Table Fifty-Two
52 W. Elm
312-573-4000
Chef Art Smith’s upscale Southern-inspired comfort classics and attentive service warm both heart and stomach. Dinner starts with a savory goat cheese biscuit baked in its own miniature cast iron skillet and ends with an array of decadent desserts to choose from. In between are hearty and familiar yet imaginative entrees such […]
Category Archives: Restaurants
Mini-review: Table Fifty-Two
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Mini-review: Icosium Kafe/Crepe & Coffee Palace
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Icosium Kafe
5200 N. Clark
773-271-5233
Crepe & Coffee Palace
2433 N. Clark
773-404-1300
Two names, two locations, double the crepe goodness. These cafes serve sweet and savory crepes with an Algerian twist, such as the Crepe Palace (raisins, pears, and rose water with pistachio ice cream) and the Crepe Marrakech, which includes olive tapenade, almonds, and mint.
Vibe: Warm, cozy, fragrant […]
Alinea @ Google
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Last month I attended a Google Authors talk featuring Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, chef and co-owner of Alinea. It was fascinating to hear stories about the creative process behind the inventive food and restaurant concepts. I appreciated the obsessive amount of detail put into every aspect of the dining experience, especially this one: Alinea […]
wasabigelatine’s 2008 holiday gift guide
Thursday, December 4, 2008
…because it’ll be Christmas before you know it.
These exquisite animal shot glasses are a far cry from the college logo-emblazoned ones we’re all too familiar with. They’re made of black glass and pewter and are designed to balance on their noses or horns when filled with your beverage of choice. Head side up, they make […]
Chicago Restaurant Week
Thursday, February 14, 2008
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.
Restaurant reviews
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Dear wasabigelatine,
You seem to know a lot about Chicago restaurants and I’d like to hear your opinions about them. Are you ever going to write any restaurant reviews?
– ChicagoFoodFan
Dear CFF,
There are a ton of websites where people can voice their opinions about restaurants — LTHForum, Yelp, and Metromix, to name a few — and the […]
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 […]
wasabigelatine’s 2007 holiday gift guide
Monday, November 26, 2007
Last Christmas a friend of mine received a Starbucks gift card from his boss. Not a very original gift, but it’s the thought that counts. And that thought must’ve been “I don’t want to offend you by not getting anything but I really couldn’t care less, so let’s see what’s in the lobby. Oh hey, […]
Budget dining in London
Monday, October 22, 2007
London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Couple that with the pathetically weak U.S. dollar, and it’s enough to make you want to pick up two pints of lager and a packet of crisps for dinner and call it a night. When we were there in May, it was just over […]
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 […]
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 […]
Organic options in Chicago
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Here are a few places in Chicago that serve organic food:
Crust (2056 W. Division, 773-235-5511) - This is Chicago’s first certified organic restaurant (pictured at left) and features sandwiches, salads, and “flatbreads”, which are more like ultra-thin crust pizzas similar to the wood-fired Neapolitan style, and definitely the highlight of the menu. While I enjoyed […]
2007 James Beard Nominees
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Chicago totally rocks.
Our nominees:
Outstanding Chef: Paul Kahan, Blackbird
Outstanding Chef: Jean Joho, Everest
Rising Star Chef: Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues
Outstanding Pastry Chef: Mindy Segal, HotChocolate
Best Chef, Great Lakes: Grant Achatz, Alinea
Best Chef, Great Lakes: Carrie Nahabedian, Naha
Best Chef, Great Lakes: Bruce Sherman, North Pond
Outstanding Restaurateur: Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You
Outstanding Restaurant: Frontera Grill
Outstanding Restaurant: Spiaggia
Outstanding Wine Service: […]
