I think one of the most satisfying things in the world is a perfectly roasted chicken. I’ve use Jacques Pepin’s recipe over the years and tried just about every other famous chef’s recipe, too. Pepin’s is...

. When I called, she accepted and laughingly mentioned that I was the first person to invite her to dinner since a very famous goddess of food. Well, that was all I needed to start trying too hard — for example, I bought...

as you walk, or in a park, or on your front stoop. See, e.g., ribs, Harolds, Maxwell St. stands, shrimp houses, Italian Ice, beef stands (the good ones). When I moved to Chicago, starting in Hyde Park, I thought I was in a real...

to be heavier on smoke... whereas Pibil tends to be lighter etc., There are many other regional variations... but these are the famous ones. In terms of locations.... The gigantic Restaurante Arroyo in Mexico City does very good...

, half of the orders were wrong, and the other half were ice cold. You make the call. It still sounds fair to me.

in Italian varietals like Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio. They are worth it just for the tasting alone, but I know that they also do a sit-down food and wine pairing. I don’t know when they have one scheduled, but you can look...

For me, a nice bottle of wine goes very well with “fine” dining. Note the quotes. With French or Italian food, or American food based on either, I like red wine. OTOH, if I am eating Indian food, even the most...

place to have ice cream, in another season, and RST already scouted out the interesting-looking Cupid’s Candies, which dates back to the 30s and sounds promising but is not open on the weekends. But I’m ahead of...

). Turkey: 30lbs, brined overnight with 2cups salt, 1cup sugar, basil, italian seasoning and 1 orange. Baked to perfection. We went up to 180F which worked for this oversized bird. Plump, moist white meat and perfect dark meat....

and checked out the new restaurants. Then TBWOTP attended the Pilates class at the spa (a measly $10). She liked this spa much better than the famous Canyon Ranch. The pool area and the spa are very nicely done. After that, we...

sites. But since I altered it a little, I’ll post it here as well. As for family stories around a dish, this dish is famous in my family for being the only way I’ll eat mushrooms, which I loathe in almost every other...

is a real joy: there are just so many aspects of the food life of Chicago that remain completely undiscovered and it was one thrill after another to spot signs for “cheesy popcorn” “cheesesteak”...

kitchen is close enough to vegan kosher to serve non animal products out of it. I made cherry Italian ice once for a BBQ, and quickly learned that strict veggies and vegans won’t eat anything with Jello powder. Oh well,...

Oh, darn! The 5 a.m. news just reported that Lamar’s Donuts original location (the one I just wrote about here a few hours ago) is history. Ray and his wife Shannon say their health is preventing them from continuing to...

Betty, you are so, so lucky to be getting this food from a real cook, unmediated by any developed market expectations – I remember my first thai food in NY served in a Blimpie base alongside the sandwiches, and my first...