"Our third course, a homemade pappardelle with fresh ricotta was just plain boring. It needed lemon juice to brighten it up, as well as salt and pepper; there was allegedly some marrow in the sauce, but we couldn’t detect any; the pasta - while clearly hand-formed - was gummy and not exceptionally pleasing." more ›

It was sometime after 8 Friday night at the Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival when Benjy texted me from one of the many long lines formed inside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. The text read, "This is like going to Great America, only you have a small bite of ice cream waiting for you at the end instead of getting on a roller coaster." more ›

We know that Sound Opinions hosts Jim Derogatis and Greg Kot have some staunch viewpoints on popular music. But how would they fare if they veered out of their comfort zone? Say, at a dinner? more ›

Before last week it had been a while since we caught up with local underground chef Efrain Cuevas, so we RSVP'd to his latest dinner, which was to be held on the rooftop of a grocery store on the north side. The location turned out to be fortuitous as Cuevas was able to buy most of the spices, herbs and vegetables for the dinner at the store. more ›

The World Championship BBQ Competition in Memphis ended last weekend and some locals brought home a trophy. more ›

'Tis the season for free champagne tastings. Get started tonight at the Artisan Cellar (located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart) with a sample of some rare bubblies from 4-6 p.m. Learn all about the history of smothered foods from author Wilbert Jones, the author of Smothered Southern Foods. Jones' lecture, "Smothered - Southern Style" is being held Saturday at the Chicago History Museum, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. The lecture... more ›

Last week we wrote of 24 Below Chef Efrain Cuevas' plans to host a goat dinner where he was to personally slaughter and butcher the goat, and how state officials, the USDA, and the po-po advised against doing so. As you can see from the video above the goat, who was named Tony, was indeed slaughtered, just not by Cuevas' hand. Instead, he took Tony to Halsted Packing House and had them do the... more ›

Since splitting from the Ghetto Gourmet, Efrain Cuevas has fashioned a cottage industry for himself. Between "Cook the Vote", a "singles only" underground supper club, private catering and cooking classes, and his own "Ghetto Gourmet"-style undergorund dining club 24 Below, Cuevas has become increasingly busy on the local dining scene. A dinner Cuevas planned two weeks ago brought about some backlash. Cuevas planned a birria dinner involving a goat he would personally slaughter and butcher.... more ›

The big event happening this weekend is the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at McCormick Place. The event features over 2,000 exhibitors in nearly 900 product categories showcasing the latest kitchen innovations and technology, sustainability concepts, and fine cuisine. Highlights of the show this year include a celebrity bookstore (a new feature where celebrity chefs and restaurateurs will be in attendance signing books) a food fair featuring regional specialty foods from across the country,... more ›