ekreider wrote:Debra Pickett's Sunday Lunch column has her lunch with Steve Dolinsky at Fonda del Mar.

Fonda del Mar has been open for only about three weeks. And, though it has been noted in a couple of online guides (including the culinary chat site lthforum.com, a key source for Dolinsky), a televised mention of the slightly-off-the-beaten-gourmet-path restaurant could provide a significant boost.

Hey, what do you know, LTH is a "key source for Dolinsky."

Hammond

Well, that was nice of him, her, and both of them.

Ciao (Chow) Amici,

"Domination" might be, perhaps, a wee bit too strong of a designation, but yet another LTH'er has been spotted in, or otherwise influenced, an arm of the media.

Namely, yours truly, the famished Talmudic scholar himself. As two other unnamed LTH'ers now know, "Pizza: The Movie" is in the can (or box, as it were) and is currently in the process of being submitted to film festivals, attaining distribution rights, and so on. Most likely, this film will be accessible to a mass audience via cable TV within the next 6 months. Appropriately enough, I first got wind of this project via a post right here on LTH in Summer of 2004, and volunteered my services to the filmmakers during their stay in Chicago. Given the fact that Michael Dorian (the director) hails from New York City, and even with my already well-publicized disdain for Chicago style pizza in general, Da City of da Big Shoulderrss is given a fair, respectful, and accurate representation of its place in American pizza history - my role in the Chicago segment is more of a framing device, with my soundbites leading into clips from Uno, Lou Malnati's, and, to my delight, a goodly amount of information from the owner/chef of LTH favourite Old Chicago Pizza on 79th Street. In any case, the documentary is a breathless, wholly entertaining and informative opus by any standards. More information can be found at Michael's website, www.thepizzamovie.com , and I will update the board as I get information re: screenings at festivals or airings on TV. Not to be missed.

-- Rebbuccio

hungryrabbi wrote: More information can be found at Michael's website, www.thepizzamovie.com, and I will update the board as I get information re: screenings at festivals or airings on TV. Not to be missed.

-- Rebbuccio

HR,

Congratulations on your upcoming 15 minutes!

The url you posted isn't working for me (could be a momentary thing -- but you might want to double check it).

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:The url you posted isn't working for me (could be a momentary thing -- but you might want to double check it).

The forum software automatically included the trailing comma in the URL, rendering the link useless. I have repaired this in HR's post.

Best,
Michael

Now that discksond has spilled the beans about spilling the beans (here), I'd be interested in other LTHers posting here if they see/hear anything about the LTH GNR program (other than on LTHForum) that no one else has previously mentioned, and if so where/when.

Eyes, ears, and any other relevant senses open, please.

David Hammond wrote:

ekreider wrote:Debra Pickett's Sunday Lunch column has her lunch with Steve Dolinsky at Fonda del Mar.

Fonda del Mar has been open for only about three weeks. And, though it has been noted in a couple of online guides (including the culinary chat site lthforum.com, a key source for Dolinsky), a televised mention of the slightly-off-the-beaten-gourmet-path restaurant could provide a significant boost.

Hey, what do you know, LTH is a "key source for Dolinsky."

Hammond

wOOt! When does this "key source for Dolkinsky's" 15 minutes of fame begin? Or is it already past?

JimInLoganSquare wrote:wOOt! When does this "key source for Dolkinsky's" 15 minutes of fame begin? Or is it already past?

Jim,

Interestingly, I got a PM from Steve D this evening asking if I knew the address of Tilapiteria Casa del Pedro "d".

Looks like Tilapiteria Casa del Pedro "d" is in for 15 minutes of it's own.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:

JimInLoganSquare wrote:wOOt! When does this "key source for Dolkinsky's" 15 minutes of fame begin? Or is it already past?

Jim,

Interestingly, I got a PM from Steve D this evening asking if I knew the address of Tilapiteria Casa del Pedro "d".

Looks like Tilapiteria Casa del Pedro "d" is in for 15 minutes of it's own.

