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.

Thomas Keller Takes Us For a Drive, Gives Us Full History of In-N-Out. No Big Deal.

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published by The Feast on 11/14/2010

Thomas Keller and The French Laundry are now partnered with BMW, which is a win insofar as a related promotional event had The Feast riding shotgun with Keller last week. He riffed on whatever it is that the most famous chef in the United States cares to riff on, in this case the singular greatness of In-N-Out. Just seeing Keller talk and drive is a draw, so hit play. Read more here.

The Bristol's Fruitcake is Not Your Grandma's Recipe

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published by The Feast on 12/23/2010

"People are ready for Christmas, and more importantly—fruitcake!" says pastry chef Amanda Rockman of Chicago's The Bristol. One of the few desserts that people are willing to pass on, fruitcake has earned a bad rep over the years for its dry, tough texture and questionable neon green "fruit." But Rockman is willing to bet that her recipe she describes as "not your grandma's fruitcake" can convert the naysayers. "With fruitcake, everyone is like, 'Ew, it's going to be really dry and gross!' But when they try it, they realize it's actually really tasty. It's kind of like giving your children vegetables."

Rockman adopted the fruitcake recipe while working at The Peninsula under pastry chef Jimmy MacMillan (JM Pure Pastry). The fruitcake now serves as more of an embellishment to her ricotta brûlée than the centerpiece, served with cranberries poached in nutmeg syrup, sorghum syrup and the fruitcake croutons—though it's just as tasty on its own.

The biggest seller of the week, her dessert has not only been a big hit among guests, but The Bristol chef Chris Pandel as well. "Chris is always like, 'If you come into work and it's gone, I'm sorry.' Thanks, chef! You know, for a man who says he doesn't like sweet stuff, he sure eats a lot of it," she says.

Hit play to watch how she makes her fool proof recipe and try to make it for yourself. Or, just stop into The Bristol where the fruitcake is currently on the menu for $7.

The Secret to Sun Wah's Duck: Five Spice, Two Other Things For Which We Have No Translation

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published by The Feast on 04/08/2010

For virtually anyone about to embark on their first Sun Wah dining experience, the recommendation is always the same: Get the duck. Considering the obvious array of ducks lining its Broadway Avenue storefront and its unyielding cult popularity, it's somewhat strange that staple of Sun Wah's livelihood is still an off-menu item. Yet, few can say they've tasted anything except the Beijing duck dinner—most commonly sold as a four-course feast consisting of mini-duck sandwiches carved tableside, followed by a light, brothy soup, then a hearty serving of duck-fried rice, and finally a sorbet.General Manager Kelly Cheng says that anyone in the trade has a basic recipe for the duck that uses five spice, MSG, salt, sugar, and bean paste sauce. "I can honestly tell you what [the five spices] are, the problem is that I only know three of them in English! I know for sure we use star anise, orange peel, and turmeric."

Watch a step-by-step of the multi-day process behind the cult favorite, available at the restaurant to-go for $16 or as an in-house feast for $35. [The Feast]

Chocolate Chili to Kitty Litter, There's No Wrong Answer at Goose Island Beer Academy

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published by The Feast on 02/08/2010

Now that we're in full hibernation mode, we were happy to have caught Goose Island Clybourn's monthly Beer Academy class on Winter Warmers before the unforgettable Snowpocalypse of 2011 hit. Judging from the sold out crowds that packed in for the class, they were thankful as well. First timers were lead on what quickly became a hazy tour of 11 high-alcohol beers (the lowest at 7.5% abv.) courtesy of head brewer Jared Rouben.

While the Academy has long been a popular attraction for the Clybourn brewpub, the monthly classes continue to offer new selections and an open forum catering to both beer geeks from the Chicago Beer Societyand novices alike. Pamphlets first marked with cautious tasting notes eventually make way for illegible scribbles and smiley faces. So, if you're concerned about sharing your impressions, Rouben says he's heard it all, from Christmas trees to kitty litter (we even heard someone use "Chernobyl water" to describe a beer. Seriously). Besides, after trying 10 beers, who cares what anyone thinks? On the upside, everyone walks away a winner knowing what they will be comfortable drinking this winter.

The next class will be on stouts and porters and will be held February 23 at 6:30 P.M. for $20 per person. To make a reservation, call 312-915-0071. For those of you who missed the last class on Winter Warmers, Rouben shares some of his favorites:

Ommegang Dubbel - 8.5%, Belgian Dubbel, Cooperstown, NY. "This is one of my favorite beers. A great example of a Belgian Dubbel that balances malt and Belgian yeast."

Tyranena Sheep Shagger - 7.7%, Scotch Ale, Lake Mills, Wisconsin."I like the malt characteristic of it. At 7.7%, it's very drinkable and a great local introduction to Scottish ales."

Redhook Eisbock - 11%, Eisbock, Portsmith, New Hampshire. "It was a great beer for a style that's rarely brewed. For 11%, you would never know it, which is the sign of a great beer."

Bell's Expedition Stout - 10.5%, Imperial Stout, Kalamazoo, Michigan; and New Holland Night Trapper - 10.8%, Imperial Stout, Holland, Michigan. "Both great examples of beers you'd want to have when you're snowed in because they're full-bodied, full of roasted malt and chocolate malt."

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.