marilyn9's Profile
Mcallan or Oban?
Oban is fine. Macallan as well. Highland Park is in the same price neighborhood and a very special single malt.
Italian Village notes
Nostalgia is a good reason to eat at Italian Village...we went their for prom in junior year of high school...food would not be a reason to eat at Italian Village...the owners are a nice, River Forest family which is another reason to go...the food, not so much
Help w/finding Little Italy restaurant
Believe that you are referring to Vernon Park Tap...which is on Vernon Park
Thoughts on these choices for a group dinner?
Su Casa is not that far from your hotel...my Mexican friends like it very much. It's an old, established restaurant. Good tamales and overall good quality, but not too innovative. You're not that far from Bayless' restaurant.
Sayat Nova (Armenian) is close to you as well, as is Coco Pazzo, Bice and many others. Cafe Iberico on your list is a bit of a hike. It's loud but we love it. Be sure to get the potato salad.
Alton Brown
Ruth brings up an important point about this show and the TV FoodNetwork when she writes about "statement of opinion." Alton Brown is a trained actor who does a tv show. There's a lot of good content and I, myself, very much enjoy the show. However, he's not a scientist and I'm not sure the food channel engages scientists (I just don't know). If you watch the show (and the channel) over time, they do tend to state opinion as fact.
Where is the sweet corn of yesteryear?
A lot of romantic notions on this thread. I wonder how many years its been since those of you commenting on hybrid crops and plant breeding worked on a farm. Never? You don't say.
Anniversary tip?
sorry for the late post
we had a very dissapointing meal at cafe matou
went on a saturday night...started ok but slowly deteriortated...food was fine, not exceptional, service was terrible (indifferent, uneducated about the menu and horrible follow-up)
we were going to order dessert but after sitting around for too long, we all looked at each other and said, "let's go."
may have been just our experience but we won't return
CSAs in the area
wilson.edu/csacenter (a resource center at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA) lists CSA's throughout the country and was mentioned in Corby Kummer's recent Atlantic article about CSA's
Sanibel Island Family Restaurants
What are best casual places on Sanibel for bfast, lunch and dinner. All cuisines are ok. Will have kids in tow. Any interesting grocery stores to check out or is it the piggly wiggly? Thanks for any input.
Chocolate Comparison and Survey: Piron (Evanston) vs Chocolate Box (Winnetka) and Other Chocolatiers
I recognized pricing as one of major inaccuracies in the review. The reviewer seemingly chose the most expensive items in each store, presented that information without other facts (like full product mix) and then went into great detail about "value."
Knowing some (but not all) of the stores myself, the review just didn't make sense (on price or taste).
But I guess that's the world of blogging. Enough of this already. I have to find something more interesting to pursue.
What are the one-weekend in Chicago must-haves?
David Burke's is great. My friends from the east coast like to get ribs when they are in town...lots of options.
For the Sox game, suggest Puffers which is near to the park. Owned by a couple neighborhood guys with great beer and apps and good music on the weekend. If your hometown team is in the American league you might want to keep that quiet at Puffers.
Chocolate Comparison and Survey: Piron (Evanston) vs Chocolate Box (Winnetka) and Other Chocolatiers
"its bland taste doesn't excite me at all"
A lot of people don't know that the cheaper chocolates have sugar added to mask the taste of inferior and filler ingredients. Fanny May, Russel Stover and even some of the less sophisticated artisanal chocolatiers do this. To get as much "real chocolate" in one piece of Cocoa Rouge you'd need to buy four times as much of another product.
Americans have developed a taste for the high sugar, less real chocolate, chocolate varieties. I used to have to stock up when we went to Europe and New York, but no longer. This discussion has looked to me like the intersection of old tastes and new tastes.
It's like the difference between the green can of parmesan cheese that is sold on the grocery shelf and parmigiana reggiano. Now, the parmigian from Argentina is certainly better than the green can, but it's not reggiano.
There are some raised on the dust flakes in the green can who can never be sold on the reggiano and don't see a difference.
I haven't bought one of those green cans in over 20 years. Haven't bought anything but the parmigiano reggiano.
For me the extra value that comes along with the extra price is more than worth it.
And, I'd love to see anyone else criticise the quality and taste of the Cocoa Rouge product. I don't think it's going to happen (but I've been wrong before).
1 nite downtown Chicago - fun, young, but delish client dinner
My apologies and thanks for the correction. Meant KiKi's bistro which is approx 1 mile west of the gold coast.
I've had too many lousy fish dinners in this town to count. If you're eating fish on Monday night and you're not sitting next to an ocean you do so at your own risk.
Chocolate Comparison and Survey: Piron (Evanston) vs Chocolate Box (Winnetka) and Other Chocolatiers
Erika, Coco Rouge is out of this world with quality. As is Chocolate Box and a few others in the city. Vosges, I think, touches that quality. I've enjoyed Bon Bon in Andersonville (teh experience as much as the chocolate) and would like very much to try Vanille.
