For foodies who travel.
| Quora Contributor · July 23, 2014 |
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Charmin & Antoine Members are the founders of Chicago Under-the-Radar Food Tours, the city’s first Citywide Food & Neighborhood Walking Tour company that goes beyond the touristy areas to help visitors and locals experience the true spirit of Chicago’s neighborhoods and local cuisine. Their wedding took place in Franschhoek, a town in South Africa’s Western Cape Wineland Region, which is rightfully known as one of the best food capitals of the world. It was their culinary and cultural experiences in South Africa that inspired them to start a food tour business in their own city.
Nicknamed the ‘city of neighborhoods’ for very good reasons, Chicago is divided into 77 well-defined community areas, with one or more not so well defined neighborhoods in each. Each neighborhood has its own unique vibe and some have ethnic enclaves with expats from all over the world, many of which have opened their own restaurants making it possible to eat your way around the world in one day. Chicago has a neighborhood for every type of foodie traveler, making it hard to narrow it down to just a few recommendations.
For the foodie who appreciates quaint streets and long beer lists in a relaxed environment, we recommend Northside Lincoln Square. Roughly 10 miles from downtown and easily accessible, Lincoln Square is Chicago’s Germantown. We feature Germantown on one of our unFood Tours, and our knowledgeable tour guides are happy to recommend restaurants in the area for you to visit after the tour.
We absolutely love our neighborhood, the West Loop, and it is where we launched our very first food tour! While the West Loop is not so under the radar these days, it has only recently exploded and has some of the best restaurants in the city. If you are a foodie traveler who prefers to stay near the downtown core and still eat among locals at some of the best locally owned restaurants, West Loop is a foodies’ paradise less than 2 miles from the downtown core. Beyond that, you would be hard pressed to find a restaurant with less than stellar service and delicious food, so you can’t go wrong here.
About 7 miles southwest of downtown sits Little Village which is also worthy of a visit, particularly if you are a foodie who loves authentic Mexican cuisine, as the area has very strong Mexican cultural roots. The neighborhood is also decorated with some of the most vibrant public street art you’ll ever see. You will not only eat good authentic Mexican food, but also encounter friendly people, and find unique places to shop when you visit Little Village.
Much further south is lovely Beverly, which is our recommendation for the active foodie looking for a quiet and scenic neighborhood to walk around in that shows how sprawling this city is. Nicknamed the Beverly Hills of Chicago, the 15-mile trek from downtown is well worth it to see the city’s only Castle. We are pretty sure many of our visitors miss seeing the tree-lined streets and stately homes this area has to offer. In addition to being arguably the most scenic area in the city, Beverly also happens to be home to some really good eats and a local brew pub. Look out for our unFood Tour of Beverly coming soon, and be sure to bring your camera!
Are you kidding me? Of course! You can find fun things to do and great food to eat any day of the year in Chicago, but there are annual events that foodies will definitely appreciate. The Cinco de Mayo Festival in Little Village is a fantastic way to learn more about Mexican culture, enjoy live music, and sample a variety of authentic Mexican cuisine. We are putting together a Tacos & Tequila pop up Food Tour for those who want to add even more food and fun to their Cinco de Mayo celebration! The Cinco de Mayo festival is the (unofficial) kickoff to our summer festival season.
From May through October there are many festivals throughout the city. I must admit this one is not at all under the radar, but I would be remiss not to mention the Taste of Chicago, which is the World’s largest food festival, and the largest festival in Chicago! The Taste (as us locals call it) is held for five days in July at Grant Park – known as Chicago’s front lawn – and is a great way to enjoy views of Lake Michigan and the City’s skyline while taking a self-guided food tour. A neighborhood version of the Taste of Chicago is West Loop’s Taste of Randolph Street where you can enjoy live music and hang with the locals while tasting your way along the City’s ‘Restaurant Row’. Fairly new to the scene is James Beard Eats Week in April where nearly 100 restaurants offer a week of off the menu specials. You can also enjoy 3-4 course Prix Fixe meal deals starting from $22 per person for lunch, and $33 for dinner during our Restaurant Week in January.
People can expect to experience Chicago’s local vibe while sampling 5-7 delicious tastings at some of the City’s best locally owned restaurants that don’t get nearly the amount of hype they deserve. We understand the desire to try Chicago staples, but we want to show visitors that there is much more to our culinary scene than deep dish pizza and hotdogs. Having said that, we are happy to point you in the right direction to try those too. Since Chicago is so big and we offer tours throughout the city, local Chicagoans enjoy our tours as well. Unlike most food tour companies, our group food tours max out at 12 seats, so people will have a more personalized experience. We’ve been on food tours where we felt herded along and unable to engage with our guide, and we don’t want anyone to experience that on our tours. Also, most of our stops include a seat at the table so there are breaks between the walking and an opportunity to relax and actually be served. Last but certainly not least, people can expect excellent service at the restaurants they visit and from our tour guides. Our local guides know the city well and are passionate about sharing the rich history, culture, and architecture of the area as well as share fun food facts.