Enjoy,
Gary

Steve "d" can write directly to the source if he is interested in Tilapeteria Casa del Pedro "d" -- and you can tell him that for me. That being said, I understand TCdP"d" is moving to a western suburb ... just a rumor.

I heard the city shut them down because it turned out the "tilapia" were actually alewives.

The zebra mussels en frite were terrific, though.

Mike G wrote:I heard the city shut them down because it turned out the "tilapia" were actually alewives.

The zebra mussels en frite were terrific, though.

Sad, that. Alewife has a delicate flesh only comparable to the petite Sonoran tilapia (Tilapia sonoransis minor), and as to the zebra mussels en frite -- well, I could eat those like popcorn! Although I do need a goodly dose of Milk of Magnesia afterward.

Golly....I hate to change the subject...


But, very nice mention...hell, they printed the whole list...of the GNR winners in Chicago Magazine's online newsletter Dish.

Way to go Dickson and team Which, of course, includes all the nominators, posters and the LTH community at large and getting larger.

pd

And here it is!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
LTHForum, Chicago’s dedicated culinary society that is always seeking out local hidden treasures, recently named 17 great neighborhood restaurants. You’d be wise to print up this list and put it on your fridge:

Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán (1322 West 18th St.; 312-733-2613) Mexican

Cafe Salamera (6653 N. Clark St.; 773-764-7210) Peruvian

Candlelite (7452 N. Western Ave.; 773-465-0087) pizza

Cunis Candies (1030 E. 162nd St., South Holland; 708-596-2440) ice cream

The Elephant (5348 W. Devon Ave.; 773-467-1168) Thai

Gene and Jude’s (2720 River Rd., River Grove; 708-452-7634) hot dogs

Honey 1 (2241 N. Western Ave.; 773-227-5130) barbecue

Hot Doug’s (3324 N. California Ave.; 773-279-9550) hot dogs

Johnnie’s (7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park; 708-452-6000) Italian beef

La Quebrada (five area locations) Mexican

Lula Café (2537 N. Kedzie Blvd.; 773-489-9554) eclectic

Matsumoto (3800 West Lawrence Ave.; 773-267-1555) upscale Japanese

Nhu Hoa (1020 W. Argyle St.; 773-878-0618) Vietnamese/Cambodian/Laotian

Renga-Tei (3956 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood; 847-675-5177) Japanese

Semiramis (4639 N. Kedzie Ave.; 773-279-8900) Middle Eastern/Lebanese

Sweets & Savories (1534 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-281-6778) contemporary

Tre Kronor (3258 W. Foster Ave.; 773-267-9888) Swedish

I really like their description of this place being a "....dedicated culinary society that is always seeking out local hidden treasures..." Very nice, and quite true.

sundevilpeg,

Thanks a lot for copying the text into your post -- for some reason, I couldn't access Dish (though I'm now signed up).

I do pity the people who go to Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán hoping for "Mexican" favorites like fajitas and flautas.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:I do pity the people who go to Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán hoping for "Mexican" favorites like fajitas and flautas.

FWIW, the press release described Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán as "specialty Mexican."

nr706 wrote:

David Hammond wrote:I do pity the people who go to Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán hoping for "Mexican" favorites like fajitas and flautas.

FWIW, the press release described Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán as "specialty Mexican."

And you know, putting in "Birria" as a descriptor would not be much help either. Actually, upon reflection, I think it's fine to put "Mexican" -- that's a generally understood term, it's technically accurate (in a general sense), and it may help this little place draw customers who might be less attracted by a descriptor like "Steamed Goat Meat."

Kudos for getting this information placed.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:
I do pity the people who go to Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán hoping for "Mexican" favorites like fajitas and flautas.

Hammond

a la the Check Please! "reviewer" who gave Nuevo Leon low marks for not having margaritas.

Kman wrote:

David Hammond wrote:
I do pity the people who go to Birrería Reyes de Ocotlán hoping for "Mexican" favorites like fajitas and flautas.

Hammond

a la the Check Please! "reviewer" who gave Nuevo Leon low marks for not having margaritas.

