The Chicago Traveler

This season of the Bravo network’s Top Chef was filmed here in Chicago, exposing competing chefs from all over the country to all the culinary treats the Windy City has to offer.
This week’s Quickfire challenge required each of the chefs to create a taco dish that was suitable for fine dining. Along with earning its creator immunity in the following Elimination challenge, the winning dish was placed on the menu at Rick Bayless’ restaurant, Topolobampo. Sure, it may sound funny, but the flavors here are amazing. You can read more about it and its sister restaurant in my post: Frontera …read more

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Anyone who’s interested in food knows about Rick Bayless, Chicago’s own celebrity chef. Specializing in Mexican cuisine, he is known for countless cookbooks, his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time, and two great restaurants here in Chicago: Frontera Grill and Topolobampo.
The two restaurants share the same building and bar and have a hip, colorful atmosphere. Both offer some of the best Mexican food you’ll ever have. For a more casual feel, try Frontera Grill. Just remember, Frontera takes a limited amount of reservations for all sizes. So, more than likely, you’ll be in for a long wait at …read more

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• Sip on specially-priced $29 bottles of wine from past leap years (2000 and 2004) at the Leap Year Dinner at Café Matou. (Feb 29)
• Shane Salois of Cream Wine Company and sommelier Rashed Islam lead a tasting of more than 12 champagnes with appetizer pairings at the Leap Year Champagne Seminar at Viet Bistro. (Feb 29)
• At the Leap Year Celebration at Zocalo, get a flan dessert for $2.29 (in honor of the day 2/29) plus half-price appetizers and live music in the bar. (Feb 29)
• The Leap Year Celebration at Café Penelope features buffalo frog legs, “frog’s leap” …read more

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It’s time to say good-bye to 2007. The year has treated me very well. I moved to a new apartment, did some traveling, and, best of all, began writing The Chicago Traveler! Many thanks to Mary Jo and everyone at b5media who has been so welcoming and helpful.
Even though The Chicago Traveler is only a few months old, let’s take a look back at the ten most popular articles of this year.
10. Abegweit. Resting peacefully on Lake Michigan, this beautiful ship was once the most powerful icebreaker in the world.
9. Let’s Boogie Records & Tapes. This music store on the …read more

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• Alinea: Chef Grant Achataz is the frontrunner of progressive cuisine. The word “unique” doesn’t even begin to describe his dishes… many of which don’t even come on a dish! He’ll be presenting his cuisine at two seatings. The first seating offers a ten-course meal; the second offers 15 courses and a champagne toast. Wine pairings are also available. Reservations required. Jackets recommended, jeans not allowed. (5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., $175-$250) (map) (link)
• Salud Tequila Lounge: This popular spot has about 85 different tequilas to choose from, available straight or in a margarita. They’ll …read more

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¡Salpicón! in Old Town (a little more than a block south of Wildflowers) is decorated with bright yellow and blue walls and pink-and-white tablecloths, but customers are attracted to this high-end Mexican eatery for more than its colorful atmosphere. In fact, this small yet upscale restaurant is often filled to the brim with fans of owner Priscila Satkoff’s culinary skills, so reservations are certainly recommended.
So what’s all the hubbub about? The word “salpicón” is a conjugation of the word “salpicar,” meaning “to splash,” so let’s start off with a drink. The horseshoe-shaped bar pours out margaritas, cervezas, wine, and over …read more

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The bar known as evilOlive looks great, both backward and forward. That’s because evilOlive is a palindrome, meaning it reads the same no matter which direction you read it. The name was inspired by the fact that the building’s street number (1551) is also a palindrome.

Less formal than other martini bars, patrons are relaxed and casual beneath the white-draped ceilings. They can enjoy cleverly-named drinks like Dr. Awkward and Yo Banana Boy (both of which are also palindromes) or take a shot of premium silver tequila with a flaming “evil olive” resting on top. The bar serves olives hand-stuffed with …read more

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