Food+Drink - News, Photos and More on the Windy Citizen

Rick Bayless inducted into Chefs Hall of Fame for Chicago culinary excellence

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:18:03 -0500

The Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame honored one of Chicago's finest Wednesday evening, with the induction of Chef Rick Bayless of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill.

A new taste of Chicago: Interview with Sheila O'Grady, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:05 -0500

At the end of September, Chicago will celebrate its culinary roots with a gourmet food and wine festival. The two-day event is being produced by the Illinois Restaurant Association and will be held in Millennium Park. In an interview, Sheila O'Grady, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, shares her thoughts on the event-how it got started, what visitors can expect and what challenges they've faced while organizing the culinary showcase.

Q: How did the idea for Chicago Gourmet first come about?

Rethink your cheese and pepperoni order at Ian's Pizza

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:05 -0500

For three days, from July 21 through the 24th, Wrigleyville residents got an unexpected treat, free pizza-about 60 pies worth. The slices were courtesy of Ian's Pizza by the Slice, a new restaurant that just opened on Clark Street south of Addison Avenue. Unfortunately it wasn't exactly what managers Jaime Gamez and Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau had planned for the restaurant's launch. In fact, giving away pizza was exactly the opposite of what they had wanted to do.

Live cultures called to active duty

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:05 -0500

In case you missed the press releases from a handful of newly opened frozen yogurt shops around the city, probiotics-infused foods are all the rage. Berry Chill, Starfruit and Yoberri are just a few of the Chicago dessert shops to boast the live bacteria.

But while the consumer market only recently jumped on the bacteria bandwagon, food technologists at the U.S. Army have been experimenting with probiotics for years hoping to capitalize on the health benefits of the live bacteria and develop foods for military personnel abroad.

Keeping food safe isn't just for the Taste

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:05 -0500

Keeping food at the 28th annual Taste of Chicago fresh and safe is Frances Guichard's primary concern this week. But, then again, it's her primary concern the other 355 days of the year. As the Food Protection Program Director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Guichard, along with the rest of the department staff, works hard to educate and inform Chicagoans about food safety in and out of the home.

See and be seen shopping, dining or drinking at Riverwalk

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:08:10 -0500

The Riverwalk area between Lake Shore Drive and Franklin now has eight cafes, along with boat tours, water taxis, bike rentals, souvenirs, a river museum and a three-block display of public art. New vendors this year also include a coffee and bubble tea cafe and one that sells Hawaiian shaved ice.

Take caution at the Taste

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:45:59 -0500

Last year, there were nearly 200 confirmed cases of salmonella tied to tainted hummus at the Taste of Chicago -- the first outbreak of food-borne illness at the festival in 20 years.

City officials on Thursday said the Taste is the city's most closely scrutinized outdoor food event, where a typical booth is inspected no fewer than four times a day.

"When there's any doubt, we throw it out," said Dr. Terry Mason, head of the Chicago Public Health Department.

Still, it doesn't hurt to take a few precautions at this year's food fest to lower your risk of getting sick.

Follow The Stew's reviews of Taste's treats

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:11:50 -0500

Updating throughout Day 1 of Taste of Chicago

Race you to the Taste! Our Stew team--Phil Vettel (PV), Monica Eng (ME), Chris Borrelli (CB) and Judy Hevrdejs (JH)--arrived at the opening bell, and is tasting all of the food items making their Taste debut. As soon as we taste 'em, we'll let you know how they rate on our scale: Get it!, Meh or Forget it!

Taste goes green, healthy

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:09:59 -0500

Could this year's Taste of Chicago, the 28th, set a new attendance record?

It might. The weather seers are predicting somewhat higher-than-average temperatures (which inspire people to head for the lakefront) for the next week, and sky-high gasoline prices are keeping people a lot closer to home this summer. Torn between a $50 tank of gas and a $5 Metra ticket, unprecedented numbers of suburbanites and city folk could very well forswear the weekend getaway trip and make it a Grant Park vacation instead.

Mayor Daley suggested as much at Taste's press preview two weeks ago, urging his fellow citizens to take public transportation, organize car pools or ride bicycles (free bike valet parking again this year).

That's good advice any year—parking spaces are limited and expensive—but it's especially apt this year, when Taste of Chicago is trying to make a bit of a "green" statement. This year, Taste will be recycling its used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel, and biodiesel generators will power some of the entertainment stages. There will be more places to recycle cups, cans and plastic bottles (glass bottles aren't permitted on the site), and there will even be special recycling bins for those no-longer-needed Taste brochures.

Chicago-style pizzas headed to troops in Iraq

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:08:33 -0500

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - Retired Air Force Sgt. Mark Evans wanted to send a taste of Chicago to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So he's doing it deep-dish pizza-style.

The Elk Grove Village man has arranged for thousands of pizzas to be frozen, packed in dry ice and shipped to the Middle East in time for the Fourth of July. His 16-year-old son, Kent, came up with the idea.

"I think it's good for them. They're in too good of shape," he joked.

Evans said DHL Global has volunteered to ship the pizzas that Lou Malnati's Pizzeria offered at a special rate. He hopes to get as many as 3,000 pizzas to the troops with the "Pizzas 4 Patriots" program.