Drive Thru

Salad of Two Ingredients: Mesclun + Raspberries

2009-07-10T02:42:15Z

I wanted a quick salad tonight with what was in my fridge. I had the luck to be mistaken at a farmers market this week for someone who often buys the Asian mesclun mix from Green Acres. And at that moment, I knew which greens I was going to buy. My raspberries from Seedling had a bit of tartness, which bridged the gap to the mustardy and bright flavor of the mesclun. Their sweetness paired brilliantly, too, with the greens. I've often wished for my berries to make it home unharmed. This time, they got all smashed up. Luckily, this made their juices run quite a bit, which made for quite a nice salad dressing.

Beer & Bikes Go Together This Saturday

2009-07-09T21:40:34Z

This Saturday, July 11, your bicycle is your best drinking buddy. The day kicks off at 9am with the Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewery's annual Fat Tire-fueled day of bikes and the brewer's art, over in Palmer Square Park. $5 Fat Tires and plenty of bike- and environment-related fun should keep you busy for most of the morning. From there, ride north on Kedzie and then east a bit on Belmont to Kuma's Corner, which is celebrating its fourth anniversary with a block party featuring free food and a performance by awesome Baltimore band CLUTCH. It starts at noon, but you may actually want to hold off till after this next stop if you want to catch the band. Down at Soldier Field, Alefest gives you the opportunity to sample up to 20 beers from the dozens offered by more than 50 craft breweries for just $40 -- and you get to keep the glass! Afterward you can take a nice, leisurely ride on the Lakefront Path toward wherever home is... or to wherever food to sober you up might be.

Kiss My Fat Ass

2009-07-09T05:50:12Z

One in four Illinois adults are obese--a reported record, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measured that 26.4% of Illinoisans were "good eaters" (aka a BMI of 30 or greater). In 1985, less than 10% of the state's adults were obese. Before we all freak out over the demise of our starch-addicted, sugar-addled society, let's step back and realize that statistics are just descriptive numbers, and that we've got other business to mind. Did you forget that we have cheeseburger war to attend to?

Sour cherry clafouti

2009-07-07T21:18:33Z

Market after market, fruit-shoppers have the same question: "Is it sweet?" Usually, there is only one right answer. We're wired to crave sugars. And when it comes to fruit, we can have little tolerance for tart. That's why sour cherries are refreshing. They're allowed -- supposed -- to be tart. Sour cherries are the classic pie cherries. A pie takes time. A clafouti -- somewhere between a custard and a pancake -- takes very little time. You don't even need to pit the cherries. (Though, of course, you might warn people that the cherries have pits in them, lest your dining companions become your victims.) This recipe makes a very lightly sweet dessert or breakfast. In a blender, food processor, or bowl with a whisk combine: 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla or almond extract. Butter three ramekins and place a layer of cherries on the bottom of each. Over the cherries, pour the clafouti batter. In an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees, bake the clafoutis for about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. The clafoutis will have risen in the oven, but will fall as they start to cool. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. Daniel Shumski works for an orchard and blogs at Fruit Slinger. Follow him on Twitter.

Belgian Feast, Hopleaf Style

2009-07-07T11:26:29Z

Beer dinners, where restauranteurs bring in a microbrewer to put together a multi-course meal to go especially with a list of beers, have become quite the popular event in Chicacgo--so popular, you might not be able to get a place at the table for some of them. However, this is your lucky week. Hopleaf's still got space at their beer dinner taking place tomorrow night. For $75 you can get a 7-course meal designed by Chef Ben Sheagren, which will feature beer from Lost Abbey out of San Marcos, California. Tomme Arthur, brewmaster from Lost Abbey will be on hand to talk you through their Belgian-style beers. The event kicks off with a reception at 6:30, followed by dinner at 7:00. E-mail Louise at Hopleaf to reserve your spot.

