By Ivan Yeh Hapless Intern Kosher workers in the Loop can now leave their lunch boxes at home. The Chicago French Market has a new vendor that can easily meet the growing demand for kosher food downtown. Kotel Kosher is a grab-and-go that offers customers a wide range of kosher deli and grocery products … Continued
Truly great sandwiches are studies in contrast. The soft chew of a Leidenheimer French bread encasing warm, fried shrimp, crisp lettuce and tomatoes in a New Orleans po’boy at the Parkway Tavern; the perfect crust of a D’Amato’s loaf housing a bevy of thinly-sliced, appropriately fatty Italian meats, dressed with fruity olive oil and thick … Continued
Everyone I know has been encouraging me to visit Scofflaw since it opened a few weeks ago. Knowing how much I enjoy a finely-made cocktail, (and the fact there are some well-schooled bar men here, hailing from such locally respected watering holes as The Whistler) I knew it was going to be worthwhile. Located … Continued
Just about every new restaurant (of note) opening in Chicago has an all-star cocktail list. Sometimes, they’ll employ a guy like Adam Seger or Paul McGee to create or consult; one thing is for sure, they stock names like Luxardo and St. Germain with regularity, make their own simple syrup, squeeze their own citrus and … Continued
Just the other day, I caught a glimpse of a new wine list in town, from a restaurant located on the Chicago River. They had a few sauvignon blancs from New Zealand, including one from Cloudy Bay (no vintage) that went for about $84, more than a 300% markup. I know that’s typical in … Continued
I was expecting Day 1 (Monday) at Publican Quality Meats to be busy, but not THIS busy. By 1 p.m., there were already people lining up to buy grass-fed beef from Wisconsin and homemade boudin blanc. An assortment of salumis at one case had a few guys taking rapturous nibbles from the free samples placed … Continued
I was having dinner earlier this week with my cousin, a 20-something from Minneapolis who just moved into the city a few months ago. I took her and her new boyfriend to one of my go-to Thai joints – Aroy – up on Damen. They were totally into it, and kept peppering me with questions about … Continued
For some reason, I keep hearing more and more about Montreal-style smoked meat lately, and thankfully, I keep running into it. Last month, in Brooklyn, I had lunch at Mile End, and along with the imported bagels and poutine, they also made a dynamite smoked meat/pastrami that took me right back to the legendary Schwartz’s … Continued
Before we go any further, let me just say that if you have never seen the movie Tampopo, do yourself a favor and rent it. But before you do, make sure one of the five places below are open, because you’re going to be jones-ing for a bowl of ramen immediately afterward. True, most of … Continued
Since Chicago doesn’t have near the competitive deli culture like they do in New York City, I realize wading into this subject isn’t fraught with nearly as much potential hate mail as I would receive if, say, I delved into Italian beef or pizza. But still, this holdover from a bygone era still gets my … Continued
Chicago was never really ground zero for seafood lovers. I remember a few years ago, struggling to come up with a suggestion or two – beyond the obvious choice, Shaw’s – for a friend who was looking for something other than Catch 35. Yet over the past two years, the city has seen more new … Continued