The dirty rice from Analogue, notwithstanding having been lovingly transported to the suburbs and reheated by microwave, is the best thing I've eaten lately. I'm still thinking about it the next day.
--Rich

RAB wrote:The dirty rice from Analogue, notwithstanding having been lovingly transported to the suburbs and reheated by microwave, is the best thing I've eaten lately. I'm still thinking about it the next day.
--Rich

I still have a culinary fantasy of taking an order of this home and stuffing a fluffy, buttery omelet with it.

=R=

The Platonic ideal of Raisin Bread from RED FOX BAKING in Saint Louis. This loaf rates a place on my Bread-Lover's Life List. It is a crusty, hefty, chewy, sour loaf with soft raisins and a hint of genius - in the form of coriander. The coriander aroma anticipates the raisin and enhances it magically. What a terrific culinary insight to marry the two flavors. Amazing with butter, this bread would also make an unusual foil for some of Mark Sanfilippo's salumi from Salume Beddu.

Check out their website for pics of the massive bread oven they built in the yard of their new home on Arsenal and Minnesota. I love that St. Louis is a place where something like this can happen. No wonder San Francisco startups are moving here.

Cafe Des Architectes just came out with their spring menu, and their sweetbreads appetizer was easily the best I've ever had in my life. It was prepared with just the right texture, and combined with the broth and polenta accompanying it... everything worked just right.

The roast beef sandwich with blue cheese dressing on exemplary baguette from GNR Al's Deli.
Eating it outside on a beautiful day with a view of the Baha'i Temple somehow made it taste even better.
(Meant to save half for later, but . . .)

Southern style greens at Honky Tonk in Pilsen. These greens had the aroma of a fine humidor and the kick of a burro. So perfectly simple and well-prepared.

Special Easter zurek from Gene's in Lincoln Square. It's with the refrigerated prepared foods and is packed with bits of the house-smoked meats, white kielbasa, and not-overcooked boiled eggs in a proper sour broth.

Nihari from Sabri Nihari.

I've stopped, for now, ( an April/Spring Break) from eating what was supposed to be the February cookie at Magnolia Bakery. It has sea salt on top with caramel and chocolate. I don't even like chocolate like that but realizing I had a problem, and noting that the price would not deter me I had 2 of them at the end of March to celebrate a huge win in court.

pairs4life wrote:I've stopped, for now, ( an April/Spring Break) from eating what was supposed to be the February cookie at Magnolia Bakery. It has sea salt on top with caramel and chocolate. I don't even like chocolate like that but realizing I had a problem, and noting that the price would not deter me I had 2 of them at the end of March to celebrate a huge win in court.

That sounds amazing. I gave up sweets/sugar for Lent. I look forward to my first sweet treat.

JeffB wrote:Special Easter zurek from Gene's in Lincoln Square. It's with the refrigerated prepared foods and is packed with bits of the house-smoked meats, white kielbasa, and not-overcooked boiled eggs in a proper sour broth.

I was disappointed to find Isla Pilipina closed a couple days ago (probably for Easter week observances) but luckily remembered JeffB's post—Isla and Gene's aren't much more than a block apart. A tub of żurek made a delicious and surprisingly hearty meal.



The fermented rye broth goes so perfectly with the hardboiled eggs and fresh dill that you hardly need the meat. But the various pork bits really put it over the top—especially the big hunks of unsmoked Polish sausage. Good stuff, better than any restaurant version I've had (yes, I like Podhalanka's too).

oh man, looking forward to getting my żurek on Sunday

The $5.00 Spinach,Egg & Cheddar Pie from Pleasant House Bakery served at the 61st Street Farmers Market.

61st Street INDOOR Farmers Market takes place inside the Experimental Station, located at 6100 South Blackstone Avenue. This was the last Indoor market of the season.
The new 2014 61st Street Farmers Market outdoor season will launch on May 17!

Pleasant House Bakery
964 West 31st Street, Chicago, IL 60608
773-523-PIES

soon duboo jugae at Cho Jung in Glenview.
My first time at this GNR, and the dish heavily hyped round these parts did not disappoint. The silkiness of the tofu was a revelation.

