Cheers, it's Champagne Thursday!

Do you like champagne? I used to reserve it only for weddings and New Year’s Eve, but in the last year or so I have found that I enjoy a bit of bubbly to add a sense of occasion to an otherwise dull weeknight, or as a special treat in the form of a mimosa at brunch!

Our friends at Devon Seafood Grill have put together a fabulous Sparkling Wine Tasting Event, where you will be whisked away to France’s wine country by tasting a variety of champagnes, perfectly paired with appetizers. A representative from Moet Hennessey will be present to answer questions about the champagnes. The featured champagnes include: Moet White Star, Krug Grand Cuvee, Veuve Clicquot “Yellow Label” and Dom Perignon. Ooh la la!

Devon Seafood Grill has generously offered CFW readers a $5 discount off the regular $38 ticket price!

Please visit http://devonchicago.eventbrite.com/ to purchase your tickets at the discounted price.

WHEN:  Thursday August 26, 2010 – 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

WHERE: Devon Seafood Grill – 39 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL
(312) 440-8660

Chef Rick Bayless

Calling all Rick Bayless fans!

Once again, Macy’s Culinary Council is offering us a great opportunity to get up close and personal with some of America’s most well-known chefs.  Rick Bayless will be demonstrating some delicioso recipes from his new cookbook, Fiesta at Rick’s, at the Old Orchard Mall in Skokie this Saturday, August 28th.  You’ll also get to sample some of the featured dishes!  Chef Bayless will be signing copies of his new cookbook following the demo. 

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Rick Bayless is the owner of several award-winning restaurants in Chicago, including Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO and Frontera Fresco.  Last year, Chef Bayless was named the first-ever winner of Top Chef Masters.  You might also recognize him as the host of Mexico – One Plate at a Time on public television, now in it’s seventh season.  (One of my all-time favorite cooking shows!) 

Don’t miss this chance to see one of Chicago’s favorite chefs in person! 

When:
Saturday, August 28
2 PM

Where:
Macy’s Old Orchard
Macy’s Culinary Tent by Frontera Fresco
One Old Orchard Shopping Center
Skokie, IL 60077

RSVP:
This event is free, but seating is limited. Please RSVP by calling 1.800.329.8667 to reserve a space.

Read about our excursion last year and see what you missed or what you can look forward to!

Check out www.ChicagoGourmet.org for details!

Chicago definitely isn’t Miami, but I’m happy to have found some great Cuban restaurants, such as Habana Libre, Cafe Laguardia, and now 90 Miles Cuban Cafe.

I don’t know why it took me so long to try 90 Miles. Once I discovered that it’s only a couple blocks away from Mr. Man’s apartment, I have been there twice already!

Vintage ads and newspaper clippings line the walls

I just love the neighborhoody feel of this place. It’s small, but not cramped, with a nice outdoor patio as well. Inside there is a counter where you order, a fridge with cold drinks, and then about 10 counter seats. I like the walls papered with vintage Cuban newspaper clippings and ads. I also dig the Cuban music on the stereo! The free water with limes is a nice touch. I definitely appreciated the air conditioning, since it’s been fiercely hot lately!

I’ve only been to 90 Miles in the late afternoon on weekends, around 3 pm. That seems like it would be a slow time, yet they still had a constant flow of customers, and the phone seemed to be ring alot. This place is popular!

The first time Mr. Man and I went, I just wanted to try the basics. We decided to split the Cuban sandwich and the Lechon, which the guy behind the counter said was his favorite. We ordered a side of croquetas, because we LOVE ‘em, and also a side of yuca con mojo, because Mr. Man wanted to try it.

Cubano - Cuban sandwich

A Cuban sandwich is a genius combination of ham, roast pork, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. This Cuban was good. Really good. Yet somehow I feel like I have had better ones in Miami? I could be embellishing my memory of how good they are in Miami, because Mr. Man LOVED it and kept making yummy noises. I wanted this one to be more flavorful – more hammy, more mustardy.

Lechon sandwich - try not to bite the screen!