The review above, which has its fair share of inaccuracies, does I think push price and value for those it chose (and it seemed to choose the winner before any chocolate was purchased IMO and from spending too much time on this board). My bigger issue was that the review seemed to be passing judgement on not a lot of information.
You've given a lot of information about Coco Rouge's ingredients. I've looked at, held and tasted their product. It is art. People serious about chocolate should try it at least once. I can't describe how beautifully it is done. It's in a whole other league.
It's a better value at $80 or $100 a pound, than many of those at 1/2 or 1/4 the price.
It's like comparing a competent bistro or trattoria to a Trotters or Avec. If you're having the discussion, you're probably in the wrong place.
Chicago is getting more sophisticated, but we do everything at our own pace. Which is to say, not too quick.
My Chicagoan Vacation
Next time you come through look up Discount Wine Warehouse on Elston. Not far from Sam's and far better value. They don't sell a bad bottle.
1 nite downtown Chicago - fun, young, but delish client dinner
You might consider Jacky's Bistro (sp?)...or Tru. I enjoy Japonais.
I would not recommend fish to anyone on a Monday night. Odds are that in the Midwest it won't be fresh. Even the best restaurants.
What if we made Chicken Cacciatore with boneless/skinless chicken breast?
It's not bad when you do it with breasts that still have skin and bone. Go a bit heavy on the olive oil though.
Simple Jewish food
I'm spinnin' in my grave. I agree with the "better the second day" but the rest of it I'm spinning in my grave.
Good Chinese on North Side
There is. It's next door to the place with the best pepper and egg sandwich.
Authentic Italian by MI Ave & Ontario
Had lunch at Coco Pazzo on Friday and it was very good. It's on St. Clair which is a block east of Michigan Ave.
Top Notch Beefburger
Yesterday's Trib Magazine had a piece on the above burger emporium (it's one of two Illinois restaurants listed in a new book on the country's best burger joints -- Billy Goat is the other). We have eaten there many times and the burgers are outstanding. The fries are cooked old style --which is to say that they are fried in lard (no tran fat issue here!). Milkshakes are very good.
It's way out of the way -- 95th Street and Seeley -- in Beverly but for those of you lost on the Southside, well worth the trip.
Did I say that the burgers should be eaten with grilled onions? Did I say don't order burgers with lettuce and tomato? Did I say that the decore is world-class bad, inversely proportional to the food?
Get your food and eat in the car like a good American.
Stay away from Ivy and the Oak Tree
Never at there, and thanks to Chicago Chowhounds, never will.
Coco Rouge
Grouping industrial products (products made by machine versus a human being) with artisan products isn't a great idea. Grouping products that are fresh with those that have preservatives for longer shelf life also isn't a great idea. Bernard Callebaut isn't in the northern suburbs. He's Canadian. There are a couple of Bernard Callebaut franchises in the northern suburbs. There's a Leonida's franchise as well and it's very similar quality to that of Callebaut and style, similar to Piron, which is to say traditional Belgian versus the nouvelle prestige of a Coco Rouge.'
These are all steep upgrades from my Fanny May upbringing.
My mother taught me a long time ago that everyone thinks they have good taste and so people should eat what they like and can afford.
Need a 'hound hang near O'Hare
Disappointed to hear that H on S has slipped so far down. SWSIDEJIM, any idea if Maple Tree in is still operating?
Coco Rouge
If you printed this out and turned it upside down you'd have my list (sans Vanille Patisserie which I've not tried). My concern with the list is that it groups very different kinds of chocolate which shouldn't be grouped together. Since I know there's a high risk that this list will be cut and paste for every chocolate question on this board, it's a real watch out. While Coco Rouge is at the bottom, I'd have to put it at the very top or at least in the top three. And, I don't think that you compare Coco Rouge with a Callebaut, they don't belong in the same conversation (which is not meant to denigrate either, both have their merits). Strongly encourage people who know very good chocolate to try Coco Rouge and decide for yourself. Ditto Chocolate Box and Canady.
First Time in Chicago
Had lunch at Coco Pazzo on St. Clair today and it was very good. Agree with the Sayat Nova recommendation. Bandera is also an option.
Need family friendly 40th b'day event for downtown sophisticated daughter!
Greek Town is very family friendly and they do well with kids, especially at lunch. Athena is my favorite but Greek Island might be the best bet with the kids. They could give you a separate room.
Organic/natural food restaraunt in Chicago Area??
This morning I read in the Douglas Report (medical doctor) that organic farming triggered the ecoli outbreak. It says that new organic standards require that compost only be kept for three days before use on food crops. So, if you are going to an organic restaurant be careful about eating the uncooked food. It's changed my thinking about organic.
