ronnie_suburban

Just to back up u.e.'s suggestions, it's been a while since I was at one sixtyblue but it's always been a really enjoyable spot for me. And my lone trip to Vie was absolutely fantastic and most memorable. =R=

Erik, the 2 brewpubs with which I'm most familiar are both on the north side: Hopleaf Bar 5148 N. Clark St Chicago, IL 773 334-9851 Goose Island Brewing Co. 1800 North Clybourn Chicago, IL 312 915-0071 I'm not much a brew person but I've had great times at both places. The food at Hopleaf is surprisingly delicious. They serve up a few Belgian specialties. Their frites and mussells are both excellent. =R=

Alex is correct. Here is a link to that thread: Sarah's Pastries and Candies - Chicago, Great Pastries, Candy and Coffee =R=

There is a very good, not very greasy spoon, Costa Rican joint called Irazu @ 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave. (almost @ Western) that does an absolutely killer vegetarian burrito... ← I really like Irazu. If you do go there, make sure you order your burrito with the mushrooms. They're especially terrific that way. =R=

Yeah, I completely agree. That was a wonderful combination. And the salad itself was also delicious. I loved the julienne strips of celery root. Regarding the sweetbreads, I have to respectfully disagree with Alex in that I thought the coating was just about perfect. It didn't seem like breading to me but more like a light dusting of nicely seasoned, coarse-ground flour. In any case, other than the company, it was that pork belly that was the ultimate highlight of the meal for me. I understand that Blackbird offers a pork belly sandwich on their lunch menu. I'm going to have to try that . . . and soon! =R=

