Welcome, WBEZ Listeners!

Thursday morning (the 28th), on WBEZ (91.5 FM), between 10 and 11 am, acclaimed food reporter Steve Dolinsky will journey around the south side of Chicago with some LTHForum folks, looking for and eating middle eastern food along 63rd Street. (If you're coming from the broadcast, welcome and please feel free to look around, I'll post a couple of relevant links below.)

According to GWiv, who was there along with Seth Zurer and the indefatigable south side explorer Rene G, the journey (taped last week, I think) started at Rachid Bakery and Market, then on to Al Salaam and Farmers Market for brief visits, then Steve's Shish Kabob for lunch. Afterwards they also met up with Kelly Gibson of Slow Food (at, where else, Little Three Happiness) and talked about the newly published Slow Food Guide to Chicago. (Of course, no telling which parts of this will actually be in the final broadcast.)

Here's a good thread on middle eastern food.

Here's an earlier welcome that includes a set of links to all cuisines.

Rachid Bakery
3255 W 63rd Street

Al Salaam Meat Market
3251 W 63rd Street

Farmer's Market
3257 W 63rd Street

Steve's Shish Kabob
3816 W 63rd Street

'Little' Three Happiness
209 W Cermak Rd
Chicago, IL 60616
312-842-1964

For those that didn't hear it live, it will be available from the wbez website - they take about a day to post any given day's program - check this link tomorrow: http://www.wbez.org/audio_library/848_raoct04.asp

I missed it. How was the piece? (Guess I'll just have to wait until tomorrow.)

A really good piece. Gary, Seth and Rene G (aka Peter) were extremely knowledgeable about the middle-eastern pockets on the south side, walking that fine line I think we all strive for of being extremely enthusiastic but not actually deranged about food. There were some good bits about why LTHForum exists and also why Slow Food exists and how the two overlap in their missions, too. And I predict a run on Gary's chili oil at LTH. Highly recommend listening to it on the website when it's up.

I just became a member of LTH today after hearing the piece on 848 this morning - I had no previous knowledge of LTH, and it's wonderful to know that it exists. It seems to be a great alternative to the Zagats and Citysearches. Now that I've become a member, I can't wait to explore more great little restaurants based on LTH member's suggestions, and post some of my own favorites. I have also recently started to do some work with a group that holds workshops on sustainable foods, and so the piece on Slow Food was particularly interesting as well. Thanks!

Hi
I just joined the list after hearing part of the piece on the radio. This list will be right up my alley!
As a way of jumping in, I thought I'd mention what I think is the best burger in Chicago: Jubilee Juice on Halsted just south of Randolph does a burger that is rated extremely high by everyone I know who has tried it. Go try it, you won't be disappointed!

Tyler

Boyz (Seth, Ultimo, Rene):

Really dug the show.

Who will not be intrigued to check out the whole goat heads in plastic bags, Gaza Salad Hot Hot, Clams (though insipid) in Black Bean Sauce?!

Dolinsky also did a fine job of drawing out your collective wisdom.

Hammond

Most users ever online was 55 on Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:47 am

After noticing that statistic, I was intrigued enough to go listen to the report on the WBEZ website. Great story, great report. The essence of what makes LTH such a wonderful resource. Restaurants that most people have never heard of discussed with love by knowledgeable friendly people.

And what PR! I don't remember what the highest number of users on line was before. I remember it was some date in June. 20 something, maybe?

Ann Fisher wrote:

Most users ever online was 55 on Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:47 am

After noticing that statistic, I was intrigued enough to go listen to the report on the WBEZ website. Great story, great report. The essence of what makes LTH such a wonderful resouce. Restaurants that most people have never heard of discussed with love by knowledgeable friendly people.

And what PR! I don't remember what the highest number of users on line was before. I remember it was some date in June. 20 something, maybe?

I think it was in the 50s as well.

Hi Mike. On the WBEZ radio show three was a brief comment about a restaurant Salaam that served little plates of various condiments. I didn't get the feelng it was the Sallam meat market listed on your post. Can you direct me? Thanks.

Hi,

For the longest time, the most people online was 54 members on June 12th. Why June 12th, it is a mystery to me.

Regards,

Hi Debbie,

The Salam we referred to is a small middle-eastern lunch place on Kedzie, just south of the Brown Line. You can read more about it here:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... ight=salam

Cathy, June 12 was right around when it was announced on Chowhound. So everybody checked it out within a short time, just as the radio broadcast produced an immediate surge as opposed to things like the Reader piece, which spread a similar number of new folks over a much less concentrated period.