Food

With the Blackhawks and Canucks getting ready to square off in the NHL Western Conference Semifinals, it's time for His Elective Majesty to put the donated products of local businesses where his mouth is. Mayor Daley and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson have placed the stereotypical wager of foodstuffs on the outcome of the series. The one thing more annoying than these types of bets are sports fans who say "we" when referring to their favorite teams. There is no "we;" there's "them" (the athletes on the field/court/rink) and "you" (the boorish louts who take the games too seriously while beer goggling women in the stands). more ›

Since we went to college instead of culinary school, we are obsessed with every cooking class we can get our hands on. Cooking Fools is offering a Searing and Roasting class on Thursday, May 12th. Perfect your searing and roasting techniques for meat, fish and poultry and learn to make pan sauces to accompany your dishes. Classes are limited to 12 people and beer and wine is available for purchase. more ›

If you didn't attend any of Hideout's "Soup and Bread" events this winter, you're getting a mulligan today with an encore presentation featuring soups from Hideout bartender Anastasia Davies Hinschsliff Martha Bayne, Celestial Kitchens' Celeste Dolan, and Karen Gerod and the wonderful staff at Swim Caf&3233, which was a regular participant in the series. more ›

We love a good mole here at Chicagoist, although not so much to follow Geno Bahena and his traveling freak show of moles from restaurant to restaurant. Seriously, does the man have a wanderlust or is his business acumen just not that good? more ›

There have been some amazing mushrooms at early farmer’s markets around the city; consequently, we’ve been on the hunt for new recipes. Stuffed mushrooms are a classic appetizer, and this recipe adds a few twists. The type of prosciutto doesn’t really matter, as it’s being sautéed, so this is probably not the recipe to splurge on the $20/pound imported meat. Domestic prosciutto will do just fine - and buy extra, because you will snack on some while you cook. more ›

We've talked and talked about Dark Lord Day 2009 enough, so for our last little bit on it, we decided to share some reader pics from their experience. more ›

One of the boldest moves made by a local chef in the past year was Bill Kim's move from the white tablecloths of Le Lan to the more comfortable and low-key atmosphere of Urban Belly. Kim's kim chi, pork belly and rice cake stew that he made for Hot Chocolate's fourth anniversary dinner is one of the best dishes i've eaten so far in this short year. more ›

Now I get to eat crow. Compared to previous years, Dark Lord Day 2009 was a streamlined and efficient operation. Lines for the most part were defined and orderly. Extra tents were set up to accommodate attendees looking to slake their thirst. Even Munster's finest got into the act with an increased presence for controlling traffic and the rare drunken buffoon. more ›

• Saturday: A final reminder about Alice Waters's Green City Market appearance tomorrow. She'll be there selling and signing copies of her book Edible Schoolyard.
• Tonight: Yoga and beer: two of our favorite things. Stellaria Natural Health (2519 N. California, 2nd floor) and Provenance Food & Wine are teaming up for an event combining a yoga lesson and a tasting of organic beers, from 7-9 p.m. $30 per person.
• Saturday: Sippin' Saturdays at Randolph Wine Cellars tasting room will focus on fortified European wines. This free event runs from 2-6 p.m.

Tomorrow marks the annual release of Dark Lord, the Russian Imperial Stout from Three Floyds. The video above, filmed at last year's event, shows the waiting line at 9:30 a.m., 90 minutes before the beer officially went on sale. more ›

In the interest of responsible journalism (and getting our readers as much cheap/free ice cream as possible) it is our responsibility to inform you that Ben and Jerry’s free cone day was not the only discount ice cream opportunity available. Baskin Robbins is having its third annual 31 cent scoop night on Wednesday, April 29th. From 5-10 PM, stop in at any store for 31 cent scoops. There is a 3-scoop limit. Be sure to check your local shop in advance - all of their advertising has the dreaded *, indicating “participating stores only,” but unlike Ben and Jerry’s, their website doesn’t make it easy to tell which outlets are participating. more ›

