MenuPages

Every time we notice one of See Thru Chinese Kitchen's locations, we have a little internal giggle over the name. And we're not alone: Oddee has named the mini-chain one of the 10 worst-named restaurants ever. It shares the honor with a such unfortunates as My Dung Restaurant in Rosemead, CA, and Poopsies in Pembroke, MA. [Oddee]

The weather being what it is these days, there's a strong case to be made that the main draw of Piccolo Sogno is its vast and verdant outdoor garden. But the restaurant's out to fight that notion, actually trying to lure you in with the food: this week marks the introduction of chef Tony Priolo's summer menu. Priolo's kitchen tends to skew towards the hearty (short ribs with polenta isn't exactly food for a heat wave), but the new menu is tethered by some surprisingly seasonal variations on the comfort-food theme: cecina fritta are chickpea-flour fries dusted with parmesan and rosemary, a visually dark spaghetti neri is lightened with shrimp, zucchini, tomatoes, and green chiles, and tortelli di carciofi — thin sheets of pasta filled with baby artichoke and ricotta, served with green onions, english peas, and fresh favas — couldn't be more summery if it were wearing a speedo. Also worth checking out: the speck e fichi pizza, a crackling wood-fired crust topped with smoked prosciutto, pesto, and sliced figs. Check out the full menu post-jump.

Continue reading "What to Eat at Piccolo Sogno, Summer Edition" »

Nonno Pino is a good, reliable choice for old-school family-style Italian. They've been around forever, and we've heard some complaints that the quality of both the service and the food has been declining just a smidge. But here's the thing: the best way to counterbalance that is not leaving blatantly obvious shilly user reviews!

I had been to Nonnos before but mainly at the bar [1]. I recently spent time with a group of friends at Nonnos for dinner and drinks. It was an absolutely wonderful evening. The food was outstanding. We ordered 5 appetizers to share for 5 people and had to fight over who got the last piececs. We all also ordered different entrees and enjoyed them so much that we all snuck bites from each other, something that we do not usually do [2]. The free bread and dip were delicious and filling [3]. To top it off the dessert was over the top. For the low price I would think it came from a gourmet bakery! [4] OH MY GOSH, YUM! [5] The wait staff tended our table more than 20 times to clean it up often and quickly [6], and the waiter worked hard to make sure we had what we needed at all times. He even went out of his way to show us samples of desserts to make the choosing easier [6]. The valet service was perfect on the terribly rainy day we went [7]and to top it off, the owner personally greeted us and made sure we were satisfied with drinks when we moved on to the bar to continue the evening [8]. We all made a pact to come back once a month because it was a blast [9]. I usually do not look forward to restaurant leftovers, but I did not have to cook the following day because there was so much leftover yummy food. [10] Oh, and the coupon on their website saved us $5 bucks! [11] Thanks Nonnos!

Oh gosh, where to begin?

Continue reading "Shill-O-Meter: Nonno Pino" »

Yesterday, MenuPages Chicago finally had the chance to indulge in the fruits of our creative labors: we were invited to lunch by Lockwood chef Phillip Foss, so we could finally sink tooth into the Lobster Hot Dog that the chef created in response to our thrown-down gauntlet.

When we saw the hot dog listed on the lunch menu — Lockwood's Famous Lobster Hot Dog - $18 — we nearly jumped with delight. But what Foss and his sous chef Jens Muenchenbach sent out to us for lunchtime consumption was even more delightful — a browser's sampling of the restaurant's double-edged culinary sword: haute-ified constructions of greasehole fare, and careful deconstruction of classic French preparations. But we have to admit, the lobster dog was the sweetest bite of all.

Full photo gallery, after the jump!

Continue reading "MenuPages Does Lunch at Lockwood" »

Just in time for Easter and — we're not joking here — Passover, More Cupcakes is rolling out a springy cupcake menu that will help you forget any trace of the winter we're just barely scraping out of.

In the interest of journalistic accuracy, we sampled some of the new flavors — the Easter-appropriate Cadbury creme egg cupcake doesn't actually contain a Cadbury creme egg; instead, it is one, with intense chocolate cake encasing a creamy vanilla center that melts just like it ought to. The Passover-friendly (flour-free!) Apricot Almond cupcakes are enough to get you psyched about 40 years wandering in the desert. Lemon poppyseed, carrot ginger, a strawberry-rhubarb topped with a meringue Easter basket — it's too good.

Full spring menu, post-jump!

Continue reading "More Cupcakes' New Flavors: Easter, Passover, Spring!" »

Chicagoist's Chuck Sudo checked out the new menu at Goose Island on Clybourn, where Executive Chef John Manion is gradually evolving his menu to bring it to the level of such beer-friendly destination restaurants as The Bristol, The Gage and Duchamp.

Sudo loves the duck pancetta and the pork sliders, but duck prosciutto is a little too salty, and the pork rillettes that top the burger are "lackluster." But, um, about that burger? It's a "$16 monster burger made from grass-fed Tallgrass beef, topped with duck "ham", pork rillettes and a fried egg which rivals any sick creation Kuma's has recently conceived." Whoa.

First Bites: Goose Island Clybourn [Chicagoist]

As long as we're talking awards, high praise to Mirai — it was named one of America's 10 best sushi restaurants by Playboy.

Not only do we trust the Chicago-based company to make a smart in-city decision, we also kind of feel that if any publication is a sushi expert in this town, it's the one with naked girls in it.

America's 10 Best Sushi Restaurants [Playboy, SFW]

This month's Saveur magazine lists off their "Twelve Restaurants that Matter," one of which is our very own Topolobampo. The writeup (by Saveur editor and Chicago native David McAninch) takes us through a typical day at the restaurant, from 7am produce deliveries until the last party of business-attired 30-somethings sludge home through through a late-night blizzard. Through it all, chef/owner Rick Bayless is an omnipresence in the kitchen, tasting everything with the spoon for which there's a special pocket sewn in his jacket pocket.

As for the rest of the list, it's kind of a hodgepodge of notables from across the country, with no real common thread connecting them except for Saveur's assertion that everyone on the list has "profoundly influenced the way we think about food. Just as important, though, they delight us, dazzle us, and comfort us in ways that make us feel both at home and utterly transported." By and large, they're solid restaurants at a high price point that are go-tos in their home cities for a fancy dinner. Full list after the jump.

Continue reading "Topolobampo Named One of Saveur's '12 Restaurants that Matter'" »

Over at Serious Eats, Michael Nagrant reveals the secrets of Ed's Potsticker House. Generally, don't go there for the potstickers. Specifically, you've got to know what to order.

Nagrant recommends 636 (Cumin Flavor Lamb with Bone), C009 (pan-fried smoked pork cake), and the "vegetable candy" 512 (sweet glazed eggplant in garlic sauce), and blames the lack of ordering these items on the restaurant's general pan when it was featured on Check, Please! For ourselves, we've always been partial to 502 (pork with Peking sauce) and C028 (pan-fried rice cake with pork and pickled cabbage).

Reconsidering Ed's Potsticker House in Chicago [Serious Eats]
Ed's Potsticker House [MenuPages]

[Photo: Dee W./Yelp]

In honor of National Pancake Month (you're celebrating, right?) Rick Gresh, the chef at David Burke's Primehouse, has put together a special pancake menu that runs next week, Monday to Friday. Whatever time of day, he's got it taken care of — PB&J half-dollar stacks, choco-banana cakes with cherry syrup.

In keeping with the current trend for savory breakfast items, there's a selection of savory pancakes as well. A riff on a hearty breakfast with a steak, egg, mushroom, caramelized onion, and spinach pancake, or a riff on insane indulgence with a lobster pancake made with rich egg batter, truffle butter, and chili threads. Indulge your pancake-loving inner francophile with a duck confit and potato pancake with whipped brie, balsamic, and mache, or go classic aristocrat brunch with peppered salmon and corn, preserved onions, and caviar.

It's also a wallet-friendly option — the most expensive of the bunch, the lobster-truffle behemoth, clocks in at $16, with the rest under $14. Pancakes for dinner, anyone?

David Burke's Primehouse [MenuPages]
David Burke's Primehouse [Official Site]

[Best photo of all time: bunnyrel/Flickr]

Your Sunday mornings just got a little bit easier: The Hearty Boys — a.k.a. Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, the mediagenic wunderkinder who won The Next Food Network Star back in 2005 — have thrown their formerly catering-only hats back into the restaurant ring.

Hearty Boys, an ersatz restaurant located inside the Hearty Boys Catering Studio at 3819 N Broadway, is open just one day a week, and only for brunch. We talked to Dan, who mans the kitchen, who told us that the inspiration behind the limited service is that "I love brunch! Steve doesn't like breakfast, so I figured either I go out and eat brunch by myself, or I open a restaurant that serves it."

Hearty Boys Brunch is open every Sunday from 9am-2pm. They kicked off this past Sunday with a packed house — Dan tells us it was "standing room only" — and while their Handheld Cardamom Waffles aren't too difficult to consume on your feet, it's not optimal. Planning ahead highly recommended.

Full menu after the jump!

Hearty Boys [MenuPages]
Hearty Boys [Official Site]

Continue reading "Hearty Boys Brunch: Once-A-Week with a Big Wallop" »

Commenter Michael noted on our roundup of Fave Restaurant Week Picks that since we ran our post a few weeks ago, one sixtyblue has changed their restaurant week menu.

Where once we were psyched about pheasant confit and sticky toffee pudding, we will now have to instead be psyched about the following menu. We realize it is very difficult to get psyched about it, being as it is laden with black périgord truffle, chicken and biscuits with foie gras sauce, and — oh hey! — sticky toffee pudding. But yeah, sorry Michael, the pheasant does appear to be gone.

If you're interested in checking out One Sixtyblue or any of the other dozens upon dozens of Chicago restaurants participating in restaurant week, be sure to make your reservations soon — tables are going fast for these eminently affordable prix fixe dinners.

Full menu after the jump.

Continue reading "One Sixtyblue's Revamped Restaurant Week Menu" »

We're suckers for tableware — whether it's L2O's custom-ordered pale blue Riedel water glasses or Alinea's idiosyncratic serviceware from Martin Kastner at Crucial Detail, we love the feeling of excitement and inclusion that comes from using a piece that's truly special.

On the flipside, though, we're also fans of feeling like we could totally pull this stuff off at home. While we struggle mightily at recreating a Crucial Detail steel-wire clothesline, we take comfort in knowing that some chefs get their gear from the same place we do:

That's right, kids — Graham Elliot Bowles of the eponymous restaurant buys his serviceware from Ikea. Celebrity Chefs: They're Just Like Us!

Twitter/grahamelliot: Running to ikea [@grahamelliot]
graham elliot [MenuPages]
graham elliot [Official Site]

Time Out New York publishes the second in their multi-part series about New York non-professional-chef Michael Cirino (the mastermind behind A Razor, A Shiny Knife) doing a mini-stage in the Alinea kitchen. In part one, he showed up and was awed. In the second part, he tries to help out, but fate intervenes —

We had picked up two orders of sea bass and I was delicately placing a sheet of chamomile sauce on the fish when Dave Beran, the chef de cuisine, tapped my shoulder and explained that I was no longer needed in the kitchen. A table was being prepared for me in the dining room and I needed to go make myself presentable. I was in shock, having never expected such a gift, but amazingly grateful, as I had no idea how I was going to sneak a taste of the sauces or gels without risking ruining a dish or a plating.

Lucky duck! So now we know — the secret to landing a gratis, no-reservations-required meal at Alinea is simply to mount a massively ambitious recreation of a multi-thousand-dollar meal that takes places in multiple cities with equipment of varying reliability. We're on it.

