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Pedway, First Store Open At Block 37
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Around Town
Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Not a single Chicago restaurant made it onto Esquire's list of the best new restaurants of 2007, chosen by Esquire Food Critic John Mariani in the magazine's November issue. MenuPages suggests that Mariani has a thing against Illinois restaurants and that's why he didn't choose any Windy City restaurants either this year or last. Time Out Chicago critic Heather Shouse takes it a step further and essentially accuses him of being unethical in how he chooses restaurants that make the list. (To recap: last year Mariani apparently requested that restaurants send him a limo to pick him up from the airport and then comp his meal, something moto chef Homaro Cantu refused to do). These types of demands are no more appropriate from famous food critics than they are from Yelpers and bloggers.
We decided to read a little bit more of the November issue; after all, there was a lot of food coverage in the magazine, and it seemed unlikely that Mariani could skip over our fair city entirely. And of course, we were right—in "Chefs to Watch," Mariani lauds NoMi's Christophe David. But before he can say anything nice about David, or about Chicago, he has to say something nasty.
"You can't blame a town derided as the Second City for trying to impress," is how he starts his piece.
Derided? Perhaps Mariani has spent one too many lay-overs at O'Hare, but we haven't been feeling derided—especially when it comes to eating out—in a long time. And it seems like the rest of the country, including a fair number of people who know what they are doing, think highly of us too. Not to mention a recent Travel + Leisure poll of 60,000 people that names us the best city for dining in the country. But then again, read any of Mariani's stuff closely, and you discover you might not want to be complimented by him anyway. His write-up of Santa Monica's Abode restaurant says you should eat there because Chef Dominique Crenn is a hottie. Not really the kind of culinary recognition we're looking for in the first place.
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People still take Esquire seriously?
File that under things I have learned today.
I will rip on Chicago harder than anyone, but when it comes to good eating at all price levels, this is one of the best cities in the world. I'd take Chicago over New York any day for food [though perhaps not New Orleans, not even after the storm].
Maybe if the sales tax on restaurants was not raised to 10.25 % in 2005 (and god only knows how much higher next year), restauranteurs would have found the business climate more friendly and would have been more open to setting up new establishments here.
That best restaurant city in America title is as good as gone with higher sales taxes on the way. It just makes it harder to make money, for owners on down to service personnel.
That quote is ridiculous. While the city lags behind some others in certain areas, food is certainly not one of them. In that Trib article from a week ago or so, Ferran Adria said that when people in Europe talk about the hot city for food, they're talking about Chicago. I also don't know how much stock I'd put in Mariani's reviews, as Oyamel is on his list of best new restaurants. Granted, I went to the old Oyamel in Crystal City, but if he's claiming that the food there is better than some of the great stuff I've sampled around our city, then I wouldn't trust him, or his palate.
SEARS: the high sales tax in Chicago has approximately zero effect on whether more new restaurants open or not, and more importantly on whether resturants are good or not. Find me some stats that say that fewer new eateries have opened in Chicago this year than in previous years.
Perhaps I am not cultured enough, but I expected a lot more from Chicago in terms of delicious food. My pseudo-small town beats Chicago hands-down in terms of deliciousness and variety and price.
My pseudo-small town beats Chicago hands-down in terms of deliciousness and variety and price.
What city?
Wyse: Perhaps if you gave some details about your pseudo small-town, my skepticism wouldn't measure so high. I mean, variety? Really? Just because there a Thai joint on seemingly every corner doesn't mean Chicago has no variety.
I haven't traveled everywhere, but I have traveled widely in the USA and abroad, and I think Chicago more than holds its own in terms of food. Granted, I am no food expert--I just know what I can pay and what tastes good--but this city is great for food.
Care to share more details?
Moreoever, where are you going to eat?
I kept reading his name as Mariotti, probably because he sounds like just as big a douche.
They still publish Esquire? God, better pray that Penthouse doesn't snub Chicago's restaurant scene.
Dear Penthouse,
I never thought it would happen to me. I ordered the risotto and the waitress and the bus boy...