Deep Dish Does Chicago Proud, Eats 55 Hot Dogs

2009-07-06T13:47:49Z

Paul "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, one of Chicago's top competitive eaters, polished off 55 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to place third in Nathon's Famous July Fourth International Eating Contest in New York. Third place may not sound all that great, but considering first and second were taken by Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi, the world's undisputed top two eaters, it's a strong showing. Joey Chestnut took first with 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, while Kobayashi ate 64 and a half. That's a little under a hot dog every 10 seconds, bun and all, while Deep Dish didn't quite manage to break that threshold, he still kept up an incredible pace. In a pre-contest blog post, Bertoletti said, "it's a game of hot dog roulette with a ¾ full pack of hot dogs in the chamber." If you want to catch Deep Dish in action, you'll have to travel to Madison or Minneapolis next weekend, where he'll be tackling a pair of Jimmy John's sandwich eating challenges. [Photo via Serious Eats]

Eivissa Tapas Restaurant & Sangria Bar

2009-07-06T02:59:04Z

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to Eivissa, a tapas restaurant in Old Town, with some friends for a late dinner. My friend, Esther, is half Spanish and I was excited to go to a tapas restaurant with her. While we waited for a table outside to open up, we sat at the bar and had sangria. The inside of the restaurant is beautiful and really cozy - rich colors, high ceilings, very cool décor. I ordered the préssec, a white sangria with lavender essence and peach, and it was really refreshing - perfect for the warm summer night. When our table was ready, we moved outside to the somewhat cramped patio and started with a cheese plate, which was definitely my favorite part of the meal. We sampled three cheeses - enough for two or three people - for $11, which seems like a pretty decent deal to me. After devouring the cheese, we ordered a few tapas plates - all were pretty good, though small (Esther told us that when you order tapas in Spain, each plate is overflowing with food). To finish we ordered two desserts - both of which were delicious. Overall, I'd say that Eivissa is a great place for good atmosphere (I'd recommend sitting inside), good drinks and good food. I wish we had tried one of the cured meat plates - the neighboring table ordered one and it looked pretty great. The prices were a little steep for the amount of food served on each dish, but there are certain dishes that are well worth it. Our waitress did a great job recommending items on the menu so I would suggest asking for your server's input. Eivissa 1531 N. Wells St. 312.654.9500

