Midway into the third course of my vegetarian tasting menu ($135) at Charlie Trotter’s eponymous restaurant, I had a sinking feeling. I was in the midst of catching up with a colleague from Toronto – a publisher of a local food magazine – who had struck out trying to get reservations at Alinea and Next … Continued
Before I had made my first dinner reservation in Stockholm a few months ago, I was already eagerly planning on meals laced with all manner of fish and vegetables that had been smoked, dried, preserved and pickled. I started doing some homework in Chicago at Tre Kronor, one of the city’s only Swedish restaurants that serves … Continued
I’m getting ready to go guest bartend at an event tonight (fundraiser for the kids’ school) and I was planning on bringing two drinks, already made in batches, so I wouldn’t have to be so meticulous about pouring out one ounce at a time. The Hemingway Daiquiri is my go-to, and I know that one … Continued
I wouldn’t say I’m a regular in Vegas, but when I do manage to go, I always make a habit of visiting at least one restaurant off of The Strip. It’s odd how locals think of The Strip (as a tourist-laden, overpriced, chef-worshipping mecca, mostly), and if you were to ask any of the local … Continued
Pat LaFrieda sure gets a lot of press on the East Coast. The celeb butcher has made the rounds on most of the food shows, and his name is used as a calling card of sorts among the country’s finer chefs. But visit any noteworthy restaurant in Chicago, and you’re likely to see the name … Continued
Happy 5772! I was up all night, what with the ball drop and the champagne and all… Actually, Rosh Hashana is a time for reflection and celebration, leading up to Yom Kippur next week, the day of repentance and forgiveness. But every dinner table is set with honey this time of year. It’s meant to … Continued
Rarely have I steamed over $2.15. Two-friggin-fifteen! I was craving an iced coffee during a quick meeting at a Starbucks recently, and when I saw a 12-oz. cup listed for $1.95 (plus tax), I cringed. But that wasn’t nearly as bad as the answer I got when I asked if it was cold-brewed. “Nope,” the … Continued
The damp, intermittent showers and muddy lawn couldn’t keep thousands of food and wine lovers away from Millennium Park this weekend. The 4th annual Chicago Gourmet saw its share of top-tier chefs, sommeliers and mixologists all come together in a spirited effort to once again raise the city’s culinary profile. This year, bon appétit magazine … Continued
Chicago is as much a lox town as New York City is a sturgeon one, and while I’ve lamented the lack of bagel shops here offering smoked sturgeon, finding gravlax (aka “lox” which is essentially cured salmon) is still pretty easy. Yet few people realize that you don’t need to own a giant smoker or … Continued
You could call Matt Lee a coffee geek, and he would be just fine with that. The owner of Manic Coffee in Toronto was seriously tired of seeing the Tim Horton’s chain – along with a lot of other so-called “coffee shops” open up and serve sub-standard beans that had been roasted who-knows-when. So Lee … Continued
With all of the food and wine heavies in town this weekend for Chicago Gourmet, reservations will be about as easy to get as they are during the National Restaurant Show. I’m sure every seat at Next is taken, as their remarkable Thai menu draws to a close at the end of the month. In … Continued