ronnie_suburban

LMAO! Thanks, MSPD, for the wonderful verse. =R=

December 22, 2004... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Holiday simple...Bill Daley rounds up a few cookbooks which focus on "simplifying" food preparation at holiday time. A kick from Champagne...Bill Daley guides us through the x's and o's of a favorite holiday libation, sparkling wine. Some useful tasting notes are included. Stocking up on healthful reading...Dietitian and nutrition consultant Janet Helm files this special in which she lists her favorite food & nutrition books of the year. Feasting on good fortune...Donna Pierce explores the "good fortune" angle of different cultural takes on the New Year's menu. A user-friendly approach to wine...Brian McCormick takes us to Just Grapes in the loop which applies a novel and useful approach to their wine selections. Cooking in a winter wonderland...Renee Enna reports on the city of Chicago's "Stir It Up" program; a 4-day marathon of cooking classes, tours, meals and exhibits that cover many cuisines and budgets. Making the spirit merry...Joe Gray walks us through some festive and easy to make holiday cocktails. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Offbeat Christmas plan stirs up harmony for Obama's clan...Maureen Webber Sadovi reports on the offbeat holiday traditions enjoyed by Illinois' newly-elected Junior Senator. Warm, welcoming table...Sandy Thorn Clark get advice from noted cookbook author Lidia Mattichio Bastianich on how to successfully entertain at holiday time. New holiday beverages help color Christmas...Celeste Busk rounds up a bevy of festive, new holiday cocktails. Recipes are included. New service delivers food to your door, but not discreetly...Denise I. O'Neal reports on Va Pensiero's newest spin-off, Red Limo Catering in Northfield. Also, upcoming holiday events at Fogo De Chao and O'Donovan's are previewed. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk rounds up events at Petterino's and Fogo De Chao and let us know where to pick up some locally-produced glogg -- The Hopleaf being one of those locations ===== 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 drop a bag of holiday parcels under our tree with news about Leonardo's Ristorante, the new venture from Izzy Redzovick, plus upcoming ventures from Arun and Michael Foley (Printer's Row) and some tidbits from Roland Liccioni as he prepares for his return to Le Francais. ===== =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.

Great write-up, Ben! Thanks for taking the time. If you're also hitting Carlos' this week, you're really in a groove! =R=

Thanks for the update, Chef. And congrats not only on the 4-star rating but also on the other favorable ink in the January 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine. Nice job! =R=

My wife's family is Swedish and my MIL often tell tales from her childhood of snacking on Lutefisk (and limberger?) with her father around holiday time. For whatever reason (insert speculation here), that tradition seems to have died off with that generation. I've never even tried the stuff but given the proper opportunity, I would certainly give it a whirl. Chef Gregg, do you make your own? =R=

Thanks for the excellent report, VeryApe77. In case anyone is interested, there is a very detailed article by Jonathan Black about Chicago's avant garde food scene in the January 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine. The article focuses on Chef Cantu, Grant Achatz (Alinea) and Graham Elliot Bowles (Avenues). I don't think the piece is available on-line. =R=

There is a very interesting piece by Jonathan Black in the January 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine entitled "Techno-Chefs." Of course, the article is about none other than Grant Achatz (Alinea), Homaro Cantu (Moto), Graham Elliot Bowles (Avenues) and the "avant garde" culinary movement which they are now leading in Chicago. Has anyone read this article? What are your thoughts about it? =R=

Thanks for the report, Sara. I can't wait to get back to Green Zebra =R=

More information, reported by Corie Brown in today's L.A. Times.com (free subscription required): =R=

Yeah, jesteinf, your comments match up with almost all of what I've heard and read about OvS. I'm hoping to get there this Saturday...it's just a babysitter away =R=

Looks like the dam of denial has finally broken. From today's New York Times (by Julia Moskin): =R=

Chris LaMorte didn't exactly love it. From the Chicago Tribune's metromix.com... =R=