Birds I View

2009-07-03T19:22:04Z

After high school, I moved to the Bay Area with visions of enrolling at UC Berkeley. An older cousin of mine lived there that played Alto Sax. The plan was that I would use his address and get into school as a California resident for dirt cheap tuition. Instead, I ended up playing music gigs with him full time, so while I went to Berkeley, I never "went" to Berkeley. I was 17 and it lasted until I was 23. The summer of love was a recent memory, Chez Panisse had just opened and we lived down the street from Patty Hearst when she got snatched by the S.L.A. In fact, we heard it going down. Across the bay, the Zodiac Killer was on the loose and Harvey Milk was in office. Quite a heady time for a ripe and impressionable manchild. Oakland is directly adjacent to Berkeley and one of my cousin Steve's favorite haunts was Lois the Pie Queen, a legendary soulfood restaurant that became my benchmark for all soulfood to come. The world champion Oakland A's would hang out there occasionally delivering lunch orders (Reggie Jackson and Vida Blue in particular) as would the Pointer Sisters, whose father had a church down the street that they sang at. All were welcome and treated like family, from neighborhood characters to local celebrities. Lois was bigger than life and radiated warmth as did her staff, mothers to all. Smothered pork chops, oxtails and greens, unreal fried chicken -- and then there were those namesake pies. So it was with slight apprehension that I stepped foot into West Side soul food restaurant Doggy's SS. Within moments I felt deja vu. A Lois-like vibe overcame me. To one side, older gentlemen discussed last Sunday's sermons, a waitress that was sweet, efficient and teasingly funny took orders and then there was the fried chicken. And what fried chicken it is. Lightly dredged in seasoned flour and crisp as a freshly printed $100 bill, memories of Lois' came flooding back to me. My taste buds were transported back to 1972. Cooked to order and worth the wait, the dark meat was moist, succulent, delicious... all of the above, coupled with the best mac and cheese I've experienced since the summer of '72. I could see Lois' enormous smile with every bite. "Is that good, sugar? Of course it's good, Lois made that just for you!" Or in this case, Doggy did. My work often causes me to be outside of Chicago for extended periods, sometimes six to nine months at a time. Eighty to 100 hour weeks are the norm and I sometimes find myself dreaming of home. Those dreams often turn to food and when they do, the Chicken Boti at Khan BBQ steals my nocturnal thoughts. Halal thigh meat is marinated in a spicy yogurt-chile riata, then skewered and lowered into a large tandoor oven until charred around the edges and cooked through. This relatively simple dish is more than the sum of its parts. I find myself missing this particular primitive form of BBQ more than anything else on my journeys. Upon returning home, it's one of the first must-haves of the many that inevitably follow. But wait... there's more. Not one, not two, but actually three noteworthy chicken dishes can be had at Khan BBQ. Besides the Chicken Boti, the broasted chicken is well spiced then crisped to almost orange in color and served bone-in. Frontier chicken with rice are small pieces of tandoori chicken, finished by mixing with rice pilaf and sautéing it on a large flat top grill. First rate all. Earthy daal palak (lentils and spinach), bhindi (okra and tomatoes) and goat champ (when available, which is close to never) are also among my favorite dishes here. Another standard on my round of "must stops" is Lao Sze Chuan in the Chinatown Mall, home to Chef Tony Hu's 3 Chili Chicken, aka "chicken crack". I'm usually there within 48 hours of touching down on Chicago terra. The crispy, spicy, sweet, salty nuggets of birdy goodness have a legion of devoted followers that can be heard ruminating on Chicagoland foodcentric internet culinary chat sites (LTHForum.com in particular) regaling the qualities of one batch of 3chilichix compared to a not-too-distant memory of chicken cracks gone by. While you're there, you can't go wrong checking out the Ma Pao tofu with $2 extra pork, the beef maw with tendon, the dry chili shrimp (shell on and completely edible) or the Pot Herb with minced pork. The menu which numbers more than 350 items can be daunting to peruse, but the above selections are tried and true. Most American restaurants try to cap that number in the high 20s. This is nearly 40 times that! I can just imagine the checklists and mis en place (prep) needed for service, let alone the knowledge, training and multiple techniques that the chefs must possess to produce all of the menu items. Impressive indeed. Tony is a sweetheart and the go-to godfather of food in Chinatown with three restaurants in the same mall (Lao Beijing and Lao Shanghai are also part of his fledgling empire). He's the real deal, trained at one of the most prestigious culinary schools in China, and presents his cuisine as authentically as he can in Chicago (i.e. not dumbed down for Western tastes, at least that's what he's told me in conversation). He's realized the true American dream with a combination of talent plus hustle bringing his deserved success. Early on, some of the waitstaff would actually tell you "no, you no like" if you ordered something too spicy or too authentic in their minds and would refuse to serve it to you. It's our good fortune that a few decidedly dedicated fans persisted and now you can pretty much order (and get) whatever you want. Usually. The host can be a bit of a hustler though, so watch that. About as far away that you can get from Chengdu, Tufano's Vernon Park Tap is an old school Italian American restaurant that excels at lemon chicken swathed in garlic and served over oven roasted potatoes. Opened in the '30s, Tufano's has been serving up hearty Southern Italian family style cuisine to generations of Chicagoans and is among the last of the near-extinct Little Italy businesses that the Circle Campus displaced. While serving our groaningly overloaded plates, our waitress insisted we'd over-ordered and conveniently forgot one of our entrees but gave us her giardinera recipe to ease our pain. I'll share it with you now: Pour white vinegar over cut peppers and thinly sliced celery while being strained. The proper utensil to mix it with is a wooden spoon and the amount of garlic is 1-2 whole smashed cloves in the bottom of the jar or bowl. A