ronnie_suburban

Heartlanders and eG'ers, Fellow eG'er and United Kingdom & Ireland forum host, Tarka will be spending the next month (on this side of the pond) in Chicago. She's kindly offered to keep a diary of sorts for us, which will document her food experiences while she is here. Since she is a fan of both fine dining and street food--as well as an anti-fan of supermarkets--her reports will likely be of interest to all of us. She's armed with a digital camera, a portable and (pardon the pun) a well-seasoned palate. It's always interesting to see one's own space through the eyes of a visitor. I especially look forward to Tarka's perspective of the Chicago food scene. =R=

Speak of the devil. This list popped up on my Yahoo homepage today... Best of Citysearch - Outdoor Dining, Chicago Again, Twisted Spoke gets a mention, as does Hackney's on Harms. =R=

Hit the Deerfield Market today--opening day I ended up with the following: Broccoli - My favorite item from last year's market. Deep green and a whole 'nother' world from anything you see in stores. It's much softer in texture, almost leafy--if that makes sense--and way sweeter in flavor than conventional stuff. Red Bulb Onions - very aromatic and beautiful-looking Asparagus - fantastic looking stalks...firm and unblemished Strawberries - aromatic, sweet and delicious Dark Sweet Cherries - very sweet and not mushy at all 2 aged ribeyes from Heartland meats - first time trying these. I'm skeptical but figured I should give them a chance. It was a very sparse market today--usually is at the onset. Still, it was great to be back at the market. As I work through the goods over the next couple of days, I'll be sure to report back on the highlights. =R=

Agreed, agreed and agreed--especially if you're talking about Kopp's Still, I will give it another shot and keep all this new info in mind when I do. FWIW, the Buffalo Grove, IL location is very near a (relatively?) new Indian restaurant that I've been meaning to try, so maybe next time it'll just be Culver's for dessert. =R=

Dreaming of Turtle Sundaes, truth be told! Their "concrete" turtle shakes are heavenly (I'm partial to "turtle" anything). Their ice cream sandwich is THREE scoops of custard between two huge chocolate chip cookies. I think their custard is wonderful. Only vanilla and chocolate, however. Their "flavor of the day" always uses one of these as a base, with things just mixed in, with varying degrees of success. Their burgers are just average, but I do love their crinkle-cut fries (ask for them "crispy" next time). Their fried chicken is delicious and fresh. They do a good pork BBQ sandwich (ask for it - it's not on the menu). And their cheese curds are wonderful as well. So's their Culver's brand Root Beer (no ice, please). The Buffalo Grove store is always spotless (like McDonald's used to be) with friendly staff. Can you tell I'm a fan? George, Thanks for the guidance. Perhaps I should have waited to try Culver's and gone with someone who knows the lay of the land, as you do. Ladies and gentlemen of the Heartland, he's recommnending the pork sandwich and it's not even on the menu I did try the root beer but I'm such a die-hard diet cola drinker, that I think it was lost on me. The picture of the ice cream sandwich looked very good, and I am partial to chip-wiches, so maybe I should have tried that instead of the plain old cup of vanilla. I generally try the most basic stuff on my first visit to a place. As for the fries, between asking for them crispy and 'demanding' the dark end of the loin at Carson's, you're going to get me in trouble. Seriously though, on my next trip there (and now I am obligated ) I will make sure to ask for my fries crispy although I will feel strange making such a request since, in my mind, that' the only way they should be served. Still...me no ask, me no get Thanks for the tips. =R=

George...where were you an hour ago?!?! =R=

Just hit the Culver's outpost in Buffalo Grove, IL. Thought it was "meh" at best. As chains go, Steak & Shake blows it away. So does just about every local Chicagoloand outlet at which I've ever had a burger. Oh well, it was worth a try. Here's a link to the more detailed thread, specifically about Culver's... Culver's thread =R=

Just hit Culver's (Buffalo Grove, IL) for the first time and I'm curious why so many people find it so wonderful. What's all the buzz about? To me, it's just another--not McDonalds or BK--burger chain. Their ButterBurgers--which are relatively flavorless--are comprised of large, thin patties, cooked into oblivion and served on buttered buns (hence the name). I personally could not taste any 'buttery goodness' on the bun, but hey, maybe that's just me. The fries were nothing special either; crinkle-cut, foodservice-variety and cooked to that all-too-familiar edge between limp and crisp. Unimpressive, forgettable. The frozen custard (we tried the vanilla--chocolate and pistachio nut were also available) is nothing more than a very nice rendition of sof-serve ice cream. I will concede that it was a nicely-flavored product (a notch or 2 better than DQ), but still, it really doesn't come close in quality to super premium ice creams like Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's. Frankly, even mid-range ice creams like Baskin Robbins are far more interesting. And $4.00 for a medium? Ouch. On the positive side, the restaurant itself (including bathrooms) was extraordinarily clean. Service was friendly and helpful. The folks at the counter were nice and the person who brought our order to our table was courteous. The dining space was large, bright and comfortable. There is a generous amount of seating. Also, large televisions--mounted to the ceiling--were tuned to the Cubs game, which was a nice thing on a Saturday afternoon. But, I've heard such praise for this place, which is perplexing since most of our local burger restaurants blow away it away, by comparison. In my little town, for example, there is a joint called Dear Franks (an admittedly annoying pun of a name) which turns out much better burgers (with real cheddar if desired), consistently-crisp, hand-cut fries (which still have some skin on them) and they have a full-service ice-cream store to boot. Burger (and Hot Dog) outlets like Dear Franks exist in virtually every neighborhood in Chicago and practically every suburb as well. And that leads me to ask again the question I led with...what's the big deal about Culver's? I'm genuinely curious what a resident Chicagoan would find compelling about Culver's. As usual, I feel like I'm missing something. Am I? =R=

