The second annual Windy City BBQ Classic is set to host more than 30 Pit Masters and up to 3,000 attendees this upcoming Sunday, September 1, in what has become Chicago’s only true barbecue competition. Competitors are required to use only wood or charcoal to cook meat for an accredited judging panel. This year’s daylong competition moves to … Continued
As you can tell, I’ve been taking a little bit of a vacation. We’ll be back to the usual nonsense after Labor Day. At that point, I hope to have more detailed information about my first-ever Culinary Tour of New York City. It’s going to be a blast, packed with all sorts of quick stops … Continued
This week, we bring back a familiar name to Chicago food lovers of a certain age. It was the late 90s. A time when Trotter still ruled Chicago and investors were lining up to fund big, new, ambitious projects. Long before there was a guy named Achatz turning heads upside down at Trio in Evanston, … Continued
The Active Transportation Alliance is always trying to get people out on their bikes, and this year, they’re throwing a few edible enticements into their Four Star Bike & Chow event coming up on August 25th. Organizers hope that by setting up various routes throughout the North Side and Northern suburbs – including a few … Continued
Chances are your favorite chef, restaurateur or bartender isn’t going to be at work this Wednesday night. That’s because nearly 100 of the city’s top toques and mixologists will be with me at Share Our Strength’s annual “Taste of the Nation,” hoping to move a few small steps closer to eradicating childhood hunger in our … Continued
While a lot of my friends will be tearing in teriyaki and thick udon noodles this weekend at the 58th annual Ginza Festival in Lincoln Park, I’ll be sweating through more kimchi than I can possibly imagine, at the Chicago Korean Festival on the city’s far north side. Kimchi will be the highlight, of course, … Continued
“New American” is a term that’s been around awhile, but David Burke could probably lay claim to adopting that style before it became fashionable. The New York City-based chef has kept up a steady presence in Chicago with Primehouse, at the James Hotel (one of my favorite steak houses), and this week, I’m giving away … Continued
In what looks a little bit like the popular Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, a former New Yorker has quietly been running The NOSH at Wicker Park for the past three Saturdays, and I’m pleased to say this fledgling little eater’s market shows promise. From the Yiddish “to nibble,” this weekly market of sorts has been bringing … Continued
Long before I was asked to leave G.E.B. because the chef there didn’t like that I twice tweeted my displeasure at spending $500 on the greatest hits from 1994; well before all of that wine went missing and the sudden stoppage of the auction selling everything off from the restaurant; way before the foie controversy … Continued
Kyuoucho is the Japanese word for collaboration, and on Monday, July 22nd, the kitchen at Trenchermen welcomes the staff from Arami, to create a unique brand of kyuoucho that hasn’t been seen in Wicker Park before. If you haven’t been to either restaurant, this is a good opportunity to taste each one’s highlights in one … Continued
This week, it’s off to New York City, for a very opinionated view of what is the best eating in the Big Apple. Arthur Schwartz was, for many years, the major domo of food talk (and I mean talk) in New York. His daily radio program was heard by just about everyone in the food … Continued