ronnie_suburban

Good point An even better point! So, can we make it official that the Italian Beef sandwich is Chicago's 'signature' burger? =R=

LOL! In all seriousness, bumping an old thread is almost always preferable to starting a new one. We prefer to keep info on topics like these consolidated in 1 thread for easy reference. I'm glad molto e took the time to find this old thread, which is still mostly relevant. Now, enough small talk. Anyone else have burgers to add to this list? =R=

I like the fish sauce idea a lot but if you're going to use 8 oz of liquid, I'd suggest only using 2 oz of fish sauce and 6 oz of water the first time out (at least, that's where I'd start). I agree with Bombdog about lemon zest. That's a great idea and you could easily grate it fine enough so that mouthfeel wouldn't even be an issue. =R=

Brad, A few places I really enjoy in and near Milwaukee include: Solly's Butter Burgers Mazos Restaurant Zaffiro's Pizza, which is mentioned in this Milwaukee thread. The aforementioned Sanford I also love the products -- alcoholic and non -- produced at Sprecher Brewery. They offer tours, which I'm pretty sure are by reservation only. =R=

Thanks, nsxtasy and LAZ for taking the time to compile and post these useful lists. And as LAZ indicates on her list, not all places which offer dry-aged beef offer it across the board. So, if you have any questions about a particular cut, definitely contact the restaurant in advance of your visit. =R=

January 24, 2007... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Blue heaven...Jean Thilmany and Robin Mather Jenkins profile the legendary Maytag Dairy Farms in Newton, Iowa. Drink to the blues...speaking of Blue Cheese, Bill Daley provides some advice on pairing wine with blue cheeses. Tasting notes are included. Plenty of citrus out there despite California freeze...Bill Daley reports that in spite of a devastating freeze in California last week, there's still plenty of citrus on the market, even if the prices are creeping up a bit higher than normal. Broccoflower...Renee Enna files this useful guide. Sweets with an Aussie touch...Nancy Maes profiles TipsyCake in Humboldt Park. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Hot Bears play role in food specials...Denise I. O'Neal lists a few places around town which are offering specials that tie in to the Bears' upcoming trip to Super Bowl XLI. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Bistro 110, Prairie Grass Cafe, Scoozi, Vong's Thai Kitchen and Nacional 27. From the January 18 edition: Freeze chills Calif. citrus crop...Janet Rausa Fuller provides some salient market details in the wake of last week's devastating freeze in California. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Marker will help keep pantry items up to date...food editor Deborah Pankey has a new pantry and has devised a system which will allow her to use the items stored there more efficiently. No shortcuts for this transplanted Polish chef...in this week's installment of Chef du Jour, Melissa Allen profiles Jaroslaw Budzinski, head chef of Shop and Save Market (Des Plaines, Schaumburg and Niles). Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== From the January 19 edition of the Chicago Reader's Restaurants section: The focus is on Taiwanese and Chinese cuisines as Nicholas Day and Anya Bernstein file a review of KS Seafood in Chinatown. Also provided is a list of several favored spots in Chinatown. ===== In this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report that Marty Fosse, a former GM at Spiaggia, will open Anteprima, a regional Italian spot, this March in Andersonville. ===== =R= <><><><><> 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. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

As promised, a few clues as to what's coming on Monday . . . =R=

I should add that I had a fantastic dry-aged (28 days) rib-eye steak from Four Story Hills Farm in PA at Custom House -- a place I really love -- back in late December. But, it was a special that night, so I don't know if it's still being offered. At the time, it was the only item on the menu from Four Story Hills Farm. It may be worth a call over there. =R=

No worries. The blog will resume on Monday January 29 with a somewhat unconventional entry. A few hints as to what's coming next will be posted shortly. =R=

I argee about Gibson's. When it's on, it's on. When it's not, it can be a very frustrating dining experience. I wasn't crazy about David Burke but that mostly came down to the side dishes and desserts, which dazzled visually and conceptually but disappointed me flavor-wise. Smith & Wollensky also serves dry-aged steaks, even though it was ruled out by the person making the inquiry. Joe's Prime Steak and Crab (or whatever LEYE is calling it these days) is really nice from a side-dish and service perspective. But, while their steaks are very good (even excellent), they don't really stand out from most other prime steaks served around town. =R=

Thanks, Dan, for sharing your experience here. Your post is really instructional . . . and inspirational too! You've dispelled a lot of my 'fears' about this type of project. =R=

I've been back to OdT for dinner about 3 more times and I've really been enjoying it. Those mussels are absolutely addictive and the calamari fritti remains a great rendition, even though the portion seems to have shrunk a bit. There's so much on the menu and most of what I've tried has been excellent. Veal Saltimbuco (sp?) was oustanding and even my son's Chicken Parmigiano was high-quality in every regard (in fact, it was almost silly seeing this normally blase' dish prepared in such a careful and serious manner). I took a look at their breakfast menu and definitely want to try it out soon. Salami and Eggs with caramelized onions is calling out to me -- as are several other offerings. Has anyone been to OdT for breakfast? if so, I'd love to hear how it was. Also, does anyone know which of the OdT salumi is made in-house and which is sourced elsewhere? I asked my server and all he knew was that some was made on premises and some was purchased from outside sources, but he didn't know the details. =R=

