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Hot Doug’s Book Coming Soon

2 May

Doug Sohn of Hot Doug's photo from www.IDMPhotography.com

According to sources, it looks like the Mayor of Encased Meats himself, Doug Sohn of Hot Doug’s, will add author to his growing list of accomplishments.

Within the publishing world, word has it that Sohn is penning a book: Hot Doug’s: The Book. The book is going to be a celebration of his and Chicago’s passion for sausages along with contributions from some of the more famous Hot Doug’s patrons such as Doug Seibold at Agate Midway. The book should be out in Spring 2013.

Time Out Chicago’s 2012 Eat Out Awards Winners

18 Apr

Congrats to all the deserving chefs, partners, patrons and supporters of the Time Out Chicago’s 2012 Eat Out Awards. And the winners are…

 2012 Eat Out Award Winners
READERS’ CHOICE

  • Best new bar: The Aviary
  • Best new restaurant: Next
  • Breakout chef of the year: Dave Beran
  • Best new burger joint: Butcher & the Burger
  • Best new sweet shop: Doughnut Vault
  • Best new breakfast: Waffles
  • Best local chain: Epic Burger
  • Best new restaurant cocktails: Perennial Virant
  • Best fro-yo chain: Forever Yogurt
  • Best new BYOB: Goosefoot
  • Best new food truck: The Southern Mac and Cheese
  • Cheap eatery of the year: Pleasant House Bakery
  • Best new pizzeria: Roots Handmade Pizza
  • Best comeback: The Pump Room
  • Best new sports bar: Public House

CRITICS’ PICKS

  • The fresh air award for restaurant design: Yusho
  • Most legitimately farm-to-table restaurant: Pleasant House Bakery
  • Best one-man show: Bill Talbott at EL Ideas
  • Strongest dessert program: Spiked milkshakes at 25 Degrees
  • Coziest place to hibernate: Miko’s Flipside Café
  • Best old-country buffet: Julbord at Tre Kronor
  • Best use of egg yolks: Egg-yolk buns at Cai
  • Best route to the suburbs: Wisma
  • Boys to men award for grown-up drinking: Elixir
  • Best firestarter: Tozi Korean BBQ
  • Best creative loafing: Publican Quality Meats
  • Best new biker bar: Heritage Bicycles General Store
  • Most palatable evangelism: Martha Bayne
  • Easiest history lesson: Big Jones
  • Lifetime achievement award: Tony Hu
  • Inspired performance award presented by Infiniti: Jeremy Quinn at Telegraph

Vote For Your Favorite Chicago Neighborhood Restaurants

18 Apr

Before there was Yelp, before MenuPages, before Twitter, there was Zagat as the trusted foodie resource when deciding where to eat. I still love my hard copy Zagat guides and collect them on the bookshelf.

Now you can be part of the ranking system for Zagat by voting on and reviewing your favorite neighborhood food spots. I had fun voting and filling out the reviews, secretly hoping one of my quips will be included in their final restaurant write-up. We shall see!

Today is the last day to vote, so get cracking!

Terrific Tenderloin That’s Easy As Pie

19 Jan
Beef Tenderloin

Photo from MyRecipe.com

It’s no secret that since Teddy arrived on the scene, going out to eat doesn’t happen as often as it once did. But that’s okay. We love entertaining and cooking, so having people over for dinner parties has been a fun way to still see friends, enjoy delicious food, all while Teddy snoozes away in his bedroom.

Recently, inspired by a delicious Christmas dinner, I decided to reenact the star of the show, a beef tenderloin. Turns out beef tenderloin is a dinner party super star. It’s insanely easy to prepare and cook and everyone loves it. Here’s how I made mine and it was a huge crowd pleaser.

I bought a five pound trimmed tenderloin at Costco. Note: normally when I buy beef, I get Prime grade. It’s the top 2% of been produced and is graded on the marbling (fat). When you’re doing a tenderloin, since it’s a lean cut, you should stick with Choice grade. There’s just not enough fat in a tenderloin to justify paying the amount for Prime.

Take the meat out, pat it down and season with some salt and pepper. Then use some cooking twine to truss it so it cooks evenly. Once it’s trussed, stick cloves of garlic and sprigs of Rosemary between the meat and twine and drizzle with a few tablespoons of EVOO. Let it sit out at room temperature for a few hours before you cook it.

Once it’s time to cook this bad boy, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, in a roasting pan, sear the meat so it browns on all sides. It should take about 10 total minutes. This is really key as it locks in the juices and flavor.

After you’re done browning it, pop it into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. You may have to cook for additional 5-10 minutes, depending on how well done you want it. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature (registers 120°F to 125°F for rare, 125°F to 130°F for medium rare).

Serve with potatoes, a green, some delicious bold red wine and you’ll be the toast of the dinner. Enjoy!

 

Celebrate The Chinese New Year in Chicago

6 Jan

Hing Kee Restaurant, photo via Yelp

I get a lot of event notices through my inbox, but I thought this one, in honor of the Chinese New Year, looked especially interesting.