I really can't say enough good things about Blackbird. It's easy to understand why it has become something of a flagship restaurant for the city of Chicago over the years. They know their business and execute it with what seems like effortless precision. 4 of us -- me, my wife, jesteinf and Alex (who organized us) -- had an early dinner on Thursday night that was not only immensely satisfying but also managed to feel homey and refined at the same time. Blackbird's menu is populated by funky, more uncommon items which -- along with a preponderance of seasonal and local ingredients -- define its mission with crystal clarity. While they offer some great meat dishes, there is no "safe" steak at the bottom of Blackbird's menu. Fish (wild king salmon, California sturgeon, Alaskan halibut), Seafood (maine diver scallops, soft shell crab), Fowl (guinea hen, bob white quail), Veal (cheek, sweetbreads), Venison (from Minnesota), Lamb (t-bones, spicy sausage) and Pork (belly, swan creek farm's suckling pig) round out the roster of tempting choices. One could almost describe Blackbird as a meat emporium but in a way that is on the other side of the spectrum from a churrascaria. This is not about quantity -- although, the portions are ample -- it's about quality and luxurious fare which, even in a market like Chicago, are not frequently offered. We started with an amuse of cold corn chowder with peeky-toe crab and smoked paprika. It was a nice kick-off. The flavors and textures came together nicely and the paprika provided a nice little kick at the finish. I wasn't wild about the bits of raw, sweet onion at the bottom of my cup, but that's just me. My companions relished that element and also thought the amuse was successful. A very nice start. Next was an appetizer of crispy veal sweetbreads with fresh egg noodles, smoked green olives, patty pan squash, chantrelles and verjus. Sweetbreads are so hot in Chicago right now. I think I've had them 5 times already this year. This preparation just about trumped them all. The combination of flavors worked very well and the contrasting textures and temperatures made the dish exciting. I'd never had sweetbreads paired with these other elements but the dish was inspired, tasty and uniquely delicious. I tried my wife's appetizer of crispy confit of suckling pig with pickled ramps, braised mustard greens, rhubarb mostarda and guanciale vinaigrette. This was another inspired and extremely tasty combination. The pork was confit-tender and totally delicious. Again, the other elements on the plate highlighted the best aspects of the pork without overshadowing it. I didn't get to try a lot of this dish (wonder why? ) but the few bites I had were sensational. For my entree, I ordered the wood-grilled organic pork belly with sweet corn beignets, chantrelles, celery root and maple dijon vinaigrette. This was a show-stopper. I have worked quite a bit with pork belly over the past several months and prepared it in numerous ways -- everything from braising to smoking to curing. I've also ordered it out on a few occasions at some excellent restaurants, yet I was delighted and stunned by the unique flavors this preparation delivered. I'm not sure, but I believe that the generous slab of fork-tender, organic belly had been brined and cooked very slowly to melt out some of the excessive fat. From there it was grilled over wood, which gave it a delectably crispy exterior and a truly unique flavor. It was sublime. All those times I'd crossed paths with pork belly in the past several months and I'd never had anything like this before. The wood-charred element fit so perfectly with the pork, made such perfect sense on my palate that I was stunned by it. "How could I have not have not thought of this before?" I asked myself. "Well, because I'm not a Beard-award winning chef," that's why. I loved this dish. This dish spoke to me. If I can, I will steal this dish and make it at home. Instead of a more traditional dessert, I opted for a terrific selection of artisinal cheeses and accoutrements. I loved the "kit" aspect of the cheese course, since each each cheese was paired with its own "matching" component. A goat's milk from Prairie Fruit Farm in Champaign, IL was paired with pickled asparagus. A cow's milk -- Meadow Creek Mountaineer, from Galax, VA -- was served with balsamic jelly. Another cow's milk -- Jasper Hill Winnermere, from Greensboro VT -- was paired with rhubarb. A sheep's milk -- Brebis Pyrenees, from France -- was served with smoked almonds. And last but certainly not least, a blue sheep's milk -- Persille de Malzieu, also from France -- was served with caramelized onions. These cheeses were delicious and very fun to taste with their designated accompaniments. This rich and varied parade of flavors was was a terrific way to end the meal. We finished up with some glasses of port and amontillado and cups of coffee. Service, provided by Chris, was seamless. He helped us greatly with the wine pairings by tailoring our selections to match up specifically with what we were ordering. He was always nearby, never intrusive and incredibly helpful. We never wanted for anything and when we had questions, he provided detailed, information-filled answers. On this night Blackbird was better than it was the last time I was there and I got the distinct feeling that I was cheating myself by not eating there more often. A friend who works in the loop tells me often that Blackbird is his very favorite restaurant and that he tries to eat there as often as possible. Not only can I understand why, I'm actually more than a little jealous. If I worked in the loop, I'd be lunching at Blackbird once a week, minimum. =R=

Richard, it never loses its magic. Nice job. =R=

I enjoy grass-fed beef but I'm not sure I like it better than standard-issue, prime, aged beef. Grass-fed is considered to be more ecologically friendly, so I do applaud Mr. Kurtis for putting his bucks behind something in which he believes. =R=

Thanks, LAZ, for the additional info. I think that Superdawg also differs from most Vienna products sold in the area in that it's skinless and not a natural casing dog -- although Vienna does make skinless dogs. The pickled tomato is a nice touch. As for the sausage island on the Lou's deep-dish pies, my brother has taken to ordering "sausage balls" when he gets one. He can't handle the standard amount. It's just too much sausage for him. Max's was definitely on our radar that night but after the first 3 stops, we just couldn't make it happen. =R=

I agree Elie, don't give up hope yet. I think tristar and Jason have both given some good advice here. I think you can re-hydrate the exteriors via refrigeration and a bit of added moisture to the point where the interiors can again lose more moisture. If that fails (and if it were my stuff), I'd throw them on the smoker and cook them at a very low temperature (to 160 F internal temp). =R=

Heading to Blackbird tomorrow night and it's been about a year and a half since my last visit . . . really looking forward to it. I'll be sure to report back. =R=

Grass-fed beef from Bill Kurtis' Tallgrass Beef Company is served at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, IL and also at these venues (scroll down for restaurant venues). =R=

