Spiaggia's New Pastry Chef Has Done Some Crazy Things with Gelato
Newly appointed pastry chef Melanie Diamond-Manlusoc answers our questions of her quick rise in the pastry world.
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Here's Who's Taking Over the Kitchen at Intro
It’s Aaron Martinez, who’s got big plans for “French-influenced modern American” food.
Q-Tine Has a Whole Lot More to Their Menu Than Just Poutine
The sandwiches here are worth your attention—especially the Montreal smoked meat.
The Heavy Feather Is a Totally Fern-Tastic Throwback
The second floor of Logan Square’s Slippery Slope has gone completely retro.
Best Butcher Shop
They don’t make them like Gepperth’s anymore, which is a shame, because the tiny 109-year-old store may offer the perfect meat-shopping experience. You’ll find protein galore, from housemade Sheboygan-style bratwursts to vacuum-sealed elk patties, all of impeccable quality. Longtime owner Otto Demke (above) will slice your order himself.
Best Rooftop Boozing
Both Zagat’s and Michelin’s 2013 and 2014 Chicago guides recommend bartender Rico Salinas’s bright cocktails, such as the Effen Avocado, made with cucumber vodka and avocado, and a punched-up margarita mixed with cranberry purée. Seats fill up fast, but there’s plenty of standing room and lots of skyline to gaze upon. Get bottle service at … Read more
Best Teashop
For the highest quality and widest selection (250 loose-leaf teas from around the world, including exotics such as Malawi Satemwa Zomba Pearls), head to these outposts—the only two in the country—of the posh German chain (pronounced tee-SCHWEN-dnar). Prices range from $8.50 to $80 (!) for 100 grams—but you can get a free sample if you … Read more
Best Caterer
Whether Wendy Pashman is working a dinner for 10 (starting at $1,000) or a wedding for 400 (from $52,000), she overlooks no detail. She can match the cuisine to your china and crystal. (Got hand-painted dishes from Provence? Then foie gras it is.) And if you want the servers to be as beautiful as the … Read more
Best Mixology Class
Get some history with your hooch at this swanky bar’s hyperniche mixo classes, which pair technical knowhow with cocktail lore. Casual drinkers should opt for the one-session master class—which runs five times a year and tracks the evolution of the cocktail (costs vary; the most recent was $150)—but enthusiasts can arrange private crash courses. What’s … Read more
Best Cooking Class
Somewhere between a one-off class at a community center and a year of culinary school lies this brass-tacks boot camp, which teaches professional techniques to home cooks in just five sessions ($1,750, including food). You’ll come away with new mastery of the key skills—seasoning, knife tricks, plating—which you’ll use nearly every time you whip up … Read more