Inside Alinea: Part Two [The Feed/TONY]
Michael Cirino Stages in the Alinea Kitchen [previously]
Alinea [MenuPages]
Alinea [Official Site]

[Photo: Alinea/Official Site]

Time Out New York gets the inside scoop on working in the kitchen at Alinea — via A Razor, A Shiny Knife's Michael Cirino, the guy behind the recreations of the Achatz-Keller dinners. How does Cirino know what it's like to buckle down in the Alinea kitchen? Achatz and the Alinea team invited him to stage.

In the first of a multipart series (quelle Dumas!), Cirino reveals the goings-on of the first two hours with wide eyes and a Bill Buford-esque attention to detail:

without warning it was 14:00—in Alinea parlance this means that everyone immediately stops what they are doing (literally) and cleans the entire workspace. The room was brutally scrubbed and the sheer force of action took me off guard. I have never witnessed this kind of militaristic rule over a team of people, and it was mind-blowing ... What I assumed at first was an uncomfortable break in the middle of prep was soon revealed to be the secret of Alinea’s success.

More to come (and be reblogged) tomorrow!

Update: Michael Cirino's second dispatch on the Alinea kitchen can be found by clicking here.

Inside Alinea: Part One [The Feed/TONY]
Alinea [MenuPages]
Alinea [Official Site]

[Photo: Alinea/Official Site]

If you're looking for a little midweek splurge, Western Springs' haute-local gastronomic temple Vie is launching weeknight tasting menus. At $70 a pop, the Monday-through-Thursday special began this week with a five-course stunner that runs the gamut from sunchoke soup with truffle butter to a very carnivore-friendly wood-grilled hamsteak with pork sausage, braised turnip sauerkraut, and smoked hock jus. Wine pairings run you an extra $30, but at six glasses overall, that's one of the most user-friendly cost-per-glass breakdowns around.

It gets even better, though: 10% of the revenue from each prix fixe dinner is earmarked to go to a different charity each month. February's charity is Common Threads, a culinary-appropriate group focused on using cooking to educate children about nutrition, physical well-being, and cultural diversity.

'Round the MP offices, our cold little hearts are warmed by tales of chefs giving back to the community. This goes double in these times of economic woe, when there's a case to be made for taking care of your own damn self. If we were wearing a hat, we'd tip it off to Paul Virant and his team.

This week's tasting menu after the jump!

Continue reading "Vie Launching Weeknight Tasting Menus with a Charitable Twist" »

Perhaps inspired by the restaurant's starring role on last night's episode of No Reservations, Chicagoist has declared that this week is L2O week, and they're devoting one feature each day to some meditation on Laurent Gras's temple of haute fish.

Today, the 'ist's resident food photography genius, L. Stolpman, offers up a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from this past Friday's kitchen. Precise dabs of meyer lemon, whooshing clouds of liquid nitrogen, more than one picture highlighting the use of tweezers as a plating tool — there's a reason dinner at this restaurant runs into save-up-for-a-month territory. But speaking from experience, every freaking bite is worth it.

Food Pron: L2O Behind the Scenes [Chicagoist]
L2O [MenuPages]
L2O [Official Site]

[Photo of prepped lobster tail by L. Stolpman for Chicagoist]

We assume you'll be spending next Friday night (the 16th) huddled around the television, since at 8pm Barack Obama is making his much-ballyhooed appearance on Check, Please!. How on earth can you possibly top that experience? Will the rest of the weekend seem empty and desolate, the descent of the Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop-TV-review hot-air-balloon?

Here's an idea: That Saturday morning, treat yourself to The Bristol's kickoff brunch. Slated to run every Saturday and Sunday from now 'til infinity, from 10am to 2pm, the selfsame kitchen that brought us Scotch Olives (olives encased in meat and then deep-fried) will now be turning its attention to The Morning After.

The menu's still tentative, but some components that have us more or less entirely psyched include biscuits and sausage gravy at a recession-friendly price of $6, a country ham Monte Cristo ingeniously served with fruit jelly (why have we never heard of this before?!), and a witty take on the British classic toad in a hole, in which frogs legs replace the more traditional pork sausage. As the kids say: ZOMG.

Full proposed menu, after the jump!

[Photo via Hamed Saber's Flickr]
The Bristol [MenuPages]
The Bristol [Official Site]

Continue reading "Brunch At The Bristol Begins Jan 17" »

• Carol Blymore of Alinea at Home cooked up "Skate, traditional flavors powdered" on Christmas eve, complete with a contextually relevant (yet still terrifying!) photograph of Jocelyn Wildenstein.

• What was that about Carol Blymire? Looks like there's another game in town — a dude named Martin has started Alineaphile, yet another cook-every-recipe-in-the-Alinea-cookbook site. Pretty pictures!

• Grant Achatz has a Facebook fan page! Now you too can pledge your internet allegiance to the puckishly handsome uber-chef.

• Under the Zagat banner, Mike Nagrant dug into the Achatz/Keller dynamic, right down to Grant's ingrained ability to interpret Keller's critical facial expressions and immediately change his own behavior. (Shoutout to our therapist!)

• Time magazine declared that Grant Achatz is #9 on their list of Top 10 Food Trends of 2008. Can a person really be a trend? Philosophical!

• The Reader's Julia Thiel and Decider's Emily Withrow made an appearance on WBEZ, along with Nick Kokonas's sons. They revisited the grade-schooler freres Kokonas pwnz0ring the profesh foodbloggers at cooking from Alinea.

• Flickrer biskuit made a New Year's Eve meal inspired by the French Laundry and Alinea cookbooks, and it looks so beautiful that I am sort of dying of personal inadequacy. (For my New Years Eve, I ate: vodka.)

If all this has lit your appetite aflame, Alinea has reopened from their holiday break and the delightful phone-answerers (honestly, in our experience the friendliest and most willing to answer our inane blog-related questions) are presumably standing by, ready to take your reservation. (Hint: Valentine's day!)

Alinea [MenuPages]
Alinea [Official Site]

[Photo via edseloh's Flickr]

Does the drama never end? Last month we regaled you with the drama of Sweet Occasions bakery — the bounced checks, the stolen cash, the prostitution, the Land Rover, the European vacations, the potential prostitution. Soap-worthy, no?

Well Sweet Occasions closed when the pile of shit got too deep to dig out of, and reopened as a near-identical storefront in Wicker Park, under the similar name Sweet Thang. Which then lost its lease, and reopened in Roscoe Village. And now that location, Gapers Block reports, is closed — under mysterious (but somehow hauntingly familiar) circumstances.

Fortunately for the good guys, the employees who have been unpaid are staging a protest-cum-press conference, in conjunction with the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues. Tomorrow (Thursday), November 20th, at 3pm in front of the store at 2142 W Roscoe, between Hamilton and Chicago. Full press release after the jump.

Sweet Thang Not So Sweet [Gapers Block]
Dessert Drama: The Bitter Tale Of Sweet Occasions [previously]
Sweet Thang [MenuPages]
Sweet Thang [Official Site]

[Photo: Sweet Thang's exterior, via yummyinthetummyblog's Flickr]

Continue reading "Workers Take Matters Into Their Own Hands at Sketchy Sweet Thang Bakery" »

Fire up your RSS burners, kids, because Laurent Gras et al — the team behind the superterrific L2O Blog — are adding another blog to their empire. The restaurant's sommeliers, Doug Marello and Chantelle Pabros, have fired up the L2O Wine Blog.

Much as the original L2O blog gave us unfettered access to the construction and conceptualization of a restaurant back in its early days, and now gives us a look inside the ongoing creative and business sides of running the place, Chantelle and Doug aren't pulling any punches when they talk about how they put the cellar together, or the secret workaround for the restaurant's limited by-the-glass list (there are usually 10-12 other open bottles that aren't listed, which are used for the tasting menu's wine pairings).

L2O Wine Blog [Official Site]
L.2O [MenuPages]
L.2O [Official Site]

[Photo: Wine service at L2O, via npinto's Flickr]

Lake Michigan in January: F'n cold.

When we heard that R.J. Grunt's had relabeled their famous Temperature Soup (pay the temperature) as Economy Soup (pay yesterday's Dow, divided by 10,000), we were curious how this would wind up working out for the folks at LEYE. Here's the cost of a bowl of soup (with entree purchase) over the last seven days, as it would have been under each pricing condition (we checked with R.J.'s, and on days when the market wasn't open the day before, they're going with the most recent closing time — so Friday's close gives you prices for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday):

October 30
Temperature: mid 60s = $0.65
Previous Day's Dow: 8,990.96 = $0.89

October 31
Temperature: upper 60s = $0.67
Previous Day's Dow: 9,180.69 = $0.91

November 1
Temperature: mid to high 50s = $0.57
Previous Day's Dow: 9,336.93 = $0.93

November 2
Temperature: mid 60s = $0.65
Previous Day's Dow: 9,336.93 = $0.93

November 3
Temperature: lower 70s = $0.73
Previous Day's Dow: 9,336.93 = $0.93

November 4
Temperature: lower 70s = $0.73
Previous Day's Dow: 9,319.83 = $0.93

November 5
Temperature: upper 60s = $0.68
Previous Day's Dow: 9,625.28 = $0.96

Looks like across the board we're paying more for soup. Unless the Dow tanks into the 2,000s sometime in the next four weeks, it's unlikely that trend will change.

Of course, if the Dow tanks into the 2,000s sometime in the next four weeks, we'll all have more to worry about than the gimmick pricing of a bowl of soup.

Economy Soup at R.J. Grunt's [LEYE]
R.J. Grunt's [MenuPages]
R.J. Grunt's [Official Site]

[Photo via dorkula's Flickr]

related/previously
Sun-Times Food, Digested: Best. Issue. EVER.

NBC recently reported on Otom's menu shift from high-concept to high-comfort. We've got the full menu here — while some favorites remain, like the fried beef-cheek ravioli, chef Daryl Nash is appealing to our times-of-turmoil tastes with revitalized versions of familiar flavors: BLTs, mac-n-cheese, and the famous TV dinners.

Of course, nothing at a restaurant that's in any way related to the gastronomic fireworks at Moto is going to be straightforward — the bacon in the BLT is caramel-braised, the lettuce is pureed, and the tomato is a jam; the mac-n-cheese is accented with melted leeks and blue cheese, amont other things; and the fried chicken in the TV dinner is actually chicken-fried duck confit. But we're certainly not complaining.

Otom Shifts Gears to Comfort Food Menu [NBC Chicago]
Otom [MenuPages]
Otom [Official Site]

[photo: the beef-cheek ravioli, via lauren*o's Flickr]

Full new menu, after the jump.

Continue reading "Otom Delivers Comfort Food With New Menu" »

Philip Foss's buffalo wing with Corona and lime foam.

Interestingly, when we clicked over to Chef Foss's blog this morning to investigate the similarities in more detail, the post was gone! (Also: The call came from inside the house!) We're always curious about post-retraction, and here the coincidence struck us as, well, a bit too coincidental — Chef Foss's blog has been getting a lot of attention lately: it held a presumably low-radar position when we broke the story of its very existence in September, but when Hungry Mag called Foss out on his critique-the-critic bit on TOC's Heather Shouse, folks started taking notice of his little corner of cyberspace. And in the wake of ravioligate 2008, Foss might not want to attract more of Mike Nagrant's ire with yet another copycat dish.

Bowles's version: Budweiser foam and celeriac slaw.

Still, we've speculated before on an item on Bowles's menu — the "deconstructed snickers" — that was unnervingly reminiscent of one of Thomas Keller's famous recipes. So perhaps all's fair in love and kitchens. But nota bene to Phil Foss: You can delete a blog post, but an RSS feed is forever.

Chef Philip Foss [Official Site]
Lockwood [MenuPages]
Lockwood [Official Site]
graham elliot [MenuPages]
graham elliot [Official Site]

An eagle-eyed reader sent us a link to an intriguing post at the Edgewater Crime Blotter, which concisely addresses the mysterious and sudden closure of all the Sweet Occasions and More outlets about 6 weeks ago. But as our tipster notes, the real story is in the comments.

