America Idol! Showbiz Shelly Starters

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Just got back from Los Angeles where I was covering American Idol! I attended the red carpet (it was really a blue carpet) party where all the Top 12 contestants strutted their stuff. I had the interviewed our two Chicago contestants, Lee Dewyze of Mount Prospect and Crystal Bowersox of Chicago. Both were thrilled to to make it this far and even gave me the scoop on where they used to work in the city! Be sure to click here for my interviews with all the Top 12 contestants! You can also hear what contestant Andrew Garcia has to say about the judges and what Michael Lynche's baby did when he first got home from Hollywood week! American Idol is on Tuesdays at 7pm and Wednesdays at 8pm on FOX Chicago!

Also, check out my interview with The Black Eyed Peas who were in town over the weekend performing at the United Center. Fergie told me what she likes to eat backstage before a show and the snack you can only get in Chicago that she can't get enough of! The group also told me how they planned to party St. Patrick's Day weekend!

Labels: american idol, Black Eyed Peas, efete.net, Showbiz Shelly

David Burke's Primehouse - By The Burger Fiend

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sans any anecdotal commentary in this upfront section, this is how a burger should strive to taste.

The fiend has probably eaten hundreds – if not thousands – of burgers over the years, many of which touted as gourmet by flashy marketing but actually tasting very elementary by my standards. While I always cross my fingers, and can’t help but to continue to order in spite of my inklings, I still suspect these mediocre sandwiches to be oversized boxed “pub” burgers…or there is simply a lack of TLC masked by a dash of garlic salt and a glob of wholesale mayo.

And this is a point I’ve never really understood.

The burger is an American icon; a staple of nearly every menu from your local roadside diner, neighborhood sports bar or the most high-end establishment anywhere coast-to-coast. So if a restaurant does Americana, or any semblance of this cuisine, then they should invest a little more time and resources into making its burgers undeniably craved staples.

Though I might obviously be slightly bias, I feel I’m not alone in this notion – a view obviously shared by restaurateur David Burke and executive chef Rick Gresh.

Already a critically acclaimed venue by local and national media outlets, and a top 10 selection by Chicago Magazine, it was only a matter of time until I had a chance to get my hands on one of the legendary 40 day dry aged “burkers” from Burke’s Primehouse.

The burger comes topped with an exquisite array of toppings unique to Gresh’s vision of a traditional burger: garlic spinach, crispy shallots, bacon mayonnaise and a toasted potato bun.

Although I’m a purist with my burgers, as all fiendsters know, I decided to dive into this as prepared without any alterations…if anything an attempt to crawl inside the chef’s mind and try to explore his culinary terrain.

The garlic spinach in lieu of lettuce added a creamy and earthy dimension to the flavor and texture, though there were a little too many leaves and it started to overpower the meat. The fried shallots were a wonderful replacement for traditional onions and added that sweet and familiar zest.

In addition, the bacon mayo was an ingenious touch that presents the best combination of both worlds. Although I typically forgo mayo of any kind, the idea of the two together was too much to pass, and luckily wasn’t spread too heavily on the bun. Typically my second favorite part of the puzzle, the potato bun was probably the most easily forgettable item of the mix – not as toasty as I would have liked, still good but more of an afterthought than anything.

Not surprisingly, by far the greatest element of the sandwich was the beef, which includes the trimmings from the dry aged steaks ground within the chuck and sirloin. The dry aged taste is extremely distinguishable from most other burgers you’ll typically taste at a local burger joint, and for those that have never sampled a dry aged piece of beef it is well worth the investment.

As always, I like to sample the meat by itself without no other distractions. This presents the true quality of the meat and allows you to discover every taste and flavor, completely uninfluenced. As expected, you could taste the depth of the dry aging, which gave the beef a velvety, rich and juicy profile with a hint of smokiness that was probably picked up from the grill.

The fiend spoke briefly to the congenial general manager, who likewise offered to give a tour of the dry aging room – a fantastic experience to hold. Very few establishments go the extra mile to serve dry aged steaks, let alone dedicate time and space to producing their own. Likewise, though industry standard for serving dry aged meat is 21 days, Burke’s goes one step farther and only offers their cuts at 28 days or more – again a touch of the aforementioned TLC I believe other restaurants tend to forget.

This burker is only offered on the lunch menu and upon special occasions, but I highly recommend you do yourself a favor and make this a destination (within the James Hotel) to visit soon.

www.davidburke.com
616 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2712
(312) 660-6000

Labels: bloomingdales chicago dining, burger fiend, chicago restaurants, david burkes primehouse, efete.net, gourmet burgers, mike shriner

"The Balcony" Opens in Hinsdale

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Some business people have the ingredients for success. They find something that works and try to duplicate it. Restaurateur Jerry Kleiner is a perfect example of opening several restaurants very similar in style and experiencing a level of success. His restaurants include Red Light, Carnival, Giocco, Marche and most recently 33 Club. Those venues are located in the city, but Kleiner has ventured out to Hinsdale to open Il Poggiolo and is making his mark in the burbs.

