For obvious reasons, there was no "BotW" last week. Which wound up being a good thing for this week's installment, actually. I had some questions about this beer that only a brewmaster could answer. more ›

If a hot dog joint dares to venture beyond Chicago-style territory and up its game with gourmet sausages, comparisons to Hot Doug's are inevitable. Alexander Brunacci apparently understands this, which is why he's gone to great lengths to distance himself from the reigning king of gourmet encased meats on my visits to Franks 'N Dawgs. "I understand that people are going to make those comparisons," Brunacci said. "But I think we're more akin to a place like Kuma's Corner with what we're doing." more ›

Didn't write much yesterday about the wine, beer and cocktail lists at the Purple Pig. That's mainly because on our visits we were discovering the crispness of Reissdorf Kölsch. The Purple Pig only serves it in 200ml kölsch glasses for $4 a serving. Trust us, it's enough. more ›

• In case the video above doesn't tell the whole story, Monte LaMonte loves the chilaquiles at Amigo Chino (5601 W. Irving park Rd.) [Off the Eatin' Path With Monte]
• Crain's Chicago Business profiles Rich Melman's sons, RJ and Jerrod, their wading into the family business and the competition they face from other local restaurateurs. [Crain's]
• Helen Rosner concocted a "Six Degrees of..." game, linking celebrities and chefs to Rich Melman. Connect Kevin Bacon to Melman, Helen. [Grub Street Chicago]

The soup outside is not exactly conducive to enjoying a hoppy India Pale Ale, but this is one you might want to search out. more ›