In a week that's been very focused on beer over here on the Food and Drink side of things, it seems fitting to end the week where it began: focusing on Half Acre. From the moment the first cases of Half Acre Lager popped up on retail shelves and in bars throughout the city, one question over all others stood out: Can they succeed? Can a beer company calling Chicago home, brewing its product on contract in Wisconsin, be able to tread water until it finds both the equipment and space to start brewing within the city limits? more ›

The profusion of local candy and chocolate companies over the past few years has been amazing to watch for any sweets-loving Chicagoan. Artisans have sprung up producing chocolates, caramels, lollipops, toffee, and everything else that someone with a sweet-tooth would want to put in their mouths. Sometimes, the challenge isn’t confined to making a good product, but setting yourself apart from the competition. On that score (and on the tastiness meter) Katherine Anne Confections is a winner. more ›

Time Out Chicago is reporting that the soon-to-open-in-Pilsen sister restaurant to Lula Café will be called Nightwood, after the Djuna Barnes novel. Expect an open kitchen and a bar seating 10, allowing for a full view of chef de cuisine Jason Vincent in action. Nightwood will initially be open for diner Tuesday through Saturday and will have a late-night dinner menu from 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., which should be perfect to accommodate hipsters staggering out of Skylark at last call. [TOC] more ›

This is the kind of Last Supper one eats when he doesn't want to hear the calls of "Dead Man Walking!!" more ›

The Sun-Times is reporting that Jewel-Osco is cutting prices up to 20 percent on thousands of products to assist shoppers on tight incomes and bargain hunters. [Sun-Times] more ›

What would you do to have brunch with Gale Gand? Give up your firstborn? Eat balut? Bail a relative of Todd Stroger's out of jail? more ›

Photo by L. Stolpman. more ›

As if we needed another tax, a group of dentists are descending upon Springfield with the hopes of adding a five percent tax to soda. The Illinois State Dental Society says it would use the proceeds from the tax to help fund a dental program that serves the state's poorer residents. According to the group's Greg Johnson, the extra proceeds would help cover costs for dentists, hopefully encouraging more dentists to participate. He told WBBM, "This is one that we think, because of the sugar in soft drinks and the acid and effects on teeth, that it would be a nice tie in because it is related." The City of Chicago already has a three percent soda tax. [WBBM] more ›

The Tribune Company is going all out to promote Kevin Pang's "The Cheeseburger Show." And the show is charming, btw, with the first episode visiting Top Notch Beefburger. Pang does know his classics. He's hosting a Tweetup Friday. Sorry, an "old-fashioned Tweetup" (that's so last autumn) where they're buying you cheeseburgers from 8-10 p.m. more ›

We received an interesting Twitter update from Wiener and Still Champion in Evanston, home to the best country fried bacon in the area. Owner Gus Paschalis is adding country fried gyros to his new menu. more ›

Robert Kenner's documentary Food, Inc. is a harsh look at how Americans get their food in the age of factory farms and the tacit approval of their techniques the USDA and FDA. Slow Food Chicago is sponsoring a free screening of the film at 600 N. Michigan this evening at 7 p.m. more ›

For wine lovers, blind tastings are a fun way to gauge their knowledge. For wine poseurs, a blind tasting is a great way to take the wind out of their sails. more ›

It’s that time of year once again, when Ben and Jerry’s fans rejoice with free ice cream! Started in 1979 to celebrate the first anniversary of Ben and Jerry’s, Free Cone Day has been running for 31 years. Every year, scoop shops around the country give out free ice cream to all comers. Lines are often long, but the ice cream is always tastier when you don’t have to pay for it. Free cone day is today, and scoop shops will be open from noon to 8 PM. Patrons can have one scoop of any flavor left in the store. more ›

Over the past six months, we’ve developed a love of dark, leafy greens. Kale, Collards, Chard - we like all of them, and somehow they’d never crossed our path before. This recipe uses another under-utilized leaf: Beet Greens. more ›

There's something of a brewing renaissance happening within the city limits these days. Metropolitan is up and running. Half Acre is also brewing while still in construction mode. Revolution Brewing, owned by Handlebar owner Josh Deth, is set to join them this summer. Along with Goose Island, this marks the first time multiple breweries were operating within the city limits in at least a half-century. more ›

