Dish - Chicago

02/03/10

Pocket Editions

Tomorrow, the World!
Maher Chebaro and Nemer Ziyad, the co-owners of dress-your-own-pita spot Falafill (3202 N. Broadway; 773-525-0052), are planning an empire—a chain of Falafills bringing fried chickpeas to the masses. “We are trying to do maybe five this year,” says Chebaro, who is also the...

Posted at 05:22 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/27/10

Big Loop Talk

Setting Down Steaks
A branch of the New York–based BLT restaurant family is slated to open September 9th at 151 West Adams Street, along with the JW Marriott it will be housed in, says Alison Brockwell, a spokeswoman for JW Marriott Chicago. . Since the 2004 opening of the flagship BLT Steak in New York City, the chain has collected several constellations’ worth of stars from top reviewers and has sprouted...

Posted at 06:17 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/20/10

A Cuna Ma Cocktail

Pollack’s Dinner at Cuna in 161 Words
With its sleek industrial design, Cuna (1113 W. Belmont Ave.; 312-224-8588) looks every inch a lounge scene: black and smoky gray colors, brick walls, high-top tables, red leather–padded eggshell-shaped stools. But Kendal Duque (opening chef at Sepia) runs the kitchen, so the place is serious about...

Posted at 06:01 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/13/10

Tru Story

Where’s the Beef?
Rumors have swirled lately about a takeout burger window at Tru (676 N. St. Clair St.; 312-202-0001), a restaurant normally associated more with Kobe beef than ground beef. Delightfully bizarre as they were, turns out those rumors weren’t 100 percent . . .

Posted at 05:32 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/06/10

The Pig: Out

Pollack’s Dinner at The Purple Pig in 157 Words
The Purple Pig (500 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-464-1744) opened quietly. Appreciative foodies kept the room at least half full all evening. Jimmy Bannos (Heaven on Seven) was there (he’s a partner, and his son is the chef) working the room. I saw Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia) slip...

Posted at 05:53 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/30/09

Happy New Year

Dish is taking the week off, and would like to wish everyone a happy new year. Penny and her new Dish partner, Graham Meyer will be back next week with all the foodie news.

Posted at 02:41 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (1)

12/23/09

The Diablo Is in the Details

FOD Report
One of our trusted spies says she “really loved” Don Diablo (3749 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-489-3748), the new taquería in the old space of—and by the owners of—Fonda del Mar. “Not all of the $2 tacos were...

Posted at 04:56 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (1)

12/16/09

Gold Coast Gold

Pollack’s Dinner at Balsan in 82 Words
Ethereal. Shockingly creative and delicious. Soft-boiled hen egg with wild mushrooms and chicken liver explodes with flavor then soothes with warm, silky textures; medium-rare duck breast melts in your mouth; Paris-Brest sets a new standard for cream-puff pastry. Open for exactly one week...

Posted at 05:00 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (1)

12/09/09

Heather and Yon

Sable on the Table
Heather Terhune, who has run the kitchen at Atwood Cafe (Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington St.; 312-368-1900) for ten years, plans to leave her post at year’s end to helm the upcoming...

Posted at 05:06 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (0)

12/02/09

22 and Counting

Bio-Epic #2
Next spring, David Friedman, the chef-owner of Epic Burger (517 S. State St.; 312-913-1373), plans to open another Epic—this time at 1000 West North Avenue in the former Transitions Bookplace space next to what was once a Whole Foods. Expect the same menu—natural ingredients, hand-crafted burgers—but a look and...

Posted at 05:56 PM in Dish | Permalink | Comments (1)