You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April 2009.
Everything is in bloom on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. I just love the colours in this picture!
Dev xx
Who is responsible for the Chicago Cubs neon lights on the back of Wrigley Field? Can we please get these fixed?! It is baseball season and I thought we were the Chicago Cubs…not the Cigago Cbs.
Dev xx
Called in at Alliance Bakery located at 1736 West Division in Wicker Park after my disappointing trip to Crust looking for something in Wicker Park that had flavour! Thank goodness for Alliance! It was open late and caught my eye with one of the most stunning displays of fake cake porn I have ever seen: an array of artsy decorated Styrofoam slathered in fondant.
Alliance had a ton of sweets to choose from, but it was the cupcakes that caught my eye, especially the two you see above: double chocolate and carrot cake. When I made my first selection, the shop girl thought I had said that I wanted a double chocolate cookie. She slipped the cookie in a paper bag and was all ready to check me out until I corrected her and said that I had wanted a cupcake. Because it was late and because she had made the mistake, she ended up giving me the cookie for free.
Honestly, I could have done without the cookie. Since I am in a good mood, I am going to chalk up the brownie’s faults to being old – after all it was late and that cookie had probably been sitting out since mid-morning.
Have you ever had a brownie that was overcooked, dry and way to crispy? Well if you have then you would know exactly how Alliance’s double chocolate cookie tasted. The edges were dry and the chocolate flavour was overpowered by the bitter taste of burnt batter. The middle of the cookie was lightly moist and really tasty, but for $2.75/cookie, it should not take two-three bites in order to get to the good part. Hell, I make chocolate chip cookies that could rival that cookie any day…and they would cost less.
The cupcakes, however, were pretty spectacular.
Baked into cylinders, the cakes were moist and tender with just a coarse enough crumb to have a texture that crumbled under the pressure of your teeth. The carrot cake cupcake was spotted with carrot pieces but no nuts and the frosting was a thick cream cheese concoction that gave a nice balance to the otherwise light cake.
The chocolate cupcake must have been created as a throwback to the Tootsie Roll – the frosting tasted just like the retro candy! Unfortunately, the cake, in Wicker Park-fashion was bland.
I have to be fair, though, Alliance’s cupcakes and cookies may taste better when fresh…at least, I hope so.
Dev xx
Today I attended the world-renowned Illinois Holocaust Museum‘s grand opening of their new wing. Among the group of distinguished guests and survivors, were keynote speakers Elie Wiesel and Bill Clinton. Have a look at some of the pictures from this monumental event.
Stephen Spielberg addressed the crowd in a video tribute.
President Obama also had a video address, along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He praised the museum for collaborating with Holocaust survivors to create such an important center.
Not a dry eye in the house as Elie Wiesel discussed the importance of tolerance and how people must learn from the atrocities of the past.
A view of the stage that features renderings of the new wing in the background, Elie Wiesel in the foreground.
Former President Bill Clinton delivers a captivating speech on genocide in the world today, and how we must band together to stop them.
President Clinton commended the institution for directly collaborating with survivors to create the new wing, which, he said, may be the last opportunity to create a center with the direct participation of survivors.
Held on the anniversary of the Warsaw uprising, this historically significant event will resonate with locals and attendees alike for as long as the wing is open to the public.
Located at: 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie IL, 60077
-Ileana
During my first few weeks of wandering around Chicago, I stumbled upon a street in Wicker Park that had some adorable shops and restaurants. Unfortunately I could not, for the life of me, remember the name of the street or how to get there. Lucky for me, Tim remembered the name of a pizza place on the street, and that restaurant just happened to be Crust, located at 2056 West Division.
When we returned to explore, the weather was unusually cold and although we did not plan to eat at Crust, it just happened to be there when I decided I had had enough of the weather – I needed a warm place to sit. Unfortunately, Crust was right across the street and that is where we ended up.
Like most places that are trying too hard to be swish, the interior decorators went crazy with mixed mediums, displaying poorly-framed, pretentiously artistic photographs against white washed brick; a ceiling with futuristic wooden slats; ultra-polished steel lighting fixtures and furniture that looked neat but was really uncomfortable.
Plus the place was freezing! I should not have to put my jacket on in the middle of eating dinner! Unacceptable.
But the real downer was not the decor…it was the bland, overpriced pizza that arrived at my table.
Only in Wicker Park could you find a pizza that costs so much and tastes like nothing.
A Margherita-style pizza is hard to mess up. All it takes is really flavourful, punchy tomatoes; a salty, creamy mozzarella and an olive oil that is both rich and gives you a peppery kick as it goes down. Oh, and let’s not forget about the crust. Since a Margherita relies heavily on the tomatoes and cheese for its taste, then the crust should be hand-tosses and the toppings should be completely covering the pizza (a little edge is okay…).
You may be thinking, “If it is so easy, then how did Crust screw it up?” Obviously it is because they were lazy and not did not give a crap about their ingredients. I barely recognised that the tomatoes were tomatoes, save their texture. They were just as insipid as the mushy cheese that teetered on being gummy. The crust completely lacked personality and the olive oil tasted buttery, which means it was probably rancid.
I might get crap for this but I do not care. Yes, I am sure there is at least one good thing on the menu but if you cannot get the basics right, then your more complex dishes certainly do not deserve my attention.
Crust: Avoid it.
Dev xx
The Monadnock building off Clark Ave. has been evacuated after smoke filled the 17th floor, according to observers. Authorities are now on the scene and we are currently monitoring the scene.
Stay tuned for another update!