Kman, you know it's funny how enduring that reviewer's comment has proven. I still think of it now and again, and although at the time, my first thought was "What a moron!", I now feel that this guy probably represents the vast majority of restaurant goers...not that there's anything wrong with that, and keeping that kind of perspective in mind is important, I think. Sometimes we LTHers tend to think that the whole world is just dying (like some of us) to sample ground grasshopper and dewlap, but that clearly ain't so. Many people who go to a Mexican restaurant just want fajitas and margaritas and may the goddess bless them for that.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Kudos for getting this information placed.

I'm guessing the kudos belong to LTHForum's own dropkickjeffy.

Kman wrote:who gave Nuevo Leon low marks for not having margaritas.

Kman,

My favorite was a few years ago a fellow, who shall remain nameless, went to the wrong (meaning big as opposed to little, Three Happiness, had a terrible meal complained bitterly about how we could recommend it and then, to top it all off, said it couldn't be authentic anyway as the music was not Chinese.

Oh, by the way, his favorite Chinese in Chicago was, and probably still is, Ben Pao.

OY

Enjoy,
Gary

David Hammond wrote:Kman, you know it's funny how enduring that reviewer's comment has proven. I still think of it now and again, and although at the time, my first thought was "What a moron!", I now feel that this guy probably represents the vast majority of restaurant goers...not that there's anything wrong with that, and keeping that kind of perspective in mind is important, I think. Sometimes we LTHers tend to think that the whole world is just dying (like some of us) to sample ground grasshopper and dewlap, but that clearly ain't so. Many people who go to a Mexican restaurant just want fajitas and margaritas and may the goddess bless them for that.

A quote I do not forget from Mr. Shactner's 10th grade history class (not sure the quote is attributable to him):

"We must shake loose the shackles of excessive ethnocentrism before we can understand our fellow man."

Although we memorized the quote because of its alliterative nature (and likelihood of appearing on the exam), I only appreciated the true meaning after delving more into anthropology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnocentrism

LTHForum wasn't listed in the Chicago Tribune's article about the "50 Best Websites" recently. Apparently, a few of us were annoyed and wrote in to let them know.

In today's follow-up article:

- LTH Forum (www.lthforum.com): "Including Chowhound instead of LTH Forum is an absolute crime. LTH is full of great information, intelligent reviews and tons of pictures." "Thoughtful, well written discussions of real Chicago dining by real Chicagoans."

Reading that this morning made my breakfast taste a little bit better

Thanks to everyone who wrote the Trib to tell them about their mistake.

Best,
Michael

Yeah, thanks to the multiple folks (none of them me) who apparently wrote in to boost LTHForum!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 498.column

Hehe, the first quote was from the comment I left on the Trib's site. I couldn't believe it when I opened the paper that morning and saw that they choose to highlight CH, and I couldn't wait to correct them!

They also published a quote from my other recommendation - deadspin.com. Certainly put a smile on my face this morning.

LTH,

Mike Sula did What? Ate at every Harold's in Chicago, that's what. He wrote about it in this weeks, April 14th, Chicago Reader. I mean, I like Harrold's as well, if not better, than the next guy, but every Harold's, yikes. I know the guy and I can't believe he didn't gain 40-pounds.

Oh, also, though there was nary a mention, David Hammond did the 3rd installment of Beyond the Burrito two weeks ago, which was terrific as well.

Enjoy,
Gary

More evidence of the LTHer reach. (And I apologize in advance for unseemly tooting).

In the Daily Herald: http://www.dailyherald.com/food/foodstory.asp?id=1564

And in Daily Candy: http://www.dailycandy.com/article.jsp?A ... 638&city=5

MAG wrote:More evidence of the LTHer reach....

Not unseemly, nice to see the recognition!

Not really LTH related, but someone on this list is the cover boy for Crain's Chicago Business this week. Oh wait...it's me.

stevez wrote:Not really LTH related, but someone on this list is the cover boy for Crain's Chicago Business this week. Oh wait...it's me.

Wow, that's great Steve!

MAG wrote:More evidence of the LTHer reach. (And I apologize in advance for unseemly tooting).

MAG,

Not tooting at all, well deserved recognition, congratulations!

Enjoy,
Gary