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I'll second Bicycle Lee's well-wishing. Good luck to all involved! Is anyone going tonight or this week? We're not going until the 27th so I'll need to live vicariously through others until then. Those who go first must promise full reports! Again, good luck to Chef Achatz and team. -Josh

I LOVE steak and shake. Thank goodness there aren't any in the State in which I live. My niece used to go to college in North Carolina and Steak and Shake were part of the reason for my many trips. You are right, other than their signs displaying the shake flavor of the day/week the only other advertising is the fantastic smell of the burgers that fills the air. But then again that's enough for me. Makes me want to take a road trip. You really should stop in and try a burger and shake, watermelon is one of my all time favorite. I wish that girl hadn't graduated so quickly, four years was not enough. ← This thread is great. My favorite part about Steak N Shake? The fries that come in a cup-shaped container that fits in your car's cup-holder, so you can easily access them while driving. Another valued contribution to the fattening of America (myself included )

I was just about to point out the chicken ring, but I see that I was beaten to it. There is no part of a chicken that naturally occurs in ring form that I would be interested in eating. That being said, their burgers are awesome (even though they make everything they come into contact with stink for a week).

Looks like Tony Mantuano from Spiaggia is your winner. Well deserved! Congrats Chef!

Wasn't the awards ceremony supposed to be webcast? I haven't been able to find it on the Beard Foundation website. Anyone out there able to find it?

We've stayed at the Boca Raton Resort & Club a few times over the past few years. The hotel is undergoing an ownership change right now, but the current food options should be in place for at least another year. Two restaurants in the hotel, Nick's Fishmarkt and Lucca's, are excellent. The rest of the food is definitely beter than standard resort food. We've always stayed in the Yacht Club portion of the hotel (which, I believe, is the newest section) and have always had a great stay. Hope this helps. -Josh

I haven't seen any other articles. But, in a shameless bit of self-promotion, I recapped the dinner in the Heartland forum here. Enjoy! -Josh

I was at the dinner and I thought that Caro did a pretty good job summing things up. There were a few nice pictures in the print edition that I don't think made it to the online version.

LOL No foie gras. Although that certainly would have made things interesting.

I'm not sure things are entirely OK between the two (note: Pure speculation follows). Towards the beginning of the meal, Chef Trotter introduced all of the chefs, spoke a bit about their time with Trotter and what they are up to now. In the room I was sitting in, Achatz probably had the most brief introduction (notably absent from the intro was how much time Achatz spent at Trotters). I'm 99% sure Trotter mispronounced his name as well. Again, this was just how I read the situation. This should not be taken to imply there is some sort of feud or anything brewing between the two. Sean, did you notice anything? -Josh

