waxpaper's Profile
Where to find eel?
I just saw eel on the menu last night at the Bristol. It was a sort-of BLT, but an ELT made with eel instead of bacon.
Best fries in Chicago
Dunlays also has really great skinny fries. And a few steps away from the Dunlays on Clarks, at Dukes, they have the best housemade chips. They're fries are pretty good too.
Italian dinner party menu....help!
we're hosting a dinner party tonight too. but i have someone else helping with the cooking (a cohost). i think he's making an italian stew, with chicken and capers and apricots (or plums). polenta is always good, and good for a crowd. and i think on this web site there's a recipe for some rice balls. have fun!
Fam of 5 (kids 4,6,8), 2 nights in Chicago- Best downtown?
We stayed in a hotel in River North when we first moved to Chicago, for two weeks, with 2 kids ages 6 and 8. We ate at Quartinos on State Street and all loved it. The restaurant is noisy enough that kids blend in. And great wines. We also ate at Big Bowl a couple of times. And we went into this place called Bijan Bistro, also on State Street. It's tiny, but if you go early enough, I don't think kids are a problem as long as their older and quiet--and aren't excpecting chicken fingers or grilled cheese. Both times we ate there, the staff was friendly to the kids. Gave them extra olives. The deep dish pizza places are fun for kids too.
Good first modern/gourmet type cookbook
I've found Nigella Lawson's cookbooks easy to use, and she encourages improvising if you don't have all the ingredients ... or at least she did. I have Tyler Florence's Real Food (or Real Kitchen), which has a lot of recipes that aren't too time consuming and don't call for too many ingredients. Another of my favorites is Betty Rosbottom's Cooking School cookbook. But I think it's out of print.
Themed/Entertainment Eats
Ed Debevic's is always fun. You don't actively participate --well, you do to an extent--but the waiters and waitresses have lots of attitude (I've heard that most of them come from Second City) and they dance on the bar. On our first visit, we had no idea they would be insulting us, and we simply thought people in Chicago were really rude. But then it became clear it was an act, and it became really funny.
German/Austrian Cafe in Chicago?
There's a really sweet Austrian bakery on Clark, just above Fullerton. I don't imagine it's the place you're looking for, but it's worth a visit. They don't have a lot of authentic German/Austrain dishes (but there is a delicious, and from what I can remember from my childhood in Germany, authentic) Fritatten Soup.They also have goulash, lots of salads and sandwiches ... and wonderful pastries, strudels and breads.
Best cupcakes in town?
I never made it to Magnolia when I was in New York. But I love going into Swirlz here, in Lincoln Park (somewhere near where Lincoln and Orchard Street intersect).
My Best Night Out in a long while -- Sample
I moved away from Brooklyn recently, and on our last night we tried to go to our family favorite place, Sample, but they were closed for renovation. It really is a Smith St. gem! The small plates and selection of cheeses were a favorite of my two vegetarian kids, and my husband and I loved the martinis. I'd love to see what it looks like now, post-renovation.
Organics brand at Safeway/Vons
I just read in Vegetarian Times that the O brand organic milk at Safeway isn't humane or organic. They milk the cows too many times a day.
