Every week or so, samples of new products come across my desk. Sometimes, they’re industrially-processed garbage dressed-up in a fancy, expensive package. Other times, they’re tiny start-ups, introducing me to products I would have never normally seen (thank you, Salted Caramel, for your Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn sample). Last week, Ciao Bella’s PR agency … Continued
I have to be honest, I didn’t even know Slovenia had a wine industry, let alone one of the oldest in the world. I do know the folks at Lush Wine & Spirits are big on Slovenian wines right now (GM Rachel Driver just recommended one from the producer Movia for my ABC segment … Continued
Sam Kass is as busy as ever these days. The former Avec cook is still working as the Assistant Chef in the White House, but he’s also a senior policy advisor on healthy food initiatives. Part of that means he’s actively involved in the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign, getting kids to think more … Continued
Most of us will have Monday off, and if the weather cooperates this weekend, I’m guessing a lot of you will be inspired to pack a picnic and hit the lush grass in some bucolic field or lakeside retreat. Get out there and enjoy what brief warmth we seem to be blessed/cursed with. Have a … Continued
Every year, the third week of May brings with it some predictable events in Chicago. There’s Craft Beer Week, of course, but there’s also the scrum to try to get a restaurant reservation in this city when there’s an extra 100,000 or so food lovers in town for the National Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. But this year, there … Continued
I think the slingshot threw me for a loop. When the Old Fashioned was placed on our table at theAviary – Grant Achatz’s and Nick Kokonos’ new cocktail lounge/lab in Fulton Market – it looked like a giant ice egg, filled with brown liquid. But when our server summarily placed her hand over the glass … Continued
My dinner last night at Next was a beautiful progression of Escoffier era dining: from the magical hors d’oeuvres served on an elegant silver tray, all the way through the 9th course – a luscious bombe ceylan filled with coffee and vanilla rum ice cream encased in chocolate. But one of the most dramatic (and … Continued
The arts community has always thrived in Pilsen, and finally, over the past few years, the chefs and mixologists have caught up to the artists. While stalwarts like Don Pedro have been around awhile, relative newcomers like Nightwood and Simone’s have injected new energy into the area; kind of like Longman & Eagle instantly put … Continued
Some would say New York chef Marcus Samuelsson should get some credit for making Ethiopian sexy. I say tear me off a piece of spongy injera, scoop up a mildly spicy berbere-laced doro wat (stew) and pass the intense, earthy coffee, and you won’t need a celebrity chef to convince you this is seriously delicious (although the man did … Continued
Today is Cinco de Mayo, a relatively minor holiday on the Mexican calendar (Independence Day, Sept. 15, ranks much higher), but it somehow has become an excuse to party. Kind of like Hallmark turned “Secretaries Day” into an unofficial holiday requiring lunches, gifts and of course, greeting cards. With today’s event, the fine folks at … Continued
Like pork belly anything or beet salads embedded with goat cheese, a dish of tuna tartar with fresh avocado seems to be de rigueur these days. Bistronomic serves one in a glass jar; it’s one of the most popular dishes at BLT Steak in New York, and of course, every sushi bar in the country offers this combo embedded within a … Continued