Shaws Chicago Crab House Has Monthly Sushi Classes

Saturday, March 6, 2010:  Shaw’s Sushi Chef Naoki Nakashima, an authority on Japanese cuisine and etiquette, will lead an interactive Japanese sushi demonstration in Shaw’s Oyster Bar on Saturday, March 6, 2010. Shaw’s Sushi School is a series of cooking class demonstrations where participants learn how to make sushi basics such as sushi rice, hand pressed nigiri, hand-rolled maki, sashimi, or miso soup. Topics vary (see schedule below) and everyone will go home with recipes and their individually made sushi item.

Today’s culinary arts class will be on Sashimi. This class will consist of a Sashimi knife discussion, Vegetable Decorations for Garnish, A Sashimi Tasting and Wasabi Tasting. Lunch will include a Tempura Express Lunch and a slice of Pecan Pie.

Check-in is from 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.; the cooking demonstration is from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.; and lunch is served at 12:45 p.m. The price is $45 per person, all-inclusive.

Saturday, March 6, 2010: Sashimi. This class will consist of a Sashimi knife discussion, Vegetable Decorations for Garnish, A Sashimi Tasting and Wasabi Tasting. Lunch will include a Tempura Express Lunch and a slice of Pecan Pie.

Saturday, April 3, 2010: Miso Soup, Sushi Etiquette. . This class will consist of a demonstration of how to make Miso Soup, and there will be a Miso Tasting and discussion about Sushi Etiquette at the Table. Lunch will include Maki, Miso Soup, and Crème Brulee for dessert.

Saturday, May 8, 2010: Hand Roll Demo. This class will consist of a Hand Roll Demo, and students will make a Hand Roll and also have a Japanese Spice Tasting. Lunch will include a Hand Roll, Grilled Tuna and Wide Rice Noodles, and Lemon Sorbet for dessert.

Many Chicago Restaurants Extend Restaurant Week into March

The Tribune is reporting that at least 45 of the 165 restaurants that participated in the Chicago “Restaurant Week” that is slated to finish on Sunday have opted to extend their Restaurant Week participation, and will continue to offer three-course lunches for $22 and/or three-course dinners for $32 and the number of restaurants extending their participation is expected to grow.

Some restaurants have already announced that they will extend their deals through March 4, while others will feature the deals through March 6 or 7. And a few will even offer their Restaurant Week menus through March 31.

One restauranteur said “We figured, why not? We’re such a small place that we turned down a lot of people this week,” Stu Mitchell, marketing director for Blue 13 (416 W. Ontario St., 312-787-1400). “This gives them an extra opportunity to come in.”

Now the extensions, which are up to each individual restaurant, are no longer under the aegis of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, which has been running Restaurant Week (and quite splendidly, may we add). So the RW site (eatitupchicago.com) won’t list which restaurants are extending their offers.  To get the latest list , you can go to opentable.com, which by Monday should have a list of participants that are extending their $22 and $32 menus, and for how long.

But here’s a list of the restaurants so far who have indicated that they will be participating.

Ai Japanese

Alhambra Palace

Aria

Atwater’s

Blue 13

BOKA

Capital Grille (lunch only)

Catch 35

Chicago Firehouse

C-House

Devon Seafood

Dinotto

Fornetto Mei

Frontera Grill

Harry Caray’s

Hub 51

Italian Village

Japonais

Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steaks & Stone Crab

Kinzie Chophouse

Landmark

Markethouse

Maxwell’s at the Club

Mercat a la Planxa

Merlo on Maple (also La Trattoria del Merlo and La Salumeria del Merlo)

Mon Ami Gabi

N9ne

Osteria Via Stato

Perennial

Petterino’s

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush

Rhapsody

Roy’s

Salpicon

Seasons and Seasons Lounge

South Water Kitchen

Tavern at the Park

Texas de Brazil

Topolobampo

Trattoria No. 10

Tuscany on Taylor

Viaggio

Weber Grill

Zealous

Source: Tribune

Michigan Coney Island Hot Dog Chain to Invade Chicago

Co-owner Lou Goldhaber  expects to have a “total built-in customer base” with people from the Detroit area who now live in Chicago as Leo’s Coney Island, his restaurant chain from Michigan, is bringing its Detroit-style hot dogs to Chicago, starting today.   The Chicago Leo’s Coney Island franchise is scheduled to open Monday at 3455 N.Southport Ave. 

Check out Chicago Carnivale on Carnivale – Feb 15-16

Chicago’s Carnivale restaurant goes all out on its namesake Latin holiday with a two-day extravaganza Monday, February 15 and Tuesday February 16 featuring $5 Mojitos on Monday, festive specials by Executive Chef Mark Mendez, and a grand blowout on Fat Tuesday, February 16.

