Alex

So far they have been crappy. I hear the good place is in Lincolnwood, just north of the city. Haven't had the chance to make it up there though. ← Ha! Back in my days of my writing restaurant reviews and food articles, here and in Detroit, the article that generated the most irate letters was about a bagel tasting, with ratings, that I organized. In this article I wrote about my criteria for a perfect bagel, which, of course, mirrored the incredible freshly baked ones of my childhood in New York City. (Two other judges also were native New Yorkers.) However, I "forgot" that I now was living in the heartland, a few hours from Chicago. Readers were quick to point out my geocentrism.

Thanks for a delightful story, Diane. I lived in Squirrel Hill for an angst-filled five weeks in-between starting and quitting graduate school at Carnegie Mellon in 1970. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like had I stayed. Now, in a small way, I know.

To add to annarborfoodie's comments, the Pointes, although affluent, have always been a much more conservative area -- financially, politically, and culinarily -- than the affluent or relatively well-off northern and western 'burbs (e.g., Birmingham or Northville). Iin general, the residents are less apt to have even a moderately adventurous palate. They're also less apt to drive to the other side of town for dinner. Conversely, because the Pointes are relative small and geographically isolated, and because there are good restaurants north and west, the local places tend to draw most of their customers only from the immediate area.

Hey, cool. Thanks for the tip about City Kitchen! Here's a review. A friend who still lives there says she really likes Cafe Nini Da Edoardo, on Kercheval in The Hill.

Hadn't really thought about how to get from place to place yet. I need to get a Chicago map and figure out where everything is. The problem with a burger at Naha will be sticking with just the burger! The rest of the menu looks soooo good. I've been to Soundings, back when Eric and I were visiting the field. Good food is more important to me than a good view. Where/what are Chicago's interesting ethnic areas? I could see myself wandering around Chinatown or whatever before lunch, getting lunch there, then heading over to the Field after lunch. ← Yes, maps are good. I assume you'll have a suitcase with you, so I recommend taking a cab from Union Station to the Hilton; checking in or, if your room isn't available yet, checking your suitcase; then going to lunch. Naha and Frontera Grill are sort of on the way to MoCA. Nomi would be another great, if expensive, option, and it's very close to the museum.

How were you planning to get from Union Station to the museum? It's a loooong walk, but it can be done. If that's what you were planning, and if weather allows, I'd get lunch at Hannah's Bretzel, by Washington and Wells. There are only a few counter seats there, so if one isn't available I'd carry my sandwich up to the Gold Coast and Sarah's Pastries and Candies, get a coffee and a pastry or two, and enjoy it all at an outside table. Or, just head to Naha and get their burger, one of Chicago's best. For your Field day, you might consider Soundings, at the Shedd Aquarium. The food is just average (Phil Vettel liked the open-faced crab sandwich), but the view of the big lake is your compensation. A reservation (312-692-3277) is a must; otherwise you'll be charged the aquarium admission fee. Alternatively, on your way to the Field, more or less, is Gioco, on Wabash just south of Roosevelt.

Kiki's Bistro, on N. Franklin in River North Chez Joel, on W. Taylor in Little Italy West Town Tavern, on W. Chicago in Ukrainian Village All are are a short cab ride from downtown and are walking distance from the El, if that's their preference.

Gee, when I visit my old stomping grounds in GP I often drive to Windsor for dinner. Outside of that, I'd recommend Jumps, on Kercheval, in GP Farms; Mack Avenue Diner, on Mack, in GP Woods; Vienna Cafe, on Mack, in GP Park; Steve's Mediterranean Cuisine (aka Steve's Backroom), on Jefferson in St. Clair Shores. Info about all of them (and more) is here.

Thanks for the report, Jennifer. We'll make it to The Church one of these years. I'm quite puzzled, though, by your referring to the Globe's "sticker shock mentioned in many posts." Five eG'ers before you have posted about Globe in this thread, and we certainly appear to concur that their tariff is fair and a good value for what is received. You also referred to "the odd combinations of flavors." Again, I didn't see any of us using the word "odd" or anything implying it. Creative, yes, but not odd.

A nice long walk south from Wicker Park is West Town Tavern, one of my faves. I'm surprised there's been no mention of it on eG, as far as I can tell. It's American/eclectic and moderately priced as opposed to mono-ethnic and cheap, but I think it's worth a visit or three. Their special wine dinners usually are a good value for the money.

"The Agriculture Department has proposed a standard for grass-fed meat that doesn't say animals need pasture and that broadly defines grass to include things like leftovers from harvested crops." The full article

By the same owners as Mezze is Café Latino, on the campus of Mass MoCA. Last month, while waiting for some friends to finish up at the museum (my capacity for contemporary art is significantly lower than theirs), I had a generous and tasty half-order of calimari with chipotle mayo and lime plus a glass of Catena chardonnay from Argentina.

