The blogosphere is abuzz with the news that restaurants (and other businesses) will now be able to respond to reviews on the popular user-generated review site Yelp. Obviously, the buzz is that restaurants are looking to minimize fallout from bad reviews. We have mixed feelings on this. While it would give restaurants a chance to respond to slander – some bad reviews are justified. While we enjoy Yelp, and feel it provides a good general feel for many restaurants in the area, the site has had its share of problems over the years, including allegations that they delete and weight reviews for pay. It’ll be interesting to see how this latest move plays out. We shall see.
Quick Bite: Epic Burger
Epic Burger
517 S State St.
Chicago, IL
Right away we was impressed by Epic Burger’s space – HUGE ceilings and bright orange and brown pop art walls. At 5 PM on a Wednesday, EB was already hopping, with Chicagoans of all ages scarfing down EB’s stock in trade – all natural burgers. Epic Burger’s tagline is a “more mindful burger” a reflection of it’s locally sourced foods. A burger with all the fixings runs you $5.99 (Junior 4.99 and a double 7.99). For an extra dollar you can get cheese on your burger – a choice between aged cheddar, havarti and blue. We both opted for the combo meal which was a burger, fries and fountain drink for $10. The burgers were good – the meat was high quality, making for a lean yet juicy burger, and each burger was grilled to order. The toothsome multi-grain wheat bun also held up well. Unfortunately, the sea salt fries were a bit soggy and seemed like they had been under a lamp for a while. We had a good quick meal at EB, but I’m not entirely sure the price tag is worth it. Next time I think we’ll just skip the fries.
Filed under Reviews
Recipe Friday: Bittman’s Red Wine Sauce
This excellent and simple recipe for red wine sauce comes from Mark Bittman, and we have to say, it has to just about be the ugliest looking recipe we ever made (Sorry, there’s no picture!). But it was delicious. We modified the recipe by putting it over pici pasta and upping the garlic level.
Filed under Recipes
Tea Tuesday: Keisarin Morsian (Emperor’s Bride)
We got a lovely sample of tea from M’s family when they were passing through Savannah, Georgia. It’s called Emperor’s Bride, and its fragrant, fruity aroma was perfect for us sweet tooths [teeth?]. Little did we know that this tea is actually a popular Finnish variety known as Keisarin Morsian (Literally, ‘Emperor’s Bride’ in Finnish). Though it is popular there, it is almost unknown elsewhere. In fact, we had trouble finding any information on it at all. What we do know is that Keisarin Morsian is a black tea blend with tea leaves from Ceylon and Assam, and it is flavored with pineapple chunks and orange peel. We tried Keisarin Morsian both iced and hot, and it’s perfect with just a spoonful of sugar (guess we are not tea purists). You can buy some from The Savannah Tea Room online, or at their store (7 East Broughton Street, Savannah, GA).
Filed under Tea
Ukraine: Shokolad
Shokolad
2524 W Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL
On the border of Ukrainian Village on Chicago Ave., Shokolad is an oasis of baked goods and borscht. When we entered the bright, airy space on a Saturday afternoon, a group of regulars were chatting in Ukrainian and a few others sipped coffee with newspapers at the coffee bar. The menu boasts a variety of Ukrainian favorites like Ukrainian dumplings – varenyky – filled with cheese and potatoes ($8) and a classic borscht ($3.25 for a bowl). Those feeling more brunchy can opt for the cheese and blueberry crepes ($6.50).
However, we were hungry for an afternoon snack, and the dessert case at Shokolad looked amazing. The prices didn’t hurt either. Featured was a delicate Opera cake ($4.25), alongside chocolate-covered cheesecake lollipops ($1.25), which were the perfect portion for snacking on the go.
Cookies rounded out the dessert selections, and at only $0.50 a piece we felt we could sample a few varieties, including Raspberry and Apricot spritz and Raspberry crumble (see above). The best cookie was the chewy gingersnap sandwich with cream, speckled with rock sugar crystals. Shokolad’s melange of cozy American cafe and Ukrainian hangout really work well, and anyone in the area should drop by for brunch – or an afternoon snack.
Filed under Reviews
Friday Foodie Link: Noodle Oracle
In honor of the end of a long week, here’s a fun link to enjoy: the Noodle Oracle. This simple, clever site suggests a random permutation of noodles for you to make (or simply ponder). I was just suggested Rice vermicelli in coconut-curry broth with chili oil; topped with a sliced hard-boiled egg, bamboo shoots and toasted sesame. Sounds pretty good.