Let's start at the beginning:

basically the owners of sweet occasions were crooks, who didn't have any idea how to run a business or their limits. The list of people still owed money from these guys goes on and on. From landlords, to investors, to building contractors, to vendors, to employees and the government too. They cheated their vendors and customers believing they were buying a certain product...
And now the owner has dumped that business to start all over again under a new name...sweet thang from wicker park...new owners none other that the man himself...(under his new boyfriends name - clever!)

The owners (or, should I say, former owners) had been delaying paychecks, accumulating outstanding amounts owed to employees and probably many other people, violating public heath codes and paying their employees with cash under the table for more than a year! John Richardson was never really around, so Andy Singer was the mastermind behind all of the foul play. Andy even lied to me and told me that the Clark St. and Damen stores "relocated" to Roscoe Village.

John Richardson is JUST as much to blame as Andy/Erik/Harold Singer (Hard to keep up, he changes his name SO often!) I have a pretty good suspicion that John is going to be opening up the location on Bryn Mawr...so is he going to pay any of the debt that still owed to everyone on the failed Andersonville store?? I doubt it.

Sweet Occasions Update [Edgewater Crime Blotter]

"Dining at Powerhouse last week brought to mind memories of my mother's restaurant," says Claire Bidwell Smith in the CHuffPo.

That kind of sentence is usually a good thing. We're expecting it to be followed by gold-tinged memories of a warm kitchen full of life and maternal love, a surly-but-loveable GM who taught the young Claire a thing or two about honesty and judging a book by its cover, a revolving door of young waitstaff who to Claire's eyes were impossibly glamorous and hip, a vibrant taste-memory of a signature dish.

Heh, no. Turns out that Smith's mother's restaurant — while no doubt filled with love — was also more or less a financial disaster:

It was painful to stand by her side in the kitchen, night after night, as hardly a customer graced the front door. And before we knew it, her restaurant had taken on that air of doom, the kind that makes you give the place a wide berth just walking by outside.

I don't think it's over just yet for Powerhouse, but the place is wobbling.

What Does it Take to Make a (Great) Chicago Restaurant? [CHuffPo]
Powerhouse [MenuPages]
Powerhouse [Official Site]

[Photo: Kona at Powerhouse, via Zesmerelda's Flickr]

We won't say "you heard it here first," but ... aw hell: You heard it here first! Get your jollies on graham elliot's current menu while you can, because the world is about to meet graham elliot 2.0: a re-lighted, re-accessorized dining space, a new soundtrack, and most importantly, a whole new menu, to be unveiled on September 15.

We're the first to admit that almost everything sounds delicious in print, but in the course of our job we read a lot of menus. And trust us when we say that the new menu is beautiful.

There are a few holdovers from the old lineup: repeating their summer performances are the signature caesar salad (remember the brioche twinkie?), the deconstructed buffalo chicken, the skate and polenta, and the molten carrot cake. But virtually everything else is new: An appetizer flight of oysters (smoked, pickled, fried, and raw); pumpernickel-crusted sturgeon with a tres mitteleuropa accompaniment of braised cabbage, spiced quince, turnip confit, and sauerkraut sauce; green apple fritters with warm icing and a cider reduction ... it's enough to make us crave autumn.

Of course, Chef Bowles hasn't entirely abandoned the flourishes of whimsy that, for better or for worse, make his plates stand out: foie gras is decked with rice krisipies, venison osso bucco is paired with Guinness oatmeal, and a main course called — intriguingly — "tuna ménage à trois" comes with, among other things, "lime bubbles."

Our interest is particularly drawn to the "deconstructed snickers bar" that's going to show up on the dessert menu — it's one of Thomas Keller's (Per Se, The French Laundry) signature dishes, and we're excited to see how Chef Bowles puts his spin on it.

We wonder if such an entire overhaul merits a critical re-visit. But with a menu this tantalizing, we wouldn't be surprised if Vettel, Shouse, et al reserve autumn tables on their own dimes.

graham elliot [MenuPages]
graham elliot [Official Site]

[Photo: Skate and polenta, still on the menu, via stevez at LTHForum]

So sayeth Mike Nagrant, and he's pretty much on target. So far Monica Eng, Mike Gebert, and Steve Dolinksy have all swooned, to greater or lesser degrees, over the fare Chef Bill Kim doles out — and that's just the top of our Google Reader.

But Nagrant is the guy who knocked the wind out of Yats, and while his review of Urban Belly isn't quite as gleefully vitriolic as his takedown of the West Loop Cajun newcomer was, we get a healthy dose of his skeptical palate. The balloon isn't burst, kids, but there's a little bit of deflation going on. The very first sentence skewers the kitchen's offerings, and it doesn't move too far from there:

Urban Belly ... is decent Asian food for unadventurous pseudo-foodies and hipsters with money to burn.

I’m guessing many of the food-obsessed have secretly longed for our own local Momofuku, so we could lord it over any and all comers that there’s nothing Chicago doesn’t own. Kim’s spot seemed the logical anointee. I’ve never been to Momofuku, but if Urban Belly is truly like Chang’s spot, then Chang’s success represents a supreme golden fleecing of American food media.

It’s not that the food at Urban Belly isn’t good. It’s that it’s just not great.

Inside the Urban Belly [Hungry Mag]
Urban Belly [MenuPages]
Urban Belly [Official Site]

[Photo: Lamb with brandy dumplings, via Sky Full of Bacon]

The partners — Mr. Sorkin; two former co-workers at a technology firm; his uncle, who works in the building materials business; and a lawyer — were all barbecue fanatics who frequently met to grill in each others’ backyards. They spent more than a year analyzing the business.

Mr. Sorkin quit his job in 2005, and visited restaurants all over the country, including North Carolina and Memphis. (His wife supported the family while he traveled, before the restaurant opened and he started taking a modest salary.)

After tasting samples, the partners settled on Texas barbecue, known as “low and slow” because it is cooked at a lower temperature for a longer period than other styles. It was a variation they felt had been overlooked by Chicago’s numerous rib spots.

Mr. Sorkin, who has a degree in journalism, wrote a detailed business plan that ran for more than 40 pages, comparing his concept to the menus of his potential competitors. It featured a heartfelt essay, “Our View on ’Q,” that set out the group’s philosophy on barbecue ... Along with a simple menu of ribs, brisket, chicken and side dishes like macaroni and cheese and twice-cooked fries, the plan also included an extensive analysis of the expenses the restaurant expected in its first three years.

Determining that the North Side of Chicago lacked sufficient rib outlets, the group zeroed in on a storefront on North Pulaski Road, about 15 minutes north of the Loop and 10 minutes from Mr. Sorkin’s house.

Two members of the group pledged their homes to secure a $440,000 Small Business Administration loan to get the restaurant off the ground.

In the months just before and after Smoque opened, Mr. Sorkin and one of the partners spent 120 to 130 hours a week tying up loose ends. “I seriously thought we were going to die of exhaustion,” he said.

Since Smoque opened, Mr. Sorkin has scaled back to a relatively relaxed 90 hours a week. Now, he is at work by 7 a.m., for a day that starts with stocking wood in a smoker, accepting an order from a meat deliveryman, checking the previous night’s receipts and supervising as kitchen assistants chop peppers and prepare peach cobbler. He is on his feet all day, and rarely gets home to see his two toddlers before their bedtime. He can only occasionally catch a beer in a bar near his house.

But he is not complaining, because Smoque has served many more customers — thousands more — than the business plan forecast.

“My old job was challenging, even interesting at times, but I never got the same buzz from knowing that someone got their e-mail fixed,” Mr. Sorkin said. “I love barbecue. I love to feed people barbecue, and I love to watch them enjoy it.”

Love Food? Think Twice Before Jumping In [NYT]
Smoque BBQ [MenuPages]
Smoque BBQ [Official Site]

[Photo: Smoque's brisket, via biscuitcleaver's Flickr]

Huffington Post: Chicago still defies nicknaming attempts (actually that is a lie; the consensus is Chuffpo, but we are still fans of HuffPoChi, so we're pretending jury's out), and the site might have given the internet the worst blog post ever written, but we are still rooting for Arianna Huffington's insane level of social connectedness to result in some seriously interesting and innovative food coverage. It's not quite yet the fireworks show we were hoping for, but there are some cool things happening.

Today, for example, gives us an in-depth look from Flora Lazar of NoMI pastry chef Andres Lara, formerly of world's-most-important-chef Ferran Adria's restaurant El Bulli, on Spain's Costa Brava. Much like the other Chicago heirs apparent to the El Bulli school of envelope-pushing, Achatz at Alinea and Cantu at Moto, Lara takes a straightforward approach to what the casual diner might consider decidedly un-straightforward cuisine:

"I don't want anything too pastry, too square, or too rectangular," Lara told me. As long as it's fresh, clean, and alive, when it leaves the kitchen, every dish can look different, "like a garden of roses," he said. He could not have summed up his desserts better.

Lara's riff on the traditional Black Forest cake strays a bit further from the familiar, but is delicious on its own terms. Mimicking a forest scene, the dish is assembled around a central "rock" containing an exquisite chocolate praline ice cream garnished with pickled cherries. It contains no obvious trace of cake and for Black Forest die-hards, may disappoint.

But it is Lara's almost pictorial Caramel Garden Roots that departs furthest into the realm of so-called "de-constructed" food for which places like El Bulli, the shrine of the so-called molecular gastronomy, are famous.

With rhubarb sorbet and licorice caramel sitting on a bed of coffee "soil" running the entire length of the plate, it is designed to look like roots coming from the ground. Of all the desserts, this visual fantasy succeeds the least well on the taste front, with the coffee soil overwhelming the dishes other flavors, especially the rhubarb.

El Bulli Chicago-Style [Chuffpo/HuffPoChi]
NoMI [MenuPages]
NoMI [Official Site]

[Photo: some kind of dessert (strawberry foam? white chocolate powder? no idea!) from Andres Lara's personal site]

In the left corner, Mike Nagrant: Eater-about-town and Ludicrously proficient writer.

In the right corner, Darwensi. Foul-mouthed dudebro and Chicago Glutton.

The issue at stake: Yats.

As we all recall, Nagrant eviscerated the newbie Cajun/Creole resto in a NewCity review, using phrases so pointed and piquant that we are reluctant to revisit them and potentially spoil our lunch. On the other hand, the Chicago Gluttons review is all sunshine and unicorns! Erm, in a manner of speaking. (Because this is a family blog, we are censoring out the more choice vowels and consonants. Asterisks ours):

It ain’t no muhf***in fire drill at Yats; these kids slang flavors like Sysco Foods slangs frozen buffalo wings. Every flavor in the dish is clean, not muddled. Cajun spices are balanced by layering at various stages during creation of the dish which yields a flow of flavors. Taking a bite of a Yats dish is much like slamming the last bowl from a box of Count Chocula. You get the marshmallows AND the toy. Any haters out there that think its not possible to have that cake and eat it too? Well, its time for you to step the f*** off.

We’re going bless Yats with our gold placard of Solid Food Goldness, but unfortunately doesn’t exist yet, so hold tight Joe. Utmost props for creating a product and making that sh** f***ing correct. Lastly, a welcome to the fine city of Chicago. We can’t wait for January when you will electric blanket our cold souls.

Yuckin It Up at Yats [Chicago Gluttons]
New City: Yats Ain't All That [MenuPages Chicago]
Yats [MenuPages]
Yats [Official Site]

[Photo of a groaning table at Yats via Chicago Gluttons]

While we were sick this weekend, we sent special MenuPages correspondent Joe Rosner, a.k.a. Our Brother, to go check out the scene on opening day at iCream. He brought nine of his friends. No half measures here!