The Lechon is a shredded roast pork sammie with lettuce, grilled onions, garlic sauce and my beloved plantains! I found the pork in this sandwich to have a much richer flavor than the Cubano. What really got me was the sweet & savory combination of the pork and the plantains, oh yummo. So good! I’ll be back again for this!

croquetas

I liked the croquetas. The potato was nice and smooth inside with good-sized chunks of ham, and the outside was nice and crisp without being oily. I love the sauce they serve with the croquetas, some kind of spicy mayo. It’s also really good for dipping your sandwich in!

Yuca con mojo - yep, that's ALL garlic!

The yuca con mojo is yucca (cassava?) slathered in garlic sauce. Yuca has the texture of potato, but with a slightly sweeter flavor. I absolutely LOVE garlic, so I love mojo. I think yuca is too much starch for me, but I could see eating this as a side dish instead of mashed or baked potatoes. Apparently this dish is a staple in any Cuban household, so it’s worth a try, at least for the mojo alone, which would be good on ANYTHING!

I couldn’t resist trying one of their pastries with cheese and guava inside. They looked so yummy in the box on the counter, but it wasn’t anything amazing. Oh well.

I had to order a café cubano aka CUBAN CRACK! It’s amazing how a lil cup of espresso can hit you like a ton of bricks! It’s served a a tiny cup, literally about the size of a single serving of creamer. The thing I love about it is that it’s sweetened, so it really cuts the harshness of straight espresso. Next time I will have to try a café con leche, another one of my favorite types of coffee which I drank daily in Madrid. The Cuban style cafe con leche is basically a café cubano mixed with steamed milk.

My next visit was a to-go order. It’s a bit odd that when you eat in, the sandwiches come with some plantain chips, but when you get a sandwich to go, it doesn’t come with anything. This time I ordered a Media Noche for Mr. Man, which is the same as a Cubano, just on sweet bread. The bread is just sweet enough to add another layer of flavor without being overwelming. I chose the Croqueta sandwich. The description said ham, grilled onions and swiss cheese, so despite the name, I thought that’s all it was. Somehow I didn’t think they would ACTUALLY put croquetas on the sandwich along with the ham, onions and cheese! I know, I’m stupid. The sammie was yummy, but a bit of a carb overload!

90 Miles serves some really interesting traditional Cuban soft drinks. On the recommendation of the lady behind the counter, I tried the Materva, which is made of yerba mate. She described it to taste like a “bubbly sweet tea” which I think is spot on. If you like herby flavors, you’ll like this. They also have Iron Beer, which supposedly tastes kinda like Dr. Pepper. Jupiña is pineapple soda. Malta is a carbonated malt beverage. It’s not alcoholic, and I’m told it is quite sweet and has a flavor similar to molasses.

I am certain that 90 Miles will be a frequent dining destination for me. I’ve already decided to try the ropa vieja dinner for my next visit, another one of my favorite Cuban dishes.

Come on down to 90 Miles for some authentic Cuban cuisine in a friendly local atmosphere!

90 Miles has 2 locations – the one in this review is in Roscoe Village. I’ve never been to the Logan Square location, but I gather that its much larger and may even have an expanded menu.

90 Miles Cuban Cafe – Roscoe Village
3101 N Clybourn Ave
(between Barry Ave & Oakley Ave)
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 248-2822

90 Miles Cuban Cafe – Logan Square
2540 W Armitage Ave
(between Stave St & Bingham St)
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 227-2822

www.90milescubancafe.com

Looking for someting to do this weekend?

Macy’s Culinary Council will be doing a food & wine pairing demonstration this Saturday, July 17 at noon.  Culinary Council Chef and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson will be showing us the basics of proper food and wine partners.  Andrea will also be introducing her new line of stemware called “The One”, which is suitable for both red & white wines.  Culinary Council Chef and restaurateur Takashi Yagihashi will demonstrate how to entertain using seasonal ingredients.  Andrea will be available to sign her new cookbook, Great Wine Made Simple, after the demonstration.