Learn how to make Chinese dumplings and eat a family-style meal (featuring menu items such as pumpkin seafood soup, quadruple happiness pork meatball and water chestnut cake) for a reasonable $38. Not too shabby.

It’s on Sunday, January 15th at 3 p.m. at the Hing Kee Restaurant, 2140 S. Archer Avenue.

Details below. Happy Chinese New Year!

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with Dumpling Making and a Family Style Dinner!

$38.00 (includes gratuity)

Sunday, January 15, 2012

3:00pm – 5:30pm

Hing Kee Restaurant, 2nd Floor

2140 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, IL 60616

Tea is included. Please bring extra money if you would like other non-alcohol drinks or BYOB. Seats are limited.

Tickets must be purchased in advance at the event website:

PROGRAM

  • 3:00pm Registration
  • 3:15pm
  • Presentation – Z.J. Tong, President – Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute
  • Chinese New Year Traditions and Stories
  • How Chinese Celebrate the New Year at Home
  • 3:45pm Dumpling (Jiao-Zi) Making
  • 4:30pm Dinner Served

MENU

  • Pumpkin Seafood Soup
  • Appetizer Platter (cucumber, seaweed, wonton, eggplant)
  • Jiao-Zi (Seafood Dumpling & Vegetarian Dumpling)
  • Lemon Chicken
  • Beef with Garlic and Onion
  • Quadruple Happiness Pork Meatball
  • Abalone Mushroom with Bok Choy Tips
  • Braised Bean Curd with Black Mushroom
  • Whole Fish in Sweet and Chilly Sauce
  • Water Chestnut Cake
  • Tang Yuan (Sticky Rice Balls Soup – Dessert)

Stay awake! I’m giving away a NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Piccolo™

13 Dec

You may have seen my post about this handy little coffee maker a few months back. Well, I love it. I have it on my desk at work and enjoy the coffee during the week. Well, the nice folks at NESCAFÉ® are giving away a Dolce Gusto Piccolo to one of my readers. To enter, just post a comment about what you’d do if you were more awake during the holidays. I’ll select the winner who could most use the coffee maker and voila! Contest will end January 10th, 2012.

NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Piccolo™ i

So, get going and tell me why you need this premium caffeine!

Disclosure: I’m not paid by NESCAFÉ®, however, I did receive a free NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Piccolo™. Thoughts and opinions in this post are mine alone. 

The Michelin Guide Chicago 2012 and Michelin Star Restaurants

15 Nov

Grant Achatz remains king as Alinea is awarded the sole dignity of having three Michelin stars in Chicago, while last year’s co-champion, L20, fell down to one star with the transition of their executive chef. There were a few other fluxes in this year’s Michelin star ranking from last year; a total of 21 Chicago restaurants were awarded the honors versus 23 in 2011. Next was not included and it’s unclear if that was a result of not being able to experience the restaurant or due to when it opened.

I am thrilled to see some of the standouts from my year  in dining were included, among them Schwa and Tru. With last year’s arrival of Chicago Michelin Guide, it showcased what we in our fair city have known for a long time, we have tasty food and restaurants. I appreciate that the Michelin Guide continues to push and excel our Chefs, but with the Chicago charm I wouldn’t trade for the world. Sappy? Sure. But I’m not wrong.

And now, I present the 2012 Michele star restaurants in Chicago:

Three stars:

  • Alinea

Two stars:

  • Charlie Trotter’s
  • RIA

One star:

  • Blackbird
  • Boka
  • Bonsoiree
  • Courtright’s (new in 2012)
  • Everest
  • Graham Elliot
  • L2O
  • Longman & Eagle
  • Moto (new in 2012)
  • NAHA
  • Schwa
  • Seasons
  • Sepia
  • Spiaggia
  • Takashi
  • Topolobampo
  • Tru
  • Vie

A New Pick-Me-Up Thanks to Nescafe!

13 Oct
Nescafe's Dolce Gusto Coffee Maker

Nescafe's Dolce Gusto Coffee Maker

A few weeks ago I attended an event at Blackbird (where Paul Kahan broke his rogue food truck intentions) hosted by Nescafe’s Dolce Gusto coffee makers. I get invited to a ton of events and as someone who works in the PR industry, I am also often responsible for spearheading said events. This one caught my eye though. First it was at Blackbird (not going to turn that down!); second I am a fan of Nescafe when in Europe but have a hard time tracking it down stateside; third, it was at Blackbird. Oh wait, already covered that.

The event itself was lovely. Chef Kahan gave a lengthy demonstration of a seafood flambé (which was out of this world) and the small audience was able to talk with him, ask questions in a very intimate setting. That in itself is worth its weight in gold. But as Chef started to wrap up, we were given a demonstration of Nescafe’s Dolce Gusto coffee maker.

As a Keurig owner, I thought, “been there, done that” as they started going through the process and steps. As someone who wasn’t always a huge coffee drinker, that is, until my son arrived, I am definitely not a coffee snob, but I can certainly appreciate a good cup of coffee. We got the Keurig maker when I was on maternity leave because I needed multiple cups throughout the day and didn’t want to make a whole pot that would get wasted. But the coffee itself is never that great. I dress it up with my Splenda and cream, but nothing to write home about. So when the Dolce Gusto demo began, I anticipated it’d be more of the same. Until I tried it. Holy moly- that was some GOOD coffee!