December 15, 2004... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Memories in the baking...Robin Mather Jenkins reports on how 4 local bakers celebrate their heritage with festive holiday breads. Big and bold...Bill Daley reports on the big guns, California Cabernet, a big ticket item which is sure to get lots of play this holiday season. Vien Dong Restaurant...Joe Gray files a Cheap Eats review of this Vietnamese eatery in Lakeview. Cookbooks that speak volumes...in a special to the Tribune, Jane Ammeson recaps a few cookbooks which are available in audio format. Topping things off...Renee Enna reports on a couple of high-impact, holiday dessert garnishes and where they can be sourced. A trio of Chicago chefs share their talents...Robin Mather Jenkins, Bill Daley and Joe Gray round up the best of the lot of cookbooks written by Chicago chefs. Included are mini reviews of the newest tomes by Tony (and wife, Cathy) Mantuano, Charlie Trotter and the Tru crew; Rick Tramanto and Gale Gand. Cookbooks the experts are reading...Renee Enna briefly reviews some of the best cookbook offerings available this holiday season including the newest from Anthony Bourdain, Rick Bayless, David Rosengarten, Andrea Immer and Michael Lomonaco. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Liquid gold...Maureen Jenkins accepts the oh-so-tough assignment of heading off to Tuscany to report on olive oil production and its traditions. Bridging the hump...Denise I. O'Neal on special holiday dining offerings at Tsuki, The Ritz-Carlton, Bin 36 & L8, to name just a few. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk rounds up some upcoming events at Burhops-Wilmette, Mas and Schaefer'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. ===== And last but certainly not least, in this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish...Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby report on newcomers, Dorado and 22 Restaurant Bar Moderne. ===== =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 guess you could say he's landed in a bit of a 'pickell' =R=

It's a shame that specialized channels often lose their dinstinction as their programming gets diluted in quest of growth. But the "point" of commercial television is to make money. Period. Disagree? Ask the shareholders. I remember reading somewhere recently that FN's audience had grown 10 fold since its inception and that the executives who manage and direct the channel were delighted with their results. That certainly would suggest increased revenues for FN/Scripps Howard. =R=

I respectfully disagree. They were knowledgeable, likable and had a great rapport. I really miss that show even though I didn't always agree with what was said on it and I dined at only a fraction of the restaurants they reviewed. I just received Richman's new book, Fork It Over, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I do miss the old days of FN, but from what I've read, their numbers are WAY up, so it's hard to argue with their overall business scheme. It's just that we hardcore food lovers aren't a big enough group to swing the numbers in a profitable direction. =R= ← Their numbers are up because they are in a lot more markets. The cable companies that at one time wouldn't carry them - Orange County, or at least Yorba Linda did not have them for a long time after I did. . . ← Agreed. The less narrow the network's programming becomes, the more likely it is to be picked up by cable systems. That is the nature of the business. If their programming had remained more "hardcore" they probably wouldn't be in as many markets as they are. Start narrow to create your niche then generalize content to grow viewership. =R=

I respectfully disagree. They were knowledgeable, likable and had a great rapport. I really miss that show even though I didn't always agree with what was said on it and I dined at only a fraction of the restaurants they reviewed. I just received Richman's new book, Fork It Over, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I do miss the old days of FN, but from what I've read, their numbers are WAY up, so it's hard to argue with their overall business scheme. It's just that we hardcore food lovers aren't a big enough group to swing the numbers in a profitable direction. =R=

And even before that it was chefg who approached us, volunteering to answer our questions. =R=

...and just to fill in the blanks, here is their information: Carlos' Restaurant 429 Temple Highland Park, IL 60635 847 432-0770 =R=

