ronnie_suburban

Yes and yes =R=

There's a lot of buzz about this place and their sommelier, Belinda Chang, who received many accolades while she was at Fifth Floor in San Francisco. You can read a mini interview with her in this week's edition of Chicago Magazine's Dish. =R=

I have a 12" stamped Forschner that I think cost around $35. I've had it for almost 2 years and it's just now beginning to fade a bit...perfect holiday timing As for the Cutco knives mentioned upthread, I imagine they're decent. We have one Cutco knife that we received as a gift and it's very good at what it does. =R=

Hi Judith, Miramar Bistro is in Highwood, so it's only in Chicago as far as the 'dining scene' goes. Tarka (one of our UK forum hosts) really enjoyed her trips to Le Lan, which she documented here. But after her experience, I can't remember reading or hearing any other positive accounts of it--until yours, here. I'm really surprised by your experience at Green Zebra. Being a fan of Spring, that was probably a big let down for you. I do recall reading at least one other negative account of a dinner at Green Zebra, so its popularity is certainly not unanimous. Also, this list is from citysearch...nothing against them but they're not exactly my "go to" choice for info or opinions...still good fodder, however =R=

This sounds like a lot of fun. I'm a reality tv junkie, I love Martha and Burnett is clearly the master of the genre...can't wait =R=

December 1, 2004... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Ready for a closeup...in Uncorked Bill Daley reports on Santa Barbara Pinot Noirs and their current showcase in the film Sideways. Regional Boom...Rick Asa reports on the growing demand for local, organic foodstuffs. Web site links vegans--over lunch, naturally...James P. DeWan reports on how website meetup.com has linked local vegans. Cookie sale bids a sweet farewell...a local holiday tradition comes to a bittersweet end after 36 years. Chris McNamara tells the story. Go Roma Italian Kitchen...Bill Daley files a Cheap Eats review of this Warrenville eatery. Sweet dreams come true...Nancy Maes reports on Glenview's Dessert Gourmet which is owned and operated by the team of CIA grad Laura Fieberg and her mother Cathryn. Cheese factors into history of Hanukkah...Barbara Revsine reports on the historical ties between cheese and Hanukkah. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Quite a comfort...in Swap Shop Lezli Bitterman reports Louisville's famous sandwich, the Hot Brown. Truffles and flourishes...Margaret Maples provides a full dossier on the chocolate truffle scene in Chicago. Call of the wild...Dave Hoekstra reports on wild fare--and it's not all just big game. Little hunting needed to find holiday baskets...Denise I. O'Neal reports on a variety of local sources for holiday food gift baskets. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Aria, Les Nomades and Geja's to name just a few. ===== 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 departure of executive chef Corcoran O'Connor (my fellow Glencoe homeboy ) from KDK Group's Gioco and Marche. ===== =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.

Let me start this off... I caught this list of Chicago's Top 10 New Restaurants at citysearch.com, earlier today. I was delighted to see some of my favorites from this category, like Green Zebra and Miramar, make the list. I was also suprised, based on the broad consensus of bleh reviews it's received, to see Le Lan make the list at #2. Comments? Other lists to share...perhaps one of your own? Let's list the lists here =R=

If it were me, here are the LEYE I'd consider hitting (not sure if there are exclusions or not with the gift certificate): Ambria Nacional 27 Everest Brasserie Jo Tru Joe's Seafood and Prime Steak House You can check the full array LEYE offerings at their web site. =R=

I think they can be easily compared on both counts. Food at Ix is bit cheaper, IIRC, but not by much. Quality...I'd say it's comparable with the specifics having a lot to do with which rates higher on a given trip to either. =R=

Thanks for the report, munchymom. I'm curious about the corn too, but just from your post, I can begin to see how the menu has morphed with the change of season. Thanks again =R=

In case anyone is interested, you can read the news for yourselves at Hot Doug's web site. You can also sign up for their newsletter there. ...and Marmish, I'm very sorry about your ear =R=

LOL! I'd forgotten about him... Amazing food artwork by my 40-year-old friend =R=