Congratulations go out to Intelligentsia's Mike Phillips. The reigning U.S. barista champion placed third in last weekend's World Championships in Atlanta. Phillips, who can be found doing latte art at Intelligentsia's Broadway store, wound up 47.5 points behind new champ Gwylim Davies of Great Britain. more ›

The three-tier liquor distribution system established after the repeal of Prohibition was designed after our model of checks and balances between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. Ideally, no one branch between the maker (brewery, distiller or winery), wholesaler and retailer should wield excessive power. Here in the real world, however, money talks, or so goes the adage. That's especially true here in Illinois, where legislation regarding how alcohol gets to a consumer is dictated by the wholesalers through the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, the powerful lobby for the state's liquor distributors. The ABDI was instrumental in the drafting and passing of HB 429 and SB 123, which prohibits out-of-state retailers (think wine clubs and online retailers) from selling to customers in Illinois. more ›

S. Pellegrino's list of the worlds 50 best restaurants was released today. Alinea was recognized as the 10th best restaurant in the world, its first entry into the top ten, an 11-point rise over last year. (h/t Nagrant) more ›

The Thrive Allergy Expo for individuals with allergies and celiac disease took place this weekend, showcasing allergy-friendly literature and products, informative speakers and delicious free samples. I have been eating gluten-free for almost two years now, so I checked out the event on Saturday on behalf of my fellow Chicagoistas. more ›

We paid a long-overdue visit to Half Acre Beer Company Saturday at owner Gabriel Magliaro's invitation to check on the progress of their brew house at 4257 N. Lincoln Ave., and to drink some beer, including their limited edition release Baume' rye stout and the amazing, soon-to-be-released Daisy Cutter Pale Ale. more ›

Before Adam Seger, Bridget Albert, John Kinder, Peter Vestinos, Lynn House and all the other great mixologists in town, there was Joe Danno, owner and proprietor of the Bucket O' Suds. That old bar became the stuff of legend. Like Disco Demolition, the Bears' Super Bowl XX victory parade, and viewing the body of Harold Washington lying in state in City Hall after his death, more people actually say they went to the Bucket O' Suds than actually visited. more ›

Shin Thompson has taken Bonsoirée from an underground dinner club to one of the better BYOB joints in town with his fusion of French and Japanese cuisines and detailed-yet-affordable tasting menus. more ›

BananaQ wants to know if you have balls(Ed. Note: We did and took the balut plunge once upon a lonesome. Shaking just thinking about it. — CS). They, along with East Hollywood Inc. are sponsoring a Balut Blast. Balut is a delicacy in some Southeast Asian countries: A fertilized duck egg, partially developed. The result looks like this (not for the squeamish). We first saw it on the Discovery channel on a show that featured prostitutes in Thailand having a midnight snack of balut...to make use of its aphrodisiac properties. more ›

The word "scrumpy" sounds like a schoolyard diss: "Let's go pick on that scrumpy looking kid." A scrumpy is actually a type of farmhouse cider. The term comes from western and southern English slang for a withered apple. Some English scrumpys have a tartness and alcohol content that are among the roughest ciders we've ever encountered. more ›

• Friday: After a two-week soft opening The Poison Cup, a new wine and art boutique run by former LUSH Wine & Spirits University Village manager Erica Feldkamp and photographer John Witte, celebrates its official Grand Opening today from 4-6 p.m. (1128 W. Armitage)
• Sunday: The newly opened Taxim in Wicker Park is hosting a Greek Easter dinner with 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. seatings. Cost is $45, wine pairings an extra $24.
• Monday: Wildfire and Estancia Winery are teaming up for a dinner from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Estancia winemaker Scott Kelley will be on hand for this event. Cost is $85, all-inclusive. RSVP to 773-398-6960.

