ronnie_suburban

Thanks for the report, Eliot. This question is for everyone who's been to Custom House . . . we have some friends coming in from out of town next week and we're all very tempted to try Custom House. Since our friends are only going to be here for 1 restaurant meal, we're wondering if Custom House is, at this stage, the right choice. I'm not talking about 'down the road' but for essentially right now. Thoughts? Thanks =R=

Chicago is lucky to have so many top-tier chefs - ChefGEB certainly among the best of them - but I'm wondering if Chef Shawn recognized another renowned chef and treated him specially, or can us plebeians expect similar treatment? ← There is a lengthy discussion about some related issues taking place here. =R=

Wow! Anthony, those dishes look absolutely delicious. Thank you for taking the time to share your great pics with us . . . again. =R=

November 20, 2005... Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, area food sections will run throughout the week. Please check back here for updates. From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Shifting courses...Bill Daley takes a cue from the eGS and explores new takes on Thanksgiving traditions. Learning curves...In his weekly Prep School installmant, James P. DeWan lays out the basics of pureed soups. Ripe for the sipping...Bill Daley explores the unheralded world of non-grape fruit wines. Tasting notes are included. Sweet potatoes...Donna Pierce with a useful guide. Deus Brut des Flandres...Jeff Boda with his Beer of the Month installment. ===== From the November 21 edition of the Chicago Sun Times - Food section: The stuff of tradition: 'Slider' stuffing...Lezli Bitterman provides the holiday recipe for which we've all been waiting. Turkey, on the fly...Sandy Thorn Clark visits with Kevin Hickey, the executive chef at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago, and learns about some of his Thanksgiving traditions. Recipes are included. Ethnic groups mix native foods with turkey...Leah A. Zeldes reports on the great variety of spins which are applied to Turkey preparation at Thanksgiving. New pastry chefs as Coco Pazzo, Carnivale...brief, uncredited blurbs about the new positions of Erika Masuda and Christine McCabe, respectively. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Park Grill (Millennium Park), Nine Steakhouse, Banana Moon and Fulton Lounge. From bakery to rotisserie, eatZi's rolls it all out...Denise I. O'Neal takes a look at this national chain which is trying to establish roots in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. ===== From the November 21 edition of the Daily Herald - Food section: Turkey tips: Cook bird upside down, wrap stuffing in cheesecloth...in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, food editor Deborah Pankey provides some cooking tips. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeffy Ruby round up the best spots in town for those who are going out for Thanksgiving dinner. ===== =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 always enjoy your perspective, George. Thanks for the detailed write-up. I almost feel like I was there with you -- and certainly wish I had been! =R= p.s. no shaming intended . . .

Good question, Bill. It's just about ready for a sharpening so I will find out shortly and report back. I'm pretty sure there are details in the literature which came with the knife but they're at my house so I don't have access at the moment. My guess is the former, but I'll try to get a definitive answer. =R=

Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you. =R= ← Ronnie: That's a nice looking knife. What's the approximate cost of one of those? Thanks, Bill ← It was right around $200 US, iirc. So, definitely a bit pricier than the standard brands like Henckels or Wustoff. But, still less costly than a custom unit from Bob Kramer's Bladesmiths. Too bad you couldn't make it to Varmint's Pig Pickin' over Labor Day weekend, I brought it with me and would have gladly let you help me break down that crate of tomatoes =R=

Yes, I am a lefty and it's completely comfortable. I'm at my office now but I'm reasonably sure that the handle is symmetrical. If you want to check them out, many Williams Sonoma stores carry them . . . perhaps there's one near you. =R=

Yes, I have it and I absolutely love it. It feels great in my hand, is a very nice weight and holds its edge for a long time. It took me a while to get used to the substantial curve (rock?) of the blade, but now that I have, it's my current favorite. I'm used to a more traditional and longer knife. I often use a Henckels 10" chef which has almost no rock. It's also a bit heavier. But the adjustments I made in getting used to this knife have been pleasant ones. I find that I can do more work before my hands get tired and I can perform a more diverse group of tasks with this knife. For all its variability, it's quite substantial. Unlike my Santoku which I just think is simply too light, this knife has the perfect heft, IMO. One other thing . . . since the back of the blade is curved, it's excellent for removing the mash from corn cobs. It doesn't spray all over the place. =R=

I heard great things about Custom House from a friend who was there last week. I hope he'll post about it Pugman, that is a great price for the lunch you described. I really can't wait to try it out. =R=