Il Poggiolo is located on the site of Hinsdale's first silent movie theater and means "The Balcony". The interior is typcial "Kleineresque", rich in colors including vibrant red upholstery. The atmosphere is warm, classy, casual and elegant. Big picture windows allow for a nice view of the outside. Like a lot Kleiner restaurants the food is solid. Nothing will really blow you away here, but dishes are nice, savory, and satisfying. Favorites to consider are the Arancini (rice balls filled with mushrooms and taleggio) and the Pesce Spada con Caponata (sword fish, vegetables, raisins, pine nuts, capers). The Lamb Shank special was good, but could have been a little more tender and their Risotto del Giorno with corn, leaks and mushrooms met, but didn't exceed expectations. The Pan Roasted Halibut and Pan Roasted Seabass rounded out other solid dishes. The Fig Tart dessert was something special and comes highly recommended by yours truly.

Il Poggiolo is a nice addition to downtown Hinsdale and should continue to provide Kleiner with a string of successful hot spots. The vibe and location could make it a fan favorite for the locals. Il Poggiolo is located at 8 East First Street in the historic Harold R Zook building. Log onto www.ilpoggiolohinsdale.com for more information. Check out Fete Select TV for more reviews on the newest and best restaurants in Chicago.

Labels: chicago dining, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, efete.net, fete select tv, hinsdale, il poggiolo, italian cuisine, jerry kleiner, suburbs

The Burger Fiend Strikes Again: Back on the Hunt

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

When it comes to preparing ground turkey, I find time and time again that restaurants and home cooks continually try to overcompensate for the very simple and lean nature of the meat.

Since turkey is such a light protein in terms of taste, more and more it seems chefs feel compelled to mix some spice or seasoning within the patty. Many times I believe this is a mask because the meat is so susceptible to heat and can easily dry, and other times I think people just feel it is too bland and needs additional flavors.
I, however, personally enjoy the taste of the meat when cooked perfectly throughout, peaking at 165° in the middle. Just leave it alone and embrace the lean, light and juicy taste for crying out loud!

And this is exactly what you will find from the turkey burger at Rockit. Already one of my favorite venues in the city in terms of culinary creations, trendy nightlife and an attractive wait staff (girls and guys, mind you…), when dining I’m always torn on whether to go with the turkey or the signature Rockit Burger – by far one of the best beef burgers I’ve ever tasted.

Cooked to near perfection, Rockit chef James Gottwald’s turkey burg comes without a trace of sage, rosemary, celery or any other aforementioned additives – just a plain ol’ hunk of lean and tenderly hand-packed ground turk. The taste is crisp, clean and juicy, and the homemade chipotle mayo complements the meat by giving it the little extra zest that makes your head nod with each bite.

The burger is served on a wonderful pretzel bun too, which definitely adds another salty-sweet dimension to the experience, and sliced avocado, though I declined the latter as I always feel too many layers begin to interrupt the experience.
This lean, naked approach to preparing turkey is exactly what I would like to see other venues strive to replicate, because I do really think it provides a means for another level of appreciation. An abundance of seasoning isn’t always bad, but simply isn’t always necessary.

In addition, I dined at the new Wrigleyville location directly across from the Friendly Confines on Clark/Waveland. The ambiance is on par with the River North establishment, but I would suggest NOT going before/after/during a Cubbies home game if you're looking for a quiet eating experience. Nothing against the Cubs by any means…but you could imagine the scene.

All things aside, the food and the venue will always come highly recommended.

Rockit Bar & Grill
22 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654-4606
(312) 645-6000
www.rockitbarandgrill.com

Labels: burger fiend, cubs, dc crenshaw, efete.net, fete select tv, mike shriner, rockit bar and grill, rockit burger, Turkey Burger, wrigleyville

Food For All..."Dietbytes" by Sandy

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Why is eating right so hard for everyone? There are a million possible answers to this question, but instead of agonizing over the right one, I try to make healthy eating SIMPLE. I work to empower those with diabetes to make easy, healthy, and delicious meals. People with diabetes already have a lot to think about and preparing complicated meals should not be one of them. One tactic as a dietitian that I have always had while counseling people, is to focus on adding better foods to their diet instead of focusing on the "bad" foods to eliminate (I hate being considered the "food police!"). The comforting news is that there are some "super foods" that those with diabetes and the rest of us should be eating on a regular basis.

