We knew it. Korean food is on the rise in Chicago. Despite a substantial fan base, Chicago is not exactly a mecca for Korean food. The Korean Government and its tourism organizations are out to change that. We attended a dinner sponsored by the Korean Consulate General held at Rolling Meadow’s Woo Lae Oak. A representative from the Consulate lamented the “lack of ‘fancy’ Korean restaurants in Chicago.” We’re pretty happy with any Korean food we can get our hands on in the city, but a more refined, upscale Korean restaurant? Yes please. more ›

A young man's oafish buddies convince him to take a bus to the countryside and meet them at a college chum's guest house, where "there's lots of booze and delicious barbecue." Of course when he arrives his friends are nowhere to be found; and getting back to Seoul proves to be an unexpectedly tall order. Among the problems he has to contend with are crappy cell phone reception, con artists, and the constant necessity of being polite by accepting drinks from strangers. more ›

• Taste of Randolph Street begins this evening and runs through Sunday. This is a great way to sample some of the wares of the restaurants that make the Randolph Street District one of the best in the city without having to dress up. Seeing the one-two punch of Drive-By truckers and Bobby Bare, Jr. Saturday isn't bad, either.
• Pizza Fest Chicago 2008 takes place tomorrow and Sunday at the intersection of Fullerton and Racine in Lincoln Park from noon-10 p.m. The U.S. Pizza Team will be on hand. There will also be pizza eating contests, dough-tossing contests and other entertainment
• This will be our final Tour de Fat reminder for the week. Tomorrow, head out to Palmer Square Park at Kedzie and Palmer to partake of a lot of New Belgium Brewing selections, a bike parade, Mucca Pazza, and watch Joe M500 trade in his Jeep for a bicycle and pledge to live car-free for 12 months.

One can't have a hearty Korean dinner — or even sushi — without a bracing serving of soju. It's clear color and clean flavor is comparable to vodka, except for a slightly sweeter taste resulting from the addition of sugar in the distilling process. more ›