Fans of tomato-based alcoholic beverages rejoice: Longman & Eagle's killer brunch has a lot to do with these two words: Bloody. Mary. Here at Chicagoist we are always on the lookout for drinks that are acceptable at any time of day, and after hearing lots of buzz about the Longman & Eagle Bloody Mary, we had to stop in and see what it was all about. Longman & Eagle's Bloody Mary does the trick on a Saturday or Sunday morning with your L&E brunch or lunch. If you think you're a Bloody Mary fan, and you're in Chicago, this one is a must-try. more ›

Many of our readers probably caught Time Out Chicago's famous"100 Best Things We Ate This Year" list earlier this week - one of our favorite pieces of food coverage every year. December is the season for lists of one sort or another, and they will start coming fast and furious over the next few weeks. The Stew just released its list of dining trends for 2011 - in the model of Project Runway, they have announced what will be "in" and what will be "out." The list, whatever it's other qualities, is a hilarious read, though we are hoping that not all of it comes true. more ›

If you'll remember, we recently purchased 10 pound of pork belly. Eight pounds are currently suspended in our pantry being dry-aged into pancetta and bacon. more ›

When you walk into the Spice House in Old Town with 10 pounds of pork belly strapped to your back, you're telegraphing to the employees what you need. What we were looking for was four ounces of sodium nitrate, aka "pink salt." more ›