Was it fate, circumstance or karma which sunk its talons into the back of my neck and dragged me back to Nite N' Gale yesterday? I'm still not sure but rather than make a stink, I decided to "just go along with it" when my family told me that's where we were going for our 4th of July dinner. Most years, my folks will host a BBQ but this year, since they had just returned from a trip to Prague and Budapest, they opted to go out and they selected the venue. It probably goes without saying that environs-wise, not much had changed at Nite N' Gale since my last visit. And again, the place was packed, with several large parties occupying 6-tops, 12-tops, etc. Ominously, we had a table for 13 in the back of the main dining room. It would be an understatement to say that they were getting slammed. 6 pm on a holiday when not many other places were open . . . and a slew of regulars lining up for their gruel. The details of the meal are only moderately important. Yes, we waited a very long time to place our order. Yes, a few folks in our party sent their entrees back, after (privately) calling them "disgusting." Yes, the orders came out at bizarre intervals. Yes, the pizza and the ribs which I tasted were both burnt. But throughout, it was clear that all the employees were really trying hard to make it work. They were busting their asses and honestly, who knows what the origins of the massive problems really were. I had no idea who hadn't shown up for their shift or what chaos may have been taking place in the kitchen. My goal was a simple one: to get through the meal without complaining and making it worse for anyone else. Yes, I succeeded (until now, of course). At the end of the chaotic but fun meal, which was like a scene from a movie, the host delivered the check to my step-father who was graciously picking up the tab for all of us. She made it very clear that the gratuity had not been included and that he should, under no circumstances, include one. He's a regular there and likes the waitresses. He's known some of them for decades. He wasn't about to punish them by leaving no tip. He was confused so he asked the host if she was suggesting this because the service had been so poor. She nodded. In all my years of eating out, I'd never encountered anything like this -- a manager-type essentially encouraging a customer to stiff the help. IMO, a far more appropriate solution would have been for the host to take responsibility and make deduction off the bill. Please note that no one at the table asked for any sort of compensation at all. In fact, we were all pretty mellow and understanding about the whole matter. These are nice folks, again, working very hard and doing their best. No one was about to start harshing on the help -- especially given that it was a holiday. But I wonder if these hard-working waitrons had any idea that they were being sold out by their host. Maybe, the house would have compensated them after the fact if we had failed to leave a tip. I can only hope so. In any case, step-dad tipped 20% and off we went after another twilight-zone experience at Nite N' Gale. =R=

July 5, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Feeding a need, filling a void...Brian McCormick, in this special to the Tribune, profiles Lisa Gershenson and her catering company J&L Food Services, Inc., which is giving back to the community in a variety of innovative ways. A foundation for blessings...in this special to the Tribune, Maureen Abood reports on the cultural signficance of pita in Lebanon. Also included are recipes and local sources. Culinary museum aims to boost city's reputation...Jennifer Carnig reports on the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation's plans to build a culinary museum and Chicago chefs' hall of fame, and name Charlie Trotter as its inaugural inductee. To brine is divine...in this week's Prep School installment, James P. DeWan extols the virtues of brining. Mealtime help comes naturally...Elizabeth Schiele profiles Mindful Meals in Arlington Heights. Off The Shelf...in this week's installment, Renee Enna reports that Labriola bread is now available at several area Farmers Markets, both in the city and suburbs. Arugula...Joe Gray with a useful guide. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Tastings around town...previews of upcoming food events at Bin 36, Ben Pao, Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club and Di Pescara. Food news...Denise I. O'Neal rounds up the week's food news, including recent roll-outs by Mon Ami Gabi, Tin Fish, Blue Water Grill, Le Colonial Piazza Bella, Zealous and Clark-Coutre Gourmet of LaGrange. From the June 30th edition: Kids' creations spice up the Web -- and Taste...Miriam Di Nunzio checks in with Beard winning sisters Isabella and Olivia Gerasole of Evanston (10 and 8 years-old respectively) and finds out what's cooking at their award-winning web site: www.spatulatta.com. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Chef treats diners to fresh herbs, edible flowers...in this week's Chef du Jourinstallment, Melissa Allen profiles Cesar Najera, executive chef at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle. ===== In the June 30 edition of the Chicago Reader, Kabir Hamid profiles Pat Bertoletti, a student a Kendall College who also puts in some time on the competitive eating circuit. Note: .pdf pages at the Reader's web site load slowly but they do eventually load. ===== =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. <><><><><>

