Chicago Foodies

Learn to "Pickle That" at Logan Square Kitchen

Admit it: While you laughed at the Porlandia "We Can Pickle That!" sketch, you sort of love the recent attention that preserving has garnered lately. And who wouldn't? When the Chicago winter feels bleak, a bright pop of canned or pickled fruits and vegetables can add a wollop of summertime color and flavor to a dish. But these techniques are not fool-proof; at their worst, improperly preserved or contaminated foods can cause serious illness, which is why it's important to learn how to can and preserve the right way.

To that end, Logan Square Kitchen will host a Slow Food Citrus Canning workshop on Tuesday, March 6 from 6 to 9 PM. Led by Scratch Homemade's Lis David and Zvi Bar-Chaim, the evening will provide you the skills to preserve lemons and other citrus fruits, as well as a foundation for canning other foods. The lemons are purchased through Dill Pickle Co-Op and will be used to make a lemon ginger marmalade that participants can take home. Spaces can be reserved for $45 through Brown Paper Tickets.

--Kate Bernot

Perhaps the Best Valentine's Day Table Still Available

Valentine's Day is 11 days away, but tell your significant other that you still don't have a reservation, and you're likely to met with, oh, a touch of hostility. Lucky for you, Mr. or Ms. Procrastinator, an email just hit our inboxes that could get you out of this jam. Now, we're not normally in the habit of publishing every press release that we receive—believe us, they're not pretty—but every now and then we receive on that's worth sharing.

Case in point: Yusho, the newly-opened and well-received yakitori from former Charlie Trotter's veteran Matthias Merges, just released its Valentine's Day menu. The six-course menu won't break the bank, either; at $50, it's less than what many other restaurants are charging for the holiday. The dinner includes the obligatory oysters (grilled, and with caviar, mind you) as well as short ribs, eel terrine, and salmon roulade.

Judging by the crowds waiting for a table, even on the weekdays, these spots will go fast. To make a reservation, visit Yusho's website or call (773) 904-8558.

--Kate Bernot

Treat Crew Resurrects Popular Brunch with Township Pop-Up

Humboldt Park residents were dealt a double whammy when Treat closed last year: They no longer had a source for Indian-inspired brunch dishes like savory pancakes and saag paneer, plus the space was taken over by an as-yet-unopened sushi joint. HP-UKVers can still console themselves with weekend breakfast from Bake or Rootstock, but until this now, Chicagoans have been resigned to life without Indian spiced French toast. Thankfully, Treat's former owners heard our mournful dirges and have resurrected some of Treat's most popular brunch items for a pop-up this weekend to launch their new Logan Square restaurant, Township.

Charlie Trotters' Vet Opens Yakitori Spot Yusho Tomorrow

Will Chicago finally get a stand-out yakitori restaurant? Long-time Charlie Trotters' chef-de-cuisine Matthias Merges hopes his new street food-inspired restaurant, Yusho, will draw the masses to the outskirts of Logan Square in search of grilled meats.

After fourteen years at Trotters', Merges left to open his own neighborhood restaurant that focuses on grilled poultry (yakitori), vegetables (yasai), and meats and seafood (kushiyaki). Yusho's shareable menus, neon-and-brick interior, and late-night hours are certainly a departure from Trotter's, but one that could finally up the standard for Japanese grills in Chicago.

The Economics of Imported Cask-Conditioned Beer

On my day off from working at Owen & Engine, I decide to stop by to try the Nethergate’s cask-conditioned beer that is imported from Suffolk, England, and selling by the nonic pint (20 oz.). These beers are rare, and they’re larger pours. In addition to Nethergate, there’s the Old Growler English Porter (milder flavor, lighter body, and a hint of smoke) and Azzarat Blonde (creamy finish with a pleasant citric tartness—like an Orange Creamsicle).  These beers are rare stateside because Nethergate only does cask-conditioned beer, and most American bars don’t have beer engines. 

Cask ale, cask-conditioned beer, and real ale are all the same thing: beer brewed with traditional ingredients and techniques, meaning that yeast metabolizing a malted grain resulting in carbon dioxide and alcohol.  Unlike draft beer, cask ale isn’t pasteurized or artificially carbonated, resulting in a creamier texture. 

I often compare cask beer to a red wine in the sense that wine changes for the better with aeration.  The mouthfeel of aerated wine is softer, as is real ale.  That’s the best way I can describe the difference between draft and cask beer.  A big IPA on draft will have a firm, aggressive mouthfeel.  The same beer on cask tends to have that recognizable hoppy flavor but is softer because of the lower level of carbon dioxide.         

Longman & Eagle – Comfort Food on the Hottest Day of the Year

A steamy hot day has never instilled in me a hunger for platefuls of meat and glasses of whiskey. But maybe that will change. It was, as the title suggested, a hot night– in the nineties even though it was raining. I have been so overdue to checkout Longman & Eagle that I agreed to go. I further broke tradition and went to a popular restaurant on a Friday night. This meant suffering through a wait of over an hour at the bar which would have been better if I were up for more drinking. The cocktail menu was very nice and the bourbon and whiskey selection was extensive. The bartender, Nathan, mixed a couple of dark and stormys and also chatted up the new Maker's 46 and a couple other options (Cabin Still). This made the wait seem shorter.

In a very loud back room we ordered, and received, duck rillettes where the mustard lived up to the meat and Ricotta gnuddi, a word that makes small children giggle, which were more delicate than I expected and though good, didn't compete with the rillettes. Next came the English pea agnolotti - truffle butter was cheating as the pea filled raviolis were sweet and creamy-rich on their own.

