Once known for her fabulous breakfasts at her namesake restaurant, Ina Pinkney is back in business. Sort of. Pinkney closed her West Loop restaurant, Ina’s, years ago, but the Chicago Tribune wisely snatched her up to have her write a monthly column on breakfast. The column is giving her, and some noteworthy breakfast joints, a chance to … Continued
The interest in Nashville “hot” chicken has extended well beyond the city lately, with a new concept in South Suburban Oak Lawn now adding chile heat to its fried bird. The owners are taking a slightly different approach, adding a few things you might not see in Nashville.
If breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day, there’s a cafe in Rogers Park you might want to take a peek at. Great coffee is a given, but it’s the egg sandwiches, made with homemade biscuits or cornbread, that are really worth the trip. SmackDab 6730 N. Clark St. 872-241-9111 http://smackdabchicago.com
If you’ve ever bought cheese in a grocery store, there’s a good chance it may have come from Melrose Park. Cauputo’s has been producing and processing cheese in the near Western suburb for the past 40 years. They supply vendors all over the region, but they also produce a lot of cheeses strictly for their family-run … Continued
Pilsen continues to see signs of new development. From the stately Thalia Hall, to restaurants reaching beyond the neighborhood’s tradition of Mexican and Czech immigration. One of those new restaurants is serving food with a more global approach, at a level as high as anything downtown, but at a fraction of the cost. S.K.Y. 1239 W. … Continued
Italian delis are all over the region, but a new one in West Town is unique, because they make pretty much all of the cured meats themselves. The family is originally from Calabria, and one of their beloved, spreadable sausages is the star of a number of items they now carry in their store. There are … Continued
Italian beef is a Chicago icon, but there’s another sandwich making inroads here lately: the Philly cheesesteak. I found five great spots to get a good one — four in the city and one in the western suburbs. MOJO’S EAST COAST EATS 2758 Maple Ave, Downers Grove (630) 796-2832 http://www.mojoseastcoasteats.com/ PHILLY BROS. 734 W. Fullerton Ave., … Continued
Neapolitan pizza joints have been cropping up all over Chicago the past few years, but none had opened in Hyde Park, until recently. One of Lincoln Park’s best pizza makers closed her shop a few months ago, re-opening in a brand new dorm on the University of Chicago campus, where they’ve expanded their menu. Nella … Continued
When you order a cocktail in a bar, you probably don’t give much thought to the ice inside of it. But a new business on the South Side, called Just Ice, does. They are creating “craft ice,” which now sits in the freezers of more than 150 bars and restaurants in the region, including Prairie School, … Continued
Sushi bars are nothing new in Chicago, but Anaba in Wicker Park offers something different. It shares an address with the veggie-friendly Mana Food Bar at 1742 W. Division St., and like its sibling, it’s laser-focused on just one thing: handrolls.
I just returned from an intensive eating vacation that meandered through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. One of the highlights, without a doubt, were the delicious banh mi sandwiches we ate in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). To call them simply Vietnamese subs would be an insult. They begin with the greatest French bread – much … Continued