Chicago Foodies

Food Truck Pioneer Matt Maroni Parks Gaztro-Wagon for Good

Though nowhere near as ubiquitous as their counterparts in Los Angeles or New York City, Chicago's food trucks slowly gained steam in 2011: They had their own Wednesday afternoon meet-up at North and Clybourn, plus added attention from Time Out writer Heather Shouse's book, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels. As food truck owners became more united around the common cause to legalize on-board cooking (which is currently prohibited in Chicago), their unquestionable leader was Gaztro-Wagon's Matt Maroni. Now, the pioneer tells Eater that he'll no longer operate the Gaztro-Wagon truck and its Edgewater storefront (another owner will take over operations) plus he'll scale back his duties as former executive chef at Morso. What does this mean for the future of the city's favorite mobile kitchens?  

Prairie Fire to Close Abruptly Tomorrow

There are a few Chicago chefs who believed in farm-to-table before it was a buzzword, and Sarah Stegner was one of their undeniable leaders. A founder of the Green City Market, Stegner shared her passion for local food at her Northbrook restaurant, Prairie Grass Cafe, and its West Loop sibling, Prairie Fire. Yesterday, The Tribune reported that after almost two years in business, Prairie Fire will close its doors after lunch service on Wednesday.

Hoagie Hut... Closing Thursday.

Hoagie Hut - A Lincoln Park Tradition is closing Thursday 9/30

You knew it was too good to last. Located in prime Lincoln Park real estate, this long time establishment served Vienna Beef Chicago-style hot dogs, cheesy cheese fries, and (of course) hoagies of all kinds. Restaurant wise, it wasn't much to look and there wasn't much seating but it was the quintessential hot dog joint... ketchup stained bench seats, a classic arcade machine, and quite the friendly staff who even brought your order to your table.

We spoke to the staff today and they said Thursday is there last day in business... with the future unknown... take a stroll down to this Lincoln Park tradition before it's gone.

Hoagie Hut
2580 N Lincoln Ave

Block 44 - Out of Business.

* Block 44 is out of business.

This was on a recommendation from Josh as somewhere sort of different and off the beaten path (that wasn’t a shady diner).  I think the word “swanky” might have entered my side of the conversation, but you must understand that in my post-graduate world, anyplace that’s not offering a weekly $10 special on buckets of beer is at least well on its way to swank.

A fellow foodie friend of mine was coming into town Friday night and we were in search of tasty, unique food served by nice people who didn’t charge you $30 for a salad just because they shaved a black truffle over it.  We also had a lot of talking to do, so we were hoping for service that respected the time-honored tradition of Girl Talk (not the board game). 

Francheezie... Cambridge House – RIP

There are some mythical menu items that people are either too shocked to understand or disgusted, yet intrigued. The Francheezie is one such item. The Cambridge House is the place to try it.

If we ever start banning food for health reasons the Francheezie will be the first to go. It's a hot dog stuffed with cheeze and wrapped in bacon... As far as I can tell it's only found in and around Chicago, yet is considered a mockery of the hot dog...
(* The Cambridge House is now closed... Francheezies must be had elsewhere – apparantly Zephyr's got 'em)

Rioja: Out Of Business

There's more to a good restaurant than good food.  There's also the atmosphere and the service.  For me, all three factors need to be working together to make the dining experience a good one.  Rioja was missing two out of three - atmosphere and service. 

Formally Atlantique (which I had been to once and enjoyed) the seafood restuarant had been minimally updated and lacked character.  The wianscoated walls that were previously painted hues of green and blue for a nautical motif were now painted yellow and red.  Bullfighters and Flamenco dancers now hung on the walls and that was as far as the transformation went. 

The Speakeasy – Out of Businesss

*The speakeasy is now closed. Not sure why but we'll miss it.

(Below from 4/22/05)

Monday night I didn't want to cook. My cousin was in town and would be driving by. My wife was working late. My place was a mess. They had already eaten but we hadn't. We decided to meet them at the Speakeasy. They do a fabulous 'hot' chocolate creme bruleé so by the time they got there we'd all have dessert together. It was a plan.

I grabbed a bottle of Contadana (definitely not spelled right... ask for the $3.99 Pinot Grigio at Trader Joe's) and away we went. We got the cheese puffs as a quick fix and ordered the tuna and cassoulet.