He did it again!

Last week, the staff at Table Fifty-Two was treated to this, and now Tuesday's column from Bill Zwecker gives us yet another gem:

"Mikhail Baryshnikov, here for his Harris Theater gigs, slipped into Hub 51 in River North for some short ribs."

Too bad he's definitely gone now!

One Tweet Tells It All . . .

Koren Grieveson, chef de cuisine at avec. (Photo: Jessica Tampas Photography)


Did avec chef Koren Grieveson just let the cat out of the bag on Twitter on when Paul Kahan's new spot is opening?!

"October 18th. james beard dinner @ the publican! avec, publican, and blackbird 5 course dinner. after party @ the new restaurant!"

UPDATE: More info from publicist: "All guests attending (James Beard) event will be offered a complimentary invitation to the chef's after party at the (former) Pontiac space, offering a preview of the bar and takeout taqueria project, slated to open the end of October. The party begins at 11:30pm."

If this thing hasn't sold out yet, it will certainly now! Get more info on event here.

Who will get the bid?!

A lot of Chicagoans are waiting anxiously for Friday's announcement on which city will get the bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

It happens at noon CST, and the city's official celebratory rally's going down at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington St.). If you're not feeling standing around with a bunch of random folks, here's where else you can go to watch:

Cans: Doors open at 10:30am at the rowdy Bucktown bar, where you can watch the results as well as catch the Blackhawks' season opener in Finland against the Florida Panthers. Get the famous wings, chicken sandwiches or mini burgers.

Hard Rock Cafe: Nab a seat early when the doors open at 10am, and catch all the voting rounds. Also, get $5 off any bill $25 or more when you mention "2016."

Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse: The Olympic Committee Lunch Menu includes a number of items the actual Olympic committee enjoyed during their final meal in Chicago. The $20.16, three-course deal features wedge salad, Harry’s signature bone-in chicken Vesuvio and flourless chocolate truffle cake. They're also doing a signature cocktail: The Chicago Gold (Bacardi, Grand Marnier, creme de banana, orange juice) for $10. All proceeds from that cocktail go to Chicago 2016.

Lizzie McNeill's: You'll get an "all-American" lunch special, including $1 hot dogs, burgers and beef sandwiches. Also, $2 Bud Lights.

Park 52: If you're around the Hyde Park area—a stone's throw from the site of the proposed arena—a lunch viewing party kicks off at 11am with special noshes like the Ancient Greek Games Burger, a Greek turkey burger with hand-cut fries or salad; Red White and Bleu Burger, with bacon and bleu cheese; and Windy City BBQ, a half-slab of house-smoked baby back ribs and signature Park 52 sauce.

Tavern at the Park: And they're doing a number of drink and lunch deals here as well, with a portion of the proceeds from the 2016tini cocktail benefiting Chicago 2016.

Go, Chicago!

Get That Sweet Tooth Ready: Andersonville Dessert Crawl Returns

Cherry cheesecake. The flakiest baklava. And, oh yeah, chewy brownies with nuts.

That's what you have to look forward to at the annual Andersonville Dessert Crawl, where you'll get to sample sweets from more than 30 spots in the area.

What's really cool about this is event is that you can do it three ways: Go the Spice Route with deals from the likes of Big Jones, M. Henry and Charlie's Ale House. How about hitting up the Sugar Route for delish bites from George's Ice Cream and Sweets, Hamburger Mary's and La Cocina de Frida. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can buy a ticket for them both.

Each route is $25 ($30 at door); $40 for both ($55 at door).

Andersonville Dessert Crawl happens 2-5pm Oct. 11. Get tickets
here.

Hester Scores Us Free Berry Chill Again!

The Bears just scored big against the Seattle Seahawks (25-19), so you know what that means:

Wide receiver Devin Hester loves Berry Chill, and because he scored a touchdown again, they're giving away The Hester—a 5 oz. original yogurt topped with his fave flavors: mango, pineapple and Gummi Bears (In fact, every time Hester nabs a touchdown this season, you'll get his signature Berry Chill dessert the day after).

Available at all locations Monday only.

Get Ready for Belly Shack . . .

Bill Kim in the kitchen of Urban Belly.


We've been licking our chops, waiting for Belly Shack to open for months now.

But the wait is almost over, now that the sensational Bill Kim, of Urban Belly fame, is set to debut his second installation of the offbeat noodle bar some time in October.

In the meantime, we came across this video, which offers a sneak preview of what to expect of its interior. He's contracted local purveyors of retro style, Urban Remains, which has reclaimed turn-of-the-century lighting fixtures to give it an edge.

We also came across another video that gives you an idea of the sound track you'll experience when you walk in the door. The L.A.-based Italian music composer Giorgio Piovan is in charge of setting the mood, which will vary from hip-hop beats during peak hours to something a little more chilled out and globally focused at other times.

We cannot wait to see the end result!

New Bar Lands in Old Bennigan's Space on Mich Ave.

(Photo: Courtesy of Urban Daddy Chicago)


Remember that old abandoned Bennigan's space on N. Michigan Avenue?!

Looks like it found a new tenant in Sweetwater Tavern and Grille, from the guys behind airplane hangar-styled The Boundary.

Says Urban Daddy:

"This spot offers the same plethora of sports-tuned flat-screens, stacked stone walls and exposed-joist ceiling ambience. But instead of a hangar, this is more of a…let's say lounge in a private airport.

"We can already imagine a crew of flight attendants gathered around a communal table, snacking on bacon-wrapped Cajun shrimp, sipping cocktails like the South Water Blue (Stoli Blueberi, lemonade, Blue Curaçao and a splash of champagne) and giggling about their next layover."

Too much of a good thing?!

(Photo: Courtesy of Urban Daddy Chicago)


The last time I hit up neighborhood brunch/lunch joint Jam, culinary king Giuseppe Tentori (Boka) and the mad eccentric Graham Elliot Bowles (graham elliot) were in the jam-packed house.

Too bad I missed out when the Chicago Reader came through, as I would've loved to have seen the look on the reviewer's face when these dishes came out:

"Early notices touted (chef Jeffrey) Mauro's sous vide malt custard French toast and eggy plates fashionably loaded with pork cheeks and belly, which gave me the impression that this was going to be the sort of brunching meant for blanketing uneasy stomachs and pounding heads. And indeed Mauro's egg sandwich, a French roll with slabs of meaty braised pork cheek covered in a lava flow of egg yolk, has a restorative quality, marred only by a cloying sweet-and-sour peach ketchup—a rare case of sugar failing to help the medicine go down.

"Buckwheat crepes stuffed with braised lamb are plated more successfully, with perfect spheres of Asian pear, but biscuits and gravy with satisfying chunks of rough-cut cotechhino sausage are nearly undone by a gray shiitake gravy that looks far less appetizing than it actually is."