WOW!!!! What a game, Hawks up 2-0!!!

WOW!!!!! Do you believe in miracles?

Save Niemi!!!!!!

Congrats Shades of '61

Way to go Big Buff!!!

Dustin Byfuglien celebrates his OT goal.

3-0 Lead

Alexei Ramirez Does Basically Live at Cafeteria y Restaurante de Pancho

In non-scandalous food news reporting by the Sun Times this morning, Lisa Donavon followed White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez around to his favorite Cuban spot in town, Cafeteria y Restaurante de Pancho. The Cuban-born player said he had to make sure there was a place in town where he could get arroz y habichuelas (rice with creamy black beans), like he used to have back home. It's a cute story, but we weren't sure how much we believed the claim that a White Sox player just hangs out at a humble Logan Square restaurant on his off time. For lunch today we decided to stop by and see if there were was any truth to this. Sure enough, sitting in the first table on the right was Alexei Ramirez. Oh, and those arroz y habichuelas? They were tasty.

2200 North California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647-2904(773) 384-1865‎

Happy 64th Birthday!!!! R.I.P. Anybody Want A Peanut

The Eighth Wonder of the World

Move over Bannerman!!!!!

Hawks 4-2!!!! To take a 2-0 lead coming home. Let's go boys.

Happy 67th Birthday!!!!

The First ECW Heavyweight Champion

http://www.jimmysnuka.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Snuka

Memphis in May: Barbecue Competition

Tuffy of Cool Smoke won 1st place in Shoulder


There were 254 teams competing for the title of Grand Champion of the 2010 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and in the end, it was Yazoo's Delta Q that took home the trophy after winning first place in the whole hog category.
"Hog is the hardest thing to cook and get right," said Pete Cookston of Nesbit, Miss. "It's just doing it again and again, and you get it right."


Memphis in May 2010 Finalists
Grand Champion: Yazoo's Delta Q
Shoulder

1. Cool Smoke, (Richmond, VA)

2. Rebel Roaster Revue (Memphis, TN)

3. Sweet Swine o' Mine (Memphis, TN)
Whole Hog

1. Yazoo's Delta Q (Nesbit, MS)

2. 10 Bones BBQ (Olive Branch, MS)

3. The Shed BBQ and Blues Joint (Ocean Springs, MS)
Ribs

1. Natural Born Grillers (Southaven, MS)

2. Sofa King Smokers (Madison MS)

3. Prime Time BBQ (Eureka, MO)
Patio Porkers (Open Contest for First-Time Competitors)

1. Lord of the Swine (Marion, AR)

2. Here for the Beer (Little Rock, AR)

3. Hoof Hearted (Millington, TN)

Read more: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/memphis-in-may-2010-world-barbecue-championship-bbq-results.html#ixzz0oHYJOnfK

Great outdoor spots

Cheif O'Neill's should be higher on this list

Hey the weather’s looking up! This week promises temps in the 70s, so we’re revved for some al fresco dining. Forthwith, our picks for great outdoor spots.Let us know your faves.

1. Piccolo Sogno (464 N. Halsted St.) for the lovely Italian garden

2. Rooftop at the Wit for the Loop view and small-plate snacks.

3. Cyrano’s on the River (233 Lower Wacker Dr.) for yacht-watching

4. Rockit Bar & Grill (22 W. Hubbard St.) for the scene

5. The Gage (24 S. Michigan Ave.) or the full beans-to-black-pudding Irish breakfast with Millennium Park arrayed before you.

6. Terzo Piano at the Art Institute (159 E. Monroe St.) for the art.
7. Palmer Place, (56 S. La Grange Rd., La Grange) for two levels of seating, lots of brews and mighty fine burgers.

8. Jacky's on Prairie (2445 Prairie Ave., Evanston) Romantic, with black iron tables and solid roast chickens.

9. Chief O'Neil's (3471 North Elston Ave.) for its large urban beer garden

10. Shanghai Terrace (8 E. Superior St.) for over-the-top Michigan Avenue view.

Metal icon Ronnie James Dio dead at 67

At least I saw "The Man" before he died. Like I say I have to see them once before they die.

