December 12, 2007

Hot Chocolate

Hot ChocolateOne of my favorite dishes of the season is potato latkes. These shallow-fried cakes of grated potato can be topped with anything from sour cream to applesauce, and are commonly associated with Eastern European and Jewish cuisine. Chef Mindy Segal from Hot Chocolate loves them too, but despite all her culinary expertise, she'll still admit that she just can't make them as good as Mom does. So when she decided to put latkes on the menu in honor of Hanukkah, her mother stopped by to train the kitchen staff herself.

Hot ChocolateBe sure to grab these Mom-inspired latkes while you can though; usually the lunch/dinner menu here changes on nearly a weekly basis. And while the entrees are delicious, most patrons stop here for the desserts. The d'cor only adds to the cravings, featuring chocolate-colored walls, hardwood floors, and light fixtures. You may find yourself inspired to try the warm chocolate souffl' tart with salted caramel ice cream and pretzels or the fudge brownie served with a shaken iced hot chocolate chaser. The restaurant's namesake is served a multitude of ways, including light, medium, dark, 'black & tan,' 'half & half,' and mint! There're plenty of non-chocolate items too, including banana cream pie, cr'me brulee, and strawberry and rhubarb.

As we delve deeper into the unforgiving Chicago winter, a little Hot Chocolate may be exactly what you need. And bring Mom along too.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) m.sobota, ndg

Hot Chocolate ($): 1747 N Damen Ave; 773-489-1747
Brunch
Sat ' Sun: 10:00 a.m. ' 2:00 p.m.
Lunch
Tues ' Sun: 11:30 a.m. ' 3:00 p.m.
Dinner/Dessert
Tues ' Weds, Sun: 5:30 p.m. ' 10:00 p.m.
Thurs: 5:30 p.m. ' 11:00 p.m.
Fri ' Sat: 5:30 p.m. ' 12 midnight
Street parking difficult
Public trans: Bus # 50, 56, 72 or Blue Line train (Damen)
http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/

3 comments

3 comments to Hot Chocolate

  1. Grace
    January 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

    [...] shoes better than you know your friends, check out the new boutique on Damen Avenue, just north of Hot Chocolate: [...]

  2. Stitch
    February 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pm

    [...] Some moms save everything. Book reports, baby teeth, art projects' but if your little Picasso's creations are starting to wallpaper your refrigerator, it may be time to talk to Susan Fleming at Stitch (just south of Hot Chocolate). [...]

  3. "Top Chef: Chicago" Learns to Improvise
    April 28th, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    [...] Hot Chocolate [...]

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