No, I don't think it's up...just wanted to repost the link for our future reference. =R=

Moderator Note: This was previously posted upthread by chefg... I have only retained management positions for Alinea at this point. I would suggest checking the website frequently when it launches sometime in the next two weeks. It will offer information regarding externships, employment and stage opportunities available when we decide to start taking commitments for these positions. Alinea Restaurant =R=

Some information about what's new at Taste this year from the Mayor's Office of Special events, via the Chicago Tribune... A Taste of what's new for fest The "corprification" of Taste seems to have ramped up to unprecedented levels this year. The entire story is about changes in sponsorship elements--with the sole exception being the mention of 1 new restaurant participating in the event. To the Tribune's credit, they don't give Taste a free pass on the issue. The article has a passively derisive tone. =R=

Highwood, IL =R=

I know very few folks (present company excluded, of course ) who prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke. I wonder if it's a regional thing. =R=

Outstanding, I look forward to trying it out. Thanks gmi, for the report. =R=

Trio! Hell! The road to hell is paved with, erm...cookbooks? =R=

Nice listing. Thanks Suzi. One of the places listed at Metromix is one I forgot, Wishbone (on Lincoln, not W. Washington). Twisted Spoke also gets a mention--and IIRC, they received 4 Forks (highest rating) in a Chicago Tribune Cheap Eats review, fairly recently. =R=

I was thinking about outdoor dining earlier today and--sure enough--we already have a thread on it, so I'm bumping it back to the top in hopes that we can update it a bit. What are some of the best places for outdoor dining in and around our fair city? Rosebud in Highland Park has a nice outdoor seating area. So does Hot Tamales, also in HP. I happen to like the food at both these places, so we do hit them fairly often. 2 others which have nice, outdoor dining areas are mk North in Northfield and Hackneys on Harms but I'm not crazy about the food at either place. Any favorites? Please share. =R=

Just caught this in today's Sun-Times... Spring Fever (scroll down for blurb about Spring). =R=

Nice piece, by Barbara Revsine, in today's Chicago Tribune about Garden Fresh Market... Kosher fare gets top billing at new supermarket =R=

June 16, 2004... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Uncorked - Daring summer whites...Bill Daley explores some lesser-known white wines that are great for the summer season--and provides tasting notes as well. Eternal and edifying - Cookbook captures myriad flavors of Roman food...Joe Gray reviews Julia Della Croce's new book, Roma: Authentic Recipes from In and Around the Eternal City. Vernon's...a 'Cheap Eats' review of the Glencoe eatery by Janet Franz. Kosher fare gets top billing at new supermarket...Barbara Revsine reviews Garden Fresh Market in Northbrook, IL. Chambers stove: a hot number - Vintage appliance draws devotees who swear by its cooking abilities...Mary Beth Klatt reports on the growing popularity of vintage Chambers stoves. For Dad, the cook...a few father's day gift ideas for dads who cook. Chef Yan sharp with tips and jokes...a recap of the Chicago stop-off of the Simon Super Chefs Live tour. The paradox of peppers...Will Clower reports on the curative properties of chili peppers. From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Smells like teen spirit...a review by Susan Figliulo of Evanston resident, Debra Poneman's new book, What? No Meat? What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian. Raising green for Green...a round-up of a few food happenings in town this week, including a benefit for Chicago's Green City Market featuring mk's Michael Kornick, Todd Stein and Mindy Segal and a blurb about Spring's 3rd Anniversary Celebration. Tastings around town...includes information about the southside's Festa Pasta Vino and the monthly tasting at Salud Tequila Lounge. In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Morsels...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on haute Mexican, DeCero's impending opening and the long-awaited arrival of Leon's BBQ #5, the northside outpost of this Chicago BBQ favorite, slated to open this month. =R= Moderator Note: For discussion of stories that are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread.

I've done something very similar with the chicken "gems" we bought from Market Day via my son's school. In fact, with a 5# box of them, the options (and supply) are seemingly endless. For his taste, slathering them in ranch dressing is always perfect. =R=

I love that book...if it's the Hors D'Oeuvres Handbook. A fantastic book and I have no doubt that you will love it. =R=

Someone brought some roasted brussels sprouts to a party we were at and they were also terrific, but...cauliflower is still my fave. =R=

Some of the go-to items I make while low-carbing are... sauteed spinach (ok, I know you hate this one ) or chard, kale, etc. grilled asparagus (with hollandaise is actually ok too) cabbage (braised, or in an Atkins-friendly slaw) salad (just leave out the tomatoes and carrots) cauliflower (roasted, steamed or gratin) broccoli (roasted, steamed or gratin) green beans Lots of choices beyond those too. And you can always check out this site if you want know the nutritional information of a given item... USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference =R=

...and all was right with the world. Thanks adoxograph for a wonderfully enjoyable and unique week. =R=