Tuesday’s Carnivale celebration will feature Live Music by Carpacio y su Combo Sexy; Samba Dancing with Dancers from Shirley Vieira of Brasil via Chicago; Bacardi Girls; Complimentary Masks and Beads, and a Carnivale-Inspired menu created by Chef Mendez. Menu highlights include Bacalao (Salt cod fritters, habanero aioli), Feijoada (Roasted pork shoulder, chorizo, black beans, collard greens, yuca, orange), Fried banana (Whole fried banana, cinnamon ice cream, coconut macaroon) and Moqueca (Sea bass, shrimp, clams, and calamari, tomato coconut broth, cashews).

Chef Mendez shares two of his favorite Carnivale recipes that you can make at home. You can also enjoy these dishes at Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, Chicago; 312.850-5005. For reservations or more information, visit carnivalechicago.com.

CARNIVALE at CARNIVALE
702 West Fulton Market
Chicago
312-850-5005
carnivalechicago.com

About Carnivale
Featuring “Latino flavors with the spice of life,” Carnivale is a reflection of Latin culture and community, with dishes created by executive chef Mark Mendez (formerly of Patria in New York and Gioco in Chicago). Mendez’s soulful, authentic Latino cuisine allows guests to explore the savory dishes of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador and Mexico, as often prepared in simple kitchens all over Latin America by abuelitas (grandmothers). Carnivale, named for the pre-Lenten party celebrated in various parts of the world, is authentic with its cuisine and grand in décor. The kaleidoscope of bright colors, salsa music, and playful decor ignite the sense of being in a Latin house party. Carnivale can lend its splendor to any event grand or intimate with a variety of seven spaces including the Salsa Room that accommodates up to 200 guests.

Chicago Restaurant Week – Feb 19 to Feb 28

More than 150 of Chicago’s best restaurants are getting ready for the third annual Chicago Restaurant Week from Feb. 19 to 28.  Three-course lunches are just $22 and three-course dinners cost only $32. The 3rd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week features over 160 participating establishments sprinkled throughout the great City of Chicago.  Try some exotic spice, nibble some samplings from the sea, or delight in 5-star sophistication. Whatever your taste, you’ll find it during Chicago Restaurant Week.The restaurants are offering 100 gift certificates worth $100 each online as well as sharing recipes. A quarter of a million hungry people took part last year. Check out the Chicago Restaurant Week site listing

The secret is out: As Saveur Magazine reports, “Chicago (the Windy City) is America’s new culinary star.” And with good reason. Chicago’s ever-evolving culinary scene reaches tantalizing new heights every day!

In fact, Chicago is such a food lovers’ paradise that diners face just one dilemma: How to choose from so many delicious options?

One way to narrow your dining choices is by type of food. Eager for an ethnic meal? Along with the many restaurants serving outstanding Italian, Latin, and Asian foods, countless others offer excellent French, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean, Polish, German, or Ethiopian menus. Want seafood or soul food or barbecue? Find it downtown or in the city’s 77 neighborhoods.

Chicago Restaurant Wins 2010 James Beard “America’s Classics” Award

In ceremonies today, the James Beard Foundation announced the five honorees for the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards America’s Classics category and one of the winners was a Chicago restaurant!

The Winner is Calumet Fisheries (3259 E 95th Street, Chicago) — this Chicago restaurant treasure is owned by the Kotlick and Toll Families.  Set on the edge of the Calumet River on the 95th Street Bridge on Chicago’s South Side, Calumet Fisheries has been a foodie and fisherman favorite since brothers-in-law Sid Kotlick and Len Toll first opened its doors in 1948. Strictly carryout (there are no seats, no bathroom, no credit cards and no parking), the stand-alone shack serves freshly fried seafood, from oysters, shrimp, scallops, crab and catfish to perch, smelts and frog legs. But Calumet Fisheries may be best known for their oak-smoked seafood – salmon steaks, trout, chubs, shrimp, etc. – slowly cured in a tiny smokehouse behind the shop. Still owned and operated by the Kotlick and Toll families, Calumet Fisheries remains the best reason to cross the 95th Street Bridge.

The America’s Classics award is given to restaurants with timeless appeal, beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community – from small, regional restaurants, watering holes and shacks, to lunch counters and down-home eateries that have carved out a special place on the American culinary landscape.

“The America’s Classics category is a wonderful representation of America and its heartland that embodies the spirit of James Beard, who loved a paper cone full of fried clams just as much as a fine French dinner,” says Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation.

“This is one of the Foundation’s favorite award categories each year. We all have fond memories of local hangouts, neighborhood diners and family restaurants, places that always welcome their customers with open arms and, of course, delicious food. This award truly celebrates the great variety and authentic flavors of America’s food scene. ”

This year’s five America’s Classics honorees will be celebrated at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries, in an awards ceremony taking place on Monday, May 3, 2010 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

The 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards America’s Classics award winners are:

New iPhone App Gives You Chicago Restaurant Menus

The next time you’re driving around Chicago and trying to figure out which new Chicago restaurant to try, why not see the menu first to help you decide? Well now you can pull out your iPhone or iPod touch and take a look at Chicago menus via a new app from MenuPages.   MenuPages for the iPhone is an app that connects you to the MenuPages web site’s main database of menus. You can search for Chicago restaurants by type, location, or just call up the whole list of nearby eateries and skim it that way.

