Sepia (123 N. Jefferson St.; 312-441-1920) announced on Tuesday on its Facebook page that it would be closed from July 1st to July 9th but coyly implied that it wasn’t just for a long Fourth of July break. In fact, the restaurant is closing to accommodate the shooting of an as-yet-untitled Ron Howard movie starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.
iPad Thai
For two months, Chad Starling, previously of Saltaus and Le Lan, has helmed the kitchen at Aria (Fairmont Chicago, 200 N. Columbus Dr.; 312-444-9494), and now the menu belongs entirely to him…
BUDGET BEAT: The arepa is the star attraction at this new family-run Venezuelan charmer.
Since my list of the top 25 pizzas in Chicago hit newsstands two weeks ago, I’ve been called an idiot in multiple forums—most effectively on these message boards. So I’m answering a few letters and posts from our pizza mailbag. Plus: my ode to the world of Chicago pizza…
NEW MATH: Burned out on nightspots named after their addresses, we came up with an alternative equation for the numbers behind Lincoln Park’s newest wine bar, Vintage 338 (since we’re barflies, not mathematicians, give us a break and round down)
“Like Mom’s cooking. Nothing fancy. Traditional provençale,” says Simon Yaacobi, owner of the three-month-old Rendezvous Bistro. Another bistro pushed through a Chicago lens, I thought, until I tasted RB’s poulet rôti. Crispy skinned and redolent of rosemary, it was juicy through and through—even the white meat. The braised cabbage was almost caramelized, and the frites … Read more
Donatella Majore’s followers—and she has legions—have trailed her from La Cucina di Donatella on Howard Street to Gruppo di Amici in Rogers Park to Evanston’s Provenance, their tongues quivering in excitement. Now their Roman goddess has a 35-seat BYO in downtown Evanston, where they can enjoy her food three meals a day. Her far-flung menu … Read more
POPPING OFF: Popcorn was designated by the Illinois General Assembly as the official snack food of Illinois in 2003—a well-deserved honor. Popularized more than a century ago by pushcart vendors, popcorn in Chicago predates deep-dish pizza, hot dogs, two mayors Daley, and even the Cubs curse.
CRÊPES: Leave it to the French to perfect a food that can never be too thin or too rich
Q Tip
The former Tsunami space, shuttered since June 2009, gains a new tenant soon: Chicago Q (1160 N. Dearborn St.; 312-642-1160), a Southern-style barbecue place from the developer Fred Latsko (Table Fifty-Two…
