Auguste Escoffier on Grant Achatz’s Next
DEAD RECKONING: Seventy-six years after his death, Auguste Escoffier—the father of modern French cuisine—passes judgment on the menu he inspired at Next.
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Five Things to Know About Smith, the New Wine Bar Coming Soon to Logan Square
On the heels of the hotelier Ian Schrager’s announcement this week that the Ambassador East Hotel, once a celebrity playground, now will be called Public, we learned that the owners of Webster’s Wine Bar and The Bluebird have chosen a name for their soon-to-open Logan Square spot, further feeding this postrecession Everyman trend: Smith…
Ian Schrager Gushes About the New Pump Room
Seven Questions for Ian Schrager
Schrager bought the Ambassador East Hotel and its legendary restaurant, the Pump Room, in April 2010. Yesterday, he announced his plans to reinvent the hotel as Public Chicago…
’Stock Increase: Humboldt Park’s Rootstock Prepares to Expand
Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar, the cozy Humboldt Park spot owned by three former Webster’s Wine Bar vets and our 2010 pick for best wine bar, has gotten so popular that I now consider it a major win if I snag a stool there on a weekend—or actually any—night…
Dish Flash: Ian Schrager’s Plans for the Ambassador East and the Pump Room—Public and Jean-Georges Vongerichten
No one knew exactly what to expect when Ian Schrager bought the Ambassador East hotel (1301 N. State Pkwy.), home of The Pump Room, the most famous restaurant in the city for decades. Dish got a look at the official release on the project. The hotel will be called Public, and it will emphasize service over extravagance. The restaurant will still be called The Pump Room, and, confirming the unconfirmed rumors Dish had been hearing…
Real Kitchen: A Chicago Takeout Gem
Three veterans of acclaimed restaurants serve up irresistible food from a North Side strip mall
Chicago Craft Beer Week Photos: Beerfly Alleyfight at Haymarket
It was a multisensory extravaganza Saturday afternoon when Drinking & Writing Theater held its fifth annual Beerfly Alleyfight in Haymarket Pub & Brewery’s back bar. The event—part of Chicago Craft Beer Week, which continues through May 27—paired homebrewed beer with homecooked food and homemade art, but if that all sounds a little complicated, really, the operative word here is “beer”…
Reality Revamp: The Abbey Pub on Spike TV’s ‘Bar Rescue’
The Abbey Pub’s office manager, Leslie Galambos, spotted the casting call on Craigslist and thought, Why not? The next thing she knew, film crews and producers from the new Spike TV show Bar Rescue (brought to you by the makers of The Biggest Loser and hosted by the bar and restaurant consultant Jon Taffer) had descended on the ripe-for-revamping pub and live-music venue in Old Irving Park…
Chicago Craft Beer Week Photos: Beer Under Glass
A sold-out crowd tasted samples from 27 breweries at Thursday night’s Beer Under Glass, the official opening bash for Chicago Craft Beer Week 2011 at Garfield Park Conservatory…
Polynesian Party! The Terrace at Trump Opens for the Season Tonight
What would I do right now if I worked downtown? I’d knock off a little early and head over to The Terrace at Trump, where I’d be among the first drinkers of the year—on an almost-gorgeous afternoon, no less—to take in the best views in the city. Today is the Terrace’s soft opening for the spring and summer season, and in a phone call this morning to the bar’s manager, Kamilah Mahon, I got the scoop on its new Polynesian-chic theme…