Quick recap: iCream's concept is DIY ice cream from the bottom up + liquid nitrogen. You order your base (ice cream, yogourt, sorbet), then two flavors, and finally, toppings, which cost a little extra. The cheery lab technicians (I cannot call them ice cream baristas, nor creamery custodians, since this is the future) pour your order into a SCIENCE BEAKER, which they then pour into a Kitchen Aid which churns the concotion as liquid nitrogen is poured in, immediately evaporating into smoke right in front of you whilst freezing the ice cream. This looks INCREDIBLY COOL.

When we entered iCream in Wicker Park on its opening day we realized we were inside an iPod (or at least Steve Jobs' treehouse). A white, curvy-square indoor storefront with futuristic words on the walls (the line is the iFactory, the countertops are the iLab), icy nitrogen tanks, and (of course) touch screens for placing your order. And although we didn't witness it, we were told that soon customers could plug their own iPods (the original Apple ones) into the wall and add songs to a store-wide playlist. All this combined with the cold nitrogen smoke made me feel like a kid in Willy Wonka's factory, except surrounded by taller workers.

Unfortunately, as cool (har har) as the liquid nitrogen and the whole concept were, we were sad the execution didn't pay off. One problem we encountered early in our ten-something ice creams ordering spree was sweetness - we were asked whether or not we wanted our ice cream sweetened at all, and then naturally or artificially. Some of us didn't catch this, got unsweeneted ice cream, and were quite let down (so we had to pump our own shots of corn syrup onto the ice cream at a counter, which really didn't make sense and didn't really help overall). (Also corn syrup is evil! — Ed.)

And then the texture of the ice cream was random - one tasted like gelato, another like hard ice cream, another like "refrozen melted ice cream," according to my friend Andrew. Combined with the overwhelming abundance of choices for your ice cream, the whole experience was very hit or miss - the simple rootbeer/vanilla ice cream (which happened to taste like gelato), and the strawberry/raspberry with extra raspberry topping, were crowned the favorites (we agreed the natural sweetness of the fruit really helped). But the failures haunted us, and we now know never to order coffee/banana ice cream with orange food-coloring ever again.

The prices were relatively inexpensive (no worse than Coldstone's; liquid nitrogen is pretty cheap), the other items like espresso-machine-steamed hot pudding intrigued us, and the store boasts it will stay open till four in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays. We're not sure how long those hours will last, but by the time iCream gets on its feet and maybe comes up with a more fixed, consistent menu, we wouldn't mind stopping by on a weekend to...chill. Har. Har.

— JOE ROSNER

[All photos courtesy Joe Rosner]

Seems like everyone's put a little love in their heart these days: We did not know this, but apparently after 6pm on the last Friday of every month, the folks at Kuma's Corner donate all their tips and their salary to a local charity, and owner Mike Cain matches the amount.

For this reason (as well as, we imagine, serving burgers that make full-grown men nervous, and hot dogs with names that cannot be uttered in the presence of ladies), the Sun-Times has seen fit to make Mike Cain one of the 50 people who make Chicago a better place:

Donations have gone to the Chicago Abused Women Coalition, the Paul Green School of Rock and a fund to pay medical expenses for injured Roller Derby star Tequila Mockingbird. Earlier this year, Kuma's Corner raised $8,700 to help pay bills for Mat Arluck, guitarist of the hardcore band Sweet Cobra, who is going through his second battle with cancer.

"We were starting to do well here," said Cain, a Melrose Park native. "And you know what? As long as we're doing well, we might as well give back to the community. It's important. It's karma. If you do something good for someone else it comes back to help you."

50 people who make Chicago a better place: Part 1 [Sun-Times]
Kuma's Corner [MenuPages]
Kuma's Corner [Official Site]

[Photo: The Kuma's Corner menu cover, via DROOO's Flickr]

Other farmers caught wind of the deal, and the next year the restaurant gave about $10,000 to a farmer in North Adams, Mich., to help buy a herd of goats and was repaid in meat and cheese. A similar arrangement was made with a local lettuce farmer.

These informal relationships continued for four years, funded by $10,000 the restaurant put aside for the no-interest loans, until Mr. Bayless and his staff decided they were tired of cooking at charity events that supported causes they didn't feel personally connected to.

In 2003, during a brainstorming session in Frontera's cookbook-lined library, they decided to formalize the loans by starting a non-profit foundation that would give grants to local farmers who primarily use organic methods, which are easier on the soil. It's a group the staff felt passionate about supporting.

"We fund people who are really interested in making a difference, both in the earth and their communities," says Mr. Bayless ... "Great local cuisine only comes from great local agriculture."

Frontera Grill's seeds take root [Chicago Business]
Frontera Grill [MenuPages]
Frontera Grill [Official Site]

[Photo: How much of this plate of Quesadillas & Beans is locally sourced, hm? via zesmerelda's Flickr]

Still, not all chef's tables are highfalutin, wallet-busting extravagances. The Chicago Pizza Club recently sat some of its members at the chef's table at La Madia, where for a measly $25 (that's, like, half our cable bill!) they were treated to:

• Locally grown cantelope melon and prosciutto di Parma, served with Pisoni, Lucy, Rosé of Pinot Noir '07
• Toasted bruschetta of wild mushrooms & sweet onions (recipe)
• Heirloom Beet Salad, with watercress, salt-roasted almonds, & Gorgonzola, served with Cambria, Chardonnay '05
• Shaved artichoke pizza with Reggiano Parmesan & garlic
• Diver Sea Scallops with fingerling potatoes & sweet corn, served with Roco, Pinot Noir '05
• Triple pepperoni pizza
• Chocolate Tortino, served with Lindemans Framboise Lambic Ale

[Special Event] Chef's Table at La Madia [Chicago Pizza Club]
Charlie Trotter's [MenuPages]
Charlie Trotter's [Official Site]
La Madia [MenuPages]
La Madia [Official Site]

[Photo: La Madia's Shaved Artichoke, Reggiano Parmesan & Garlic Pizza, via the Flickr of perhaps Chicago's best food photographer, Zesmerelda]

On purpose, we left one of Pat Bruno's reviews out of today's review roundup. It's a review of Nacional 27, which not only is a restaurant that we went to with our ex-boyfriend for our twenty-first birthday like five (billion) years ago, but is also a restaurant that Bruno had previously reviewed, all the way back in 2001.

Our hope was that Bruno would use his re-review to redress some of the shortcomings of his turn-of-the-millennium musings. Like the part where he actually denies the science behind ceviche:

The theory behind seviche is that the raw fish is marinated in citrus juice, which suggests the idea that the juice ''cooks'' the fish. I don't buy that, but that's another story [emphasis added].

So we were thinking that in today's review, he'd recant his 2001 ceviche creationism. But no &mdash the only thing he says about Nacional 27's ceviche is that the hamachi mojito and ahi tuna-watermelon were much better than the halibut and shrimp varieties.

Another interesting element from 2001 &mdash if by "interesting" we mean "sweepingly scathing":

While I find some of the dishes here quite interesting, I am also aware of more than a few shortcomings. I am baffled, for example, by what the kitchen is attempting. I see a friction that grinds uncomfortably between the concept of what should be enjoyable culinary craft and fanciful flights of inspiration, more than a few of which do not exactly pan out.

It was obvious after but one bite that I was going to polish off the skirt steak. Certainly skirt steak is not the best cut of beef around, but in its simplicity there is unflagging enjoyment. Tender, flavorful, juicy, the steak got an accompaniment of mashed boniato (a type of potato) with a tangy avocado salsa adding an extra kick of flavor. [2001]

As for the grilled marinated skirt steak, I have had better and I have had worse. This one was a little tough around the edges and lacked that deep, grilled flavor that I associate with skirt steak that I have had, say, in a steak burrito. A form of guacamole and a salsa cruda flanked the steak, and both were kind of boring. [2008]

Ah well. What remains consistent, even after all this time, is the inconsistency of the quality. The ice cream sandwich is "a joke," calamari a la plancha was "squishy-bad." Give it another seven years, Bruno, why don't you?

Dinner dance [Sun-Times, 2008]
Nacional 27 [Sun-Times, 2001]
Nacional 27 [MenuPages]
Nacional 27 [Official Site]

[Photo via Nacional 27]

You know there's a good PR team at work when a restaurant shows up on Thrillist, DailyCandy, JuliB, and UrbanDaddy. But who does it best? We subscribe, read, and levy judgment... so you don't have to

In this inaugural edition of Showdown, we have newbie Italian joint Piccolo Sogno, which opens today. The contenders: Thrillist, DailyCandy, and UrbanDaddy. JuliB is apparently sitting this first round out.

Thrillist's take on...
a cutesy title: "On the 'Lo"
the chef, Tony Priolo: "Longtime right-hand men chomp at the bit to step up and unleash their own unique creativity -- Snoop's last words to Dre were "One day I will use Peter Frampton's voice-box to record an R&B song"."
the dining room: "like a Pier 1 exploded inside Donald Trump's penthouse."
the menu: "ambitiously pan-Italian, whisking your ambitious gut from Naples (creamy buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil studded Margherita pizza) to Sicily (wood-fired whole fish w/ sea salt and braised fennel) to Rome (slow-roasted pork in garlic, olive oil, and fennel)."
the bar: "The 100+ bottle wine list also spans the Boot, with Chianti, Brunello, Barbaresco, and more from Umbria, Piedmont, Veneto, and loads of other regions you know intimately as "In Italy, right?" Priolo's also spreading his hard-liquor wings, with 12 signature cocktails."

UrbanDaddy's take on...
a cutesy title: "Molto Patio"
the ambiance: "Complete with a lush and airy back patio, Piccolo transports you oceans away from busy Halsted Street (OK, maybe blocks). The garden outdoes former occupant Timo (no slouch in the authenticity department), and the fragrance of new junipers, and soon, fresh herbs, will have you swearing you're on a mini Roman holiday."
what to order: "we say go with a cold Menabrea. The Italian brew stands up nicely to Piccolo's wood-fired pizzas and its porchetta, Roman-style roasted pork."

DailyCandy's take on...
a cutesy title: "Dream On"
the menu: "Simplicity reigns: house-made breads, organic Northern Italian risotto grains, Mediterranean fish, San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella from Naples. The well-rounded menu includes heirloom tomato salad, crunchy pizzas, handmade spinach and ricotta gnocchi, and rosemary-marinated lamb T-bones."
The bar: "The cocktails are seasonal as well: This month try the blood orange mimosa."

Winner: Thrillist, for providing maximum information with maximum mockery of the interior design tastes of self-styled oligarchs.
Loser: DailyCandy, for providing absolutely no unique information whatsoever, and sending their email two whole days after the other two, which makes us wonder if they were even on the initial press release mailing list at all.

Thanks for playing, everyone! See you next time!

Piccolo Sogno [MenuPages]
Piccolo Sogno [Official Site]

[Photo: Showdown, via avant gardenia's Flickr]

Remember how, for a few minutes, graham elliot was BYOB? Well, as of last night, they got their liquor license and if you want to bring your own bottle, that will be $25, please, according to the man himself.

graham elliot [MenuPages]
graham elliot [Official Site]

[Photo: a sample wine list, from g.e.'s website]

French-infused food is nothing new to Chicago. Takashi slips French into Japanese fare, Avec makes a (very) happy family of French, Mediterranean and Italian flavors and Le Passage fancies their bar food as French, but who’s doing French-Mexican? No one, until Mexique.

Husband and wife duo (it’s the chic way to open if you haven’t noticed) Carlos Gaytan and Iliamar Isaac chose Tuesday to open their doors on a stretch of Chicago Avenue known for its cowboy boots and taquerias. You can even buy live chickens at Hermitage, but probably not for long. The stroller-pushing hipsters and single-scouting diners that have settled into the hood need a place where they can be seen, preferably eating upscale food. A spot like Mexique feels appropriate.

If your first thought is burritos and French fries, you’re wrong. Chef Carolos Gaytan, whose resume includes seven plus years at the Union League Club, three years at Bistrot Margot and a short stint at Adobo Grill, combines his Mexican heritage with French training for a sophisticated result. Carlos tells us (talk to him when you go, his voice coos) he loves to cook and knows that to be a chef you must also be a "creator."

