Whereas retail boasts sales aplenty after the holidays, restaurants typically suffer low attendance – not to mention worn-out staff whose vacation (if such a respite exists) lasts a few short days in January. Restaurant Week, running from Friday, January 22 through Thursday, February 4, aims to ameliorate a typically quiet two weeks with prix-fixe feasts across … Continued
Since retiring from his famed namesake in Avondale last year, Doug Sohn has humbly managed to stay as relevant – and line-inducing – as ever. Starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 18, he pulls an all-day shift behind the counter (in true Hot Doug fashion, no table service) at Publican Quality Meats. In addition … Continued
Every few weeks on The Feed Podcast, we invite a chef in to take an Ingredient Challenge. This week, we asked Michael Kornick (mk, DMK, Ada St., County BBQ) to see what he could do with black-eyed peas, a New Year’s staple in the South. Each chef gets five extra ingredients and 15 minutes to … Continued
Inspired by a Texan sojourn and swayed by loyal regulars, BBQ master Charlie McKenna is finally bringing brisket to Lillie’s Q. Why the wait? He wanted the lesser-known tri-tip, a leaner, boneless sirloin cut from the bottom half of the animal, to earn his signature mark. “As a chef I am always looking to cook new dishes and try new procedures,” said McKenna. … Continued
Filipino Breakfast at Uncle Mike’s Place in Ukrainian Village Story and Photos by Kristine Sherred “We hate that word,” the duo nearly proclaims in unison. Sitting across the table from two-thirds of the active community group Filipino Kitchen, it’s hard not to smile at their shared disgust of a word many food writers take for … Continued
Although Chicago Market has yet to secure a precise home, the co-op has already garnered more than 600 “owners” since its inception last summer. To further entice potential stakeholders, the founders are hosting a series of pop-ups in line with the market’s mission: to provide a spacious grocery store stocked with local produce, meat and dairy – … Continued
In the case of holiday planning, the early bird this year gets a bonus pie. Let French Pastry School graduates Bob and Gina Hartwig of Lovely bake for you. The duo offers an array of seasonal pies from the classic apple, pumpkin, and pecan to house specialties like chocolate pecan and pumpkin pecan – the latter … Continued
You know all about the worms. And the crazy-ass hangovers. But that was the tequila of your college days. Shots are so passé. Now you’re all grown-up, mixing blancos (or, if you’re feeling flush, reposados) in your margaritas, and later, after dinner, sipping añejos from a snifter. Tequila production, marketing and consumption have come a … Continued
Typical Sicilian pan-style from Freddy’s Pizza in Cicero Aside from the usual name-calling I get, this #ChicagoPizzaQuest turned out to be pretty tame. I guess by “tame” I mean somewhat respectful. Naturally, there are some disagreements, and despite my thoroughness – tackling 76 joints in two months – I still have that nagging feeling … Continued
Lovers of deep dish are probably still smarting from Jon Stewart’s famous rant from two years ago, when he tore into the city’s iconic pie so hard, it required a (tepid) on-air rebuttal from Marc Malnati. Of course, everyone else in the city who thinks of deep dish merely as a cheese casserole was probably … Continued
Classic Neapolitan from Spacca Napoli in Ravenswood It’s really all about the dough. Say what you will about the merits of San Marzano tomatoes or fior di latte vs. buffalo milk mozzarella; sausage made in-house vs. a recipe made by a local butcher. When it comes to assessing pizza quality, the dough is what … Continued