-Ileana
Usually, we all know a good greasy spoon that is open incredibly late and serves us food that goes well with…being drunk. But since I only moved to Chicago in January, I have been sorely lacking a place that I can stumble into after a bender and drool into a plate of food while trying to figure out where my mobile phone (and my dignity) went.
Okay so I never get that wasted, but after a few beers I like to know that there is a late-night spot that will feed my rumbly tummy and wash down the unnecessary Jameson shots that Matt from the Sovereign feeds me when I call around. Standee’s, located only a hop, skip and jump from Sovereign at 1133 W. Granville Ave., finally answered my prayers to the 24-hour food gods and called to me one night after a Sovereign drinking fest.
Looking for fatty proteins and some satisfying carbs, I had my mind on the breakfast menu before I even walked through the door. But I was completely sold after I spoke to the welcoming short-order cook/server who told me that Standee’s pancakes were known to be both one of the best things on the menu and some of the best in Chicago.
He was not lying. Usually pancakes are sadly misinterpreted: they are either really spongy (like IHOP’s) or way too light and fluffy (think up-scale brunch spot). It always seemed to me that no one was fluent in the language of pancake – until Standee’s stepped in. Their pancakes are everything you want: made from scratch, hefty but not tough, and grilled with flavourless oil (canola!) to make them brown (not burned!) and let the pancake essence shine through!
The eggs were also well cooked and the bacon is still the best I have had in Chicago! The slices were cut thick, were well-marbled and crispy without being hard.
Would I consider Standee’s a guilty pleasure? No. There was no guilt, only pleasure and I would even return completely sober.
Dev xx
A sign posted by Chicago teens at the Chicago Food Policy Youth Summit on Tuesday
No, we have not been slacking off…we have been hauling our butts around the city so we can continue to bring you the best of Chicago to your computer screen!
Get ready for new entries to come…
Dev xx
Located at 828 W. Noyes Street.
What better way to start off one’s weekend than with brunch. Not just for the proverbial ladies-who-lunch and their designer bags anymore, the Noyes Street Cafe mixes high-brow aesthetics with the affordability of an IHop.
With its non-pretentious storefront, I honestly would have never suspected that such a laid back, and relaxing restaurant resided beyond the glass facade.
Other patrons may have been thinking the same thing as I, because a Saturday morning breakfast excurion rarely begins with a quick sitting in one of the restaurant’s best tables. Today it did. 
The menu offers selections from brunch to a la carte. The brunch menu does not include the standard expectation of buffet style offerings, but rather a choice of delicious spreads of lox breakfast, to steak and eggs, to benedicts. The brunch comes with a choice of muffins and hash browns, and arrives fabulously with a mimosa.
Mimosas.
The brunch meals appeared to come with more than the lion’s share of food, and I was not entirely sure that I could stomach such a quantity. Therefore I decided that a la carte may be more my speed.
After careful inspection of the options, I decided on the Noyes Street Omelette, with hash browns (my favorite), and pancakes. A large meal in itself! And as I couldn’t resist the temptation of mimosas, I placed an order for one as well. I figured, when restaurants name an item on the menu after its location, it usually does not disappoint. Right again! The omelette came stuffed with spinach, ripe grape tomatoes, and cheese. It was golden brown on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside. Throughout the entire meal, the omelette remained piping hot, the cheese gooey and stringy.
Noyes Street Omelette.
Mimosas truly are the best part of any brunch. A refreshing reminder of the, hopefully, restful, relaxation yet to come during the weekend. It compliments any dish, and bestoys that healthy dose of Vitamin C. Couldn’t we all use a little more?
The pancakes were the perfect acompanyment to the meal. The sweet to satisfy the salty. They were served with a generous dollop of butter and a side of fresh maple syrup.
But just as I suspected, I was unable to finish the meal. Packed to the proverbial rim with carbs, the meal filled me up in no time. However I maintain that I made a sizeable dent!
I could not have been more pleased with my meal, and definitely have my hopes set on going back in the future for dinner… to feast on some of the Cafe’s drool-worthy pasta dishes, and fresh fish. Open typically from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., there’s always the opportunity to stop by.
Another interior view.
The waitstaff was prompt and polite, and I would be hardpressed to find anything worth complaining about at this delightful cafe. So head north into Evanston and be sure to check it out. (Purple line Noyes stop.) Just make sure you leave your Prada at home.
-Ileana
Hungry Brain, located at 2319 W. Belmont Ave., is a neighbourhood bar with a chill attitude that has had many faces. Hungry Brain was once a bakery, a small theatre, a movie set and now, thankfully, a bar and experimental jazz venue. While sitting at the bar late one night the bartendress, Luce, gave us a history breakdown of Hungry and even pointed me to the poster that advertises the movie that was shot in 1995.
Butch Camp, starring Judy Tenuta, was an Oscar-winning highly acclaimed DVD released movie that can be summed up by the poster below:
LOVE IT! Back to Hungry Brain…
My favourite thing about Hungry Brain is that you can hear yourself think and you can have a good conversation with your drinking buddy or the friendly bartender. The joint is full of comfy couches, overstuffed armchairs, bar stools, tables and booths that can accommodate any size party and any level of intimacy. The bar glows red and is lit with candles and Christmas lights, creating a soothing jazzy feel to this laid back bar.
Hungry offers up your usual selection of beers and liquors, which is great but not the main reason you keep coming back. Every Sunday, the Sunday Transmission series is held at the Hungry Brain that presents jazz artists from Chicago and beyond!
If you are looking to avoid the crowds of bars you frequent and finally want to have an evening talking with your friends rather than shouting at them over loud crappy music, head over to Hungry Brain…and say hi to Luce for me!
This V-shaped shelf at the Hungry Brain was installed by the crew of Butch Camp for the movie!
Dev xx
