Quick Bites
- Many Wicker Park commuters are feeling a little less caffeinated these days since Half & Half (under the Damen Blue Line stop) closed up shop. Owner Debbie Sharpe told Metromix that the quality of the building is to blame. The good news is Sharpe also owns the Goddess and Grocer down the street, and Half & Half's delicious commuter sandwiches and pastries will be available for purchase there. LTH commentors prophecy its space may become a Dunkin Donuts.
- Any vegi Wildcats out there want to back this up? PETA2, the youth branch of the national animal rights organizations has named Northwestern's dining halls the best in the country for vegans and vegetarians. PETA2 says NU won due to its, "wide range of delicious and cruelty-free dishes, which include veggie riblets, vegan pancakes, and veggie chicken pitas."
- Julia Langbein posts a love letter to Avec on Gourmet's Choptalk blog. She writes, "Basically, if Chicago's restaurant scene were a high school, it would be a really big public one that included a handful of famous prize-winning science nerds and a whole lot of really nice foreign exchange students. Avec, breezy and attractive, would be the school's hot cheerleader. It's the sort of food-homemade goose sausage with dandelion greens; supple cannelloni filled with wild boar, béchamel, and walnuts; perfectly seared whitefish with smoked paprika-that exudes effortless appeal... sometimes hot cheerleaders are popular for a reason."
- The Burrito Bracket has filled in three of its final four spots. El Taco Veloz, La Pasadita, and De Pasada have all won their regional brackets. In what must be the battle of the tournament, Irazu and Tecalitlan will face off for the final spot.
Image of delicious steak from Avec via Avec.