ronnie_suburban

Of course the chef has the right to do this, but it from a "perpetuating the business" perspective, it isn't a very wise choice. I think it would put off other customers in the restaurant and possibly bring a relatively small problem, experienced by one customer -- and which may have otherwise slipped away -- front and center for every other customer in the restaurant to see; customers who would have been completely unaware of it, otherwise. Instead of one dissatisfied customer, you now have a dining room full of people wondering what the problem is. If I were the owner, I'd really hope for more savvy from my employees. It's all about choices. Some are good for business and some are less good. This seems, for the chef involved, like a basic case of winning the battle and losing the war. The idea is not to be right, it's to keep the restaurant full. =R=

March 16, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Back to nature...from California, Bill Daley reports on how eco-friendly practices are gaining a foothold in the wine industry. Natural progression...in this special to the Tribune, Thomas Washington details the current state of affairs for organic farmers in the Midwest. The Globe Pub & Restaurant...Judy Hevrdejs files a Cheap Eats review of this Irving Park eatery. Catering to the wine and cheese crowd...Sam Hostettler reports on La Belle Garde Manger, a new wine and cheese shop in LaGrange. Whiskey with an 'e'...Johanna Ngoh on the Irish whiskey renaissance. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Irish aye for food...Beverly Levitt brings us one local perspecitve on the St. Patrick's Day holiday. Kick off weekend with Mexican fare...food editor Sue Ontiveros sings the praises of easy-to-prepare Mexican cuisine. Tastings around town...Celest Busk with her weekly round-up of local food-related events. This week's list includes events at Piece, McCormick & Schmick's, Rhapsody and The Chopping Block. Cooking demo planned at flower, garden show...Denise I. O'Neal previews upcoming events at this week's Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier, Chicago Chop House, EJ's Place, Harry Caray's, Heaven on Seven, Petterino's, Scoozi, 312 Chicago and Maggiano's. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Cooking classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== From the Chicago Reader...What's New...reviews of Scylla, Red Ginger and Kizoku Sushi & Sake Lounge. ===== And last but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby interview Michael Kornick about his newly themed "meatball" joint, A Milano, in Northfield, IL. ===== =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.

Personally, I think the bacon fat idea -- which I plan on trying asap -- is sheer genius, but don't tell my cardiologist! =R=

Just yesterday I was discussing with some friends my belief that the bread is possibly the most critical factor in how well "regional" sandwiches play outside of their original regions. Sandwiches like the philly cheesesteak, muffaletta and even the "eye"-talian beef all seem to get lost in region to region translation because the original bread, the vehicle on which the sandwich was conceived, is not available. On that basis, regarding your weck theory, I respectfully disagree. Give me italian beef on gonella or give me death! =R=

LOL! I completely agree about no caffeine/no calorie stuff. But it's bubbly brown water. I really enjoy Diet Barq's too -- it's ubiquitous! =R=

Lately I've really been enjoying the new Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla. It's pretty good in its own right and definitely the break I needed from my #1, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. =R=

More about Ms. Morris from today's Orlando Sentinel.com: =R=

Yes Uno (not to be confused with the "franchise" versions outside of Chicago) still exists and it's basically interchangeable with Due (on Huron, IIRC). They're a block away from each other and are both owned and operated by the same entity. IMO, those 2 and Malnati's are in a class by themselves. But, contrary to what Jason said, I find most Malnati locations to be about the same in quality--very high. Highland Park, Wilmette, etc. are all very good -- as good as Lincolnwood -- with excellent QC across all locations. Lincolnwood is the best -- and sometimes only -- place to sit down and have a deep dish. I'll bet that some fan of Gino's East will sing its praises but that place has always fallen a bit short in my estimation. All that said, I'm more of a thin crust fan. Malnati's actually turns out an excellent one. It's not an East Coast style pie but excellent in it's own right; with a much shorter crust. =R=

It's Ruhlman's fault I keep dreaming of Cleveland . . . that cursed book. Thanks for the updated info, edsel =R=

thanks for the info. I have a 98+ page word document w/all these places I want to try in Chicago, I cut and paste quotes on the places I want to explore. (looks like this was a very old quote! ) ← The landscape changes very, very quickly That's why I always tell people to hit a place when it's hot. If you wait too long it'll end up not being the same experience. Some of the top places are only around -- in their peak form -- for a very short amount of time. =R=

What a coincidence! Last week a friend brought me a Trinidadian cookbook too. Add another one to the tally. =R=

FWIW, Chef Levitski has been at Trio Atelier since it re-opened last August. Pretty sure he was at La Tache before that. =R=

Some years ago my rowdy friends and I went to a now-defunct pizza place, very late on a Sunday night. We'd just gotten off work and our options were limited. We ordered and waited about 30 minutes for the pies to arrive at our table. When we finally dug into the pies, they tasted horribly of soap; completely inedible. We mentioned this to our server who summoned the manager. He had every right to be irritated with us (we were 18, loud and stupid) and he refused believe our claim about the soapy pizzas. Finally, after some wrangling, we convinced him to taste "just one bite" of any of the pies. If he thought we were wrong, we offered, "we'll pay for everything and take the pizzas with us." He finally relented and took a bite. His eyes just about popped out of his head. He grabbed a napkin from the table and spit the unswallowed bite of pizza into it. I think he was delighted to inform us that it was now too late to make us new pizzas. But he happily let us leave without a charge -- not even for the beverages we'd consumed while waiting. =R=

