ronnie_suburban

Thanks, Mark, for the input and information. Price-wise, I think Binny's is very competitive and that's where I go when price is my primary consideration. I like Schaefer's more for their overall selection (food and wine) and the fact that they carry some slightly more obscure items. =R=

More accolades for Chef Bowles. In the February 2005 issue of North Shore Magazine, Sherman Kaplan gives Avenues perfect 20 "K/Rating": Congrats again, Chef Bowles. Great ink! =R=

I love Schaefer's. We used them for our wedding and they came through for us most satisfyingly. They also carry a very nice array of gourmet food products, as well. On Saturdays the whole store becomes one big tasting area which is a lot of fun. And my dad's buried over there at Memorial Park too, so we always get to say "hi." Small world =R=

I'm convinced -- I'm ordering from Jacob's tomorrow morning (I'd much rather call than send them my credit card information via email ). ...though if you think one of the others you mentioned would be a better place to start, please speak up. I'm just assuming that you mentioned them in order of (personal?) preference. ← The Poche's stuff -- which I ordered from cajungrocer.com was amazing -- both their tasso and andouille. And one time, when I had real emergency, I gave them my info over the phone. No problem. The goods were here next business day. I'm sure that others (e.g. Brooks) can guide you through the different brands more deftly than I. I will say that once you get the authentic LA stuff, you'll likely never go back. I won't even think about making jambalaya or gumbo anymore if I don't have the "real" stuff on hand. =R=

Try these: http://shop.bakerscatalogue.com/landing.jsp http://www.pastrychef.com/ =R=

I know it's too late for this weekend but you may want to check out Cajungrocer.com for your future needs. All my dealings with them have been really terrific and the products they carry are fantastic. =R=

According the this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, OvS is also currently offering 1 free, 4 oz. pour with lunch. =R= ← Great. I'm there (even though the wine probably is one of their $15-flight selections). I like this story that also is reached via the above Dish link: "Funny Conversation with the Guy Who Answered the Phone at Reza’s on Clark." ← Agreed . . . on the wine speculation and the Reza's story =R=

According the this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, OvS is also currently offering 1 free, 4 oz. pour with lunch. =R=

Unless you're stranded at 10:30 PM on a very funky corner of the South Side in front of the 24 hour Walgreen's where I was That's probably why they told me that cabs were not "callable". As a matter of fact, most cabs won't even pick you up on the street in that location unless it's a cabbie who works that side of town regularly (I finally got lucky after trying for an hour and got myself to the Checkerboard Lounge in time for the second and third sets). ← Sounds like you made the best of it but yes, the south side can be a whole "nuther" story. . . =R=

I agree with Owen that using a 3rd-party, internet conduit would be a very good idea. You'll likely get a bargain on a room in a desirable area. Neighborhood-wise, I would suggest Gold Coast, River North or the Loop. These locations are only short cab rides away from Alinea (Lincoln Park) and they both offer lots to do if you're coming for a 2-3 day visit. Lincoln Park is also a great neighborhood (for stuff to do) but I can't think of any hotels there off the top of my head. As for cabs, they are definitely "callable" and most any restaurant will be happy to call one for you. And, in most cases, if you take a cab to a destination, the driver will be happy to give you a business card with information needed to arrange your return trip. Since I live here, I'm not the best source of information for someone coming in from out of town. That said, I'll do what I can to answer any questions about visiting Chicago. =R=

Joe Catterson, with whom many of us have conversed this week, won the Jean Banchet Award for Culinary Excellence last Friday: Click here and here for more details. =R=

