The Chicago Foodie » Cupcakes

Time Out Chicago Eat Out Awards 2011 Winners

chicagofoodie — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:25:02 +0000

Best new restaurant: Girl & the Goat (photo from TOC)

Last night the Time Out Chicago Eat Out Awards 2011 held court. With both readers’ choice and critics’ picks categories, lots of great Chicago restaurants felt the love.

Congrats to the nominees and winners.

Readers’ choice winners
Best New Restaurant - Girl & The Goat
Best New Bar - Bangers & Lace
Best New Beverage Program - Sable Kitchen & Bar
Best Local Coffee Roaster - Intelligentsia
Chef of the Year - Stephanie Izard
Breakout Chef of the Year - Matthew Eversman
Restaurateurs of the Year - Kevin Boehm & Rob Katz
Best New Bakery - Sprinkles Cupcakes
Best New Steakhouse - Chicago Cut Steakhouse
Best Dessert Truck - Flirty Cupcakes
Best Food Truck - gaztro-wagon
Best New Pub Grub - Owen & Engine
Best New Barbecue - Lillie’s Q
Best New Italian - Davanti Enoteca
Best New Patio - Big Star

Critics’ picks
The “Extreme Makeover: Integrity Edition” Award – Ba Le
Best Cure for the Average Brunch - Sunday noodles at Takashi
Best Change of Pace - Jeff Pikus’s Cooking at Maude’s Liquor Bar
Best Cheese Course - The goat-cheese-cashew-caramel gelato at Black Dog Gelato
Best Location for a Murder Mystery - Owen & Engine
Best Reason to Fly Again - Tortas Frontera
Best Community Sponsor - Matt Maroni
Lifetime Achievement Award - Scott Harris
Best Box Lunch - The Bento Box
Least Insufferable Food Term of the Year - “Chimney Cake”
Best Chip Off the Old Block - Ed Marszewski
Latest Reason to be a Homosexual - Downtown Bar
Best Late-Night Destination - MingHin Cuisine
The Sorta-Annual “Proof that Evolution Exists” Award - Caffé Streets
Best Excuse to Be a Localvore – The all-Midwestern lineup of spirits at WaterShed

Provenance: Keeping us classy at home

chicagofoodie — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:54:53 +0000

Provenance Chicago

I’m not going to lie. In the old days, going out to dinner was part of our routine. It was an expectation. A constant to look forward to.

These days, not so much.

But, that doesn’t mean we have to give up delicious things as a result. Instead of going out for these acquisitions, we’re now bringing them home. Rather than enjoying a plated cheese platter with wine at Fiddlehead, we bring the fromage and vino to the living room.

A major aid in our efforts to do this is the amazing Provenance. Locale less than 40 steps from where I get off the train every night, Tracy, the owner, has become a familiar and friendly face as I stock up on delicious bottles and stinky cheeses.

Tracy does an amazing job of rotating in great bottles usually all under $14. On any given day she’ll have about 6-7 whites and the same amount of reds. On her back wall, she’ll have a few more options, but those are the fancy bottles, priced upwards of $25-40.

But they don’t just have wine. They also carry small batch, specialty brews that my husband loves. Whether it’s a bottle of Goose Island’s Matilda or Éphémère, he’s equally happy with their options.

There are also local made treats from B True Bakery, Sarah’s Candies and Vosges. Need some Truffle salt? They usually have at least four options. Grape seed oil? Yep. Red Hen Bakery baguette? You know it. Basically, they keep us civilized even when we’re enjoying happy hour in our living room.

B True Bakery

Provenance has two locations, one in Lincoln Square and another in Logan Square.

More Cupcakes Embraces Flavor

chicagofoodie — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:57:16 +0000

We became a fan of more Cupcakes when they partnered with CASA of Cook County a couple of months ago, donating proceeds from cupcakes to a wonderful organization. But after having one of their cupcakes, in an over-saturated segment, they stand alone. And it’s no wonder. Rather than simply maintaining, they’re setting the bar with innovative flavors and concepts. According to RIA, they are bringing flavor back by incorporating some unique ingredients such as black pepper and balsamic:

The strawberry-black pepper-balsamic cupcake at more, one of last year’s fruity favorites, has made its return for summer. The moist and refreshing strawberry cake is topped with a frosting made from a base of reduced balsamic vinegar and black pepper. The fruit, spice and vinegar mesh together like no other cupcake, resulting in one luscious treat.

I’m eager to swing by and try one of their summer menu cupcakes soon.