Beans
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Citrus fruits
Sweet Potatoes
Berries
Tomatoes
Fish with Omega-3s
Whole grains
Nuts
Fat-free milk and yogurt

Notice that these aren't exotic or even expensive foods. But, they are proven to boost health and help manage diabetes. So, keep it simple when planning meals and focus on the super foods to maximize nutrition. For further assistance, check out the 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook by Nancy S. Hughes (published by the American Diabetes Association, 2007) for effortless snacks, meals, and desserts. It includes quick and easy recipes with nutritional information and diabetic exchanges for every recipe. Healthy cooking couldn't be more painless!

Healthy Eating!

Labels: berries, chicago dining, diabetic cooking, dining out, efete recipes, efete.net, healthy eating, sandy sfikas

Gastrogasmic Dining at State & Lake With Kellye

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I made the foolish mistake of checking out The Wit, on opening weekend.
It was energizing, exciting and best of all pleasing to my taste buds. Although I was only able to try two of the restaurants, The Roof and State and Lake, the latter was my favorite.

As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not start that day off with something unexpected. Sure pancakes and eggs over easy would be fine but they wouldn’t be gastrogasmic!

State and Lake is billed as a gastro pub. Their breakfast menu is disproportionately meat friendly but that’s never a problem with this carnivore! The restaurant offers omelettes and frittatas, pancakes and waffles, fruits and veggies all laden with that gastro pub/comfort food feel.

I grazed through items like Steak and Bennies, Braised Pork Shoulder with Biscuits and smoked garlic and the Short Rib omelette and thought to myself, will I need a nap or a cardiologist after this meal? I opted for the short rib omelette. Four eggs wrapped around 16 hour braised short ribs, Wisconsin cheddar, mushrooms and caramelized onions. As if it needed anything else, breakfast potatoes and a stack of pancakes tagged along too. It was love at first bite. The beef was incredibly tender and melted away with the firmness of the mushrooms, and bite of the cheddar. Who would ever think that this flavor combination would work? How could eggs compliment beef like this? I continuted eating and eating. I did sample the pancake, too doughy and raw. The potatoes were a nice touch but didn’t hold a candle to the omelette. To be honest they were really just wasting space on the plate, begging to be included in the omelette fiesta!

I rarely flash around my membership card to the Clean Plate Club but that morning was something other worldly. In a word, gastrogasmic. State and Lake offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Though the service is spotty it’s worth it to get a nibble at what’s been created here.

There are different 16 beers on tap and thankfully you won’t find Budweiser here!! All offerings are premium boutique beers ranging from Abita, Dogfish IPA to Allagash and Two Brothers! The wine list is obscure but familiar. All in all, this place is worth waking up early on a Saturday for.

The Wit Hotel
State and Lake Restaurant
201 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60601
(312)467-0200

Labels: breakfast, brunch, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, efete.net, gastro pub, kellye washington, state and lake, the wit hotel

Gastrogasmic Dining at Eve With Kellye

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I recently had a serious craving for a good, juicy burger. It was imperative that I got a great burger before the week was out. Of course we’ve all seen the ads and read the press about “amazing hamburgers” in posh restaurants. Chefs will top, insulate, infuse and marinate their designer burgers with everything. Caviar, 20 year old French cheeses, Trappist monk beer, lobster, Asian pears, carrots and sauerkraut have all found their way between the beef and a bun.

Like any other reasonable carnivore I love my beef. It’s a staple of my diet and I don’t need a lot of hoopla to go with a classic meal. I’m easy when it comes to the hamburger. Swiss cheese and crispy bacon. So the question remained, where? Where could I go to find nirvana on a plate? What restaurant wouldn’t charge me $27 for Wisconsin beef and their idea of fancy mushrooms? More importantly, where would the service be good too?

Generic chain restaurants were out. I needed something that would make me take pause. A burger so good that I might just eat the whole thing.
It came in a flash, Eve. It was two blocks from my house and I’ve never had a bad meal there.

Much to my surprise, Executive Chef Troy Graves has added classic Korean spice to an American favorite. The Bulgogi Burger. In Korea bulgogi consists of strips of sirloin marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and garlic, grilled to temperature then laid on a bed of noodles and vegetables. At Eve, Chef Graves has added green onions and shallots into his sirloin patty and for extra an kick, laid the burger on bed of Kimchee, and topped it all off with a hard fried egg.

The order was in. I would have classic Korea and American on a plate. Rome wasn’t built in a day so be patient. Each burger is made to order. This includes onion and shallot dicing, patty forming and then grilling.

