ronnie_suburban

I've added 8 more in the past week. First, I picked up a $3.00 edition (used/like new) of Nigel Slater's Toast. Of course, now that it's been nominated for a Beard Award, the price on used copies plummeted this week by about $10. Go figure. And while they are not yet in hand, I also ordered 7 used volumes of the Time-Life Good Cook Series, to finally complete my set! =R=

In their May 2005 issue (not available on-line), Chicago Magazine names Vie one of the Top 20 New Restaurants of the Year and also names chef/owner Paul Virant as the Best New Chef. Congrats to chef Virant and his crew! =R=

April 13, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Aromatherapy...Virginia Gerst explores the connection that (local) chefs -- like Achatz and Cantu -- are making between aroma and appetite. Hey, syrah, hurrah!...Bill Daley provides background, a brief history and tasting notes on the ancient syrah. Let's Go Bistro...Janet Franz files a Cheap Eats review of this Downers Grove bistro. With the local produce season just upon us, Holly Shiver previews asparagus and Annette Gooch previews leeks. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: They deliver!...Tom McNamee with some advice and lore on the arcane craft of the delivery guy. The new switcheroo: oil replaces butter...food editor Sue Ontiveros tracks what could be a new trend: substituting oil olive for butter. Trotting out chefs for benefit...Denise I. O'Neal previews the upcoming Beard Foundation support dinner at Charlie Trotter's. Guest chefs will include Trotter alums Grant Achatz (Alinea), Homaro Cantu (moto) and Graham Elliot Bowles (Avenues), to name just a few. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Galleria Marchetti, Greenhouse at the Ritz-Carlton, Sushisamba Rio, Pops for Champagne, Geja's Cafe and Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Tiny Belgium produces big, bold beers...food editor Deborah Pankey provides a useful primer on Belgian brews. Fresh asparagus comes into its own in spring...Don Mauer on the virtues of one of the season's finest early arrivals. ===== And last but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on the newest incarnation of Bin 36 -- a "mini" bin slated to bow in Wicker Park by Labor Day. ===== =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.

In doing some reseach for another thread it came to my attention that Crofton on Wells has a beautiful web site and I wanted to provide a link: Crofton on Wells =R=

From Michael Kornick's letter to the Chicago Tribune linked above: Well, clearly not everyone. It's a nice letter of support from a friend which seems to completely disregard many facts about the situation, like Trotter's vitriol, for example. =R=

From the review linked above: Edited to add: It's definitely worth mentioning that the review linked and quoted above was penned by Rick Nelson who is also nominated for Beard Awards in journalism this year -- in 2 separate categories. =R=

Thanks for bringing that up. Illinois legislators are currently considering S.B. 413, introduced by Senator Kathleen Wojcik (R, 28). This legislation would prohibit force feeding birds. This cruel method is used to turn duck and goose livers into the "delicacy" known as pâté de foie gras. S.B. 413 unanimously passed the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday, March 9th. It will soon be considered on the Senate floor. Your help is needed now! Liver and let live related to Sen.Wojcik's bill. Mark Caro's article came hot behind the heels of Sen.Wojcik's bill. Trotter, as ronnie_suburban suggested had nothing to do with Alderman or Wojcik's proposed legislation. Caro approached Trotter. Caro carried the messages from Tramonto to Trotter. The tilt of his article was on Trotter's comments rather than The new one proposing a ban on consumption/possession of foie gras is not yet passed. That one would be Sen. Joe Alderman in Ill. The proposal to ban possession/consumption of foie gras was already considered prior to the Trotter interview. From here At the end of the day, it makes no difference. Unless someone is looking for someone else to blame. Legislation also is being considered in Oregon, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts that would make it a criminal act even to possess the delicacy. Activists recently persuaded about 10 restaurants to stop serving foie gras in Pittsburgh. edit: additional data here dated March 14, 2005. SB 861 in Oregon was proposed March 7, 2005, iirc. The issue of banning foie gras production and banning possession blurs. Sen. Wojcik, for example, assured when her bill was passed that restaruants can continue to serve foie gras, but there was no space in Ill to set up foie gras farms. Her words: Her legislation was approved without opposition by a Senate committee Wednesday and moves to the Senate floor. No businesses operate in Illinois that force-feed birds. Wojcik wants to keep it that way. The practice was recently banned in California, and many European countries have done the same. "No one is going to be harmed in Illinois," Wojcik said. "The restaurants can still purchase their foie gras. All we're saying is that if you're planning on coming to Illinois and starting a business to do something like this, then the door is closed." I hope this helps. ← Again, the Chicago bill has not yet been voted upon. And it's pretty clear that Trotter's very public comments (voiced in various recent articles and columns) will have some effect on how the council eventually votes -- since its members often seek the safety of "expert" opinions before taking positions on issues. I hope that the members of the city council will dismiss Trotter's comments entirely and vote not to intervene in what we eat. =R=

