Happy 5772! I was up all night, what with the ball drop and the champagne and all… Actually, Rosh Hashana is a time for reflection and celebration, leading up to Yom Kippur next week, the day of repentance and forgiveness. But every dinner table is set with honey this time of year. It’s meant to … Continued
Rarely have I steamed over $2.15. Two-friggin-fifteen! I was craving an iced coffee during a quick meeting at a Starbucks recently, and when I saw a 12-oz. cup listed for $1.95 (plus tax), I cringed. But that wasn’t nearly as bad as the answer I got when I asked if it was cold-brewed. “Nope,” the … Continued
I always thought taro root was something used in steamed or fried dishes at dim sum parlors. That is, until my colleague Kevin Pang, from the Chicago Tribune, took me to Joy Yee’s in Chinatown and showed me how good taro can be in a frozen smoothie. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but … Continued
The damp, intermittent showers and muddy lawn couldn’t keep thousands of food and wine lovers away from Millennium Park this weekend. The 4th annual Chicago Gourmet saw its share of top-tier chefs, sommeliers and mixologists all come together in a spirited effort to once again raise the city’s culinary profile. This year, bon appétit magazine … Continued
Chicago is as much a lox town as New York City is a sturgeon one, and while I’ve lamented the lack of bagel shops here offering smoked sturgeon, finding gravlax (aka “lox” which is essentially cured salmon) is still pretty easy. Yet few people realize that you don’t need to own a giant smoker or … Continued
You could call Matt Lee a coffee geek, and he would be just fine with that. The owner of Manic Coffee in Toronto was seriously tired of seeing the Tim Horton’s chain – along with a lot of other so-called “coffee shops” open up and serve sub-standard beans that had been roasted who-knows-when. So Lee … Continued
With all of the food and wine heavies in town this weekend for Chicago Gourmet, reservations will be about as easy to get as they are during the National Restaurant Show. I’m sure every seat at Next is taken, as their remarkable Thai menu draws to a close at the end of the month. In … Continued
I’ve always loved music videos, and I’ve always loved sparkling wine. What if we could marry the two? Since Italy’s beloved prosecco is being harvested now, and with tons of winemakers in town this weekend for Chicago Gourmet, I thought I would share this video that I shot and edited at Mionetto’s vineyards and production … Continued
I started blogging as a challenge, really. I knew that I couldn’t simply continue to churn out three or more stories a week for ABC 7 News, and expect to be read/viewed/followed in the new media landscape. As much as I love food reporting for TV and radio, I started noticing that younger bloggers were … Continued
Former Avec sous chef runs the kitchen here, and the wine bar (from the folks at Webster’s Wine Bar and The Bluebird) is the latest addition to Logan Square. Extensive, affordable wine list and fairly adventurous food. Great alternative to perennially-packed Longman & Eagle down the block.
These restaurants offer fantastic Sunday brunch.