What he said! The color on that stuff is fantastic. Great job! =R=

Back in 2002, Bux was the first person with whom I ever interacted in the eGullet forums. His written voice was so distinctive, even though I never met him in person, I kind feel like I did. Over time, I came to appreciate both his extensive knowledge and his wry sense of humor. In many ways, his contributions and presence helped define this place for me. I learned so much from reading Bux's words and I'm grateful that he took the time to share so much of his experience. It's sad to think about him not being around any longer. But when I think of all the lives he touched, I can't help but smile. It was one helluva diverse group of people that Bux connected. That, in and of itself, was a major and meaningful accomplishment. To Bux's family, loved ones and friends, my condolences on your loss. =R=

Dining-wise, if those who are visiting can provide some parameters, I think the suggestions might flow a bit easier. It's hard to narrow it down because there's so much available (I also suggest that you browse the forum a bit too, for additional background and opinions). What kinds of foods and eating experiences most interest you? Definitely, as germuska posted above, this is a great town for excellent Mexican at all levels of dining. Thai cuisine is equally strong here. 3 of the "Chicago" foods: hotdogs, deep dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches can be found in relatively high quality within a stone's throw of where you'll be. So many more . . . =R=

From the link provided above by moosnsqrl: . . . I would certainly hope so! =R=

Heh . . . a little of each =R=

I love their stuff and have purchased all sorts of high-quality sausage making supplies from Cabela's. I've actually been considering this, larger unit. If I had a decent place to store it, I'd be a bit more inclined to actually make the purchase. =R=

I've used mine quite a bit -- and I even store it in the freezer when it's not in use -- and I have never had anything like that happen. But, I have to admit that looking at that molded piece of plastic, I've wondered how long it would be until the thing finally goes. That said, I've seen new, replacement units for as low as $30, so I've not worried too much about its durability. Even if I had to replace it once a year, at $30, it would be a relatively good value. =R=

I was pleased to see a more detailed and measured review in this week's edition of Time Out Chicago: Quince - Something special is happening in the former Trio space by David Tamarkin =R=

Temper your expectations I just say that because I can't stand the pizza here. Others love it. To each their own. ← LOL! I have to (mostly) agree with Josh. If it were me, the one place for I'd hit for traditional, "Chicago-style" deep dish pizza would be Lou Malnati's. =R=

Apparently, the sitaution is about as bad as it's ever been: Cold ruins nearly $1B of Calif. citrus =R=

January 17, 2007... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Shaking Buddha's hand...with unfortunately ironic timing (due to a catastrophic freeze in California), Bill Daley provides a primer of exotic citrus fruits, most of which will probably be very difficult to source this year. Recipes from noted chefs are provided. Embracing the acid...Bill Daley files this companion piece, which provides guidance on how to effectively pair wines with citrus-infused dishes. Getting to know you...in this special to the Tribune, William C. Meyers explains that "Scotch and Bourbon, the drinks of grown-ups, take a little time to reveal their secrets" Nameko mushrooms...Donna Pierce files this useful guide. A voice of the Midwest podcast...in this special to the Tribune, Diane Daniel previews the newest audio offering from Anne Bramley, Eat Feed Midwest: Great Food from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, which is slated to debut on Monday at eatfeedmidwest.com. Where we turn for help among new reference books...the Tribune's Test Kitchen Director, Donna Pierce, lists a few of her "go to" sources for definitive information. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Practice, practice for perfect pie...Sandy Thorn Clark explains that with ". . . National Pie Day Tuesday, it's the perfect, perfect time to momentarily shelve your New Year's resolution to lose pounds and inches in respect to your other New Year's resolution: to learn how to bake the perfect pie." Food news...Denise I. O'Neal previews "Chicago's [so called] Top 10 Culinary Delights, which are part of this year's schedule for Chicago Winter Delights, which runs through Feb. 28." From the Jaunary 16 edition: Her recipe the key to Connie's Pizza...staff reporters Rosalind Rossi and Tim Novak provide this obituary for "Concetta DeGrazia, the 'Connie' behind Connie's Pizza, [who] died Saturday at age 91." From the January 15 edition: That's rich: Fancy restaurants hike prices...Janet Rausa Fuller reports that several high-end restaurants in town, including Alinea and Avenues, will raise some prices, going into 2007. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Health-boosting omega-3 coming to a product near you...Food editor Deborah Pankey says that, according to USA Today, Omega-3 fatty acids will be the "hottest food additive of 2007." Hearty food from the heartland satisfies him...in this week's installment of Chef du Jour, Leah A. Zeldes profiles chef Stephen Langlois, a veteran of the iconic Prairie, who currently oversees a few restaurants as the executive chef of the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook. Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== From the January 12 edition of the Chicago Reader's Restaurants section: The focus is on meatless fast food, as Ann Ford reviews Veggie Bite in Mount Greenwood. Also provided is a list of other 'vegetarian-friendly' spots throughout the city. The Oyster Whisperer...Mike Sula profiles chef Mark Mavrantonis of Fulton's on the River and explains chef's deep love of the bivalve. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby confirm that Meztiso on N. Wells has indeed morphed into the Yucatecan Xel-Há, under the hand of seasoned industry veteran, Dudley Nieto. ===== =R= <><><><><> 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. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

Thanks, Davydd! I knew we had a member around here who was completely obsessed with pork tenderloin sandwiches but I couldn't remember who it was. I'm glad you found the thread. =R=

Do you own a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer? If so, I highly recommend their meat grinder attachment, which I think goes for around $50. It's easy to use, dishwasher safe, etc. =R=