Grand Rapids, Michigan is the source of this week’s Beer of the Week from The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper. Founders Brewery has a terrific light beer called “All Day IPA” and with warm weather here, he says it’s a perfect summer sipper that won’t fill you up. Cheers.
I’ve been receiving a lot of pitches for Father’s Day brunch ideas over the past week or so. Many of them come from the usual publicity firms, representing the fine folks at Lettuce and other large restaurant groups. Nothing against Hub 51, Paris Club and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, they all offer good options for dad this … Continued
We’re in the thick of graduation/wedding/shower season, and that means parties; usually at someone’s home; sometimes catered. But for those casual lunches or dinners that don’t really demand a ton of resources (say, 20 guests) you’re probably going to want to make a few things yourself. Whenever I’m asked to bring a salad over to … Continued
Here’s a Top 5 that’s sure to stir the pot of pickled onions a bit. After the remarkable little beauties I had last night at Antique Taco in Wicker Park, I was inspired to pick my top 5 in town (and can’t believe I haven’t even made an attempt at ranking them previously). Obviously, … Continued
This week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper looks to Lagunitas, which recently announced it’s going to set up a (huge) brewery in Chicago. They’ve got a little “sumpin’ sumpin’” to quench your thirst: it’s 7.5% alcohol, a tad spicy, and a prototype for an excellent summertime ale. Cheers.
A doughnut can be a wonderful thing. It can also be dead weight, as in an overly processed, sickly-sweet pastry (yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, Dunkin’). But Chicago’s love of fried dough – be it yeasty or cakey – hasn’t subsided, despite the invasion of chain stores in nearly every neighborhood. More significantly, individually-owned, local … Continued
Truly great sandwiches are studies in contrast. The soft chew of a Leidenheimer French bread encasing warm, fried shrimp, crisp lettuce and tomatoes in a New Orleans po’boy at the Parkway Tavern; the perfect crust of a D’Amato’s loaf housing a bevy of thinly-sliced, appropriately fatty Italian meats, dressed with fruity olive oil and thick … Continued
After yesterday’s post regarding Mindy Segal’s re-booted HotChocolate, I didn’t really think about running another sweet feature, but I’ve had this one in the works for about two weeks. After a casual dinner by my lonesome recently at the bar at Telegraph, in Logan Square, my eyes were drawn to one of their desserts: … Continued
Everyone I know has been encouraging me to visit Scofflaw since it opened a few weeks ago. Knowing how much I enjoy a finely-made cocktail, (and the fact there are some well-schooled bar men here, hailing from such locally respected watering holes as The Whistler) I knew it was going to be worthwhile. Located … Continued
With all of the news recently that more breweries are on their way to Chicago – some homegrown, others, like Lagunitas, will be moving operations here – the annual Craft Beer Week couldn’t have come at a better time. The schedule is pretty extensive, and begins on May 17, running for 11 days. Plenty of people … Continued
Not all dark beers are created equally. Take this week’s Beer of the Week: Schwarzbier, from the Mönchshof Brewery in Germany. The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper says since it’s low in alcohol, it is very easy to drink (think warm weather sipper out in the backyard). Here’s to deep, dark, delicious drinking. Cheers.