Am I the only one who finds this kind of disturbing?
Monthly Archives: September 2007
Review: Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s
Friday, September 28, 2007
Back in the day, there were two places where you could buy Martha Stewart branded merchandise — K-Mart for Martha Stewart Everyday budget-friendly items, and online/mail order from Martha Stewart: The Catalog for Living. It was the catalog offerings that perfectly embodied the Martha Stewart Living image: beautiful and elegant yet practical objects for home […]
Try the world’s most expensive coffee
Thursday, September 27, 2007
From the Intelligentsia Coffee website:
Taste the World’s Most Expensive Coffee at Intelligentsia Coffee’s Chicago Roasting Works
Last May, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea purchased a lot of Hacienda la Esmeralda’s famed Geisha coffee at auction for a staggering $130 per pound, the highest amount ever paid for coffee. On October 1, Chicagoans will have a chance to […]
Vegans, picky eaters, and dinner party disasters
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
You may have read this story in the Chicago Tribune yesterday:
District fires vegan art teacher
Dave Warwak said he wouldn’t return to the classroom unless Fox River Grove Middle School served only lunches free of animal products, but with meat still on the menu, school officials on Monday fired the art teacher.
[…] The board, which voted […]
Portillo’s chocolate cake - a scam?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
There have been rumors floating around for years that Portillo’s famous chocolate cake actually comes from a mix. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t be surprised — the cake is almost unnaturally moist but doesn’t have a buttery richness, and the same goes for the frosting, which is mind-numbingly chocolatey but without any […]
Dirty water dogs
Monday, September 24, 2007
Our good friend Ed, a phenomenal cook and native New Yorker, recently returned from the East Coast after a summer of traveling around the U.S. catering music festivals and brought back a case of Sabrett hot dogs. These are the “dirty water dogs” that are sold from carts on the streets of New York, […]
Good wines for $10 or less
Saturday, September 22, 2007
This week’s NYT Dining & Wine section features a useful article about inexpensive wines:
Happiness for $10 or Less
The article’s author feels that “the best values are in the $10-to-$20 range, where you can find sensational wines made by small producers using traditional techniques. These sorts of wines are much harder to find at $10 and […]
Stylish shopping bags
Friday, September 21, 2007
Eco-friendly shopping bags are all the rage, and regardless of how you feel about its trendiness, it’s a positive step towards environmental conservation. The U.S. lags far behind other first-world and even third-world countries when it comes to reducing or eliminating the use of plastic bags. My sister lived in Taiwan last year and informed […]
Johnnie’s Beef - what’s the big deal?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I was reading a blog post on the Tribune’s food blog about the best sandwich in America, and quite a few people mentioned in the comments section that Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park (7500 W. North Ave.) has the best Italian beef.
I love Johnnie’s ice — the texture is smooth, the lemon flavor is superb — […]
Just Grapes wine tasting with Alpana Singh - October 3
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Alpana Singh, Master Sommelier and host of Check Please!, will be at a tasting at Just Grapes to discuss wine and sign her book Alpana Pours. Details below:
First Wednesdays Fall Tasting with Alpana Singh
Wednesday, October 3 at 5:30 PM
$40 for Savvy Sipper members* registered by September 26/$50 for non-members or post-September 26 registrations
- Cost includes […]
Dining, Wine, and Design at DWR
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
From Design Within Reach:
Pair your favorite chair with your favorite wine.
During our Mix or Match Sale, the arrangement is up to you: Match six for a cohesive look or mix six for an eclectic setting. Dining chairs, stools and tables in any combination are 15% off when you buy six or more. Stop into the […]
Chicago celebrity-owned restaurants
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Metromix has an article about “Chicago alternatives to hot celeb-owned restaurants on the coasts”, such as Justin Timberlake’s Southern Hospitality (it recommends Smoke Daddy for low-key BBQ and down-home cookin’) and suggests Japonais as a substitute for Ashton Kutcher’s Geisha House, which I’m sure offers delights with other ethnically-sensitive names like Mr. Miyagi’s Maki […]
Dark vs. milk, red vs. white
Monday, September 17, 2007
It’s already an understatement to call foodies an opinionated, passionate bunch, but there are few things that awaken one’s inner (or more likely, active) snob than by introducing wine or chocolate into a conversation. Many people seem to ally themselves quite firmly with one side of the dark/milk chocolate and red/white wine divide, and it’s […]
Over the Rhine Coffee
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Over the Rhine, one of my favorite musical groups, has their own coffee blend:
This is the coffee we wake up with every morning at Nowhere Farm — specially blended for artists, writers, musicians, day dreamers, and night walkers! This fresh-roasted, organic, fair trade coffee bean blend is inspired by our love of good music, […]
Anthony Bourdain’s holiday special
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Our favorite food and travel raconteur Anthony Bourdain has filmed a holiday episode of No Reservations with rockers Queens of the Stone Age. (I personally would’ve chosen a cooler band like, say, Iggy and the Stooges. But as one astute rollingstone.com reader pointed out, this is “much better than the ill-fated Emeril and King Diamond […]
