FOOD DRINK | BITES JOHN MANION PHOTO BY DANE TASHIMA; PIE PHOTO BY KIMBERLEY DEPREY March Madness Ring in spring with deals at L2O, the perfect pie and more | By Lisa Shames | [Q & A] SOMETHING’S BREWING Craft beer lovers breathed a collective sigh of relief when the closing of Goose Island Brew Pub was averted, but that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual. Founder John Hall and his brewmaster son, Greg, decided to stir things up with a new look and menu. Enter JohnManion, best known for his Nuevo Latino riff s at Mas, and more recently as consulting chef at Old Oak Tap. Changes will happen gradually, but Manion is already leaving his mark on the plates—fried chickpeas, spicy pork sliders—and in the kitchen, where he’s butchering whole animals. “Last week I brought in two whole goats, and it was carnage back here,” he says proudly. More from JM: Why did you choose this project? I’ve known Greg for a long time. When he said Goose Island may be hiring its fi rst chef in 20 years, I jumped at it. What goes into planning the menu?T e beer is the engine that drives this. Does it taste good with beer? Describe the changes you’re making.My third day, I called some farmers and said, since we’re throwing away our spent grain, why don’t you come get it and feed it to your pigs? Eventually the pigs we get will have been fed the grain we used to make the beer. And that’s just the beginning. 1800 N. Clybourn Ave., 312.915.0071. Lemon meringue pie from Hoosier Mama. [NOSH NEWS] FRESHEN UP New catering company 1st & Fresh (set up to bring fresh, sophisticated food to small workplaces, business meetings and more) has already snagged Deloitte as a regular client—and after trying a spread including prosciutto and melon with fi g balsamic drizzle and petite tenderloin and aged cheddar sandwiches, we can see why. 312.701.0890. ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT She’s worked at some of the area’s top restaurants (one sixtyblue, Trio), whipping up super creative desserts—chocolate fennel tart with candied kumquats, olive pit ice cream—but most days, what Paula Haney found herself craving was a simple piece of pie. Finding the pie itself was another story. “My husband and I thought, ‘Well, if we’re looking for pie, maybe there are other people looking for it, too,’” says Haney. Now, after three years of selling made-from-scratch, seasonal pies at coff eehouses and farmers markets all over the city, the self-taught pastry chef is taking her biz,Hoosier Mama Pie Company, to a West Town storefront opening March 14. Inside the cozy, ’40s-esque bakery you’ll fi nd a daily rotating selection of fi ve to 10 pies—think classic apple, peanut butter, chocolate cream,maple pecan—along with coff ee fromlocal roasterMetropolis. Or pre-dessert, try one of Haney’s new savory pies, including a pork-apple-sage variety. But no matter what you choose at Hoosier Mama, you’ll be able to get a peek at how it’s all done via the bakery’s open kitchen. With Haney’s made-by-hand mantra, expect to see a lot of fruit peeling going on. 1618½ W. Chicago Ave., 773.758.2076. 170 | | March 2009 NICE BUNS We can never pass up a good burger. Get one sixtyblue executive chef Michael McDonald’s hanger steak, cheddar and caramelized shallot version for $4, along with a $4 craft beer, onT ursdays in the restaurant’s sleek lounge. 1400W. Randolph St., 312.850.0303. BIG DIPPERS Grab a spot in the Lobby Lounge at the Swissotel Chicago to try its latest: a pot of traditional Swiss cheese fondue or Toblerone chocolate, each paired with appropriate dippers. Pot luck indeed. 323 E. Wacker Dr., 312.565.0565. HELLO, HINSDALE We’re suburb-bound to hit up Embrace, the chic restaurant-slash-boutique in the restored ’20s-era Hinsdale T eater, which has added a slew of nightly dining specials, including half-priced bottles of wine and apps and $5 Martinis. 29 E. First St., Hinsdale, 630.325.1996. HOW SWEET IT IS Get your sugar fi x and then some at C-View’s all-you-can-eat candy buff et. Expect a Willy continued... ISLAND ADVENTURE: Goose Island Brew Pub’s new chef, John Manion.
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