NOTE: Just in case you’ve landed here from a Google search, there is a newer, updated Top 5 Pho post. I ranked all 32 of the pho joints in Chicago, complete with statistical analysis and maps. Published January of 2017. Nearly every culture has its go-to winter comfort soup. The “Jewish penicillin” has always … Continued
Two years ago, I embarked on a magical, fatty/crispy sojourn to Beijing, in search of the real Peking duck. Nearly every great restaurant I visited had their own procedure – be it air hose between skin and meat, large fan for blowing on and drying out the ducks or poaching in hot water for 30 … Continued
When in Lima, you will certainly be spending time in the cebicherias. These afternoons-only restaurants are loud, boisterous, and typically show off the fish they’ve picked up at the market that morning. Places like La Mar and El Mercado are usually only open from 12 – 5 p.m. We happened to get a table at … Continued
During the early part of the 20th Century, as Chicago’s ethnic enclaves continued to settle into their respective landing zones, The Polish Triangle – at the nexus of Ashland, Division and Milwaukee – was a hub of ex-pat activity. Sadly, most of their descendants have moved well beyond that original settlement, to the Northwest and … Continued
Like all great sandwiches, the Cubano is a remarkable creation marrying flavorful proteins, satisfying condiments and crunchy textures. But unlike its Vietnamese cousin, the banh mi, or its Italian brethren – featuring slow-roasted beef slammed between sturdy loaves and draped in a bracing giardiniera – the Cuban sandwich has something the others don’t: griddled bread.
Spiaggia is known for using some of the highest quality Italian ingredients money can buy. You would expect, for example, prodigious amounts of prosecco to show up at their newly-remodeled bar. So why are they using tequila in their Aperol Spritz? It has something to do with Chef Tony Mantuano’s history in a 70s band … Continued
So many doughnuts in Chicago, so little time (and calorie allotment) to eat them all. On the South Side, there’s no questioning the supremacy of Dat Donut or Old Fashioned Donuts, but on the North Side, the undisputed champion has to be The Doughnut Vault. I’ve been warming to Stan’s over the past few months, … Continued
So much for Chicago being a pizza and Italian beef kind of town. I had no idea last week’s post about my Top 5 Fried Chickens would stir such a passionate discourse. With more than 40,000 views from my Facebook page alone, all of the sudden interest crashed my website briefly the next morning. As … Continued
You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and while the recipe will change slightly (with or without collards in the middle, delicata or butternut squash) the basic dish is pretty much intact: steamed sweet corn tamal, sour cream-infused scrambled eggs, sofrito of tomato, onions and banana peppers. Sound good? Trust me, it’s Something … Continued
It’s not like I’m choosing sides in a NYC bagel war, or somehow claiming to know which joint in L.A.’s Thai Town makes the best khao soi, but when you start ranking fried chicken, I know the haters are waiting in the wings, so to speak, ready to pounce. Although I’m not sure I’m going … Continued
From the Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, GT Fish, etc.) the company’s first Japanese concept is a stunner. Up until I went, there were only a handful of sushi restaurants in Chicago I would even recommend (Katsu, Mirai, Juno), but add Momotaro to this list. Not only is the fish sliced expertly, … Continued