The best piece of food writing we've read this week is Chris Borrelli's profile of Grant Achatz in the Tribune. Borrelli's article — the culmination of spending seven months hanging around the Alinea chef/owner — is the rare article that manages to find a new wrinkle in a story that's been seemingly covered beyond reason. And Borrelli does it by placing the focus not on Achatz's much-lauded fight with cancer, but his creativity and drive in the kitchen, even as his celebrity grows. more ›

The dust has settled a bit on the announcement that Bill Daley will become President Obama's Chief of Staff. Already, Newsweek declares Daley's appointment a good move, saying that bringing in Daley, who's criticized the Obama Adminstration's position on health care, could actually be a boon for Obama. The Washington Post's Greg Sargent, on the other hand, said Daley's appointment could solidify the perception that Obama governed from the left in the eyes of critics. more ›

Roger Ebert and wife Chaz were featured on CBS News Sunday Morning yesterday. There were no surprise revelations during the 9-minute segment (looks like we're going to have to wait a while longer to see who fills Elvis Mitchell's spot as co-host of Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies). The segment, instead, was another recap of the health struggles Ebert has dealth with in recent years and how his wife had been at his side the entire time. more ›

The April edition of Chicago Magazine has a profile of Stephanie Izard and the near two-year journey between winning Top Chef and the proposed May opening of the Girl & the Goat. Read the article here. more ›

Time Out Chicago's Julia Kramer has an illuminating profile on Dale Levitski and the road he's traveled, from being a Top Chef runner-up to landing at Sprout in Lincoln Park. When an article begins with a chef being served for non-payment of rent, you know it hasn't been all bread and circuses. A sample quote: more ›

Former governor Rod Blagojevich - he of the hubris that knows no bounds - is the subject of a profile in this week's New Yorker. If you still somehow have the patience or stomach for anything about the guy, check it out here. more ›

(Today we wrap up our week-long series following chef Paul Kahan as he brewed beer at New Holland Brewing and planned a menu for an August 23 beer dinner at the Publican. If you haven't already, you can go back and read part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4) more ›