Over the past few years, Nick Spencer has been showing up at places like Dose Market or the Logan Square Farmer’s Market, cooking up his homemade British-style bangers (sausage) and back bacon, and turning them into tasty sandwiches. But over the course of the last year, he’s opened a brick-and-mortar store along Irving Park Road, … Continued
Last night, Jews around the world lit candles, spun dreidels and ate a boatload of potato pancakes, commemorating the miracle of oil that lasted eight days, after the destruction of their temple. Latkes, as they’re called, are one of my favorite memories as a child, because it was a time when my mom could … Continued
Eggplant is the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. Honestly, beyond the occasional baba ganoush, how often do you see this purplish, bulbous ingredient – looking like something from “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” – star on a menu? Thankfully, the Turks know how to exploit the aubergine, and at Cafe Orchid, in Lake View/Ravenswood, it … Continued
There are Trotter alums everywhere it seems, especially in Chicago. But the two guys running the show at the new 2 Sparrows in Lake View aren’t going for the three-star accolades anymore. They’re firmly fixated on serving “American” dishes with more than a few upscale touches. Pop Tarts with foie? Homemade tater tots? There … Continued
I didn’t grow up in the deep South, and I never had a mama who whipped up biscuits and cornbread just for the hell of it. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a superb fried chicken.‚ There are few contrasts as tasty as a crisp, fatty shield of chicken skin, yielding to an impossibly … Continued
Thanks to the fine folks at Vosges, and nearly every County Fair in the Midwest, chocolate-covered bacon is no longer seen as a bizarre love child of bittersweet and smoky. The combo is seen almost as frequently as brandade or arancini, and bridges the gap between sweet and savory, especially at the breakfast table. At Kanela Breakfast Club, in a … Continued
All week long, we’ve been re-running some of our favorite Top 5 lists from 2010. Today, it’s all about lemongrass and galangal. It’s also going to be my final post for 2010. I’m taking next week off, and will be back here January 3. Look for one more video post next week, as Justin Kaufmann … Continued