Yes, all the time! Food markets and food halls with multiple vendors are growing in popularity. Our favorite is the French Market, a European market and food hall combined. It has more than 30 locally owned food stalls to choose from for a quick lunch or dinner on the way home, and grocery items to conveniently grab on your way home from work to make dinner at home. Some of my favorites there are Saigon Sisters, Delightful Pastries, Pastoral, and Black Dog Gelato. While this market has been around for awhile, the city has 6 others, and a new one is in the works for later this year. We feature the French Market in our West Loop Food Tour.
Communal dining isn’t necessarily a new concept here, but it continues to grow in popularity, which tells us that diners are receptive to dining with strangers and like the social interaction. We love this because our food tours are about bringing people together! Whether you are a visitor or local Chicagoan, we want you to eat well, enjoy yourself, and feel part of a community.
We’ve also noticed a growing appreciation for more authentic ethnic food. To help meet this desire, our food tours include stops at restaurants owned and operated by people from various regions around the world! Our Around The World Food Tour includes 8-10 food and beverage samplings representing all 5 regions of the world. We travel as often as we can in order to have a better idea of what the traditional food is in various countries. Our most recent trip was to Mexico (been to a few cities in MX, actually). This time while we were there we ate traditional Yucatecan food in Merida, like delicious cochinita pibil, and we found the best tacos al pastor we’ve ever had at a random food cart on the streets of Playa del Carmen. We are excited to showcase the most authentic Mexican street food in Chicago on our Little Village Food Tours starting this May. Our next trip is Cuba, which just may inspire a new food tour or pop up event! Stay tuned…
The evolution of Spiaggia began in January of 2014 as construction started in the dining room that, when completed, will afford guests the opportunity to experience Spiaggia more than before.
Here’s what guests can expect when Spiaggia re-opens in late spring 2014:
Acclaimed designer Mark Knauer of Chicago-based Knauer, Inc., has been tapped to lead the design and construction process. Tony knew Mark was the perfect fit for the project as Mark was on the team that original designed Spiaggia when it opened in 1984. During the ReImagination, Cafe Spiaggia remains open for lunch and dinner daily and Spiaggia Private Events, which is one floor above Spiaggia, continues to host intimate corporate and social functions and larger cocktail receptions, weddings and celebrations.
Most often recognized as one of the Champions on season two of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Chef Tony Mantuano is also internationally regarded as an influential culinary force. He is the chef/partner at Spiaggia, one of the country’s leading restaurants and Chicago’s only four-star Italian restaurant, and has been awarded the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Midwest.
Mantuano’s love for creating exciting restaurant concepts has given way to other ventures. In addition to Spiaggia, his latest is chef/partner of Lorenzo, a casual elegant Italian restaurant in Miami adjacent to the Redbury South Beach Hotel that opened in November 2013. He is also Chef/Partner at Bar Toma, a long-time dream to create an Italian neighborhood pizzeria and bar; chef/partner at Terzo Piano, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that utilizes fresh, local, organic ingredients to create seasonal menus at The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago; and he is the co-owner of his family’s Mangia Trattoria, a classic Italian restaurant in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Up next for Mantuano includes River Roast his first non-Italian restaurant in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Set to open early summer 2014, the restaurant will be a lively social house and gathering place featuring handcrafted, yet rustic, food with many plates designed for sharing. The menu features contemporary American tavern fare and will focus on dramatic presentations of whole roasted chicken, which is cold smoked and then roasted to perfection in a specially-designed oven; whole roasted de-boned fish prepared in a tandoor oven and slow-cooked roast beef; all carved tableside and served with signature French fries. 2014 also marks Spiaggia’s 30th anniversary and to celebrate the occasion the dining room is undergoing a complete redesign and to be unveiled in late spring.
Mantuano’s first cookbook The Spiaggia Cookbook: Eleganza Italiana in Cucina was lauded by Food & Wine magazine as one of the top 25 cookbooks of 2004. In 2008 Mantuano co-authored Wine Bar Food: Mediterranean Flavors to Crave with Wines to Match with wine expert and wife Cathy Mantuano, which has been the inspiration for WINE BAR FOOD outposts at the 2008-2013 US Open Tennis Championships in New York.
In addition to his 2005 honor, Mantuano’s Spiaggia has also received James Beard Award nominations for Outstanding Restaurant in America in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2013, and for Outstanding Service in 2008, 2009, 2012. In September 2012 he was named part of the American Chef Corps and a 2012 State Chef by the U.S. Department of State and its new Culinary Diplomatic Partnership program. However, his favorite award was presented in April 2009, when he and Cathy Mantuano were honored with the keys to San Martino in the Italian region of Molise for serving authentic Italian cuisine in America and in particular to President Barak Obama, a long-time Spiaggia guest who celebrated his presidential election victory at Spiaggia in 2008.
