Due to the nature of my job, I’m invariably asked about my “favorite” places in town. Lula Cafe, Bang Bang Pie, The Publican, Gogi BBQ and Smoque usually come up in conversation, but so does avec. Since it opened next door to Blackbird, it’s been not only the go-to for food industry vets, but also … Continued
I thought I’d seen (and tasted) most of the key dishes from the Caribbean over the years. In Jamaica, I’ve devoured jerk chicken, festival and breadfruit, not to mention plantains and beef patties. But I had no idea the food from Trinidad was equally as impressive. Maybe not as spicy (unless you douse your food … Continued
Parachute’s snacks: house pickles, seaweed gougere, potato-bacon-scallion bread. Remember how you felt when you were one of the only people who knew how to get to Soul Kitchen on west Chicago Avenue? Or what it was like tasting Bill Kim’s lamb dumplings for the first time at Urban Belly, next to a laundromat in a … Continued
There are only a handful of Turkish restaurants in Chicago, and of those, only a few serve lahmacun. It’s essentially a thin, crispy pizza-like disc topped with minced lamb and beef. It’s one of only two things that are served at the tiny Pide ve Lahmacun on Irving Park Road, and the key to enjoying … Continued
My new favorite chicken sandwich Lord there have been a number of new chicken shacks in Chicago recently. From Parson’s to Pecking Order to Honey Butter Fried Chicken, you’d think our love of fried bird would have been sated by now. But the folks behind Old Town Social and Nellcôte just opened Leghorn about a … Continued
Soup + banchan = Korean comfort There are three things I crave when the weather is as cold as its been this week in Chicago: 1. Matzo ball soup, to satisfy my inner child. 2. Pho, to provide not only a steaming, clove/cinnamon/star anise facial, but also a beefy broth with vermicelli noodles. 3. … Continued
Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner has been open for about a year, while the bakery next door, Little Goat Bread, has been the workhorse, pumping out all of the breads for her restaurants and serving Stumptown coffee first thing in the morning. They’ve also opened a second branch at The Chicago French Market, with a … Continued
Every time I drive by La Unica Food Mart, in Rogers Park, I’m struck by how hidden away this gem truly is. I bet 99.9% of the people who cruise down Devon Avenue – either on their way to the Indian/Pakistani restaurants, or to the Lake – think it’s just another Hispanic grocery store. But … Continued
We’re off to Morocco this week, sort of. At least on West Irving Park Road. I guarantee you’ve probably whizzed by Shokran on the way to Smoque BBQ or at the very least, were probably focusing more on the exit/on ramp for the Kennedy Expressway than you were on the storefront here. It’s easy to … Continued
With Texas-style brisket on my mind this week, after my second trip to Austin last weekend, I felt it would only be prudent to let you know about my favorite Texas-style brisket in Chicago. This is not the Montreal influenced, coriander-and-pepper-rubbed, cured and smoked beauty that is Fumare, but rather, a humble expression of brisket … Continued
For the past several Decembers, we’ve made a tradition out of attending the annual julbord, or Christmas buffet, at Tre Kronor, on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The Swedish restaurant turns itself into a Christmas jewel box, offering two seatings every night at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (except Sundays) and lays out the largest spread of … Continued