Joe Gray

19th-century Viennese chef Franz Sacher would be pleased, I think, by the version of his eponymous chocolate cake served at Café Selmarie in Lincoln Square. First, the top of each slice of Sacher torte is decorated with his name, elegantly written in chocolate script. Second, the cake is a real looker: Layers of chocolate cake are mortared with raspberry preserve and chocolate buttercream; the whole thing is then frosted with more buttercream and wrapped in a smooth sheet of bittersweet chocolate — firm enough to be eaten on its own, if you like, with a fork. Third, every bite is delicious. The devil's food cake is firm and pleasant, while the raspberry offers a deep berry counterpoint to all the chocolate. $4.20. 4729 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-989-5595, <a href="http://cafeselmarie.com/" target="_blank">www.cafeselmarie.com</a>. — Bill Daley

Pimm’s and Indian spices refresh in a cooling cocktail at Blue Door Farm Stand

June 3, 2018 at 6:57 a.m.

The sandwich board in front of the recently reopened Blue Door Farm Stand beckons in chalk letters: "Beat the heat with our summer sparkler." The Summer Sparkler does indeed sparkle,...

Go big or go home. Go big by eating the chicken wrapped with bacon on a roll. It's everything you want it to be. Packed with smoky flavor, juicy chicken, savory bacon and a firm bun that holds everything together, it is a win for only four tickets. (Booth 9.) — Erin Ben-Moche

Taste of Chicago 2017 guide: Check out menus, maps, performances, more

June 3, 2018 at 4:25 p.m.

Running July 5-9 in Grant Park, Taste of Chicago returns for its 37th year with more than 60 food vendors, two stages of daily musical acts, five chef-planned dinners, 35...

Chefs at Corridor Brewery mix Gruyere into Belgian waffle batter to make the croque madame waffles.

Croque madame waffles at Corridor Brewery & Provisions

May 2, 2019 at 6:24 p.m.

Though you'll see plenty of waffles with fried chicken, rarely will you see a savory approach to the waffle itself. That's why the croque madame waffles ($12) at Corridor Brewery...

Honey Butter Fried Chicken, now with nachos.

Fried chicken nachos at Honey Butter Fried Chicken

May 2, 2019 at 6:25 p.m.

Honey Butter's nachos are all about balance. Crisp tortilla chips are garnished with fried chicken strips, corn salsa and smooth pimento cheese sauce (housemade with Wisconsin cheddar and pureed pimentos),...

Alexa Welsh and Jake Bickelhaupt of Uptown's 42 Grams, the recipients of two Michelin stars in 2014, and each year since.

42 Grams restaurant announces it’s closing indefinitely

May 2, 2019 at 5:54 p.m.

42 Grams, the intimate Uptown fine-dining restaurant by Jake Bickelhaupt and Alexa Welsh, is closing, according to a Sunday tweet from the restaurant's Twitter account: "We will be closed indefinitely...

Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong

How to make tramezzini, the Italian sandwiches you can’t get here

July 2, 2019 at 8:59 p.m.

A midmorning snack along the street, off the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Soft slices of crust-less white bread stuffed with a mountain of chopped seafood — shrimp, squid, other lovelies...

How to make a jibarito sandwich at home

July 2, 2019 at 8:59 p.m.

Amy Bizzarri, a Chicago-based food and travel writer, includes this recipe for the jibarito in her book "Iconic Chicago Dishes, Drinks and Desserts" (American Palate, $21.99). Said to have been...

Shrimp and grits, crab legs, chicken with waffles for Black Restaurant Week

July 2, 2019 at 8:59 p.m.

Chicago Black Restaurant Week is underway right now, with more than two dozen participating restaurants and other purveyors in Chicago and the surrounding area offering a range of discounts to...

Eat This: Croque madame waffles a satisfying twist on the classic sandwich

June 6, 2018 at 3:59 p.m.

We're seven years into the era of waffleizing (the act of turning about anything but traditional waffle batter into a waffle), yet the sight of a savory waffle on a...

Six wild Burgundian snails are the star of the wood-grilled escargot ($12) at Le Sud. The Roscoe Village restaurant's version of this dish is not hiding in a pool of garlic butter or served in a scalding hot dish. Presented on a skewer, the mollusks are brushed with olive oil infused with herbs de provence before they're grilled, absorbing a delicate smoky flavor that lingers in your mouth. Tender and buttery, the snails are served with a few generous pats of herb butter that melt, adding another layer of fragrance and lusciousness. A side of green salad dressed with olive oil, lemon and salt provides a bright contrast to the skewer and a hearty country bread serves as a foundation for assembling a makeshift toast point. The portion is small, so make your dining companions order their own. $12. 2301 W. Roscoe St., 773-857-1985, <a href="https://lesudchicago.com/">lesudchicago.com</a> — Grace Wong

Can you eat it all? Finding a single serving size that’s just right

May 2, 2019 at 6:03 p.m.

Can I eat a whole pizza? Or should we split it? "It's dinner plate-sized," comes the server's response in the hip new pizzeria. Or: "It's about so big," says the...

All Stories