Dean, Our meal was fantastic. And I've been working on a post about it but I keep getting waylaid. Let's see what I can recall off the top of my head . . . Even the whole-grain breadsticks which we received at the start were distinctive. They were absolutely delicious; nicely salty and with a perfect hint of rosemary. A very portentious start, as it turned out. We ordered the Mushroom and Yukon Gold appetizer described above by Bret and, without wanting to step on any toes, the four of us were nearly clanking forks trying to snarf it down. We all thought it was delicious. From there, the meal just got more enjoyable. Different strokes and all, I guess. For my appetizer, I ordered a terrific salad of Field Greens, Serrano ham, Aged Asiago Cheese and Brittle Pear Wafers. It was served with an Orange-Garlic vinaigrette that was sublime. The flavors married up well together and the salad was just excellent. And I personally liked the "riff" on ham and cheese, that being in Milwaukee, provided me with a chuckle. This salad was so great, even my shirt loved it My wife's appetizer was the Shrimp and Pea Ravioli with Green Papaya Salad and Thai Curry Broth. I was expecting that this dish would perhaps be a milder "esque" version but instead, it blew us away with its heat and distinctively bright flavors. I also tasted the signature Grilled Pear and Gorgonzola Tart with Caramelized Onions and Walnuts. Damn! It was just out of this world. I can see why it's become one of Sanford's signature items. With the appetizers we enjoyed a bottle of 2001 Weinbach Cuvee St. Catherine Clos du Capucins. It was absolutely fantastic and paired up very nicely with my appetizer. My entree was the Seared Sea Scallops and Lobster on Kohlrabi and Tarragon Potatoes with Red Wine Lobster Sauce. This dish really hummed. The seafood was incredibly fresh and cooked to delicate perfection. I love kohlrabi and this was absolutely delicious . . . tender, starchy (but not overly so) and packed with flavor. The sauce tied the dish together very nicely. My wife ordered the Grilled Breast of Duck with Parsley Napkin Dumplings and Bacon Paprika Vinaigrette. Duck, bacon, paprika . . . hard to go wrong there and this dish was fantastic. The vinaigrette was "dip worthy" and I was happy that I had some great house-baked bread to sop it up. With the entrees, we had a 2000 Domaine Leroy Auxey-duresses. As much as I loved the first wine, this one was even more enjoyable. Again, it paired nicely with my entree but this would have been good with anything. It was liquid velvet in a bottle. Both wines were selected by our friend Greg. He's a wine maven and I highly recommend taking him along to any dinner you might be attending. Desserts, ordered at the outset, were also remarkable. We each ordered a tart: Plum, Banana, Cherry (actually a Clafoutis in tart form) and Macadamia Nut, the last of which was the hands-down winner, but they were all great. Macadamia nuts just become something else when they are warmed and served just slightly soft. Wow! And even better than the tarts were the house-made ice creams served alongside them. I especially love the Banana Rum version served with the Banana Tart but the Cinnamon version which was served with the Plum tart was among the best ice creams I've ever had. The Coconut and Morello Chery ice creams (served with the Macadamia Tart and Cherry Clafoutis, respectively) were also fantastic. It's no surprise that in the Dairyland that is Wisconsin, they turn out great ice cream. I believe that Sanford could close up his place, open an ice cream shop and become wildly successful all over again. Service was exceptional and friendly. Sanford and Angie were very kind to us as was everyone else at Sanford. Even the valet had great advice for us on how to best navigate the annoying closure of I-794 on our way home. As expected, prices were a bit lower than they would have been at the same dinner in Chicago -- a bonus! But let me say that meal would have been worth it even Chicago price levels. Dinner at Sanford was a truly great dining experience and one that I hope to repeat in the near future. =R= Sanford Restaurant 1547 N Jackson St Milwaukee, WI 53202 414 276-9608

There was a warning. ← Thanks, Adam. I'd read that up top but also wanted to respond to the "absolute" tone of a few other replies. I should have been more clear. =R=

There's a big difference between teaching children where food comes from and subjecting them to possibly traumatic footage without warning. I love meat and my son knows full well where it comes from but if he were 2 or 3 years old (rather than 8), I wouldn't have wanted him to see this. It would have bothered him at that stage of his life and I believe that certain lessons should be taught when the child is ready, not strictly on principle. =R=