Originally from Philadelphia, Chris Marchino has called Chicago home since 2006. In addition to a B.A. in sociology from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, Marchino has an associate’s degree in culinary arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Le Cordon Bleu. He has also lived and travelled extensively in West and Southern Africa while working for CARE International on famine relief and social service projects. After helping open D’Allesandro’s in Charleston, South Carolina, Marchino made the career decision to become a chef. Since joining Spiaggia in 2008, he has worked his way up the ranks from line cook to his current position as executive chef, which he was named in January 2014. In the spring of 2012 while serving as executive sous chef he was named a Zagat Chicago 30 Under 30 recipient.
Despite cooking Italian for almost 10 years, Marchino made his very first trip to Italy in May 2012 where he learned all he could from chefs, producers and vintners in Tuscany. Marchino’s passion for Italian cuisine stems from his love of fresh and local ingredients, and his personal broad-spectrum enjoyment of foods, ranging from street food to fine dining. He returned to Italy in January 2014 for a three week trip around the country where he cooked in various kitchens in Rome, Florence, Venice and more. He plans to use what he learned towards the reImagined Spiaggia that will debut in late spring 2014.
Content provided courtesy of DJS Hospitality Consulting
Blackbird in Chicago is honored to have two of their chefs acknowledged with James Beard Award Nominations. Chef de Cuisine David Posey is a finalist for the 2014 Rising Star Chef Award. Chef Dana Cree is a finalist for the 2014 Oustanding Pastry Chef award.
Blackbird 619 West Randolph, Chicago, IL 312.715.0708 www.blackbirdrestaurant.com
Blackbird Chef de Cuisine David Posey
Chef David Posey’s first attempt at cooking came at the age of ten, when he began experimenting under the guidance of his mother. “I was a little chubby kid, so I wanted to learn how to make my own snacks,” he says. Growing up, the California native was drawn to the creative aspects of cooking and music, spending time in and out of school pursuing both.
With his mother’s encouragement, Posey took a kitchen job at a local restaurant during his sophomore year in high school. Although pay was minimal, Posey enjoyed theresponsibility and pressure, eventually working his way into to a full-time position. The experience was pivotal, as it cemented his interest the in culinary field.
After high school, Posey attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. His introduction to Chicago came via an externship at Trio, where Posey worked under then-Executive Chef Grant Achatz, who he credits for instilling an attention to detail. Drawn to Achatz’ boundary-pushing cuisine, Posey returned to Chicago to work at Alinea, where he held positions in pastry and as Garde Manger.
In 2007, Posey left Alinea for Blackbird. Starting as a line cook, Posey worked his way through each kitchen position, becoming Chef de Cuisine in 2011. Nominated for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2013, Posey has come into his own as Blackbird’s Chef de Cuisine using simple farm-fresh ingredients and cutting-edge culinary technology to create a menu both highly creative and utterly approachable.
Pastry Chef Dana Cree
A Seattle native, Dana Cree began her culinary journey in 2000, studying at The Art Institute of Seattle. Cree first worked in the savory side of the kitchen for three years at Seattle’s Lampreia, before heeding her pastry calling. After a lengthy stage at The Fat Duck, in Bray, England, in early 2005, Cree returned to Seattle and assumed the role of Pastry Chef at Eva. There she honed her flavor-focused and detail oriented style.
Cree spent several highly influential weeks staging with Alex Stupak at WD-50, in New York. Upon returning to Seattle, she took the helm at Veil. It was there that she explored modernist technique in a fine dining setting, putting to use lessons learned at WD-50 and The Fat Duck.
When Veil closed in 2008, Cree joined the opening team at Poppy. There she continued to refine and focus her concepts, crafting exciting accessible plates, fit for the high-volume setting. Her work at Poppy earned her recognition from StarChefs, who presented her with a Rising Star award in 2009.
Cree left Seattle in 2010, and after a stage at Noma, in Copenhagen, she returned to the States to work at Alinea in Chicago. There she learned to push the boundaries of possibility. Later that year Cree found herself back in Denmark as the Pastry Chef at Kadeau restaurant, on the island of Bornholm. There she immersed herself in Baltic products, and a New Nordic minimalist style.
When Kadeau closed for the harsh Scandinavian winter, Cree returned to the States,positioning herself under the tutelage of Sherry Yard at Spago Beverly Hills. There she revisited classic techniques, and learned to foster strong relationships with area farmers.
Cree returned to Chicago in 2012, where she now draws on her broad range of experiences as the Pastry Chef at Blackbird and avec. Nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2014, her thoughtful, nuanced and resoundingly delicious desserts perfectly culminate the divergent dining experiences of both restaurants.
Content Courtesy of One Off Hospitality
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