The Thrive Allergy Expo will take place this weekend at McCormick Place, featuring speakers, events and activities geared toward individuals with allergies and celiac disease. more ›

Mindy Segal has been named as Pastry Chef for The Elysian, a new luxury hotel set to open this summer in the Gold Coast area. She'll be leading the charge with a new staff to create the hotel's desserts and breads. Her Hot Chocolate staff will remain intact and she will be splitting her time between Hot Chocolate and the hotel. More desserts by Mindy Segal? We're not complaining. more ›

Travel & Leisure magazine announced their list of 50 Best New American Restaurants. Stop us if these four local entries to the list sound familiar; L2O, the Publican, Perennial and Urban Belly. L2O and the Publican also made the "Hot Tables" list at Conde Nast Traveler. more ›

With the good weather starting to come in, there's no shortage of events going on to entice you to leave the indentation you've worked into the couch and do something. Case in Point: For those of you who give the proverbial rat's ass about DarkLord Day, Slow Food Godmother Alice Waters will visit Green City Market next Saturday to promote her new book, Edible Schoolyard. The crowds Waters draws at her appearances are about as opposite from the spectrum as the Heavy Metal Parking Lot that will descend on Three Floyds that same day. Water will sign copies of the book from 10-11:30 a.m., which will be available for purchase at the Market. more ›

Since 2007, underground dining project X-marx Chicago has been dishing out fine cuisine to Chicagoans lucky enough to have gotten word of their dinners. This weekend, join X-marx co-creator and executive chef, Abe Conlon, along with guest chef Jeff Pikus for a Southeast Asian Wine dinner, featuring wine pairings by Craig Perman of Perman Wine Selections. Inspired by a recent trip to Vietnam, Chef Pikus will be focusing on Vietnamese flavors while Chef Conlon creates intricate and thoughtful Cambodian and Thai dishes, for this ten course tasting menu in X-marx's warm and welcoming south loop loft space. more ›

When we walked into the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company for the first time, it was like stepping into another era where everything is wood-paneled, calorie counting is something to scoff at and credit cards don’t exist. Exactly what era isn’t entirely clear, but the atmosphere is one of classic warmth. Opened in 1972, the CPOGC has been packed with hungry patrons since day one, and the menu has barely changed in 27 years. Which is a good thing, because it’s just about perfect the way it is. more ›

Luca Corazzina, former Executive Chef at VIVO, Prosecco and Figo in suburban Glen Ellyn, is the new executive Chef at 312 Chicago. The native of Padova landed in Chicago with his family in 1986, where they opened their own restaurant in Little Italy (Corazzina's mother is also a professional chef). more ›

Years ago, we were witness as Miller, Anheuser-Busch, and Coors collected distribution rights or partial ownerships to craft breweries in a high-stakes chess game over control of the beer drinker's dollar. Now there's InBev/A-B, MillerCoors, and a bunch of craft breweries trying like hell to maintain their independence and run successful businesses. Director Anat Baron's "Beer Wars" is being called a "David and Goliath" story, Following Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione and Rhonda Kallman of New Century Brewing, "Beer Wars" takes the viewer into the boardrooms, brewhouses, and follows sales reps on their calls as they fight for space in an already saturated marketplace. more ›

And now, for a pre-dinner palate cleanser. Have you been keeping up with Stephanie Izard's video podcasts (itunes, RSS)? If you haven't, here's as good a jump-on point as any. more ›

As a chef, Lockwood's Phillip Foss is starting to come into his own. His take on the Chicago Hot Dog (made with diced lobster rolled in a scallop mousse in response to a challenge from MP Chicago's Helen Rosner) was said to be "like Hot Doug's in a tuxedo having sex with a Maine Lobster Roll" by Michael Nagrant. He's also a very prolific, engaging, and quite talented blogger. It seems academic that Foss be part of a unique tasting next Tuesday, from 6-9 p.m. Lockwood is hosting what Foss calls the first-ever "digital tasting" with Farmer Lee Jones of The Chef's Garden in Milan, Ohio. more ›

The first thought that ran through our head when we found out about Baconfest Chicago was, "the bacon meme just jumped the shark." Although they don't seem to take themselves seriously on the blog and in their bios, co-founders Michael Griggs, Seth Zurer and Andre Pluess are serious about creating a local festival showcasing the joys of eating the "Candy of Meats." more ›