It may be too early to say, but judging from some posts in other threads, it looks like Alinea may already be there (and it's not even open yet!) ← I definitely agree that Alinea has the potential to be the crown jewel of the Chicago dining scene. But, considering that it hasn't opened, it's just not fair to anoint it just yet. In the current landscape of perception, the answer is "no." I think that Charlie Trotter is at the top of the pyramid and is widely considered to be, for the most part, without peer. He's a Chicago icon and even though there may be better restaurants in Chicago (based on one's subjective criterium), I believe his status is fairly solid as the Chicago dining destination. =R=

It's been a busy week but I did not want to neglect mentioning the fantastic brunch we had at PGC last Saturday morning. I had the best order of eggs benedict I can remember ever having (even better than I had at the Ritz, and far superior to what I've ever been served at Brennans). My wife ordered the eggs in crispy potato skins topped with sour cream and scallions -- Yum! A truly inspired dish. The boyo had the scrambled eggs, potatoes and sausage which was also a great plate. Just like the lamb and italian sausage on PGC's dinner menu, these sausages are made by Chef Bumbaris on premises and are simply tremendous. In the case of the breakfast sausage, it was flavored with ancho chilis and is intensely satisfying -- a surprisingly perfect match for the eggs and potatoes. The potatoes were also noteworthy. Flavored with a hint of onion they were diced into cubes which were tender inside, crispy outside and intensely flavorful. We also ordered a hot cinnamon roll for the table. This is normally an item I wouldn't even bother with -- but because we were at PGC -- we decided to give it a whirl and we were literally fighting over it before we quickly polished it off. Damn! There was a also a long list of very tempting alcoholic and non-alcoholic breakfast beverages. This time around I passed but at the proper occasion, I could easily see myself quaffing a few Deluxe Bloody Maries (topped with jumbo shrimp and bleu cheese) or a Cranberry Fizzes. On this occasion, it was a diet coke with a slice of lemon. My only minor qualm is that -- compared to breakfast at other venues -- it was a bit pricey. The brunch was $43 plus tax and tip for the 3 of us. But again, we ordered couple extra "taster" items and for the quality of the food we were served, I would even go so far as to say it was a value. So, it is relatively expensive for breakfast (not necessarily for brunch) and absolutely worth the extra bucks if you're in the mood for a top-quality dining experience. =R=

From AP, via Chicago Tribune: American culinary history center opens =R=

March 9, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: 'Second best' can make for a winner...Tribune food and wine reporter Bill Daley goes bargain hunting. Tasting notes are included. A humble history...Chris McNamara files this special which chronicles the evolution of Irish Stew. More reasons to get some Cs...Janet Helm discusses some less well-known benefits of ascorbic acid. From Auld Sod to Emerald Isle...Robin Mather Jenkins reviews Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles and Fools: 80 Glorious Desserts, by Margaret M. Johnson. Fox and Hound Smokehouse and Tavern...Renee Enna files a Cheap Eats review of this Arlington Heights eatery. Tuma: Lost and found...Renee Enna reports on tuma and a bunch of other excellent products that can be found at Caputo Cheese Market in Melrose Park. Coffee Fest 2005 all abuzz with java trends...Chris McNamara files this report from the recently-completed event at Navy Pier. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Empty stomach + no plan = poor lunch...food editor Sue Ontiveros on the importance of planning for a good lunch. China Grill expands options with new menu...Denise I. O'Neal reports on upcoming programs at China Grill foodlife, Geja's, The Beverly Arts Center and McCormick and Schmick's to name just a few. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Smith & Wollensky, The Artisan Cellar Fine Wine Shop and Gourmet Market, Suzette's Creperie, one sixtyblue, The Chopping Block, and Magnum's-Lombard. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Cooking 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 on what's coming in the space formerly occupied by recently-closed Saiko. ===== =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, supercheesewiz, to the eGullet forums. It's very nice to have you with us. Thanks for the tips. =R=

Exactly. There is a point where it just changes. =R=

Outstanding! I can't wait to hear how it turns out. =R=

Welcome to the eGullet forums, Chef. It's great to have you with us. Please, don't be a stranger. =R=

Welcome to the eGullet forums, Heather. Can you give us some more details about the products you carry? Your store sounds intriguing. =R=

Please share if it's okay with those whose information you're passing on. I'm sure many of our members -- myself included -- would be very interested. =R=

Lunch today, from PGC, was outstanding. I had the skirt steak with chard and white beans. It was cooked perfectly, held up well in transit and tasted great. I also had the cream of parsnip soup which I really enjoyed. The items ordered by my cohorts (burger, penne, salads) also made the trip well and all 6 of us were happy. Packaging was good and condiments, napkins and utensils were included in abundance. As expected, the overall experience wasn't quite as good as eating in the restaurant. One big difference is that you don't have baskets of hot, freshly-baked bread being dropped on your table throughout the meal. But, it was damn good for carry out and really compared favorably to those other places I mentioned upthread. It was as good or better food-wise and was in the exact same ball park, price-wise. I'm fairly certain PGC will become part of the regular lunch rotation here at our office. I also really can't wait to try out their brunch menu, something that I plan on doing, on premises, asap. =R=

We had RC again tonight as we do almost every week. I wanted to mention it because this thread's active again and there is no end to the (seasoning, etc.) variations that can applied deliciously to this dish. Lately, I've been enjoying it with fresh ground corriander, cumin and turmeric. Yum! Also, I want to confirm what others have posted: this is one of those dishes that does require some flexibility and adjustability in its cooking method. No 2 heads of cauliflower are alike and there are probably other variables that affect cooking time -- even when using the same oven each time. The bottom line is you have to watch it closely and in some cases allow as much as an hour of oven time. As I posted somewhere upthread, I've found that I prefer convecting the product for about the last minutes but ymmv. Tonight, my wife was bummed because she felt like she burned it but I thought it was a glorious batch. Again, ymmv. =R=