Behind the Scenes at Goose Island with Graham Elliot

published by The Feast on 07/13/2010

Though the actual brewing started yesterday, the collaboration between Goose Island Clybourn Head Brewer Jared Rouben and Chef Graham Elliot Bowles began weeks ago. In contrast to Rouben's other projects with chefs Rick Bayless (Frontera) and Paul Kahan (Publican), which kick off with a series of meetings to develop flavor profiles, this time, he went on a tasting mission. He was sent to sample the entire menu at Graham Elliot. Twice. Read the article here.

What's The Future of Food in Chicago

published by The Feast on 04/11/2011

Time Out just announced the winners of their fifth annual Eat Out Awards, which honors critic and reader picks for the best in dining. With the recent buzz surrounding Grant Achatz's new restaurant Next and Stephanie Izard's win as a Food & Wine Best New Chef, we decided to check in with Eat Out editor David Tamarkin to discuss his thoughts on the players shaping the dining conversation in Chicago and its future. Read the interview here.

24 Hours of Mexico — in Chicago

published by Saveur on 03/15/2011

As a gastronomic destination, Chicago is known variously as the land of deep-dish pizza, topping-laden hot dogs, and serious molecular gastronomy. But dive deeper into the city and you'll find a vibrant, multifaceted culinary culture in the form of countless late-night taquerias, fragrant elote carts, and roaming tamale trucks. Boasting one of the largest Mexican communities in the United States (second only to Los Angeles), Chicago offers authentic, soul-satisfying Mexican fare without the pricey international airfare. Should you find yourself in town, skip the hot dog carts in favor of tastes of Oaxaca, Jalisco, Sonora, Veracruz — as well as local interpretations of classics that are uniquely Chicagoan. Here, our itinerary for a straight 24-hour shot of Mexican food, noon to noon. Read the article here.

Homaro Cantu Thinks Inhalable Miracle Berry Can Save the World, Will Launch Related Cookbook

published by The Feast on 09/08/2011

Between his total flavor tripping menu at restaurant iNG and the Michael Bolton-flashing kitchen robot at Moto, we thought we had heard it all from chef-slash-inventor Homaro Cantu. But according to Cantu, he's only getting started. This October, Cantu will have an extended Miracle Berry exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry—a primer for his Miracle Berry diet cookbook that will hit shelves later this spring. Here, he explains why he thinks this magic fruit is more than just a fun flavoring tripping experience—it may just be the key to fighting obesity, famine and the pain of cancer. Read the interview here.

Giuseppe Tentori Tours GT Fish & Oyster, Opening This Week

published by The Feast on 03/29/2011

After months of hunger and anticipation, this Thursday Boka Group will finally open their long-awaited fifth restaurant GT Fish & Oyster. Last night we dropped in to get a first look at what to expect from GT himself—executive chef and partner Giuseppe Tentori. Though we wouldn't have expected anything less than sleek custom fixtures and a mouthwatering menu of oysters and lobster rolls—Tentori has added a few unexpected touches like housemade hot sauces, lobster pot pie, and even some non-fish selections. Hit play for a tour from the pro, and then download the menu to see what you'll be ordering later this week. Read more here.

Chicago Chefs Dish On The After-Hours Life

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published by The Feast on 11/03/2010

Like most evenings in the hospitality industry, food and wine flowed freely at last night's Friends of the James Beard Foundation fundraiser at Girl & The Goat. Even as chefs emerged with sweaty, exhausted smiles to greet guests and explain dishes, it was easy to forget that the headlining names at our favorite restaurants are often hard at work instead of partaking in the leisure of the masses. As we've learned from our Class Photo series, off-hours for those on the line are few and far between. There is however, that small window of post-shift downtime, no matter how busy you are. The late-night subculture of chefs has resulted in "industry nights", and the raison d'etre of James Toland's upcoming restaurant. Here, chefs Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Giuseppe Tentori (Boka), Bill Kim (Urban Belly), and David Posey (Blackbird) talk about their vices after-hours. Read more here.

Rick Bayless Talks Street Food, Xoco Food Truck

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published by The Feast on 09/27/2010
Among the steaks and champagne, gussied up street food and gastropubs made their debut at this year's Chicago Gourmet festival. In the past year alone, we've watched places like Xoco, Belly Shack, and Wave take Chicago by storm, leading to the never-ending legal battle over food trucks and pop-up restaurants. So we weren't shocked that Rick Bayless's guacamole bar was one of the biggest draws of the festival, drawing lines upwards of 80 people or more. The Feast caught up with Bayless as he signed copies of his latest book, "Fiesta at Rick's", to ask him about the future of street food and any plans to take Xoco to the streets. Read more here.