Results tagged “sandwiches”

Urban Belly's Bill Kim announced Friday (via twitter, where else?) that Belly Shack, his sandwich shop in the old Vella Café space underneath the Western/Armitage Blue Line station, will open tomorrow at noon. You've been warned.

In another year of quality restaurant openings, Birchwood Kitchen (2211 W. North Ave., 773-276-2100) has become another favorite for their gourmet sandwiches made from locally sourced ingredients.

  

Yesterday's episode of "The Cheeseburger Show" ended with Kevin Pang challenging Graham Elliot Bowles to place his indelible stamp on the cheeseburger. The result was something that could easily have been the product of a three-year-old's imagination, if that toddler had the kitchen skills of Bowles.

Esquire Magazine's "Best Sandwiches in America" article is a must-read, if only for us because it gives us a checklist of places to hunt down the next time we're on vacation (btw, Katz's pastrami on rye is really all that). Although we have to question the inclusion of the McRib sandwich, we have no qualms with seeing Chick-Fil-A make an appearance on the list.

Out of all of our celebrity chef crushes, Gordan Ramsay doesn't really crack the top three five ten. He just doesn't do it for us. There's something about the incessant swearing and love of horse meat that isn't attractive to Chicagoist. But he does do it for FOX viewers and restaurants that need a makeover on his Kitchen Nightmares show. We learned via Schadenfreude (and apparently there was an ad in the Reader as well)...

With the new damp chill in the air, we’ve found ourselves craving a cup of hot tea. With a baby on our hip, however, we’ve been less excited about something dressy at the Drake and more nostalgic for sweats in Grandma’s kitchen. Enter Suzi’s Tea and Cafe. This former Lakeview resident is back after a few years’ hiatus in Long Grove. Occupying the former location of Las Tablas on Lincoln, the owners have remade this...

In our experience, most people who eat at Costello's Sandwich and Sides get the same thing every time. It's their Costello's Match. Former Chicagoist editors Scott Smith and Erin Shea love the Heartland and Smokin' Turk, respectively. Our boyfriend's favorite is the Italian Grinder. For us, our Costello's Match is the Turkey Focaccia. Generally speaking, the Turkey Focaccia is a basic turkey sandwich — turkey, provolone, lettuce, tomato, vinaigrette. But what makes this sandwich...

Two stories have us thinking about the continuing evolution of the cinematic experience and the differences between going to see a movie and just watching one. First off, "boutique" theater chain Muvico has signed a letter of intent to occupy two floors of the Block 37 development. The proposed multiplex would have only seven screens, much smaller than the AMC RIver East 21 for example. But (to quote Seinfeld) they'd be draped in velvet, so...

Many Wicker Park commuters are feeling a little less caffeinated these days since Half & Half (under the Damen Blue Line stop) closed up shop. Owner Debbie Sharpe told Metromix that the quality of the building is to blame. The good news is Sharpe also owns the Goddess and Grocer down the street, and Half & Half's delicious commuter sandwiches and pastries will be available for purchase there. LTH commentors prophecy its space may become...

There is ham, and then there is French Madrange Ham. There is cheese, and then there is Swiss Gruyère. There is bread, and then there is organic Bretzel Bread. Which brings us to Hannah's Bretzel. Hannah's has a lot of things going for it before you take the first bite. The local sandwich shop features a green retail space, a wall of exotic chocolates, and a friendly staff, but the Sergio Special is where it's at.

El Cubanito, a Cuban sandwich shop on North Pulaski, has only been open for six months, but owners Alberto and Laritza Ramos have been getting "Judy at Carnegie Hall"-level raves from the usual suspects for their Cuban sandwich. The combination of the "LTH effect" and Logan Square Cubans longing for a taste of something they can call their own have reached such a fever pitch that Alberto Ramos told Chicago Magazine's "Dish" newsletter that he sells 400 Cuban sandwiches a day. We visited El Cubanito just before lunchtime Saturday and asked Alberto Ramos about that claim. He only backtracked slightly, telling Chicagoist that while he's not certain of the exact number, "it's a lot."

Before we go to the listings, we want to bid farewell to the Tribune's Kevin Pang, who's heading over to the Tempo section. But he leaves the food beat with a profile of Peter Engler, the city's foremost expert on mother-in-law sandwiches, street food and other south side cheap eats. Shaw's Crab House concludes this year's edition of their "Royster with the Oyster" festival with their annual tent party at their Hubbard Street location tonight....

Crain's weighed in yesterday on the big plans Pastoral has for their sparkling new Loop location, scheduled to open next week at 53 E. Lake. In addition to having up to 900 square feet of retail space for showcasing their artisan cheeses, breads, sandwiches and fine wines, Pastoral is partnering with Williams Sonoma to offer small farm cheeses on the Williams Sonoma website. The collections will retail for $69 and $99, respectively (view the press release here in PDF format).

ORD Terminal Mystery?

We were stoked (yes, stoked) when Southport Grocery and Café opened a few years back. The fresh sandwiches on artisan bread, the tasty cupcakes and cookies, the savory omelets — the spot has become a great place for brunch, lunch and takeout. So when we heard that our favorite neighborhood market now has an online grocery store where you can purchase homemade and gourmet goodies without leaving your home, it was too much. We...

Thanks largely to the ubiquity of the Food Network, everyone dabbles a bit in gourmet these days. Even bars that one would think should only cater in standard pub grub are going out of their way and dressing up their burgers with buns and sides our grandparents wouldn't dream of when they were our age. We're not knocking it, mind you. We're just saying that sometimes we just want a burger to just be a burger.

Lately our Gardenist project has taken a back seat to other priorities. We've done some weeding and pruning, but nothing out of the ordinary. The peppers are even showing signs of blooming, which pleases us to no end.

