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Category: Chicago (Page 4 of 4)

Tucson's Prep & Pastry will be at Sunday's Viva La Local. This is a sandwich of tri-tip on a homemade cheddar biscuit with scrambled egg, arugula, and jalapeño jam.

LAF in the A.M. November 14th, 2014

November 14, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Viva La Local in Tucson This Sunday

Viva La Local is returning this Sunday to Rillito Raceway Park in Tucson, Arizona. The food festival debuted in spring 2014 and was such a big hit that organizers hope to make it a twice-yearly event. There will be over 80 farmers market vendors in attendance, 25 local restaurants, and several area wineries and breweries, along with music by Tucson bands. They are offering bike valet service and will store your farmers market purchases in a refrigerated truck (be sure to tell them not to refrigerate your tomatoes)  while you enjoy the festival! Proceeds go to help support the Heirloom Farmers Market. Continue reading

Pizano's founder is Rudy Malnati, Jr., of the Malnati Chicago pizza dynasty.

LAF in the A.M. November 8th, 2014

November 8, 2014 / / 1 Comment

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Chicago’s Pizano’s Coming to Milwaukee

Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta will be opening their first restaurant outside of the Chicago area in late spring, in Milwaukee, at 1150 North Water Street. Pizano’s, which began in 1991, now has six restaurants. The mini-chain was founded by Rudy Malnati, Jr., son of Rudy Malnati Sr. of Pizzeria Uno fame (and who may or may not have invented deep-dish pizza), and half-brother to Lou Malnati. Continue reading

Three Chicago-only concretes from Shake Shack: from left, Salted Carame'L', Da S'mores, Shack Attack

LAF in the A.M. November 6th, 2014

November 6, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Everything, Available Everywhere

When Shake Shack comes to Chicago and Billy Goat goes to Washington, and the Big Apple gets a Garrett’s, and Marshall Field’s is now Macy’s… does it all become less special? Phil Rosenthal of the Chicago Tribune takes the opportunity, with the arrival of Shake Shack in the Windy City, to look at the effect of all this regional homogenization. Continue reading

Publican sausage

LAF in the A.M. November 5th, 2014

November 5, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Publican Sausage On Shake Shack Chicago Menu

When Shake Shack enters a new market they always select some quality local ingredients for their menu. We noted previously how, in Chicago, they are offering concretes made with Chicago’s Bang Bang Pie and Glazed & Infused doughnuts, and they are also offering Vienna Beef hot dogs. There are two other local twists on the menu. Another concrete incorporates a chocolate bar made with Hawaiian black sea salt, burnt sugar caramel, and 70% cacao dark chocolate, from Chicago’s high-end chocolatier Vosges Haut-Chocolat. And there’s a Publican Pork Sausage, made by Chicago’s Publican Quality Meats, a high-quality butcher and lunch spot. The sausage is topped with Shack’s cheese sauce and crispy-fried, ale-marinated shallots. The Chicago Shack opened yesterday. Continue reading

The Nor'Easter from New England's Portland Pie Co

LAF in the A.M. November 1st, 2014

November 1, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Eat Pizza, Drink Beer, Help the Community

The Portland Pie Co., based in Portland, Maine, was founded in 1997. PPC offers four kinds of dough, including basil, wheat, garlic, and beer, and exotic combinations of toppings. They also like to be good community citizens. They work with area groups by often designating one evening, usually a Thursday, when they donate a portion of their receipts to a designated charity or community group. Usually the donation is something like a buck a pizza. Continue reading

Ribs smoking at Joe's Kansas City

LAF in the A.M. October 31st, 2014

October 31, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Maybe Billy Butler Shoulda Had the Brisket

Professional baseball players, on the whole, are a pretty superstitious bunch. If they called their mother and didn’t shave the morning of a win, you can bet Mom will be receiving wake-up calls and that beard will continue to grow as long as the team keeps winning. KC Royals DH Billy Butler had lunch at Joe’s Kansas City Tuesday and the Royals that night proceeded to win game six of the World Series 10-0. Butler had a double and an RBI. So there he was at Joe’s Kansas City again Wednesday, dining on ribs, beans, and Mountain Dew. Unfortunately for Butler and Kansas City fans, Butler singled in four at bats and the Royals lost the final World Series game to the Giants, 3-2. Continue reading

Who would figure you can get cheap eats at Le Parker Meridien in central Manhattan? Yet, here it is, at The Burger Joint.