We should start this review by saying that we aren’t usually cereal fans. Oatmeal, maybe, or a nice omelet, but cereal has never appealed to us. Either it’s full of sugar and artificial colors or it’s tasteless cardboard “health food” that’s hard as a rock. Custom-made cereal offered the possibility of creating something that was both tasty and healthy at the same time… but we weren’t getting our hopes up. more ›

The economy may still suck, but it's been a banner year for restaurants, bars and their PR firms. At least from a marketing perspective. They've been able to smoothly segue from offering "economic stimulus" packages to "tax day relief" specials. To be fair, some of the offers are pretty damn good. Following is a list of some of the better deals around tomorrow for you to dole out what cash you didn't send to the IRS. more ›

We recently visited the bright West Loop byob spot, The Grocery Bistro, and took advantage of their three course prix fixe dinner menu, choosing any shared plate, entrée, and dessert for $25. (We recommend the salmon sashimi with fried egg and caper-soy vinaigrette, lamb chops and banana bacon tiramisu). Grocery's Chef de Cuisine, Andre Christopher of Japonais and Pops for Champagne fame, recently started serving a three course lunch as well: soup/salad, sandwich, dessert, and drink for $15. Enjoy your meal while playing "guess the movie playing on the plasma TV." I won. more ›

Spiaggia'sTony Mantuano is living a charmed life. The James Beard Award-winning chef is opening Terzo Piano in the Art Institute's new Renzo Piano-designed modern wing next month, Spiaggia is celebrating its Silver anniversary, his Wine Bar Food cookbook is one whose recipes Anthony's been more than willing to share, and Spiaggia is a recipient of the Obama effect. Not that Mantuano needed any help there. more ›

Maybe one, maybe two. more ›

Came down with the mother of all chest colds last week, which also led to the worst sore throat we've had in years. Lucky we had five liters of the cure in the freezer that didn't cost us an arm and leg to make. Consider this recipe the next time you're tempted by the kitsch of buying Danny Devito's Limoncello (if you check out that link, click on the musical Sorrento lemon at your own risk). more ›

The smoke rising from Honey 1 BBQ Friday was no joke. TOC broke the news and Mike Sula went to report from the scene. A spiral fire broke out in the venerable Bucktown barbecue joint's chimney and worked it's way down. Owner Robert Adams, Sr. told Sula that it's uncertain when Honey 1 will reopen, depending on the damage to the pit and whether insurance puts up a fight. Adams remains optimistic. "People ain't gonna be able to do without my barbecue for that long, so I'll be back open in a hurry." more ›

Fran Drescher (most memorably from The Nanny) will be honored at Carnivale on Tuesday, May 5 and all proceeds from the evening will benefit Cancern Schmancer, Drescher's foundation dedicated to ensuring early diagnosis in women with cancer. Drescher battled cancer and continues the fight through her Foundation. If you are unable to attend this event for any reason but would like to donate, please click here. At the event will be lots of food and drink and, if you take out the big guns, dinner with Fran, herself. Tickets available here. more ›

Our friends at the Tribune and the University of Chicago Magazine know what Easter is really all about: the candy. The two publications recently held contests revolving around a particular Easter sweet that is near and dear to our hearts: PEEPS®. more ›

Looking toward Belgium yet again for inspiration this week. A few months back our predecessor as food and drink editor went to the Publican and Twittered about the best beer she ever had. Erin Twittered a lot about that beer, it sounded like the highlight of her dinner. more ›

Since their opening last year, the South Loop Wine Cellar has become a fixture of the neighborhood. Owner Amy Garman holds regular tastings that draw large crowds, and the store is gaining a reputation for stocking really excellent wines at prices that won’t break the bank.
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A new ad for Eclipse gum has producer Wrigley coming under fire from both a competitor - Cadbury - and the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The ad claims Wrigley's Eclipse gum kills germs but the above organizations are calling "shenanigans." Information on the Wrigley website says: more ›

