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It was good, but not nearly as good as the employees kept telling me.
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After 40 years in its Wheeling location (after 49 years on Wabash), Don Roth's Blackhawk will be closing up shop on December 31, 2009. That leaves less than two months to get that steak you've been craving.
In other closings, Nick's Fishmarket has closed after 32 years in the loop (the outpost in Rosemont remains open).
Finally, the Cordis Brothers Supper Club in Lakeview has given up the ghost after two years.
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- – A baguette dropped by a bird stopped the Large Hadron Collider. [Times]
- – Linking obesity and cancer. [MSNBC]
- – Scripps (which owns the Food Network) sets its sights on the Travel Channel. [EMD]
- – Jamie Oliver, upholder of justice. [Telegraph]
- – How wine became a "fast food." [Daily Beast]
- – Daniel Boulud sets his sights on London. [Bloomberg]
- – LA's Orso prepares for a final bow. [NYT]
- – A long chat with Gordon Ramsay. [Telegraph]
- – Not kosher: Ilan Hall's bacon-wrapped matzoh balls. [Jewish Journal]
- – 7-Eleven gets ready to roll out its own wine. [MSNBC]
- – Why Guinness can taste different in Ireland (and elsewhere). [Accidental Hedonist]
- – Will laser etchings replace fruit and vegetable stickers? [Gizmodo]
- – Portion sizes, then and now. [DivineCaroline]
- – How exactly does Jell-O work? [BG]
- – Meat, the fabric. [EMD]
- – Cookie monster cupcakes love cookies. [Leila Cohan]
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Pinot Days logo
Photo: courtesy of the Pinot Days Festival
Pining for a good pinot? Not to worry. On November 14, from 1–5 PM, Navy Pier becomes wine country when more than 50 pinot producers pour their wares at the third annual Pinot Days Festival. With more than 300 varieties to sample, including the newly released 2007 vintage, this should once again be a great way to sample vino, talk to winemakers and interact with other oenophiles ($50 per person; click here to purchase tickets).
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La Madia
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
To celebrate its second anniversary, River North Italian La Madia is giving all diners on Thursday, November 19, complimentary housemade sambuca vanilla gelato studded with chunks of La Madia’s signature chocolate tortino (312-329-0400; reserve online).
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- – Illy is making inroads into U.S. coffee shops. [WSJ]
- – Gordon Ramsay is planning to bring the popular MasterChef to the U.S. [THR]
- – Sam Kass: assistant White House chef, policy wonk. [NYT]
- – Related: Iron Chef America heads to the White House. [NYT]
- – After 17 years, Jean-Georges is shutting down Vong. Though maybe not for long? [Eater]
- – Learning to compost in Chicago's public schools. [Chicago Tribune]
- – More on the affect of calorie counts on menus. [NYT]
- – The Kogi Truck folks in LA have their own custom car now. [Mouthing Off]
- – Kids menus should grow up. [BG]
- – What does your beer choice say about you? [AdAge]
- – Yellow Tail isn't the only Aussie wine, y'know. [WSJ]
- – One 225,000-ton ship, more than 24 dining options. [EMD]
- – Grant Achatz stands sternly in front of an airplane. [GS:C]
- – Is it a steak house or a gay bar? [SteakHouseorGayBar]
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Rick Bayless at XOCO
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
Though fine dining may have cooled off a little as a result of the past year’s economic turmoil, celeb chefs remain as popular as ever. And, fortunately, many of them have opened more casual concepts, allowing diners with tighter budgets to get a taste of their culinary vision. But how do these budget-minded sibs stack up against their high-end counterparts? Read up, and then add your own votes and opinions.
Rick Bayless
Top Chef Master Rick Bayless' tireless efforts to bring the highest-quality Mexican food to the shores of Lake Michigan seem to be paying off – he now has restaurants offering his highly praised comida at either end of the price range.
445 N. Clark St.
(bet. Hubbard & Illinois Sts.)
