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The Chicago Reader

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City Life, Public Service Announcement Sep 4, 2020
A labor of love

Upcoming events and distractions from our listings coordinator
- By Salem Collo-Julin
- Tags: Public Service Announcement, listings, events, livestream, drive-in, Wyatt Waddell, Vic Mensa, Artists Run Chicago 2.0, Hyde Park Art Center, Guy Fieri, Labor Day, Ben Sachs, Sammy Hagar, birthday, Promontory, cheese

Food & Drink, Fall Preview Sep 19, 2018
At the Say Cheese Fest restaurants vie for the coveted ‘Big Cheese’ prize

It's a dairy lover's dream come true.
- By Brianna Wellen
- Tags: Fall Preview, Say Cheese Fest, cheese, dairy, Mars Cheese Castle, dairy, food, Wisconsin, Lou Malnati's, Blackwood BBQ, Cone Gourmet, Mac Dynamite, National Cheese Month, Saxon Creamery, fall preview, fall preview 2018

Food & Drink, Fall Preview Sep 19, 2018
Wisconsin’s Fermentation Fest offers more than 50 classes on brewing, cheese making, and more

Now's the time to introduce live cultures into your life.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Fall Preview, Fermentation Fest, zymology, live culture, cheese, kimchi, cider, beer, yogurt, Gary Paul Nabhan, Shawn Rediske, Linda Conroy, Wormfarm Institute, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, Sauk County, fall preview, fall preview 2018

Blogs, Bleader Jul 23, 2018
Eating elsewhere: of cow tongue Reubens and fresh pasta at Raduno, in Traverse City, MI

A ex-Chicago butcher makes a home in northern Michigan.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink, Food Chain, Vacation Week, Raduno, Traverse City, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula, cheese, cherries, Andrea Logan Deibler, Mado, butchers, butchery, salumi, charcuterie, Italian food, sandwiches, pasta, porchetta, Paul Carlson, 9 Beans ROw

Blogs, Bleader Sep 24, 2015
Behold the mother of all cheese cakes

The Great American Cheese Collection will customize a cheese cake for any occasion.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Cheese, Food & Drink, Food Chain, This Will Kill You, Great American Cheese Collection, Giles Schnierle, cheese, Weddings, wedding cakes, gouda, goat cheese, the Plant, Certoux, Lively Run Goat Dairy, Cayuga Blue, Sandy Creek, Black Pearl

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Aug 22, 2014
'Modern' Polish food at Mount Prospect's Qulinarnia

A suburban storefront tries to spiff up meat and potatoes.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Qulinarnia, Polish restaurants, Mount Prospect, potatoes, Jadwiga, Poland, Agnes Janowska, salads, soups, appetizers, parsley, celery, marjoram, zurek, borsch, bacon, pork, sausage, pickles, cheese, arugula, quinoa, cranberry sauce, tartare, eggs, blue, capers, garlic, herring, onions, apples, microgreens, mushrooms, puff pastry, entrees, cod, fish, spinach, duck, carrots, broccoli, Smak-Tak, filet mignon, sauerkraut, pierogi, lobster, tomatoes, desserts, cheesecake, red wines, white wines, beer, Polish beers, Warka Radler

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Aug 16, 2014
Recommended
MFK offers an underground refuge

The Spanish-focused seafood spot is a testament to virtuous simplicity.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, mfk., Nick Lacasse, M.F.K. Fisher, seafood, Spanish food, Lincoln Park, The Drawing Room, anchovies, toast, boquerones, white anchovies, fennel, peppers, fish, shrimp, chile oil, Indiana shrimp farms, octopus, grits, scallops, lemon, avocado, gazpacho, salads, papaya, cucumbers, snap peas, bouillabaisse, clams, cobia, salbitxada, sauces, ham, cheese, manchego, carrots, corn, elotes, fregola, pasta, peaches, mint, basil, seasonal cuisine, small plates, tapas, tapas bars, cocktails, wines, wine lists, biodynamic wines, steak, Mfk, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Aug 1, 2014
Recommended
Evanston's Boltwood is unpredictable—and that's not a complaint