February 9, 2005... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Top chefs, restaurants get Banchets...Phil Vettel on who won what. Bubbling over with romance...Bill Daley explores the traditionally popular pairing of Valentine's Day and Champagne. Tasting notes are included. Tender to the bone...(borrowing loosely from Ruth Reichl) Steven L. Katz chronicles the popularity of short ribs in Chicago area restaurants and reminds us all just how easy braising is. Prescription chocolate?...Rick Asa explores the likelihood. Sultan's Market...Bill Daley files a Cheap Eats review of this Wicker Park Middle-Eastern. Festival of chocolate...happening this weekend at Garfield Park Conservatory. Ready for anything...in this special to the Tribune, George Erdosh advises on the best methods for making one's kitchen "disaster-ready." ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Picnic with passion...Beverly Levitt provides a road map for a somewhat unconventional Valentine's Day tryst. Flair makes veggies easier to swallow...food editor Sue Ontiveros provides a "spoonful of sugar" to help us with the nasty medicine that is vegetables Black-owned food products subject of monthlong exhibit...Denise I. O'Neal details what some local firms are doing to commemorate Black History Month. Also detailed are upcoming events by Chicagourmets! and Kendall College, Four Seasons and Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Goose Island, Galleria Marchetti, Le Bar Sofitel, X/O, Convito Italiano and Pops for Champagne. ===== From the Chicago Reader...What's New...reviews of Dorado Restaurant, X/O Chicago and Leonardo's. ===== And last but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on the impending July closing of 39-year Chicago veteran, Eli's The Place For Steak. ===== =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.

It is possible to get them even crispier without the flour, but you need meaty wings with some nice skin. If you get your oil blazing hot, have nice meaty wings that won't dry out fast, and don't overcrowd your fryer, you will get a great 'chicken cracklin' effect from the skin, cripsier and chewier than any bread crust. ← And make sure they are as dry as possible before frying. =R=

The print version of the March F&W arrived at my house today. It includes a couple of nice pictures -- not shown on line -- to go along with the story. =R=

Not sure if he is a definitive authority or not but I seem to remember David Rosengarten saying that the original sauce was a 50-50 blend (by volume) of unsalted butter and Franks hot sauce. =R= Edit for clarity

Oh man...those Wolf ovens still have the "pink stuff" on them! Congrats! =R=

Thanks for the link, sapient. Based on the flyers I saw taped to their doors Saturday (described upthread), this news isn't too surprising. It is, however, maddening, to have the suspicions confirmed. Seems like in a Chapter 11, the only folks who don't get reamed are the ones who drove the business into the ground in the first place. =R=

I stopped in there Sat 1/22 and it was obviously in its death throes, as staff was loading a lot of packaged products into large moving boxes. The good news (for me, anyway) was that all their wines, beers and deli products (including interesting cheeses) were 50% off. Much of the stock was rather well picked over, but I still came home with some great deals. ← Now you tell us! =R= ← Well, I did post about it here ← Too many boards, too little time. Actually, I'm surprised I missed that. And I'm very glad that someone (hell, anyone) benefitted from their rapid demise. =R=

I stopped in there Sat 1/22 and it was obviously in its death throes, as staff was loading a lot of packaged products into large moving boxes. The good news (for me, anyway) was that all their wines, beers and deli products (including interesting cheeses) were 50% off. Much of the stock was rather well picked over, but I still came home with some great deals. ← Now you tell us! =R=

As a lifetime Chicago-area resident, I'm feeling almost giddy about Alinea's opening. I also feel fortunate that I will enjoy such ease of access (no air travel required ). If support for Alinea is even a fraction as strong as the pre-opening buzz, it's going to be a very tough reservation. Congrats. The F&W piece is terrific. =R=

Well, that didn't take long . . . the Market at the Glen is officially closed. I stopped by there today in search of some andouille sausage only to see the store shuttered with several notices taped to the front windows. One of the notices was an instructive missive on what (former) employees should do in case they had payroll or benefits issues. Ouch! Sounds like "the art" of deception wasn't necessarily limited to their marketing department. Anyone know what happened, aside from the obvious? =R=

A great piece, by Pete Wells, appears in the March 2005 issue of Food & Wine: Brain Food | Grant Achatz =R=

Add one very special title for me; Monica Bhide's The Everything Indian Cookbook, personally signed by the author herself. :wub: =R=

You may want to try this web site for sake of reference: Chicago Bar Project =R=

I'd definitely love a 30-quart mixer, a commercial-grade deep fat fryer, a self-refrigerated ice cream maker and as long as we're dreaming here, I'll take the deli slicer too. =R=