Andrea Robinson is one of only 16 women in the world who have been appointed Master Sommelier by the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. She was the first woman ever chosen Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America.  And if you haven’t been to Takashi in Bucktown, you must go IMMEDIATELY!  His clay pot chicken blew me away, and the atamosphere and service were great.  (Check out Vivian’s review here.)You can also try Takashi’s delicious noodles at Noodles by Takashi Yagihashi at the 7th floor food court at Macy’s on State Street.

When:
Saturday, July 17 at NOON

Where:
Macy’s on State Street
Lower Level
111 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60602

RSVP:
The event is free. Seating is limited. Please call 1.800.329.8667 to reserve a space.

For more info, please visit www.macys.com/culinarycouncil.

Take a look at some of the highlights from my trip to the Taste of Chicago.  While the organizers reported that numbers were down by as much as 700,000 this year, there was no evidence of that when I went on Thursday night – it was PACKED! 

Some people complain about the prices at The Taste.  Mr. Man and I shared 9 different things, and we did it all with only 4 strips of tickets – about $24.  Granted, we didn’t buy any alcohol, which is how they getcha at The Taste!  We weren’t full, but for me The Taste is about, well, tasting, rather than stuffing myself silly. 

Adobo Grill - cochinita pibil tacos

Full size portion, perfect for sharing!  Not the best pork tacos I’ve ever had, but good quality for a fest.

C'est Si Bon! - cajun meatballs

Tasting portion – I get these every year, I think they’re really good!  Just spicy enough for me, but if you’re a Hot Head, it might leave something to be desired.

BJ's Market - mustard-fried catfish

Tasting portion – A suggestion from a friend, and it was a win!  Tasty.  I also really liked their honey mustard.

Sabor Latino - jibarito

Tasting portion – Somehow I remember this being bigger last year?  This “farmer’s sandwich” is made of flattened plantains instead of bread.  The beef had a great flavor, and I loved the sauce.  I could never eat a full size one of these – those plantains are FILLING.

Bobak's - bacon-wrapped German frankfurter

Full size portion – I probably wouldn’t have gotten this (one sausage for 9 tickets?) but I’d heard great reviews.  Actually all the sausages from Bobak’s sounded really good.  This one had nicely crisped bacon around a juicy sausage with a good “snap”.  Yum!

Kasia's Deli - potato & cheese pierogi

Tasting portion – I was a little disappointed this year, because they weren’t offering saurkraut pierogis in the tasting size, and I love me some saurkraut!  Potato & cheese, slightly bland but still good.

Franco's Ristorante - lemon italian ice

DARN!  My photo of my delish lemon ice didn’t turn out!  I got a tasting portion of the lemon ice – the watermelon looked too freakishly artificial next to the pristine white lemon.  Super refreshing and zippy with real lemon flavor.  One of my favorite things of the day.  Lemon ice has quickly become one of my new favorite things!

Vee-Vee's - sauteed goat & jollof rice

Tasting portion – disappointing.  I’ve had this dish before, and I think we just got a bad piece of goat – it was nothing but bone, cartilage and fat.  The rice had good flavor.  Better luck next year.

Ricobene's - breaded steak sandwich

Tasting portion – also disappointing.  I used to LOVE Ricobene’s steak sammie, but in the last couple years the quality just hasn’t been there at The Taste.  It might be time for me to actually go sit down in a Ricobene’s and order one, to see if they really are as good as I remember.

Let us know if you tried something AMAZING.  Already looking forward to next year!

Duchamp is in the old Meritage space.  While I do miss Meritage, Duchamp definitely makes up for it!  The patio has been re-done and has a much more modern look, but is no less charming.  I love the wooden communal tables.  The interior is a mix of old and new, also with wooden tables, but paired with modern clear acrylic chairs.   

The Yelp Eats! menu at Duchamp was quite generous – we were able to choose from the entire menu.  Duchamp also offers the same deal every Tuesday – a 3 course meal for $25, with your choice from the full menu, including any daily specials.  Nice!

