In their grand tradition of quantifying everything around us, U.S. News and World Report ranks the efficiency of popular diets. more ›

Oct. 24 is Food Day. Enter to win a huge gift basket full of goodies and join Stop Foodborne Illness in front of the Hancock Building to win fabulous prizes. more ›

In today's issue of Newsweek, Lisa Miller takes on a story that we have been following for months - the effect of our changing dietary habits on American society. Unlike most of the media coverage of this, which focuses on a ridiculous (and mostly made-up) "war" against foodies, Miller focuses on the impact of new food trends on America's perception of class. Despite the hysterical cover title ("how our foodie obsession is driving americans apart") she ends up with a fairly dead-on description of the problems underlying America's food culture. more ›

Througout October, the Chicago History Museum is running a free film series devoted to food and food activism. The date for the first movie, Food Inc., has already passed (though if you have Netflix Instant View, you can watch it there), but there are two more upcoming films. On October 10th at 1:30, CHM will be showing The Future of Food, Deborah Koons Garcia's documentary on the growing pervasiveness of unlabeled, genetically modified foods and their place in grocery stores. On October 17th at 1:30, FRESH will be screened; FRESH features author Michael Pollan and "celebrates the American farmers and business people who are re-inventing our food system. We've seen the Future of Food, and it's definitely worth watching - and we'll probably be checking out FRESH when it screens. more ›

Director Robert Kenner spent a sizable portion of the budget for his Academy Award-nominated documentary Food, Inc. on legal fees vetting his findings in order to protect himself from being sued by agribusiness giants in any of the thirteen states that have food libel laws. The film, narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, examines corporate (or "factory") farming in the United States and concludes that much of the meat and produce produced by these farms have costs involved that are unhealthy to the environment and the consumer. In an age where we can catch E. coli just as easily from a tomato purchased at a supermarket as we do from tainted beef, Food, Inc. is a sobering look at how we've come to this point and how large agriculture giants such as Monsanto and Smithfield have gamed a system intended to protect the consumer for their own means and go after critics like Kenner, Pollan and Schlosser in court (Kenner invited Monsanto, Smithfield and other large agribusiness companies to film rebuttals of his findings, but refused). Food, Inc. makes its television debut this evening on PBS. Locally, it airs at 9 p.m. on WTTW-11.1. The film will start streaming on PBS.com tomorrow. more ›

Fast food is inherently less nutritious than slow food. However, most of us succumb to eating fast food at one time or another. During those times, Chipotle may provide a better option. Take a minute to peruse the nutritional breakdown of the menu, and then choose wisely. Chipotle’s got plenty of vegetarian options and hormone-free meats and dairy. You can opt to load up on beans and veggies, while omitting high-calorie toppings, like sour cream and guacamole. Our biggest gripe about Chipotle (aside from the obscenely large burrito, which is appropriate for two) is the high sodium content. For example, the flour tortilla used to wrap Chipotle’s standard burrito contains 290 calories and a whopping 670mg of sodium. So before you put anything in the burrito, the tortilla alone exceeds the 500 milligram sodium limit we recommend per meal. more ›

• Friday: The House of Glunz's annual champagne, sushi and caviar event takes place this evening from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sushi will be provided by Sai Café, Carolyn Collins Caviar. This event tends to sell out so call 312-642-3000 or visit the House of Glunz website to RSVP.
• LUSH Wine & Spirits' West Town location is now open at 1412 W. Chicago Ave.
• Saturday: If Anthony's photo essay of Toni Roberts's dessert plating didn't have you wanting to go to C-House, maybe their $25 High C Holiday brunch will. This prix fixe brunch menu includes your choice of two cocktails between "The Rudolph" (vodka or tequila, tomato juice, fresh horseradish, lemon juice and tobasco); "From the North" (a soothing mix of red wine, vodka, port, cloves, orange zest, accompanied with cinnamon sticks); "Winter Wonderland" (bourbon, heavy cream, egg whites, and nutmeg); "The Poinsettia" (sparkling wine, cointreau, and cranberry juice). All mimosas, bloody marys and sparkling wines are being sold for $5. (Affinia Chicago Hotel, 166 E. Superior, 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Reservations recommended).

Michael Pollan, one of our favorite advocates of healthy, ethical eating, will be appearing at the Harold Washington Library Monday, May 18th at 6:00. Pollan, the author of The Omnivores Dilemma and, more recently, In Defense of Food, will be engaging in a "dynamic conversation" with Chicago journalist Bill Kurtis. With his mantra of "Eat Food, Not too Much, Mostly Plants," Pollan is trying to start a nation-wide dialogue about the best ways to eat - and you can be a part of it. Admission is free, but we're sure this will be a popular event, so arrive a little early. The presentation is part of the "Chicago Matters/Beyond Burnham" series of events. more ›

It looks like the Tribune has more than just money and stockholder problems these days. Glommed from the Reader's Food Chain blog yesterday is this article about the politics of modern eating. In her attempt at writing a humorous piece (vegetarians are acid casualties with their own bad eating habits, haven't heard that before), Emily Nunn comes across instead as obstinate toward and proudly ignorant of what we would know about where our food comes... more ›

One of the great things about living in the city is, we never have to go too far for a good cheeseburger. We’re not discounting un-urban environments though; we once lived in the highest town in the continental United States, and found one of the best cheeseburgers ever. more ›