Joseph Hernandez

Besides classic and proprietary cocktails, groups can order dramatic looking punches, like the Treasure Island, from a large format cocktail menu. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

The Darling bringing cocktails, Vaudeville-style acts to West Loop

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

Randolph Street’s so-called Restaurant Row has had its fair share of ups and downs the last few years. Construction along the bustling corridor seems perpetual, and McDonald’s HQ has moved...

Nik Sharma's apple masala chai cake, from "Season."

Queer as apple pie: 2 cookbooks, 2 apple recipes, and defining ‘queer food’

March 12, 2024 at 12:14 p.m.

In the queer community, the idea of chosen family is a powerful notion. In a community where 39 percent of LGBTQIA-identifying folks reported they had experienced rejection from family and...

Chef and co-owner of HaiSous Vietnamese kitchen Thai Dang prepares a grilled lobster dish in the kitchen of the restaurant in 2017.

Halloween post from HaiSous chef Thai Dang courts community backlash

May 31, 2019 at 9:04 p.m.

Gentrification conversations in Pilsen have been renewed in response to an Instagram Story post by HaiSous chef/owner Thai Dang. In that Story, which deleted automatically after 24 hours but is...

A simple spritz with flavors of fall, the no-fuss wine spritz is made with muscadet, an aronia berry liqueur from Apologue, Angostura bitters, sparkling water and an orange twist.

Life’s too short to worry about complicated cocktails. Try this easy autumnal spritz

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

There’s a trend in home cocktailing eschewing fancy ingredients, complicated syrups and homemade tinctures. Call it an embrace of Italian sprezzatura, coined by sixteenth century author Baldassare Castiglione in “The...

Sneak peek at The Darling, the cool-whimsical bar transforming the former Won Fun space

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

The Darling is getting ready for its debut. The in-construction restaurant-bar concept, which was first reported by Eater, is taking over the former Won Fun/2Fun space, which closed last year....

Derrick Westbrook, left, who until recently, led wine tastings every Thursday at Hyde Park's 57th Street Wines.

How one Chicago sommelier seeks out ‘hip-hop’ wines: ‘If it ain’t yummy, it ain’t flyin’ ‘

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

Decked out in a navy suit, geometric pocket square and matching cap, white sneakers and headphones, Derrick Westbrook looks cool as a cucumber as he dramatically flourishes a glass of...

In the letter, 19 sommeliers who passed the 2018 exam wrote that the decision to strip their titles "was done in haste and did not follow appropriate due process."

Sommeliers push back at decision to strip ‘master’ titles after incident of cheating

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

After revelations of cheating led the country’s most prestigious wine industry certification body to invalidate the 2018 master sommeliers tasting exams, the somms are pushing back. In case you missed...

Ina Garten wants you to cook like a pro, but have fun doing it

March 12, 2024 at 12:14 p.m.

Ina Garten is at it again. The doyenne of simple luxury and luxurious simplicity has published her newest cookbook, “Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks” (Clarkson...

On Tuesday, 23 of 24 new candidates for the Master Sommelier examinations were stripped of their certifications after the Court of Master Sommeliers discovered cheating during 2018's tasting portion of the exam.

Scandal in wine world: 23 new Master Sommeliers stripped of titles after cheating discovered

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

The wine world was shaken, not swirled, when scandal broke out Tuesday afternoon. In a letter sent out Tuesday, titled “Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas Board of Directors Takes Unanimous...

The namesake sandwich by Matt's Veal Parm is an underground treat served up in a secret Chicago apartment.

October is your chance to snag an epic sandwich from Matt’s Veal Parm

May 31, 2019 at 9:04 p.m.

It starts with an Instagram message telling you to head to a secret location in Wicker Park. You get there and wonder where exactly you are — a quiet residential...

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