Chicago, IL 60610
312-661-1434; reserve online
| Food |
Decor |
Service |
Cost |
| 28 |
23 |
25 |
$62 |
Surveyors swear you get the “best high-end Mexican food in Chicago” (or perhaps “anywhere”), “crafted from the freshest ingredients”, at “creative” “celebrity chef” Rick Bayless’ “must-go” River North “treasure”, the “upscale sister to Frontera Grill” (“with prices to match”); its “cheerful” servers are “extremely knowledgeable”, and the “fantastic wine pairings” and “awesome” margaritas are “standouts” as well; just know that the “intimate”, art-filled “white-tablecloth” setting is “always crowded”, so “make your reservations early.”
449 N. Clark St.
(enter on Illinois St.)
Chicago, IL 60610
312-334-3688
| Food |
Decor |
Service |
Cost |
| - |
- |
- |
I |
Masterful chef Rick Bayless champions Mexican street food at this all-day counter-service River North arrival with a name that means ‘little sister’ and a menu that includes soups, empanadas and ultrafresh hot tortas, all washed down by beer, wine and spiked hot chocolate (the cacao beans are ground in a street-front window); the sunflower-colored, LEED-certified space features standard and communal seating plus an exposed kitchen with a wood-burning oven.
Paul Kahan
Over the years Paul Kahan has become one the city's most influential chefs/restaurateurs, pulling off both high-end fare at his flagship New American and affordable pub fare at his latest spot (a taqueria is up next).
619 W. Randolph St.
(bet. Desplaines & Jefferson Sts.)
Chicago, IL 60661
312-715-0708; reserve online
| Food |
Decor |
Service |
Cost |
| 27 |
22 |
24 |
$64 |
Paul Kahan and Mike Sheerin’s “exceptional, seasonal” cuisine “sings”, “releasing the inner spirit” of every ingredient at this West Loop New American that’s “still in top form” after 11 years; other assets include a “superb wine list”, “attentive, personable service” and “hip”, “minimalist”, “not-for-romantics” decor that “makes the food the star” – just know that it’s “pricey” and one diner’s “lively” is another’s “deafening”, as “beautiful people” and “enthusiastic foodies” chatter away at “tight tables.”
The Publican
Photo: Steven Johnson
837 W. Fulton Mkt.
(Green St.)
Chicago, IL 60607
312-733-9555; reserve online
| Food |
Decor |
Service |
Cost |
| - |
- |
- |
M |
The team behind Blackbird and avec heads to the Market District bearing midpriced New American pub fare (emphasizing pork and seafood) and an encyclopedic, global beer list (plenty of Belgians on tap) served in a butter – and gravy-hued space that includes a wraparound communal table and cozy alcoves with swinging doors; N.B. there’s brunch and a family-style dinner on Sundays.
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Savbor Saveur
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
French-Mexican fusion is the name of the game at Sabor Saveur, a Ukrainian Village arrival offering dishes like consommé with cacti-chorizo dumplings, chocolate-braised salmon and lobster enchiladas; the intimate, minimalist-chic environs boast a concrete-faced open kitchen, semi-secluded tables with white linens and dramatic candleholders, and a lofty back room.
2013 W. Division St.; 773-235-7310
Savbor Saveur
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
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At Belly Shack, a counter-service BYO under the el tracks in Humboldt Park, the urbanbelly crew delivers a budget-friendly Eclectic menu including Asian and Latin riffs on sandwiches, soups, salads and side dishes, along with creative soft-serve ice cream and sodas; the funky, industrial-chic setting includes drafting stools, distressed tables (one communal), a concrete floor and a composition-board counter.
1912 N. Western Ave.; 773-252-1414
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Pelago
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
Upscale contemporary seafood and fresh pasta dishes made with local ingredients are the focus at Pelago, a sophisticated Streeterville hotel Italian, which also serves four- or six-course tasting menus, plus breakfast and lunch; the striking setting contrasts dark, white and aqua tones, and also features a mother-of-pearl mosaic fireplace and a marble bar.
