These are our favorite awards, even better than the restaurants that earn those coveted stars. Not only do they come with a super-cool logo, chalked in the night by Michelin's team of restaurant ninjas, they signify "affordable" restaurants. more ›

Today, a sample of some of the vendors at this year's Taste of Chicago will be setting up in Daley Plaza. A selection of the new vendors, including Texas de Brazil, Lao Sze Chuan, Beggars Pizza and Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery, will be on hand, according to the Sun-Times, which recommends Lao Sze Chuan's Dry Chili Chicken (we'd have to agree). Though, if it actually gets to 98 degrees, going outside to hunt down inferno-chicken might not be quite as popular. more ›

• 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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