Ex-Publican chef de cuisine Brian Huston goes home.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Boltwood, Brian Huston, Evanston, The Publican, John Kim, Brothers K Coffeehouse, oysters, olives, peppers, nuts, toast, sable, ricotta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bar snacks, snacks, wines, cocktails, Few Spirits, squid, menus, vegetables, kohlrabi, fish, seafood, palm sugar, butter, squid, cauliflower, potatoes, pumpkin seeds, steak, chiles, cantaloupe, blue cheese, cheese, anchovies, eggplant, cashews, beets, pistachio, culantro, grapefruit, salads, avocado, pea shoots, garlic, schmaltz, loup de mer, zucchini, meatballs, lamb, shrimp, desserts, pies, sorbet, gelato, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Jul 22, 2014
Más makes Mexican with more and more and more . . .

. . . but more isn't better at this new West Loop spot.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, West Loop, Mexican restaurants, Yanitzin Sanchez, Sabor Saveur, botanas, salsas, tacos, guacamole, crudos, esquites, seafood, steak, lamb, cocktails, tequila, desserts, French toast, cheese, gazpacho, pastor, grouper, chorizo, bacon, Más

Food & Drink, Key Ingredient Jul 10, 2014
Video
Key Ingredient: John Coletta isn't allergic to fennel pollen

Challenged to create a dish with a summery spice, Quartino's chef uses the ingredient in a salad and a pizza.
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Key Ingredient, Quartino, John Coletta, fennel pollen, The Wall Street Journal, Peggy Knickerbocker, Saveur, Max Falkowitz, Serious Eats, spices, licorice flavor, fennel seeds, salads, pizza, raw summer vegetables, vegetables, fennel, fennel bulbs, beets, zucchini, summer squash, yellow squash, radishes, celery, carrots, dandelions, chives, parsley, fennel fronds, celery leaves, salt, pepper, seasoning, Gorgonzola cream, cheese, pizza dough, pesto, olive oil, walnut pesto, walnuts, texture, lemon juice, Video

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Apr 11, 2014
Spritz Burger: Last seat on the burger bandwagon

The Hearty Boys team up with pastry chef Gale Gand for a burger joint.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Spritz Burger, Lakeview, Dan Smith, Steve McDonagh, Hearty Boys, Gale Gand, Tru, burgers, Malort, cocktails, Hearty, spritzers, pastry chefs, desserts, beef, Kuma's, poutine, bread pudding, cheese, eggs, hollandaise sauce, Spam, lettuce, tomatoes, chutney, turkey, turkey burgers, beets, panko, shrimp, chicken, liver, bread, garlic, batter, fried chicken, brisket, root beer, latkes, mac 'n' cheese, Cheetos, tator tots, lemon meringue pie, pies, syrups, bitters, soda siphons, gine, port, amaro, rum, batavia

Food & Drink, Key Ingredient Mar 29, 2014
Video
Jeff Mahin of Stella Barra Pizzeria tops a gumbo-inspired pizza with okra

Who knew the slimy seed pod can mimic mozzarella?
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Key Ingredient, Stella Barra Pizzeria, Jeff Mahin, okra, chefs, recipes, mallow, gumbo, pizza, texture, crispy okra, mozzarella, black roux, Parmesan cream sauce, creole mustard, mustard, andouille sausage, caciocavallo cheese, cheese, padano cheese, watercress, giardiniera, okra giardiniera, olive oil, sliminess, Video

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 28, 2014
Recommended
Chef Lee Wolen reboots Boka

