On this week’s show, the driving force behind one of Chicago’s premier cocktail lounges stops by, to talk about a category of spirits changing cocktail menus and digestivo lists across the country. Eden Laurin, one of The Violet Hour‘s first female bartenders, walks us through this complex subset of bitter liqueurs with history, insider tips for … Continued
Michigan’s Harbor Country is jammed with great places to eat and drink. In the town of Sawyer, Michigan, one company has been rapidly expanding with good food and even better beer. They started with a brewpub, and now operate several business in town, including a grocer, a charcuterie and cheese shop, bottled beer store, all-day … Continued
A lot of people think Michigan’s Harbor Country shuts down after Labor Day, but a lot of people continue to make the drive around the bottom of the lake, where they’ll find plenty of delicious things to eat year-round. The first two towns you encounter upon driving into Michigan are New Buffalo and Union Pier. Sure, … Continued
If you liked the food at Lula Cafe or the late, lamented Nightwood, chances are you might like Giant. That’s because one of the former chefs from those beloved restaurants has struck out on his own, along with his two partners, hoping to create the same kind of seasonally-driven menu, only this time, via smaller … Continued
Chicago has dozens of bakeries, but most offer the same mix of croissants, muffins or cookies. The new bakery next door to Fat Rice in Logan Square offers the only sweets and savories of their kind, with a strong emphasis on ingredients from Southeast Asia, as well as Portugal.
By Kristine Sherred So often identified with the end of summer, Labor Day falls less than three weeks before the Autumnal Equinox — this year on September 22. What’s more painful to bear than the arrival of shorter days may be the departure of summer’s beloved harvest, and the tomato is one that takes many … Continued
When you think of Middle Eastern food, you might think falafel or sliced shawarma sandwiches – maybe some hummus on the side. But a Middle Eastern bakery in West Rogers Park also has pizza on the menu – although it’s probably unlike most of the pizza you’re used to seeing.
I will admit that I don’t always see trends coming (or even realize that we’re in the midst of some “next big thing” like poutine), but after having heard about Eataly’s frosé (that’s a portmanteau of frozen and rosé, in case you missed it), I say it’s time for frosé to have its moment. I … Continued
Chicago has dozens of ethnic bakeries, usually tucked away in neighborhoods. However, a fantastic Serbian bakery called Jagodinka is hiding in plain sight in the 5800-block of North Lincoln Avenue, where one might be expecting to find something Korean.
(photo: Todd Rosenberg) While a wave of fried chicken joints has washed over Chicago in the past year or so, only a handful specialize in “Nashville hot.” The most recent – a tiny operation in Lakeview – has big expansion plans already, thanks to the overwhelming success after just a month or two in business. They’ve … Continued
(photos and video by Kristine Sherred) The annual Autumn Moon Festival is coming in Chinatown, but rather than purchase pre-made mooncakes from a local bakery on Wentworth Ave. or in the Chinatown Square Mall, the chefs at Shanghai Terrace, inside The Peninsula Hotel, have decided they’ll start making their own. Granted, the filling isn’t traditional … Continued