As you may know by now, I was in London earlier this week attending the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony. While I was there, I tried to make the most of my extremely short trip. I had lunch at an amazing regional Indian restaurant – Veeraswamy (no relation to Veerasway in Chicago) – the oldest … Continued
I was in London for 48 hours earlier this week, attending the San Pellegrino “World’s 50 Best” Awards held Monday night. As one of the 27 Regional Academy Chairs (I oversee Canada/Mid-USA), I’m charged with finding 30 judges each year, which must be broken up equally among journalists, chefs/restaurateurs and gastronauts/world travelers. Another rule is … Continued
I’ve seen it spelled a number of different ways: baba gannoush/ganoush/ganouj, etc., but no matter how you spell it, the dish is pretty much always the same – roasted, chopped eggplant, combined with garlic, tahini and spices, whipped or finely-chopped into a spread that is ripe for wedges of warm pita bread. ‚ The … Continued
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants today named Alinea number six- making it the highest ranked restaurant in North America. I was in London for the announcement and spoke with Alinea chef Grant Achatz about what it takes to produce at this level, how it feels to surpass his mentor Thomas Keller and what the secret … Continued
Everyone has been talking about the Korean-style tacos served up at Del Seoul in Lincoln Park. I do happen to love the well-marinated kalbi that’s finely chopped, buried beneath a mound of Napa cabbage and Asian greens dressed with gojujang (Korean red chili paste) and topped with sesame seeds; not as much of a fan of the store-bought tortillas, … Continued
Please don’t tell my mom about today’s two posts, she’ll kill me. This morning we talked about the 2nd Annual Baconfest over the weekend, and we mentioned that Nathan Sears from Vie in Western Springs took home the “Golden Rasher” for the best bacon dish. Well yesterday, as Sears was basking in the glory of his … Continued
Consider the hot dog. While most of us are weaned on the iconic Vienna Beef here, very few (if any) chefs would dare attempt to make their own. But Jared Van Camp decided he would not only take a stab at it, he would do so in a research-and-development mode only a cooking drone … Continued
IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO – In what is quickly becoming a monthly occurrence, there was another food and wine festival this past weekend. But unlike events in Aspen, Pebble Beach and Las Vegas – which draw top-tier culinary talent and more winemakers than you could possibly sample in 48 hours – this one was held in Mexico, … Continued
Evidently, my post last Thursday, (the Top 5 overrated Italian joints in Chicago), revealed there is clearly a passionate base out there, willing to defend loyalties. I promised that this Thursday, I would reveal what, I feel, are the top 5 best places to get Italian, but before I do, I wanted to share with … Continued
Pork, eggs, cheese and bread. These seemingly humble ingredients have become the Four Horsemen of nearly every breakfast nook in Chicago. Naturally, the pork isn’t simply bacon, it’s shoulder that’s been brined and/or smoked, sometimes braised in its own juices; the eggs should be organic, and if not, then at the very least, free-range … Continued