The decade-old restaurant and flagship of the Boka group maintains its relevance.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Boka, Lincoln Park, Lee Wolen, loup de mer, capers, artichoke hearts, broth, octopus, tonkotsu, The Lobby, Peninsula Hotel, chicken, Eleven Madison Park, Moto, Butter, Boka Restaurant Group, appetizers, menus, cauliflower soup, curry oil, cream, ham, broccoli, salads, eggs, Parmesan cheese, cheese, ham, almonds, ravioli, onion soup, blood sausage, arctic char, potatoes, pears, Meyer lemon, salt-cod, fish, ricotta gnudi, sturgeon, entrees, lamb, monkfish, beans, scallops, desserts, Genie Kwon, pastry chefs, chefs, sesame cake, custard, yuzu, buckwheat, pineapple, cheesecake, Recommended

Blogs, Bleader Mar 10, 2014
Thanks to Cremeria La Ordeña #2, Albany Park is now the mole capital of Chicago

A great southwest-side Guerrerense grocery has opened a north-side location.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Cooking, Food Chain, Food & Drink, Cremeria La Ordeña #2, Mexican food, moles, queso, frijoles, Food & Drink Feature, Day of the Dead, Dia de Jumil, jumiles, corner stores, Cremeria La Ordeña, West Elsdon, edible insects, grasshopper, stinkbugs, chapulines, cremas, dairy products, cheese, Nicolas Aguado, Luciano Dominguez, Mi Costeñita, chiles, spices, candies, snacks, Mexican products, Mexican imports, queso xincho, queso, moles, pastes, ingredients, chocolate, nuts, fruit, pumpkin seeds, mole negro, Spago, cremerias, cremosito, requeson, jocoque, cotija, Elizabeth Arellano, nata, panaderia, cajeta, caramel, chorizo, longaniza, sausage, chorizo verde, Moronga, plums, beans, guaje, tlayudas, granola, stores, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Feb 21, 2014
Recommended
At Analogue, cocktails get top billing but the food steals the show

The Cajun menu at Logan Square's new cocktail bar is deceptively complex.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Analogue, Cajun food, Violet Hour, gumbo, po'boys, dirty rice, biscuits, Julia Thiel, Chicago Reader, Robert Haynes, Henry Prendergast, cocktails, Alfredo Nogueira, Rootstock, Flipside Cafe, trout dip, saltines, crackers, hot sauce, potato salad, chicken, sausage, mirliton, chayote, mushrooms, garlic, meat, cheese, fish, local sourcing, french fries, pork, Slagel Farms, sandwiches, beef, hot dogs, chowchow, beans, Au Cheval, fattiness, headcheese, boudin balls, peppers, Scotch eggs, mashed potatoes, yams, desserts, bread pudding, sweet cocktails, The Matchbox, beer cocktails, bitters, purls, Malort cocktails, Malort, bars, Cajun restaurants, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Feb 7, 2014
Recommended
The audacity of Michael Sheerin's Cicchetti

The former Blackbird chef is taking Venetian food somewhere new.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Cicchetti, 1960s, raw meat, Amalia Mani Mocenigo, Harry's Bar, Venice, Giuseppe Cipriani, beef, carpaccio, history, martinis, fish, vegetables, Michael Sheerin, Trenchermen, Blackbird, WD-50, regional Italian cuisine, antipasti, cicchetti, snacks, small plates, bacari, cocktails, Sopraffina Marketcaffe, Dan Rosenthal, Trattoria No. 10, Poag Mahone's, Corner Bakery, polenta, squid, squid ink, lime, chile, black garlic, cilantro, sardines, pesce in saor, bread, pork fat, arugula, bruschetta, La Quercia, sweet potatoes, fennel, raisins, tuna, shallots, seafood, meatballs, pork, flatbreads, parsley, onions, cheese, gnocchi, soup, guanciale, risotto, eggs, orecchiette, brussels sprouts, duck confit, sausage, peppers, fregola, GT Fish & Oyster, Sarah Jordan, affogato, cannoli, flan, limoncello, Nico Osteria, Eataly, audacity, menus, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Jan 17, 2014
Recommended
The Radler offers an upscale twist on German comfort food in Logan Square

