On this week’s show, a journey into the heart of Colombia. I recently had a chance to spend a few days in the traffic-choked capital of Bogotá, eating a lot of corn and drinking some of the best coffee of my life. But there’s also a strong movement to promote the local ingredients and the … Continued
Columbus Day is coming up on Monday, a time when Italian pride swells. While there are dozens of great Italian restaurants in the region, only a few cook the truly local dishes, which often include parts of the animal you may not be familiar with.
You’ve seen plenty of food courts downtown, but you’ve never seen anything quite like the Revival Food Hall. It’s a “greatest hits” from some of the city’s neighborhoods, having been curated by a restaurant group with deep roots in the city.
Food festivals tend toward plugging celebrities or gorging oneself with bite-sized portions of lavishly-topped treats while pounding two ounce pours of wine and beer or miniature cocktails. We can all indulge once in awhile. This weekend, however, offers a little something different. Taste Talks promotes an alternative to the gluttony of food festivals, championing critical … Continued
“Hamilton” fever has officially come to Chicago. The Tony award-winning play begins its first run outside of New York, right here in the Loop, beginning next Tuesday. So in honor of the show, I decided to go out and see what I could find for less than a Hamilton, that is, a ten dollar bill.
Pretty much everyone agrees that fried chicken is delicious. It doesn’t matter where you’re from; the combination of crispy skin and juicy meat, sometimes doused in hot sauce and served with pickles is a true Southern delicacy that is hard to resist. But what are the origins of this dish, and more importantly, why have … Continued
Tents will rise in Millennium Park this week to be filled with plenty of hungry and thirsty patrons for two days of learning (but mostly eating the food and sipping the libations) with a stellar lineup of local and national culinary talents. The Illinois Restaurant Association and Bon Appétit lead Chicago Gourmet into its ninth … Continued
You might think River North restaurants fit into one or two categories: steakhouses or something by Lettuce Entertain You. Lately, that’s a pretty good guess. Lettuce’s latest effort – a Mediterranean-by-way-of-California restaurant, offers some unique flavors for the neighborhood.
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