OK, CFW fans!  It’s time again for our favorite week of the year – Chicago Restaurant Week!  YAY!
We’ve worked super hard to link all the menus here for you.  We’ve also looked at every single menu and provided you with our 2 cents, as well as highlighted our favorites.   Michelin starred restaurants are marked with the appropriate number of stars like so (*).  Bib Gourmands are marked with (BG).  For those of you outside the city, there are TONS of suburban restos participating, and have been labelled for you.
Some restaurants are …

Hello, fellow oenophiles!
It’s time for Pinot Days Chicago!  The Food Whores have been attending this event for the last 2 years and it’s become one of our FAVORITE events of the year.  Taste some truly amazing wines and food products while EDUCATING yourself about the lovely Pinot Noir grape. 
While the event space at Navy Pier is no-frills, trust us, these are some QUALITY wines!  I just love being able to taste Pinot Noirs from so many regions – you can really taste the difference in terroir.  Plus, you get some great face time with the …

Burgers are the classic all-American food.  There are millions of incarnations, from the mass-produced fast food burger to the gourmet burger with high end ingredients.  The options are endless.  While fancy burgers with unique ingredients are still going strong, old-fashioned burgers have been enjoying a renewed popularity.
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the opening of the newest Smashburger in Darien.  Not only did I get to try their burgers, I also got the chance to speak with Tom Ryan, the founder of Smashburger.  I also got to go into the kitchen …

Yelp Eats!, one of our favorite restaurant events of the year, is starting today and runs through July 17.  This year’s format is a bit of a change – let’s see how it goes.  Instead of a 3-course prix fixe for a set price, this year each restaurant is offering a selection of 1/2 off appetizers, entrees and desserts/drinks, which you can use to build your own menu.  Feel free to mix and match with the regular menu items, however you must choose 2 items from the special yelp menu …

Brace yourselves, Chicagoans.  It’s summer, which means it’s time for a a flood of tourists and suburbanites to descend onto our fair city.
One of the most popular events of the season is The Taste of Chicago, which starts today and runs through July 3.  This free event features restaurants from all over Chicago, and helps to showcase the great diversity of cultures that can be found in the city. 
I always find something new and delicious at The Taste, and with 59 participating restaurants, there is something for everyone!  Besides the …

Time to get out your stretchy pants, burger lovers.  Rockit’s 6th annual Burgerfest begins next week! 
Once again Executive Chef James Gottwald and Chef de Cuisine Amanda Downing have put their creative spin on the classic burger.  Sure, you can head to Rockit any ol’ time for their award-winning Rockit Burger, but these special Burgerfest creations are not to be missed!
Some unique choices include the Big Bird Burger, which is an ostrich patty with a fried egg, pancetta chip and tomato onion jam. 
The Big Cheese Burger does NOT mess around, with a …

Try an old Chicago Food Whore favorite!

South Loop Italian restaurant, Gioco, reopened for dinner yesterday, April 27.  Gioco closed a few months ago, with the promise to eventually reopen.  Sounds like Gioco has gotten a facelift -extensive refurbishing, a new antipasto bar, new furnishings and a new menu created by Executive Chef Danny Sweis.
 
Chef Sweis’ new menu offers rustic Italian dishes prepared with the finest available seasonal products, along with house-made pastas and wood-fired thin crust pizzas.  Featured new dishes include the House-Made Gnocchi with Fresh Wild Mushrooms, the Grilled …

You know how it is.  You had to work late…again.  After winding your way through the CTA to get home, cooking is the last thing you feel like doing.  So you open the fridge: beer, mayo, and a hunk of cheese way past its prime.  A quick rifle through the takeout menus, and 30 minutes later, you’re watching The Simpsons reruns while mindlessly scarfing pad thai.  Not exactly a healthy lifestyle.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who would cook healthy, delicious meals and then bring them to your house for you? 
Sazon …

It’s Chicago Food Whores’ favorite week of the year – Restaurant Week! 
We’re so excited to see more than two dozen NEW restaurants participating this year.  More than 200 restaurants throughout the Chicago area will offer three-course, prix fixe lunches for $22 and dinners for $33 and $44, excluding beverages, tax and gratuity.
A new addition to this year’s Chicago Restaurant Week is the Champagne First promotion.  Why not add a special sense of occasion and treat yourself to some champagne with dinner?  Participating restaurants include Geja’s Café, Keefer’s, NAHA , One …

Rockit Bar and Grill’s 3rd Annual Chilifest begins January 17th – 21st at Rockit River North, and January 20th-22nd at Rockit Wrigley.  Check out what Chef Gottwald has in store for us!
I wish I was brave enough to try the Ghost Chili, but I tend to stay away from any foods with the word “insanity” in the description.  The Three Wild Hogs and Chicken Enchilada both sound tasty (and safer!).
All chili is $10 a portion (served in a pasta bowl, 12oz). A portion of the proceeds will go towards the …

Love is in the air, Chicago! 
Time to start booking your romantic table for two for Valentine’s Day.  Our favorite area restaurants have some great Valentine’s Day menus and specials that will put you and your honey in the mood for romance! 
KEEP CHECKING BACK – We’ll be updating this post often!
If your favorite romantic spot isn’t  listed here, let us know and we’ll do our best to get their Valentine’s Day menu for you.
01.19.2011 – Takashi & mk Restaurant menus just added!
01.20.2011 – Nia menu added!
01.25.2011 – Sunda & Rockit added!
01.27.2011 …

Well Chicagoans, the word is out.  While we have long known that our city is home to some of the best chefs and restaurants in the world, Chicago has officially been recognized for the first time by The Michelin Guide.  Chicago has always had a reputation in the US as a foodie destination – who doesn’t automatically equate Chicago with deep dish pizza or hot dogs with neon green relish?  However, Chicago has been a bit under the radar as an international dining destination.   
This inagural edition of The Michelin Guide …