November 16, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Tried & true...The Tribune solicited input from its readers about favored Thanksgiving recipes and Robin Mather Jenkins reports on the "bounty" of responses which were received. A game plan for turkey...from the Tribune's Test Kitchen, Donna Pierce delivers some guidance and tips for successful turkey cooking. An American pioneer...Bill Daley explains why Zinfandel is his choice for the Thanksgiving day table. Tasting notes are included. A bakery from a true believer...Abby Polonsky visits The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago's Ukrainian Village. Asian pears...Bill Daley files this useful guide. Stuff the bird, not yourself...nutritionist Janet Helm with the perfunctory (okay, it's sincere ), pre-Thanksgiving eating advice. Pie lovers, don't make these mistakes...Renee Enna extracts and delivers some useful information from Anne Dimock's memoir, Humble Pie: Musings on What Lies Beneath the Crust. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Turkey with a twist...Sandy Thorn Clark visits with chef Maurice Bonhomme of Pane Caldo and learns how he puts his own personal twist on Thanksgiving dinner. Round out the meal...Leah A. Zeldes files this seasonally-appropriate story about pies, their history and their multiple variations. Recipes are included. A Thanksgiving meal like you've never had...Janet Rausa Fuller dips into on the newly-released "Holiday Pack" from the Jones Soda Company which includes flavors like Turkey & Gravy and Wild Herb Stuffing. Drinking up benefits of beer...Sandy Thorn Clark reports on the potential health benefits of beer. Food news...Denise I. O'Neal rounds up the week's local food news with blurbs about Martha Stewart's upcoming appearance in Chicago and holiday programs at NoMi and The Dining Room of The Ritz Carlton. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Kiki's Bistro, Pops for Champagne, Mon Ami Gabi, El Jardin and the Chicago Athletic Association. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Yum-yum! Cranberry-flavored gelatin on my holiday table...food editor Deborah Pankey shares a few Thanksgiving food ideas. From the chemistry lab to the kitchen...Laura Bianchi reports on how former high-school chemistry teacher Jake Jacobson applies skills from his former trade to his current one, in the catering industry. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeffy Ruby round up the best spots in town for those who are going out for Thanksgiving dinner. ===== =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.

Jean, here's a thread in which we recently discussed food destinations in and around Evanston: Where to eat pastries in Evanston, IL, and surrounding area. That thread, I believe, is a very good start but I'm sure there are other places in the area that we have, so far, neglected to include. =R=

George, You may also want to try Niman Ranch for a commensurate product. I haven't had time to fully peruse their site this morning. =R=

A bit of good news/PR about Jean-Robert at Pigall's from Cincinnati.com: Pigall's inducted into elite restaurant group =R=

I think Lucia's Restaurant in MN was nominated last year in the Midwest category but yes your point is spot on. That was a notable exception to the trend. =R=

And said comparison will be happening in Atlanta, right? ← My guess is maybe Seriously, having only been there a few times, I just don't know. Lobel's would have been my first suggestion but it would probably be worth a call to Zier's. I doubt they carry it at Moo & Oink. =R=

i don't believe it. you'll have to show me. bornhofen's rulz! ← It'll be a pleasure to compare and contrast the 2, meatily speaking =R=

