Sorry to further complicate the process with another venue choice, but Nelly's sounds like a great place for something like this. I also know from driving by fairly regularly that they could use the business.

Has Nelly's fixed the sound system?

Hi,

Before settling on Nelly's, I suggest someone physically show up to double check they have access to Travel Channel AND you will have sound. It was somewhat disappointing at the Moto Iron Chef Challenge to watch and not really hear.

Last winter, I went to the Brat House in Kenosha for lunch. There were many televisions all set to different games. I inquired if they could switch one television to a Milwaukee station with the idea of seeing Diary of a Foodie. Their satellite system was dedicated to sports, to switch for accessing my specific channel meant re-orienting their feed and disrupting normal programming for the entire place.

Regards,

This just in - Silver Palm will be open the night of the Chicago premiere - showing No Reservations and serving the Three Little Piggy Sandwich featured on the show as well as their full menu - as just heard from owner extraordinaire David Gevercer. Call 312-810-0624 for reservations.

SO have we come to any consensus?

Louisa Chu wrote:This just in - Silver Palm will be open the night of the Chicago premiere - showing No Reservations and serving the Three Little Piggy Sandwich featured on the show as well as their full menu - as just heard from owner extraordinaire David Gevercer. Call 312-810-0624 for reservations.

I was in the Silver Palm late last week and they had signs up for this. According to the signs, they are also running a special of $6 Buffalo Trace Manhattans, if that's any further inducement.

Okay -- I just did a search for the Silver Palm, and if I found the place we're talking about here, it's a train car with only 12 tables (so not just small, but long and narrow). Is that the place we're discussing? If so, is that likely to work? I guess it depends on how many people are interested in going, but it is a concern.

Cynthia wrote:Okay -- I just did a search for the Silver Palm, and if I found the place we're talking about here, it's a train car with only 12 tables (so not just small, but long and narrow). Is that the place we're discussing? If so, is that likely to work? I guess it depends on how many people are interested in going, but it is a concern.

Did a search on this forum...

Silver Palm
768 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 666-9322

Looks pretty big.

Panther in the Den wrote:

Cynthia wrote:Okay -- I just did a search for the Silver Palm, and if I found the place we're talking about here, it's a train car with only 12 tables (so not just small, but long and narrow). Is that the place we're discussing? If so, is that likely to work? I guess it depends on how many people are interested in going, but it is a concern.

Did a search on this forum...

Silver Palm
768 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 666-9322

Looks pretty big.

Yes -- that's exactly the place I looked up. I suppose it depends on what photo you're viewing. The one I saw just showed the interior of the train car, but I've now learned from someone else that the train car is not all there is to the place.

Cynthia wrote: Yes -- that's exactly the place I looked up. I suppose it depends on what photo you're viewing. The one I saw just showed the interior of the train car, but I've now learned from someone else that the train car is not all there is to the place.

I'm not sure how many people are planning to get together, but my guess is viewing in the Silver Palm will be limited to the separate, non-train car bar area (as that's where the TV is), which probably seats 20 or so people between the seats at the bar and at a couple of bar tables. So it's constrained in terms of space; probably not a great place for a large gathering, but a good option for a smaller group or for couples or individuals who want to watch the program with some company, LTHers and not. The Silver Palm is typically closed on Mondays, so I suspect there will not be a lot of traffic there on that night outside of those who specifically show up to watch the show. But if a group is intending to get together and would like to go there, I would suggest calling David G. at the number Louisa lists above to get a sense of whether the space can accommodate the group.

Anyone hear anything about the Anthony Bourdain show being aired for the Chicago show?

I hear he had the Three Little Piggies sandwich at the Silver Palm Restaurant and loved it.

I just saw that No Reservations will be Chicago tonight. and had two questions:

1. any idea where/when he went?
2. It seems to me that there is a love/hate relationship with Bourdain and some Chicago chefs. And i was surprised to see him coming to Chicago, I thought he was boycotting the city. Any thoughts on that?

Louisa Chu posted a preview on her blog, Movable Feast. Complete with pop-up commentary.

The Dao of Burt: "I get along with pizza, I don't know, we've become friends...I get along with it."

Dan is going to be working the bar tonight at Silver Palm, the inventor of the "best sandwich in America." The three little pigs. I'd imagine they will have the TV set up at the Matchbox too.

And, for about 1/4 second, there's a shot that includes Cathy2 and me chatting.

Tony posted a Chicago entry on his blog, gives some shout-outs to places he loves but didn't have time to air, disses our pizza something harsh, and loves him some Mother-In-Laws.

