October 2, 2008
Quick Bites
- Be careful on the two-wheelers, especially if you're a chef. Phil Vettel took time out from covering his Bizarro-world Chicago Gourmet to report that both Laurent Gras of L2O and Café Matou's Charlie Socher were in recent accidents. Gras, a bicycling enthusiast, was hopsitalized for a week and is now back in the kitchen. Socher wiped out his motorcycle (hopefully he wore a leather jacket for a controlled slide); chef Polo Heredia is filling in while he recovers. [The Stew]
- Meanwhile, Tribune wine critic Bill Daley writes about a new wine advocacy group called TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society) that promotes advocacy of American-grown tempranillo [Tribune]
- Is Hopleaf expanding? That's the rumor on the street, according to David Tamarkin at TOC (via). Next door neighbor and longtime Andersonville trattoria La Donna is moving just a bit north, to 6340 N. Clark, by mid-November, and Hopleaf is negotiating for the space. [TOC]
- Received word from the PR behind Paul Kahan's properties that the Publican (845 W. Fulton Market) is scheduled to open next week. Dear God, we hope so. If what we've sampled at various harvest dinners is any indication of the menu, the Publican is going to give L2O a run for its money as the best new opening of the year.
- Nagrant put on his Sneed hat while at the recently opened Bristol last weekend. If imitation (or theft, if you prefer) is the sincerest form of flattery, then you want to try
Schwa'sthe Bristol's quail-egg ravioli [Hungry] - Finally, "Top Chef 5" is scheduled to premiere next
weekmonth, with Radhika Desai of Between — Boutique Café & Lounge among the 16 vying to join Stephanie Izard in the ranks of "TC" winners. [Bravo]
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Next week for Top Chef? Really?
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"Hopsitalized" sounds like a great new IPA.
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Hopleaf expanding . . . Woo hoo! Does that mean the service gets even worse?
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Maybe if Hopleaf expands I will finally go back...that place is always too packed.
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Charlie Socher is not only one of the best chiefs in Chicago, but also a great economist. I'm glade he's o.k. I need to get by
Café Matou soon, because it rawks!
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I think the new La Donna space is the old Brown Bear restaurant that closed 20 years ago.