ronnie_suburban
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Posts posted by ronnie_suburban
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The best thing about that great Michigan produce--especially from the perspective of a Chicagolander--is how available it is early in the season. When our local farmer's markets first open in the spring, a good portion of the available produce is grown in Michigan. I'm told that it's because of the specific weather on that side of Lake Michigan. Not sure if that's completely true but either way, those Michigan goods always hit the spot in the early spring.
Of course, the Michigan stuff is great later in the season too.
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We're probably going to grill some hotdogs, so you'd better hurry over
Seriously, I'd love to meet up with you and I'll happily buy the beers.
Anyone else?
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Sunday as in today or some other Sunday?
Sorry to be so dim-witted, but I've recently been smacked upside the head.
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The story continues. Here's an article from today's Suburban Daily Herald...
Fewer corporate lunchtime customers and too much competition are among the reasons for the spate of restaurant closures in a suburban pocket where Cook and Lake counties meet, experts say.At least nine eateries have been shuttered since May in the Lake-Cook Road corridor in Deerfield, north up Milwaukee Avenue to Vernon Hills.
Area restaurants hunger for customers
It's disappointing to also see some locally-owned places now being shuttered, although some of those listed in the linked article--especially Carlucci Lincolnshire--are pretty awful, IMO.
But one issue that was not touched upon at all in the article, save for one mention of temporary construction zones, was road congestion. Lake County's roads are so overwhelmingly under capacity that traveling east to west during dinner time is extremely difficult. In that regard, very few restaurants can draw diners who don't live in their immediate vicinity, and most of the restaurants mentioned in the article are located in commercial areas, not residential ones.
I know from experience that at dinner time it can take over 30 minutes to travel the mere 4 miles from downtown Deerfield to Milwaukee Avenue. Given that most suburban restaurant customers will have children in tow, that's the kind of trek that many potential customers are simply unwilling to make.
I know that the failure rate for restaurants is very high, but I think there's a lot more in play here than initially meets the eye.
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Bringing this back to the top because it may be of interest...
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Unfortunately, work has called Suzi away from Chicago, although...there is a good chance she will be back here in the not-too-distant future.
I want to thank her for the generous effort she put forth here.
I'm going to unpin this thead for the time being and let Suzi come back and update it as the opportunity arises. I know there were at least a couple of places she hit while she was still here, about which she wanted to post.
Thanks again Suzi, for the terrific, 'on location' diary.
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OMG judiu, that is just horrible. My heart goes out to you and yours.
Very glad to hear that no one was badly hurt.
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Awesome!
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Thanks for the post whyknow. Since my office is just minutes from there, I'm especially excited about the news.
BTW, can you tell us what the name of the store is? The Glen is the name of the entire complex, if I'm not mistaken. Also, are you affiliated with said store? If so, maybe you can give us a little background on it.
Thanks,
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August 11, 2004...
From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section (today is their 2004 Cooking School Issue):
Stir-crazy...Bill Daley gives a detailed overview of Chicago's Cooking School scene and its participants.
Uncorked...Bill Daley files this report, with tasting notes, on Reislings from various regions across the globe.
Ashoka...Renee Enna files a Cheap Eats review of this west-suburban Indian eatery, located in Glendale Heights.
2004 Chicago Cooking School Guide...filed by Kenn Ruby.
Drinking the garden's bounty...Renee Enna reports on the growing trend of infusing libations with fresh herbs.
Too much to digest...A review of Ronni Lundy's In Praise of Tomatoes, by Bill Daley.
Seasoned appetite for life...Scott Warner files this 'birthday' piece on Julia Child who's still going strong as she turns 92.
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From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section:
With Olympics near, celebrate country's food...the perfunctory guide to Greek food, cuisine and related events as the Olympic games are set to begin.
A fresh approach...Maureen Jenkins reports on Pomme, a new venture at UIC with an original take on the traditional.
Convoy for a cause...Denise I. O'Neal reports on Dine Out Chicago and some other upcoming food events around town, including the 17th Anniversary Dinner at Charlie Trotter's, which is taking place this Sunday.
Tastings around town...upcoming events at Mas, Que Syrah and Geja's Cafe are among the several listed this week.
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From today's Daily Herald - Food section:
Cooking classes...a comprehensive listing of the next month's upcoming cooking classes, tastings and culinary events around town, broken out by day.
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And, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on Eric Aubriot's sudden departure from red hot Fuse, only 6 months after signing on there.
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Media Digest Notes...
Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available.
For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host who will be happy to do it for you.
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I've found some excellent on-line sources and most of them average <$1.00 per jar when purchasing lots of 12. Also, I've found that in my area (north suburban Chicago), several 'old skool' hardware stores carry a large variety of canning jars, accessories and equipment.
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Accessorizing is the condimentation of life
I agree with Owen...by utilizing brining and cooking over lump charcoal/wood (and yes, even briquets) there are an infinite number of flavors available to you. And by virtue of the process, brined meats tend to be 'juicier' than non-brined.
After you experiment for a while, you'll begin to identify the specific elements you favor.
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Thanks for the thoughtful elaboration, George.
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What a let-down, George. So sorry to hear how unenjoyable your experience was.
Based on your descriptions, it doesn't sound like the problems were related to the fact that the restaurant is only a few weeks old. Care to comment on that aspect?