single leaf of "basilico covered in oil" on the top. And the mix of oil... approximately 75/25 vegetable to olive oil. Besides the lemon chicken, the eggplant Parmesan, most often relegated to cliché status in lesser hands, is exceptional. Wafer thin slices of fried eggplant layered with tart tomato sauce and gooey melted mozzarella cheese. Taste and smell being the most primitive of our senses, it was identical to what I remembered, even though it had been nearly 40 years since the last time I was there with my father as a child. Having been out of town more than 20 of those years, I'd just kind of forgotten about Tufano's, but now that I'm back home, it's on my current rotation once again. The corner of Argyle and Broadway may well be considered ground zero for duck lovers in Chicago. Working a particular brand of that old quack magic (got me in it's spell) a veritable pantheon of mother ducklove sits across the street from one another in the guise of Tank Noodle and Sun Wah BBQ. Pho Xe Tang, aka Tank Noodle, is home to Mi Vit Tiem (menu item #63) a fortifying great steaming bowl du duck. Quartered and roasted, a duck leg and thigh sits atop a complex broth redolent with star anise and loaded with thin egg noodles, shiitake mushrooms, cloud ear, some leafy greens and dried jujubes (think sweet and smokey). If you feel the need as I do, you may customize your soup with the pickled cabbage and chili oil on the table. Truly wonderful, particularly in winter during a snow storm viewed from behind their large panoramic windows facing the busy intersection. Sampling some last week in deference to this article, it worked just fine in the hot humidity as well. In addition, the wonderful texture of raw spring rolls with shrimp, mint and vermicelli rice noodles (#7B) are fresh and light. Served with an excellent dipping sauce garnished with ground peanuts, you'll be hard pressed not to automatically order them upon each visit. Another standout is "Bahn Xeo" (#12) or a coconut infused crisp rice crepe with shrimp, pork and bean sprouts, served with the requisite fresh mint, basil and cilantro with leaf lettuce to "do it yourself" wrap it with. With the accompanying mildly tangy sauce, it is for me, the best rendition of this dish on the street. Put it this way, I've been charged twice as much for half the quality elsewhere. Also, you've got to give them props on the name game, considering it's a Vietnamese restaurant with camouflage-shirted waiters. I suppose "Napalm" just wouldn't have been as appetizing. A few doors east of Broadway on the north side of Argyle is home to quite possibly the best Peking Duck in Chicago. Sun Wah BBQ. Family owned and operated for years, with the more recent involvement of the second generation daughters (Kelly and Laura Cheng) their foodie caché has risen considerably. Tech savvy and culinary school trained, the ladies use their talents and knowledge to upgrade what could be standard Cantonese fare and the internet to communicate with their customers, planning special themed dinners etc... which is how they came to feature this outstanding version of the Peking Duck experience with accouterments. Good news is that the special that was, now permanently resides on the menu. Carved tableside by one of the sisters Cheng, the crisp whole duck is served with the requisite scallions and hoisin sauce. A pickled diakon salad served on the side is the perfect foil to the rich, unctuous motherducking meat. One innovation, though, is that they serve it with a fluffy, doughy sweet bun or "bao" as opposed to the standard mu shu pancake-like crepe. It should be noted that this is particularly inspired and is the only non-traditional aspect of the meal. The remaining carcass is then transported back to the kitchen to make a mild soup broth which appears at the table and is almost digestive in nature. Finally, duck fried rice is made with the remaining duck scraps. One of the best fried rice dishes I've ever enjoyed, it's delicious enough to order in its own right, but you're there for the whole experience so just sit back and enjoy it as your third course of this duck tour de force. All this is to be had for the ridiculously low price of $28, which easily serves three to four. Deal of deals for the duck of ducks. And if the mood strikes, supplement your duckstravaganza with some fried octopus whiskers, often available as a special. Just sayin... Lastly, speaking of duck fried rice dishes, an interesting variation on a theme has recently crossed my path and is worth noting. Thalia Spice, on Chicago Avenue just west of Halsted, is an ambitious "Asian Fusion Bistro." That tagline alone would normally send me running. What that usually means to me is nicer than ma and pa ambiance with standard dishes tweaked in some way by the house, often times not to our benefit, and that holds true here. In the proper hands, it can be stunning. Wolfgang Puck's groundbreaking Chinoise on Main in Santa Monica leaps to mind (overseen by my friend Chef Kazuto Matsuka during the golden years, 1984-90, before he left to open the original Buddha Bar in Paris). Or Suser Lee, ex of Toronto currently cooking/residing in NY. Masters of the genre with pretenders everywhere nipping at their heels. They've got nothing to worry about. The challenge is in finding those hands, which are few and far between. It was no surprise that the rest of the menu at Thalia Spice was a bit of a crapshoot, but this dish was by far the standout amongst the dozen or so that we sampled. Tom Yum fried rice with sliced duck breast. The spicy sour flavors of one of my all-time favorite Thai soups pairs well in this rendition, which substitutes rice for broth and duck for shrimp. It was innocuously listed on the menu as a side dish, but in an inspired move we added the duck and loved the results. I'm generally off put by molded rice presentations, preferring a more freeform effect. Be forewarned, they may initially resist if you order it that way, but your efforts will be rewarded if you persist. Just tell them they've made it that way for you before and they'll relent. A good meal is worth working for. Lois the Pie Queen 851 60th St., Oakland, CA 510-658-5616 Doggy's S.S. Soul Eatery 2815 W. Harrison St. 773-722-4037 Lao Sze Chuan 2172 S. Archer Ave. 312-326-5040 Tufano's Vernon Park Tap 1073 W Vernon Park Pl. 312-733-3393 Pho Xe Tang aka Tank Noodle 4953 N. Broadway 773-878-2253 Sun Wah BBQ 1132 W. Argyle St. 773-769-1254 Thalia Spice 833 W. Chicago Ave. 312-226-6020

