Chicago

Outtake of the Week

2009-01-09T22:46:00Z

If they ain't serving these pies in heaven, then I don't wanna go.

The New (Lunch) Deal

2009-01-09T18:20:00Z

To celebrate the arrival of 2009, this month Loop steakhouse N9ne will be offering a special three-course lunch for $20.09. Choices include lobster bisque, a prime 8-oz. filet and chocolate bread pudding (312-575-9900; reserve online).

But while some look forward, David Burke's Primehouse has chosen to bring back a lunch classic. From now until March 31st, River North's New American will offer gourmet soups poured tableside from a tin can ($7), as well as a changing selection of grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches ($5) like horseradish white cheddar with shaved ribeye on garlic bread (Monday–Saturday, 11 AM–3 PM; 312-660-6000; reserve online).

Dining News Elsewhere: Finding Faux Gras, Radio Host Bobby Flay

2009-01-09T16:15:00Z

– French pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre has died at 88. [Independent, NYT]
– Despite a recent dip, food prices ended 2008 up seven percent. [Reuters]
– PETA is offering $10k for anyone who can make a suitable faux gras. [Fork in the Road]

– LA is getting closer to nixing smoking on patios. [LAT]
– Not interested in eating squirrel? What about these other invasive species? [MP]
– Bobby Flay is a radio host too. [AP]
– DC restaurateurs are getting ready for an onslaught of business. [DC Examiner]
– Gordo needs more victims for the next round of Kitchen Nightmares. [Serious Eats]
– Starbucks are closing all over so why not buy a $45 million jet? [Seattle Times]
– Related: the Chicago public school system spent nearly $70k on 30 espresso machines, though 22 remain unopened and one has gone missing. [Chicago Tribune]
– Very possibly more than you ever wanted to know about Rocco Dispirito. [DBTH]
– Unfriend ten folks on Facebook, get a free whopper. [AHT]

Top Chef News Elsewhere: Toby Young and Diet Dr. Pepper

2009-01-08T20:52:00Z

Toby Young (right) joins the judges table.

photo: Courtesy of Bravo

Each Thursday the Internet's food sites produce countless recaps and commentary on the previous night's episode of Top Chef. Here are a choice few:

– Did anyone really notice that Top Chef was gone for two weeks? No? [TONY]
– There is a history of beef between new judge Toby Young and guest judge Jean-Christophe Novelli. [Eat Me Daily]
– There sure was a lot of sugar in that no-sugar challenge. [The Stew]
– "Jamie, of the insipid scallop preparations, is becoming increasingly insufferable." [Grub Street]
– New judge Toby Young is "like Simon Cowell without the talent or the hair." [Eater]
– Though some thought that Young was "nasty in the best of ways." [Serious Etas]
– This 30-second recap is brought to you by Diet Dr. Pepper. [Hungry Mag]
– And for what it's worth, former cheftestant Spike Mendelsohn loves the "Toby Young show." [Twitter]
– Exit interviews, anyone? [Endless Simmer, The Feedbag]

Yo Quiero Muchos Tacos

2009-01-08T16:14:00Z

Zapatista

photo: Courtesy of Zapatista

Hambre? Then dig into all-you-can-eat tacos at South Loop's Zapatista, where the first day of the week is now "muchos tacos" Mondays. For $13.99 per person, diners can enjoy tacos in five styles – including chipotle chicken, "carnitas style" roasted pork, and fish – paired with rice and beans. As an added bonus, margaritas are $5 all-day Monday (312-435-1307; reserve online).

Obama, Critic-in-Chief?

2009-01-07T23:07:00Z

Good thing Barack Obama kept his day job. Back when he was a young state senator in 2001, Obama participated in the first episode of Check, Please!, a Chicago public television program in which a group of locals compare notes on restaurants. But our president-elect's episode wound up on the cutting room floor since the producers felt he wasn't "amateur" enough (take that, Ms. Palin!). The footage was never used – until now. WTTW will air it January 16th on the show's 100th episode. In the meantime, you can enjoy Obama waxing on about Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop – one of the city's Top Cajun-Creoles according to our survey – thanks to the wonders of the internet:

The rest of the video, and more Obama food news, after the jump.

Speaking of Obama and food, a decision still has not been made regarding the 44th president's White House chef (though we keep hearing whispers about Art Smith of TABLE fifty-two and DC’s Art & Soul). That role, as our own Tim Zagat notes today on the Huffington Post, could easily be transformed into a "culinary impresario" who can help reshape the way Americans eat. On the other hand, we could all just go to Ben & Jerry's – for the month of January, the company will sell "Yes Pecan" ice cream with proceeds going to Common Cause's Education Fund.

Dining News Elsewhere: Squirrel Snacks, Smoke-Free Virginia

2009-01-07T18:23:00Z

– Anybody hungry for some squirrel? [NYT]
– Virginia restaurants may go smoke-free. [Washington Post]
– Your food coloring might actually be a crushed bug. [The Stew]

– No wonder sushi is expensive when a premium tuna sells for more than $100k in auction. [WSJ]
– IHOP is offering a "hungry consumer relief" plan. [NRN]
– The internet has a new food blog. [Internet Food Association]
– The restaurant in the Queens mansion once owned by Rudolph Valentino has a new operator. [Crain's]
– Vintage sodas! [Packagings of the World, via Serious Eats]

Wining in Winnetka

2009-01-06T22:29:00Z

On Thursday, January 8th, chef Michael Lachowicz is hosting a four-course winemaker dinner focusing on Italian vinos at his eponymous Winnetka restaurant (voted one of the Top Food spots in our last survey). Expect the likes of Bianco di Cicolina, Toscana 2005, paired with turbot in a prosecco sauce with Sevruga caviar and candied tomato petals (6:30 PM; $74 per person; 847-441-3100; reserve online).