Depending on which side of the issue one stands, that could just as easily be credit being hoisted. But, the way political issues snowball (especially in Chicago) I think it's naive to assume that Trotter's influence isn't being felt on this issue -- regardless of whether one would define it as blame or credit. =R= ← Wrong. A simple search will show you that this Legislation also is being considered in Oregon, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts that would make it a criminal act even to possess the delicacy. Activists recently persuaded about 10 restaurants to stop serving foie gras in Pittsburgh. ..appeared way before the Chicago Tribune article, Liver and let live(march 29th, 05). In fact, I would hazard a guess that the swirling rumours about the foie gras ban was what made Trotter's previous comments(I wonder *when* they were made) to Phil Vettel an interesting story for Mark Caro. Remember that it was he who approached Trotter and not the other way around. When it comes to media news, everything hinges upon who gets to the public first. If the pro-foie gras people make the announcement first, they get an upper hand. If the anti-foie gras people make the announcement first, they can grab the public's attention first. The article's very obvious pro-foie gras tilt and the fact that Trotter was approached by the media rather than the other way around is a classic 'pre-emptive' strike. I dont know whether it was intentional or if it just happened that way. Whatever it was, it had an effect that benefits one player in the story more than the other. ← You can choose to discount Trotter's specific influence on this issue in Chicago. I won't. This is a bandwagon issue for the Chicago City Council and once Trotter's stance came to light, the landscape changed. I'm not claiming that the issue started (locally) with Trotter, only that he's given it legs, whether he intended to or not. Thus, blame (or credit). =R=

Depending on which side of the issue one stands, that could just as easily be credit being hoisted. But, the way political issues snowball (especially in Chicago) I think it's naive to assume that Trotter's influence isn't being felt on this issue -- regardless of whether one would define it as blame or credit. =R=

If the ban is enacted, would it be fair to blame it on Trotter (at least in part)? It seems like whether he intended to or not, he lent the "anti" side a lot of credibility on this issue. I cannot believe that such a bill, in a city that is essentially a meat capitol, would even be considered and yet here we are. =R=

It would be hard to take any municipality's food seriously, where the government has intent to stomp on menus in this manner. In a "serious restaurant town,"chefs and the marketplace determine what gets eaten, not partially informed politicians who are simply pandering for votes. =R=

By any measure, an "on-board" discussion of Cleveland's dining scene (save for specific meeting plans) would be of great benefit to all of us and stand as a useful resource, going forward. So, I highly encourage it. =R=

Anyone suprised to see Everest nominated in the "Outstanding Restaurant" category? =R=

Chicago Magazine's Dish reports that the new location will be 2165 North Western Avenue and that the restaurant will re-open "within a week to 10 days." =R=

Almost correct Ron. Working chef for 5 years; in the region for three. The exact quote from the eligibility standards is: Nominees may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as chefs for at least five years. The three most recent years must have been spent in the region in which the chef is being nominated. ← Thanks, Michael, for the clarification. =R=

Here is a link to the list of the 2005 nominees: 2005 Beard Award Nominees (Press Release) Nominees, Best Chef: Midwest Sandro Gamba NoMi Chicago, IL Michael Kornick MK Chicago, IL Tony Mantuano Spiaggia Chicago, IL Shawn McClain Spring Chicago, IL Lucia Watson Lucia's Minneapolis, MN Edit to add: Nominees need to have cooked in the region for 5 years to be eligible for this award. =R=

