hughb's Profile
Hunting for morels
I love morels but don't enjoy paying $50 for a pound of them. Where can a Chicago-area resident spend a nice spring afternoon huting for these delectable items in the wild?
Fresh fava beans?
Is it too early to buy fresh fava beans in the pod? If not, does anyone know where can I get them?
Home-made steamer bags?
I love those disposable plastic bags with the steam-release holes you buy in the grocery store to steam vegetables in the microwave. But they are so expensive. Is there a way to make them at home that's (a) safe and (b) effective? Is there a viable substitute using a plastic container?
Olive oil in big cans
I'm tired of supermarket olive oils. Looking to buy a big can of extra virgin olive oil for everyday cooking. I want something decent, but not break-the-bank expensive; I keep a jar of very good expensive EVOO on hand for those occasions when the pure olive oil taste is important.
I've been to Bari foods and to the Greek grocery store on Halsted in Greektown. They have the big cans that I want but the brands are bewildering, and I don't want to buy a huge quantity only to be disappointed.
Anyone have any advice on a good brand and a place to get a big can of it in Chicago? Greek? Italian? Spanish?
Lardons - where to buy??
Does anyone know where in Chicago I can get lardons to cook myself? Grocery stores seem to have only sliced bacon, but even thick-sliced bacon does not yield the type of chunks that you get, say, in the Salade Lyonnaise at Le Bouchon.
Best food at Costco
I am addicted to the Comte cheese they sell at Costco. It is creamy and a little crunchy and delicious. I also love the Sabra hummus. Are there other Costco foods that folks have found that are particularly delectable?
Potato pancakes for a crowd?
For the family Hanukkah dinner, I've been assigned to bring potato pancakes. I know the standard Jewish restaurants (like The Bagel) have them, but I have a feeling that good potato pancakes must also lurk in Polish delis on the north or northwest side. Anyone have any recommendations for take-out potato pancakes in the City?
WI Butchers btwn MSP and CHI
We are taking a Thanksgiving trip to visit the in-laws. We'll be driving from Chicago to Minneapolis. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any local Wisconsin butchers or other specialty food shops along the way where we could get homemade jerky, brats, etc. etc....
BYO Nuts?
I am hosting a dinner party for a friend at a restaurant. There will be about 15 people attending. Is it wrong to bring little decorative bowls of cashews to put on the table for people to nibble on during pre-dinner cocktails? The restaurant doesn't offer anything of the sort.
Opentable - Restaurants comment on customers?
I recently heard that Opentable has a feature by which restaurants can leave comments about their Opentable customers ("slow eater," "big tipper," etc.). Can they? I certainly cannot see any such comments when I log in as a customer to Opentable. Is there a way for me to find out any comments that restaurants have made about me??
Chilaquiles?
I have recently become addicted to the chilaquiles at Taqueria Moran in Logan Square. I get them with scrambled eggs and the fiery salsa verde. (They also offer red.) The perfect antidote to a Sunday morning hangover...
So, my question is, where else in Chicago has excellent chilaquiles?
Best fries in Chicago
Mon Ami Gabi. THey come out perfect every time. And in a mound so large that if you dig deep enough you might find the Lindbergh baby.
Not-to-be-missed Food Festivals?
Cheese Days in Monroe, Wisc. is appropriately cheesy. Every other September. Unfortunately you'll have to wait until 2008.
Best Steak at a Non-Steak House
Cafe Bolero in Bucktown, a Cuban restaurant, has great skirt steak. Huge and very tasty and only about $15. Also I agree with the previous posters on the hanger steak at Le Bouchon or La Sardine.
Sushi in the touristy part of town...
I agree with Kamehachi. Oysy is also always very good. The original is on South Michigan Avenue (around 900 South), and there's a new one closer to you -- I think it's on Grand but you can look it up.
Tagine
I'm supposed to go to Tagine tomorrow night, near Lawrence Ave. I have never heard of it. Has anyone been? If so, what are the good things to order?
Going to Chicago and people have recommended Lawry's for Prime Rib
Might I suggest that you try the Erie Cafe for prime rib? It's a little out of the way, and has got a very low-key atmosphere, but on Friday and Saturday nights they serve a prime rib that must be made from a brontosaurus. Huge. And delicious. It's not as hectic an atmosphere as the other places mentioned, but the prime rib is scrumptious.
how to split the check?
When I am out with a friends who don't drink, I ask them to put in what they think they owe (they're invariably accurate) and those who were drinking split the rest. This seems always to work out without hard feelings. Of course, you have to be out with reasonable people.
Need dinner recs for dinner with parents and their business associates
That's a no brainer: mk. Quite upscale, but within the mainstream, and a nice neutral vibe that's perfect for both the young and the middle-aged.
Avenue M? Or other recs--River West & East
I liked Avenue M -- steaks were great, and service was professional. But I'd also recommend May Street Market. It has a more inventive menu and, in my opinion, a cooler, not so self-consciously over-the-top atmosphere.
Riccardo Trattoria on Friday
I had the seafood stew. So good I'd like to be submerged in a pool full of it and eat my way out.
food ideas near Congress Plaza Hotel...read on
Eleven City Diner, at 11th and Wabash, is a new Jewish-style deli. Great for a lunch.
Chicago Firehouse?
Why would the president and mayor go there? I was there once and the food was truly awful.
Toasted Ravioli
Il Vicinato, 23rd & Western. And while you're there, try the Chicken Vesuvio -- best in the city.
