On this week’s show, we begin an occasional series on iconic dishes that define a particular place. We begin with a pair of meaty ones: tender barbacoa from Mexico City and meaty Italian beef sandwiches from Chicago. We were thinking about what constitutes an iconic dish, and decided we would take an occasional look at how … Continued
Cindy’s Rooftop Bar, which has one of the city’s best views, has undergone a pretty major change. Located atop the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel on Michigan Avenue, Cindy’s is popular in the summertime for its views of Millennium Park. However, a new year has brought a completely new menu, with a few tasty surprises that don’t … Continued
It’s the new year, and for a lot of us, that means an attempt to try to eat a little bit healthier. Remember Muskie’s? That little burger dive on N. Lincoln Avenue? It’s been re-born as a super healthy-yet-delicious option in Lakeview, where most of the menu is guilt-free.
As you may have noticed lately, if you’ve been following my Instagram, I’ve had a thing for pizza lately. There is a reason for this (which I’ll be able to reveal soon) but in the meantime, the fine folks at Eataly have asked me to help them out with testing their new doughs on February … Continued
There won’t be any ball-drops Friday night, but the Chinese New Year does begin at midnight. The “Year of the Rooster” will have just about every restaurant in Chinatown busy, of course, but you might want to seek out a new spot on South Wentworth where you’ll find hand-pulled and hand-shaved noodles exactly as they’re … Continued
When most new restaurants in Chicago tend to feature steaks, chops and other meat-heavy entrees, Bad Hunter is taking a very different approach. The Chef – a recent hire from Nico Osteria – has made grilling, roasting and transforming all manner of vegetables the stars of his menu. Bonus: this week’s Extra Course Video – … Continued
Since I’ve decided not to lead another trip to Cuba this year, I thought it was time to return to Spain. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities to eat and drink in, and on this trip – put together with the fine folks from Royal Travel here in Chicago – we’re also going to … Continued
As regular readers of my blog will surely know by now, there are plenty of options for great pho in Chicago. But few, if any top-line, classically-trained chefs in the city have devoted much time to perfecting the classic Vietnamese soup. Tomorrow night, however, one of my favorite Korean chefs in town is taking up … Continued
At a Venezuelan restaurant in Chicago, they are serving that country’s most famous export – the arepa. BienMeSabe in the Ravenswood neighborhood is one of the city’s only Venezuelan outposts, where they make dozens of fresh arepas all day long.
On part two of our North American Food Market Crawl, we talk to the experts in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, sampling the best fare from their favorite markets and food halls. Lesley Chesterman, Restaurant Critic at the Montreal Gazette strolls through the massive Jean-Talon Market; Suresh Doss, Editor of Foodism Magazine in Toronto takes us … Continued
Chicago is home to many great sandwiches, but I say there’s more than just Italian beef here. A Vietnamese standard – the banh mi – is now sprouting up all over the city, including a relatively new option in Edgewater, where they bake the bread every day.