Chicago Restaurant Week is February 22-29. Sponsored by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, participating restaurants offer three-course prix fixe meals, $21.95 for lunch and $31.95 for dinner. Restaurants include Aigre Doux, David Burke’s Primehouse, Fogo de Chão, and Naha. Click here for a full list of participants and to make reservations.
Category Archives: Chicago
Mini-review: Hot Doug’s
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Hot Doug’s
3324 N. California
773-279-9550
Open 10:30 am - 4:00 pm Monday - Saturday. Also closed on random days for vacation; call or check www.hotdougs.com for info.
This sausage lover’s mecca offers your basic Chicago dog, brats, and polish, but they really impress with their adventurous specialty sausage and game meat options. A couple of goodies this week […]
Anti-Valentine treats
Monday, February 11, 2008
Valentine’s Day is three days away. Saccharine profusions of hearts and flowers not your thing? There’s a sweet option for folks without significant others — or would rather not have them. Sarah’s Pastries and Candies offers heart-shaped vanilla bean sugar cookies decorated with choice phrases like “No thanks”, “Not a chance”, and “There’s someone else”.
Cookies […]
Best Chicago neighborhood dining
Monday, February 4, 2008
A few weeks ago, the Tribune’s dining editors asked readers to nominate the best neighborhood for dining in Chicago and the suburbs and have narrowed it down to three finalists: Lincoln Square, Logan Square, and downtown Forest Park. I chose Logan Square because of its ethnic diversity — you can get really good Puerto Rican, […]
The best things I ate in 2007
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Two thousand seven, for me, was one of those years I wish was just a bad dream. But as I reflect on the past twelve months, I’m thankful for the precious stretches of good times spent with family and friends, always over a lovingly cooked meal or hours of conversation at a cozy neighborhood […]
Wine and flowers at A.Vision
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Last week I mentioned a wine and candles event; this week — and every week — it’s wine and flowers at A.Vision, a wine and floral shop in Ukrainian Village. The minimalist yet cozy little space offers just a few types of flowers at any given time, but the selection is well-curated to complement the […]
The ultimate goodie bag from Charlie Trotter’s
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Last Sunday, Charlie Trotter’s celebrated its 20th anniversary with an eight-course over-the-top extravaganza cooked up by Trotter and many other international culinary luminaries like Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Per Se), Ferran Adrià (el Bulli), and Hester Blumenthal (The Fat Duck). The $5,000-a-head dinner also included a goodie bag any gourmand would almost pay the […]
Tatine Candles & Cellar Rat wine tasting event - Friday, Oct 12
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tatine Candles is holding an open studio sale in the Flat Iron Building as part of this year’s Around the Coyote arts festival. Candlemaker/owner Margo Bresnik’s husband Dean Schlabowske owns Cellar Rat Wine Shop just down the road, and the two of them will pair up for this event. Margo will open her production studio […]
Intelligentsia Coffee Roasting Works tour
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
This past Saturday, we took a tour of Intelligentsia Coffee’s roasting facility in the West Loop, which just might be one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets. There are few tours that engage all five of your senses, and it was a really enjoyable and informative experience — viewing the huge, colorful cast iron roasters, touching the […]
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 […]
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 — […]
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 […]
Lincoln Square Apple Fest - Saturday, September 15
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Lincoln Square’s twentieth annual Apple Fest takes place this Saturday, September 15 in Giddings Plaza (4731 N. Lincoln).
8 am: Farm vendors open
10 am - 1 pm: Children’s games provided by Timeless Toys
12 pm - 5 pm: Live music provided by Country Affair
1:30 pm: Apple pie making class taught by Chopping Block
3:15 pm: Announcement of the […]