R.I.P..........HOLY DIVER!!!!!!

For someone who always seemed to be just off to the side of the biggest stages rock music can provide, the late Ronnie James Dio certainly seemed to inspire a lot of affection. He's best known, perhaps, for working alongside musicians much better known than him, usually when those musicians appeared to have past the peak of their own success. So he joined Richie Blackmore in Rainbow after Blackmore had departed Deep Purple. After three albums with Rainbow he replaced Ozzy Osborne in Black Sabbath, staying with them for two studio records before heading off to front his own band, Dio. In recent years there had been a reunion with Sabbath, though under the name Heaven and Hell, to avoid confusion with the Osborne-fronted Sabbath that was also touring.
So far, so upper-to-middling a rock career. But Dio was more than just a travelling vocal troubleshooter to heavy rock fans. For a start, he had one of the definitive hard rock voices, a rich baritone that could rise through the octaves. He didn't blur or spit his words, so you could hear everything he sang, which was crucial to his appeal. That's because Dio perfected what many people see as the template of hard rock lyricism – lots of swords, sorcery, wizards in towers, men on silver mounains, kings to be killed. It wasn't subtle, but Dio communicated as clearly with fans who read Stephen R Donaldson and Frank Herbert epics as Morrissey did with those who were watching kitchen sink dramas. It made him easy to parody – our band at school, 25 years ago, had a song that began "In a mystical time/ before reason and rhyme/ When the blood stained the axe and the fire", which was a result of too much time spent listening to the first Dio album, Holy Diver. Jack's Black Tenacious D acknowledged the same feelings – a mixture of mockery, affection and slightly ashamed admiration – 20 years later, writing a song called, simply, Dio.
So there's the voice, the lyrics, but there's something else, too, that places Dio in exalted position in the great throne room of metal: his use of his index and fourth fingers. It was Dio who brought to hard rock the devil's horns, the international symbol of all thing's rockular, a symbol understood across the world and across generations. The sign of the devil's horns is a physical Esperanto more easily understood than any other gesture save, perhaps, the raised middle finger. To have brought that to the world is one of those ludicrous but absolutely endearing and enduring achievements that only metal can really manage.
If it sounds like I'm having a laugh at Dio's expense, I'm not. Because above and beyond those things, Dio sang on some extraordinary and unforgettable songs. Stargazer, by Rainbow, is for my money better than Led Zeppelin's Kashmir, a great song itself but overshadowed by the preposterousness of Dio's and Blackmore's vision. His presence reinvigorated Black Sabbath into producing their best work in years – the likes of Heaven and Hell, Neon Knights and The Mob Rules stand as equal to anything from the Ozzy years.

Happy Belated 57th Birthday!!!!

Two time WWF Intercontinental Champion

Burt Reynolds On USA's Burn Notice

Actor Burt Reynolds hasn't been seen around town in Hollywood lately, but, he's set to be back in action as he kicks off with Michael Westen in USA's hit series 'Burn Notice'. According to sources at CW.com Burt Reynolds will play Paul Anderson; a "legendary operative now retired and cast out from the CIA. Things have not gone well for him since he left the spy service," explains series creator Matt Nix to EW.com. "He's now working as a bartender under an assumed name and he gets into trouble with some very nasty Russian guys." "He's not precisely like Michael," Nix continued. "He's Michael should Michael succumb to some of the demons that haunt ex-spies."
Burt Reynolds' episode should be airing sometime after the premiere, set to launch June 3rd.

Blackhawks close out CSN coverage in style

BULL!!!!!!!!!! Stupid Versus & NBC!!!!!! Pat Foley will be missed.