So what’s he creating? Pretty good stuff. On the appetizer list, a trio of sopes are filled with escargot and chimichurri butter, shrimp and avocado mousse, and plantains slathered with a spicy chocolate mole. Tuesday’s tuna ceviche (chef’s choice daily) was surrounded with tiny translucent gelatin cubes that tasted like a tortilla chip. The vetabel sounds just as peculiar as its spelled, but the combination of port wine poached beets with horseradish vinaigrette and a fried goat cheese cake promises an entourage of flavor.

On the main menu, Gaytan purees Malanga root from the Yucatan with white truffles as a topper for the NY steak. Dorado (Spanish for mahi mahi) is served with green beans, tiger shrimp, muscles and clams in a morita-saffron bouillon. A duck breast sports a chipotle-temple tamarind glaze and comes with a cranberry tamal.

After-dinner drinks are not on the menu, which is limited to a well-priced selection of wine. Iliamar (who is behind the design of the space and now has her career as an architect on hold to run the restaurant) tells us the list is only preliminary and will include beer in the future, but that cocktails have intentionally been left off. For fear a patron might order a midori-infused margarita to drink alongside their poblano pork tenderloin, maybe? We’re not sure, but if it’s tequila and citrus you want, you can find some resemblance of it on the dessert menu: the "Margarita" is a tequila pomegranate gelee with pink grapefruit sorbet and sea salt, for example. France and Mexico take turns down the list with classic options like crème brulee and apple tart or chocolate ganache and ancho chile enchiladas.

Call now for a table. It’s our guess once word gets out they’ll be hard to come by. Lunch starts in two weeks and weekend brunch is in the works.

Mexique [MenuPages]
Mexique [Official Site]

[Photo: Carne at Mexique]

We got a review in yesterday afternoon from user ".............." for John's Pizzeria in Bucktown that made a rather audacious claim:

So I just moved to chicago and my roommate told how John's Pizzaria has great food. So I decided to try it out and called to order some food. The lady who answered the phone was rude and tells me they don't take delivery orders from out of town numbers. I tell her I just moved here and this is the only phone I have to use, she goes well I don't know what to tell you. SERIOUSLY !! You would rather lose a customer and money because you don't want to take an out town number.WOW! I just though that was pretty lame..................................

Well then! All this is very strange and stupid. First of all, is the computer ordering system really not sufficiently customizable to allow other area codes to be entered? Second, a recent study showed that upwards of 30% of U.S. households rely on cell phones exclusively, and this figure rises rapidly with youth. Aside from college neighborhoods, we're hard-pressed to think of an area of Chicago that would likely have a higher percentage of non-local cellphone users. We're as shocked as ".............." that John's would willingly and willfully abandon the business of such a significant (and presumably pizza delivery-oriented) demographic.

This is not the first time we've registered complaints about John's delivery service. Last April, "bri" wrote:

Pizza is fantastic, delivery service is decent-- it comes pretty quick, but the answering service is rather rude. a simple "thank you for your order/business" goes a LONG way-- there was NONE of this.

pizza is phenomenal. delivery is quick, but just had a rude obnoxious driver tonight with a minor mistake on order. Told me RC had no sugar and it was better for someone who has blood sugar problems than regular diet. Crazy or just a liar you decide

John's Pizzeria [MenuPages]
More people depend solely on cell phones [SFChron]

[Photo: apparently so! via hwayoungjung]

What could be more auspicious than opening a fabulous new restaurant on the day that the foie gras ban got repealed? This is how L.2O was welcomed into the world, and based on the reactions of Mike Nagrant at Hungry (who supplied that quote and also, magnanimously, the menu) and Judy Hevrdejs at the Tribune, L2O is already in the pantheon of Chicago's top restaurants. And with dishes that have descriptions like "lamb tartar, ebi shrimp, pickled peach, tarragon" and "gold egg yolk, kampachi, Kurobuta pork, sake" and "shabu-shabu medai, kombu bouillon, citrus, King Trumpet," this is not hard to believe.

The ball of Ossetra caviar you can't help but stare at is sitting on a bed of fluke; while this exact preparation is not on tonight's menu, you can get something similar in the $110-$140 range. A twelve course tasting menu is $165, and a four course prix-fixe is $110. Eh, we've seen worse. The photo is from the restaurant's official flickr pool, which is hot. When LEYE wants to do something, they really do it.

Anyway, we're excited.

First Sip: L2O [Hungry]
First Bite: L2O [Tribune]

L.2O [MenuPages]
L.2O [Official Site]

[Photo: Ossetra caviar on fluke at L.2O, LGras/flickr]

We got a detailed and pointed feedback on Sunday morning from Doopy Lupree, a local Classic Rock / Neo-soul / House band. Or at least, we're able to surmise as much from certain data we have access to; suffice it to say, it does not seem like the author is necessarily on the payroll of Naha. The email reads:

I do not like to see such negative reviews for such a great restaurant. I think the way Naha is categorized is misleading. It should be discribed as contemporary American, French technique, Mediterranean influences (chef Carrie Nahabedian is Armenian-American and her cousin Michael Nahabedian is Greek/Armenian-American). There is emphasis on seasonal, sustainable and local ingredients. Carrie Nahabedian has won her 3rd consecutive James Beard award nomination for best chef Midwest. They allow BYOB but the corkage policy is $25/ bottle unless a bottle is purchased from the wine list for each bottle brought, in which case the fee is waived. It can be romantic, however, it can also be very lively (read loud) when seated to capacity. The design of the room has a California vibe, I guess; and Chef Carrie Naha was executive chef for several years @ the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, California. Perhaps this is where the confusion comes in categoizing this restaurant as "California." Naha is also considered to be a "slow-food" restaurant as few items are pre-made to ensure quality. Naha is also not cheap. Kindly amend your listing so that another user of your site does not leave a restaurant disappointed due to being misinformed.

Cheers,
Wants-To-Help

Anyway, in our defense, the price rating was and is accurate, and any serious reviewer could have looked at the menu and ought not be overly swayed by epiphenomenal nomenclature. Still, it's certainly true that more people should be reviewing Naha in greater number. And now that you know about the Buy One Bottle, Get The Second Uncorked Free policy, you have no excuse not to.

Naha [MenuPages]
Naha [Official Site]

[Photo: a Naha medley, SquarePegsHurt/flickr]

Much like Sixteen at the Trump Hotel before it, C-House — famed Ethiopian-Swedish chef Marcus Samuelsson's venture at the Affinia Chicago — has opened its door for breakfast only at first. This is a perfectly reasonable way to test the space and prep the staff, but the morning menu does not reveal too much of what's to come. Except that, much like Sixteen, it is very expensive.

No less of a personage than Phil Vettel checked out C-House over the weekend, reporting that "there are three versions of eggs Benedict, including one that includes generous slices of pastrami-style smoked salmon; that’s what I ate, and it was terrific."

One would hope so! It's $17. The smart money may be on the $22 lobster version, but there's always the $14 Canadian bacon for penny pinchers.

You know what else is $14 at C-House's breakfast? An omelet with tomato, mushroom, herbs or cheddar cheese. Pancakes with blueberry compote. Almond French Toast with vanilla maple syrup. Waffles with chestnut honey. Clearly, this is the "sweet" spot. Hahaha!

We referenced the pastrami smoked salmon eggs Benedict earlier; it is also possible to get pastrami smoked salmon as a side for $7. Why so much pastrami smoked salmon? And why aren't they calling it gravlax?

To answer the second question first, it's because gravlax isn't smoked, it's cured. If you want legit gravlax, you'll have to go to Magnolia Cafe, where gravlax eggs Benedict are served with wilted arugula, tomato and pesto hollandaise and house potatoes for $13. But we digress.

What's strange is, Mr. Samuelsson certainly serves gravlax at his flagship restaurant Aquavit in New York. Aquavit offers a $48 all-you-can-eat brunch smorgasbord that includes gravlax as well as any number of smoked salmons and herrings, Swedish meatballs and Danish Marys. Hello, why isn't that available at C-House?

Oh well. Lunch and dinner menus will be posted as they materialize.

C-House [MenuPages]
C-House [Official Site]

[Photo: gravlax, which is clearly not smoked, via Ben Harris-Roxas/flickr]

Park 52, Jerry Kleiner's recently opened upscale comfort food restaurant in Hyde Park, has been getting decent play in the neighborhood, all things considered. The Dish reports finding the place "packed" at 9pm on a weekday night, despite prices well outside the normal range for the area, and food alternately described as "limp," "dineresque," and "copycat." The Chicagoist went by over the weekend and found people "disappointed" that the restaurant's not open for brunch. We're sure a serious review will hit the internet sooner or later, but in the meantime, we have the restaurant's very first shill on MenuPages to share with you.

User: Patricia (correctly capitalized first names are so infrequently used for legitimate reviews that their presence raises eyebrows — you know, because real people are lazy and illiterate)

Title: Wow! Just what Hyde Park needed!! (use of sentence case makes us nervous. It's true that Hyde Park needed a sophisticated, modern restaurant of some sort, but the title plays into that notion too heavily. Also, non-ironic double-exclamations are frowned upon)

Rating: 5/5/5/5 (an amateur shilling tactical error. Clever shillers realize that 5/5/5/5 is a big red flag, and often go with 4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5 instead)

Review:

What a great place! Absolutely wonderfully decorated (if you like that sort of thing). Great eclectic menu (not really). Food cooked to perfection (cliche). Chef ad libbed on a mustard sauce because I'm allergic to tomatoes and mushroomsit was superb and complimented the meal extremely well (lovely detail, well-intertwined with the narrative)! I felt like I was downtown but didn't have to travel a long way to get home (talking point). Great job!!! Please don't get stalechange the menu every so often and stay upscale (the neg). Valet parking is great idea, but please advertise (this is, in fact, the advertisement). I called and was told to park in the lot around back, but would have gladly paid the $8 to have the car parked and returned for me (wow, what a lazy person. Also, if they're from the neighborhood, why are they driving here?). My friend and I had a lovely time and I am definitely going to make it a "spot" to meet friends for a beautifully comfortable but upscale time in the neighborhood (scare quotes around "spot" and multiple modifiers on "time" are suspicious). Fantastic!!!!! (tell us what you really think)

All this said, we're sure the food is fine, and Park 52 will likely do very well. But we'll only participate when it's fair and square!

Park 52 [MenuPages]

[Photo: glazed salmon at Park 52, Kids' Writer/flickr]

ZED451, the River North American-style churrascaria is opening tonight to much fanfare. We passed judgment on the restaurant a few weeks ago, contending that it would be a fun place to spend an evening, but the all-you-can-eat meat selection and chef-driven sides would probably never rise above "good enough" at this suburban-origin chain. Gastronomic Bypass was there the other night for their free preview dinner, and pretty much confirmed our suspicions.

So we were somewhat surprised when we got a review this morning entitled "Zed-understanding fine dining!" from Sandra Smith-Doghmi, co-owner of Red Carpet Concierge. She wrote:

From the front door to the rooftop garden the experience was fabulous. Douglas Wickard, GM and his staff welcomed, served and d the ultimate in Chicago Dining! It is compared to dinner at Oprah's home. Buffet style for the first few courses with butlers constantly wandering with rump roast, garlic steak, sirloin, filet, short ribs, orange bbq pork ribs, parmesan crusted pork medallions, grilled chicken breast & legs, citrus salmon and lamb. Oh, and you have to start out with the fondue meats appitizer, the best. Zed definetly offers something unique-beyond compare. A Chicago Concierge

If any actually unaffiliated people make it to ZED451 tonight and love it, please let us know.

