Rene G - Food sleuth follows scent to South Side

LTH,

Terrific article about Rene G/Peter Engler's explorations of Chicago's South Side in today's Tribune.

Mentioned are The Mother In-Law, The Freddy and The Big Baby, along with classic examples of each.

Peter Engler's dedication, intellect and sheer tenacity are the stuff of legend, he should be declared a National Treasure by Chicago's food community.

Enjoy,
Gary

Hear, hear! Some well deserved recognition.

-ramon

HI,

What I really appreciated was Kevin Pang's focus on Peter Engler the person, who just happens to mine food information really, really well.

Peter/Rene G not only mines treasure. Peter is a treasure! His territory is expanding: Peter is quite expert on Northwest Indiana.

It's all good!

Regards,

Thanks for sharing this.

I couldn't get the link above to work and instead used this one.

Quite the week for early members of this forum! Another well deserved spotlight.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but "ReneG's" postings were one of the things that sucked me into this vast and dangerous online food world. I can still recall/prattle on about his 26th Street guide. What is perhaps most amazing about Peter, and something that the otherwise great article overlooked, is how long he's been at this. Not only was he there during Chowhound's heyday, but he was buzzing around chi.eats before that. In fact a lot of the great ReneG CH posts were just re-prints of his earlier work. A lot of us (like me) cannot keep up the posting year after year. Peter, as good as the early stuff was, only has gotten better.

The other thing about Peter is that many people on these airwaves have stories, adventures with him. In fact if you want a food adventure you almost need him. Peter was one of the few people to make the complete 24 Chowathon. There's been many others like that, formal or informal. You know if your night started with Bergoff dark and jerk chicken and ended many hours later in a cabbie joint, you were out with Peter.

I guess I cannot wait for the book.

were those pics of pete touched up? i've never seen him look that good

Vital Information wrote:I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but "ReneG's" postings were one of the things that sucked me into this vast and dangerous online food world. I can still recall/prattle on about his 26th Street guide.

Same here. And, as someone living well south of Madison St., I'm glad to see his dedication exploring and reporting on eats on this side of town.

Terrific article, well deserved recognition - and someday, I promise, I'll bring Cincinnati Goetta to an LTH event just for you, ReneG!

(also props to C2 for the mention of the sausage symposium!)

ReneG is a hero. Although that title probably rings like hyperbole and would certainly be scoffed at by ReneG himself, here’s what I mean: for a long time this gentleman has been pushing into areas that most of us never think of going (perhaps due to ignorance, perhaps fear); once in this new territory he fights to find vanishing menu items, and then he returns, bringing back information that makes our food lives better.

I’ve got to believe one of the reasons ReneG prefers public transportation is that it enables him to scan the street. When you’re behind the wheel, you’d better be keeping at least one and ideally two eyes on the road; ReneG is always watching the passing terrain, a very active passenger, and having him in the car is to learn more about your route and the food finds that line it: he’s constantly commenting on new places, boarded up storefronts that suggest the last chapter of food stories, or signs on windows advertising food you’ve never known.

Kevin Pang noted that ReneG had just one bite of the climactic Polish sausage; this food adventurer seems frequently to eat less for hunger and more for knowledge, each bite a data point, and once the data is acquired, the sandwich can be put down. This isn’t to say he doesn’t love good chow – as anyone who has shared a table with him can attest – just that he understands food is part of a bigger story, a defining characteristic of many great food chroniclers.

We are very fortunate to ReneG as a member of our community; he sets a high standard for intrepidity, culinary curiosity, and bottomless hunger for food knowledge.

Thanks Peter,

David

Very well said, David.

My hat is off to you as well, Peter!

Alas, the web content is "Subscriber Advantage only" -- apparently they disagree with the New York Times on the value of open content.

will have to find a paper copy today...

Joe: try the link posted by Darren72 earlier on this page: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 0026.story

Also, let me add my congratulations to Peter and add that in addition to being such an intrepid and thorough scholar of culinary curiosities, he's a heck of a nice guy.

