Chicago Sun-Times

Flour & Stone pizzas lose something in the translation

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:38:01 -0500

The website of the Chicago pizza joint Flour & Stone features the phrase “made with love in the Windy City.” I’m pretty sure love doesn’t have a flavor, and even if it did, I’m guessing it would taste nothing like the experience at Flour & Stone. In fact if they were to be truly accurate, the restaurant might revise that tagline to read “made with a pinch of ‘like’ and a touch of contempt.” Let’s start with the contempt. On multiple visits, empty neighboring tables were littered with the remnants of crust and covered in sticky soda rings and were …

Side Dishes 04.26.13

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:30:38 -0500

Flour & Stone isn’t the only thin crust pizza game in town. Here are some other great Chicago thin crust pies: RENO, 2607 N. Milwaukee; (773) 697-4234; www.renochicago.com Vibe: Brick and rough woods, with tables built of knotty lumber and industrial black metal, this spot has a Portland, Ore., feel. Flavor: The dough on the pies rise at the edge and droops slightly under the heft of gooey cheese at the center. The best is “The Southern,” a Korean/Kentucky mash-up of salty country ham, sweet roast garlic, fiery-fizzy kimchi and juicy tendrils of spinach. MARIE’S PIZZA & LIQUORS, 4129 W. …

Mom’s cooking up a storm in the kitchen at Rickshaw Republic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:42:00 -0500

One of the bigger restaurant myths is that the recipes are from Mom or that Mom’s in the kitchen. What the chef (usually) really means when they say the recipes were adapted from mom is, “Mom’s meatballs were desiccated golf balls. I went to culinary school and now I make mine with three different meats, soak the organic breadcrumbs in organic milk and simmer them in hand-squeezed tomato sauce.” Given that, it makes it all that more extraordinary that at Rickshaw Republic, a new Indonesian restaurant in Lincoln Park, mom — Elice Setiawan — really is in the kitchen — …

Basil’s Kitchen reliable fare worth a try

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 14:42:19 -0500

Growing up in the shadow of O’Hare International Airport has shaped the tiny but shrewd neighboring village of Rosemont. Over the years the suburb has put out the welcome mat for national hotel chains that have greeted countless business travelers and vacationers to the Midwest. It also has seen construction of a large convention center, sports stadium and live theater venue. Meanwhile, diners — out-of-towners and locals alike — have benefitted from the arrival in Rosemont of high-end steak and seafood houses, multiple ethnic restaurants and a recently opened German microbrewery. With such a wide array of choices clamoring for …

The Big Deals 05.03.13

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:12:00 -0500

From upscale to low-cal, the Sun-Times’ “Big Deals” column brings readers the dish on food and drink specials that will not break the bank. New menu items Cafe Marbella Tapas, 5527 N. Milwaukee. Chef/owner Virgilio Trujillo’s new bites include lobster confit ($13.95), bouillabaisse ($5.95) and stuffed mushroom with salmon ($8.95). Visit www.cafemarbellatapas.com . Celebrate at Casa Casa Bonita Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar, 633 N. Milwaukee, Libertyville. Toast the Paradise Punch (Milagro tequila, Absolut vodka, Cruzan coconut rum and homemade Mexican juices, 16-ounce, $7.95), poured directly from the new tequila tap, during the Cinco de Mayo celebration through May 5. …

Plenty for the palate to discover at Found

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 06:07:57 -0500

Found Kitchen and Social House, a big hit on Evanston’s central dining-out scene since its opening in November, offers strong testimony to the power of a creative contemporary American menu and eco-friendly farm-to-table operating philosophy. Its seasonally changing, mostly regionally sourced organic fare is the handiwork of Executive Chef Nicole Pederson, who last hung her toque in the kitchen of Lula Cafe in Logan Square. The restaurant, started by Amy Morton, derives its distinctive name not just from the locally found produce, meats and spirits it serves. Morton’s eclectic taste also is reflected in the decor, composed mostly of found …

