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The Chicago Reader

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Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature Apr 11, 2019
Fish 'n' faith

Lenten fish fries are a delicious and ubiquitous part of the Catholic midwest.
- By Brittany Sowacke
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, Food, Lent, fish, catholic church, community

Blogs, Bleader Apr 12, 2016
Lakeview microdeli Snaggletooth is easy to get hooked on

Former C Chicago chef Bill Montagne makes a big comeback with cured fish in a tiny Lakeview deli.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink, Food Chain, Bill Montagne, Jennifer Kim, Snaggletooth, C Chicago, fish, cured fish, lox, Bunny the Microbakery, C Chicago, Le Bernardin

Blogs, Bleader Aug 25, 2014
Going fishing at Brown Bag Seafood Company

Fast-casual fish high above Millennium Park
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Brown Bag Seafood Company, seafood, fish, Millennium Park, Yum Cha, Parson's, G.T. Fish & Oyster

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 25, 2014
Edgewater's Herb wants to 'redefine' Thai

But it can't find the right words.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Herb, Thai restaurants, Edgewater, Thai food, amuse-bouches, miang kham, peanuts, lime, red onion, chiles, coconut, Patty Neumson, Kee Chan, Mulan, Lure Izakaya, Strings Ramen Shop, service, menus, Next, soups, entrees, appetizers, starters, mango, apple, som tam, shrimp, kung chae nam pla, naked shrimp, winged beans, beans, scallops, culantro, dill, Laotian coriander, scallops, tomatoes, mushrooms, hearts of palm, sunchokes, formality, tumeric, curry, southern Thai food, tom yam, lemongrass, red snapper, fish, seafood, rice, khanom jin, noodles, microgreens, kaeng pa, smoked fish, salmon, duck, banana, grapes, blueberries, durian, tapioca, pandanus, rambutan, seasonal menus, affectations, earnestness, edible flowers

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Jun 9, 2014
Recommended
The secret weapon at New Asia? Freshly slaughtered chickens

But the Vietnamese restaurant in Lincoln Square does right by other creatures too.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, New Asia, Lawrence Avenue, Lincoln Square, L.D. Pho, Vietnamese restaurants, pho, rice, beef, catfish, fish, oxtail, goat, snails, lemongrass, bear meat, alligator meat, meat, seafood, chicken, pho ga, Victoria Nguyen, Argyle Street, Carol Stream, Tiffany Nguyen, Nam Nguyen, Aden Live Poultry, halal butchers, noodles, broth, goi ga, soups, cabbage, onion, peanuts, livers, gizzards, ginger, eggs, stir-fries, mustard greens, tofu, ca kho to, goi ca, Anh Linh, beer, iced beer, tea, jasmine, Cafe Huong, Nhu Lan Bakery, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review May 30, 2014
Recommended
Brendan Sodikoff's new Italian spot enters a crowded field

But the pastas alone will set Cocello apart from its peers.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Cocello, Brendan Sodikoff, Hogsalt Hospitality, River North, Italian restaurants, Eataly, Joe Fish, Nico Osteria, Cicchetti, Azzura EnoTavola, Dillman's, menus, pastas, handmade pastas, salads, antipasti, meat, fish, seafood, crudo, red snapper, lemon, olive oil, sea salt, beef carpaccio, peas, fava beans, ricotta cheese, artichoke heats, Parmesan cheese, chile, frico, octopus, caper, neonata, steak, osso bucco, chicken, chicken cacciatore, sauces, fennel, potatoes, porchetta, rosemary, cacio de pepe, Reggiano cheese, linguine, clams, broth, pork, orecchiette, sausage, kale, garlic, penne, guanciale, Amaticiana sauce, eggs, Bavette's, bread, bakeries, desserts, affogato, tiramisu, zeppole, olive-oil cake, cocktails, negronis, manhattans, vermouth, service, restaurant names, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review May 23, 2014
Recommended
Joe Fish, Rosebud Restaurants' new seafood house, is for ballers

Few people seem to have mourned the passing of Rosebud Trattoria—but something more current has taken its place.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Joe Fish, Rosebud, Centro Ristorante, Alex Dana, Grant Pick, Chicago Reader, River North, Chicago Sun-Times, Michael Sneed, Rosebud Steakhouse, Rosebud Prime, Carmine's, portions, Italian restaurants, seafood restaurants, fish, seafood, Nico Osteria, service, appetizers, salads, entrees, oysters, bacon, spinach, Pamesan cheese, crab, crab cakes, lobster, avocado, lamb, chicken, steak, burgers, sea bass, prosciutto, branzino, Dover sole, wild rice, bouillabaisse, squid, mussels, clams, shrimp, pasta, rice, linguine alle vongole, risotto, tomatoes, ramps, Bang Bang Pie, cocktails, biscuits, desserts, cheesecake, pecan pie, pies, ricotta cheese, honey, almonds, blackberries, cake, Recommended