A Revolution is Brewing

I would contend that Chicago has some of the most intelligent, passionate lovers of craft brews around. Lately it seems there has been an influx of headlining brewers making their mark in the windy city – Revolution, Half Acre, Metropolitan, Two Brothers, and most recently and with great fanfare, Stone Brewery. According to Stone’s twitter feed, Chicago became its fifth largest market… after only a week. Bonkers. Yeah. Chicagoans love a good beer.

I’ll be honest, I have not had the opportunity to try out some of the goods from all of the above, but I did make a Sunday mid-afternoon journey to Logan Square to visit Revolution Brewery (2323 North Milwaukee Ave).

The place exudes class, warmth, and passion for both their food and beer. A lot of brew pubs display their tanks right up front – sometimes an indicator of misplaced priorities. If there is serious brewing going on – and I mean, the messy, hot, smelly pour-your-heart-and-soul into it brewing – those suckers are going to be in a place where they’ll actually be used.

Revolution has theirs in the back with windows for curious diners to look through, but where crafting is actually going on by head brewer, Jim Cibak.

Crispin: The New Cider in Town

Cider is one of those alcoholic beverages that has never gotten a fair shake on many levels.  First of all, sugary-sweet overly processed concoctions give cider a bad rap, conjuring images of drunken teenagers or amateurs at happy hour.  Second, there just isn't that much cider to begin with.  Michael Christensen, the Regional Manager of the Midwest region, said that 0.3 percent of the alcoholic beverage market in the U.S. is cider, whereas it is six percent in the U.K.  A lot of educating is necessary to build what appears to be a wide open market with lots of growth.

South Africa native Joe Heron founded Crispin in 2008 on the idea that the cider market was under-served with what is essentially perceived to be rubbish.  Last night, Michael Christensen and the Crispin sales crew successfully demonstrated what a good cider should taste like:  one that is made essentially from apple juice, wine or beer yeasts, and honey or maple syrup. They were also nice enough to provide us with invitations to the event.

Ribfest Chicago - Friday the 12th-14th

From their website:

`Averaging 65,000 pounds of ribs and featuring 25 bands in 25 hours, more than 50,000 people are expected to kick­off summer at the three­-day long Ribfest Chicago. Proceeds of the festival are utilized to fund community activities, area greening efforts and local outreach programs such as the innovative School Grant Program.

Fat Willy's vs. Smoque Round 2

Okay, there really wasn't a round one... I have however made blanket statements about Smoque having the best pulled pork in Chicago and Fat Willy's brisket being the best. This time around it was different. I didn't eat any brisket at Willy's - they were out of it (a good sign). But I ate sausage at both. I'd like to say that one was better than the other and wile I had a preference for certain items, they both had their own successes and - oh my - disappointments.

Bill Kim's Urbanbelly

It's hard to explain how my Friday was redeemed. It was a long day. I was graciously getting a ride home that was delayed an hour due to construction on the inbound LSD... are they kidding! Traffic outbound wasn't much better so I was needed something nice. I saw a listing on LTH for Urban Belly and made the Bill Kim connection and talked the driver into a detour to California, just North of Diversey. In a strip mall is Bill Kim's new diggs. Sure enough three weeks into the endeavor he was right there in the kitchen dishing out dumplings, rice dishes and bowls of noodles. Once you order at the counter seating is at one of four communal tables. It surely isn't Le Lan. But TGIF.

Fonda Del Mar

If you can't tell I rarely go out on a weekend. Especially not on a Saturday night. When I do I try to avoid trendy popular spots. When I was invited to Fonda Del Mar I figured it's 4 weeks old, in west Logan Square... how busy could it be? Well news travels fast in this town and an 8pm reservation that we blew by 15 minutes turned into an hour and a half wait for a dining room that was dominated by 2 large groups, one a 10-top. The host was gracious and suggested hitting the neighboring liquor store for a drink - Fonda Del Mar was BYOB. **It no longer is BYOB!

A six pack of Coronitas later the waiting crowd had swelled to a throng of 20 people. Standing room only in the front and a group waiting in the back as well. I'm only dragging on about this as it was half the time we were at the restaurant. I was expecting slow service and rushed food. I was wrong.

La Oaxaqueña

At 3382 N. Milwaukee is a real find. La Oaxaqeña serves up fabulous food. In this case Molés and Chile Rellenos that I'd choose for almost any meal. The spelling is almost impossible to remember and I always go back to La Oaxacana or La Oaxacena forgetting the "q" as of this moment I'm unsure of the spelling and want to go back to my takeout menu.

It's a small restaurant with stiff chairs, clear plastic covers on their tablecloths and white plates with a blue ring around the edges. It's not busy. The waitress is helpful and the owner, a friendly older lady,  made sure I understood that the molé is homemade with anchos and guadillos. They have been in business for 6 years.

Ixcapuzalco

*** NOTE The restaurant closed and moved to 2165 N. Western Ave. very soon after this post. It may account for some of the kitchen's inconsistencies. It's time to go back I guess...

Ixcapuzalco was opened by Frontera chef, Geno Bahena, to great acclaim. It's in Logan Square on Milwaukee. I had very high hopes. I'm a big fan of Frontera and have debates about the viability of Mexican food as cuisine. It definitely is and Frontera/Topolo are ample proof for me. Needless to say I was eagerly anticipating Ixcapuzalco.