Two Vie vets have launched the neighborhood's first Bavarian beer hall.
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, The Radler, D.A.S., Nathan Sears, Adam Hebert, Vie, service, pretzels, Logan Square, Galerie F, decor, Bohemian Export Beer, West Side Brewery, butter, barley-malt butter, blackberry jam, Rahmkase, mushrooms, cheese, onions, bread, onion pie, brussels sprouts, pilsner soubise, quiche, schnitzel, veal, gingersnap, rabit, spaetzle, potato salad, potatoes, wursts, house-made sausage, sausages, thuringer wurst, knockwurst, boarwursst, weisswurst, desserts, Black Forest cake, Bee Sting cake, Flesk Brewery, hefeweizen, helles, radler, house beer, Lake Effect Brewing, German beers, Austrian beers, draft beers, beer, dunkel weiss, wines, cocktails, gluhwein, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Dec 13, 2013
Recommended
Azzurra EnoTavola is the season's Italian sleeper

Simple, soulful Italian food from the folks behind Anteprima and Bar Ombra
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Azzurra Eno Tavola, Italian restaurants, Wicker Park, Marty Fosse, Anteprima, Spiaggia, decor, light fixtures, Victrola horns, blue, Katie Kelly, sausage, yogurt, pasta, vinaigrette, menus, small plates, Bar Ombra, carrot caponata, olives, vegetables, pine nuts, simplicity, Italian cuisine, wine, wine lists, wine by the glass, mushrooms, arancini, farro, rice, radicchio, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, cheese, shrimp, escarole, octopus, potatoes, pork, eggs, lamb, meatballs, gnocchi, linguine, orecchiette, tagliatelle, rigatoni, spaghetti carbonara, rabbit, rapini, meat, short rib, polenta, brussels sprouts, chicken, peppers, duck, sweet potato, The Bristol, trout, fish, seafood, fregola, pork ribs, squash, winter greens, pickled vegetables, seasonal foods, desserts, bread pudding, budinos, digestives, limoncello, arancello, liquers, Azzurra EnoTavola, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Nov 22, 2013
Recommended
The Chop Shop keeps it simple

Wicker Park's multidisciplinary butcher/bar/restaurant/performance space does a lot—and does a lot with a little.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, The Chop Shop, fasting, restaurant reviews, meat, chicken, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Wicker Park, butcher shops, bars, performance spaces, Minelli Meat & Deli, Butcher & Larder, Publican Quality Meats, deli meats, cheese, antipasti, sausage, steak, pork chops, Italian sausage, chicken, salmon, burgers, gnocchi, Urban Union, rib eye steak, strip steak, potatoes, hanger steak, bacon, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, shrimp, root vegetables, beer, charcuterie, duck, pancetta, pork, liver, root vegetables, sandwiches, Chop Shop, Recommended

Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature Oct 14, 2013
Recommended Video
Cremeria La Ordeña: Where the shelves are stocked with Mexican cheese, moles, and toasted grasshoppers

A southwest-side corner store holds a treasure trove of rare ingredients from the Mexican pantry.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, Day of the Dead, Dia de Jumil, jumiles, corner stores, Cremeria La Ordeña, West Elsdon, edible insects, grasshopper, stinkbugs, chapulines, cremas, dairy products, cheese, Nicolas Aguado, Luciano Dominguez, Mi Costeñita, chiles, spices, candies, snacks, Mexican products, Mexican imports, queso xincho, queso, moles, pastes, ingredients, chocolate, nuts, fruit, pumpkin seeds, mole negro, Spago, cremerias, cremosito, requeson, jocoque, cotija, Elizabeth Arellano, nata, panaderia, cajeta, caramel, chorizo, longaniza, sausage, chorizo verde, Moronga, plums, beans, guaje, tlayudas, granola, stores, Recommended, Video

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Sep 20, 2013
Recommended
Dillman's is Brendan Sodikoff's blintz-krieg