Food & Drink, Key Ingredient Apr 10, 2014
Video
Key Ingredient: Francis Brennan tarts up doughnuts

The Do-Rite Donuts chef tops long johns with the acidic Middle Eastern spice sumac.
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Key Ingredient, Stella Barra Pizzeria, Summer House Santa Monica, Do-Rite Donuts, sumac, sumac berries, Francis Brennan, spices, doughnuts, long johns, tartness, savory dishes, fish, sweets, yogurt, vanilla, pine nuts, fennel, L20, 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

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 21, 2014
Recommended
Japonais by Morimoto: At the top of the sushi food chain

The Iron Chef puts his brand on some of the best sushi in the city right now.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Japonais by Morimoto, Masaharu Morimoto, Iron Chef, Japonais, omakase, sushi, sushi bars, Gene Kato, Sumi Robata Bar, Kinmont, sustainable seafood, seafood, overfished species, eel, yellowtail, bluefin tuna, salmon, sashimi, pizza, anchovy, aioli, okonomiyaki, pancakes, fish, pork, gyoza, bacon, crab, uni carbonara, sea urchin, noodles, peas, pasta, chicken, chicken noodle soup, soup, tofu, kimchi, dashi, rice, eggs, duck confit, duck, risotto, oysters, foie gras, kasutera, desserts, sake, beer, Rogue Ales, whiskey, Japanese whiskey, Japanese restaurants, Japanese fusion restaurants, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 14, 2014
Rough waters at Kinmont

The Element Collective’s fish house falls short of doing great things with sustainable seafood.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Kinmont, Duncan Biddulph, seafood, Element Collective, sustainable seafood, fish, Old Town Social, Nellcote, fried chicken, food trends, Leghorn Chicken, oyster bars, supper clubs, Field & Stream, Lettuce Entertain You, Rootstock Wine Bar, Lula Cafe, menus, entrees, appetizers, fisherman's stew, shellfish, oysters, mussels, celery, shallots, crab, salmon, salmon tartare, eggs, salmon roe, Au Cheval, smoked fish, dairy, smoked-trout reubens, trout, rye bread, sandwiches, sauerkraut, french fries, squid ink, shrimp, spaghetti, sturgeon, cauliflower, radicchio, cobia, butternut squash, black garlic, sardines, cocktails, beer, wine, desserts, apple pie, chedddar-caramel sauce

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Feb 28, 2014
Recommended
Make the drive to Chicagoland's only Lao restaurant

Spicy Thai Lao is in a blink-and-you-miss-it south-suburban strip mall. But you don't want to miss it.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Burbank, Illinois, suburban restaurants, Kaew Saengsom, Nakhon Phanom, papaya salad, som tam, papaya, Next Restaurant, chiles, fish sauce, lime juice, fish paste, pla ra, tamarind, palm sugar, Laos, Isan, Lao restaurants, Sabai-Dee, Peter Engler, LTHForum, Thai food, Lao food, Isan food, Wat Dhammaram, crab Rangoon, panang curry, menus, printed menus, soup, kow tome, khao tom, chicken broth, chile oil, tom yam, chicken, oxtail soup, star anise, cinnamon, Vietnamese food, jackfruit, jackfruit salad, rice powder, banana salad, bananas, larb neua, ground beef, beef, rice, sausage, lemongrass, galangal root, fish, fish cakes, tod mun, kaffir lime leaf, halal food, squid, green beans, bell peppers, green peppercorns, eggplant, krachai, egg rolls, turmeric, northeastern Thai food, southern Thai food, pad tamin, glass noodles, cabbage, kimchi, Spicy Thai Lao, 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 Feb 1, 2014
Recommended
At Paul Kahan's Nico Osteria, two worlds collide with a bang