About the Author

Alan Lake has been a professional chef for over 25 years and has won numerous awards, professional competitions and distinctions. He's mainly consulting now, setting up projects like kitchen design, menu development, hiring and training staff, research, etc. He's also been a professional musician most of his life and coined the term "Jazzfood" to describe his "solid technique based upon tasteful improvisational abilities" and views his food as he does his music.

New Beef in Town

2009-07-02T14:40:51Z

When you get invited to many a product launch or special event or opening, being part of the media can be pretty sweet. Just picture the event I was at last night: Have a glass of wine, listen to the nice jazz combo...and sink your teeth into the new Angus Third Pounder, McDonald's first new burger since the Big N' Tasty came on the scene in 2001. Yep, these new burgers are a big deal to McDonald's, so they had a nice little shindig at the 23 S. Clark St. location to celebrate the addition to the menu. I got to sample all three versions of the new burger, meet the chef behind the product, and rub elbows with Ronald McDonald. The burgers, which will be on menus for the next several months, are made of 1/3 pound of Angus beef and utilize ingredients that have never been on a McDonald's burger before, such as rings of red onions, crinkle cut pickles, bakery-style sesame seed rolls, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. The burger comes in three versions: the Deluxe (mayo, mustard, tomato, red onion, pickles, and two slices of American cheese), the Bacon & Cheese (ketchup, mustard, red onion, pickles, three slices of bacon, and two slices of American cheese), and the Mushroom & Swiss (mayo, sauteed mushrooms, and two slices of Swiss cheese). Chef Dan Coudreaut, a classically trained chef who works in the Discovery portion of McDonald's test kitchens, is one of the brains behind this product. Coudreaut, who's been with the company since 2004, also brought you the Snack Wrap, the Asian and Southwestern Salads, and the McSkillet Burrito, among other products. After operators in California suggested the idea of a premium burger, Coudreaut and his team worked to come up with the best burger possible. "The quality of the Angus burger is what we're all about--what I'm all about," he said. The creation of this new burger started in 2007. The team came up with 25 versions of the burger, and through a lengthy process that involved executives in leadership, supply chain and operations to make sure the product could be made affordably, followed by extensive test marketing, they whittled it down to these three. Coudreaut said that after this initial nationwide run, the president of the company would decide whether or not to make the burger a permanent addition to the menu. Rodney Lubeznik, owner of this particular restaurant (and others in Chicago and Northwest Indiana), said, "We're very excited about the Angus burger." He explained that a lot of quality ingredients went into the product, that even the tomato slices were thicker than ones they normally used. "We will be able to offer new flavors and options to our customers," he said. OK, so it's nice to have a new flavor option, but how do these stack up? On Tuesday I had a Quarter Pounder with Cheese to get the flavor in my head and see how the new burgers would compare. First up was the Deluxe. To be quite honest, I didn't notice a whole lot that was different. Yes, the burger patty was a bit thicker, and the red onions stood out. I could tell that the pickles were a little more noticeable--a little crunchier than the usual McDonald's pickle. And the red onions added a sharper flavor than the standard onions. But overall? It wasn't much to write home about. Next I tried the Mushroom & Swiss. Here I could tell the difference in the flavor of the meat. Although your basic Quarter Pounder can really hit the spot, the Angus meat to me has more flavor to it and is a bit heartier, and you could taste it here. I also dug the mushroom and Swiss combo on the toppings--it paired nicely with the Angus. My only complaint was the mayo. Oh, taste-wise it was pretty good, but I'm in the camp where a little mayo goes a long way, and if the balance of mayo to swiss and mushrooms is heavy on the mayo, you start losing the mushroom flavor. Finally, I had the Bacon & Cheese. It has bacon. How could you go wrong? Seriously though, the bacon was plentiful, and it was nice and crispy. The bacon and Angus flavors complemented each other well, and you could taste the difference on the pickles and onions compare to McDonald's other burgers. This one was a real All-American burger. How do they compare on price? At this location, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is $3.30. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is $4.10. A Big Mac is $3.40. The Angus Third Pounder comes in at $3.99. Worth it? Yeah. You're getting a little more for your money--more meat, some really nice toppings, and I think it justifies the price difference. Overall, I'd say McDonald's should do well with this trio. For people who are tired of the same old fast food burgers, this gives them something really different to try. If you have a big stomach, the extra meat will fill you up. If you're not a big eater, you may not be able to finish the entire thing (I ate three-quarters of a sandwich and a small fry, and that was plenty for me). Still, if you find yourself at a McDonald's, give the Angus Third Pounder a try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

