We could all use a little bit of warmth this time of year. God knows I’m afraid to see my People’s Energy bill this month, since I’ve been cranking the thermostat. Thank goodness our city is loaded with all kinds of Eastern European gems, where they worship borscht as much as they doburek. The gut-filling foods from … Continued
All week long, we’ve been re-running some of our favorite Top 5 lists from 2010. Today, it’s all about lemongrass and galangal. It’s also going to be my final post for 2010. I’m taking next week off, and will be back here January 3. Look for one more video post next week, as Justin Kaufmann … Continued
One of the signs of a strong local food (and spirits) community is the frequency local artisans are featured on menus. In Chicago, Death’s Door (Door Co.), Koval (Chicago) and North Shore (Lake Bluff) have established themselves as the premier, small-batch distilleries in the Midwest. Their gins, aquavits, eau de vies and vodkas have been making regular appearances on Chicago’s finer cocktail … Continued
I was walking along the Embarcadero in San Francisco earlier this week, and spotted a familiar sign on the side of one of the enormous piers that juts into the harbor. It said simply “New American Chocolate” and next to it, “TCHO.” Then I realized I had just read a huge profile about the company in last week’s Dining … Continued
As much as I like hanging out with the Blackhawks’ Niklas Hjalmarsson at Tre Kronor, I’ve always been curious about the Swedish food scene – beyond the cafe at IKEA. ‚ Last week, I attended a brief Swedish gastronomy tour for food journalists, sponsored by the Swedish government. ‚ Not everything was stellar (some of it was … Continued
It’s bad enough Chicago doesn’t have a yearround market, at least like they do in Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Toronto. But when I saw the bustling Public Market on Granville Island, in an old fishing supply warehouse in the heart of Vancouver, I realized – yet again – that Chicago is light years away from … Continued
Even though I’ve been talking a lot about the food up here this week, it’s the wines that really grabbed my attention after a week of dining. At nearly every restaurant or upscale bar we walked into, a list bulging with BC pride – most of it from the Okanagan Valley – dominated the varietals we saw … Continued
I’ve fished in lakes throughout Minnesota – even went up to Lake-of-the-Woods once on the Canadian border – in search of walleye pike and Northerns. But fishing off the coast of Vancouver, it’s all about the sockeye salmon. Fortunately for me, the local fishery is in the midst of a four-year cycle, and last … Continued
There are some North American cities where a visit to Chinatown is a must: San Francisco, New York (actually prefer Flushing to Manhattan’s) and of course, Chicago. But when in Vancouver, a visit to Chinatown is a must. The Chinese population in the city is about 600,000 (125,000 of which are Canadian born). One … Continued
Chicago restaurateurs have been trying – in vain – to jump-start the izakaya trend here, but it hasn’t worked, at least not yet. These Japanese pubs are more lively than the typical sushi joint, with boisterous crowds, excellent sake and beer lists, and food options that go far beyond spicy tuna rolls. Masu Izakaya … Continued
Its been six months since Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympics, and while the rest of the world may have turned its attention elsewhere, there is still plenty to be excited about in Canada’s jewel on the West Coast. The signs of post-traumatic tourist disorder are everywhere: you can snag an official Olympic hat, shirt or … Continued