Gyutan (beef tongue) grilled over binchotan at Dateno Gyutan in Sendai SENDAI, JAPAN – What’s not to like about a country where they love to get tongue? The sentiment is primarily limited to northern Japan, in the Miyagi prefecture, and the city of Sendai, about 200 miles north of Tokyo (but only 1 hr. 30 … Continued
Sitting at Bar Pastoral’s cheese counter is pretty sexy. There are dozens of special Valentine’s Day dinners going on next week, but for my money, I’m just as happy sipping a sparkling rosé while noshing on a runny Brillat-savarin or a salty manchego (with quince paste and Marcona almonds of course). While most places put … Continued
Enjoying my second bowl of the afternoon at the Ramen Museum. Yokohama, Japan – I was expecting a “Noodle Hall of Fame” or a “Best of the Broths” lineage. I had no idea the Ramen Museum in Shinyokohama (the “new” part of Yokohama) about 30 miles from central Tokyo, would actually serve the stuff. I … Continued
The Hatchet, The Pitchfork and The Anvil all now available in Chicago. There has been a cider surge recently. In Chicago, of course, we all know about Virtue Cider, the company started by former Goose Island Brewmaster Greg Hall. His Michigan-based company is producing some seriously hand-crafted cider with influences from the best British and … Continued
The annual cider tasting event is just one of many events coming to Chicago in early February. Navy Pier’s annual Cider Summit gives participants the opportunity to taste more than 100 artisanal ciders from around the world. Local food vendors will offer pairings to the various ciders. The event, taking place on February 8th from … Continued
The BBQ pulled pork is one of many dishes featured on Bub City’s Superbowl menu Chips and dip are usually a Super Bowl go-to, but this year why not try something a bit different? Bub City (435 N. Clark) is offering a special Super Bowl inspired BBQ menu with choices such as Texas Trucker Snack … Continued
It’s friggin’ cold outside. But this week, The Hopleaf’s Michael Roper has an excellent suggestion: go get yourself some Expedition Stout from Bell’s, the pride of Kalamazoo, MI. It’s dark, roasty and toasty; perfect to sip in front of a fire or have with roasted meats (even chocolate). It looks like oil, but tastes like … Continued
Trenchermen is one of the local restaurants participating this year The 7th annual Chicago Restaurant Week is underway. The name is a bit misleading, since it’s now a two week event; it’s meant to promote the local restaurant industry during what is, traditionally, one of the slowest times of the year. The annual event encourages … Continued
We’re heading into the home stretch. There are two tickets up for grabs for my first culinary tour, taking place March 8 – 11 in New Orleans. We’ve got 22 people signed up (it’s sold out) and two of those slots could be yours. The fine folks at Raved (the app) have purchased two of … Continued
If there ever was a good week for something brutally dark and rich and comforting to help get through the dark days of winter, this would be it. While Chicago suffers yet another bone-chilling, snow-covered few days (high of 10 today, folks), Roper picked an apropos brew this week. It’s Obsidian Stout from Deschutes Brewery … Continued
Too many decisions at Beaucoup Bakery in South Granville Vancouver, BC – Jackie Kai Ellis looks more like a runway model or an interior designer than she does a pastry chef, but you realize the North Vancouver native knows her Plugra when she starts talking about croissants and caneles. She studied Fine Arts in Toronto … Continued