Grocery Bistro Loses Another Chef

It's not even been open for a year, but Grocery Bistro has had drama going on since day one.

First there was the controversial boycott by former chef Andre Christopher's family. Then, all summer there were rumors of additional legal actions being taken against the property.

Now comes word that the second chef, Monica Walters, is out.

An Ultimate Insider tells 312DD that she hasn't been back since the weekend.

UPDATE: A new chef's already in place. Jeremy Kiens, formerly of BIN 36 and the now-shuttered Tallulah, plans to kick it up a notch in Grocery Bistro's kitchen.

Says our Ultimate Insider: "He's a bad-ass chef and someone to watch out for."

UPDATE: Ummmmm, Kiens apparently is not in the kitchen yet, according to a spokesperson from the restaurant, adding: "The current chef is Dan Marquis, also of Pasha restaurant. The new menu, which was debuted last night, is all of his doing, and he is the one running the place."

Happy 40th Anniversary, Sesame Street!

Forty decades later and the world's most entertaining and educational children's television series is still going strong.

Whenever the likes of Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and Grover popped up on the screen, little kids everywhere were glued to the tube no matter their socioeconomic status or ethnicity.

Even our local dining and nightlife professionals—who were all little kids at one time, too!—were drawn to the sunny days of Sesame Street. It's no surprise their fondest memories of the ground-breaking program helped shape their obsession with food.

312DD got several of them to reach back, waaay back and share some thoughts:

Todd Appel (Mixologist/Crimson Lounge): "I had a Cookie Monster hand puppet and played with my dog...got him all riled up and he went nuts whenever I put it on."

Curtis Duffy (Chef de Cuisine/Avenues): "Cookie Monster was my favorite character. I remember waiting to see him chomp the cookies and loved how aggressive he was when it was time to eat them. I also loved that he would not do anything unless he had a cookie in return. Cookie Monster, all that he could answer and think about was cookies...like me and food!"

Michael Farah (Owner/Berry Chill): "I always wanted to see the inside of Oscar the Grouch's garbage can!"

Troy Graves (Eve): "I have a lot of 'Sesame Street' memories. One of them is the operatic orange singing Habernara from 'Carmen.' Another great one is the Alligator King and his seven sons. I remember a thing where they painted numbers on white bread with ketchup and mustard. I also remember seeing them show women in the streets rolling out tortillas."

Adam Seger (Mixologist/Nacional 27): "I loved Cookie Monster's food obsession. I could relate as a chubby kid."

Cary Taylor (Executive Chef/Chaise Lounge): "COOKIE MONSTER!!!"

Erick Williams (Executive Chef/MK): "My memories are Big Bird singing 'Sunny Day, sweeping the clouds away.’ Also, counting along with the count and holding the fond memory that one is the loneliest number you’ll ever see."

Stage Bites: The Weekly Dining & Drinking Guide

New Wave quintet Devo performs at The Vic Thursday.


Every Monday look for the week's top performances paired with the best deals before and after the show:

Inner Torments at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park. Fulcrum Point New Music Project's multi-media, movie-themed concert highlights signature selections from The Reader (composed by Nico Muhly), Being John Malkovich (Béla Bartók), Jacob ter Veldhuis’s Grab It!, and Randall Woolf’s score for Holding Fast, a new documentary about Tibetan refugees by Mary Harron (American Psycho) and John C. Walsh. Film excerpts accompany each work. 7:30pm Nov. 12. Get discounted tickets (when you use promo code 5519) here, which also includes a reception immediately following performance.

The Gage: Menu can get a bit pricey, but only if you don't know what you're doing. Choose from four sections of the menu, including snacks and small, share-able plates of wild game dishes. Best fall offerings: braised rabbit salad with crisp rice ($14); bison tartare with radish, pickles, cucumber, watermelon and curry ($16); fried chicken livers with spicy mustard ($8); and MacFarlane pheasant thigh with sherry, Seckel pears, beluga lentils and rosemary ($10).

Sweetwater: The guys behind Wicker Park sensation The Boundary have yet another hit on their hands with this lounge located a block away from Millennium Park. Expect a business casual, after-work vibe, plus Cajun shrimp rigatoni, a number of wraps, and a build-your-own burger option with toppings like chili aioli, caramelized onions and Oaxacan cheddar.

Tavern at the Park: A number of casual bites can also be found on the menu at this resto located directly across from the park. Miniature Tavern Teasers (prime rib, Buffalo chicken or sirloin cheeseburger; $7-$9) top the list, plus offerings such as fig & prosciutto flatbread and prawn risotto are also popular.


Sweetwater (Photo: Urban Daddy Chicago)


Devo at The Vic. New Wave's geekiest group takes the stage to sing 1980s hits Whip It and Girl U Want. 8pm Thursday, Friday. Get tickets here, including VIP tix where you'll get to meet and greet the artists.

