Win Tickets to Pinot Days this Saturday

Flight of pinot noir (photo courtesy Huge Galdones)

While the bacon lovers hit the UIC Forum for BaconFest, pinot fans will be descending upon Navy Pier once again this weekend, for the 6th Annual Pinot Days Chicago. The event – which features more than 100 pinots from 55 producers – runs from 12 – 5 p.m. this Saturday, the 20th. Consumers will be able to sample wines from every important domestic pinot noir region, including: the Russian River Valley; Oregon; Carneros; the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Anderson Valley. It’s a rare chance to taste pinots usually reserved for the west coast.

If you haven’t bought your tickets, I’m giving away two pairs today. It’s a quick contest (entry deadline is 6 a.m. tomorrow) so I’ll make it quick: Read More

Beer of the Week: Happy 25th, Goose Island

It’s hard to believe it’s been a quarter century since John Hall and his son, Greg, began brewing beer along Clybourn in Lincoln Park. 25 years later, the company is in someone else’s hands, but there’s no denying the impact and influence Goose Island has had on the Chicago beer scene. For this special anniversary ESB, Hall reunited with the old team to create one more special brew. Cheers to that.

The Gringa at L’Patron

I know, I know. We’ve been covering tacos, burgers and fried chicken WAY too much lately. It seems like every other opening in Chicago features these standards, albeit with a twist, in some form or another. But wait, there’s more. L’Patron (pronounced “El Patron”) is the latest taqueria to open in Logan Square, and the key here is that there’s a Topolobampo alum back in the kitchen. I do like their tacos – only if you specify you want them on homemade tortillas for .80 extra – but the Gringa is also an item worth checking out. As they say (way down) south, “Buen Provecho!”

(videography courtesy Todd Rosenberg Photography, @toddrphoto)

Hungry Hound Recap From Last Week

This week discover 5 Rabbit Brewery where the focus is on Latin-influenced, food-friendly beer; then it’s over to the Aviary for cocktails crafted from purely local spirits. We also checked out  Edgewater’s Sauce & Bread from the same people behind Co-Op hot sauce and Crumb Bakery, then finish things off with a look at skagen from Tre Kronor, Albany Park’s Swedish staple.

Toronto Food Scene Poised To Take Off, Despite Internal Bickering

Momofuku Noodle Bar in Toronto

TORONTO – It hasn’t exactly risen to the level of a “Real Housewives” cat fight, but it’s not often when one food critic goes to the trouble of seriously questioning another critic’s judgement.   Case in point: at the end of November, The Globe & Mail’s Chris Nuttall-Smith wrote a glowing review of Momofuku Shōtō, David Chang’s high-end, tasting menu-driven 21-seat counter, calling it the best restaurant in Toronto. Lesley Chesterman, his counterpart in Montreal, took exception; in kind of a major way.   Here’s what Nuttall-Smith said in the third graph of his review:

“Just eight weeks into its life, Momofuku Shoto is already the best restaurant in the city. It is more inventive, more gleefully promiscuous with ideas and ingredients, more artfully conceived and many levels more technically masterful than anything else in the city. Nearly a decade after Toronto was last known as an international dining destination, Shoto quite suddenly puts us back on the map.” Read More

French Chef Series Coming to Paris Club

Photo by LettuceEntertainYou

On Wednesday, April 24 through Friday, April 26, River North’s Paris Club will host Chef Keisuke “Kei” Matsushima from Nice, France. The very first Michelin-starred Asian chef, Chef Kei moved from Japan to France at the age of 20, to pursue a childhood dream of opening his own restaurant.

Kei, now 35, has three well-regarded restaurants. His signature fare is Mediterranean focused with French and Japanese influences. In partnership with the team at Paris Club, Chef Matsushima has planned a four-course menu to be paired with fine wines.