We went to the James Beard Foundation Benefit at Charlie Trotter's last night. All I can say is, wow. To recap, all of the chefs were Trotter's alums who have now gone on to other things. The chefs were: Grant Achatz - Alinea Nori Sugie - Asiate (NYC) Graham Elliot Bowles - Avenues Michelle Gayer-Nicholson - Franklin Street Bakery (Minneapolis, I think) Sven Mede - NOBHILL (Las Vegas) Michael Taus - Zealous Geoff Felsenthal - Illinois Institute of Art David Myers - Sona (CA) Homaro Cantu - Moto Each chef prepared one dish, with Charlie Trotter also preparing one dish, for a total of 10 courses, each paired with wine. I don't want to go into a whole lot of detail about each dish, as each was phenomenal, but I'll try to provide brief comments on each. Sashimi of Japanese Hamachi with Organic Soy Carmel, Yuzu Foam and Hijiki Seaweed Powder (Chef Bowles) - Paired with Stoneleigh Riesling, Marlborough 2004. I had this dish at Avenues and loved it then so I was excited to see it on the menu. I had the opportunity to talk to Chef Bowles after dinner to thank him for the dish and to congratulate him on his success at Avenues. Really just a genuinely nice and humble man. Sea Urchin Panna Cotta & Yellow Fin Tuna with Kumamoto Oyster and Seawater Ponzu (Chef Taus) - Also paired with the Riesling. I've always felt that Zealous is one of the more underrated restaurants in Chicago. This was a great dish, with the sea urchin panna cotta providing an earthy taste to go along with the tuna and the oyster. Like taking a bite out of the ocean. Maine Day Boat Lobster with Homemade Tofu and Yellow Curry (Chef Felsenthal) - Paired with Brancott "Patutahi Estate" Gewurztraminer, Gisborne 2002. Many at the table picked this as their favorite dish of the night. It was definittely one of the better pairings with the wine. Wild Florida Cobia with Red Wine Pudding, Cherries and Cinnamon Fragrance (Chef Achatz) - Paired with Atlas Peak Sangiovese, Atlas Peak 2001. You knew this dish was prepared by Chef Achatz as soon as it hit the table. The cobia and the cherries were stuck on the end of long sticks of cinnamon, with the fish and the cherries resting in the red wine pudding. Hopefully this makes it onto the menu at Alinea. Alaskan Wild King Salmon with Red Wine Braised Sweetbreads, Morel Mushrooms and Baby Beets (Chef Mede) - Paired with Gary Farrell Pinot Noir, Russian River 2002. My favorite wine of the night. The salmon was cooked absolutely perfectly and was crusted with the sweetbreads and morels. Jambon of Squab with Carmelized Bananas, Rutabaga and Black Truffle Squab Reduction (Chef Sugie) - Paired with Tarsus, Ribera del Duero 1999. Described by one guest at the table as squab on steroids. Probably the largest leg of squab I've ever seen. It actually tasted more like beef than poultry. I'm not generally a squab fan, but this dish might make me a convert. Slowly Poached Goat with Black Cardamom-Charred Eggplant and Porcini Mushrooms (Chef Trotter) - Paired with Wattle Creek Shiraz, Alexander Valley 2000. If you're going to eat goat for the first time, Charlie Trotter's is as good a place as any to do it. Maytag Blue Cheese with Spring Onion Cracklin' (Chef Gayer-Nicholson) - Paired with the Shiraz. Kind of like a chinese bao, but with blue cheese inside. Tasted great with the carmelized onions. "Igloo" of Fruit (Chef Cantu) - Paired with Mumm "Joyesse" Demi-Sec NV. OK, I'll try my best to describe this. A hollow ice ball, made from kumquat and watermelon (constructed using a balloon and liquid nitrogen, of course!). Watermelon and kumquat soup was then poured over the ball to make it melt a bit. Served with carbonated grapes on the side. Chino Farms Carrots with Venezuelan Chocolate (Chef Myers) - Paired with Cockburn's "Anno" LBV Port 1998. The chocolate was a chocolate crepe. The crepe was served with some thai chili ice cream. A fantastic end to the meal. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful this night was. Chef Trotter spoke openly about the problems facing the Beard Foundation and how he and others are trying to right the ship. The new executive director of the foundation was on hand to speak and to accept $30,000 that the event raised. Also in attendance were Chef Trotter's mother and uber-Sommalier Larry Stone. On the way out there was plenty of opportunity to speak to the chefs, which can be kind of intimidating ("Ummm, I like your food" ) Everyone got great gift bags on the way out, with a little treat provided by each chef. Highlight of the back has to be the packing popcorn and paper sushi from Moto. Sorry for the long post, but it was a heck of a night. -Josh

Ald. Joe Moore on his proposal to ban foie gras... The merits of his arguement have been debated to death, so no need to comment further (although I'm sure Ald. Moore is extremely well informed on the subject ) But, how does he plan on making foie gras "unpopular"? Got to love politicians. -Josh

I thought this was a bit surprising. Probably the only other restaurant in Chicago I could see being up for this award would be Tru, but I don't think they've been around long enough to qualify. We went to Everest about a year ago. Gorgeous room, great wine, very good food (but nothing that blew me away). I thought it was a little stuffy, but that's just my opinion. -Josh

Thanks for the link! Although I think Graham Elliot Bowles may have been snubbed for Rising Star.

Well, it doesn't look like this is going away anytime soon. From the NY Post's Page Six

We may have another "data point" in a few weeks, when CT hosts a Beard Foundation benefit at the restaurant. Info here This whole thing makes the menu at this upcoming event all the more interesting.

Interesting article in the Tribune here If nothing else, maybe this will result in a Trotter vs. Tramonto grudge match on Iron Chef America -Josh