Kirkwood: Attracts a mostly post-collegiate, young professional crowd. They're going for $1 mini burgers, $2.50 domestic bottles on Thursday; $5 Svedka vodka cocktails, $4 Blue Moon pints on Friday.

Trader Todd's: Before Thursday's show, head here for a special fiesta menu (every Thursday) with $2 quesadillas, nachos, chili, and chips and salsa, plus $5 margaritas. And on Fridays, folks flock here for the all-you-can-eat shrimp (with cole slaw and baby red potatoes) for $6.95. 5-8pm.


The Addams Family at Ford Center for the Performing Arts. See the show before it hits Broadway early next year. Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth star in the production based on the kooky television series. Nov. 13-Jan. 10. Get tickets here.

Bar Novo: It's a small, yet mighty menu with updated versions on classic bar bites. We cannot get enough of the deconstructed, smoked prime rib nachos, grilled Kobe beef sliders or mini Cuban sandwiches (which come with mini Coronas!).

State and Lake: theWit's first-floor gastropub is now doing microbrew flights of three, five-ounce pours for $7. Choose from All Hopped Up (Avery Brewing Co., IPA; Surly, Furious Dry Hop Pale Ale; Founders, Red Rye Pale Ale), Autumn in the Loop (Great Lakes, “Nosferatu,” Red Ale; Two Brothers, Cane and Ebel, Red Rye; Founders, Porter) or For the Love of Beer (Two Brothers, French Country Ale; Goose Island, Matilda; Left Hand, Milk Stout).

South Water Kitchen: Weeknights feature half-price off on the tavern menu (brick-oven flatbreads, a charcuterie plate, truffled eggs, pretzels with warm butterkase cheese and beer dip) 4-6pm. Also, check out the wallet-friendy wine list where all bottles are $15 everyday; and $3 for all draft beer on Thursday.

Don't Keep Phil Vettel Waiting!

(Photo: Mercadito)


Chicago Tribune critic Phil Vettel dropped by Mercadito one Saturday night and had to wait for a table for a mighty looooong time even though he had a reso:

"I arrived on a Saturday night, and my heart sank almost immediately. There were people clustered by the host stand, three-deep at the bar and taking up every available bit of floor space (and some not-so-available spaces). My prospects for immediate seating seemed poor.

So we waited. And waited. Every 15 minutes or so, we'd check back in for another 'just a few minutes' update. The hostess even tried the 'I was just looking for you' ploy (she had done no such thing). She assured us that the first round of drinks would be free, and later upgraded that offer by saying there'd be some free guacamole. A manager, or someone acting like one, apologized for the delay and said that when it came time for the check, he'd stop by the table with an adjustment that would, in his words, 'make you happy.'

When check-time came, our waiter comped a round of drinks, but the additional adjustments never materialized. Not that that matters much to me, because the Tribune reimburses me for my meals. But it was another promise unkept.

We did get seated, about 65 minutes after our reservation (tip o' the hat to the anonymous tout by the host stand), and things improved slightly."

The cost of Mercadito's growing pains?! They earned only one star from Vettel.

Grown 'n' Sexy Circus Comes to Town

Everything's bigger in Texas. And last weekend, nothing was bigger than
"The Most Interesting Show in the World," which took place in Dallas. The Dos Equis-sponsored show makes its way to Chicago Friday. (Photo: Dos Equis)


Who needs Ringling Bros. when you can check out The Most Interesting Show in the World, a traveling showcase of unorthodox acts put on by pale lager king Dos Equis.

Taking place at Park West Friday, the wacky event includes a number of amazing acts from around the world, from burlesque performers and The Human Slinky to a contortionist and a guy juggling chainsaws. Angelo Moore of Fishbone fame hosts the madness.

It's free, booze is on them, and it all goes down at 8pm. Find out more info here, but the free tickets are no longer available online.

Here's what else is happening this weekend:

THURSDAY

Sushi Samba is 10 years old, so they're celebrating all month with a special menu highlighting some of the best dishes over the years. The $79 Omakase menu includes faves like lobster tempura roll, pan-seared scallops and the South American maki roll.

Hearty, the homey bistro from Stephen McDonagh and Dan Smith of Hearty Boys fame, debuts in Lakeview. We're looking forward to offbeat bites like rabbit corn dogs, lobster pot pie, and pork belly and beans. Yummy in that tummy!

There's a New Holland Brewing event at SmallBar on Division Street. That means you'll get to meet the founder, Brett Vanderkamp, and also have the rare opp to taste beers rarely found in Chicago. On draft you'll get New Holland's oak-aged Mad Hatter, Existential Hop Wine and Brother Jacob Dubbel. Starts at 8pm.