I really hope this is something you can document or at least synopsize; maybe in the cooking forum. =R=

Salty, I agree with you. Due's was always my number one choice and then Gino's, which I feel has slipped a bit over the years. Molto E ← Uno used to be my favorite but a friend warned me that it had declined. I checked it out and sadly, I have to agree with him. Malnati's has been my fave for the past couple of years. I was never much of a Gino's fan. =R=

Folks, those are some very nice pieces of . . . butt Great work. I'm so envious. This is the first 4th of July I can remember on which we haven't hosted an event -- and the event usually includes pork butt -- which I'm only going to see pictures of this holiday. =R=

Just for the record, as bold I have claimed to be, I don't think I would have eaten the green jowl bacon I produced if I hadn't cooked it before eating it. It wasn't moldy though, just slightly tinted. Still, I don't think I would have had the nerve. With whole meats (as opposed to sausage or forcemeat) the risk for something to go wrong is smaller anyway. But cooking it is what actually gave me the peace of mind to try it without feeling like I was being overly risky. =R=

Nick, have you tried this with Wagyu brisket? I was able to get some from my butcher for $6.99/pound untrimmed. Next time my butcher has it, I'm going to make some pastrami. My guess is that it would increase the "luscious" factor over standard brisket because even the flats are extremely well-marbled. =R=

Sign me up for some sort of hors d'ouevre, please. =R=

Flying? We started at 7:45 and didn't get out of there until 1:30AM. We were the last people left! ← With yellow truffle in tow, it usually takes a bit longer than that and there are fewer courses too. Actually, I thought that was a fairly brisk pace last night. There was one moment, maybe about 10:15 pm, when we were asked how the pacing was because there were still about 20 courses ahead. At that point, we decided it would be a good thing to speed it up a bit and our preference was activated. In the end, when there are 31 courses being served, it can only go so fast. =R=

Nice job, tristar! Great-looking stuff. How do the whole mustard seeds come through the grinder? Do most of them stay whole. If so, are they palatable that way? Did you toast them first? And yes, taking pics of one's sausage requires, among other things, great dexterity. =R=

Damn it. I wish I could have been there. Wines? Full summer menu? ← A few familiar dishes, a few summer menu previews, one very special blast from the past (can you say mozzarella ballon? I knew that you could) along with yet another fantastic wine progression. Jason could barely handle it. I don't think he quite knew what to expect and, as such, had a few cocktails next door before our meal. That, as anyone who has been to Alinea knows, was not a wise move. He was most definitely chefg's beeyatch last night. Not to entirely sell him out but there was a point where he had to say "no mas" to his wine progression. To his credit, he did re-engage when we later got to the dessert wines. I, on the other hand, used my experience to gracefully chomp, slurp and inhale my way through the 31 glorious courses which were sent our way last night and only a very small portion of the Tour ended up on my shirt. It was most definitely one of my most notable and memorable Alinea experiences. Having just been there a few weeks ago, it was great to see the how the dishes had evolved; some just slightly and some in very substantial ways. =R=

Luckily, the Chicago city council isn't well enough informed to know about sous vide . . . yet. =R=

Folks, I've cleaned up a bunch of contentious posts that really did not advance the topic at hand. Please, let's all do our best to keep this topic on-course or I will have no choice but to remove it entirely. Carry on! =R=