My girlfriend and I went to Avenues last night to celebrate our anniversary. I made the reservation before the 4-star review in the Sun-Times, but seeing that review made me want to go even more. Here's the report... We both went with the Chef's Palate, 9 courses chosen by the chef. My girlfriend doesn't eat red meat or poultry, but that was the only restriction we gave. We did a bottle of 99 Poligny-Montrachet from Paul Pernot with the meal. Amuse - Deconstructed clam chowder. The flavors of clam chowder (potato, clam, bacon, etc), all served on a tiny spoon. A very promising start to the meal. 1st course - Potato and leek terrine. Very refreshing first course with a good contrast of flavors (earthy potatoes, pickled onions or leeks (I'm sure Chef GEB will correct me), and salty caviar). 2nd course - Sashimi of hamachi, with soy, yuzu foam and shitake mushrooms. This tied for my favorite dish of the night. It came in a large bowl, with the slices of hamachi clinging to the sides, along with the soy and pickled shitakes. The yuzu foam was in the center at the bottom of the bowl. Again, it was the combination of flavors that really made this dish work. The sweetness of the fish and yuzu, contrasted nicely with the soy and the slightly sour pickled shitakes. Delicious. 3rd course - Foie-lipop. Most creative dish of the night. Basically a foie gras lollipop, with the foie gras frozen on the end of a stick. Served with a roasted apple. I'd love to know how this was done. The only comparable dish I've ever had was the "menage-a-foie" at Commander's Palace which included foie gras ice cream. I also could have used some guidance eating the lollipop. I wound up eating it in two bites, which was both fantastic, and a bit overwhelming. 4th course - Frogs legs with truffled risotto. Tasted like chicken. Just kidding, this was actually my other favorite dish of the night. Truffles, risotto, garlic...how can you go wrong? For this course my girlfriend was served a live scallop dish which she described as "the best scallops I've ever had". 5th course - Lobster pot au feau. Lobster broth with nice size chunks of tail and claw meat with vegetables. Not that inventive, but still quite tasty. I would love to eat this on a cold, cold night. 6th course - Sea bass with raison chutney and spinach. Very nice piece of fish. Crispy on top with flaky juicy meat. The raisons added a really nice sweetness to the fish. 7th course - Chorizo crusted cod. This dish I was actually looking forward to the most, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. The flavors of the dish didn't really pop for me until I combined the fish with the vegetables served with it. This was served to my girlfriend without the chorizo, which actually made for a fairly bland dish. I would suggest serving something different for this course for guests who don't eat meat. 8th course - Buffalo short ribs with grits and swiss chard. At this point I was feeling pretty stuffed, which is unfortunate because this was delicious. The meat was tender as could be, and the grits provided a salty compliment to the short ribs. 9th course - Dessert, and I'm ready to give up. Oaxan chocolate with beet ice cream. I love it when you can have a chocolate based dessert that isn't too rich. Probably a good thing given how stuffed I was at this point. Nice way to end the meal. All in all, a fantastic meal. It definitely started stronger than it ended, but overall we couldn't have been happier. Good luck to Chef GEB as he takes his place among the best in Chicago.

Didn't go to that one, but I will be attending the 4/17 event (with Achatz, Canto, GEB, et al.). Should be outstanding and I promise a full report.

It may be too early to say, but judging from some posts in other threads, it looks like Alinea may already be there (and it's not even open yet!)

Looks like the cost of the Beard dinner is $250 (on the Trotters website). That's actually a bit less than I was expecting. Sounds like a phenominal night!

I suggest considering Priceline or Hotwire and sticking to the 4* category. You should be able to get something between $50 and $110 per night depending in whther it's HW or PL and what part of downtown you're staying in. Having previously stayed for a weekend in an area not far from where Alinea is located (sort of at the south end of the Loop), I'd suggest staying a bit further north towards Wacker Drive or even up by Lincoln Park or North Michigan Ave. where it's much livelier and more interesting at night and on weekends. This is assuming that you'll make a weekend of it and do a few things other than just the meal. Not sure if the restaurant can make car service arrangements but it is best to check that out. Chicago has a very god public transportation but cabs are not always easy to find in some neighborhoods and I don't think you can call for cab service - they must be hailed on the street (Chicagoans please correct me if I'm wrong or my info is outdated!). Egullet member "thereuare" has a great web site called Better Bidding that explains how to bid intelligently and get the lowest possible prices using services such as PL and HW. It's well worth a visit to do some quick research before your visit. ← As a Chicago resident, I have to jump in on this one. There aren't really any hotels in the same neighborhood as Alinea. Your best bet would be to find something at the North end of Michigan Ave. or in the River North neighborhood. I've stayed at the Embassy Suites in River North before I moved to the city and it's pretty nice. As for transportation, cabs are the way to go. Alinea is located extremely close to the Steppenwolf theatre on a pretty active stretch of Halsted at the southern end of Lincoln Park. I've never had trouble hailing a cab in the area. BTW, I've got my reservation for May 28th. I don't think I've ever been this excited about a meal before.

2 stars from Phil Vettel in today's Trib... http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi...1,5001088.story Seems a bit low based on the experiences he describes, but probably appropriate given his ratings of other restaurants.

Hey all, The girlfriend and I will be visiting New Orleans for the first time the weekend of Feb 18. We've already got reservations at Commander's Palace and Upperline, but we're looking for a fun/casual place in the French Quarter to eat the night we arrive. Any suggestions?

We went to Osteria on Friday night and I would have to disagree with Metromix. Yes, there are some kinks to work out (no one told us about the wine flights, you don't really get descriptions of the appetizers), but overall we had a great dinner. The pasta course was a highlight (fantastic duck ravioli). For entrees, I had the short ribs and my girlfriend had the skate wing. Both were excellent. The place was packed when we arrived at 8:30, and was still going strong by the time we left 2 hours later. I'm rooting for this restaurant, if for no other reason than I think it's a great concept. The service will come around in time.