Moving on to a conference final match-up against the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks leave behind more than just Vancouver. Tuesday's Game 6 second-round playoff victory also takes them away from Comcast SportsNet Chicago, which has enjoyed an unprecedented surge in hockey-fueled viewership. Tuesday's 5-1 clincher against the Canucks was the Hawks' second-highest rated game ever on the team's cable home, which is partly owned by the Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox and Bulls. It averaged a 9.93 household rating, which translates to roughly 347,600 homes, surpassed only by the 10.14 household rating for Game 3 of the Hawks-Canucks series six nights earlier.More impressive, perhaps, is the fact that the Blackhawks' last five games on CSN, dating back to the first-round clincher against Nashville on April 26, now account for the five most-watched programs in the channel's 5 1/2 year history, ahead of anything featuring the Cubs, White Sox or Bulls.Comcast SportsNet Chicago will continue to do postgame shows going forward for the remainder of the hockey postseason. But the conference finals and, should the Hawks advance, the Stanley Cup championship series are available only through the NHL's TV partners, Versus and NBC. (Click here to see where Versus is available in your area.)

Harold's lovers now you have to be careful of what you eat

A Harold's Chicken Shack at 7158 S. Western Ave. in the South Side was closed because of an infestation of mice.

Eh! Hawks advance to Western Conference finals

Brent Sopel and Antti Niemi celebrate their 5-1 victory

Don't mess with Skilling!!!

WGN-TV chief meteorologist Tom Skilling tries to capture the forming funnel cloud on his phone while driving on Hwy 11 near town of Wakita, Grand County, Oklahoma, Monday. Wakita is where the movie "Twister" filmed their F4 tornado devastation.

http://www.chicagoweathercenter.com/severe/stormchase/

World's Largest Hamburger Contender from Canada Weighed In at 590 Pounds

What leave it up to the Damn Canucks for this. What is our world turning into?????

Yesterday afternoon Canadian chef Ted Reader made a 590-pound burger in downtown Toronto in an attempt to bread the Guinness World Record for Largest Hamburger, reports the Toronto Sun. The record is currently held by Mallie's Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, Michigan, for their 185-pound burger. Reader's burger was cooked on a giant grill by Napoleon.
I doubt this burger is going to be Guinness-approved, unless it becomes commercially available. For an example of a larger one-off burger, the burger from last Saturday's El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day was a whopping 750-pounds. As for what happened to that 300-pound burger in Japan that was being sold for 150,000 yen...maybe no one wanted to buy it.
Poking back into the archives, in 2006 the world's largest commercially available burger was a mere 29.6 pounds. Oh, humanity, how far we've come.

Bark Reynolds Fetch Toy

Everyone wants a piece of the Reynolds.

http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Apartment/Bark+Reynolds+Fetch+Toy

2010 Cash Winnings of Competitive Eating

$8,750.00 Joey "Jaws" Chestnut San Jose, CA 26 (b. 1983 Nov 25) M 6' 1" 220 lb.

civil engineering major, San Jose State

$7,700.00 Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti Chicago, IL 24 (b. 1985 Jun 6) M 6' 2" 190 lb.
culinary arts major, Kendall College

$7,200.00 Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas Alexandria, VA 42 (b. 1967 Jul 26) F 5' 5"
100 lb. Burger King manager (Andrews Air Force Base)

$6,000.00 "Notorious" Bob Shoudt Royersford, PA 43 (b. 1966 Oct 16) M 6' 2" 265 lb. I
network specialist

$3,000.00 Saoheng "The Stallion" Young Lowell, MA 27 (b. 1983 Jan 8) M 5' 8" 200 lb.

$2,700.00 Tim "Eater X" Janus New York City, NY 33 (b. 1976 Dec 31) M 5' 10"170 lb.
day trader

$2,500.00 Jamie "Garbage Disposal" Jill M

$2,500.00 Travis Fowler M

$1,550.00 Erik "The Red" Denmark Seattle, WA 31 (b. 1978 Jun 7) M 6' 4" 210 lb. I
Boeing procurement department worker

$1,500.00 "Jammin" Joe LaRue Erlanger, OH 44 M 6' 8" 270 lb. chef

$1,500.00 Tyler King Taunton, MA M

$1,350.00 "Gentleman" Joe Menchetti Wallingford, CT M 6' 1" 285 lb. ticket broker

$1,250.00 "Big" Ben Monson Twin Peaks, CA 22 M 6' 8" 251 lb.

