Alinea's Achatz to become movie star?!

Photo: James Beard Foundation


MenuPages (who dug up the info) and The Stew report that Grant Achatz of Alinea fame is going Hollywood on us:

"Fly-on-the-wall filmmaker R.J. Cutler, whose celebrated history with cinéma vérité documentary includes producing 'The War Room' (about the 1992 Clinton presidential run) and directing 'A Perfect Candidate' (about Oliver North’s Senate candidacy), is headed to Chicago for a new film about chef Grant Achatz, the acclaimed chef and owner of Alinea. The title? 'Taste.'

Cutler said the Grant Achatz story—Innovation! Legend! Tongue cancer!—will probably be his next project, but he is not sure when the shooting starts. He said he flew to Chicago for a meal at Alinea and decided 'Grant is one of the great maestros. His work gets to the essence of what food is—of what creativity and taste is.'"

'Daily Candy has lost its shit' . . .

. . . was the email diss that just dropped in my inbox over this morning's Daily Candy newsletter "profiling" new one sixtyblue exec chef Michael McDonald:

"Mike McDonald cooks for you, E-I-E-I-O,

New chef at One Sixtyblue, E-I-E-I-O,

Taught by Trotter, he got game, E-I-E-I-O,

And a brand new claim to fame, E-I-E-I-O,

It’s a real fine treat, and, boy, do you eat,

Meat, wheat, oh, it’s sweet, no one can compete-pete,

Dinner with Michael is its name, E-I-E-I-O,

Five-course tasting, vino, too, E-I-E-I-O,

Especially designed for you, E-I-E-I-O,

First he’ll come to your chair with attention and flair,

You’ll declare, if you dare, what you care for in your fare,

Dinner with Michael is its name, E-I-E-I-O,

Seasonal is his MO, E-I-E-I-O,

The food is fresh and goes down slow, E-I-E-I-O,

With some pickle butter here and some tuna tartar there,

Gumbo, risotto, yellowfin, and lamb, yo,

Dinner with Michael, we proclaim,

E-I-E-I-whoa."


Um, FAIL.

'King of New York Clubs' speaks out on industry

The scope of nightlife has changed for the worst, say experts, who add that in order to revive it, we must go back to the basics.

Peter Gatien—King of New York Clubs and best known as the mastermind behind Limelight, Palladium, Club USA and Tunnel—weighs in on what's next:

"We will be re-opening the Tunnel in the upcoming future. I have been gone for a while but I am now returning. Due to the failing economy we think the people have spoken and are looking to express creatively again and not this cookie cutter nightlife we have most recently been exposed and sucked into.. we lost our sense of community and togetherness.. we lost our appeal to be unique and think outside the box and where we once went out because the music drove us."—from the comments section of Down By The Hipster.

Who will take the charge in Chicago?!

Canadian export debuts in Lincoln Park

(Photo: Courtesy of Thrillist)


Thrillist checks out the chow over at Canada's famed sports lounge, Firkin & Pheasant, now open in Lincoln Park:

"The traditional menu (beer-battered fish n' chips, Guinness steak & mushroom pie, bangers & mash) is augmented with daily specials (clam chowder in sourdough breadbowl) and American action like The Firkin Angus Burger: jack, bacon, bourbon chipotle onions, and a house steak sauce whose recipe's kept as locked down as the Queen's box."