Where to Find Great Comfort Food in the Windy City By Bob & Sue In addition to three of our favorite fine dining restaurants in Chicago—Grace, Alinea and 16 at the Trump—we enjoyed several first time places for memorable comfort food: Credit: Huge Galdones Momotaro This large Japanese restaurant offers delicious sushi and high-quality small… Read More →
Central Asian Comfort Food in Chicago You’ve probably heard me say that you can understand the history of a country and its people by looking at its food. No where is this more true than the countries of Central Asia, where the Silk Road impacted all parts of culture. Dive into the meat-centric culinary traditions of… Read More →
A Trip Back in Time By Bob & Sue Founded in 1898 in downtown Chicago by a German-born brewmaster, the iconic Berghoff restaurant still serves traditional food in an old world setting. Free corned beef sandwiches were originally offered as a way of selling beer. The restaurat has evolved under fourth generation family ownership into… Read More →
Edward Kim on Where to Eat & Drink in Chicago After graduating from culinary school, chef Edward Kim worked in kitchens in Los Angeles, Seoul and New York City—most notably under Thomas Keller at Per Se—before returning to his native Chicago to open Ruxbin in Wicker Park. After the wild success of his globally-influenced 32-seat neighborhood BYOB,… Read More →
An Impressive Debut After working in some of Chicago’s most prestigious kitchens—Charlie Trotter’s, Alinea and Schwa—chef Jake Bickelhaupt started an underground supper club, or “guestaurant,” called Sous Rising. With his wife Alexa Welsh, Bickelhaupt hosted Michelin-quality meals with a casual, dinner party feel in their Chicago apartment for nearly two years. In early 2014, Bickelhaupt and Welsh opened… Read More →
Reinvented Diner Food This gastropub in Chicago’s restaurant-centric West Loop draws crowds for their playful interpretations of classic dishes. Restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff (also behind the city’s Gilt Bar, Dillman’s and Maude’s Liquor Bar) daydreamed about opening a place with the feel of a greasy spoon. In 2012, he made that dream a reality with Au… Read More →
Perfect Peking Duck By Bob & Sue In between our memorable meals at Alinea and Grace, we enjoyed Sun Wah’s perfectly prepared Peking duck with soft buns. This informal north side neighborhood restaurant attracts large crowds of appreciative diners who also enjoy the delicious egg rolls, barbecued pork, and Singapore style rice noodles. Contact 5039 N Broadway Chicago, IL… Read More →
Duffy’s Understated Elegance As restaurants are trending towards casual menus and rustic decor, Curtis Duffy is running boldly in the other direction, reviving fine dining with his first solo project Grace. Duffy, who was chef de cuisine at Alinea before receiving 2 Michelin stars for his work at Avenues, uses seasonal ingredients and modern techniques… Read More →
Duffy’s Understated Elegance As restaurants are trending towards casual menus and rustic decor, Curtis Duffy is running boldly in the other direction, reviving fine dining with his first solo project Grace. Duffy, who was chef de cuisine at Alinea before receiving 2 Michelin stars for his work at Avenues, uses seasonal ingredients and modern techniques… Read More →
Consistently Creative American Fare This contemporary American bistro in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood has become a staple in the city’s booming restaurant scene. Chef Chris Pandel’s adventurous plates and relentless attention to detail packs the boisterous dining room with loyal fans every night (a focus on local ingredients, a knowledgable waitstaff and a serious cocktail program… Read More →
Consistently Creative American Fare This contemporary American bistro in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood has become a staple in the city’s booming restaurant scene. Chef Chris Pandel’s adventurous plates and relentless attention to detail packs the boisterous dining room with loyal fans every night (a focus on local ingredients, a knowledgable waitstaff and a serious cocktail program… Read More →
She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with… Read More →
She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with… Read More →
