Chicago has dozens of bakeries, but most offer the same mix of croissants, muffins or cookies. The new bakery next door to Fat Rice in Logan Square offers the only sweets and savories of their kind, with a strong emphasis on ingredients from Southeast Asia, as well as Portugal.
When you think of Middle Eastern food, you might think falafel or sliced shawarma sandwiches – maybe some hummus on the side. But a Middle Eastern bakery in West Rogers Park also has pizza on the menu – although it’s probably unlike most of the pizza you’re used to seeing.
Chicago has dozens of ethnic bakeries, usually tucked away in neighborhoods. However, a fantastic Serbian bakery called Jagodinka is hiding in plain sight in the 5800-block of North Lincoln Avenue, where one might be expecting to find something Korean.
(photo: Todd Rosenberg) While a wave of fried chicken joints has washed over Chicago in the past year or so, only a handful specialize in “Nashville hot.” The most recent – a tiny operation in Lakeview – has big expansion plans already, thanks to the overwhelming success after just a month or two in business. They’ve … Continued
The team behind fine-dining gems Alinea and Next have finally opened a restaurant a little more on the casual side. It’s quite a bit louder than its siblings, but the format is a lot more conducive to sharing.
Pizza is practically religion in Chicago, and there’s a lot more than just deep dish or tavern-style. Robert’s Pizza Company is a new pizza place in the city that has been years in the making by a man with a simple goal: to create the perfect slice.
In their annual Travel issue, the Tribune asked me where I love to eat/stay/shop in Montreal, one of my favorite North American cities. Click here to read the story.
With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, you might be in the mood for some ice cream. A husband-and-wife team have recreated a classic soda fountain near Humboldt Park, where they not only serve shakes and floats, but some interesting pie as well.
Up until recently, Chicago’s top chefs wouldn’t dare put tomatoes on their menus until August, when they could source them locally. But a new business west of the city is now growing tomatoes under glass, hydroponically. They’re using Dutch technology to grow tomatoes indoors.
I was featured in this Sunday Chicago Tribune profile by the great Rick Kogan for his “Sidewalks” column.
2017 is shaping up to be an ambitious year for my culinary tours. We kick things off in February with an action-packed (and food and wine-filled) tour of South Africa. Once again, I’m working with Earthbound Expeditions, which does an excellent job of accommodating special requests (I have many, when it comes to providing a unique … Continued