December 8, 2004... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: The Good Eating staff picks its favorites for gifts...Stumped for holiday gift ideas? Let the pros guide you through their favorites. Gifts of the grape...Bill Daley fills in the blanks on wine-themed holiday gifts. Pile 'em high...Rick Asa reports on healthful foods that can stave off holiday eating guilt. Stella's Diner...Donna Pierce files a Cheap Eats review of this Lakeview icon. Got a crush on Ray...Chris McNamara reveals his crush on Racheal Ray and reports on her recent appearance in Chicago, where nearly 700 fans showed up to catch a glimpse of the biggest smile on Food Network. Former saloon gets an extreme makeover...Bob Skilnik reports on Plainfield's Wine & Cheese by TCC (aka two clueless chicks). Buttering up the batter...Donna Pierce from Good Eating's test kitchen answers some common questions about the do's and dont's of holiday cookie baking. Rebel with a wok...Bill Daley files this charming piece (and recipe) about his youth and one aspect of his culinary "break out." ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Old World Hanukkah traditions continue to warm families...Beverly Levitt files this piece about Hanukkah the traditions of the holiday which have been celebrated by her family for decades. The time to record family recipe is NOW!...Beverly Levitt reports on the archiving of family recipes and culinary traditions, explaining that the longer you put it off, the more likely treasured information is to disappear. Presidential Pastries gets our vote...Food Editor Sue Ontiveros reports on former White House pastry chef Roland Messier's delicious new venture. Angus for the soul...Denise I. O'Neal reports a charity steak-eating event at Carmichael's and a special Gingermania celebration at foodlife at Water Tower featuring one-of-a-kind gingerbread houses which are available for purchase. Upcoming events at Trio and Va Pensiero are also detailed. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming holiday programs at Cafe Matou, as well as all area Bar Louie and Red Star Tavern locations. Coming to Chicago...a mini intinerary is provided for Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher who will be in Chicago this week to promote their new book, Wine for Every Day and Every Occasion. ===== 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 the debut of LEYE's newest entry, Osteria Via Stato, which we've been discussing here. =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.

With the al fresco season behind us, I understand that Miramar is now offering curbside takeout at lunch and dinner. Simply phone in your order, credit card number, desired pickup time and your car information and an employee will be waiting on the curb with your meal when you pull up. Since my new office is now just minutes from Miramar, I may have to try this out. =R=

Thanks for the information, Colgate and welcome I'm genuinely surprised that it's taken until now for this dining concept to be tried here. I can't remember anything like this in Chicago until now. Having been to Italy, this concept seems like a natural. I hope it succeeds, catches on and spawns imitators. =R=

Ben, that is most excellent. I wish I'd known because the dinner I described above took place last Saturday night and it would have been great to say "hi." Our original plans to go to Le Titi de Paris got scrubbed so we ended up at Carlos only because of a lucky (for us) last minute cancellation. Either way, we would have ended up at Heartlander's place of "employment" as adoxograph is currently doing a stage at LTdP. Are you enjoying the gig? How long have you been at it? =R=