When you see a Chicago restaurant you want to try, tap it to bring up information on its hours of operation, address, phone number, web site, and whether it has any special features like outdoor dining. Each listing also features an interactive map and customer reviews (if there are any). Of course, it also displays a full menu and prices, provided by the restaurant.  One drawback to the app, and the web site itself, is that it only covers a few cities right now—San Francisco, Boston, LA, Philly, Chicago, New York City, and Washington, DC. There’s also a section for South Florida that serves up listings on Florida’s east coast and the Keys.

The app is free and worth picking up if you live in Chicago.  Even if you don’t, MenuPages is a handy thing to have on your iPhone because many chain restaurants are included in the listings and you might find some local to where you are.

Are Chick-fil-A Restaurants Coming to Chicago?

It looks like Chick-fil-A is coming to Chicago, and setting up shop in the backyard of the largest fast-food giant McDonalds.  The chain, famous for chicken sandwiches, waffle fries and Biblical principles, plans to open a restaurant in Aurora sometime this summer. And the City of Wheaton might also become home to a popular fast food restaurant called Chick-fil-A.To date, there have been no Chick-fil-A restaurants operating in the Chicagoland area.

On Feb. 1, the Wheaton City Council approved an ordinance to issue a special use permit for a planned unit development of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at 301 E. Loop Road. Wheaton Councilman Phil Suess welcomed the potential Chick-fil-A to town. “Chick-fil-A is in the process of coming into the Chicago area. This is one of the first of three stores that are being opened this year and I just want to thank them for making an investment in the community,” Suess said at the Feb. 1 meeting.

Mayor Michael Gresk agreed. “In a down economy we’re happy they’re here,” the mayor said.Brenda Green, spokesperson for Chick-fil-A, said the Wheaton deal is premature, but if a deal does materialize, a new restaurant in Wheaton would create anywhere from 55 to 65 jobs.

Purple Pig – A Hot New Chicago Restaurant

One of the hottest new Chicago restaurants is the the brash new Purple Pig, housed in a bland office building at 500 N. Michigan Avenue just north of downtown Chicago.  Located on The Magnificent Mag Mile, The Purple Pig is a collaboration of Chefs Scott Harris of Mia Francesca, Jimmy Bannos Jr. and Jimmy Bannos Sr. of Heaven on Seven. Featuring housemade charcuterie, cheeses and classic Mediterranean fare plus an extensive yet accessible wine list.  Run mostly by Jimmy Bannos Sr. and his son Jimmy, the father and son have teamed-up to cook the kind of food they like to eat.

The Chicago menu is a combination of Mediterranean comfort, along with bold, nose-to-tail offerings. Sharable plates are the focus, with pork getting major menu play. Porcine highlights include pig liver pate, testa, lardo, pig lingua (tongue) and a sharable dish of sheep’s milk ricotta with pork neckbone gravy. Antipasti, house-cured salumi and an extensive cheese program round out the sharable offerings. There are some larger dinner entrees too, including pork fat-confited halibut with roasted beets and blood oranges and skirt steak with seared sunchokes and bone marrow vinaigrette, while the lunch menu offers lighter fare such as panini.

A “shmears” section of the menu has both a whipped feta cheese with cucumbers, assisted by Fox & Obel’s thick, griddled peasant bread but also Bannos’ Italian grandmother’s recipe for pork neck gravy topped with a giant dollop of ricotta cheese.

A broad assortment of cured meats can be sliced for your table. Bannos Jr. is making at least three of them in-house. Then there’s the offal – A pig’s ear salad, for instance. In this case, thin shards of ear are fried, tossed with cherry peppers and capped off with a fried egg; just mix it all up for a crunchy, porky salad like no other. There’s also liver pate – smooth and creamy – plus braised pig tails with balsamic vinegar.

Expect a casual, social atmosphere spurred on by a couple of 12-seat communal tables and check out the entire wall that is dedicated to a wine display and huge wine barrels hang on the wall.

Purple Pig

Yelp Review - (36 reviews for The Purple Pig)

500 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60611  –  312-464-1744

Nearest Transit:

Grand (Red)

Hours:

Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Sun. 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Parking:

Street

Accepts Credit Cards:

Yes

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Chicago Restaurant Gives Free Lunch on Groundhog Day

The Chicago website “Free Things to Do in Chicago” is reporting that some hungry Chicago customers got a free lunch during a Groundhog Day promotion on Tuesday, Feb 2 at South Water Kitchen, a restaurant in the downtown Chicago Loop. According to manager David Friday, the Kitchen hosted its fifth annual Groundhog Day promotion Tuesday, which offers Read more

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