When Betsy Simson, long-time owner of Jerry’s/Corner Cooks in Winnetka, sought to sell the business in the fall of 2014, Chef Steve Leviton stepped in. Having spent the past few decades cooking in the kitchens of Kiki’s Bistro in Chicago and Highland Park’s Exmoor Country Club, as well as management stints for various catering outfits, […]
Dining out is always a treat—whether you’re grabbing burgers in the neighborhood or celebrating a special occasion at one of greater Chicago’s world-class restaurants. The only problem is: There are so many good great Chicago dining options! Let Make It Better be your guide. We’ve vetted the best restaurants in so many categories—from kid-friendly to […]
I grew up in a popcorn family. Every night after dinner, after the dishes had been cleaned and put away, after homework was done, my mom would cook up a giant pot of popcorn then douse it in enough salt to keep a cardiologist in business for years. The smell of popcorn meant that it […]
The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the restaurant industry. Chefs and bartenders get to walk the red carpet as they step into the national spotlight for the hard work they do every day in the kitchens of the nation’s best restaurants. The award ceremony has traditionally been held in New York, but this […]
Editor’s Note: Our Digital Media Editor, Laura Levy Shatkin, has been writing about food, wine and spirits for more than a decade. She had the great pleasure of knowing Chef Homaro Cantu as he rose to culinary prominence in Chicago. She experienced his cuisine at his various restaurants, in addition to having had a friendly […]
Food and love are always intertwined. Back in 2012, Lake Forest’s Meg Barnhart was looking for a business project that would be able to employ adults with learning challenges, like her son, Doug. For many years, she had turned to her trusty crockpot to get healthy and delicious meals on the family table, and she […]
Hopefully you’ve heard by now that the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Awards are coming to Chicago this spring, which is a HUGE deal. This is real acknowledgment of our status as a destination restaurant city. Of course, the media awards remain in NYC, but maybe next year… Celebrity Chef Tour There are still a few […]
A visit to Germany in 1997 was my maiden trip overseas. I clutched my otherwise blank passport and roamed, eager to try new exotic foods. Everywhere my fiancé and I went, chalkboard menus were scrawled with spargel-this and spargel-that. Spargel, it turned out, was simply asparagus. We happened to visit during the height of Germany’s […]
There were donuts, then cronuts, now wonuts, oh my! Long gone is the time when Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme ruled the donut scene. These days you can find specialty donuts made of red velvet cake, coated in pistachio frosting, topped with bacon or even filled with coconut crème. With such a wide variety, it […]
Looking for a new margarita? Look no further than this spicy, citrusy refresher from Glencoe’s Guanajuato restaurant. Blood Orange Margarita Ingredients: 2 oz. jalapeño-infused tequila 1 oz of 03 orange liqueur 2 oz. fresh blood orange juice 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. simple syrup Directions: Place one cup of ice in a cocktail shaker. […]