ZED451 [MenuPages]
ZED451 [Official Site]
Red Carpet Concierge [Official Site]

[Photo: shiller Sandra Smith-Doghmi, Red Carpet Concierge]

We mostly like the framing of this, but also — sweater aside — it's hot out! Margarita time! Woo!!!

This particular specimen comes from Tecalitlan in Ukie Village for $6.20. A regular with lime is $5.50, but the very nice young woman who answered the phone when we called recommends the raspberry, her favorite. For our part, we always get plain because the fruit flavors are just sugar, and then we get a headache. When it comes to margaritas, though, you can do whatever your heart desires.

Have an uproariously enjoyable weekend!

Tecalitlan [MenuPages]

[Photo: allwood/flickr]

We're not positive we'd actually like this cupcake, but we're sure glad we've seen it, and we bet it appeals to at least some of you. Texture combinations aside, this looks like something out of Wonka or the Nutcracker, or maybe Marie Antoinette. The aesthetic is whimsy, but the reality is much starker: there are only three of these left at Bleeding Heart Bakery, where Michelle Garcia dreams up all manner of limited-time cupcakes that rotate in and out of the line-up. All cupcakes at Bleeding Heart are $3.50, but for your money you get something 1) unique 2) attractive and 3) organic.

Anyway, if popcorn's your thing, you know what you have to do.

Bleeding Heart Bakery [MenuPages]
Bleeding Heart Bakery [Official Site]

[Photo: Bleeding Heart Bakery/flickr. They put their cupcakes photos online. Why doesn't every restaurant do this?!]

The latest yogurt craze-inspired entrant to the Chicago restaurant scene is Starfruit, opening tomorrow in Ukrainian Village. Unlike competitors Berry Chill and Wow Bao (you knew they were serving Asian-style frozen yogurt, right?), Starfruit makes its parfaits, smoothies and frozen concoctions from kefir, a variant of yogurt with a high concentration of bacteria. But good bacteria! Starfruit uses "probiotic" a lot on its trippy, hypnotic website (the best Flash-driven restaurant website we've ever seen, by the way, even though we normally don't like Flash), a totally hot trend in 2008. The yogurt...it will cure all your medical problems! It will do your taxes!

On that topic, as a special promotion for their opening day tomorrow, Starfruit is offering, for free, small parfaits, smoothies and frozens (let's just call them that) plus one topping. All of this would normally be $5, so it's not a bad deal. Flavors include flavors-of-the-week like Pomegranate and Acai, plus all the standard berries, a handful of fruits, and vanilla and capppuccino. Some of the flavors are available in organic, an extra 50 cents. The toppings are more fun, ranging from fresh fruit to milk and honey granola, yogurt chips (in case you can never get enough) and most exotically, mochi balls (a buck for the first topping, and then 50 cents per).

We say, the more, the merrier on yogurt. But the best part is, the menu they sent us came in three versions with three different fonts. They've since determined one for the website, but the tri-font menu gave us the unique opportunity to share with you the design decision as it came together. Here are the three options:

1)

2)

3)

The first one has a Harry Potter-type thing going on, the second one is like playful late 1950s, and the third one is a bit American Girl Place, yeah?

So which one makes us think the most about groovy yogurt? Also, why not just use the same sans serif font that the Starfruit logo is in? Because sans serif is modern and forward thinking, but Starfruit's hippy-wellness-holistic angle requires a few serifs to put us in a time and place, and the curlycues in the first font are as close as you're gonna get. And so, that's the font they ultimately chose for the website. Branding, we think, is like one of those good bacteria! Best eaten fresh and cold.

Starfruit [MenuPages]
Starfruit [Official Site]

When Rosscoe's Chicken & Waffles opened last month, we cautioned that

trying to ride the coattails of the established LA institution doesn't sit all that well with us. We realize the owners are just trying to maximize their business, but given the dearth of decent dining options in the area, simply providing good food and decent service would have taken care of that. Using the name Rosscoe's (misspelled as it might be) just opens you up for increased scrutiny and ire.

Equally relevant is Roscoe's logo, which is also protected. The trademark has a disclaimer that states "NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "CHICKEN N WAFFLES" and the illustration of waffles APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN." Let's take a look at the mark!

The chicken on the left belongs to Chicago's Rosscoe's, while the chicken on the right is property of LA' Roscoe's. There are differences between them, to be sure; um...for example, they're looking in opposite directions. The owner of Chicago's Rosscoe's, Darnell Johnson, is quoted as saying:

In a court of law, in a civil case, we feel we can win 9 out of 12 jurors. If they get the whole story.

Nevertheless, this infringement suit seems to have legs, given that the "likelihood of confusion between the two is pretty high for unsuspecting Chicagoans. It's one thing to use the name "Rosscoe," which is a recognized variant of Roscoe (meaning "deer wood" in Old Norse) — after all, during the interwar period, one out of every two hundred male babies was named Roscoe!

But the similarity of the logos is pretty damning. At the end of the article, Johnson states he'd be fine changing the name except for the high cost of switching the signage. We're underwhelmed by this argument also, but doing so would be a lot cheaper — and arguably less insulting — than getting shut down by government injunction.

L.A. restaurant cries fowl over Chicago eatery's name [Tribune]
Roscoe's House Of Chicken N Waffles [USPTO]
Trademark infringement [Wikipedia]
Roscoe - Name Meaning and Origin [Think Baby Names]

[Photos: top, the appropriately titled "Our efforts thwarted" (Chicago White Meat/flickr); middle, our own construction using Google Maps Streetview and dcfud]

Last Friday, we wrote about our sticker shock when we saw the price of a certain (tasty-looking) main course at Szalas on the Southwest Side. We argued that we've come to expect Polish food in Chicago to be cheap, and we're somewhat suspicious when it's not.

This generated the slightest pique of ire from Louisa of Movable Feast, who was concerned we were reopening the X-food-is-meant-to-be-cheap message board war (veterans of which are currently suing for more generous meal stipends).

But we never meant to imply that there's a reason inherent to the cuisine itself for it to be universally inexpensive, or that we would not be willing to pay a lot for imaginative, high quality Polish food served in a sophisticated restaurant. It's just that, since such a venue empirically does not exist in Chicago, and because the overwhelmingly vast majority of Polish restaurants in the city are conspicuously inexpensive, that we've come to view Polish as a "value" option. In fact, we think there should be a temple to fancy Polish food in Chicago, and that there's a market for it.

However, commenter "Bart" disagrees:

There are no good Polish restaurants in the Chicago area, and I doubt you would find one in the US at all. Simply this kind of cousine doesn't sell, and is not existent except withing old country. For real taste of Polish cuisine try some more upscale restaurants in Warsaw, Krakow. But don't expect the bill to be running under $40-$50 per dish.

But truth is, Szalas is still serving it right, even if their menu is bit on a countryside - but you are served a traditional stuff.

The set menu (like a prix fixe except you don't have any options) includes pierogi, sour soup with smoked bacon, beef roulade in mushroom sauce with buckwheat and warm beetroot salad, "cream cake on the mirror of strawberry sauce" (!) and a glass of cherry vodka, and is 175 zloty, or $80, a person. That's not insignificant in a country with a per capita GDP of $16,600, around half that of the United States.

But only tourist eat set menu, yes? Should we ever find ourselves in Krakow, we are ordering: foie gras in wild rose and apple preserves ($42), crayfish soup with sour cream and dill ($16), and the roe deer and quail duet served with wild rice
and many-colour pepper sauce for $50. Ooh! Or maybe the veal leg stewed in dark mushroom sauce, served with roasted potatoes and sweet pea, a hefty $57. And we can't say we're not intrigued by the apple strudel with linden tree ice cream for $15. All this comes to upwards of $130 or so before beverages (tax and tip are mostly included, in all likelihood), which is nothing to sneeze at.

While an opulent, 650 year old Polish restaurant that regularly plays host to visiting foreign dignitaries may not be in the cards for Chicago, surely there's still room for something special, eh? Something with foie gras...

Szalas [MenuPages]
Szalas [Official Site]
Wierzynek [Official Site]

[Photo: Daniel Matysiak/flickr. That "GRILL" awning is atrocious]

ZED451 is an AYCE (all you can eat) New American steakhouse, opening in River North in two weeks. The restaurant is similar in concept to the various churrascarias around town like Brazzaz and Fogo de Chao, but with a New American rather than Brazilian orientation toward the meat and accompaniments. For a $50 prix-fixe ($25 for the kiddies), you get your pick of proteins like bacon-wrapped filet mignon, Parmesan crusted pork medallions, buttermilk marinated bottom sirloin, spicy fruit-glazed lamb chops, and so forth. And in lieu of a traditional salad bar, ZED451 employs a "Harvest Table" with sides like Maui pineapple salad, roasted asparagus with herbed aioli, and a "Hot Station" with options like sherry braised mushroom soup.

One mildly interested twist is that the restaurant employs thirty front-end chefs, who do everything from carving your meat to delivering it to your table. Furthermore, they get to show off their skills by making amuse bouches for the audience...er, dining guests. This is sort of like an audition so maybe you can hire them to be your corporate chef or something! We wonder if they wear name tags...

If ZED451 sounds familiar (the restaurant's name refers to the last letter of the alphabet and the temperature at which paper spontaneously combusts. All this makes us nervous that it's a doomsday cult), that's because there are already two in the area: Downers Grove and Schaumburg each have a location. It definitely feels like sloppy seconds to get a restaurant concept that got its start in the suburbs; we've learned by now to not assume that food served in the suburbs will be less sophisticated than its city counterpart, but...we cannot shake the associations of the soulless marketing immanent to restaurant groups in general, and these suburbs in particular.

The next best thing to judging a dish by eating it is to judge by looking at it (this is the premise behind Top Chef, by the way). Above are some encrusted lamb chops (apparently not the spicy fruit-glazed variety they have on the menu). They look...fine. More than adequate. There are chives in the foreground, cilantro in the background. Definitely a stab at upmarket. We look at these lamb chops and know instantly that the food will be good enough for the people who decide to go to this restaurant. It will be tourists and conventioneers and families and all sorts of people who appreciate high quality AYCE in a large (15,000 sq ft!), safe space. It at least has the virtue of being slightly different from other plausible alternatives in Chicago. Given the spiraling costs of meat, $50 for all the filet mignon you can eat is not a terrible deal.

ZED451 [MenuPages]
ZED451 [Official Site]

[Photo: ZED451's media center]

Last we checked in with Szalas, it was because an Omnivorous feature was designed specifically to accommodate the restaurant. To whit:

The restaurant round-up that follows Omnivorous this week is "Twenty-four restaurants south of 52nd Street," so themed because Gary is...south. But why 52nd street in particular, we wondered? A quick check of the addresses reveals the northernmost restaurant to be Szalas, a Goralean restaurant in Brighton Park. Come again? They're Polish highlanders, they eat veal goulash, and on the weekends, they dance. If the column was named to accommodate this particular restaurant, you know it must be good.

Right or wrong, Polish food is simply not a cuisine we expect to pay a lot of money for; Chinese and Mexican are also in this category. Thai and, say, Greek, are not anymore, because the gentrification of Thai and Greek food have inured us to $15 and up entrees. Which is not to say there aren't plenty of places to get delicious and cheap Thai and Greek food! But we're fine paying a little or a lot for either. Of course, Chinese and Mexican have been making inroads, too — witness Shanghai Terrace and Topolobampo.

As for Polish food, though, there's really only one "expensive" Polish restaurant in the area (Lutnia). This doesn't need to be the case! Any cuisine can be elevated to gourmet heights; all it takes is one enterprising and aesthetically gifted chef. But that hasn't happened yet in Chicago, which is why a $15.50 entree at Szalas is jarring. But hey, if they can get away with it — and again, this looks pretty tasty — more power to them.

Okay, have a good weekend then!