Ixcapuzalco could be the most discussed Chicago restaurant to not have its own thread here...until now. An advanced search for Ixcapuzalco turned up almost 20 threads in which it's mentioned but none where the restaurant is the primary subject. For those who don't know, Ixcapuzalco is best described as a Haute Mexican Restaurant on Chicago's north side (Logan Square neighborhood?). It is helmed by Geno Bahena who formerly cooked for Rick Bayless at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Like Bayless's restaurants, Ixcapuzalco is one of the jewels in Chicago's Mexican Cuisine crown. I had a great dinner at Ixcapuzalco last night. One of the threads that came up in the aforementioned search was entitled "The Best Margaritas in Chicago." Frankly, I haven't had margaritas at enough places to claim that those served at Ixcapuzalco are the best. However, they are clearly worthy of consideration. The list of tequilas offered at Ixcapuzalco is extensive and detailed. While traditionalists will, in all likelihood, order their tequila(s) straight, I enjoyed being able to select the tequila with which my margarita would be made with. I ordered mine on the rocks and it arrived at the table already made. But, in a very nice touch, one of my companions ordered hers up and it was shaken and poured at the table. We tried a bunch of appetizers and they were all distinctive, memorable and delicious. The tostadas de seviche (with Marlin) were fantastic. So too were the stuffed jalapenos, the sopes surtidos (order of 4 each with a different filling) and the exquisite tamales, which just blew us all away. The entrees were excellent and well-prepared but didn't "wow" me quite as much as the appetizers did. Unfortunately, 2 of the 4 people at the table went with what was probably the safest choice -- carne asada. Still, this was an excellent rendition made with tender, aged ribeye. I ordered the Pato Encacahuatado (duck breast in a peanut sauce), which I liked a lot but didn't love. It was somewhat reminiscent of Thai peanut sauce but without the sweet note. While it was distinctive, I just didn't love it and after the array of diversely-flavored appetizers, the peanut sauce was more or less "one long note" for me. My wife ordered the Puerco En Tinga which I thought was the best of the 3 entrees we sampled. Both the duck and the pork were served with yukon gold mashed potatoes which had been dusted with cheese. Very nice. We tried 3 desserts, the Chocolate Pecan Bars with home-made Vanilla Ice Cream probably being the strongest of the 3. My wife ordered the Apple-Pear-Cinnamon Empanadas which were served with Home-Made Strawberry Ice Cream. I liked the empanadas a lot and loved the strawberry ice cream. I ordered the Volteado De Pina (also served with home-made vanilla ice cream) and thought that the Pineapple just wasn't quite strong enough to be the featured element of the dish. I encountered a few fibrous bites and other "insoluble solids" while digging through it. Coffee, a custom blend by Intelligentsia, was very nice. Service was excellent albeit a bit awkward at times. Still we felt like we were being well taken care of throughout our meal. At one point we had a minor problem with our table and were immediately offered another one. We declined. The single factor that led to the awkwardness of service was an odd one--blue water glasses. They were beautiful but nearly opaque. As such, our busser was unable to see their contents and had to continually ask us--at every pass--if we wanted more water, instead of just being able to see if we did without asking. Still, those glasses were so beautiful it would be disappointing to see them removed. I highly recommend Ixcapuzalco to anyone who is interested in trying truly distinctive Mexican cuisine. While our meal on this night was a bit uneven (most likely due to the way we ordered), I think the place is fantastic and I can't wait to get back there and try out some other items. They specialize in Moles and we didn't even order one last night (for a couple of reasons). That is, absolutely, something I look forward to trying next time, which I hope will be very soon. =R= Ixcapuzalco 2919 N. Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, IL (773) 486-7340

I guess it's official. I caught this press release earlier today at eatchicago.net... :smile: =R=

Pretty sure it was spinach but it may well have been chard (the stems were also green which I why I guessed 'spinach'). The menu bills it only as "braised greens" so perhaps it's rotated. In either case, it was the way they were cooked which made them soooo darned good...I'm betting that quite a bit of fat was used to cook those greens...Yum! LMAO! Our server was Yelena...and I'll admit that in a moment of petty Machiavellian maneuverism I intentionally neglected to mention it upthread (although, we certainly did mention it to her that night). But, as long as you've "shown me yours, I'll show you mine." Thanks for updating that; much appreciated. Setting up the Tivo now... =R=

