Turning the Other Chic
Fred’s at Barneys, an American brasserie on the ninth floor of New York’s famed retailer, plans to open a Chicago version at 15 East Oak Street, inside the new Gold Coast outpost of Barneys in April. To put a local stamp on the restaurant, every employee will be from Chicago, save one: managing director Mark Strausman, the longtime chef of NYC’s Fred’s at Barneys. Strausman’s new passion is pizza and breadmaking—”I’m really into yeast right now…
What’s better than slaving over a pot of chili for five hours? Stuffing your
face for 60 seconds. On Sunday evening, we headed down to Reggies, where a few determined superfans gorged on
wings, hot dogs, and sloppy joes in competitive-eating contests while the
Super Bowl played on 20 TVs and three projection screens in the background…
Lincoln Park’s new rock lounge may not be authentic, but it sure is pretty
The latest interest in Alinea’s celebrated chef revolves around talk of a documentary of his life, directed by R. J. Cutler. We probed Achatz for details…
Excuse Me, Your Purse Is Melting
Edible shoes. Edible jewelry. Edible handbags. This is not the usual direction of a trained chocolatier. But Rieko Wada, a graduate of the French Pastry School, is about to unveil just such a line of chocolates. Wada, along with her daughter, Kasumi Wada, is launching their popular online chocolate store, Chocolatines, as a bricks-and-mortar…
Steve’s Deli, Mantou Noodle Bar, The Century Public House, and Sunda
Since we first heard about Bull & Bear (431 N. Wells St.) way back in August, the “luxury sports bar&” playing field has gotten a heck of a lot more crowded. But this new spot from the Stone Lotus team, which finally opened on January 22nd, has one thing other newbies don’t: in-table taps. That’s right: You can pour your own beer from the comfort of your booth. We snapped barflies serving up their own suds at the bar’s grand opening…
It’s easy to imagine Chicago’s finest chefs slaving away over a hot stove with truffle oil in hand and foie gras at the ready. But when they get off work, many are just like the rest of us, which is to say: They eat junk. We asked seven culinary stars where their lowbrow desires lay—and instantly felt better about ourselves
Theocracy in Action
“Despite the economy seeming to decline, our business has increased every month in a lot of ways,” says Theo Gilbert, chef-partner of Terragusto (1851 W. Addison St.; 773-248-2777). “We still turn away a couple of hundred people every week, so we’re opening a small restaurant similar to Terragusto to handle the overflow.” The new Terragusto (340 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-281-7200) bows this Friday (January 23rd) in the same mini shopping center as…
As the behemoth that is the greater Wicker Park/Bucktown nightlife scene continues its crawl southward, spreading its mission of martinis throughout West Town and Ukrainian Village, much of the activity has been centered on and just off Chicago Avenue, where new watering holes pop…
