Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Atlanta: Richard Blais Brings Juicy Lucy to The Spence; You Should Bring a Napkin
I hate to start a review with a disclaimer, but I feel it's necessary. Here it is: I've never watched Top Chef. (I know. Bad foodie, bad foodie.) So, as sacrilegious as it may be to admit, Richard Blais isn't a rockstar to me. As a result, I didn't venture into his newest intown restaurant with the same kind of wide-eyed, do-you-see-him-is-he-here-oh-my-god-I-think-that's-him breathlessness as (seemingly) the rest of Atlanta. But the early buzz has been that The Spence is an instant add to the city's roster of true top-flight eateries—and that there's an amazing interpretation of the famed Jucy Lucy on the menu.
More than one person I know has called Blais' take on the Minneapolis classic "the best burger I've ever had." And while that casual claim doesn't generally carry much weight with me, I knew I needed to check this one out. I mean, Blais does know the milieu, having all but single-handedly kickstarted the local gourmet burger boom back in late 2008 with FLIP Burger Boutique. I won't play spoiler by blowing my reviewer wad here in the second paragraph, but if your spidey-sense is tingling after seeing that top photo, you're on the right track.
Continue...
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/08/the-spence-juicy-lucy-burger-review-atlanta-ga.html?ref=thumb
The Spence
75 5th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 (Map); 404-892-9111; www.thespenceatl.com
Cooking Method: Wood-grilled
Short Order: The trendy new hotspot from celebrity molecular gastronomist Richard Blais does wild things with food, but his Juicy Lucy is prone to leaking
Want Fries with That? Blais' triple-cooked fries are among the best you'll taste... even when they're subpar
Price: Juicy Lucy, $13 at lunch, $14 at dinner
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Former Bear to run for Romeoville mayor, Mongo!!!!!! WTF, in Romeoville.
Former Chicago Bear Steve McMichael said today that he intends to run for mayor of southwest suburban Romeoville.
He announced his mayoral plans this morning on 1340 WJOL, a Will County talk radio station, and later confirmed his political intentions when contacted by the Tribune.
“I am dead serious about this,” said McMichael, a member of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears who has lived in a townhouse in Romeoville since April. “I am not a politician. I am someone who will not delegate over the people. I will listen to them and act on what they want to see in the community.”
McMichael, owner of Mongo McMichael's restaurant and sports bar in Romeoville, said he was encouraged to run by his customers.
McMichael said many of his customers are unhappy with various issues in the village including a lack of businesses and empty store fronts, especially on the east side of town.
McMichael said he has a plan to spruce up the town but did not want to share specifics yet. He plans to seek signatures in October to be on the mayoral ballot and expects to run against Mayor John Noak in the April election.
Noak defended the east side of the village, saying there are plans to build a new downtown area and community center.
"Good things are happening in the village," Noak said.
As for McMichael, Noak said everyone has a right to seek elected office. Noak, who has been mayor since 2008, said he will make a statement in the coming months about whether he plans to seek re-election.
McMichael, who has a 4-year-old daughter, said he used to live in a condo in downtown Chicago but moved to Romeoville so his daughter can grow up in a small town environment.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
To Gabe.......5 Rabbit finds its head brewer at Goose Island
Latin-themed craft brewery 5 Rabbit has snared a big fish in the latest stage of its rapid growth: the No. 3 guy at Goose Island.
John J. Hall, a senior brewer who designed the recipe for Goose's biggest-selling beer, 312 Urban Wheat Ale, has signed on to be brewmaster at 5 Rabbit's still-under construction brewery in Bedford Park, just south of Midway Airport. His last day at Goose will be Sept. 7.
He will take on a far smaller operation, but his responsibilities will grow, encompassing virtually every aspect of production, from securing ingredients to brewing to the bottling line.
"It may be a smaller brewery, but my job is much larger now," Hall said. "It's quality beer and I want to make it as good or better than it already is."
5 Rabbit co-founder Isaac Showaki said Hall was "our No. 1 choice by far" when the search for a head brewer began about four months ago.
"He's super experienced, he's won a lot of medals for his beer, he's extremely methodical and he's incredible with quality control," Showaki said. "He'll make all the recipes better."
Hall will work heavily with Randy Mosher, a legendary beer author and home brewer who is a minority owner of 5 Rabbit and has written the brewery's recipes so far. Those recipes have led to a stable of beers unlike what most other craft upstarts produce, leaning heavily on Latin flavors and spices like passionfruit, chiles, sage and piloncillo sugar.
"John is very creative, and we need a creative person to complement Randy," Showaki said.
By October, Showaki said, all 5 Rabbit beers will be made at the new brewery, including four year-round brews (5 Rabbit golden ale, 5 Vulture dark ale, 5 Grass pale ale and 5 Lizard wit beer), along with rotating seasonal and one-offs "when there's time." Since launching in May 2011, 5 Rabbit beer has been brewed under contract at half a dozen breweries in three different states. Showaki said 5 Rabbit will hire two or three assistant brewers to work with Hall (who is no relation to Goose Island founder John Hall).
Having a brewery and head brewer on board has happened faster than Showaki and partner Andres Araya expected, but Showaki said they're pleased.
"Having our own ingredients, using them the way we want and being able to tweak the recipes to make them better every time will help get things to be the way we always envisioned," he said. "When you're in control of it you can take more care of it."
A tasting room is planned for the brewery in early 2013, which will include at least eight taps pouring the standard 5 Rabbit beers, seasonals and one-offs.
According to Hall's biography on Goose Island's website, he worked in the audio/visual industry until getting a home brewing kit for his 30th birthday. Two years later, in 1997, he was hired by Goose Island as a full-time brewer.
jbnoel@tribune.com
Twitter @traveljosh
Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/stew/chi-5-rabbit-beer-5-rabbit-beer-hires-brewer-away-from-goose-island-20120810,0,1875818.story
