baconfest over the weekend, and we mentioned that Nathan Sears from Vie in Western Springs took home the “Golden Rasher” for the best bacon dish. Well yesterday, as Sears was basking in the glory of his … Continued
Top 5 Places for Bacon in Chicago; Baconfest returns
Has it jumped the shark yet? Is bacon as ubiquitous as tiramisu on Taylor Street? Some would argue yes, but many in the food community say bring it on. While the back/side of the hog – the source of bacon – continues to show up on nearly every menu, right alongside beet-and-goat-cheese salads, if you … Continued