Filed under Links
A New Place for… Bánh mì
Bon Bon
2333 W North Ave
Chicago, IL
Bon Bon, a new Chicago Vietnamese restaurant has been making the rounds in the blogosphere as a new place for Bánh mì. Bánh mì are Vietnamese hoagie sandwiches, with a variety of meat choices (typically pork, or pate) served on a French baguette with a spicy slaw. While there are bunch of places offer Bahn Mi, Bon Bon is also unique in that it offers these little Vietnamese treats outside of the Argyle corridor. According to the Menu at Menupages all of the sandwiches come in at a mere $3.95. We can’t wait to check it out!
Anyone been there?
Coverage:
[Time Out Chicago Interview with the owner]
[Bon Bon @ Yelp]
[Chicago Foodwhores review]
Filed under A New Place
New Springtime Features.
There’s some new stuff happening at Eating The World. Spring is in the air! Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Twitter Feed: Check out the sidebar.
Tea Tuesdays: We love tea (along with many others), so we figured we’d talk about some of our global tea finds: Tea varieties, teaware, tea shops, etc.
A New Place: We created this feature because we currently have over 50 restaurants from 20 countries on our “to visit” list. It’s going to be a while before we get to them all, so we figured we’d feature new places for international eats as we put them on our list.
Filed under Reviews
El Salvador: Pupuseria y Restaurante Cuscatleco
Pupuseria y Restaurante Cuscatleco
Formerly 7109 N. Clark, now 3125 W Lawrence Ave.
Chicago, IL
I think we found our new favorite lunch fix. The pupusa. Pupusas are traditional stuffed cornmeal (masa) patties from El Salvador, and are the stock in trade at the Pupuseria y Restaurante Cuscatleco on North Clark. The menu itself is divided between Salvadoran and Mexican dishes. On the Mexican side there are favorites like burritos, tortas and tostadas ($2.50 – 6). The Salvadoran side boasts more unusual dishes like Tamal de Gallina (Hen Tamales, $2) and Yuca con Chicharrón ($7.25).
The king of the Salvadoran dishes however, is the pupusa, and Cuscatleco has several varieties including Chicharrón (pork rind), queso fresco cheese and beans. One of the more unusual choices is the loroco, which is an aromatic green flower, used often in Salvadoran cuisine. At 2 dollars a piece you can try a few – we went with the cheese and loroco. However, don’t think these are tiny little tortillas, three pupusas more than filled two hungry eaters.
Upon ordering, the cooks prepare your pupusas to order and grill them right there on the plancha. The space itself is pretty spartan, with some booths and high tables. The kitchen is right out front, so we could see (and smell) our pupusas in production. As we waited for our order, we took in the daytime delights of “Escándalo TV” (Showbiz TV), which was blaring from a TV in the corner.
In mere minutes our order was ready. The pupusas came with 2 thin salsas – a mild red and a spicy green and a bowl of traditional vinegary slaw, called curtido, which is typically eaten on top of the pupusa. The pupusas themselves were chewy and golden brown and brimming with queso fresco and the bright green herby loroco. We devored our lunch and were completely satiated. We just might become regulars here. I can’t think of a better lunch than watching some bad Daytime TV with a friend and some tasty, tasty masa.
Filed under Reviews
Tea Tuesday: My New Kyusu
The new eater kitchen has been stocking up with some nifty international implements lately. Following on the heels of our Molcajete from Mexico is our new Kyusu from Japan. You have probably seen a Kyusu before – it’s just the Japanese word for “teapot”. More specifically though, Kyusu usually refers to a style of clay/ceramic teapot with a single handle.
They are considered especially well-suited to brewing green tea, or Japanese sencha. Sencha is supposed to be brewed in small batches, and is well suited to these little pots. My new white ceramic Kyusu is Muji Brand [this link is in Japanese – it’s a miracle I found it…], courtesy of my cousin Lauren. Tea Nerd has a ton of information about the Kyusu, including places to purchase them.
Filed under Finer Things Club, Tea
Zeppole for St. Joseph’s Day
Happy St. Joseph’s Day! Why not celebrate with a delicious Zeppole? I got this one from Bennison’s Bakery (1000 Davis in Evanston).
Happy Pi Day
If you’re in the mood to celebrate with some actual pie, check out Serious Eats’ list of the best pies in America. Though I’m a tad disappointed they don’t have many Midwest listings, only including Hoosier Mama from Chicago. The Sun Times made a compilation a few years back including gems from all across Chicagoland.
Georgia: Bread N Bowl
I was driving west along Dempster today, a neck of the woods I rarely visit. En route, I finally passed by Bread N Bowl, a Georgian restaurant with an authentic brick oven toné stove. I’ve been interested in visiting since I saw a video from the Reader’s Mike Sula of the breadmaking process. Now that I know where it is there’s no excuse not to go.