Szalas [MenuPages]
Szalas [Official Site]

[Photo: cohodas208c/flickr]

Lito's Empanadas, operating out of a little storefront in Lincoln Park, has built a nice reputation for itself since it opened late last year. We're happy to see a family-run place that decides to offer only one thing, and does a really good job at it.

Look how positive MenuPages reviewers have been!

Make it a point to get to Lito's. Lito's is a very small, sparkling clean place which has a few window seats for dining in. Much of their business seems to be take out. The empanadas which are fabulous, travel well and stay warm. Try my favorites: beef,olives,rainsins, rice or the beef and rice. My ultimate favorite is the choco-banana. The empanadas are inexpensive -a wonderful deal for the money. The owner and his wife are very friendly. These would be great to take to a party. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by. If you are not in the neighborhood, make it a point to get there. I am convinced you will not be disappointed.

Lito's empanadas range from $2.09 to $2.29 (regular unleaded, premium unleaded circa 2005?), with the beef and rice smack in the middle at $2.19. Which is a bargain, compared to how empanadas are priced elsewhere around town. Que Rico! does two cheese and spinach empanadas for $6.80 (but we didn't want two!); Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba's are $5.25 a pop for your choice of chicken or beef; and it doesn't get much better from there. No, Lito's is pretty unique in what it's doing — if you've never had an empanada before, this is a good place to start.

Lito's Empanadas [MenuPages]

[Photo: R.A.M.O.N.E./flickr]

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, two reviews were posted for Bubba's Fried Turkey on 87th Street near Stony Island, bringing the grand total of reviews for that restaurant to...two. On further inspection, our two reviews seem to be the only such commentary on the entire internet! You know something's obscure when LTHForum, Metromix and Yelp all come up empty. And yet, they have an amazing URL (www.bubbasfriedturkey.com) and a relatively well-designed site.

Now when they say "fried turkey," they mean, battered and deep fried. This is not that new-fangled method from the South where you deep-fry the turkey instead of roasting it and it cooks faster but doesn't absorb any of the oil for some reason. No, the turkey is covered in yellow batter, like everything else on the South Side. Alas.

Let's check out the reviews. The first one, by "local resident" (a warning flag), was entitled "Something Different":

This is the great place to satisfy your taste buds when you are tired of the same ole' meals. Service is friendly and welcomes you once you come through the door. No attitudes here! Food is filling and resonable. The salmon with the fish and chips is a huge portion with great flavor. The turkey sandwich, fried, was light and tasty. Not the boring rubber sandwich that I usually receive. Be patient, this is not a fast food set up. Fast is not always good! The dinning atmosphere is good but not large. Clean. This restuarant is great change from the normal and the cook really cares about the quality of your meal.

The next review was from "tracey," optimistically entitled "healthy and good":

if you want something healthy and good this is the spot! when you go, get the turkey breast sandwich fried!! This is the best sandwich I ever had in my life!!

All that said, we're intrigued by the fried salmon fish and chips, and we appreciate the menu's warning that "products may contain peanuts." And fried turkey is not something we see on too many menus in Chicagoland. Shills or not, Bubba's is definitely doing something different.

Bubba's Fried Turkey [MenuPages]
Bubba's Fried Turkey [Official Site]

[Photo: from their website]

You all know by now that Grant Achatz was very seriously considering plopping a version of Alinea in New York, but has decided against it. In an email to Time Out New York, he writes:

Sure, it would have been easy for us to clone Alinea and plunk it down in Manhattan. But what does that get anyone? Sure, we make some money if it is successful, but really that is not compelling. It would mean cannibalizing the very philosophy that makes Alinea what it is. New York would have a knockoff, and it would stretch our resources here at Alinea to the point of jeopardy for no real gain to anyone.

1) Mr. Achatz could charge $400 for the Tour, and people would still pack the place. It would be disgusting.

2) Could it really be that someone out there is doing it for the art and not the cash? Bless you.

3) Certain things should be unique in the universe for deeply philosophical reason, and Alinea is a prime example.

4) New York simply doesn't deserve it. Really. It's too good for them. And we should know.

Even if one day, forces beyond our control dictate that Mr. Achatz launch a New York project, at least today, we can savor the victory of good over evil; that's how strongly we feel about it.

Exclusive: Achatz fills in the blanks on Alinea NYC [Time Out New York]
Alinea [MenuPages]
Alinea [Official Site]

* Note that we have virtually no emotional reaction to Charlie Trotter's entré into the New York market. Account for that as you will.

Which restaurant was angry former waitress "Dawn" talking about when she wrote in:

i have seen many cockroaches when i was working there as a waitress many people didnt tip me cuz of this and the manager was giving them the meals free when this happened,also the servers only work off of tips they dont get paid hourly,that is against the law

Well, we told her that everyone seemed to be really excited about the concept. This was partially because we didn't want to say anything negative this early in the morning, and partially because we'd only skimmed the data and didn't have much substantive to report. Now that we've woken up, the thrust of the commentary thus far as been:

1) The line is so long
2) Much of the early business is being driven by the false impression that Rosscoe's is related to Roscoe's, which comes off as...unsavory
3) The chicken and waffles are alright, although they may suffer long waits on the way from the kitchen to the table

Some of this can be chalked up to opening drama and growing pains, but trying to ride the coattails of the established LA institution doesn't sit all that well with us. We realize the owners are just trying to maximize their business, but given the dearth of decent dining options in the area, simply providing good food and decent service would have taken care of that. Using the name Rosscoe's (misspelled as it might be) just opens you up for increased scrutiny and ire.

We'll have more to report when we receive the menu.

[Photo: the eponymous dish, but from the actual Roscoe's in LA, pointnshoot]

No matter where you live, you've probably heard of this legendary Brooklyn pizza joint known as Di Fara's. If you haven't, welcome to the big leagues, pizza lovers!

Brooklyn is, by many accounts, the nation's pizza capital (sorry Chicago. It kind of is). And Di Fara's is, by many of those same accounts, the best pizzeria in Brooklyn. So logic dictates that Di Fara's is the best pizzeria in the nation. At least by many accounts.

And many of those accountable for this opinion weighed in on an Epi-Log poll and voted Di Fara's the best on the East Coast. The result? We get a virtual photo-walk-through of the process of making a Di Fara's pizza. Not surprisingly, it all has to do with one dedicated pizza master. According to Epi, Domenico Di Fara's recipe for quite possibly the best pizza on earth boils down to this:

"I use only the freshest ingredients, the bufala mozzarella from the town I grew up in, the oregano and basil from Israel, tomatoes from Salerno, flour from Italy," he says with a smile. "That's the secret recipe."

Secrets of Di Fara Pizza [Epi Log]
Photo credit: Michael Y. Park [Epi Log]

being on Michigan Ave. you'd think it's too posh to enjoy but not really. it's pretty cozy, dark, and private.

one thing though that threw me was the hostess... when we walked in she wrote down visual descriptions of us all the way down to the piercings in some sort of short hand. the only reason i saw it was because the waitress accidentally set the card down on our table when she was talking to us. i understood most of what was written about me, some of it made me go hmm but that was just weird and made me uncomfortable to know that detailed descriptions were being written down about us.

anyway, the waitress was very nice and the food was very very good. as per usual with Bandera. and pricing isn't too high but it certainly could be lower... but that's just my opinion and i really doesn't cross my mind when eating there.

I worked at Bandera for a little over two years and just wanted to clarify the previous reviewers unsettling experience with the extremely detailed description that the hostess took. Bandera refuses to use the pager/ beeper system feeling that it makes the dining experience much less personal. Thus, as a host, we have about a minute to take a quick description of the guest as we write down the name, time they came in, party size, and amount of time quoted. When you are on a twenty minute wait, it is extremely easy to find your guests. When you are on an hour and a half wait and have taken over 50 names, it becomes much more difficult - thus, the crazy descriptions. So- if you want to guarantee that the hostess will find you an hour and a half after you have put your name in - be a little more creative with your dress! You would be shocked on how many men / women wear jeans, black sweater and black shoes.

Just a quick follow up regarding the hostess description issue. Just to clarify, the hostess did not accidentally leave the card on the table. One is placed on every table, with the description in plain view (no one's trying to be sneaky here) so that the servers know if or if not the table has been greeted. Once the table has in fact had an initial greeting from a server, the card is either written on and or taken off the table by their server. Point being, there is no discriminatory system going on here.

I think this restuarant has gotten more buzz than it really deserves they're food isn't all that great. It looks lot a fun spot to be in but it's alway so crammed up with people. The waiters have little experience and you're always trying to get their attention for a drink. The first time I was there my steak was so tough it was just not a good piece of meat. They never offered to replace it or give me something else. I think if you want some good mexican food head down to Nuevo Leon or Cebollita they've got the good grub in pilsen!

Despite other mixed reviews I've read, I decided I had to try Mundial for myself today. I went for brunch where I had the Mexican Omelet and my father had Topados. Both were excellent!!! I was actually surprised by how good everything was (and let me tell you I am beyond picky)! Large portions, wonderful flavor, comes with beans, awesome potatoes, sour cream and chiles. Can't forget the homemade tortillas too. Perhaps other patrons went on a bad day, because my service was excellent. I think they treat kindness with kindness. My coffee was filled 5 times before it was empty, and the same for my water. Perhaps my genuine please and thank you was very much appreciated because other patrons did have to ask for refills, but they were always quite rude to the staff. I love this place and I can't wait to go back for more brunch and dinner. I highly recommend it and don't be fooled by other's complaints of bad service- being nice truly does get you a long way in the restaurant world! Besides the place is very small with a very small kitchen, if you go there on the weekend and order your food at the same time as 20 other people you're going to have to wait!

This restaurant obviously has read its reviews and has improved its service. Had I not read the dismal reviews on service, I never would have thought Mundial had had a problem with it. We were served professionally, quickly, and thoughtfully. Our reservation was honored and we were seated quick as a wink. The ambience was pleasant and comfortable enough for an incredibly popular place (sat in the back room). The food was fantastic, though maybe a little light on portion size. (Order some sides or salads to fill it up.) This is not a typical Mexican restaurant, so if you ARE looking for tacos and refried beans and low prices, then you probably should go down the street to Nuevo Leon (as another reviewer suggested). I lose my patience with people who think if it's Mexican, it's got to be cheap. It's not a Mexican restaurantit's kind of Mediterranean-Spanish. Something fusion's going on, and I liked it! I thought the prices were right on the money (excuse the pun), and with the BYOB, it was a bargain. Can't wait to return!!

Being in my 30's I have had over 2000 gyros in my life. This bar none is the best in Chicago! Good cheese fries, and the greek food is a good vaule.

Continue reading "Menu Update: Old Town Brasserie" »

Tonight's commute is going to suck!
Wait it Out at A MANO
and Save Big Bucks!

The drink tastes a bit like barbecue sauce.... The short rib hash was delicious, but greasy. The basket of donuts, and especially the short bread cakes with jam, were strong. Observed 1 friend adore her market inspired (sweet crab) eggs Benedict. While, another complained of a bland root vegetable omelet.

No wait, nice service, a bit like slipping into an old smoking jacket.

The spicy wings looks like normal Buffalo wings, with more of an orange-ish glow, of the sauce, on the outside. These wings were breaded and then coated with the red savina pepper sauce. The aroma was slightly vinegary. Upon tasting the wings, the mouth and lips started to feel the effects of the heat. These were spicy, indeed. And tasty as well. The heat of the peppers was not overpowering that you could not taste the wings, which was nicely prepared.

Sitting there chomping on the wings, one of the staff came over and asked us if we wanted our picture taken (with a Polaroid), but we declined. There was also a waiver that we had to sign that emphatically stated that these wings were spicy and that we could not take legal action against them - reading it was extremely humorous. There is also an option to order a cooling tray, which contained a scoop of vanilla ice cream, double shot of whole milk, a large smear of sour cream, half a slice of toast, and a slice of orange. I suggest ordering this, even if you don't need it, because it is free. This caused us not to get dessert.