Hey, babe! How's it goin'? Oh, pardon me: And a gracious good morning to you too, my queen ... I would be interested in that "wild ride" you had in Modesto, CA ... hehehe ... ← Russell! Can you imagine a better place to get into trouble than Mo-town? I tell people I 'grew up' there. It was in Modesto that I got my calling to food, even though I'd worked in the industry for quite a few years before that. My husband worked for the Gallo Winery for about five years. I left a terrific writing job, lucrative freelancing work and a lifetime of friends and moved to Modesto sight-unseenwith a 2week old infant. My younger son was born in Modesto 18 months later. One weekend, we snow-skiied and waterskiied on the same day, just to say we did! It really was a lot of fun, a lot of work, and some very happy memories. ← Funny you should mention Modesto and food today in the same post. Our local newspaper's Sunday crossword puzzle (via King Features Syndicate) often makes the longer clue solutions a riddle, plus an answer that's a pun or silly rhyme. Today's riddle was, "What might you call it if a central California city issued an official statement about the right way to cook green pasta sauce?" Answer: "Modesto pesto manifesto."

It may not be dockhl's thing, but I sure would like to know about that resale place. Details, pretty please? As far as things to do, the Architecture Foundation has great walking, bus, boat and bike tours. I'd love to know about this place too - we just moved to Chicago and are on the Brown line. Sounds like a great place!! ← McShane's Exchange (women's clothing and accessories only). Their Armitage shop is near the Brown Line (and across the street from Charlie Trotter's); the Webster branch is a pleasant walk from there.

Thanks so much for a great report, Stalder! I just hope that enough people appreciate this kind of cooking to keep Globe in business for a long, long time. I see you're doing your part. Now, if you could do something about that exchange rate...

I'm completely with Tammy on this one, right down to her cocktail preference. (I wasn't drinking this night, but she was kind enough to give me sips of her cocktail and wines.) I also didn't care for the buffet-style service. I think it would have been more fun, educational, and better paced to have had individual courses -- for example, a plate with ten varieties of sliced tomatoes, three cheeses, and an accompanying information sheet. Outside of dessert, my favorites were the cheeses (marinated goats and very fresh mozzarella) and the fried green tomatoes with bacon (Neuske, I think). If I had known how great the dessert was going to be (one of our tablemates knew, but wanted it to be a surprise ), I'd have saved room for a few more servings. Good? Certainly yes. Worth $39? With the fine company of my tablemates, yes; without them, probably not.

Yes, the Indian restaurant is Raja. I discussed it briefly in this post. I'm massively jealous. I wish we lived close enough to Stratford to be regular and frequent patrons of Globe. Could we hear some more about your recent visits? It's all terrific, I know, but are there any dishes or wines that stand out for you?

Thanks for reminding me that I need to buy more. Most frequent use = kosher salt storage by the stove. It's not as cute as a salt pig, but the salt definitely stays drier during our humid Michigan summers. (Yes, I know that salt pigs help, but they still don't work as well as a sealed container.) It also prevents easily distracted cooks like me from knocking over the container and spilling salt all over the counter.

And a New York Times article about the subject. (The article may be available w/o a subscription for only a limited time.) Hmm. How long do you think it'll be before well-meaning or Moore-prompted citizens (or PETA) start in with the complaint-filing?

Having completed my patriotic duty, here's my report: Dark Wheat Ale: Well crafted, smooth, not at all heavy, but, as the NYT said, rather one-dimensional. Good, but not worth $2.50/bottle. GW Porter: Coffee, malt, a bit of chocolate and molasses. Nice, but again, not worth the price. Root Beer Brew: The NYT loved it; I though it was just weird. I'm a root beer fan, but this had too little sassafras and too much other flavorings. Wintergreen? Bleh. Ginger Honey Ale: My favorite of the bunch. Light, refreshing, just enough ginger, only a touch of sweetness. A great summer drink. I'd easily buy it again, but only w/o the others.

There's so much to eat, see, and do, especially if you're willing to hop on a train or bus (or taxi). What are your particular interests in food and merchandise? For example, there's a great medium-high-end resale shop just off the Brown Line that Ms. Alex always makes a point of visiting, but I don't know if that's your thing. Others may say a Chicago dog or Italian beef is quintessential Chicago and a must-eat; I say, not so much. <ducks quickly to avoid a barrage of sport peppers being fired from across the big lake>

Welcome to eGullet, Matcha Eyes. From my time in Macomb County in the 80s, I seem to remember Mt. Clemens as pretty much a restaurant wasteland. How's it doing nowadays?

Peanut butter ice cream, with chopped Lindt bittersweet chocolate mixed in. Incredibly rich, like Reese's on steroids. Kitchen Chick's husband, eG'er jmsaul, made it, sans chocolate, for the recent Heartland Gathering. Unfortunately I had to back out of attending at the last minute, so I made a batch of the ice cream a few days later, in tribute.

I also stumbled across this collection today at my local supermarket. It was trying to avoid being bought by anyone, perched as it was on the top shelf of an end cap of the wine section. I'll contribute my 999 cents (plus deposit) after it's been suitably tested.

What kind of "education" did those polled receive about foie gras, you may ask? Looking at a breakdown of the poll, 48% of those polled had never eaten it, and 34% of those polled had never even heard of it. So what's the follow up question, the question that generated the "nearly 80 percent" statistic in the ordinance? There's an unbiased poll question for the ages. Especially when 82% of those polled had never eaten it, or never heard of it. ← dividend, do you have a web page(s) reference for the Zogby poll and, especially, for the wording you quoted? That would be a great example for my Intro Psych classes.