LAF in the A.M. October 28th, 2014

October 28, 2014 / / 1 Comment

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Less Than $10 in NYC: 7 Finds

New York City is notorious for finding ways to separate you from your money, especially when it comes to dining out. But it is possible to find bargains, if you look hard enough, or start with a crib sheet. And that’s where this story from Wall St. Cheat Sheet comes in. They’ve found seven spots to dine well for under $10, from Chinese dumplings to falafel to tacos to the burgers at The Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridien. Check it out. Continue reading

The Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City has a constantly changing, but enormous, inventory of oysters.

LAF in the A.M. October 26th, 2014

October 26, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Oysters and Beer in Brooklyn

There are now three franchises of New York City’s venerable Grand Central Oyster Bar: in Newark Airport, in Tokyo, and, since December of last year, in Brooklyn. Currently, the Brooklyn location is running a special fall beer and oyster pairing menu. Four oysters with four five-ounce beers sounds like a great idea and, at $14.95, a great deal too. Read about Kate Kolenda’s experience with the pairings at The Daily Meal. Continue reading

Grilled Pizza Margarita as served at Al Forno of Providence, RI - named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the best pizza places in the U.S. (although Al Forno is much more than a pizza place).

LAF in the A.M. October 22nd, 2014

October 22, 2014 / / 1 Comment

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

America’s Best Pizza, Chosen by Food & Wine

Top Pot Watch

Ina Pinkney Comes Home

Attack of the Killer Pumpkins!

Sad News from Memphis

Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! Tries the Pitts-burger

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Roast beef sandwiches at Kelly's of Revere, MA, ready to be dressed

LAF in the A.M. October 21st, 2014

October 21, 2014 / / 0 Comments

A Morning Menu of Stories We Think You’ll Find Interesting

Good Eats in Revere MA

CNN Ranks the 12 Best Meat-Eating Cities in the U.S.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan Loves Eating, Especially in Chicago

A Visit with the Owner of Geno’s Steaks

Difficult Times for the Owners of Mr. Mac’s Canteen

Shake Shack Watch

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Gino's East is one of Chicago's Big Four in the deep-dish pizza business.

Gino’s East Bringing Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza to Texas

October 16, 2014 / / 3 Comments

So what is it with Texas’ infatuation with Chicago edibles? Not only is Al’s #1 Italian Beef coming to Dallas but Gino’s East, Windy City deep-dish pizza specialist, is opening their first branches outside of the Chicago region this year, in the Lone Star State. The four pizzerias will be located in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and the Houston suburbs. Like the Al’s restaurants, they will be franchises. Word is the pizzerias will add Texas barbecue pizza to the menu. Can Garrett’s be far behind? Continue reading

Italian beef at Al's #1, now in Dallas

Al’s #1 Italian Beef Coming to Texas

October 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

There are many signature Chicago street foods but our favorite, hands down, is the Italian beef. Thinly shaved beef is plucked from a trough of garlicky jus and laid in a fresh Italian roll. Hot? That’s spicy giardiniera, a chopped vegetable condiment. Sweet? Sweet red peppers. Dipped? They  immerse the entire sandwich in the juice! We’ll take a beef, hot, sweet, and dipped. Continue reading

Fried matzo, known elsewhere as matzo brei, is perhaps the ultimate Jewish soul food. Here it's supplemented with onions and salami, creating something of a hoppel-poppel effect.

Frances’ Deli, Chicago IL

October 8, 2014 / / 0 Comments

REVIEW

They say Frances’ Deli ain’t what it used to be, but what is? Well, perhaps Manny’s is, but Frances’ is actually even older than Manny’s, going back to 1938 Chicago. It’s now a few blocks north of its original location, and Frances, the man, is long gone. And replacing the Eastern European staff and old Jewish customers are crowds of 20- and 30-somethings from the surrounding Lincoln Park neighborhood. Continue reading

Pepperoni pie at Coalfire in Chicago

Take a Pizza Tour!

October 1, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Pizza tourism is popping up all over! Check out this story by Caryn Rousseau of AP, in which she details pizza tours you can take in Chicago, New York, Boston, and Milwaukee (Milwaukee?!). Some are walking tours, most are by bus, and prices range from $39 in Boston up to $80 in Brooklyn, NY. We know people who’ve taken some of these tours and we’ve heard nothing but raves. It’s a good way to get an understanding of the local pizza styles.

Slingers are associated more with St. Louis than Chicago, but don't let that stop you from enjoying one at Chicago's Diner Grill, particularly if it's after midnight.

Diner Grill, Chicago IL

September 17, 2014 / / 2 Comments

REVIEW

Molecular cuisine, it’s not. Chicago does offer three Michelin stars at Grant Achatz’s cutting edge Alinea, but does Alinea offer a slinger in a repurposed trolley car? No, for that you’ll have to travel ten minutes north, to the neighborhood of Lakeview, and the notorious Diner Grill.

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