Unlike the suicide wings at the Anchor Bar (the originator of the Buffalo Wings), these were easily edible. Anchor Bar's wings are, IMHO, about 20% spicier than Jake Melnick's.

So we went to Jake Melnick's last night. I ordered the Hot Wings. A table next to ours had also ordered the wings - you could tell because they were wearing the Fire Fighter hats and they were crying. The boyfriend was able to eat just one and his girlfriend managed 3. I wasn't too scared yet.

I signed the waiver saying I would not sue if I died. The wings came and I took my first bite - it was seriously hot that even the fumes almost did me in. It was going to be tough. After the second wing I started to lose feeling in my legs. After a few more I could not talk nor feel my tongue or lips but I was nearing halfway there - there were 10 wings. I also refused to ring the bell.

My friend, Barry took a bite to see how hot they were and he nearly died. He literally drank 5 glasses of water (first mistake) and then could not sit still for the next 10 minutes walking around the restaurant putting napkins to his tongue. I took the rest of his wing back.

The peppers and the pepper extract really were doing funny things to my body and mind - things got pretty blurry and hazy. My arms were somewhat numb and the end of my fingers were all tingly. My hearing started to go and ironically I started to get freezing cold - even though it was very warm in the restaurant.

Barry's wife begged for me to give in. There was no way I was going to. I rang the bell so my son could drink the milk and eat the ice cream which was supposed to cool my mouth down. I finished the basket - all ten. I got my picture taken. It was worth it.

i purshase a jr cb 01/23/07 2:pm that with one wing and link and tips the tips were so tough and rubber i didn't enjoy them at all my husband is very mad because he told me to go some place else i told him ive been with rosa since 55th street ,and she very good with her food and sauce, this is the first visit she she moved from 55th i'm taking the tips back and i can't go back here any more pork should be well done this was not cook well at all

If you want to try Bosnian and Serbian food at its best, Boem is the place. I am Croatian, I know how the food should taste, and Boem is very close to the benchmark. Expect large portions with a lot of meat - whether it is Bosnian national proud - cevapcici, or Serbian vjesalica (hanger), you won't leave hungry. The service is average but not bad. If the party is large enough, sometimes you may get a round of drinks on house (another Serbian custom). One thing that could be better is bread - it is often old, but you can easily go around this issue by simply skipping it.

Food in this restaurant had really bad smell, it was probably reheated, prepared ten or more days ago. Worst thing: I was almost attacked by some drunk [REDCATED] or [REDACTED] ( i'm not shure what kind of extremist that was ). It is strongly recommended not to go even close to that place which is dangerous for your health ad safety, too.

I went to Boem on Saturday and Sunday night and it was packed! Food was excellent but bread was old and stale! I suggest trying cevapi instrad of pljeskavice! Live music is another plus, Osvajaci and Maja def make Boem worth going!

BAD,BAD,BAD.

Boem is a hole. The music is way too loud for a small place like that and it's terrible. These people don't know how to sing or play music. The actual place is stuffy and stinks. You'd want to eat here if you're crazy. I have went to Boem numerous times and hardly seen anyone eating. Once I happened to see the cook/server/waitress/owner (this women does it all) prepare a meal and the whole resturant was filled with an oily smell that smoked up the whole room. When we left, we all smelled as if we were in the kitchen. The ladies room is soooooo filty and nasty. It is the size of my closet. Hope you read this carefully and beware- only boem if u dare.

Boem is absolutely disgusting. We have some farmer looking waitresses that don't speak English and don't understand what you're ordering. Boem has a bar half the size of the place, but absolutely no drinks. You ask them for a simple Martini and they don't know what it is. Probably because those waitresses were taking care of cows in [REDACTED] right before trying to serve customers. The owners are a bunch of losers that don't know how to run a business. All they do is sit, relax, and watch all these sluts shake their dirty asses on the crusty dance floor. The owners daughter thinks she knows what she's doing and tries to be little ms. perfect. if she was so perfect, she would be home taking care of her kids instead of bringing them to the bar/resturant to watch all of this nasty stuff, inhaling the gross smoke and eating the rotten food. Boem needs to be inspected and closed up. These people are foreigners that don't know what they're doing.

I was at Boem last night with a couple of friends and found the atmosphere electric. Live dance music. People standing and singing along. Very warm environment. Yes, it is loud but I do not know of any place with live music that is not, especially this small. The service was slow because of lack of wait staff but people were mainly there for the music not food. This is a great place to bring a group of friends to enjoy live ethnic music and food. It is an ethnic environment so someone who has a small spectrum on the world may not appreciate it.

Nothing was less than very good, and some dishes including northern style pancake, Peking smoked chicken, smoked pork buns, lamb sate and pork and cucumber salad were outstanding.

Hello from The Orbit Room.................. Since the smoking ban has taken place The Orbit Room has taken steps to ensure smokers a comfortable space to smoke, especially during this weather, we have placed a Smoking Tent on our lovely back deck. So, if it's raining or snowing NO PROBLEM, The Orbit Room has your back covered.

Incidentally, Dale from Top Chef was our waiter. He was maybe not the best waiter we've ever had, but it was kinda cool to have him walk up to the table. Kind of like a surprise bday present.

Continue reading "Menu Update: Room 21" »

The food was subparand expensive. Some of the fuax-asian decorations were nice...but not 20$ a person nice.

We didn't dine at the restaurant, so can't speak on that experience, but we definitely enjoyed trying this new Hyde Park spot's menu. It's a little expensive for the portions you get, but the peking duck rolls, for instance, are quite delicious, and the pumpkin-coconut soup was very nice too. The staff were all very nice when I picked up the food, so we're looking forward to trying a meal at the restaurant and maybe trying a few drinks at that good looking bar as well...

Great addition to Hyde Park! It's what the neighborhood needs -- a fun place for a young crowd to hang out in. I felt like I went out without having to leave Hyde Park! Great ambiance and vibe. The place does have some major shortcomings. 1. Food is not much better than Noodles etc. but is more expensive. 2. It's a small restaurant and Hyde Parkers love it. Therefore, it's very difficult to get seating during prime time. A 30 - 40 minute wait is not worth it. They do take reservations so I suggest making them ahead of time. 3. Service depends on who you get. So with this restaurant, I think Hyde Park rebuilding is on the right track. We need more such places but with good, affordable food and service.

This place was a GREAT experience! We could never find another place like it in the Hyde Park area! We will definitely be back!

The space is gorgeous and should become a Friday night date spot BUT I'm not sure if people will go back for seconds unless they improve the food.

I asked the waiter what was in the Tofu vegan Claypot and he said vegetables and tofu. What came was 4 huge chunks of tofu that looked ike someone had just broken some off a grocery package and dumped it in very hot broth (which I think was chicken -- not vegan, but not 100% sure) with cellophane noodles. The "vegetables" consisted of bok choy, a few limp flavorless scallion ends and rehydrated mushrooms that were so "chewy" as to be inedible.

To their credit, the waiter replaced my order with a vegetarian thai dish and charged me only for it. The vegetables on that were nicely done but the portion was on the small side and the oil used left an icky coating on my tongue -- must have been one of the cheaper oils like rapeseed, cottonseed or coconut -- definitely NOT sesame or corn oil.

The crispy mussel appetizer was nicely presented and was rather rich -- nice for two people but elaborate enough to make that it really slowed down our order. My friend had the lemongrass roasted chicken which she devoured and said was great.

The staff was super nice but if you're going for vegetarian or thai you'd be better served by any of the four other thai restaurants in the area which are all cheaper but unfortunately all BYO while Chant has a full liquor license.

Maybe the trick is knowing what to order, but how bad is that?

Wiener's Circle is a popular restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 2622 N. Clark St. It is best known for its interesting staff members (the most famous being 'Poochie') and the 'Chocolate Milkshake' (where if you go late at night, pay $10 and ask for a chocolate milkshake you get flashed by one of the almost all African American staff). It has been seen in popular culture on Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and NPR's This American Life.

Great pasta dishes freshly prepared in the open kitchen, and brought to you sizzling hot and delicious. Imaginative combinations. I was in Town for a weekend visit, and was very glad to find this place. Staff was very welcoming and helpful.

The best pasta dishes in Lincoln Park, great prices and wonderful environment with friendly service. A hot spot for the young and trendy as well as the "experienced" and seasoned customer!

My husband and I have visited twice now and LOVED it. The Penne Con Salsicciea and Cavatappi Pollo are perfect! I can't wait to eat the leftovers! Which, you WILL have because the helpings are HUGE. We love the crowded, bustling atmosphere and sound of the sizzling chefs! Great place!

Every time I step into this restaurant the food is GREAT. The prices are very reasonable. I would eat here every day if my waistline would permit. Cozy atmosphere.

The other day, a friend asked what my favorite weekend brunch spot was, and I realized: I hate brunch. The whole tradition that we follow like robots: rising early on Sunday, packing into a crowded entryway, vestibule, or sidewalk, to wait for a table where an overextended server will bring me an omelet I could’ve made myself? This isn’t dining. It’s compulsory eating, and I want my time and calories back. What is the allure here? Is it the ritual? The camaraderie? The hangover? Nothing against restaurants that provide brunch...but I’ll sleep in. And I’ll make my own French toast, thanks.

Inspiring to know what can be done with Chinese food with good ingredients, some creativity, and a lot of care by an obviously knowledgeable kitchen...Probably 95% of the food we have had at Ed’s has been outstanding: the eponymous potstickers, soup dumplings, pork and scallion cakes, lamb with cumin, potatoes with vinegar, eggplant, various other vegetable dishes, beef stew with noodle...The dumpling was good. The broth was ambrosial. When something that clear as so much depth of flavor, you know there's a real cook somewhere who put a lot of time into it.

A pupusa starts out as a fistful of cornmeal mixed with water. The cook makes a pocket in the masa and fills it with a schmear of beans, cheese, pork, or a combination of all three—for a pupusa revuelta—and slaps it back and forth until it flattens into a thick discus. Then it’s tossed onto a hot griddle, where it’s cooked a few minutes to a side. On the good ones a bit of the filling oozes from the edge and crisps up. Pupusas are served with a side of curtido, a vinegary coleslaw, and some thin red or green salsa.

been here quite a bit as i live in the neighborhood. They change the menu and specials on a very regular basis. Everything i've had has been great. Love the place!!

After seeing this new rest on Oprah's show, all I wanted to do was buy a gift certificate and got so much flack I don't want it anymore. The girl on the phone had an attitude and was adamant about everything. If you are not prepared after being seen on Oprah that is your BIG PROBLEM. How could you not have gift certificates available yet? How could you not have a fax machine? Someone did not think this through and since when is a money order not good money? I always think that people like Art who is wonderful and recommened by Oprah has to live up to OPRAH"S standards and this was not of that nature. I am upset because all I did was want to buy my nephew a gift cert for his 40th birthday, you know somwthing special, well that girl took that nice idea out of my head. THIS WAS HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE

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The dough is placed into the oven under a ceiling of steam or, alternatively, the oven is injected with steam as soon as the loaf is loaded. This adds moisture to the body, the crumb, of the bread and establishes the crust quickly, resulting in a light and airy crumb. When the steam is gone (sometimes today, withdrawn), the dry heat of the oven bakes the crust, producing its characteristically slightly crisp and flaky texture. Vienna bread is typically formed as an oblong loaf, but can be baked in other shapes. As a longer loaf, it may well have been the origin of French bread as bakers there attempted to adopt the steam method to produce their baguettes.

Every day a kosher Jew must open and close the door to the kitchen and turn the ovens on to “start the fire”—a staffer is charged with these tasks. Because the consumption of blood is prohibited, every piece of salad lettuce must be checked under a drafting light for insects. Meats must be deveined and koshered. [Executive chef] Turano keeps certain cuts covered with kosher salt for up to an hour. “Afterward we have to soak our skirt steak in water,” he says.