• Martha Bayne reports that the Publican has reduced the prices of their beer menu (somewhat). Too bad those prices didn't go into effect when she was visiting the place for her review. [Food Chain, Marthabayne.com]
• Should we eat our little urban critters? I'm certainly down for squirrel, rabbit, and the occasional raccoon rummaging through garbage cans. [Little Green People blog, via]
• Sun-Times staffers look back at their favorite cookbooks, in time for the holidays. [Sun-Times]
• Bill Daley reports on a Manhattan bar serving wine in baby bottles (you'd expect Dion Antic to be jumping all over this) and spent coffee grounds as a source of biodiesel, while Phil Vettel laments about Copperblue, which is serving its final dinner service Saturday. [The Stew 1, 2, 3]
• Matt Kirouac had to sit through some pretty bad service at Andersonville's Antica Pizzeria in order to get to some pretty good pizza. [Hungry Mag]
• Gemma Petrie shares a recipe for Wild Rice and Mushroom Pie. [Pro Bono Baker]
• Josh at Chicago Foodies confuses Lao Shanghai for Lao Sze Chuan, regrets his error. [Chicago Foodies]
• Give thanks to the Lord of Fat Fuckery for, then "akido the shit out of" some crab legs at Glenn's Diner. that's how Steven Seagal would do it. [Chicago Gluttons]
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What have the intrepid local food writers and bloggers of Our Town and elsewhere been up to this week? more ›

• Counting down the days until we receive our copy of the Alinea cookbook in the mail. While we've been spending lots of time at the Alinea Mosaic (a perk of advance purchase), Michael Ruhlman - one of four food writers commissioned to write an essay for the book, offers a sneak preview of the books contents. It cannot come to us soon enough.
• The Local Beet has quickly become one of our favorite new local food blogs. this week they have a guide to fall and winter CSAs and local produce box drops.
• Chicago Gluttons has the most hilarious review of San Soo Gap San ever.

• Leading off today is this hiring video put together for Lettuce Entertain You property Hub 51 Restaurant and Lounge, an exaggerated parody of Tom Vu infomercials. (via)
• Fresh off his appearance on last night's episode of Top Chef Chicago, Rick Tramonto has a blog over at Restaurant & Institutions magazine website. There are only two posts right now, but Tramonto's an in-demand chef and businessman, so only expect him to update when he has the time and/or something to write about. (Again, via).
• The Tribune ran a wonderful piece yesterday on how some of Our Town's best chefs would reinvent that all-American staple, the hot dog. Check out Shawn McClain's tofu version with kimchi and sport peppers, Rick Bayless' Chi-Mex hot dog, or Charlie Trotter's Asian tuna dog.

The James L. Beard Award nominees were announced yesterday and as in years past, Chicago represented. And the Chicago-based nominees are: Outstanding Restaurateur: Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Outstanding Chef: Jean Joho, Everest and Paul Kahan, Blackbird Outstanding Restaurant: Frontera Grill and Spiaggia Rising Star Chef of the Year: Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues Outstanding Pastry Chef: Mindy Segal, HotChocolate Outstanding Service: Tru Outstanding Wine Service: Bin 36, Wine Director Brian Duncan Best Chef, Great... more ›

Greg Christian used to be a rock-star chef. Think Anthony Bourdain before he stopped doing the partying and started writing books and appearing on the Food Network. Christian cooked hard, partied hard and essentially lived every chef's dream; working at the now-closed Gordon’s restaurant under executive chef John Terczak and then ultimately starting his own catering company. Hungry Mag has a great profile of Christian up, in which his story of discovering the organic food... more ›

It's that time of year again: the James Beard Foundation's nominees have been announced and, not surprisingly, Chicago represents. And it represents well. The James Beard is the most coveted prize for culinary professionals, and for those who are both nominated and those who eventually go home with the prize come May, this achievement will follow them for the rest of their dying days. For those not of All-Things-Food, being nominated for a James Beard... more ›