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
On part two of our North American Food Market Crawl, we talk to the experts in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, sampling the best fare from their favorite markets and food halls. Lesley Chesterman, Restaurant Critic at the Montreal Gazette strolls through the massive Jean-Talon Market; Suresh Doss, Editor of Foodism Magazine in Toronto takes us … Continued
Chicago is home to many great sandwiches, but I say there’s more than just Italian beef here. A Vietnamese standard – the banh mi – is now sprouting up all over the city, including a relatively new option in Edgewater, where they bake the bread every day.
We tried to stick to places where pho plays a big part of the menu, or at least the restaurant attempts to offer it as a meal in and of itself. Again, a few extra points if they include culantro (saw tooth leaf) on the condiment plate and bonus points for aromatic broth (served hot) … Continued
One of the most important things to do when traveling is to try to find out where the locals eat, and often times, that’s in a food hall or market. On today’s show: we talk to the experts, and sample the best fare from the best food markets and halls in 10 U.S. cities.
Most restaurants are happy to make it to five years. Ten years is a major accomplishment. In Chicago’s West Loop, Blackbird restaurant has always been considered a pioneer, celebrating its 19th anniversary this month. And even more impressive is that it still feels new.
A well-known Indian grocery store in West Rogers Park has an even bigger footprint in the northwest suburbs, and there’s a lot more than just spices for sale. From dry goods to groceries, there’s also an Indian restaurant chain’s only U.S. location next door.
The Chinese tradition of dim sum has been around for centuries. Typically, the small plates of fried, steamed and baked items are a great chance to share and sample a lot of different things at one meal. In Chicago, one of Chinatown’s most popular dim sum houses — MingHin Cuisine — is now making a trio … Continued
Growing up in the Upper Midwest, you get used to cold weather dishes – lots of casseroles and pot roasts and hot dish. The Twin Cities has the largest Scandinavian population in the U.S., which may be why Marcus Samuelsson opened an Aquavit there over a decade ago. Scandinavian traditions run deep, and a nascent movement … Continued
There’s a tiny donut shop in north suburban Gurnee, just a mile from Six Flags, cranking out freshly-made donuts, including a special one with Filipino roots that’s only available on the weekends. It’s called “ube” and this popular purple yam is all over Filipino menus, but not so much in donut shops. In fact, the Cambodian … Continued
Covering the food world has certainly changed over the past decade, especially if you’re in the magazine business. Rick Bayless and I talk with Bon Appetit Magazine Editor-in-Chief, Adam Rapaport and Deputy Editor Andrew Knowlton, during their recent visit to town for the annual “Bon Appetit Presents Chicago Gourmet” event.