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They'll stay hot for a couple of hours, but as mentioned above, you can extinguish them faster by closing the vents. As much as I love braising and smoking, grilling beef may be the best possible treatment for it. Really glad you enjoyed it.
BTW, after you've cooked your meal and the coals are cooling, is an optimal moment to roast some (bell) peppers. You can char their skins over the embers and move them off the heat to finish their roasting. After they're roasted to your liking, place them in a closed plastic bag for a few minutes and you'll be able to peel their skins off easily.
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Mongo,
Load the the semi-circular baskets with lump charcoal (preferred) or briquets and fire up the one-touch. Make sure bottom damper (kettle) and top damper (lid) are fully open. Ignite the coals, put the grill back on, leave the lid off and allow the coals to become very hot. Not sure how long this will take...30-40 minutes. When the bottom coals are red/white hot and the top coals are at least burning, it's time to cook. It is very important that all the coals are on one side of the grill--so that ~50% of your cooking surface can be used for indirect cooking.
To promote even browning, you may want to lightly oil both sides of your steaks before you salt and pepper them. Once seasoned, place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill. After a 30 seconds to a minute, flip the steaks, wait another 30 seconds to a minute and move them again. Continue this every 30 seconds to 1 minute until the exteriors cooked are to your liking. It shouldn't take longer than 3-4 minutes, total.
If you have thin steaks, they could be done at this point--depending on how you like them cooked. For thicker steaks, you may want to move them to the uncoaled side of the grill so they continue to cook--and if you do so, cover the grill. At this point, I'd check the steaks for doneness--every minute or so--with the 'finger test' or a meat thermometer. I think 135 F is about medium rare but there will be some carry-over as well.
That usually works for me. I don't know...maybe I've left some stuff out.
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Great article! Thanks, Anthony for posting the link. Nice to see Holly and Amanda get mentions.
I loved this part...
At the center of these flourishes stood Achatz, a quietly commanding presence in his immaculate white chef's apron, even as his sculpted cheek bones and blond hair curling behind his ears suggest a bit of matinee idol. He wasted few motions or words as he applied the finishing touches to various plates: a drizzle of lamb stock reduction and a whimsical cellophane "Bag of Texture" (sunflower seeds, fried capers, crisped lamb, dried garlic slices) onto a lamb entree; a dollop of coconut foam atop pieces of Maine lobster flavored with Thai iced tea; a spoonful of white wine sorbet onto a multifaceted green and white asparagus dish. A regular Saturday night.But reality was sinking in. "When I think about it, it's like when you're sitting there watching your girlfriend getting on the airplane," the chef said. "You feel it here, in the pit of your stomach."
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Some Alinea news from Chicago Magazine's Dish...
Grant Achatz has decided on a location for his new restaurant, Alinea: It’ll be at 1723 North Halsted Street, mere blocks away from the master, Charlie Trotter’s=R=
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From Mr. Bittman's article, linked above...
But a new restaurant, Green Zebra, offers what amounts to four-star vegetarian food almost exclusively. In business since April, it is not in New York or San Francisco but in Chicago, a city best known for its steak houses and hot dogs (which are piled so high with pickles, lettuce and tomatoes that everyone jokes that they are the citizenry's primary source of vegetables).Green Zebra is wowing vegans, vegetarians and even omnivores with dishes like avocado panna cotta with tomatoes, a silky-smooth concoction with the tomatoes' acidity providing a welcome punch. Then there's the poached egg on a bed of well-seasoned lentils and garlicky spinach purée, with a crisp piece of sourdough toast, a luxurious dish made with simple ingredients. Or maybe roast shiitakes rolled with cabbage and potatoes, pan-fried and topped with a butter emulsion — the ultimate egg roll.
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Hey Hobbes,
I didn't think they were slamming Mr. Motto at all--just reporting what is obvoius to most of us around here--that Roland and Arun are not necessarily the ones doing the cooking at Le Lan. I thought the Metromix piece was fairly positive, for the most part.
That said, the reviews of Le Lan have been decidedly mixed so far. Please do let us know what you think about it after you've had the chance to dine there.
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August 4, 2004...
From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section:
Uncorked...Bill Daley interviews Alpana Signh about the challenging task of pairing wine with Indian Food. Comprehensive tasting notes are also provided.
Wasabi Wave...Bill Daley files this report from Seattle, where he tracks the ever-growing popularity of this wonder-root.
Wasabi shows up in a variety of products...Bill Daley's addendum to his Wasabi Wave story. He reviews several grocery products which contain it.
Vito & Kesselman...Joe Gray files a Cheap Eats review of this Italo-Judaic bistro and deli in Old Town.
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From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section:
These two make a Trio...Denise I. O'Neal reports on the new crew at Trio and an upcoming book signing/ChicaGourmet's event at NaHa this Friday.
Tastings around town...upcoming events at Courtright's and foodlife are detailed.
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And, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on the closing of Erawan, the revamping of Trio--now to be called Trio Atelier, and reveal the location of Chef Grant Achazt's upcoming Alinea.
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Media Digest Notes...
Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available.
For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host who will be happy to do it for you.
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Oh do I wish I could have been there! Unfortunately, I had an out of town obligation. Sounds like it was a very special night. Thanks for the report.
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Paprika
in Cooking
Posted
Welcome to the thread Ocean_islands, and to eGullet too
I don't recall ever seeing paprika paste before. Sounds interesting.
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