40s at the Fifty/50

2009-07-02T02:53:56Z

Many people celebrate Independence Day with cold beers and fireworks... The Fifty/50, for reasons known only to itself and its PR team, has decided to up the ante by celebrating the entire week leading up to Independence Day with that most storied American beer-product (beloved by NASCAR enthusiasts and hipsters alike!), the 40 ounce malt liquor. I strolled over for a sip of Colt45 earlier this week, served appropriately in a brown paper bag. I find Colt to be one of the better malt liquors out there, certainly putting King Cobra to shame, and $5 a bottle just seemed too good to pass up. But 40 ounces of just about anything gets difficult to drink down to the last dregs... And through, hrmm, experimentation conducted with the utmost scientific rigor, I can categorically tell you that two 40s is too many. (On a Monday night at any rate.) If you'd like to try your hand at the Fifty/50's week o' 40s -- no frat-party inspired duct tape required -- the party continues with hip hop, Cubs viewing (it is the Fifty/50, after all), an Olde English all-day party on the 4th, followed by a Schlitz hangover brunch on the 5th. I would advise steering clear of the Cheesy Cheese Balls on the menu -- never has a bar food been so structurally off-base, falling apart into clumpy half-melted strings as soon as you pick it up. People who have had a 40 and a half cannot gracefully contend with that kind of mess. But there's plenty of other good-looking grease on the menu to keep you properly fortified against all that barley. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, let's hear it for those amber waves of grain.

I've Found the Best Eggs on the Planet

2009-07-02T00:23:51Z

And I'm sharing my find with you, dear Drive-Thru readers: Kress Apiary -- yes, the kindly honey seller at the Daley and Federal plaza farmers markets -- is selling grass-fed, sustainably raised eggs this year for $4. I bought my first dozen a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm hooked. So fresh are these eggs that my first batch was flecked with bits of hay. So stable are the whites that when I cracked two eggs into a small frying pan, they barely touched. So orange are the yolks that ... well, just take a look at that picture, which is entirely unenhanced. If you like eggs, you have a very, very good summer ahead of you.