Filed under Links
Hamantaschen recipes for Purim
[Hamantaschen by Ulterior Epicure]
Happy Purim! Purim is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the thwarting of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews in ancient Persia. Purim begins at sunset today the 9th, and ends at sundown tomorrow. It’s a happy, carnivalesque holiday with lots of noisemaking and tasty treats. The most recognizable food eaten on Purim is the distinctive Hamantaschen (seen above), which is a triangle-shaped pastry filled with jam. Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate shares her Hamantaschen recipe on Epicurious.
Filed under Holidays, World Eats
Friday Foodie Link: Great Depression Cooking
[Via Craft] 93 year old Clara Cannucciari lived through the Great Depression, and now, courtesy of her grandson, also has a cooking show on YouTube. Great Depression Cooking with Clara is a fun and charming show, that is unfortunately especially relevant today. Clara was a 1st generation American, whose parents immigrated to Chicago from Sicily. She reminds me a lot of my (L) own grandma, who pretty much shares the same story!
Filed under Links
A Quick Bite At: Alliance Bakery
Alliance Bakery
1736 Division St.
Chicago, IL
Tucked away in a vintage shop in a rapidly gentrifying stretch of Division, Alliance Bakery has been churning out classic cakes, cookies and pastries for over 80 years. The windows are lined with fantastically detailed (and sometimes absurd) custom cakes in the shape of hats, purses and multi-tiered wedding confections. For a smaller bite, the giant cookies are fantastic as are the perfectly-iced cupcakes. Along with a selection of European pastries, Intelligentsia coffee is brewed, and wide selection of bread is ready to take home. On a nice day, outdoor patio seating is prime. Alliance has recently expanded into the storefont next door, making a whole room dedicated to air-conditioned and wi-fi. If you want to people watch, you can nosh in the picture window on pink upholstered chairs, under the watch of the distinctive neon sign.
Alliance Bakery sign by Sam Howzit
Filed under Reviews
Follow ETW on Twitter!
That’s right. We’re on Twitter now. You can follow us at “EatingTheWorld.” We’ll be updating all of our most succinct foodie thoughts!
Filed under Note
FTC: Mint Mischief Potato Chips
The potato chip is definitely transnational. Since its invention in Saratoga Springs, NY in the 1850s, the humble potato chip has gained popularity across the world. Needless to say, as it has gone global, it’s picked up some pretty interesting taste combinations. The latest interesting twist on the plain old potato chip comes from India, and the multinational company, Lay’s.
These potato chips from India are called Mint Mischief and feature mint, lime and jalapeño flavors. They were brought back by a colleague of mine who recently went to India for a wedding. I was expecting the chips to be fairly spicy, but there is only a hint of heat. These chips were conundrum to my American palate, since Mint is usually associated with sweet and not savory (except mint jelly with lamb, I guess). If the mint had been substituted for cilantro, a more familiar Latin flavor probably would have registered. But in the end, I really enjoyed the mint mischief chips and their unique flavor combination. I don’t know where to get them in Chicago, so if you have a friend who is going to the subcontinent, ask them to stock up!
[Flickr Photo from Dw33by]Filed under Finer Things Club
Friday Foodie Link: Eco-Pasta?
Apparently, according to the New York Times testers (and Lidia Bastianich), you can get just as good of results by using less water than recommenced to boil pasta. I think I do this already – 4 quarts seems like so much!
Filed under Links
Fat Tuesday Around the World!
It’s not called Fat Tuesday for no reason. Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent begins, is a traditional day of feasting. Naturally, in the US the focus is on Creole and Cajun Mardi Gras foods due to the big way that New Orleans celebrates the holiday. For an awesome intro, Epicurious has a new guide on Cajun and Creole food, because as we learned, there is a difference. If you’re feeling especially festive (or hungry) Chow has a recipe for King Cake (Galette des Rois – seen below) and Gumbo Pages has a history and recipe of the ubiquitous Muffaletta.
However, in addition to the Nawlins Mardi Gras we know and love, there are some other pretty great food traditions, such as Paczki Day in Chicago. Paczkis (pronounced poonch-key) are filled doughnuts and are traditionally consumed in areas with high Polish populations. On the other side of the pond, the tradition in England is to have Shrove Tuesday Pancakes (is it a coincidence that IHOP has free pancakes today?). In Sweden, the day is called Fettisdagen, and a traditional pastry of semolina wheat called Semla is consumed. Basically every country or community that celebrates Easter has their own Mardi Gras food traditions, and they all sound pretty delicious to us!
Filed under Holidays, World Eats
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