Jimmy Bannos, Jr. has restaurants in his blood. His father launched Heaven on Seven, where the young Bannos grew up, then he trained in New York with Mario Batali’s team for a series of stages. But it’s his father’s Greek heritage and his mother’s Italian heritage the really creeps into dishes like the grilled chicken … Continued
Celebrate oysters on August 5th for National Oyster Day at Hugo’s or Tavern on Rush There’s a “National ____ Day” for just about everything on the planet. While I agree it’s getting a little out of hand, I’m partial to tomorrow’s event, which happens to be National Oyster Day, and Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House and Tavern … Continued
Juicy St. Louis style ribs at Bub City This upcoming week has a couple of great food events on tap, from ribs to Midwest corn. First up, Bub City (435 N. Clark) is kicking off summer with a Sunday Night Ribs special – a weekly dinner created by Chef Doug Psaltis featuring St. Louis style and baby … Continued
Thinly sliced black summer truffles over a seasonal salad at Quartino. Given the weather we’ve been having recently, it seems like summer may never come. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the perks of seasonal summer ingredients. Quartino (626 N. State Street) has the perfect summer add-on to take your dish to the next level: black … Continued
Tavernita’s well-stocked bar is sure to be popular with fans Basketball lovers can get excited for a whole new reason thanks to the upcoming March Madness special at Tavernita. The River North tapas restaurant and bar (located at 151 W. Erie) is helping get fans in the spirit by offering an open bar package during all … Continued
Ever since my first trip to New Orleans, I’ve been in love with po’boys. One of the reasons is due to the magical, only-in-New Orleans bread (usually from Leidenheimer). Choices typically range from roast beef to fried shrimp or oysters. On a parallel track, regular readers here know I have a thing for all … Continued
This resurrected concept from Team Melman and Lettuce Entertain You used to sit on Weed Street, in Lincoln Park in the late 80s (I fondly recall eating a mess of crawdads on a ream of newspaper after an Oingo Boingo concert at Metro in ’88). But the trend of slow-smoking pork and brisket was too … Continued
If you’ve been a semi-regular reader of this blog, you probably know by now that I’m a sucker for a good sandwich. You know how important it is to get that starch-to-ingredient ratio correct, right? While having a business lunch recently at La Madia, I realized not only was the sandwich good – served … Continued
Giuseppe Tentori is a busy guy these days. The Trotter veteran continues to oversee his upscale Boka in Lincoln Park, as well as the more casual GT Fish & Oyster (in the former Tizi Melloul space) in River North. Tentori has a way with seafood, treating it with more reverence (and a tad more … Continued
Based in London, with an outpost in Scottsdale, it reeks of corporate dining, but it’s a fun, efficient machine with a super-huge Japanese robata grill featuring imported binchotan charcoal to sear, then mesquite to add smoky flavor to an assortment of steaks, shrimp and vegetables. Sushi service is also very good, but not as good … Continued