vanilla bean cupcakes!) from exec pastry chef Toni Roberts. Dentist visit not included. T ursdays, 6PM 10PM, $19. 166 E. Superior St., 312.523.0923. ...continued Wonka-esque spread (pistachio brittle! to HAPPIER HOUR Okay, so it’s really four (very happy) hours: 37 percent off all food at Pops for Champagne (caviar not included) from 3pm to 7pm on weekdays. Try new items like a trio of foie gras with rabbit rillettes and poached lobster skewers, then wash it down with a glass of bubbly. 601 N. State St., 312.266.7677. TÊTE FOR TAT L2O’s new six-course ‘Tête à Tête’ tasting (composed of 12 ingredients that take on a new fl avor profi le when paired up—such as peekytoe crab with foie gras) is just $90, an amazing $30 less than chef Laurent Gras’ four-course option. Guess who’s coming to dinner? 2300 N. Lincoln ParkW., 773.868.0002. Mercat’s steak sandwich. [TASTE TEST] STEAK-OUT It’s no surprise that our meat-loving city is home to such great steak sandwiches. Try these spots for your lunchtime fi x. ZEST Exec chef Hans Lentz has worked his culinarymagic all over the world (Germany, Dubai, Puerto Rico, Miami), and he’s not afraid to show it. His steak sammie pairs Cajun spice-rubbed rib eye with garlicky cilantro chimichurri on ciabatta bread. 505 N. Michigan Ave., 312.321.8766. The dining room at L2O. DAVID BURKE’S PRIMEHOUSE Even with foolproof ingredients—in this case, 28-day dry-aged rib eye—exec chef Rick Gresh still works hard to get his sandwich right. We love the bold fl avors that the tomato tapenade and smoked mozzarella add, and that 12 bucks for eight juicy ounces is a total bargain. 616 N. Rush St., 312.660.6000. SINGULAR SENSATIONS Forget fusion:T e latest trend in food is picking one thing and doing it right. Visit our favorite places where one yummy treat hogs the spotlight. SUGAR BLISS CAKE BOUTIQUE Justwhen we thought we were over the whole cupcake craze, along comes Sugar Bliss. We love the cupcakes (so moist!) and the fact that owner/chef Teresa Ging followed her heart, giving up a successful fi nance job to open SB after studying pastry in Paris. 115 N. Wabash Ave., 312.845.9669. THEMEATLOAF BAKERYOwner/chefCynthia Kallile lets her imagination run wild at her Lincoln Park shop, making meat loaf in the shape of cupcakes, pies and more—and in zany fl avors like “A Wing and a Prayer,” which pairs ground chicken with hot sauce, blue cheese and celery. 2464 N. Clark St., 773.698.6667. LITO’S EMPANADAS After learning the secrets of great empanadas from a friendofhis mother’s innative Colombia, owner CarlosEscalante and wife Eve testedrecipes onfriends and neighbors for two years to perfect them for their Lincoln Park shop. 2566N. Clark St., 773.857.1337. 172 | | March 2009 From top: Meat loaf “cupcakes” from the Meatloaf Bakery; lemon drop cupcake from Sugar Bliss. [SCOOP] MERCAT A LA PLANXA We like to think of the steak sandwich at Mercat as akin to a cool American exchange student in Barcelona. While it’s not afraid to show off its roots with U.S. Black Angus hanger steak, it also passionately embraces its new foreign friends: chiles from Catalonia and blue cheese from northern Spain. 638 S. Michigan Ave., 312.765.0524. FRONTERA FRESCO Celeb chef Rick Bayless may not be in the kitchen at his quick- service resto, but his expertise on south- of-the-border food certainly is. And that goes double for his grilled steak torta fi lled with thin slices of chipotle-rubbed steak, red onions, Chihuahua cheese and smoky salsa.Not the easiest to eat—the thin crispy bread’s the culprit—but worth the eff ort. 111 N. State St., 7th flr., 312.781.4483. “Just when we thought we were over the whole cupcake craze, along comes Sugar Bliss to pull us back in.” STEAK SANDWICH PHOTO BY JIM WHITE; L2O PHOTO BY SHIMON AND TAMMAR; SUGAR BLISS PHOTO BY JASON MONTGOMERY
Previous Page
Next Page
Publication List
Loading