A mountain of peanut butter and banana sandwiches were waiting for runners as they completed the 10th Annual Elvis Is Alive 5K Fleet Feet race yesterday in Lincoln Park, which benefit Rock for Reading, a non-profit group fighting the trend of illiteracy and working to renew interest in reading.

Got any plans for August 19? If not, you should consider brunch at Manny's Coffee Shop and Deli. Not only would you get the opportunity to munch on classic deli faves like lox and bagels, noodle kugel, corned beef sandwiches, pastrami sandwiches, and potato pancakes (not to mention salads, eggs and desserts), but you would also be supporting a good cause. Bright Pink is an organization dedicated to educating and supporting women who have a high risk of breast or ovarian cancer. One strong supporter of the group says that the organization "is not just another breast cancer organization, but rather [it] is committed to spearheading a fresh and empowering movement among young women. We believe in the beauty and strength of women. The organization exists to enlighten and empower high-risk individuals to take control of their breast health for a better, brighter future." Sounds good to us. In addition to the brunch, there is also a silent auction that will feature items ranging from a week's vacation at a 5-star resort in Cabo ($5,000 dollar value) to skydiving jumps. Also mentioned were the more traditional spa visits and restaurant experiences. Manny's is hosting this event out of the goodness of their hearts and their strong belief in what Bright Pink is doing for young women across the country. All proceeds from the brunch and auction will benefit Bright Pink.

We at the Gothamist network would like to express our heartfelt wishes to the people of Minnesota in the days after their tragic bridge collapse. We're not trying to discount the severity of the accident by making note of it in opposition to our usual -Ist lightheartedness - we just wanted to take a moment and recognize those affected last week. After the Minneapolis bridge collapse, Bostonist did a little research and found that Massachusetts...

Imagine you’re an immigrant who has arrived in Chicago from Jerusalem.

It takes a strong constitution to negotiate Archer Avenue on a bicycle; some stretches between California and Cicero require a rider to put the fear of death out of his head. But it's worth the trip west, young man, for the literal smörgåsbord of Polish restaurants, meat markets, and European delicatessens you'll come across. One that we're ashamed to have never visited until this weekend is Racine Bakery. This Garfield Ridge institution has been in business since 1984, eighteen of them in its current location at 6216 S. Archer. For émigrés from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and other areas of central and eastern Europe, a visit to Racine Bakery can ease the transition to their new lives in America by giving them a taste of home.

Winston’s Market on Southport suffers from multiple personalities. But unlike Sybil, it’s a good thing. Opened last May, this former shoe boutique now houses a deli, a self-service restaurant, a beer and wine store, and a gourmet prepared-foods shop. Sound like they have too much on their plate? Not when we stopped by and noticed that the friendly staff had plenty of time to answer our questions, take our order (they didn’t even flinch when we asked for our bread to be toasted on the already prepared sandwich), quickly wiped down tables and chairs (why do other places always forget this?), prepared orders to go, and hand-delivered them to customers checking to make sure they had pronounced their names correctly, and waved at babies. Whew!

Another week, another all-you-can-eat Friday Buffet. The photo alone is giving us cravings for some shark meat. - It's National Ice Cream Month. Feeling charitable this afternoon? In the mood for ice cream? Then head over to Atwood Café between 2-4 p.m. and take part in their annual ice cream social to benefit the Fairy Godmother Foundation. Atwood chef Heather Terhune will donate $1 from every ice cream sold (graciously donated by Ciao Bella gelato)...

Twelve pieces of salmon-pink, slimy, sliced smoked turkey deli meat were piled on top of each other with a plop of tasteless coleslaw, a teaspoon of cranberry sauce, and a whole lot of "adobo sauce" which looked and tasted like Sriracha. Meet the mediocre "Maya F," one of the 100+ sandwiches on the menu at the second outpost of Jerry's. The Division Street location officially opened on Monday, though people have been packing the place since the beginning of July. And we couldn't blame them; at $8.25 for a sandwich and two sides, it presents an upscale yet inexpensive take on a food that almost everyone can appreciate.

Chicagoist doesn’t live with our mama. Since our June Cleaver impersonation is rather lacking, when we want to feed a home cooked meal to our family we trawl Chicago’s restaurants. Our favorite is Panes, a family-owned Lakeview original, nestled in between chains Chicago Pizza and Pompei on Sheffield and Wellington.

Chicagoist wants to like Su Van’s Cafe and Bakeshop on Lincoln. In terms of kid-friendliness, the place ranks pretty high with an accessible bathroom (but no changing table), plastic-topped tables, high chairs, friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere. They’re even a few doors down from our favorite baby store. Sadly, however, Su Van’s food doesn’t seem worth the trip.

With all the commentary from Elizabeth's Uncle Julio's post still fresh in mind, we gleaned this little tidbit from today's Sun-Times. Zagat released the results of its first-ever fast food survey. Using the same three criteria that they use for every other restaurant they rate (food, service, and atmosphere) Panera Bread came out on top as the best overall fast food chain. Raters praised the quality of Panera's "fresh-baked breads" and "top-notch sandwiches." Wendy's was...

In this special Mother's Day edition of YFFB, we'll help you find a way to say "I love you" even if you have been the sort of child this year that your mother never wished she had. We kid, we kid. We know Chicagoist readers know how to treat their respective moms right. Say It With: ... an e-card. Whenever we come across anything with an e-card it reminds us of the early days of...

The talk of the "indie rock diet" that's been tossed around the blogosphere this week is ripe with irony; any of us who have hung out with a band for even a night know that the stereotypical indie rocker replaces food with alcohol whenever given the chance. And when on tour, anything goes. A friend of ours, who happens to drum in a band coming to Chicago next week, once told us about how the...