The restaurateur brings a haute (and fabulous) "deli-style American brasserie" to River North.
- By Sam Worley
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Brendan Sodikoff, bologna, pastrami, corned beef, foie gras, sandwiches, delis, delicatessens, Paul Kahan, restauranteurs, cured meat, meat, schmaltz, creme fraiche, cheese, bone marrow, salads, fish, avocado, River North, rye whiskey, cocktails, whiskey, bitters, Fernet, bourbon, grapefruit, honey, gin, pickle backs, matzo ball soup, herring, bread, chicken liver, Caesar salad, potato chips, cheese, smoked meat, eggs, potato salad, potato pancakes, Reuben, sauerkraut, pickles, entrees, French dip, chicken potpie, veal schnitzel, cheese dumplings, short rib borscht, toast, sandwiches, Dillman's, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Aug 9, 2013
Lao 18: It ain't Chinatown anymore

Tony Hu's latest might be the best Chinese restaurant in River North, but it's the worst in his empire.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Lao 18, cumin, sole, fish, chili, eggplant, Tony Hu, Chinatown, Lao Shanghai, Lao Hunan, Lao Beijing, Lao You Ju, Lao Sze Chuan, neighborhoods, Chinatown, River North, Chinese cuisine, regional cuisines, regional Chinese cuisines, Chinese restaurants, Hubbard Street, Dmitry Samarov, tripe, chicken feet, salad, Chinese restaurant demographics, beef, lamb, tofu, Tony's Three Chili Chicken, chicken, ma la, sichuan peppercorn, oil, texture, bean curd stew, cold beef and tripe, scallion pancakes, pork belly, pork, plum sauce, noodles, niu rou mian, broth, Peking duck spring rolls, shrimp, cheese, ham, fried rice, service, 4 Rebels Dragonfruit, cocktails, vodka, Sazerac, Japanese whiskey, Hub 51, Rockit

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review May 30, 2013
At River North's Central Standard, a one-stop tour of flyover country

From poutine to fried alligator, with a bourbon chaser
- By Mara Shalhoup
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, tacos, pierogi, poutine, alligator, menus, River North, time zones, bacon, fava beans, cippolini, chicken, lamb salami, meat, cheese, relish, jam, pickles, ducks, shrimp and grits, Central Standard

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review May 24, 2013
Brindille is a refuge from frightening surroundings

But conservative seasoning dulls skilled executions.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, River North, French restaurants, Naha, tapioca, artichokes, lamb, desserts, chocolate mousse, chocolate pound cake, cheese, wine, coffee, Brindille, seasonal ingredients, truffles, spring peas, Sauternes, fava beans, morels, rhubarb, foie gras, king crab, crab, merus, guinea fowl, vin jaune, cockscomb, mushrooms, meat, sweetbreads, rabbit, fiddleheads, lavender, fennel, Ali Ratcliffe-Bauer, lobster, monkfish, Carrie Nahabedian, Michael Nahabedian

Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature May 23, 2013
Locavorism Inc.

Can a new business increase the amount of local food we eat?
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, Dave Rand, chefs, Zeeshan Shah, Andrew Lutsey, Testa Produce, Pilsen, meat, cheese, maple syrup, Butcher & Larder, Indiana farms, Illinois farms, farms, Wisconsin farms, meat, produce, storage crops, potatoes, carrots, beets, rutabagas, beans, sweet potatoes, spring greens, organic produce, Local Foods Grocer, farm-direct meat, farm-direct produce, Sysco, food distribution, food wholesalers, beef, pork, goat, lamb, poultry, ramps, asparagus, Prairie Grass Cafe, Old Town Social, Perennial Virant, Table, Donkey and Stick, Merle Kauffman, Ohio House Motel, regional food hubs, Peapod, Vera, farmers' markets, Mark Mendez, Green City Market, locavorism, restaurants, markets, Bob Borchardt, Harvest Moon Farms, restaurant suppliers, local food, wholesale grocers, retail grocers, Quarter Circle Seven Ranch, Frank Morgan, Gold Bond Ice Cream, Popsicle, business, Irv & Shelley's, Goodness Greenness, Rufus Haucke, Keewaydin Farms, Just Local Foods, Amish farms, CSA, community-supported agriculture, farming, agriculture

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