Duchamp has a global wine list with some unique varietals.  It was a warm night, so we chose a great bottle of Cote du Rhone blanc that even a die-hard red drinker like Mr. Man could enjoy.

Each dish sounded more tempting than the next, but I think between the 4 of us, we got a nice range from the menu.

First Course – small plates

lamb meatballs with crispy feta

 This was my selection, and by far my favorite dish for the first courses.  I absolutely loved the Mediterranean flavors in this dish!  It made me want to take a vacation to Spain or Greece.  The meatballs were moist, the crispy feta not greasy at all.  The pesto sauce was perfectly complimented by the salty capers and  olives.  So flavorful.  Plus it was topped off with a sprinkling of pistachios, one of my favorite things! 

steak tartare

 This was Mr. Man’s choice.  I would have liked to taste it, but since the portion was TINY, I didn’t have the heart to steal a bite.  If the portion of steak tartare can be completely covered by a quail egg, then you KNOW it’s small!  Most of the plate was taken up by the crispy potatoes and garlic toast.  Honestly, are you supposed to use 2 large pieces of toast to eat 2 bites of tartare?  Mr. Man says that it was delicious, but had I ordered it, I would have felt cheated.  The blue cheese “fondue” wasn’t what I was expecting either, and looked more like just a drizzle of cheese on the plate.

duck rillette tartines

 Mr. S’s choice.  I liked the flavors of this dish – was it a bit of fruit mixed in with the duck?  I love hazelnuts, and thought they provided a great textural contrast.  I found the duck itself to be a bit dry. 

soup du jour - gazpacho

 Miss K chose this refreshing soup of the day.  Actually a comparatively large portion.  Gazpacho is tricky – too smooth, and it’s like drinking tomato juice.  Too chunky, and it’s like eating salsa.  This one had a lovely bright tomato flavor, very fresh tasting, but I would have liked more chunks of cucumber and peppers. 

Second Course – large plates 

skate wing fish & chips

 I think Miss K won this round!  Not your typical fish & chips, with skate wing replacing white fish.  The pieces of skate were perfectly crispy, not greasy.  K pronounced it some of the best fish & chips she’s ever eaten, and she’s from Australia, where fish & chips is practically the national food!

special - baby goat rigatoni

 Another win for the Aussies.  This was a special that night.  Rich, earthy flavors, yet not heavy – the perfect summer pasta!  Loved the tender goat and the perfectly cooked pasta.  I’d order this if I ever see it on the menu again.

bouillabaisse

 Mr. Man’s dish.  Once again, Mr. Man was slighted on portion size.  When I think of bouillabaisse, I think of a deep and rich broth in a bowl overflowing with seafood.  This broth was super flavorful, and the piece of sea bass was one of the more perfect pieces of fish I have eaten in recent memory.  However, there was one modestly-sized piece of fish, about 3 mussels and a couple shrimp.  That’s it.  At $22.95, it’s one of the most expensive items on the menu.  Super tasty, but not worth the price. 

havarti cheese burger

 Now, there are ALOT of good burgers in this town, and from what I’ve read, this is one of ‘em.  For the sake of comparison, I ordered it.  It’s a good burger, no doubt.  But one of the best in the city?  I don’t think so.  I liked the havarti cheese and the remoulade, even though that sauce made the burger a bit slippery and messy to eat (read: don’t order this on a date!).  The beef was juicy and well-seasoned.  A perfectly respectable burger, but it won’t pop into my mind the next time I’m craving a big, tasty burger. 

Third Course – dessert

dessert trio

Dessert consisted of 3 chef’s selections.  I have to say that dessert was the perfect size – 3 little bites of something sweet, which is all I really needed!  I loved the lemon tart and the mini chocolate cupcake was delish.  The chocolate chip ice cream sandwich was a cute idea but nothing special. 

I would love to come back to Duchamp to try more of their globally-influenced dishes.  The prix fixe can’t be beat!  While you run the risk of eating a 3 course dinner in about 10 bites like Mr. Man, Duchamp makes each bite count with amazing flavors and skillful preparation.  I definitely recommend their patio for an intimate gathering with friends or for a romantic date. 