After buying some beautiful Portobello mushrooms at Green City Market last weekend, we decided that this would be a great opportunity to start spring off right and break out the grill. Ok, the grill pan - sometimes, an urban cook has to improvise. But we could smell the charcoal of April in our minds. more ›

Today marks the start of Passover, which means Easter is right around the corner. Easter is also one of the most popular brunch days of the year, if only to see a parade of silly hats. more ›

The DarkLord Days of recent years have devolved into a litany of disappointed beer fans either leaving without bottles of Three Floyd's prized Russian Imperial Stout, or being so desperate for it that they purchase bottles from some of Northwest Indiana's brightest trade school dropouts for at least three times the $15 selling price set by the brewery. The golden ticket sale announced by the brewery was a step in the right direction to give those who truly wanted the beer an opportunity to buy it. Still, it was only a matter of time before golden tickets started popping up on Craigslist and online auctions. more ›

Too much work to empty a bottle of beer into a pot to boil those brats? Never fear. MillerCoors and Sara Lee are now wingmen to bring you a new brat that has already been cooked in beer. The new name of the brat is: The Hillshire Farm Miller High Life Beer Brat. (Okay, okay...it's not a wiener in the true sense...but we're feeling juvenile today and where else you gonna get a headline like that?) more ›

We attended the Time Out Chicago Eat Out Awards last night at the Cultural Center. Man, that Tiffany dome looks great. Kicked off by host Stephanie Izard, the awards began with the Critics' picks before finishing the night with the readers' choices. We sat at a table next to Martial Noguier and his wife and boy, talk about a couple in love. They exchanged a sweet kiss between smiles and applause. Pretty cute. more ›

With the ongoing success of "Top Chef," it was only a matter of time before Bravo decided that they would expand the franchise by opening up the competition to already established chefs. The idea for this has been in the works for close to a year. more ›

It's been said before around here: if you can't find anything good to eat in Pilsen, you aren't looking hard enough. On April 18, Adobo Grill Executive Chef Freddy Sanchez will lead a tour of some of the neighborhood's best and most popular places to nosh. more ›

Mars Inc. is closing five of its six Illinois Ethel's Chocolate locations by the end of the month. Fans of Mars's haute chocolate salon will have to travel to Skokie to get their fix. [Crain's] more ›

What is this mess of globby, colorful ingredients staring you in the face? Apart, they are nothing. Together, they create powerful heap of delicious junk food, appropriately named "the Garbage Plate." We had our first at the birthplace of this mess- Nick Tahou Hots or simply, “Nick Tahou's,” in Rochester, New York. It was after 1 am, we weren’t sober, and yet we have no regrets. This disaster in a styrofoam container is good. (Note: We'd like to see the styrofoam replaced with a recycled paper container, but our suggestion was lost in the line of 30 impatient garbage plate customers behind us.) Dissect the making of a garbage plate and you will find: more ›

Since Goose Island renewed the lease on its Clybourn brewpub in December, there's been a sense of excitement around the premises. While the emphasis on the brewing has changed from hoppy to sour, the food menu at Goose Island is undergoing an even more radical transformation under the guidance of new Executive Chef John Manion (ex-Mas and Old Oak Tap). Manion is slowly updating the menu to bring it on a par with the Bristol, the Gage and Duchamp. more ›

We were at Cardinal Wine & Spirits last night in advance of a BYOBfest at hidden gem Pizza Art Cafe on Rockwell, when we found what has to be the best deal, penny-per-ounce, of alcohol we've ever seen. more ›

Tomorrow night from 6:30-8:30pm enjoy a free wine tasting at one of our favorite wine and cheese shops, Pastoral. The theme will be "Wines From Emerging Regions" and we're told the wines will be from "traditional wine countries (France, Spain, etc.) but will be from lesser known and upcoming regions." Pastoral also has a lot of upcoming events with a nominal fee for the month of April including an introductory "Cheese 101" class, an exploration of Italian cheeses and wines, and a course dedicated to pairing cheese with champagne and sparkling wines.. more ›