Can rusticity thrive inside a refined Gold Coast hotel? You betcha.
- By Mara Shalhoup
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Nico Osteria, One Off Hospitality Group, Gold Coast, hotels, Big Star, Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, burgers, Erling Wu-Bower, Italian restaurants, rusticity, Thompson Hotel, bars, bourbons, Pappy Van Winkle, kitchen counter seating, mussels, ciabatta, salt, Rick Bayless, bucatini, squid ink, sardines, fish, triangolini, menus, fettunta, bruschetta, starters, pastas, entrees, crudo, octopus, crab, sformato, sunchokes, lobster, branzino, service, turnips, greens, wine lists, Italian wines, Greek wines, Karydas Xinomavro, meat, pork belly, swordfish, sartu di riso, arancini, risotto balls, Amanda Rockman, desserts, affogato, gelato, sorbet, cocktails, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Jan 24, 2014
Eataly: The restaurant review

In which the reviewer gives his assessment of 11 of the 15 restaurants, bars, and food stalls in the luxurious River North Italian mega-emporium
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Eataly, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, L'Appetito, Italian delis, Bari Foods, J.P. Graziano, Riviera, ESPN Zone, Jorge Luis Borges, pesto, pasta, olive oils, vinegars, wine, salami, La Pasta, Alessi, calamari, Baffo, Joe Bastianich, oysters, La Piazza, prosciutto, Le Verdure, greens, gnocchi, polenta, tomato sauce, vegetables, simplicity, freshness, Birreria, beer, bratwurst, Italian beers, house-brewed beer, Il Pesce, seafood, fish, sea bass, Carne, Neapolitan pizza, pizza, La Pizza & La Pasta, wood-burning ovens, Rosticceria, sandwiches, I Panini, Vino Libero, Nutella Bar, Lait Gelato, Il Gelato, gelato, Italian food, Nella Grassano, Nellcote, Gene & Georgetti, steak, butcher counter, mozzarella, learning, Eataly Chicago, River North

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 Oct 4, 2013
Recommended Video
Tanta: Peruvian time is nigh

Star chef Gastón Acurio introduces Peru to River North.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Tanta, Peruvian restaurants, Peruvian cuisine, Gastón Acurio, pan-Peruvian cuisine, Laurent Tourondel, restauranteurs, fusion cuisine, River North, ceviches, cebiches, street food, skewers, pollo a la brasa, chicken, meat, Nikkei cuisine, potatoes, causitas, aji amarillo, chile paste, seafood, anticuchos, octopus, sweet potatoes, sauces, olives, huacatay, beef heart, beef, chimichurri, corn, squid, shrimp, rocoto pepper, peppers, tuna, avocado, tamarind, uni, crab, scallops, oysters, choclo, tiraditos, fish, sashimi, leche de tigre, hangover cures, rice, chaufa aeropuerto, fried rice, pork, omelets, texture, paella, dolsot bibimbap, Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine, lomo saltado, onions, tomatoes, paiche, chupe, carapulcra, rotisserie chicken, pisco, cocktails, bars, pisco sours, desserts, quinoa, ice cream, pumpkin, doughnuts, Recommended, Video

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Sep 27, 2013
Travelle is all over the Mediterranean

Tim Graham's restaurant in the Langham hotel covers too much of the map.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Travelle, Langham Hotel, Mediterranean cuisine, ouzo, caviar, Tru, Paris Club, Tim Graham, hotel restaurants, cocktails, foie gras, cherry, service, breads, olive oil, flatbread, seafood, mussels, frites, merguez sausage, sausage, fig, olives, snapper, anchovy, pork, menus, fish, harissa, whitefish, octopus, aspic, marrow, gazpacho, crab, eggplant, eggplant caponata, halibut, piri piri pepper, quail, lemon, Scott Green, desserts, Nutella, baklava, peach

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

Blogs, Bleader Sep 3, 2013
Slideshow
Inside the hidden world of a fish distributor

Behind the scenes with the beneath-the-sea items that pass through Fortune Fish & Gourmet in Bensenville.
- By Michael Gebert
- Tags: Food Chain, Food & Drink, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Stacy Schultz, Susie Riskind, Bensenville, sustainability, fish, JDY Gourmet, Iberico ham, llama, Slideshow

Food & Drink, Key Ingredient Aug 22, 2013
Video
Key Ingredient: Acadia chef-owner Ryan McCaskey doubles down on pandan

Leaves and extract from the southeast Asian plant combine for a "toasty rice" flavor that lingers "in a pleasant way."
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Key Ingredient, Acadia, Ryan McCaskey, pandan leaf, extracts, Thai Dang, Asian markets, Viet Hoa, Argyle Street, musty flavors, toasted flavors, genmaicha tea, desserts, savory dishes, southeast Asian cuisine, halibut, fish, butter, olive oil, lemon, salt, broth, coconut mik, lobster stock, curry paste, kaffir, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallot, Ultra-Tex, modified food starch, thickeners, gel, potato, curry, Video

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