Tag Archives: Chicago Foodie

Vote for Time Out Chicago’s Eat Out Awards

9 Feb

Time Out Chicago's Eat Out Awards Photo from TOC

Some Chicagoans may have picked up on an election around town. No, not that silly mayoral election, I’m talking about Time Out Chicago’s fifth annual Eat Out Awards. This gives diners all over the city a chance to weigh in on who served up the best plates in our fair city.

Below are the categories and the restaurants within them. Go vote for them online here. Voting will go until March 9th and the winners will be announced in the April 14 TOC issue, along with the 15 Critic’s Picks.

My picks include, Intelligentsia for Best Local Coffee Roaster; Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri) for Restaurateur of the Year; Mastro’s for Best New Steakhouse; More Mobile for Best Dessert Truck; Meatyballs for Best Food Truck; Due Lire for Best New Italian; and Big Star for Best New Patio

On your mark, get set, VOTE!

Best New Restaurant

  • Arami
  • Girl & The Goat
  • Lillie’s Q
  • Owen & Engine
  • Ruxbin

Best New Bar

  • Bangers & Lace
  • The Boiler Room
  • Curio
  • Haymarket Pub & Brewery
  • Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar
  • WaterShed

Best New Beverage Program

  • Chizakaya (sake)
  • Duchamp (cocktails)
  • Henri (wine)
  • Owen & Engine (beer)
  • Sable Kitchen & Bar (cocktails)

Best Local Coffee Roaster

  • Asado Coffee Co.
  • Bridgeport Coffee Co.
  • Dark Matter
  • Intelligentsia
  • Metropolis

Chef of the Year

  • Grant Achatz (Alinea)
  • Dirk Flanigan (The Gage, Henri)
  • Sandra Holl (Floriole Cafe & Bakery)
  • Stephanie Izard (The Girl & The Goat)
  • B.K. Park (Arami)

Breakout Chef of the Year

  • Matthew Eversman (Saigon Sisters)
  • Edward Kim (Ruxbin)
  • Guy Meikle (Nana)
  • Bai Ming Wu (MingHin Cuisine)

Restaurateur of the Year

  • Kevin Boehm & Rob Katz (Boka, Perennial, Girl & The Goat)
  • Scott Harris (Francesca’s Restaurants; Purple Pig)
  • Tony Hu (Lao Sze Chuan, Lao Beijing, Lao You Ju)
  • Billy Lawless (The Gage, Henri)
  • RJ & Jerrod Melman (Hub 51, Paris Club)
  • Brendan Sodikoff (Gilt Bar, Maude’s Liquor Bar)

Best New Bakery

  • Cookie Bar
  • Floriole Cafe & Bakery
  • La Boulangerie
  • Sprinkles

Best New Steakhouse

  • Benny’s Chop House
  • Chicago Cut
  • Epic
  • Mastro’s

Best Dessert Truck

  • Flirty Cupcakes
  • More Mobile
  • Sweet Miss Giving’s
  • Sweet Ride

Best Food Truck

  • Gaztrowagon
  • Happy Bodega
  • Hummingbird Kitchen
  • Meatyballs
  • Simple Sandwich
  • Tamalespaceship

Best New Pub Grub

  • Blokes & Birds
  • Leopold
  • Owen & Engine
  • The Southern
  • Three Aces

Best New Barbecue

  • Brand BBQ Market
  • Chicago Q
  • Lillie’s Q
  • Pork Shoppe
  • Smokey Bears BBQ House

Best New Italian

  • Davanti Enoteca
  • Donatella Mediterranean Bistro
  • Due Lire
  • The Florentine
  • Three Aces

Best New Patio

  • Big Star
  • D.S. Tequila Co.
  • Epic Sky
  • The Portage
  • Purple Pig

RECIPE: Black Bean, Corn, Green Pepper, and Cheese Enchiladas Verde

14 Nov

Like lasagna, enchiladas are a meal I resort to often because it’s very easy, fun to change up, and tasty. Here’s my recipe for a version of enchiladas with black beans, corn, green peppers and cheese, but you can substitute it with pretty much anything you like.

 

The Chicago Foodie’s Easy Enchiladas:

  • Pack of corn tortillas (usually 12)
  • Enchilada sauce (store-bought, in this case I went with a verde, but you can get red or mole)
  • 2 onions, julienned
  • 1 green pepper, julienned
  • 1 can of black beans
  • 1 can of corn
  • 2-ish cups of reduce fat cheese (of course you can use any type you like)
  • Cumin powder to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Turn on the over to 350 degrees
  2. Spray a 9×13 (or so) baking dish with non-stick spray and ladle some of the enchilada sauce on the bottom
  3. In a frying pan, sautee the green peppers and onion until they’re soft and lightly browned
  4. Strain the can of beans and corn and add to the onion and pepper mix
  5. Add about a half a cup of the enchilada sauce
  6. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste
  7. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds
  8. Add the onion, pepper, bean and corn mix to each enchilada, then fold the tortilla over the filling
  9. Place the enchiladas in the pan with seam side down
  10. Once all are filled and in the pan, cook for 15 minutes with no sauce
  11. Take out after 15 minutes and cover with the sauce and put cheese on top
  12. Cook for additional 15 minutes
  13. (Note- the tortillas will get soggy on the bottom from the sauce, so just a heads up. They’re still deliciou though!)
  14. Serve with some rice, beans, a nice salad and enjoy!
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