The Big Deals 04.26.13

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:56:01 -0500

From upscale to low-cal, the Sun-Times’ “Big Deals” column brings readers the dish on food and drink specials that will not break the bank. ‘Big Fish’ bytes Magnolia Bakery, 108 N. State. Applause for the bakery’s “Big Fish (vanilla or chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream topped with an edible daffodils)” cupcake, available through May 5, $3.50. Visit www.magnoliabakery.com . Tap into spring Rock Bottom Brewery, participating locations. Spring lager specials, available through May 19, include Mexican Amber Lager (downtown Chicago selection) and jalapeno poppers (grilled jalapenos stuffed with pulled pork, wrapped in bacon). Visit www.rockbottom.com . Cleetus’ creations Fountainhead, 1970 …

SIDE DISHes

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:42:00 -0500

Rickshaw Republic specializes in Indonesian street food. Here are some other great street food dishes served in Chicago restaurants: THE PARTHENON, 314 S. Halsted; (312) 726-2407; www.theparthenon.com Vibe: Bryll-creamed, Greek-god like waiters scream Opa over platters of fried cheese amid lots of rich wainscoting. Flavor: Unlike most of the pre-processed frozen gyro cones served in cheap diners around town, the Parthenon gyro is constructed from layers of fresh beef and lamb, seasoned and cured for days before being fire-roasted on a turning spit. The result is the freshest gyro in town. NHU LAN, 2612 W. Lawrence; (773) 878-9898; www.nhulansbakery.com Vibe: …

Ahjoomah’s Apron long on hospitality, top-notch eats

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:48:01 -0500

Trying Korean cuisine for the first time is like reading Kafka as a middle-school student — disorienting and unfamiliar. Usually sandwiched in strip malls, often next to karaoke bars with signs written in what look like hieroglyphics, Korean restaurants often feel like secret clubs. And once you actually walk in, you’re often the only non-Korean in a smoke-filled room that seems to have a hundred different rituals: War and Peace-sized menus, and often waitstaff that acknowledges your presence when they feel like getting around to it. But Korean food with its fizzy fermentation and smiting chili, is some of the …

Side Dishes 04.12.13

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:48:01 -0500

After a visit or two to Ahjoomah’s Apron, you’ll be a Korean expert, ready to forge into the wider Korean offerings of Chicago. Here’s where you should go: HAE WOON DAE, 6240 N. California; (773) 764-8018 Vibe: Features private shoji screen-divided grill rooms, and “Brady Bunch”-worthy reddish-orange Formica-topped tables. Flavor: This is my go to spot for DIY tableside grilling. Everything’s great, but the basic marinated short-rib or kalbi, featuring a little red chili paste and sesame oil is the place to start. SAN SOO GAP SAN 888, 5247 N. Western; (773) 334-1589 Vibe: Black metal chairs, wood panels and …

The Big Deals 04.19.13

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:11:30 -0500

From upscale to low-cal, the Sun-Times’ “Big Deals” column brings readers the dish on food and drink specials that will not break the bank. South of the border Burger Boss, 7512 W. North. Elmwood Park. The Cuban Boss burger (smoked ham, Angus beef and Swiss cheese topped with pickles, roasted garlic mayo and mustard on a warm brioche bun, $5.69) hangs around for the month. Call (708) 452-7288; www.theburgerboss.com . Sandwich shop deca RESTAURANT, at the Ritz Carlton, 160 E. Pearson. Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches surface for National Grilled Cheese Month. Specialty sandwiches include the French Reuben (duck pastrami, Mary …