I definitely will. I think I'll be in their neighborhood later this week. =R=

Finally tried it! Posted about it here. =R=

eGS member budrichard mentioned Zier's in this thread and after driving past it a few times and stopping by once on a Monday when it was closed, I finally made it to Zier's. It was definitely worth the wait. I've now been in a couple of times and Zier's meats are as good as any I've ever had. The first time in, I bought some rib eyes, some skirt steaks and a few smoked meat snacks. The skirt steaks were tremendous. In fact, they were every bit as good as the skirts which inspired me to start the Reagan's thread linked above. The smoked meats, cured in house and smoked in a true smokehouse, were fantastic. I tried jerkey, beef sticks and dried polish sausage. All 3 were excellent but the polish sausage trumped the others by a mile. The rib eyes, I overcooked. They were still okay, but I did not give them a fair chance. Happily, part of the reason for my miscue is that at Zier's the steaks are cut to order. I wasn't really prepared to answer when propietor Dave Zier asked me how thick I wanted them. I'm used to simply pointing at the steaks I want. So, I held my fingers apart about 3/4" and ended up with steaks exactly that size but, a bit thinner than I usually end up with. Later that night, grilling in the early dark of standard time, I overcooked them to medium well. They were dry. It was totally my fault. My next trip in, I again asked for ribeye. I watched Dave remove the large cut of Prime, aged beef from the case between us, place it on his cutting board, and remove the very end of it effortlessly, with a supremely sharp knife. When he looked up and asked the question, this time I was ready. "Oh about and inch and quarter" I said casually. Cooked ideally to medium-rare, those steaks were just out of this world. I've had plenty of great steaks before and I grill steaks from great butchers all the time (usually with great success ) These were at the top of the pyramid. The meat was -- dare I say it -- like butter. And while it they were plenty well-marbled, these were not a fatty steaks. Even the solid line of fat which runs through the rib-eye was atypically small. I just could not believe how great they were. I also picked up a piece of cured, smoked brisket. Again, this product is cured in-house and then smoked in a smoke-house. Dave told me that it was basically "like bacon." In many ways, it is because what looks like corned beef to the naked eys, has more in common with bacon, on the flavor side. Yet it is clearly beefy too. Really delicious stuff. The only way I can compare Zier's to other butchers is to say that it is, after a couple of initial visits, on a par with the best of them. There are other butchers about whose product I could say (and have said) very similar things. Ultimately, for whatever variety of reasons, the flavor profile of the meat (cooked and fresh) at Zier's is unique. Between that and the clearly outstanding quality of their products, I'm really pleased to have been "tipped off" about this place. =R= Zier's Prime Meats 813 Ridge Avenue Wilmette, IL 847 251-4000

I agree about Tiffin . . . love it there. This news distresses me because I've heard so many good things about Bhabi's and have always wanted to try it. Is it possible that their recent problems are temporary and could subside somewhat after the expansion takes root? =R=

Having just finished reading the book I feel that even its highlights are somewhat tainted for me by the credibility gap which has been brought to light here. And before anyone jumps all over me, I'm referring specifically to the credibility gap presented by the author of the book himself, in this post. At the very least, it was a missed bet to not include such a seemingly important moment in the book. And I suppose, that at 31 years of age, the author may not possess the wisdom to understand the significance of the moment. Still, for me, the fact that the moment doesn't appear in the book leads to unavoidable questions about what appears (and what doesn't) throughout the rest of the book. For example, there is another moment in the book where Psaltis describes a conversation he had with Thomas Keller in which he (Psaltis) tells Keller that he doesn't see eye to eye with Keller or his cuisine and that FL's food is more focused on visual elements than on flavor. Psaltis writes: It's a great moment and arguably the most dramatic one in the entire book but I find myself wondering whether it really happened the way it was described. Because of the omission referenced above, I can't help but get the feeling that Mr. Psaltis may not have a clear perception of himself. And even if one is willing to accept that his omissions and embellishments are entirely a function of the subconscious (and occur naturally or without any particular agenda), they diminish the value of this account for me quite a bit. And again, I don't know Doug Psalits. I'm speaking specifically about the book itself. For all his accomplishments and clearly rapid ascent through the ranks, Psaltis is a relatively obscure figure. For me, that makes many of the personal details which appear in the book uninteresting. Perhaps if he were more of a star, I'd care more about his "on again, off again" relationship with Nora. Instead, the relationship as described, primarily lends credence to the possibility that Mr. Psaltis' interpersonal skills may not be well-honed. The relative self-isolation he describes throughout the book leads me to the same conclusion. Viewing the slap through that context, it's easier to see, perhaps, why it may have not been included in the book. It is entirely possible that the socially-underdeveloped Psaltis may simply have not understood how significant a moment it was. Still, if an author lacks that kind of wisdom, it doesn't bode well for the value of his memoirs -- even if the omission is a genuine one. I did learn a bunch, however, from reading this book. I got a great feel for the ultra-competitive NYC restaurant scene -- from an angle I hadn't really enjoyed before. The details about Ducasse's operations are absolutely riveting. The sequence when Psaltis learns that he'll be going to stage at Louis XV in Monaco is a great one. And the time he spends in Monaco is well-described and quite interesting. The bottom line for me is that the book raises a lot more questions than it answers. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I also don't believe it was the author's intention. As a relative neophyte to the world of fine dining and top kitchens, I was happy to have learned a quite a bit from reading it. I do wonder what we'll see in the future from Psaltis. Will he write another book? Will he, at some point, look back on this one with a more mature eye? As a chef, Psaltis surely may have been "seasoned" but as a person, he seems to have missed that same process. But then again, at 31 I could have easily said the same thing about myself . . . well maybe not, but others surely would have. =R=