Results tagged “icecream”

  

It was around 8 p.m. Labor Day when we heard the familiar jingle ringing down the street. And if you grew up hearing the Mister Softee song, you know it's unmistakable. 'Course, being 40 we just couldn't run out of the house barefoot and shirtless trying to catch up to the truck with five dollars we took from Mom's purse before asking. We had to don shoes and leash the dog. Emmy's 10 and doesn't run anywhere anymore. We were thinking this was going to be a futile endeavor.

The moment we saw this article on Lifehacker which referenced this article on The Kitchn (both of which contain pictures worth seeing), we knew we'd be trying it. Now, we know what you're thinking...obviously it isn't ice cream in the literal sense of the term. But we found that it is surprisingly pretty darn good.

You've just gotten over your fancy ice cream headache from last weekend's Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival. What's next? Make your own at Fox and Obel's ice cream making-class this Thursday. From 6-7:30pm and for $25, join Amy Donati (Fox & Obel Charcuterie and Kitchen Manager) in a hands-on class that will have you whipping up Honey Lavender, Red Currant, Kahlua & Espresso, Wine Sorbet and Creme de Menthe ice cream as well as ice cream sandwiches and pies. Leave your kids at home- this is adults only. As always, two hours of validated parking and 10% market purchases on the day of the class.

     

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."

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.

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.

       

Ice cream fans rejoice - iCream, the liquid-nitrogen-based “designer ice cream” shop in Wicker Park is finally open. iCream originally opened last year to great fanfare, but quickly closed a few days later - our attempts to visit were unsuccessful. Whatever difficulties they had encountered have apparently been resolved, as they have been open for over a week and were filled to capacity this past Sunday.

• Great to see Janet Rausa Fuller back in action at the Sun-Times. The Bright One's food editor has a page 2 story on how the economy isn't really stopping folks from dining out. Fuller cites a Zagat survey stating that 83 percent of diners surveyed are eating out as often as they were two years ago, but a third of them are taking advantage of fixed price specials and cutting back on items such as dessert and booze. BYOB, the blueprint for the future. [Sun-Times]
• In our visits to the Publican, we haven't had to wait for a table. Just wanted to mention that as a contrast to Sandy Thorn Clark's cover story in yesterday's Sun-Times food section on the buzz behind hot restaurants. [Sun-Times]
• Localvores take note: there's folks out there more zealous than you about the food we eat. The 100 foods no environmentalist should ever eat. Imported beer and wine make the list, as well. Fie, we say! [X-Ray Technician Schools, via MP Chicago]

Metromix has their opening date as yesterday or today. Helen Rosner at the always entertaining MenuPages Chicago has been waiting with bated breath for the doors to open, as well. We placed a call over to iCream in Wicker Park (1537 N. Milwaukee, 773-342-2834) to see when they would, indeed, open for business and were told "Thursday or Friday."

Andrew Huff at Gapers Block's Drive-Thru blog called Forbes Traveler's decision to include Margie's on its list of the best ice cream in America "lazy ice cream journalism," while Mike Nagrant lists his alternatives at Serious Eats.

This evening is 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins, with a limit of ten scoops per person. (Please, we really want someone to order a 10-scoop ice cream cone). Baskin Robbins will be honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation by making a $100,000 donation. We don’t really get how the ice cream promotion has anything to do with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, though there will be the opportunity for patrons to donate to local fire charities at “some locations.”

It wasn't just Presidential candidates that were running for nominations in yesterday's vote. A handful of local Democrats and Republicans also ran for their party's spot on the November ballot as well.

The Tribune Editorial Board released its list of endorsements in the upcoming Illinois primaries on February 5. Among the list are 3rd District Congressman Dan Lipinski (striking a blow to challenger and progressive blog champion Mark Pera) and tenacious ice cream magnate Jim Oberweis -- running for Congress in the 14th District -- who is determined to get himself elected to some office, somewhere, some time (we hear Sugar Grove is looking for a new mayor, perhaps he should start there). They also endorse Senator Dick Durbin's challenger, Steve Sauerberg, who has about as much chance of unseating Durbin as Spanky the Clown.

We really, really, wish we'd come up with the phrase "amuse-douche." Nicely done, Menupages. Chef Frank Brunacci is going to be at the helm of the restaurant in the yet-to-be-completed Trump tower. Michael Nagrant interviewed him and says he's "more of a haute comfort food purveyor than a food scientist," even though he likes to sling "shark bacon and olive oil ice cream." Check out the podcast here. File this under things we are pumped...

Now that the Chicago International Film Festival is over, we can finally turn our attention to some homegrown cinematic delights. Currently showing at the Siskel for a week-long run is Joe Swanberg's dramedy Hannah Takes the Stairs. A microbudgeted movie shot in Logan Square, it's been taking the festival circuit by storm and garnering write-ups in the New York Times. Despite his movie's acclaim, Swanberg himself, according to a new article in the Reader, is...