Had another wonderful meal at PGC this past Tuesday evening. Some highlights (and one lowlight)... Cocktails at the bar (while I waited for my family) were reasonably-priced and poured generously--$6.50 for Stoli and soda. Unfortunately, there was a group of "gentlemen" near me who felt it was completely appropriate to loudly discuss, in detail, the distances (or lack thereof) of their ejaculations. Of course, it's a bar--and I'm no prude--but this stuff really crossed the line, IMO. I felt bad for the (female) bartender who had to endure it and I also thought it was noteworthy that when chef Stegner emerged from the kitchen and walked past the bar, the subject matter changed immediately. Is there anything uglier than grown adults who cannot handle their liquor? I think not. The lamb pizza has changed. On a previous trip, when we'd ordered it, the dish was basically a large, warm and crispy pita topped with lamb, cheese and tsatziki sauce. This time, it still came on the same deliciously-prepared pita but the dish was more integrated and thus, more pizza-like it its appearance. The entire surface had an orange tint to it this time around. I didn't detect any sauce so I'm not exactly sure what provided the orange tint. Either way, it was still delicious and when I realized out loud that there was no tsatziki, our server overheard me and immediately offered to bring some. "No thanks" I said. I'm almost always more than happy to eat a dish as the kitchen intended it to be eaten. I did, however, wonder if the revision of the dish had anything to do with a slightly negative rap given to it by Pat Bruno in a Sun-Times review a few weeks back. Speaking of our server, she was absolutely phenomenal. Of course, as others have correctly mentioned, PGC's pedigree is strictly Ritz-Carlton, and in our experience, the service at PGC has always matched that pedigree--thorough and professional. But even so, our server on Tuesday was superior to our previous servers. It's hard to describe exactly why. I think it just had to do with her innate understanding of the gig. I never needed anything for very long and I never really had to ask for anything either. Nor did I feel at any point that she was hovering or being intrusive. I can only guess that it was a combination of intuition, training and experience which guided her. On our previous trip to PGC, our server seemed almost nervous and there were a few awkward moments. I guess what I'm saying is that this time around, our server made us feel more comfortable than we'd ever felt before at PGC. I predict that it's probably impossible to come upon bad service at PGC but this time around it just felt perfect. Overall, the food was great again. Again, our server came into play by recommending something that we would have never ordered--boneless breast of chicken. She was so matter of fact about it (even mentioning that she doesn't usually order chicken when she goes out) that my wife decided to try it out. The dish really was amazing. The breast was crispy, plump and garlicky. The spinach served with it was amazing (yes, the spinach was amazing) and so too were the sauteed carrots and spicy croutons. A fantastic plate. I ordered the Flatiron Steak which was tasty and comforting and my MIL went with the Shepherd's Pie which again transcended, in spite of high expectations. We also had a great wine from one of the most distinctive lists I've seen in a long time. On this night, with my MIL in tow, we ordered white and were really pleased with the Louis Latour 2002 Pouilly Fuisse. And, at around $40 dollars, it was a decently-priced bottle. PGC's wine list is filled with lower mid-range priced wines that really run the gamut. One last note...a crew from WLS TV's (local ABC affiliate) 190 North were in-house filming a segment for an upcoming episode. I don't know when the segment is schedule to air but if/when I find out, I'll update here. =R=

In today's Chicago Sun-Times, Pat Bruno gives Trio Atelier 2.5 stars... =R=

I don't want to get anyone's hopes up unnecessarily but there are rumors circulating at CH that Hot Doug's will re-open in Jan. 2005 at California and Roscoe in the space formerly occupied by Papa George's, which closed recently. Hot Doug's rumor thread at CH =R=

LMAO...well EAT something!!! =R=

November 22, 2004... Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Chicago newspaper food sections were moved up this week, so we're rounding-up early as well... From this week's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Stuff it?...Bill Daley searches for an answer to the age-old Thanksgiving question: To stuff or not to stuff? Standing up to a turkey sandwich...Need help pairing your Thanksgiving leftovers with an appropriate wine? Bill Daley is at your service. Ashkenaz Deli...Janet Franz files a Cheap Eats review of this Gold Coast deli. French foodie's Web site is international hit...Joe Ray files this special on www.chocolateandzucchini.com Phoning in breakfast...Chris McNamara reports on Ritter's Breakfast Delivery, a north side breakfast delivery service which opened back in September. ===== From this week's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: The big easy...Sandy Thorn Clark provides leads and info on Thanksgiving caterers. Daily assignments will keep you sane as T-Day looms...Food editor Sue Ontiveros continues her series of Thanksgiving prep tips as the big day looms. Chocolatiers sweeten World AIDS Day...With the holidays approaching, Denise I. O'Neal reports on how area Chocolatiers are doing their part to support AIDS research. Also covered is a holiday food drive being held by Potbelly Sandwich Works and a variety of Thanksgiving food events. Tastings around town...specials and events at one sixtyblue, La Vita and O'Donovan's are previewed. ===== From the Chicago Reader...What's New...reviews of Indie Cafe, Angel Food Bakery and Blu 47. ===== =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 who will be happy to do it for you.

No word that I know of. Last I heard, the re-opening was still just around the corner but at this point I suppose all bets are off. =R=

This week's installment of Check, Please! featured the following 3 restaurants: Millrose Restaurant & Brewing Company 45 S. Barrington Road South Barrington, IL Phone: 847-382-7673 Raw Bar 3720 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL Phone: 773-348-7291 Siam Noodle 4654 N. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL Phone: 773-769-6694 =R=

Try these, which I believe will both be far fresher than what you can get at the store anyway... The Spice House (try the exquisite hungarian) Penzey's Spices =R=

A very nice review by Robyn Israel appeared today in the On-Line Edition of the Palo Alto Weekly... =R=

Sorry for the late update. This week's installment of Check, Please! featured the following 3 restaurants: NoMi 800 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 312 239-4030 RoSal's 1154 W. Taylor Chicago, IL 312 243-2357 Bittersweet 1114 W. Belmont Chicago, IL 773 929-1100 =R=