All you insiders knew that Peter Engler was ReneG. Not me. I read that article and thought: "Boy, how come this guy doesn't post on LTH? He seems perfect for us."

Jonah

PIGMON wrote:ReneG is my hero. He takes public transportation everywhere, checking out every possible unknown restaurant in the greater Chicago area. He enlightens us about gems that few of us are not even remotely aware of.

(Taken from the 1/17/06 GNR nomination of Johnnie's Beef.)


One thing, though...I'm trying not to hold it against Peter that he didn't finish up that Mighty Polish.

I had two.

Seriously, I know Peter is hoping that this article will further lead to some hard-to-find details from unknown sources that might have grown up with the mother-in-law in their lives.

Congratulations. I know of no one that would have made a better story.

PIGMON wrote:ReneG is my hero.

Hero he may be, but I think of Peter as more of a Muse.

Bravo to Rene G, and props to Kevin Pang, who is really doing a great job representing Chicago's south side and non-fine-dining scenes these past couple years.

gleam wrote:... Kevin Pang, who is really doing a great job representing Chicago's south side and non-fine-dining scenes these past couple years.

...and who, unfortunately, is going off food detail.

Kudos Rene G.,

Through your sleuthing I have become acquainted with a few Chicago specialities like the mother-in-law. Thank you.

Jyoti

David Hammond wrote:

gleam wrote:... Kevin Pang, who is really doing a great job representing Chicago's south side and non-fine-dining scenes these past couple years.

...and who, unfortunately, is going off food detail.

Augh! What is wrong with the Trib...

I don't know Peter all that well, but I do think I can take the lattitude to say that what makes this article so special is that he would still be the same intrepid explorer even if no one ever noticed. He's not doing it to get his picture in the paper or for pats on the back. He's in it for the love of the game. It's really cool to see recognition for true passion.

And even if I never heard of Peter and this was my first day in Chicago, I have to say that the article itself is on of the better pieces of food-oriented writing I've seen in a local paper in a long time.

It's a great profile on a great topic. Kudos to all involved.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:I don't know Peter all that well, but I do think I can take the lattitude to say that what makes this article so special is that he would still be the same intrepid explorer even if no one ever noticed. He's not doing it to get his picture in the paper or for pats on the back. He's in it for the love of the game. It's really cool to see recognition for true passion.

Best,
Michael

True!

I got an e-mail from someone who read the article who is aware of my activities.

In today’s Tribune – At Play section, page 1 – there is an article about food sleuths. It reminded me of Kathy. I wonder if anyone in her group is associated with this.

What I find interesting is the people who are involved, and how they get around and then lastly the restaurants. Why they are “foodies”, how they got into it, etc.

It’s a way of life for them seeking out restaurants for a particular reason. I think the quest is as important as the goal.

This stranger to the situation got a great sense of what and why Peter does this as well as what this community is all about from today's article.

Regards,

Thanks, all of you, for the kind words. I have to admit I was a little worried about the article when a few weeks ago I said something really stupid to Kevin and he responded, "No, no, obsessive is good." I thought he did a really nice job (his food coverage will be missed). Hopefully the article will jar loose a few more details on the Mother in Law etc and will provoke some of you to venture into areas you hadn't considered before.

Rene G wrote:Hopefully the article will jar loose a few more details on the Mother in Law etc and will provoke some of you to venture into areas you hadn't considered before.

Rene G,

Perhaps a guided tour of your favorite places?

Jyoti

My greatest shock from the article was to learn Peter's age, as I always assumed he was 20 years younger than that. He's living proof that a steady diet of mother in laws, polishes, Freddies and Big Babies may be the real fountain of youth.

I, for one, can say that I have learned of so many great southside places from Peter's posts here. I'm very appreciative for what he brings to this community.

eatchicago wrote:And even if I never heard of Peter and this was my first day in Chicago

I hadn't heard of Peter before (only Rene G!), and I don't live in Chicago, but when Rene G posts, I read. With great gusto. He was one of the folks who drew me to the Chicago CH board several years ago and, ultimately here, for which I'm grateful.

He is also my hero.