Savoring the Seasons Located just outside of Chicago in Western Springs, chef Paul Virant’s celebrated Vie restaurant is a great choice for solid farm-to-table cooking. Virant, a preservation expert with an everything-made-in-house philosophy, is known for preserving and pickling produce at its peak and incorporating those bright seasonal flavors into almost every dish. The cuisine… Read More →
Savoring the Seasons Located just outside of Chicago in Western Springs, chef Paul Virant’s celebrated Vie restaurant is a great choice for solid farm-to-table cooking. Virant, a preservation expert with an everything-made-in-house philosophy, is known for preserving and pickling produce at its peak and incorporating those bright seasonal flavors into almost every dish. The cuisine… Read More →
Paying Tribute to Pork From modernist fine-dining to a beer-focused gastropub and a tequila-buzzed taqueria, chef Paul Kahan’s multifaceted restaurant empire is a driving force behind Chicago’s booming food scene. The Publican, Kahan’s more casual beer hall-style eatery, serves craveable farmhouse fare with a pig and seafood-studded menu that reads like a ode to American… Read More →
Paying Tribute to Pork From modernist fine-dining to a beer-focused gastropub and a tequila-buzzed taqueria, chef Paul Kahan’s multifaceted restaurant empire is a driving force behind Chicago’s booming food scene. The Publican, Kahan’s more casual beer hall-style eatery, serves craveable farmhouse fare with a pig and seafood-studded menu that reads like a ode to American… Read More →
A Modern Approach to Rusticity Located in an old print shop in Chicago’s restaurant-centric Fulton Market neighborhood, Sepia effortlessly blends vintage, rustic details with modern design. Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated chef Andrew Zimmerman (not to be confused with yours truly) has developed a fantastic menu since he took over the kitchen in 2009, often breathing… Read More →
A Modern Approach to Rusticity Located in an old print shop in Chicago’s restaurant-centric Fulton Market neighborhood, Sepia effortlessly blends vintage, rustic details with modern design. Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated chef Andrew Zimmerman (not to be confused with yours truly) has developed a fantastic menu since he took over the kitchen in 2009, often breathing… Read More →
Collaborative Staff, Creative Combinations By Bob & Sue Chef Michael Carlson and his team double as the waiters in this super casual, music centric tribute to creative combinations of tastes and textures. We enjoyed a baked potato soup with cheddar cheese stretched across the bowl and crispy potato skins and scallion puree, diver scallop with… Read More →
Collaborative Staff, Creative Combinations By Bob & Sue Chef Michael Carlson and his team double as the waiters in this super casual, music centric tribute to creative combinations of tastes and textures. We enjoyed a baked potato soup with cheddar cheese stretched across the bowl and crispy potato skins and scallion puree, diver scallop with… Read More →
Food to be taken seriously By Bob & Sue We dined at Chef Graham Elliott Bowles’ restaurant where his revamped 19-course tasting menu revisits his successful run at Avenues. Among the special offerings were a delicious lobster risotto with sea urchin, pig jowl with date and Iranian pistachios, a perfectly cooked guinea hen with matsutake… Read More →
Food to be taken seriously By Bob & Sue We dined at Chef Graham Elliott Bowles’ restaurant where his revamped 19-course tasting menu revisits his successful run at Avenues. Among the special offerings were a delicious lobster risotto with sea urchin, pig jowl with date and Iranian pistachios, a perfectly cooked guinea hen with matsutake… Read More →
Complex Palette By Bob & Sue The 26-course Tour from one of America’s greatest chefs includes several courses of amazing complexity: 1) Japanese icefish with horseradish custard and dehydrated parsley, cornichons, and potato, 2) an amazing navy bean puree covered with a pancetta chip and served with a bean sprout risotto and bay leaf gelee… Read More →
Complex Palette By Bob & Sue The 26-course Tour from one of America’s greatest chefs includes several courses of amazing complexity: 1) Japanese icefish with horseradish custard and dehydrated parsley, cornichons, and potato, 2) an amazing navy bean puree covered with a pancetta chip and served with a bean sprout risotto and bay leaf gelee… Read More →