Anthony Bourdain wrote:All Hail Fat Johnnie's!

Louisa Chu wrote:Toria and Steve - I will be the fixer in Chicago - but I could never fill Zamir's shoes!

Thank God you didn't try the fried shrimp at Calumet Fisheries.
Good show, all the way around.

So what did everyone think?

I thought it was a fantastic show (and not just because I was on screen for about 1.2 seconds). The range of places visited was great (so nice to see a food show about Chicago that DOES NOT involve Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder), the city looked fantastic in HD, and there was even a nice shout out to us "online food enthusiasts". Also, great to see significant screen time at Burt's for ronnie_suburban, stevez, Cathy2, nr706, and anyone else I'm leaving out.

I think the show was nicely balanced and made Chicago look great.

Bourdain's comments about Chicago being a real city reminded me of Rudyard Kipling's comments about our town: "I HAVE struck a city--a real city--and they call it Chicago. The other places do not count."

NERDS!

Um, food nerds. Congrats on the show, everyone. It was fun to see some familiar and friendly faces. The "nerds" comment was funny, but exactly what I love about you all and what makes Chicago such a fantastic, not just food city, but foodie city -- a food geek city of the highest order.

No one could ever do justice to Chicago's food in one hour, but I think any real food lover would wish himself transported to Chicago immediately upon finishing (or 5 minutes into) the episode.

Thank you all so much for watching. I've been holding my breath for 6 months. Tony was amazing as was the crew for such beautiful shooting and editing. Thanks again for your support.

Louisa, you were stellar! Great program and fun to see some familiar faces, as seen on this forum.

I've really got to try the mother-in-law now.

I enjoyed Bourdain alot on this episode, and I really need to get to Calumet Fisheries once the weather breaks, as well as get over to Silver Palm, and get one of those sandwiches.

When I was watching last night I was like "Hey I know those people!". Then I thought, I don't really know them, but I have seen their pictures on the internet. It was cool to see you guys representing Chicago on the show, because this place (LTH) really does know Chicago's food.

Trying a mother-in-law and a pizza at Burt's has been added to my list of foods to try in Chicago. That absurd sandwich at the Silver Palm would probably be nice to try also.

Great job Louisa, it was a really nice episode. As the episode finished up I wondered when No Reservations will be back to Chicago as there is so much more to cover.

A (very very mild) note of criticism, or perhaps disappointment: Somehow I felt the Burt's segment didn't fully capture the "flavor" of Burt's. Can't quite put my finger on it, but despite the focus on Burt's ingredients, crust, etc., and despite the talk with Burt, I felt that anyone discovering Burt's by way of No Reservations for the first time wouldn't really "get" the full measure of what those of us who have been to Burt's love about the place. Heck, maybe I just needed to see Sharon interviewed some. Maybe I needed to see a quick insert shot or two of decor. Maybe I needed to hear a word about Burt's "reservations" system. Maybe all of the above was shot and didn't make the edit. Or maybe what makes Burt's Burt's is uncapturable on television. Very likely so. But that was my feeling.

That said, great job on the show, Louisa, and congrats.

Hi,

Non-locals will be puzzled to learn the Chicago neighborhood of Morton Grove is actually a suburb of Chicago. They will also be thrown off by trying to reach Burt via conventional means like a telephone directory, because he isn't there. If they google, they will likely find themselves on LTHforum and directed to here.

Can't wait to try the Three Little Pigs sometime soon.

Thanks Louisa and everyone involved for a terrific trip through Chicago.

Regards,

I'd like to add my congrats on a fantastic show. I thought it really captured the essence of the food life of the city - a life that encompasses the Mother-in-Law, Moto and Burt's. To quote someone (is it the first Mayor Daley?) that I keep hearing on a WBEZ intro, "Dat's my Chicago dat I'm so proud of."

I was kind of dissapointed - I don't believe Chicago was portrayed in a visually good light at all and can't imagine someone dying to visit here after watching it, not that his shows are intended to be advertisements for a travel destination. The ride to the south side appeared desolate and eating out of the car at Calumet fisheries looked ridiculous. The close-ups of the chef at L20 plating revealed dirty fingernails in need of a manicure. The place serving the mother in law looked like a dump. While I'm sure it's good, the unknown "3 little piggies" doesn't represent the city - it's just a sandwich a bartender invented recently that could have been created anywhere. And I believe he called the patrons at Burts and most pizza-loving Chicagoans fat.

And I believe he called the patrons at Burts and most pizza-loving Chicagoans fat.

A vicious calumny on a night Burt's was full of LTHers! That's merely the Chicagoans' protective winter layers.