A Stroll Through Wicker's 'Wood

2009-01-05T18:16:00Z

Milwood Pizza Burgers & More, a spiffy-casual Wicker Parker, features thin-crust pizza cooked in a brick oven (their way or customize your own slice or pie), fresh burgers with creative combinations, and 'more' in the form of flatbreads, sandwiches and bar-food apps – all listed on big monitor screens; though quick-serve, its setting is inviting with table seating, exposed brick, walls of windows and multiple TVs.

1360 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-772-6000

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Dining News Elsewhere: Rainbow Room Razes Grill, Trans Fat–Free Boston

2009-01-05T17:51:00Z

– Amidst the recession and rising rents, the beleaguered Cipriani family is closing New York's venerable Rainbow Room's Rainbow Grill. [AP]
– Restaurateurs are looking for relief this year in rent and commodity costs. [NRN]
– Expect your food advertisements in '09 to be leaner, meaner. [WSJ]

– Trans fats are nearly extinct in Boston restaurants. [Boston Globe]
– After a Chicago Trib story, Whole Foods has pulled three "gluten free" products that weren't. [Chicago Tribune]
– When you aren't allowed the stuff as a kid, bad foods can look really good. [NYT]
– One night at New York's Eleven Madison Park in two minutes and 40 seconds. [Eater]
– When a puppy meets its cupcake clone. [Cute Overload]

Dining News Elsewhere: Milk Surplus, Restaurant Stocks Steady

2009-01-02T16:16:00Z

The Buzz is on break until January 5, 2009.

– The recession has curiously led to a milk surplus. [NYT]
– And restaurant stocks are actually doing ok. For now. [NRN]
– 2008 was a banner year for New York restaurants. [NYT]
– And a big one for food media as well. [Serious Eats]
– Even so, enough with the 2008 wrap-ups. [Serious Eats]
– U.K. food firms are helping sponsor a massive new anti-fat drive. [Independent]
– Except for The Olive Garden, restaurant wait times are down at most restaurants. [NRN]
– So far, this is arguably the best food feud of 2009. [Eat Me Daily, via Grub Street]
– Quasi-trend watch: minor celebrity chef endorsements. [Eater]
– Wait, so maybe Diamond Jim Brady didn't eat as much as we've been led to believe? [NYT]
– Old advice still worth remembering. [Scouting NY]

Best of the Buzz, 2008 Edition

2008-12-31T15:43:00Z

The Buzz is on break until the new year.

Chicago deep-dish pizza

photo: Emily Capo

From the historic U.S. election to the roller-coaster world economy, calorie counts to baconnaise, 2008 has been a tumultuous year. Here’s a look at some of the things we were Buzzing about over the last 12 months:

how to survive next year's inauguration
the best of Chicago's deep-dish pizza
12 must-see Manhattan murals
a trip to el Bulli
budget-friendly foodie staycations
behind the scenes at Top Chef
chatting with Joël Robuchon
the world of sustainable seafood
secrets of New York's sushi chefs
the ins and outs of shochu and sake
New York restaurants that weren't and never will be
how a restaurant menu is designed
Zagat turned 30

And that's just a sip of the soup! Here's hoping that 2009 will be just as exciting.

Dining News Elsewhere: Guac Shortage Coming, Prosecco's Popularity Problem

2008-12-29T17:04:00Z

The Buzz is on break until the new year.

– An avocado shortage, possibly the biggest in 20 years, is looming this spring. [LAT]
– Prosecco is very popular these days. But without a defined region, like champagne has, everybody is making the stuff. [NYT]
– A Korean study may show a link between food additives and lung cancer. [BBC]
– Danny Meyer gives TV-style commentary while cooking. At home. Alone. [Bitten]
– Another stab at finding the hair of the dog. [WSJ]
– The short-lived pre-bottled Jamba Juice is dead. For now. [NRN]
– Early man didn't just hunt, he cooked out too. [LAT]
– Now you can eat like a Darwin. [Independent]
– McDonald's paid 1,000 people to line up for the release of the quarter pounder. [Japan Today]
– Eating champ Kobayashi failed to break the fruitcake record. [NYDN]
– Trying to return two-month-old salmon. [NYT]
– There is free chili waiting for the Obamas in DC. [Politico]

The Buzz Goes on Break

2008-12-24T17:06:00Z

photo: Lalofont

Dear Readers,

Zagat Buzz is on break until January 5th, 2009, when we’ll be back with all the latest news and openings. Until then, we'd would like to wish you and yours happy holidays and a healthy, safe new year!

In the meantime, if you're still looking for places to go for the holidays, don't forget to check our Christmas and New Year's listings!

The Zagat Buzz Team

Outtake of the Week

2008-12-24T16:43:00Z

Trying to be edgy, they fell off.