From the Chicago Reader: =R=

April 6, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: A fish tail tasting...Only in Chicago; Bill Daley searches out the perfect wine to pair with smelt. Tasting notes are included. The 10 essentials...Virginia Gerst outlines the 10 items with which every beginning cook should outfit his or her kitchen. Cafe Hoang...Bill Daley files a Cheap Eats review of this Argyle Street Vietnamese/Thai cafe. A visual taste of Italian food...in this special to the Tribune, Nancy Maes previews the Fifty Years of Italian Cuisine exhibit running through April 22 at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (Italian Cultural Institute). The Kitchens of Biro...a brief blurb previewing this cooking show which features Marcel and Shannon Kring Biro and their culinary school and restaurant in Sheboygan, WI. More reasons to get some Cs...dietitian and nutrition consultant Janet Helm sings the praises of ascorbic acid. Y'all line up for serving of Paula Deen hospitality...Judy Hevrdejs checks in from Paula Deen's recent appearance at Marshall Fields on State Street, where over 400 of her fans showed up to mingle with her. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Rating a week's worth of frozen meals...it's Sandy Thorn Clark with the frozen score card. Bakers to test art vs. world...Jennifer Olvera catches up with Wilmette resident Jory Downer, co-owner of Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston on the eve of the annual Coupe du Monde which will take place in Paris on April 17. Rainbow salts ravish connoisseurs' palates...Debra Hale Shelton takes a long, informative look at salt varietals. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at the Hyatt Regency, Convito Italiano, Pili Pili, Que Syrah and Chef's Station. What's coming up?...Denise I. O'Neal previews a "backyard gardens" workshop coming up at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== And last but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report that Eric Aubriot will be the "starting chef" at Narra in the Hotel Orrington. Jacky Pluton has been the soon-to-open restaurant's "concept" chef and he has a long-standing relationship with Aubriot. ===== =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.

Welcome aboard, Chef. Thanks for the post and your offer to respond to questions and other inquiries about your restaurant. We've had a fair amount of questions about Cleveland -- and Ohio in general -- lately. Hopefully some of the posts on those thread have been of use to you -- and hopefully, in spite of your not getting out much, you'll have something to add in that area as well. Again, it's nice to have you with us =R=

I too am also on the outside, looking in but I'd love to see Carrie Nahabedian get a nod. I think that if this year were next, Chef Bowles could very well win a nomination. But, he's been at Avenues for less than a year so I think he's a long shot this time around. Jacky Pluton is also a very good guess but the national media seem to say more good things about Pluton than locals, who -- by my unofficial tally -- are fairly mixed about the place. What about Shawn McClain? Green Zebra is as hot as a Chicago restaurant has been over the past year and Spring has quickly become an institution. Is there enough buzz about Alinea for Chef Achatz to get a nod this year as Best Chef Midwest? He hasn't cooked at a restaurant since July '04 but there's always a chance. If not, I see him as the front-runner for next year's award. =R=

Very quickly, aside from Richardson's the other places of note where we ate: Pizzeria Bianco 623 E Adams St Phoenix, AZ 85004 Phone: (602) 258-8300 Tex-Az Grill 6003 N 16th St Phoenix, AZ 85016 Phone: (602) 248-7827 TexAz Grill web site House of Hong 3231 S Mill Ave Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone: (480) 921-3882 Hohokam Park 1235 N Center St Mesa, AZ 85201 Phone: (480) 644-4451 (just kidding about this one ) I also have a fairly long list of places we wanted to try but couldn't get to . . . =R=

From the Moskowitz review: Wow! Does that sound delicious! =R=

Hello, Some one just emailed me this thread. I'm very new to egullet. I'm the co-leader for slow food wisconsin southeast and a chef. It looks like your getting some good ideas. If you need some more from Wisconsin or surounding states I or the leader could help. Go Slow! Chef Jack PS Thats Sarah for passing this on! ← Welcome, Chef Jack! Please share any ideas you may have. I'd love for this thread to become a living resource for all of us, going forward. =R=

Not sure, but I believe this is some new information. I scrolled back a ways and didn't see a link for it, but I may have missed it. My apologies if this has already been posted: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations =R=

Exactly, George. I think Crofton on Wells may be the best restaurant that no one talks about. I'm really glad to read the positive report. =R=