In the past I’ve struggled with the bun to burger and toppings ratio. I’ve found that there is always too much bun. So I’ve started making a “nest” for my burgers. If the kitchen won’t do it I will. I just scoop out the excess bread in the top of the bun, and then I’m left with a little dome for which my beefy treat can rest in easily. The bun for the Bulgogi was perfect, it allowed the flavors of the egg, beef and kimchee to take center stage and refuses to be masked by unnecessary starch. It was, gastrogasmic. After my first bite all of my senses where ignited. Literally. The fiery kimchee made my tongue spark and only added to the intensity of the onion and shallot laced beef. The meat was cooked to perfection (medium rare) and the juices of the meat ran down my hand. It was exactly what I was looking for. I’m not one of those people who make noise when the food is good. I just enjoy the experience but this was other worldly. I was speechless. At one point my server asked me how it was and all I could do was nod my head and make some noise that resembled the satisfaction I feel in other adult situations!


Eve
840 N. Wabash Ave. (btw Pearson and Chestnut)
Chicago, IL 60611
312.266-3383
Evechicago.com

Labels: chicago dining, chicago restaurants, dining out, efete.net, eve chicago, gastrogasmic dining, gourmet burgers, kellye washington

"To Dine For" by Maddie

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

This summer, simply filling up my gas tank has stalled my ability to
embark on the types of culinary adventures I have come to crave. My
personal hero, Anthony Bourdain, chef, author, and foodie
extraordinaire has taught me a thing or two about what defines a great
culinary experience. So, since I can't afford to travel the world on
an adventure of my own, I settled for watching the new season of his
hit show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel (airing Monday nights
at 9 PM CST) and try to fill that void at home.

Bourdain and his crew traveled to Spain this week and in preparation,
I did a bit of "research" at my favorite place to blow a whole
paycheck, Fox and Obel (401 E. Illinois), where I picked up a few
items to assemble a Spanish influenced antipasto platter to munch on
during the show.

The first thing I included is thin slices of Serrano ham, an uncooked
and cured Spanish variety. Next, I chose two cheeses with the help of
the cheese monger – Nevat, a goat's milk cheese from the Catalonian
region (think Barcelona) and 12 month-old aged Manchego – a sheep's
milk cheese from La Mancha and officially my new obsession.

After picking up some Marcona almonds and Manzanillian green olives I
decided to look for some wine. I took the opportunity to try a
different type of grape, Tempranillo. This black grape is used in
full-bodied red wines, such as Rioja, and can be consumed while young
and have flavors and aromas of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla,
leather and herbs.

Bourdain's eloquent and honest reporting gave me a new appreciation
for a country I've visited twice before and even transported me back
for a moment but sadly, my sofa continues to be a far cry from dinner
at El Bulli.

Labels: anthony bourdain, chicago restaurants, dining blog, efete.net, fete chicago, fete select, food, maddie, no reservations, travel, travel channel

Richard Roeper's New Book DEBUNKED!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

I attended a book release party last week at Otom for Chicago Sun-Times Columunist and co-host of "At the Movies",Richard Roeper. His new book DEBUNKED! Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, And Evil Plots of the 21st Century is a breezy but fact-filled dissection of more than two dozen of the most popular urban legends and conspiracy theories of the 21st century. How many people do we know that always has some sort of out of whack and illogical theory about the most recent events that have happened, whether tragic or triumphant. To some folks, there is always a cover up or secret being with held from the public that makes the event questionable and unbelievable. From conspiracy theories such as the melt down of the WTC during 9/11 to man landing on the moon, and Barack Obama's Muslim secret, Roeper "Debunks!" illogical suggestions and sets the record straight.

It's also very easy for such conspiracy theories to make it's way around cyberspace and plant a seed of doubt based on unproven facts. If you're on a million email lists like I am, then you've received countless videos and articles about such things; Mostly from that one friend who is the lead conspiracy theorists. Most of the time they're very entertaining and interesting to watch and read, but for those that more easily influenced they're real. Check out what Richard has to say about "The Secret", Princess Di, grilled cheese, and American Idol, and compare your theories with those that are out there.

Labels: book release, book signing, conspiracy theories, D.C. Crenshaw, Debunked, efete.net, fete, Otom, Richard Roeper

ZED 451... Just Another Upscale Brazilian Steakhouse?

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Do we have enough of these all-you-can eat Brazilian steakhouses in the city or is ZED 451 different? I had a chance to attend their pre-grand opening a couple of weeks a go and had a great time. I revisited this past Sunday and enjoyed cocktails on their rooftop deck. However, I'm not sure if the dining experience at ZED 451, located at 739 N. Clark St. downtown Chicago, will be any different than the others that populate the city.

I think the main difference of this steakhouse is their layout of the space, which is enormous and unique. The rooftop deck may be a hot popular hang out this summer to enjoy cocktails and appetizers. I'll soon return to officially partake in their dining experience.

Labels: blog, brazilian steakhouse, chicago, clark st., D.C. Crenshaw, downtown, efete.net, fete, fete select, fete select tv, fine dining, restaurants, ZED 451