Last night, I paid a visit to my best friends, JB and Lindsey Bougher. Lindsey is one of the subscribers to my blog. We had missed an opportunity to get together around my birthday, so she set out to cook a fun dinner to celebrate.

Her goal was to make three dishes. Prep time proved to be so long on one of them that she opted for just two. The asian-inspired salad was chock full of great veggies like baby corn and bok choy and topped with a delicious homemade dressing. The homemade potstickers were the real winner, though. I must have eaten fourteen of them; I lost count! The dipping sauce seemed slightly thicker than the traditional sauce found in restaurants, but the flavor was spot on across the dish. They might have been the best potstickers I’ve ever had.

As the first batch was cooking, Lindsey became a bit distraught at their appearance. They didn’t seem to have the correct traditional shape and she feared they would be unappetizing. She said something to the effect that she never learns the lesson of not trying new things when entertaining friends. I insisted that was the best time to try new things, because unlike spouses, friends will give kinder yet honest critiques of the food. Of course, the first batch tasted incredible, so her fears were unrealized.

Presentation is almost as important an ingredient in successful dishes as flavor and aroma. At least, that’s what the cooking shows would have us believe. I think that makes us afraid to try making for ourselves some dishes because we don’t think we can achieve the same level of success across the board as the famous chefs and cooks do. Sure, it’s fun to “nail it” and have a recipe turn out just the way you expect. I also think it’s fun to eat a disaster and laugh about the experience later. So, take risks, change ingredients, use the wrong pan or the wrong utensil. Sometimes, catastrophic failures are just stunning successes in disguise. Enjoy!

Tonight, I visited Duffy’s On Diversey in Chicago to watch Cathy compete in an annual singing competition. There was a new menu to go with a remodel in progress. Apps were half price on Mondays, so I tried two for a nicely priced meal.

The Pork on Pork Fries needed more flavor, as they were a bit underwhelming. The Jambalaya Fritters, on the other hand, were scrumptious and generously portioned, done in a hush puppy-style, topped with scallions and laid on bed of tangy sauce. They were delightful! Cathy’s house salad was pretty impressive, too.

Which got me to thinking. Is it just me or have more and more establishments been upping their culinary games in recent years? For example, Crosstown Pub in Naperville serves up some stellar, spicy deviled eggs. (Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for deviled eggs.) Popular watering holes seem to be offering ever expanding appetizer menus with ingredients lists that read like trendy downtown eateries. Even one of my oldest, favorite, underwhelming establishments for over 20 years has recently rolled out a new menu that’s been getting decent reviews from the locals.

I’m convinced that much of this game changing can be accredited to the popularity of reality shows about food and cooking. From the Food Network’s many competitions to shows like “Kitchen Nightmares”, it seems like everyone is expecting better fare, and the fare-providers are rising to the occasion. Personally, I’m all for it. It’s nice to see more than wings, nachos, and deep-fried (insert proteins here) to go with my newest beverage discovery. I just found out Stella Artois makes a cider! So good! Enjoy!

I don’t eat pizza as much as I used to. Mainly because it’s mostly made with a crust, and usually those crusts are made with wheat, and since I eat out more with my gluten-intolerant wife than anyone else, I don’t eat pizza as much as I used to.

When I did eat pizza with frequency, I loved it, especially stuffed and deep dish.  My favorites among the local chains were, in order, Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s East and Giordano’s. Except when I was in the mood for a spinach deep dish, then Giordano’s managed the best version, except maybe for Edwardo’s.

Once Cathy and I started dating, I made a concerted effort to find pizza places with gluten-free crusts. Our visits are still infrequent, but the first we discovered was at the Chicago Dough Company in New Lenox. When it impacted them personally, the operating family committed to offering a wide range of options. That made for some great date nights until I moved from the area.

Lou’s and Giordano’s now offer gf crusts. We haven’t tried the latter, but we went to the former today, where we were able to enjoy a rare pizza lunch. Their crust is acceptable, as gf goes, but Lou’s still tops it superbly, so it satisfies the craving.

Of the national chains, Domino’s is the only one with a gf crust we’ve tried so far. With all their efforts to improve their recipes, it was a pleasant surprise. The thin crust was light and crackery, not as dense as has been typical in the past with gf crusts.

No one’s managed a gf deep dish or hand tossed style yet. I can’t wait for that to happen. Until then, a nice thin crust hits most of the spots. Enjoy!

Today, Cathy and I hosted a few couples at our place to celebrate my Double Golden Birthday.

What’s that, you say? Well, I was born on the 21st, so my golden birthday would have been 21. My double golden is this year, my 42nd.

But that’s not a thing, you say? I know. I invented it. Except I didn’t. However, this, and this were the few entries I found in a quick search, after I landed on the idea on my own. It’s a very similar sentiment for what I was going for. For many, the golden birthday is magical and wonderful. For others, either it wasn’t all they’d hoped for, or they were too young or too immature to appreciate or enjoy it fully. I submit to you that the double golden birthday provides, for many, the opportunity to enjoy a special birthday as much or more than their golden, and it can also provide a bonus milestone birthday, when one gets impatient waiting for 30, 40, 50, and so on.

So, Cathy went with a golden theme, making gluten free yellow cupcakes with lemon icing, polenta, and three kinds of deviled eggs (one of my favorite hors d’oeuvres of all time), and serving cheese and crackers, with everything on yellow plates and in yellow dishes where possible. It was a sweet and lovely gesture that will not be forgotten. The yellow cupcakes were the biggest hit of the night, even moreso than the chocolate and peanut butter ones I’d requested.

