Food: February 2010 Archives

Since Goose Island renewed the lease on their Clybourn brewpub at the last minute in 2008, they've been actively moving forward to improve both the quality of both its beers and its food. John Manion's short stint at the brewpub laid the foundation to the new menu advancements of current chef Andrew Horza. Hroza is a certified cicerone and well-qualified to know the intricacies between pairing beer with food. more ›

We served this unconventional Super Bowl appetizer to some skeptical beer-loving, sausage pizza-eating football fans. Under the alias “Fruit and Walnut Dip” the luscious combination of figs, toasted walnuts, olives and capers, was a smash hit. more ›

The International Children's Heart Foundation seeks to care for and cure congenital heart conditions in children from developing nations. Friday night at Old Oak Tap (2109 W. Chicago Ave., 773-772-0406) a fundraiser for ICHF will be held, featuring tastings from NAHA's Carrie Nahabedian, Custom House Tavern's Aaron Deal, and Branch 27's John Manion. Manion fans will remember that, during his time walking the earth like a cheffing ninja between leaving Mas and landing at Branch 27, he helped revamp Old Oak Tap's menu to the point where it got Tankboy's attention. So he'll be on familiar ground. more ›

Okay, so, we've covered how to roast a chicken. But what if you're dumb? Here are the cliff notes: Buy chicken. Salt chicken. Put in 450 degree oven for an hour. Done. more ›

Finalists for the 2010 James Beard Foundation awards won't be announced until late next month, but it can be told with certainty that Chicago will be home to one Beard Award winner this year. Calumet Fisheries, home to the best smoked fish on the South Side, is one of five recipients of the Beard Foundation's American Classics award. The award is given to smaller, casual restaurants that leave an impression on their respective areas and the Beard Award committee. more ›

Thanks for your continued support and readership. Have a safe and wonderful weekend, everyone. more ›

Tuesday is National Pizza Pie Day. That's separate from National Pizza Week which happened last month, or the Great American Pizza Bake next week, or National Cheese Pizza Day (September 5), or National Pizza Festival Month in October, or National Sausage Pizza Day (October 11), or National Pizza with Everything Except Anchovies Day (November 12). We point this out to emphasize the inanity of national "food holidays" and to ask for the idiots who created each of these individual days to incorporate these all under one National Pizza Pie Day. But we digress. more ›

Who to know more ›

Two big restaurant openings are set to happen in the next four days. Well, one of the openings is more of a re-launch, but we're still stoked. Let's talk about that one first. more ›

One of the things we like best about Marcus Samuelsson's New American Table is the variety of types of food - not necessarily flavors, though that's also present, but the different portion sizes and occasions provided for by Samuelsson's recipes. Like most cookbooks, there are sections for each meal, but New American Table also has snacks, small plates, breads, "everyday," "weekend," and "holiday." more ›

• Feeding America released their 2010 report on hunger in America. 37 million Americans — including 14 million children — receive some form of emergency food relief. As Phil Ponce notes in the above video, 670,000 Cook County residents are in that number.
• A Wall Street Journal article about how chefs like Grant Achatz and Wylie Dufrense are applying their progressive skills to recreate cocktails somehow metamorphosed into, "OMFG!! OMFG!! Achatz is opening a cocktail lounge called 'Boom!' OMFG!!!" This despite debunking from Helen rosner at Grub Street Chicago and a denial from Achatz himself. [GS Chi, Achatz Twitter]
• "Feta + Greek spices + garlic = Win." It's also the dipping sauce of the week at Wiener and Still Champion in Evanston. [WaSC]

Dear Megan, more ›

The Metra French Market announced the addition of four more vendors. Green City Market shoppers are already familiar with Zullo's. Their new shop will sell traditional pizzas, assorted pastas, panini, pastries, sandwiches, soups and other Italian specialties that change daily. Another farmers market staple, Olives4You, will specialize in marinated and stuffed olives, tapenades, assorted pita breads, vinegars, olive oils and eventually homemade hummus and fresh, ready-to-eat specialties. more ›

As if you needed another excuse for a beer, Revolution Brewing (2323 N. Milwaukee, 773-227-2739) opens officially in about twenty minutes. The brewpub from Handlebar owner Josh Deth will feature brews from Deth and brewmaster Jim Cibak. The food menu won't be as vegan-friendly as Handlebar's menu; no menu that starts off with bacon fat popcorn can. more ›

It's prime barleywine season again and it's been a while since we looked at the style. Also we've only looked at one other beer from Avery Brewing. So this week is botha n attempt at playing catchup while revisiting a favorite style. more ›

Walking into the Crescent Room at Tizi Melloul is like walking into a Mediterranean fantasy. We honestly have no idea as to its authenticity for any particular culture, and it doesn't really matter - it's exactly what you want it to look like. In a restaurant filled with modern design touches this more traditional space, with low couches, vibrant colors, pottery and a giant cluster of lanterns hanging above, perfectly sets the scene for the meal to follow. The main dining room is lovely, and has a wider variety of food selections, but we were quite happy with our choice. more ›

Valentine's Day is coming and, like Anthony, we don't really look forward to making dinner reservations. We're good enough home cooks that we can seal a deal wielding fierce kitchen majicks. more ›

In lieu of our regular Wine Wednesday post, we found it much more fitting to focus on the colossal eating and drinking occasion that is the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Chicago, we can't say 'we almost made it' or even whisper a word of smack talking to our buddies, but we will find a way to chest-bump and guzzle booze with the best of them. Here are some of the drinks and eats the Chicagoist Staff plan to indulge in...and some are just indulging in drinking (guess, Monday will be a slow one at Chicagoist). more ›

The Sunday fire that raged through Costa's restaurant in Greektown did more damage than any of the photos taken can document. City demolition crews tore down the remaining structure as the fire, which started in a deep fat fryer in the kitchen, quickly grew out of control and made the building unstable. more ›

Fast food is inherently less nutritious than slow food. However, most of us succumb to eating fast food at one time or another. During those times, Chipotle may provide a better option. Take a minute to peruse the nutritional breakdown of the menu, and then choose wisely. Chipotle’s got plenty of vegetarian options and hormone-free meats and dairy. You can opt to load up on beans and veggies, while omitting high-calorie toppings, like sour cream and guacamole. Our biggest gripe about Chipotle (aside from the obscenely large burrito, which is appropriate for two) is the high sodium content. For example, the flour tortilla used to wrap Chipotle’s standard burrito contains 290 calories and a whopping 670mg of sodium. So before you put anything in the burrito, the tortilla alone exceeds the 500 milligram sodium limit we recommend per meal. more ›

We spent a cold Saturday evening in Chinatown, eating hot food and braving the cold weather. We took the camera along and hope you enjoy some pictures of Chinatown at night. more ›

Beer could be flowing in the space formerly occupied by Jimbo's Lounge sometime in the near future. The Southtown Star reports that an incidental liquor license application for the space has been sent to Billy Guide, owner of Cork & Kerry in Beverly. Before Guide can move forward with removing all vestiges of the "beloved" (Southtown Star's word, not ours) Jimbo's from the face of Bridgeport, he'll need to file a site plan, submit documentation about ownership, and fulfill other requirements before he can file the liquor license application, as well as notify register voters living within 250 feet of the establishment and give them a chance to voice objections. more ›