Chuck Sudo

A near-religious experience with Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock got us to thinking of other darker wheat beers that would be enjoyable for summer sipping. With that in mind, we set out for some good local options and looked no farther than Two Brothers. Local beer geeks know and love the... continue reading on Chicagoist

As if Kuma's Corner couldn't get any more packed on the weekend, now the venerable burger/beer/metal/biker kitsch bar is throwing a block party to celebrate its fourth anniversary, which should just send fans of Kuma's monster burgers into DEFCON 1 mode. The shenanigans kick off at noon Saturday. Kuma's... continue reading on Chicagoist

The smell of fresh bread baking in the morning always often brings back memories of growing up across the street from the Mary Ann Bakery in the Hermosa/Kelvyn Park neighborhood. The bakery also made S. Rosen branded baked goods and we would head to school with near-certain knowledge that... continue reading on Chicagoist

Over the years we've developed a theory that brewmasters are underrated as philosophers, seeing as brewing and drinking beer are often lock-step with social intercourse. We're big fans here of Lost Abbey beers (see our "BotW" review of their "Gift of the Magi" ale). After reading brewmaster Tomme Arthur's... continue reading on Chicagoist

We snuck a tiny blurb into last week's "BotW" post about City Provisions's Saturday farm dinner (we're including the entire schedule here, in PDF format). These farm dinners are supposed to be can't-miss events, a great way to immerse into the local/slow food dynamic. City Provisions owner Cleetus Friedman... continue reading on Chicagoist

As if Stephanie Izard doesn't have enough irons in the fire between traveling to trade shows and events, media appearances, working on her video podcasts, making wine, writing a cookbook with Time Out Chicago's Heather Shouse in addition to opening the Drunken Goat in January (and she's already making... continue reading on Chicagoist

At the time of our visit to Half Acre's new Lincoln Square brewery in April we said of the limited edition Baume' Rye Stout: "Baume' answers the question definitively that Gabriel Magliaro is in this for the long haul." Magliaro and head brewer Tommy Nicely had another beer waiting... continue reading on Chicagoist

Taxim, the new Greek restaurant from rookie restaurateur David Schneider, takes the concept of Greek cuisine as Chicagoans know it and turns it on its head. Gone are yard stick-sized kabobs, syrupy souvlaki and middle-aged waitresses with penciled eyebrows and hoarse throats from shouting "Opa!" while setting fire to some... continue reading on Chicagoist

Image via 40Cozy.com. (via) As promotions go, "National 40 Oz. Week" at Fifty/50 (2047 W. Division, 773-489-5050) walks the fine line between inspiration and cliched crassness. Thursday's "Old School Hip Hop Night" is right up our alley, with $5 St. Ides forties for sale and the DJs spinning NWA,... continue reading on Chicagoist

We were explaining the guanciale experiment and process in making it Saturday night to Benjy's lovely wife Ella. Mrs. Lipsman asked all the pertinent questions about making one's own charcuterie, most important among them, "What if you get food poisoning?" It's a legitimate query, one that we've hesitated to ask... continue reading on Chicagoist

Martha Bayne is at it again. The "Soup and Bread" mastermind is now holding Bingo nights at Hideout. Starting this Wednesday and running through September 9 Bayne and the fine folks at Hideout will be calling out Bingo numbers from 6-8 p.m., giving players a chance at free produce,... continue reading on Chicagoist

Our Saturday visit to Green City Market resulted in a pirate's booty of fresh produce, planters, milk and meats. The highlight of our visit was the purchase of French breakfast radishes and white carrots from Green Acres Farm in North Judson, IN. June is when radishes just begin to make... continue reading on Chicagoist

California's Murphy-Goode Winery has been making headlines in recent months with its "A Really Goode Job" contest. The winery is offering a six-month contracted job to one lucky social media expert; the official title is "Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent." The winner gets a salary of $10,000 a month... continue reading on Chicagoist

Ukrainian Village residents are going to have to get their tacos from somewhere else today. The City Department of Public Health shut down Tecalitlan (1814 W. Chicago Ave.) after a spot inspection found four coolers at temperatures ranging from 48-62 degrees. the Health department also made Tecalitlan throw out 400... continue reading on Chicagoist

Alinea chef grant Achatz has sold a book proposal of his battle with Stage IV tongue cancer to Gotham Books. Tentatively titled Life, On the Line (a play on words referencing both Achatz's well-documented cancer struggle and the daily grind of a chef in the kitchen), the book is a... continue reading on Chicagoist

Koval Distillery in Andersonville has been making some noise of late, as the city's only distillery. They've also been making some amazing spirits and liqueurs, from what we tasted a couple weeks back at Uncommon Ground Devon's Friday Farmers Market. From 7:30-9:30 p.m. today at In Fine Spirits (5240... continue reading on Chicagoist

Photo Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes on flickr) Remember the Roscoe's/Rosscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles kerfuffle from last year that had readers quoting lines from "Coming to America?" Looks like we're about to see it again, only with Superdawg in the role of plaintiff. Superdawg has filed a lawsuit against... continue reading on Chicagoist

Photo Credit: www.festivalpreview.com Taste of Chicago starts tomorrow just a little bit smaller. Only 54 vendors will be serving the teeming masses descending on Grant Park for the next 10 days. That might actually turn into a postivie. The emphasis on healthy eating at Taste in recent years continues.... continue reading on Chicagoist

Photo via Click Around Chicago. Now you won't have to travel all the way to Beverly for an Original Rainbow Cone. Owner Lynn Sapp told Crain's that they'll soon be sharing a ground-level retail space in the Page Brothers Building (177 N. State Street). Under a partnership agreement, Original... continue reading on Chicagoist

Photo Courtesy Chicago Lights. ChicagoNow's Megan Cottrell wrote an excellent piece about the Chicago Avenue garden at Cabrini Green's southern tip that's run by Fourth Presbyterian Church's "Chicago Lights" outreach program. Cottrell reports on some of the relationships developing in the garden between Old Town and Cabrini Green residents,... continue reading on Chicagoist