David Hammond

David Hammond is a freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune.

Brad and Kristina Vancil dine on cheese fondue at Geja’s Cafe in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood on Sept. 4, 2025. Geja’s turns 60 this year. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Geja’s celebrates 60 years of candle-lit romance and lots of cheese

September 15, 2025 at 9:15 a.m.

Tucked a few steps below street level, Geja’s Cafe surrounds guests in cocoon-like intimacy, where flamenco or classical guitarists serenade softly and candlelight trembles on tables, creating an atmosphere at...

Salvador Martinez shows off the flaming cheese saganaki dish at the Parthenon restaurant in Greektown on Feb. 11, 2014. At rear are diners Jennifer Price and James Petenes. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago fire: Flaming saganaki sparks interest worldwide decades after its Greektown origin

June 10, 2025 at 12:56 p.m.

In Chicago, the dish is a ritual. It's dramatic, it’s delicious, and — let’s be honest — it’s also a little absurd in the best possible way.

Pan-fried periodical cicadas, harvested just after molting, are served on June 4, 2021, in Hyattsville, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

You may not be able to escape cicadas — but you can eat them

May 13, 2024 at 3:55 p.m.

Consider sampling what could be the hyper-local food of the future, soon to be crawling up a tree near you.

The exterior of Ladner Bros. on Madison Street in downtown Chicago, the "Home of Cohasset Punch," in 1957.

Want to party like it’s 1899? One Chicagoan is working to revive Cohasset Punch liqueur

January 12, 2024 at 4:20 p.m.

In mid-20th-century Chicago, walking along the 200 block of West Madison Street, you could not help but notice the big sign with the colorful neon lighthouse and the words "Home...

Kyuraman, with restaurants in Japan and New York, has opened its first Illinois eatery in Oak Park. These are some of the condiments.

Oak Park gets first Kyuramen restaurant in Illinois: ‘it’s all about the ramen’

April 23, 2022 at 4:59 p.m.

Kyuramen, a ramen franchise with more than 120 locations in the U.S. and Japan, has opened its first Illinois restaurant in Oak Park at 118 N. Marion. It has been...

Roc Salerno works on making a Mother-In-Law tamale on a bun, which will be topped with chili, relish, onion, cucumber, tomato and celery salt at Fat Johnnie's Famous Red Hots.

Chicago corn roll tamales: not awesome, perhaps, but uniquely ours

March 12, 2024 at 12:07 p.m.

Served straight from metal steamers at Italian beef and hot dog stands across the city, corn roll tamales were invented in Chicago. Though perhaps not all that awesome, the corn...

Mixing water into raki turns the spirit cloudy and also tames its spice, making it a good companion to pair with mezes, or appetizers. An ice cube or two can also be added.

Why raki, the anise-flavored spirit of Turkey, becomes a party

November 13, 2019 at 12:23 p.m.

Raki, the Turkish national drink, is a clear brandy made of distilled grapes, flavored with anise. It has the licorice-y taste of ouzo and sambuca, and as with the Greek...

An ancient stone representation of an Aztec skull rack is on display at Mexico City's museum of the Templo Mayor, the double-headed pyramid that stood in the center of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.

Celebrating Day of the Dead — and an eternal fascination with skeletons — in Mexico City

October 16, 2019 at 2:07 p.m.

During last year's Day of the Dead celebrations, a vibrant pageant of skeletal forms stretches along the wide avenue of Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma. Señoritas wearing huge skull...

Whisky barrels are stacked at a distillery on the island of Islay, which is known for its briny Scotch. One distiller says the salty air of Islay interacts with the barrels, which then impart flavor to the spirits.

Can Scotch have terroir, like wine? Breaking down effects of grain, water, peat and barrels

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

Maybe you’ve had this sensation: You’re sipping Scotch whisky, and you suddenly pick up a strong sense for the spirit’s place of origin. You believe you taste the earthiness of...

A single malt Scotch whisky is not necessarily better than a blended one. Blends enable "drinkers to experience a complex array of aromas and flavors crafted by expertly blending together single malt and grain whiskies," says Tristan Campbell.

5 things to know about buying Scotch whisky that you probably got wrong

May 31, 2019 at 9:01 p.m.

It’s the season for a warming dram of scotch, but if you’re unfamiliar with the storied spirit, the thousands of brands might be a bit off-putting. So here are some...

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