$1,050.00 Eric "Badlands" Booker Selden, NY 41 (b. 1969 Feb 20) M 6' 5" 375 lb. I
subway conductor/rapper

$1,000.00 Naader "Freak8r" Reda M 6' 2" 209 lb.

$1,000.00 "Furious" Pete Czerwinski Mississauga, ON, Canada 23 M 6' 2" 220 lb.
McMaster University student

$750.00 Ian "The Invader" Hickman Sterling, VA 23 M 6' 0" 165 lb.

$750.00 Tim "Gravy" Brown Chicago, IL 31 (b. 1978 Jul 23) M 5' 11" 195 lb.
whole foods manager

Blackhawks take control of series with 7-4 win

Jonathan Toews scored three power-play goals and collected two assists as the Chicago Blackhawks pushed the Vancouver Canucks to the brink of playoff elimination with a 7-4 NHL victory Friday night.

BACON EXPLOSION!!!

http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

No Reservations - Chicago Part 2 of 5

Start watching at the 2:06 mark.

Calumet Fisheries receives America's Classics restaurant award from James Beard Foundation

If you can try the smoked shrimp, it's the best.

Calumet Fisheries was also named one of “America’s Classics,” for its 60-year commitment to providing smoked fish on-site, along the 95th Street bridge in Calumet.

Calumet Fisheries has been a favorite among fishermen, South Siders and others in the know for its fried and smoked fish. Now the unassuming little carryout shack is getting nationwide attention. Calumet Fisheries (3259 E. 95th St., 773-933-9855) has been named an America’s Classics restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, one of five restaurants to receive the award in 2010. The restaurant will receive the award at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, on May 3. The America’s Classics award is given to long-established restaurants that reflect and enhance the character of their communities. Qualifying restaurants must be at least 10 years old and locally owned. America’s Classics award winners are selected by a special 17-member restaurant committee rather than by the James Beard Foundation membership as a whole. "I can't say it's sunk in yet. And it's not going to sink in until the day we get the award," said manager Carlos Rosas. "We're in for a nice little roller coaster ride." A no-seats, no-credit-cards, carryout-only operation, Calumet Fisheries was established in 1948 by brothers-in-law Sid Kotlick and Len Toll (members of the Kotlick and Toll families own and operate the business to this day). The tiny building abuts the 95th Street Bridge (the bridge the Bluesmobile jumped in the 1980 movie “The Blues Brothers”). Calumet Fisheries sells a lot of fried shrimp, perch and frog legs, though personally I’m addicted to the smoked fish, particularly the smoked salmon steak. If you’ve never been to this unpretentious little shack, you really should make the time. Congrats.

Tribune's Kevin Pang wins James Beard Award

Congrats!!!

Tribune dining reporter Kevin Pang won a 2010 James Beard Foundation Award last night for "The Cheeseburger Show," a 12-episode web and television series that aired on CLTV. He was awarded in the Multimedia Food Feature category. Pang was also a finalist in the Newspaper Feature Writing about Restaurants and/or Chefs category for "Plan D," a profile of former Top Chef contestant Dale Levitski.


Check out full videos below.

http://vimeo.com/user1210813/videos

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/cheeseburger/

Big Buff!!!! Hat Trick!!!! Hawks Win 5-2

Steeger Got Lucky!!!!! Go Hawks! I was sweating balls in the 1st period. All tied up at 1.

Black Death: Will Fisheries Survive the Oil Spill? - Food - The Atlantic

Black Death: Will Fisheries Survive the Oil Spill? - Food - The Atlantic

"Saying BP is ultimately responsible is a bunch of hogwash." from Chef John Besh - John Besh is the James Beard Award-winning chef of Restaurant August and five other restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Happy National Burger Month

Stay hungry my friend!