This one-man operation is cooking out of a ghost kitchen in Humboldt Park, Chicago, but the plan is to open a progressive Indian restaurant, with a more modern approach to traditional dishes. Saffron Street www.saffronstreetchicago.com
The Nanaimo Bar – a delicious dessert treat from British Columbia – has finally arrived in Chicago. I went to Dear Margaret (where the Chef is a native of Ontario, and grew up eating them) to see how he makes them. Dear Margaret 2965 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-360-8213 https://www.dearmargaretchi.com
One of my favorite street snacks in Turkey is lahmacun (lah-mah-ZHOON) because it’s portable and delicious. Just please don’t call it Turkish pizza. I found an excellent version at a cafe in Ravenswood, where it’s just $5.00! See the video to learn how they make it, and more important, how to eat it. Turkish Cafe … Continued
This week I ordered everything I needed from The Dill Pickle Co-Op in Logan Square, but I didn’t have to drive there. I just ordered via Mercato, and had the sauce, anchovy paste, mushrooms, mozz, flour and sausage delivered to my front door. I made two pies: one using Underground Meats’ ‘nduja (a spicy, spreadable … Continued
The iconic deep-dish pizzeria turns 50 on St. Patrick’s Day. There are now more than 60 locations, with most in Illinois. I spoke with Lou’s son – President and CEO Marc Malnati – about that first day in business, when he was just 15 years old. They now ship all over the country. To find … Continued
This week I was longing for Florida. Because while our temps dropped in Chicago, I couldn’t help but think about how often I stopped by Goatfeathers, the local seafood market near our Airbnb in Santa Rosa Beach. Several times a week I’d stop in for a pound of yellowfin tuna, some local grouper and at … Continued
Here’s another throwback from January, 2000, as we taped our 5th anniversary show at the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room. In this segment, a toast from Wolfgang Puck (when he had a restaurant at the MCA), plus interviews with John Bubala (Thyme), Patrick Concannon (Fahrenheit), John Hogan (Savarin), Gabino Sotelino (Ambria, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!) and Gordon Sinclair (Gordon). … Continued
It didn’t take long after I posted on my Instagram, about an Indian meal I put together using groceries I got at Local Foods via Mercato, that I had questions: “Where is that simmer sauce from?” “Why is the cauliflower so yellow?” “How long do you cook the thighs for?” I rarely write anything down, … Continued
When I knew I was going to be driving through Alabama in February, I had to figure out a way to stop somewhere to try some of the state’s legendary white barbecue sauce. Created at Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, I also realized it had to be available elsewhere. I reached out to a couple … Continued
Continuing our series of Major Throwback Thursdays here, with segment 3 of 6 from the “Good Eating” show’s 5th Anniversary blowout. I somehow convinced Chef Charlie Trotter to join me and 30 of the city’s best chefs for lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, with Chef Sarah Stegner making an exquisite lunch. In this segment, Trotter … Continued
After I posted a picture and some videos of this peanut noodle salad yesterday on Insta and Facebook, I had several comments asking for the recipe, so I’m obliging. By the way, I was making the salad as a way to highlight buying local ingredients from a local grocer (in this case, Green Grocer in … Continued