Jumping the Menu at Taxim

2009-07-01T23:15:52Z

When I first spotted Taxim in Wicker Park, I noticed small and quaint tables tucked into a narrow storefront on a historic stretch of Milwaukee Avenue. The look made me think of a relaxing bistro - where you'd duck in off the street to sip a glass of wine and slowly eat a meal. But would anything on the menu be vegan? That's not a question I like to ask when I don't want to turn away. This was a place I wanted to try for its captivating appearance alone. With a little gentle asking, perhaps they'd do something vegan for me and a friend. This was few months ago. I promptly gave Taxim a try - and then filed away my review without posting it. I'd been waiting for resolution on a simple detail - how to describe the seating in their window. It turned out to be, apparently, Turkish folding tray tables. Here are my first impressions from that April evening. I asked what the kitchen recommended for vegan. None of the main courses on the evening I visited were vegan. Our server was quick to suggest putting together six of the meze (appetizers) from the evening's menu. There would be slight modifications, but they could easily be prepared vegan. She suggested we take two items at a time for three courses, which was more than enough food, and quite a diverse selection. One of the staff called my friend and I the "nicest vegans." What does that mean to me? Kitchens seem quite willing to accommodate, just as long as you ask nicely. From the cold menu (Visited on April 10. Menu dated April 9): Rokasalata: baby arugula, red cress, lemon-mint vinaigrette, without the cheese. This tasted brilliantly peppery, with just the right amount of arugula. Revithia: pureed chickpeas, garlic, and lemon. Think of a very savory hummus that's garnished with sautéed fresh green chickpeas, which give a nice crunch. Piperies: roasted seasonal peppers, very tender. Served with capers, garlic confit, minus cheese. Olives: house-marinated Kalamata olives... full of salty flavor, like any good Kalamata should be, and served in a bit of oil. From the hot menu: Faki: Greek green lentil soup and a balsamic reduction, without the feta. The balsamic was subtle, and the soup was more thick than liquid. A fork served just fine. The lentils were nicely tender and well seasoned. Bamies: baby okra, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh coriander and olive oil. The okra was best eaten right away, while it was still piping hot. The heat amplified the fresh green flavor of the tiny okra. Taxim, 1558 N. Milwaukee Ave., (773) 252-1558. El: Blue to Damen/Milwaukee. Bus: 50 Damen, 56 Milwaukee, 72 North.

Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Culinary Arts

2009-07-01T19:03:23Z

The Vilcek Foundation is giving chefs and artisans that are under 38 years old and were born outside of the United States a shot at $25,000. The Foundation aims to award culinary professionals who have made notable contributions to the field at an early stage in their career. The Vilcek Foundation honors the contributions of foreign-born scientists and artists living and working in the United States by focusing attention on the extraordinary drive, talent, and ingenuity new generations of immigrants bring to our culture, arts, and sciences. Applications and more information are available on the Vilcek Foundation website. Applications are due July 31st.

Growing Good (for Some)

2009-07-01T06:24:17Z

If you'll recall, two Drive-Thru readers won our Grogood-sponsored Earth Day contest, which gave them free growing supplies to start their home gardens. Each winner pledged to give away some of their bounty to a needy charity.

We wanted to give you some updates on how well they're doing: Jennifer's basil is creeping along nicely, and Erin's tomato and squash plants also look pretty swell. I had some difficulty finding places that would take homegrown produce donations, but Erin dug deeper and found that the kitchen at First Slice will happily receive the fruits of her (and your!) gardening labors. I also received a Grogood kit and have not been as lucky due to the partial sunlight that plants get in my apartment: I made the mistake of miscalculating sun needs and also trying to grow plants from seeds. My basil and green onion barely survived the germination stage, but the green bean seeds took off; however, I need to move them to a permanent, sunnier home. The plants are starting to wilt--perhaps due to overwatering or the realization that they're in the dark for half the day. Refusing failure, I'm donating them to Editor Andrew's backyard in the hopes that they'll rebound from their miserable beginnings. May the beans grow stronger than my gardening knowledge.

Minimalist Meals @ Chicago's Newest Restaurants

2009-06-30T21:21:04Z

Today in a post on Gourmet.com, David Tamarkin points out that new Chicago restaurants like The Publican and Nightwood are taking a "less is more" approach. He predicts that the end is near for molecular gastronomy and finds the more minimalist dishes he's been tasting to be a refreshing change.