January 2011
11 posts
The BYOBandits
The BYOBandits are Sam and Owen, best friends that have been eating together at BYOB’s since college. Back then it was their low-paying internships and not their penchant for irreverent restaurant reviews that lured them in. Today the Bandits see themselves as an antidote to the slew of overblown, wannabe professional food critics currently engulfing the blogosphere.
Each week the Bandits...
I Think I Am Full, Therefore I Am
Dieters are often frustrated with the many food images bombarding them daily in the form of the newest triple-bacon quarter-pound. How’s this for backwards – by looking at food imagery we may be satisfying our appetites with the visual experience itself. The journal Science recently published a psychological study centered around this counterintuitive thesis: looking at images of food that cause...
Not In My Wine?
Conscientious wine drinkers may often find themselves swirling around the dregs of their wine glasses wondering what else could be lurking there. It is highly unlikely that grapes are the solitary ingredients of most any bottle of wine. As it currently stands, wine makers are not required by the FDA to list the contents of a bottle, aside from sulfites, which are frequently used as a...
Chicago Tribune's Dining Awards
The Chicago Tribune unveiled their first-ever dining awards this week. Winners were lively debated amongst staff members until a consensus was reached. The list is an interesting mix of favorites both old and new and perhaps some yet-to-be discovered.
Chef of the Year went to Anthony Martin of TRU, “who crafts plates so visually stunning that it seems crude to disturb their perfection for...
Pastry Competition
Chicago’s foodie reputation continues to rise as two local pastry chefs took the top two honors of the first ever Cacao Barry L’Art du Chocolatier Challenge. The event was held in Chicago last week and awarded top accolades to Abigail Dahan of NoMi while Blackbird’s Patrick Fahy, who the Tribune just named Best Pastry Chef in its first-ever dining awards, took second.Over a 100 high-profile...
Foodspotting
Innovative start-up Foodspotting recently raised $3 million in funding in a bold push to become what they hope will be the “Pandora of food.” The service is currently available via iPhone, iPad, and iTouch and allows users to quickly search a visually driven database created by fellow local foodies of favorite dishes at a wide array of local restaurants. Foodspotting says they are different...
Organic Vending Machines
Organic has proven to be an advantageous lifestyle to many Americans with over one-third of the population now purchasing organic items monthly, according to the Organic Trade Association. Now this movement extends itself into a venue where we least expected it – vending machines.
The overhaul of the much-reviled sugar-and-fat-filled machines is in compliance with Congress’ recent passage of...
Plastic Bags, Ciao!
In a prodigious move, on January 1st Italy became Europe’s first nation to ban the use of plastic bags. As one of Europe’s largest consumers of plastic bags, accounting for one-fifth of total usage with a staggering 20 billion bags per year (or approximately 400 bags per person), the ban should have a veritable impact on the world’s plastic bag usage. Consumers will now only be offered paper,...
The Doughnut Vault
Capitalizing on the cachet of Gilt Bar and the buzz-worthy opening of Maude’s Liquor Bar, restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff plans to open a new venture in late January - the Doughnut Vault. Sodikoff won’t reveal the exact location of the River North doughnut shop but did disclose that the tiny store would be located inside an actual vault that once housed valuables.
Look for artisan donuts in...
Consume Within Phone App
An indispensable new iPhone app just came out, one that promises to help absent-minded home cooks keep track of the freshness of everything from last night’s curry to milk and blueberries. “Consume Within” allows users to set a “consume by” deadline for each item; take photos of the item to help them identify it at a later date; specify whether the item is stored in the cupboard, fridge, or...
Chicago's Urban Agriculture Debate
Chicago’s city farms and gardens soften our urban landscape. They nurture and remind us of opportunities for civic and local growth. Most people agree they are good for the city but there is a new debate over Mayor Richard Daley’s new ordinance and protocols that would apply to urban farming in all its forms: commercial production plots, nonprofit farms, and community gardens. Two interesting...