There are two big happenings tonight in Chicago. One involves Chicagoist's mild obsession, Top Chef, whose finale will be shot live tonight at an undisclosed location. (We'll be live-blogging it.) The other involves one of our esteemed city's baseball clubs ... you've heard of them, right? But since food and sports are both on the mind right now, we would be remiss in not mentioning the culinary wager made between Daley and Phoenix Mayor Phil...

When we first began writing this post we considered giving it another title: "Get on your hands and knees and crawl". We decided against this title because the actual subject of the post wouldn't be immediately clear, and the event we speak of deserves perfect understanding. If you like sweets, the Andersonville neighborhood or the Swedish American Museum, then the Andersonville Dessert Crawl is right up your alley. For $20 (in advance) or $30...

After a week of following the Green City Market Localvore Challenge, Chicagoist is feeling pretty good. OK, we admit that yesterday’s brunch at Prairie Grass Café made up of local products (chicken from Country Cottage Farm, braised greens from Kinnikinnick Farms, corn, roasted peppers, mashed potatoes, Wisconsin cheese, grilled pears, grapes, raspberry ice cream) definitely ended things on a high note. But even before we got to try co-chefs/owners Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris’ flavorful...

Before we had kids, we thought that Babies on a Plane! was a more apt horror movie title. Now that we’re on this side of the aisle, we have a little more perspective and a lot more sympathy for parents trying to get their little ones through a flight. Any parent who has traveled with their child has a bag of tricks to get them through the actual flight: bringing along favorite toys, finally relinquishing...

While the evil empire from New York City (Macy’s) served complimentary slices of Frango Mint Ice Cream pie to the some twenty guests dining in the seventh floor Walnut Room, about 100 hard-core Marshall Field’s fans staged a protest underneath the the historic clock on State Street below. Today marks the one-year anniversary of Macy’s changing the name of Field’s after after gobbling up May Department Stores, which Field's had been a part of. Organized...

When we were young, nothing quite compared to the sound of an ice cream truck as it slowly made it's way through our neighborhood. It was the only thing that could destroy a major game of Hide 'n Seek. The moment one of us heard the familiar tune, a battle cry of "Ice Cream Truck!!" went out and everyone ran home to scavenge for change. But times are changing. Some folks with children, who we...

Quirky Places to Take Kids?

Another week, another all-you-can-eat Friday Buffet. The photo alone is giving us cravings for some shark meat. - It's National Ice Cream Month. Feeling charitable this afternoon? In the mood for ice cream? Then head over to Atwood Café between 2-4 p.m. and take part in their annual ice cream social to benefit the Fairy Godmother Foundation. Atwood chef Heather Terhune will donate $1 from every ice cream sold (graciously donated by Ciao Bella gelato)...

When Chicagoist lived in Hyde Park, we had a local dive for every occasion: the best place to go with a hangover, the best place to satiate a Hawaiian pizza craving, the best place to use our fake ID. The Medici on 57th was always the best place to hang out with friends-- a funky, eclectic eatery with good food and constant coffee. But would our college favorite survive lunch with our toddler? Did the...

Q: Where in Chicago can Daley’s Addiction share the table with a Lakeview Barhopper? A: Bobtail Ice Cream on Southport! Bobtail Ice Cream offers a handful of ice cream flavors as well as creative coffee drinks at this packed location on the Southport corridor. They don’t have the richest ice cream we’ve ever tasted, but we love their inventive flavors and the atmosphere is perfect for families. Daley’s Addiction is vanilla with just the right...

Schanna Gayden, a thirteen-year-old honors student and innocent bystander, was killed yesterday as she bought watermelon at a vendor's cart in a park just blocks from her home. This morning, charges are pending against a 19-year-old gang member likely from either the Imperial Gangsters and Spanish Cobras, the two gangs that have previously sparred over the turf in Logan Square As a press conference yesterday, a visibly upset Mayor Daley said yesterday, "Parents have to...

Finally, the State Senate voted about a budget for the state of Illinois, even if it did not exactly vote on one. By a margin of 34-19 it adopted a sense-of-the-Senate resolution, spelling out objections to the budget document endorsed by the Illinois House last month. Mayor Daley's stalled plan to put the financial squeeze on parents of young graffiti vandals will be advanced by City Council, but only after the maximum fine is...

Finally, the State Senate voted about a budget for the state of Illinois, even if it did not exactly vote on one. By a margin of 34-19 it adopted a sense-of-the-Senate resolution, spelling out objections to the budget document endorsed by the Illinois House last month. Mayor Daley's stalled plan to put the financial squeeze on parents of young graffiti vandals will be advanced by City Council, but only after the maximum fine is...

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network." It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by...

For those of you who work in the suburbs, this Chicagoist writer shares your pain. For those of you downtown, you might find this enlightening. Amusing, even.