Love it or hate it, the Taste of Chicago is starting this Friday, June 25 and running through July 4.

Right now you can buy discounted tickets for $6 a strip at Dominick’s.  Once The Taste starts, tickets will be $8 a strip.

The Taste is so much more than just turkey legs and frozen bananas!  Each year I find something new and delicious, and of course I also have a few favorites that I seek out each year.  I like to get tasting portions, so I can graze for a few hours, instead of using up my precious stomach space on only a few things. 

Some of our old favorites:

- Breaded steak sandwich from Ricobene’s

- Frozen cheesecake on a stick from Eli’s Cheesecake

- Pierogis from Kasia’s Deli

- Cajun meatballs from C’est Si Bon!

 Things we’re looking forward to:

- Popcornsicle – flash frozen caramel popcorn on a stick from Garrett’s Popcorn

- Any tasty sausage from Taste newcomer but Chicago mainstay Bobak’s

- Sauteed goat & plantains from Vee Vee’s African Cuisine

- Jibarito sandwich from Sabor Latino

- Cochinita pibil tacos from Adobo Grill

 If meat on a stick isn’t your thing, there are a few higher end restaurants that will be participating.  Vermillion will be offering a tandoori turkey leg, among other Indian and Latin influenced choices.  Newcomer Shokolad also has some interesting dishes on their menu. 

Click here for a full list of restaurants and menus.

In addition to great food, there will be great events taking place during The Taste.  If you’re a fan of celeb chefs, Mario Batali will be doing a demo and a book signing at the Dominick’s Cooking Corner on Friday June 25 at 1 pm.  Giada de Laurentis will be appearing on Thursday July 1 at 3 pm.  There will be tons of music and concerts at the Petrillo Music Shell and other smaller stages during The Taste as well.  I’m looking forward to re-living the 90s with Salt-n-Pepa and Bell Biv Devoe this Friday!  Other big names like Rob Thomas and Steve Miller Band will perform throughout the week.   

For maps and additional information, please visit the Taste of Chicago website.

I think my problem is that I am not really a fan of “Americanized” italian food. Food that is heavy on the sauces and the cheese – and especially of pasta that cost $15-18 and is straight out of a box (I don’t even care from where, I prefer my handmade pastas if I plan to pay 15x the price of boxed pasta).

However, our appetizer started out nice. We had sauteed calamari which was in a thick rich lemon-y sauce and very, very tender. I could have gobbled up the entire plate and all the oils would have been delicious if it was tossed in with fresh linguine.

James ordered the lasagna (which was huge, about 6″ x 6″) – I had a bite – it was good but not amazing. I feel my version of lasagna that I make at home is much, much better (I fold in a bechamel sauce in mine and use sauce made almost from scratch!).

Finally, my seafood linguine (fruitta de mare) was extremely disappointing. I rarely leave food behind and I barely touched my dish. All the seafood was overcooked!! And again, I HATE pasta that’s rehydrated when I am paying $20 for it! ACK!

On a final note, there are some really cool portraits of the neighborhood from back in the day but that’s about the only cool thing about this place. Service was horrible – there are only 12 tables or so downstairs and we felt like no attention was paid to us.

So, no, I wouldn’t recommend Rosal’s.

Yea, yea, food whores can do ‘high tea’ too you know!

I’ve only been to high tea twice in Chicago (many times in old British colonial Hong Kong), once at the Drake Hotel for a baby shower and my second time was with a bride-to-be (I’m MOH) and another bridesmaid who was visiting from Toronto.

OH MY – I never loved scones so much! I always thought scones where dry and tasteless but the Executive Pastry Chef, Jimmy Macmillan proved me wrong! Everything was delicious (and expensive!) but well worth the money for a special occasion.

Definitely call ahead for reservations ESPECIALLY for Mother’s Day!

For $35.00 per person plus gratuity, here is a look at what you get besides high quality loose leaf tea (they have a selection of about 16-20 different teas!)

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