When you think of St. Louis beers, your mind probably wanders instantly to the behemoth, Anheuser Busch. But this baseball-obsessed city also has a great little brewery called Perennial Artisan Ales, where they’re producing a Belgian-style beer that The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper is really fond of this week. It’s only 5.9% alcohol and features … Continued
By Ivan Yeh Hapless Intern As a college student in Chicago whose parents live in Taiwan, family reunions are few and far between. Logistically speaking, it would involve one party flying 8,000 miles across an ocean and nine time zones to even begin to make things work. But families find a way to … Continued
I realize that anytime you include the words “hot dog” in a sentence about Chicago, there will be disagreement. People have talked until they’re blue in the face about the merits and pleasures of Gene & Jude’s, yet the fact they still use pencil-thin size 10s (10 to a pound) has always annoyed me. To … Continued
This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper is fond of a “table beer” from Belgium. Brasserie Dupont’s Biére de Table is a refreshing sipper for this time of year, when the weather tends to leave you parched. Cheers!
By Ivan Yeh Hapless Intern Do you like green eggs and ham? On a lark, have you had them on Clark? Or perhaps you’ve made a demand, that you have them on Grand? If you spent your childhood anywhere in the United States, chances are you grew up reading Dr. Seuss’s critically acclaimed … Continued
There are few things more satisfying than hot, crispy, thinly-sliced fried potatoes. I tend to respect folks who cut Idaho russets all day long, par-blanching them first, and then, right before an order comes in, frying them a second time to crisp them up. It doesn’t mean serving them soggy and limp, but rather, … Continued
Once again, Cleveland rocks. This week’s BotW hails from the Great Lakes Brewery there, and The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper has a thing for amber lagers. These colorful, complex and easy-to-drink beers are wonderful in warmer months, and he says the Eliot Ness will do the trick. Cheers.
It’s one of my favorite times of the year, ingredient-wise, but strawberry season is, sadly, also too brief. I try to pack them into everything I can: shortcake, ice creams, jams, you name it. But sometimes I just want a simple sundae, adorned with a few macerated strawberries for seasonal oomph. That’s the case this … Continued
The recent heatwave has me reaching for an arsenal of summer-friendly recipes, including one of my favorites, gazpacho. But tomatoes aren’t quite there yet, so we’re turning to cucumbers and garlic scopes today – familiar sites at most markets this time of year.
By Ivan Yeh Hapless Intern While strolling through the quiet neighborhood of Andersonville on a lazy Monday afternoon, I encountered something that was both new and familiar to the streets of Chicago. It was the latest Bongo Room, which has only been in operation since May 1. Although this particular location has just recently … Continued
Yet another Chicago week of brutally hot weather, kicking off the first days of Summer. This week’s forecast has me (probably somewhat prematurely) clamoring for all manner of things cool, icy and sweet. Here are my top 5, although really, the order is somewhat interchangeable.