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
Click on the image to read my story about Northern style Chinese food in and around Beijing
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
I was just reading through Gail Simmons’ new book, Talking With My Mouth Full, and came across a section about her love of Montreal bagels, which I too now share, after having seen the light a few weeks ago. There are two primary sources in Montreal – both of which are stellar. Although within the … Continued
Here’s a Geo Quiz I did live from Beijing, at the Made in China restaurant in the Grand Hyatt, on the city’s beloved Peking duck: Click here to listen
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 had the distinct pleasure of eating in Montréal last weekend, where the locals are still fuming about their hockey coach, who doesn’t speak French (frankly, I’d be more worried about the team, which looked absolutely lackluster against the Devils on Saturday). My original goal was to just visit Schwartz’s for “smoked” meat (more on … Continued
Here’s a Geo Quiz I produced and reported about smoked meat (viande fumée) from Montréal, Canada: Click Here to Play
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
Melissa Perello is one of the city’s great chefs, often spoken about in the same breath as Traci Des Jardins and the late Judy Rodgers. Her experience at the Fifth Floor prepared her for Frances, which lets her express her passion for all things Mediterranean, via the exquisite ingredients available to her yearround in Northern … Continued