Collaborative ales between breweries are nothing new. It's a wonderful chance for two (or more) breweries to put their heads together and give their customers something truly special. Collaborative Evil and Bison's annual Reunion ales are good examples. Meanwhile, Larry Bell and Dirk Naudts are hard at work with their planned Bell's/De Proef collaboration later this year. more ›

Yesterday we wrote a bit about Perman Wine Selections as part of our look at newer boutique wine stores yesterday. Although owner Craig Perman is a dedicated oenophile, he has the flexibility and good business sense to stock some select liqueurs and beer. A couple of recent "Beer of the Week" selections have come from Perman. more ›

Here are this week's listings for you to peruse while we remember the succulence of Trader Vic's beef cho-chos (say that three times fast): more ›

When it comes to liquor stores we tend to be equal opportunity. We'll search high and low, near and far, for the best deals at stores large and small. While the boxy superstores like Sam's, Binny's and Armanetti's have their merits, the smaller stores are noted for their more personal touch. The LUSH Wine & Spirits locations in University and Roscoe Villages are wonderful for customers because they can sample practically everything LUSH has to offer and will work with customers to acquire hard-to-find wine, beer and spirits. more ›

The Depot American Diner (5840 W. Roosevelt Rd., 773-261-8422) is currently going through some tough times. They've had a business partner pull out, their hours of operation have been spotty and, with credit still hard to come by, their future is in doubt (calls to the Depot have not been returned as of post time). Restaurants close all the time, we know. But not all restaurants have friends pitching in to help out. more ›

In an effort to improve traffic flow throughout downtown, the Mayor's Office of Special Events announced yesterday that Taste of Chicago will have 15 percent fewer food vendors this year. The emphasis on improving traffic flow means that only 55 food vendors will be presenting their wares at the annual event, starting June 26. Other proposed changes to the event are a continuation of the "healthy" options the city encouraged vendors to serve last year and a requirement for vendors to serve a minimum of two smaller and less expensive "taste-of" portions geared for folks who can't or don't want to handle the giant turkey legs so synonymous with Taste. Those turkey legs may be in danger of decreasing, as well. Manny's Deli, which has turkey legs on its menu, hasn't made a full commitment to this year's event. more ›

Sky Full of Bacon 09: Raccoon Stories from Michael Gebert on Vimeo. more ›

In any time, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a classic, but in these tough economic times, we find ourselves going to it more often than in the past, giving us the chance to revisit this important cornerstone of any diet. The key to any successful sandwich starts with the outside: what kind of bread do you use? If the bread is too coarse for the contents of the sandwich, the sandwich can be ruined. In this case, we found that the soft, supple wheat bread suited the sandwich perfectly. Next, we spread onto one slice of bread our peanut butter of choice. Like choosy mothers, we prefer JIF, but experience has shown us that you can closely recreate the same texture using Skippy or Peter Pan brand peanut butter. more ›

Sometimes you just need to face reality and come to terms with the fact that when you're thisclose to 40 like us, you need a little kick in the ass to get you to sunrise. Gone are the days when we had the world by the curlicues, when Mom lived equidistant between Marie's Riptide Lounge and the old Blue Note on Armitage, and we could stagger out of either establishment at sunrise for some biscuits and gravy. more ›

Tribune reporter, stuntman of local food writers, expert on fish tacos and "cheeseburger bureau chief" Kevin Pang posted a preview of his new project chronicling where to get the best cheeseburgers in town. "The Cheeseburger Show," debuting April 16, will air six times a week on CLTV, in HD online at the not-yet-launched www.cheeseburgershow.com, and be available as a download at iTunes. Pang also said that the program may also air as a segment on WGN News. more ›

We must’ve ordered this dish a hundred times at our favorite Greek restaurant, but we never thought to see if we could do it at home. This tart, garlicky spread is a great appetizer or snack; it keeps for at least a week and tastes great spread on bread, tortilla chips or vegetables. Our recipe come from the Parthenon Cookbook, which is a great buy - full of very basic recipes for Greek classics. It takes a little bit of time to drain the yogurt and marinate the flavors in the dip, but the actual work is pretty light and the result is worth the effort. more ›