Grilled leg of lamb with grilled ramps, wild leeks, spring onions and mint pesto at Anteprima--much as I love their food year-round, it is the spring season that I most look forward to there. Charred ramp, spring onions and leeks were almost as meaty tasting as the lamb, and that's definitely not a knock on the lamb which was perfectly cooked and so flavorful. Grilled shrimp with pea tendrils, pea shoots and a preserved lemon aioli and the spaghetti with ramps, spring garlic and crispy bread crumbs were wonderful as well. The ramps in the pasta were melted, similar to a typical leek preparation and oniony sweet in combo with the tangy, bright green garlic. Nothing fancy but food I could eat daily.

Hungarian Sausage from GNR Ream's Elburn Market hot off the smoker. Really great snap to the casing, and plenty of garlic.



Ream's Elburn Market
128 N Main St
Elburn, IL 60119
(630) 365-6461

RAB wrote:The dirty rice from Analogue, notwithstanding having been lovingly transported to the suburbs and reheated by microwave, is the best thing I've eaten lately. I'm still thinking about it the next day.
--Rich

had a so-so dinner here a week ago but this was without a doubt the highlight. best thing i've eaten all year.

G Wiv wrote:Judge me if you must, and I know you will, but.......

Best thing I've eaten Lately. Two juicy spicy crunchy fried chicken thighs from Popeye's with a side of coleslaw.

I'm not proud of this fact, but sweet blue barking dog they hit the proverbial spot.

Perhaps your internal bar wasn't set that high & Popeye's nailed it?

I would believe this happened to me this past weekend.

Mrs Willie & I were driving from Evanston to Lake Zurich, it was lunchtime & Mrs Willie suggested we eat at a Roti Mediterranean Grill. I hadn't been to one of these franchises in some years as normally some of the ingredients are 'off' tasting.

Well sweet blue barking dog if that chicken roti wrap stuffed w/hummus, tahini & a Jerusalem like salad mixture didn't nail it for me.

Laikom's homemade Polish sausage from a family recipe. Mild spicing, coarse grind and the perfect release of fat/flavor/juiciness on the chew. There was also an impossibly subtle brightness, which I initially thought a hint of ground coriander seed, but Matt said it came from a small amount of crushed red pepper in the simmering liquid.

Zatkoff Family Recipe Polish Sausage

A longaniza taco from La Chaparrita. Absolutely outstanding.

But it was a really expensive taco. Sadly, I didn't read the LTH posts carefully (it was a spur-of-moment in-car decision on a beautiful day) and didn't realize that the one salsa in the squeeze bottles had pulverized peanuts in it, to which I am allergic. Once I figured that out at 55/Kedzie, the rest of the evening was far less pleasant. Completely my fault for not asking, I know better with the moles and should have realized to ask.

A turkey sub from Alpine in Elmwood Park. Every ingredient - turkey, provolone, oil, vinegar, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato-- was represented in the perfect amount -- and it was just all-around tasty and incredibly satisfying. Bread was soft and fresh with a nice chew to it. Yum.

Everything at our LTH mothers day celebration was great but the pea pod leaf with garlic was outstanding. This one goes on the "Must Order" list.

zoid wrote:Everything at our LTH mothers day celebration was great but the pea pod leaf with garlic was outstanding. This one goes on the "Must Order" list.

where was this?

LTH - Little Three Happiness.
It's wasn't a board event, that's just where we ate. Sorry for the confusion.

rehorn wrote:A turkey sub from Alpine in Elmwood Park. Every ingredient - turkey, provolone, oil, vinegar, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato-- was represented in the perfect amount -- and it was just all-around tasty and incredibly satisfying. Bread was soft and fresh with a nice chew to it. Yum.

Amen. Minus the mustard, that is.

For me, I had my first Turducken from Big Guy's today. Best thing I've eaten lately. Yup.

The Beer-Can Chicken at Durty Nellie's. So sticky and intoxicating! I gnawed on the bones, which I almost never do. I went home to check the event calendar so I can make an excuse for another trip out there.

The elusive goat ribs at Khan BBQ. I didn't know there was such a thing, but I'm glad there is!

The bread at Cellar Door Provisions. Amazing!

The toast (that's right, the toast) at Kanela Breakfast Club on Wells St. It must be incredibly difficult to make toast, judging by how few places do it right. Kanela's toast is thoroughly toasted so it has a taste and crunch that make you realize there's a reason to toast bread in the first place. Yet stops just shy of burnt.

Fermented black bean agnolotti with sherry butter and pea salad at Blackbird. OMG.

NeroW wrote:Fermented black bean agnolotti with sherry butter and pea salad at Blackbird. OMG.

whoa that sounds good