201 E. Delaware Pl.; 312-280-0700
Pelago
Photo: stevenjohnsonphotography
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- – Talking with the troubled Ciprianis. [Vanity Fair]
- – The brewery behind PBR and Schlitz is for sale. [NYP]
- – Restaurants seek to better manage tip pools. [NRN]
- – Western foods are gaining in China. [ABC]
- – Where have all the Angostura bitters gone? [Bostonist]
- – Who gets all of those 7 PM reservations, anyway? [Between Meals]
- – The last days of Gourmet. [Last Days of Gourmet]
- – Nation's Restaurant News to go biweekly. [Food Writer's Diary]
- – Who needs to tip when you can buy the chef a beer? [GS:C]
- – 222.5 pounds? Now that's a big meatball. [MSNBC]
- – Could you eat 78 pieces of cutlery? Would you? [Daily Mail, via EMD]
- – The manually operated hamburger vending machine. [JapanProbe]
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David Chang's pork neck with succotash
Photo and recipe: courtesy of Phaidon Press
For its latest cookbook, Coco, Phaidon Press turned to 10 world-leading chefs – Ferran Adrià, Mario Batali, Shannon Bennett, Alain Ducasse, Fergus Henderson, Yoshihiro Murata, Gordon Ramsay, René Redzepi, Alice Waters and Jacky Yu – to each pick 10 contemporary chefs from around the world. In turn, each of those chefs then wrote a menu and recipes for the book. The final product is more than 400 pages of gorgeous photographs, mouthwatering recipes and interesting tidbits from kitchens around the world. Want a taste? After the jump, get the recipe for pork neck with succotash from New York chef David Chang (of the Momofuku empire).
Pork Neck with Succotash
Serves 4
Recipe by David Chang
For the pork neck
300 g kosher salt
270 g sugar
6 liters hot water
2 bay leaves
25 g black peppercorns
6 liters cold water
10 g pink salt
1 pork neck
- Mix the salt, sugar, hot water, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.
- Mix the cold water with the pink salt.
- Add the pork neck and confit 5 hours at 300°F (150°C) covered.
- When tender, press between 2 sheet trays. Portion into serving size pieces.
- Crisp on a griddle or pan to heat through.
For the succotash
100 g ground (minced) smoked, think-cut pork belly
12 g chanterelle mushrooms
250 g lima (butter) beans
175 g corn (sweetcorn) kernels
Butter for sautéing
1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
4 ml buttermilk
120 g butter
130 g arugula (rocket)
- Sauté the pork belly, chanterelles, lima beans, and corn in a pan.
- Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper, chopped tarragon, buttermilk, butter, and arugula.
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A bit out of the way and not worth finding.
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Because of certain laws and ordinances, Chicago’s street-food scene is pretty sparse. However, that hasn't stopped Wave's executive chef Kristine Subido from setting up an international street-food menu at the restaurant every Wednesday night. It’s a killer deal – $10 gets you three street food items and a cocktail. This month’s offerings from Vietnam include a barbecued chicken banh mi and grilled lemongrass beef rice-paper rolls with peanut and sweet chili sauce. To see the full menu, click here [PDF] (from 5:30 PM onward; 312-255-4460).
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- – Menu labeling hops onto health-care reform. [NRN]
- – 2009 had the worst honey crop on record. [Daily Green, via GS:C]
- – Not with a bang, but a whimper. Ramsay kills Kitchen Nightmares. [The Sun]
- – The return of the milkman. [WSJ]
- – Restaurants look to Halloween for a boost. [NRN]
- – The White House garden, by the numbers. [Obama Foodorama]
- – Europe's eel population is slipping away. [WSJ]
- – Costco is getting ready to accept food stamps. [CityRoom]
- – Hooters is facing a lawsuit for making its waitresses buy their uniforms. [NYP]
- – Just try and top this Halloween dish. [Not Martha]
- – 100-year-old whiskey, anyone? [GlobalPost]
- – In Illinois, 100 hours of community service or...a tray of jerk chicken? [Chicago Tribune]
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