Ever since I took a tour once of the Kronos Gyros factory, I now instinctively ask Greek restaurants if they make their gyros themselves. More than 95% of them buy the frozen cone from the factory. Stacking up the slabs of beef, lamb and fat, then trimming them to fit the vertical spit can … Continued
Leave it to the Canadians to create something magical out of a frozen grape. Like the frigid denizens of St. Paul, who celebrate the negative windchill with an annual Carnival, the home of Canada’s icewine industry makes the most of a barren season by eating and drinking with gustofor two weeks every January. The epicenter of … Continued
While we usually reserve this space to recommend things we think are worth eating, this week, we’re turning to a favorite cold-weather remedy that’s drinkable: hot chocolate. As a kid, my experience was limited to Swiss Miss (with water, thanks Mom). But today, several pastry chefs have their own box of pre-measured mix that you … Continued
We’ve all been guilty of baking something from a box at one point or another. I have to admit, I made my fair share of Duncan Hines while in college, and as a result of having kids, I’ve worked from the back of a Nestle’s Tollhouse package on more than one occasion. But Katrina Markoff … 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
If you’re at all a fan of Tampopo – and I mean the seminal cult film about the quest to create the perfect ramen shop – then you’re going to really appreciate the tiny restaurant of the same name on the city’s far Northwest Side. The owners named it after the movie, afterall, and even though they’re Korean, they … Continued
Stephanie Izard may have single-handedly made goat cool, but whether you give her credit or not, the lean meat is starting to show up in some unlikely places. Most recently, at the Burger Bar(formerly known as the Urban Burger Bar) on Clybourn – right across the street from the gleaming new Apple store – they … 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
Steamed like a tamale, redolent with sweet corn and intense achiote oil, these Ecuadorian treats are hard to come by in Chicago. At La Humita, their namesake is worth the trip alone – unless you’ve decided to give up waiting in line at Smoque, just a few blocks up the street. ‚ You’ll probably want to … Continued
If you’ve spent anytime in San Diego, or along the Baja Peninsula, you’ve probably seen fish tacos. Typically fried, these regional specialties are also paired with an avocado crema of some kind, as well as crunchy cabbage. I’ve had a pretty good version of the original at Chicks ‘n Salsa in Glen Ellyn, but for a … Continued