I'm still buzzing from a fantastic meal and overall dining experience I had at Carlos this past weekend. I cannot remember the last time I was treated so specially by a restaurant. In addition to the food being absolutely stellar, Carlos provides efficient, professional and comfortable service from beginning to end. This is probably true at Carlos no matter which server a party has but we felt extremely lucky to have Marcello as our captain. He was masterful. I ordered the degustation menu with wine pairings and was quite pleased with not only the fantastic choices but also the way we were all encouraged to substitute and add items from both the standard menu and the specials menu. First, we were presented with a delicious amuse of corn blini and smoked salmon roe. This was topped with a dollop of creme fraiche and fresh herbs. The procession continued with some champagne and a fairly traditional--and immaculately presented--service of Ossetra caviar. Next, a wonderful combination plate containing a decadent wedge of Roasted Mushroom Terrine with White Truffle and a Bisque of Espuna and Kabocha Squash. I chose a salad from the special menu that was out of this world: Maine Lobster Tail with Pan-Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Frisee, Endive and Mango Salad with a Vanilla-Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Again, this was a fairly traditional combination of components but it was executed so well and was incredibly delicious. Next, I enjoyed the Rigatoni stuffed with a Portobella-Kessari Farci and a Roasted Red Pepper Coulis. I dedicated this fantastic dish to our vegetarian cohort who had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. He would have loved it. It was worthy of love, even from a non-vegetarian. For my main course I again went to the special menu and chose the Morgan Ranch Kobe Beef Tenderloin Crusted in Fresh Herbs with Mushroom Ragout, with Winter Squash Gnocchi and Pomegranate Gastrique. I really enjoyed this dish and was amazed at how compatible everything on the plate was. The flavors and textures fit together perfectly. I loved the Kobe beef--at least the texture of it. But, served the way it was, I had a difficult time discerning whatever the distinctive flavor elements of the Kobe beef may have been. Still, it was amazingly tasty and quite satisfying. Before I describe the desserts, I should talk about the wines. I wish I'd taken better notes and I'm not a passionate wine person but we did have a few selections (as part of the degustation pairings) that were terrific. I especially enjoyed the 2000 Rex Hill Pinot Noir which was paired with the....well, I wish I could remember (pretty sure it was the Rigatoni). We also ordered a couple of extra bottles that were sensational: 1998 Ler Cru Les Verges Chassagne Montrachet, by Domaine Guy Amiot et fils and a very spectacular bottle of 1995 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. And as good as that was, the red wine that was paired with the Kobe dish (cannot remember the details well when I don't get to see the bottle) was as good or even better than the Groth. I guess that's what happens when a wine professional pairs the wine with the food. Desserts were very tasty. We were served a wonderful assortment of Petit Fours and also ordered a few special desserts. The Mini Chocolate Cake with Molten Center, served with Home-Made Vanilla Ice Cream was reliably excellent. The Grand Marnier Souffle, while being texturally bold and somewhat loose was way too eggy tasting for me. We chose a few others to sample as well. The Trio of Chocolate Mousse (white, milk and dark) was great as was the Canoe of 2 Creme Brulees (white chocolate and dark chocolate, IIRC) but by that point I was so completely full that further dessert sampling was a joke. There was some sort of Pecan Bar dessert ordered as well but puh-leeze, it was complete overkill At every turn we were pampered beyond belief. I believe we could have asked for anything and been accomodated. At one point during our meal, we descended from the gorgeous private room in which we were seated down to the street for a cigarette break (I was just spectating). While we were out there, we saw an employee running (and I do mean running) back into the restaurant toting a bag from the grocery store. Again, Carlos is all about service. But don't be misled. Carlos serves amazing food and their impressive wine list is the size of a phonebook. I'd say that Carlos was world-class but I'm just not worldly enough to make that claim. Still, I'd be shocked to learn of anyone's disappointment at Carlos. I can say with fair confidence that my meal at Carlos was one of the 10 best meals I've ever had. =R=

Did anyone catch the PGC segment on 190 North last night? I thought it was pretty good. Chefs Stegner and Bumbaris came off very well. They seemed so low-key and unflappable. I was surprised that even though Chef Stegner mentioned that her husband, Rohit Nambiar, was "at the front door" of the restaurant, he was neither named nor shown in the segment. Happily, the food shown in the piece looked fantastic. And the bubbly, talking head reportress who anchored the segment actually pretended, somewhat insipidly, to be enthused about the food. Sometimes local tv segments like this one remind me why I often think of Chicago as the world's biggest cow town. I was happy that Chef Bumbaris commented about the home-made sausages which are served at PGC, saying that so few restaurants [in the area] serve them. He's right and his renditions (lamb, Italian) are fantastic. The segment also revealed that the prairie "footage" which loops on the plasma monitors in the dining room at PGC was shot by Bill Kurtis at his Kansas ranch, which supplies beef to the restaurant. I managed also to see myself and my family in the background of several shots in the segment. One thing that could not be missed was that giant Q-tip otherwise known as my MIL's hair-do =R=