My dinner last night at Next was a beautiful progression of Escoffier era dining: from the magical hors d’oeuvres served on an elegant silver tray, all the way through the 9th course – a luscious bombe ceylan filled with coffee and vanilla rum ice cream encased in chocolate. But one of the most dramatic (and … Continued
The arts community has always thrived in Pilsen, and finally, over the past few years, the chefs and mixologists have caught up to the artists. While stalwarts like Don Pedro have been around awhile, relative newcomers like Nightwood and Simone’s have injected new energy into the area; kind of like Longman & Eagle instantly put … Continued
A few weeks ago, I listed my Top 5 roasted chickens in Chicago. I think at the time, I was limiting my options to chickens that were actually roasted in ovens – sealed in their warm cocoons, juices dripping, skin crisping – and left off any rotisserie birds since they don’t really spend much … Continued
Some would say New York chef Marcus Samuelsson should get some credit for making Ethiopian sexy. I say tear me off a piece of spongy injera, scoop up a mildly spicy berbere-laced doro wat (stew) and pass the intense, earthy coffee, and you won’t need a celebrity chef to convince you this is seriously delicious (although the man did … Continued
I discovered the tiny Pastel! Cakes and More bakery along South Pulaski completely by accident. I was heading down there to have lunch at the wonderful Birria Zaragoza, and couldn’t help but poke my head inside. What a great little find – a woman from the neighborhood had recently graduated from the French Pastry School and moved … Continued
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a relatively minor holiday on the Mexican calendar (Independence Day, Sept. 15, ranks much higher), but it somehow has become an excuse to party. Kind of like Hallmark turned “Secretaries Day” into an unofficial holiday requiring lunches, gifts and of course, greeting cards. With today’s event, the fine folks at … Continued
Like pork belly anything or beet salads embedded with goat cheese, a dish of tuna tartar with fresh avocado seems to be de rigueur these days. Bistronomic serves one in a glass jar; it’s one of the most popular dishes at BLT Steak in New York, and of course, every sushi bar in the country offers this combo embedded within a … Continued
It may seem like a tired trend, but while many new Mexican restaurants attempt to duplicate it, you have to hand it to Adobo Grill for being one of the first in town to make tableside guac a staple part of the experience, as much as a shaken-and-strained margarita. For Cinco de Mayo this … Continued
In the pantheon of cuisines that usually get thrown out as options when deciding where to go for dinner, Turkish food is usually not one of them. Mexican? Thai? Italian? Yes, we all have take out menus stuffed into that “misc./tool” drawer in our kitchens. But I’m guessing there aren’t many of you craving a … Continued