Bub City, Melmans’ lastest eatery, a so-so entry in city’s hot BBQ scene

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:22:00 -0500

If I were concierge in the Loop advising tourists where to find a faux-country setpiece with franchise-level fried grub and fantastic cocktails within a short walk, Bub City, the new restaurant from Rich Melman scions Molly, RJ and Jerrod Melman (Hub 51, Paris Club, RPM Italian) would likely be a go-to recommendation. But a concierge’s job is often to direct tired, hungry travelers without rental cars to a convenient spot. My job is to identify original and best food experiences for locals and travelers yearning for destination dining. While it is the younger Melmans’ best effort to date, Bub City …

Out-of-the-way restaurant is a good find

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:44:00 -0500

NEAR Restaurant, tucked in Barrington Commons, is a little hard to find, but find it you must to experience chef-owner Gaetano Nardulli’s creative take on Italian cooking. The 42-seat restaurant, open since August 2011, offers food lovers a memorable dining experience. Nardulli trained in the Culinary Arts program at Kendall College in Chicago and then garnered practical experience in Tuscany and Rome. Before opening NEAR, he sharpened his skills at the well-regarded Spiaggia Restaurant and the trailblazing gourmet haven Schwa in Wicker Park. NEAR’s understated decor — bare, well-spaced tables, and walls hung with framed black-and-white photos Nardulli took during …

The Big Deals 04.12.13

Mon, 13 May 2013 06:10:29 -0500

From upscale to low-cal, the Sun-Times’ “Big Deals” column brings readers the dish on food and drink specials that will not break the bank. Wine time Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, 2024 N. Halsted. A Bodega spring wine tasting, featuring more than 25 samples and passed tapas that include tuna tartare on saffron rice puff, cauliflower fritto with espellete dust and lemon-caper alioli; roasted wild mushrooms with sherry gastrique and grilled octopus with Heirloom potato and bone marrow, is 6 p.m. April 16, $30. Visit www.cafebabareeba.com . Train stop Junction Diner, 7401 W. Madison, Forest Park. The new grown-up “White Board Special,” currently …

SIDE DISHES 03.22.13

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:40:51 -0500

Bub City serves up some pretty cool cocktail fare. Here are three other restaurants serving drinks that are worthy of your sipping time: BILLY SUNDAY, 3143 W. Logan; (773) 661-2485; www.billy-sunday.com Vibe: Named after the brimstone-slinging prohibitionist preacher, this spot outfitted with old photographs, spindle-back chairs and grandma china has a colonial tavern feel. Flavor: A blend of spicy and grassy rums, tangy lime, bright passion fruit and pineapple bitters, Billy Sunday’s daiquiri might be one of the best, balanced cocktails served in Chicago. SEPIA, 123 N. Jefferson; (312) 441-1920; www.sepiachicago.com Vibe: Featuring silvery-drum shade wrapped crystal chandeliers, old brick …

Rosemont’s Hofbrauhaus is like a German theme park with good food

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:12:59 -0500

The original Hofbrauhaus beer hall founded in Munich in 1589 was a hangout for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Vladimir Lenin. The new Hofbrauhaus in Rosemont, sister restaurant to the original, feels more like a German theme park with good food. At times, the Hofbrauhaus also feels like a Bavarian Hooters. Buffalo wings are not the currency here as much as sausages and schnitzel, but breasts very much are. The waitresses wear traditional dirndl dresses whose bodices seem tailored to spill as much decolletage as possible. There are also a few male waiters. They have been spared the indignity of lederhosen. …

Unpretentious Asahi has some surprises in store

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:12:00 -0500

Sushi has had a following in Asia for some 1,800 years, even though Americans first “discovered” it during the 1970s when Japanese restaurants specializing in the cuisine started to take root in this country. Though the concept of eating raw fish wasn’t part of our comfort zone, sushi’s exotic mystique and appealing taste made quick converts. The crowd-pleasing inventiveness and artistry that chefs put into their sushi creations also added to its trendiness. In recent years, sushi has become more westernized, reinventing itself by introducing new shapes and contemporary ingredients. Witness the arrival of avocado- and cucumber-filled California rolls and …