In case you haven’t noticed, every Friday in May, I’ve been featuring a different Asian country for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We’ve covered Thailand, Japan and China so far, and today, we’re off to Malaysia. Chicago has plenty of Asian restaurants – mostly Korean, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese, but only one focusing on the … Continued
If you’re looking for affordable Mexican food in Pilsen, there’s a new restaurant from a pair of men who used to work at Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Even better, 5 Rabanitos is also proudly BYOB. It’s tucked away, among the taquerias and bakeries on busy 18th street, but inside, you quickly see that the … Continued
Chicago has seen a surge of brewpubs over the past few years, but nothing quite like a new concept in Ukrainian Village. The kitchen is also getting into the act, offering much more creative fare than just pretzels and French fries.
Even though we are technically in Spring now, there are several chefs in town still relying on winter citrus for their menus. These bright, acidic fruits offer a range of new flavors, and at one restaurant in West Town, they play a fairly large role on both the food menu, as well as the new … Continued
It seems like there are more food festivals than ever. Not just the biggies, in places like Aspen, South Beach and Pebble Beach, but also regional events that bring together local artisans. Chocolate, however, transcends frequency and inclement weather. In three weeks, chocolatiers from as far as California and Maine are going to be bringing … Continued
If your morning ritual involves bagels, cream cheese and some smoked salmon, prepare for a jolt. That’s because a new Lakeview store is not only curing all of their fish in-house, they’re also making some pretty creative spreads to go along with their bagels.
Abe Conlon wraps a sticky rice dumpling (which were dangled from a tree!) at last year’s Taste Talks food festival in Palmer Square. He is nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes for his work at Fat Rice. This May, Chicago lays claim to the James Beard Awards for the … Continued
One of Chicago’s landmarked buildings has a stunning new look, and its crowning feature is a light-filled garden restaurant. The 3 Arts Club was built just over 100 years ago, but now, with a furniture and design store giving it new life, it seems the restaurant is attracting as much attention as the sofas and chairs.
There are dozens of Italian restaurants in Chicago, but only a small percentage go that extra mile and make all of their pastas in-house from scratch. A new restaurant in the West Loop is committed to hand-making everything, including one pasta dish that has become a personal favorite.
Once you get past the narrow counter and the make-shift seating arrangements, Bunny, the micro bakery, is a gem of a bread shop. Named for the owner’s childhood nickname, it really puts bread in all its forms front-and-center.
A TV crew from NHK Japan followed me around on my exploration of Osaka, and they filed this super long (by TV standards) report, which aired on their national network. Loved the sound effects and pop-up graphics, combined with semi-odd music, which made it feel like a video game; no surprise, I guess, from the … Continued