So I submit to you my latest near-creation, the Double Golden Birthday. It’s totally going to be a thing. Enjoy!

Bidding a fond farewell today to the Cooper’s Hawk Brunch. It was an experiment that lasted about a year. The offerings were delicious yet too few to bring in the crowds. It sometimes felt like the whole thing was built around the idea of the mimosa. Yet it gave me the opportunity to enjoy some of the best Steak and Eggs I’ve ever had.

As with many of my past food experiences, it will be nothing more than a fond memory, but it reaffirms the one constant in the restaurant business — change. I can’t wait to see what’s next, for Cooper’s Hawk and for myself. Enjoy!

Ever since I met my future wife just over three years ago, I’ve become much more familiar with the world of “Gluten Free (GF)” and the Celiac Disease. She’s only gluten-intolerant, but the challenges are still there to find viable substitutes for the many wheat products we take for granted every day.

At the beginning, there seemed to be so few places offering options. For example, my favorite pizza place thought a crustless pizza was a perfectly acceptable GF option. Fast forward three years and new options seem to pop up every day. One of the vendors at this year’s Gluten Free Expo in Schaumburg told me that the event has doubled in size from last year and tripled from the year before. For many, it has become less of a necessity and more of a dietary choice, and many are the suppliers of all things edible who are lining up to be a part of it.

In the meantime, though, this still feels a little like a secret society. I work at a restaurant that has embraced GF enthusiastically, and this often grants me the opportunity to wait on guests who have come in specifically for that reason. In so doing, I always feel compelled to share the best options I’ve come across and hope they do the same. It’s all part of the process of getting the word out and ensuring, as the awareness grows, that the options will, too. This will continue to give my wife, and the many, many others out there who deal with gluten issues, the chance to enjoy food as much as I do. Enjoy!

McDonald’s Cuts Angus Burgers From Menu – ABC News.

I get it. McD’s is all about value now, so a premium burger like the Angus isn’t fitting in anymore. Honestly, I won’t miss the patty. It was more meat than I usually wanted and sometimes came out too salty.

That being said, what I will miss is the type of burgers that came with the patty. The deluxe was tasty and loaded with veggies. The bacon and cheese was good, but nothing to write home about. The version I’ll miss most is the Mushroom and Swiss. The combination of toppings was like nothing else on their menu. The only other burger that came close in recent memory was the short lived CBO (Cheddar Bacon Onion) Angus with white cheddar, grilled onions and a creamy mustard sauce.

So, I went to a local restaurant for a goodbye Mushroom and Swiss. The mayo was generous, the mushrooms tender and the swiss melty. They may still be available for a while yet locally, but this was the last one to savor and remember.

In the end, I don’t care about the patty, I just wish they still offered the topping combo, like maybe as a quarter pounder or something. Oh well, at least they still have the steak breakfast burrito in the morning… oh, wait…

Over the years, I’ve had my share of favorites that came and went. Arby’s best sandwich was the Southwest Melt. McDonald’s used to have an awesome McSkillet breakfast burrito and let’s not forget their Whopper-wannabe Big ‘N Tasty. Taco Bell had carnitas tacos on soft corn tortillas, and Wendy’s and Burger King constantly rotate their yummiest stuff “for a limited time”. It’s sad when the fast food chains get rid of their best offerings. It’s a lot like getting attached to a short lived high concept tv series. Sometimes there just aren’t enough of us out there with taste to keep them around. Enjoy!

Finally talked the wife into Cozymel’s for dinner tonight. Overall, it was a really enjoyable experience. Here are the specifics.

Server needs more practice to read his guests better, but I loved the effort. Confident suggestive selling is a good start, yet instead of asking if a signature dish was satisfactory, he should have gone with a more confident adjective to maintain the feeling that he believed in the product.

The chips and salsa were par, but the tableside guacamole was great, especially because we were able to choose what went into the avocados as it was prepared, literally next to the table. Cathy had a good salad. My tacos combo had average rice and decent beans but three different awesome tacos, each better than the last.

First up was a guajillo chicken, sauced with a hint of jerk to it, and offset by a slice of creamy avocado. The second was a hearty brisket with a corn relish. The best was the carnitas topped with avocado relish, pico
de gallo, and cheese. My only complaint was that, in getting the combo, none of the tacos were accompanied by the described signature sauce in the menu. Not sure if that was an oversight on their part or intentional when ordering a combo, but I only became aware of it when reviewing the menu again for this post.

So overall, kitschy atmosphere, decent food, a fair price, it’s a place I’d go back and try again. Although, it’s rare for me to not give any place a full at bat, so if I’m going back it definitely didn’t completely suck. Enjoy!

When it comes to your standard Asian restaurant, and I say Asian, because so many offer more than just Chinese, the formula is a simple one. Familiar recipes with generous portions served quickly and reasonably priced. Very few places screw that up, so there’s comfort in the consistency.

Tonight, I visited Lotus Terrace in Naperville. The food alone was near the upper end of expectations with a few really yummy standouts, such as the satay and the steamed quiche on the Trio Delight. Yet, the reason I enjoyed it so much and want to endorse it is the service. Our server was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the food and eager to answer our questions. It helped us to better understand our options and to start thinking about trying new things in the future beyond our standards.

I can go anywhere for “Chinese”, but I usually only go back to the places that offer a memorable dining experience. I look forward to trying this place again, armed with the hope that this visit wasn’t a fluke. Maybe next time I’ll even try a Vietnamese dish. Enjoy!