FRIDAY

BIN 36 has been celebrating 10 years in business all year long, and this month's special is a doozy: jumbo shrimp and freshly shucked oysters for $2! And if you think that's awesome, wait until December—the actual anniversary month—when they unveil deals for $1. Cannot wait.

Speaking of monthly deals, Tiny Lounge, in North Center, has released its November menu and it looks pretty good. Sweet potato ravioli, grass-fed Wisconsin mini burgers and Ahi tuna tacos all sound good to us.


The annual Chili Cook-Off happens Sunday at Sheffield's.


SATURDAY

A Sip for St. Ben's takes place in a pretty cool location. The wine-tasting party happens at Aquae Sulis showroom (2211 N. Elston St.). They've even gotten a sommelier from Scoozi! to answer your burning questions about wine. The party raises scholarship money for St. Benedict High School. 7-10pm. $50.

SUNDAY

Attention, singles: Think about making HUB51 your brunch destination this fall. They're showcasing college football on Saturdays and the NFL Sundays on several large screens, which means the boys and girls will be out in full force. What sounds good to us: Be-A-Man Steak and Eggs, Cinnamon Skinny Pancakes and pulled chicken nachos. They're also doing something called a Bloody Samurai, which swaps out vodka for sake. 10am-2pm.

If you think your chili's the bomb, enter it in the annual Chili Cook-Off happening at Sheffield’s. The winner gets a $200 Sheffield’s gift card, but even if you don't compete you still win because you'll get to taste them all, plus chow down from a buffet of quesadillas, pork sliders, tater tots and more. 2-5pm. $15 ticket includes food and two beer tickets (three beer tickets for contestants).

MONDAY

Mmmmm, Big Star finally opens.

It's industry night at In Fine Spirits, in Andersonville. Monday Mix happens every second Monday of the month, and this month they're featuring barrel selected bourbon from Buffalo Trace distillery. Special guest bartender is award-winning mixologist Peter Vestinos. 8-10pm. Free.

And cast members from Young Frankenstein will perform during Monday Night Live at Petterino's. If I were you I'd get there early because the open-mic event is usually pretty crowded, but they're expecting an especially large turnout tonight. Starts at 7:30pm. $15 per person dining minimum.

$5 Burker Week Returns to Primehouse!

Primehouse's 40-day, dry-aged signature burger is only available for $5 for a limited time. (Photo: David Burke's Primehouse)


I know exactly where I'll be next week.

Primehouse brings back its ridiculously cheap promo for the Burker—a 40-day, dry-aged burger that comes with a multitude of tasty toppings.

Exec Chef Rick Gresh offers the limited-edition burger for $5 (regularly $12) only once or twice a year. For an additional $5, you can hook it up with a number of "ultimate toppings," including housemade ketchup, red onion pickles, caramelized onions and smoked bacon. Or, make it a Big Poppa Burker with decadent toppers like lobster slaw, Oscar (crab, asparagus and hollandaise), "angry" shrimp or a fried egg.

He's also added a $5 BBQ chicken burger to the menu, plus the more adventurous diner can chow down on the pastrami or shrimp & chorizo burger ($7 and $9 respectively).

Burker Week goes down Nov. 9-13 during lunch only. Reservations strongly recommended.

Nightlife Kingpin, Master Sommelier Make Crain's 40 Under 40 List

Fernando Beteta, master sommelier/wine director at NoMI (Photo: NoMI)


Matt Eisler, president of Empire Holding Co. (Angels & Kings, Nightwood, Empire Liquors, Bar DeVille), was the only restaurateur/nightclub owner to make Crain's prestigious annual 40 Under 40 list.

Check out his profile here.


And NoMI's Fernando Beteta—the only wine professional on the list—caught the mag's attention for his "keen sense of smell and finely honed palate . . . and also his diverse background that propelled him to be named earlier this year to the Court of Master Sommeliers, of which there are only 171 members worldwide."

His profile can be found here.

Pinot Days are Back!

Just the thought of sampling amazing wines for four straight hours gets us excited.

Pinot Days—the city's largest pinot wine festival—returns to Navy Pier and you don't want to miss it.

Expect more than 50 pinot producers to be on hand, pouring more than 300 different vinos to hundreds of enthusiasts. Plus, you'll even get to taste the newly released 2007 vintage, which is being called the best in decades. You'll also get to meet the winemakers and winery owners, so everything you've ever wanted to know about wine will finally be answered. Some of the exhibitors include local gems BIN 36 and Juicy Wine Co., who've created their own signature pinots.

And yay! 312DD readers get a discount! You'll get 10 percent off when you enter the code DININGDIVAC09 when ordering tickets here.

Pinot Days is 1-5pm Nov. 14. $50.