The coffee was robust, very flavorful and most important (to me, at least) piping hot. You can imagine my delight when we were told we’d each get our own maker shipped to us. A lovely surprise and delight.

Well, my Dolce Gusto machine arrived and I brought it to work. I’m doing a trial where I’m not going to buy any Starbucks for a month and put the money I’m saving towards a fabulous purse. So far this week, it’s great. And, I’ve started to collect company in the morning when I’m brewing my cappuccino. Word is spreading that I have good coffee in the office. Amazon sells the coffee cups and I’m going to subscribe to a monthly shipment, which saves me 15%, so each cup of delicious, gourmet coffee comes out around $.49. Not too shabby!

Thanks for keeping me bright-eyed and caffeinated at the office, Nescafe!

Disclosure: I was not paid by Nescafe, but I did receive the coffeemaker complimentary. All the thoughts here though, I can assure you, are my own.

Due Lire Serves up a Delicious Wine Dinner

1 Oct
Massimo Di Vuolo behind the bar at Due Lire

Massimo Di Vuolo behind the bar at Due Lire

Since I had my son, getting out to restaurants has become harder and harder. Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I still make a great effort to eat out three or four times a month, but when we do go out to a restaurant, we’ve started staying closer to the neighborhood. One of our absolute favorite staples is Due Lire. The genius behind owner, Massimo Di Vuolo and chef, Kevin Abshire, is one of those rare dynamics that is few and far between. Massimo brings forth his hospitality experience and expertise and Chef Kevin has developed a reintroduction to fine Italian dining. My husband and I may have become creatures of habit, but dear lord do Massimo and Chef Kevin make it easy to come to Due Lire time and time again.

This past Thursday, Due Lire hosted their first (of many, rumor has it!) wine dinners. I will save the suspense. It was amazing. Each course was thoughtfully created and expertly executed and the wine pairings were perfection. Oh, and it was only $65 a person, including tax and gratuity. It was also one of those great neighborhood experiences where people shared tables and got to mix and mingle with each other.

The menu started out with the antipasto, of fresh figs, citrus whipped mascarpone, honeycomb and brioche toast. This was all paired with a cataratto bianco blend from Tasca D’Almerita Leone Igt, 2009. The unoaked and vibrant flavors picked up on the citrus in the mascarpone. A sweep and delightfully light first course.

The primo course was straccetti al ragu’ di faraona, which was homemade rag-shaped pasta, guinea hen ragu’, porcini and fresh pomegranate. This was paired with Tenuta di Fessina Erse Etna Rossa, a level red that picked up the rich guinea hen and porcini. The homemade pasta was divine and held court among the other savory flavors.

Next up was tonno alla scapece, seared ahi tuna loin, scapece style zucchini, and a petite fennel salad. This was paired with a crisp Tasca d’Almerita le Rose di Regaleali. The crisp rose paired with the superbly prepared tuna was an amazing combination. The only thing that didn’t coordinate with this course was the crisp fall weather, but when planning for an event in September, you never know what it’ll be like outside!

The dessert course was poached pear, fried dunbarton blue pastry cream with a pistachio brittle. This was accompanied with a glass of Tasca d’Almerita Lamuri Nero d’Avola, a robust and juicy Italian red. The blue cheese pastry with the pears (poached in simple syrup) was perfect. I love sweet and savory together and the blue pastry was a well matched blend of those flavors.

Congratulations to the entire team at Due Lire (Massimo, Kevin, Kelly, Cyndi, and everyone else)- I know that it was a lot of work to put this first event together, but they really nailed it and everyone (literately, EVERYONE) was buzzing about when the next dinner would be. Whenever it is, I’ll be there. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be there in a week or two regardless. And so should you.

 

 

Embarrassingly Easy Macaroni and Cheese

29 Sep

We are in full harvest/slow cooking mode at my house, and that usually calls for an accompanying starch of sorts for whatever is in the crock pot.

Lately, I’ve been on a chili kick, and nothing pleases me more than some elbow noodles to accompany it with (except shredded cheese, onions, sour cream and Franks Red Hot sauce!). Last night I had extra noodles and I knew my chili was going to be too spicy for my son, so I decided to make down-and-dirty homemade mac and cheese. It’s super easy and Teddy loved it. Here’s the basic overview:

Embarrassingly Easy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of Cooked macaroni or elbow noodles
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of cream cheese ( more or less depending on taste)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded cheese (use whatever kind you like; last night I used sharp Cabot cheddar)
  • 1 TBS unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Mix in the cream cheese first to the warm/hot noodles until fully immersed (note- this will cook down the noodles, so either microwave them for a minute or do this in a pot and turn the burner up to medium/medium-low)
  2. Then add the butter, shredded cheese and salt
  3. Stir until cheese is melted and serve
  4. ADDED STEP: to make it extra tasty, turn the oven up to 400, put the mixed mac and cheese in an oven-safe dish, top with some bread crumbs and cook for about 10 minutes for a toasty top).
  5. Enjoy!
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