Chicago's Most Elite Lounges and Bars

Curio photo via Michigan Avenue magazine.

From Brendan Sodikoff's Inglorious Basterds-inspired lounge on the lower-level of Gilt Bar to The Office—Chicago's most impossible bar to gain access to—I check out the absolute best hidden bars in the city for Michigan Avenue magazine.

'The Headgear' & Other Burning Questions Answered By The Moto Guys

Moto's Chris Jones. (Photo: Moto)

"I had a very angry streak to me when I first started at Moto," Top Chef contestant Chris Jones tells Metromix. "Moto's a very calm restaurant. We don’t yell, we don’t scream, we don’t fight, we don’t kick. And I did all of those things, so what I started doing is ... wearing some sunglasses on my head ... . It made me feel like I was back on a beach."

That answers the burning question everyone has about "what's up with all the headgear" Jones and his co-worker and former Top Chef competitor Richie Farina sport every week on Bravo's wildly popular culinary show.

Farina adds: "As far as the bandanas and pencils and armbands and all that stuff goes, that's what we wear every day. It wasn’t just stuff for the TV show."

MMX also asked about what they really thought about the unprecedented number of chefs from one city competing on the show:

A Sneak Preview of Bar Toma

Bar Toma's unique Mozzarella Bar. (Photos: 312 Dining Diva)

We slipped into the friends-and-family event Sunday for Bar Toma—it opens today!—and boy was it a scene.

The casual Italian resto helmed by Spiaggia's award-winning Tony Mantuano attracted a number of heavy hitters and newsmakers, namely current Top Chef contestants Heather Terhune (Sable Kitchen & Bar) and Sarah Grueneberg (Spiaggia). The two confessed to 312DD that they've become good friends since appearing on the culinary-driven reality show.

But they didn't come to talk about the show, they came to chow down like everyone else on Mantuano's take on authentic Italian casual fare. Most of the items on the menu were offered that night, so we had the opportunity to check out a number of dishes.

All Eyes On These Fries Around Town

Leopold's lip-smacking, Belgian-style Poutine de Merguez comes with mounds of Nordic Creamery cheese curds and house-made bratwurst. (Photo: Leopold)

I know you just came off an extended weekend of indulging in turkey, stuffing and all the pumpkin pie you could stuff down your face, but the holiday season is only beginning. So just give in, man.

One way to celebrate the next few weeks is by chowing down on the most delicious fries in the city. But not just any fries—we're talking fries that eat like a meal.

From the Pig Face Poutine at Lincoln Park's newest cocktail lounge, Barrelhouse Flat, to sweet potato fries dipped in goat cheese fondue at Uncommon Ground, you'll find the best list of suppery spuds at DiningChicago.com.

Bleeding Heart Now Offering Cocktails, Dinner

Michelle Garcia of Bleeding Heart Bakery (Photo: Bill Lambert)

The new Bleeding Heart Bakery & Cafe's ambitious concept of staying open 57 straight hours 7am Friday-4pm Sunday didn't quite take off, so they've made a few changes.

One of the reasons, according to one of the late-night servers, is because too many dishes felt like breakfast items. On a recent Friday night visit, there were eggs in almost everything, including the fish tacos. The dining room at the West Town spot was also empty.

So the diner menu has been completely revamped and the weekend hours have been cut back 7am-11pm Friday and Saturday.

Here's the newly released menu that's full of dinner-focused items, plus they've added a Mimosa and Bloody Mary to the previously non-alcoholic beverage list.

The Slurping Turtle Opens Nov. 28

Takashi Yagihashi's ramen noodles photo via rachelleb.com

We're pretty enthusiastic fans of Penny's Noodle Shop and Zen Noodles & Sushi, so we've been waiting pretty anxiously for the opening of The Slurping Turtle.

That's Takashi Yagihashi's trendy spot that's finally debuting Nov. 28 in River North. We're expecting big things from the Michelin-starred chef, so we've been stalking the menu in preparation.

Here are some highlights:

Sprout Team To Open Lakeview Spot in 2012

The Sprout kitchen team includes Executive Chef Dale Levitski (second from right) and sous chef Sara Nguyen. (Photo: Sprout)

In October, Sprout's Dale Levitski told 312DD that he was looking to open a second location.

Thursday, he revealed to the Chicago Tribune that the new restaurant is going to be a French-American bistro called frog n snail in Lakeview:

"(Levitski) describes it as French classics with Midwestern sensibilities, with touches of his Eastern European roots. It’ll be a return to roots of sorts, the sort of food he was cooking at Andersonville’s La Tache.

'It’s not a concept that’s reinventing the wheel,' he said. 'My neighborhood needs a French-American bistro.'

'Best Mixologist,' 'Best New Restaurant' Categories Added To Banchet Awards

Josh Pearson of Sepia; Lynn House of Blackbird.

The 15th annual Grand Chefs Gala happens Jan. 27, and one of the highlights will be the Jean Banchet Awards ceremony, which rewards top talent on the local dining scene. But new this year are the "Best Mixologist" and "Best New Restaurant" categories, which should be hotly contested races.

Also new was that for the first time in the award's 11-year history, the nomination process was opened to the public through online voting. The winners will be chosen by all nominees as well as the chefs that participate in the 2012 Grand Chefs Gala.

Here are the nominees: