Clandestino Chef Unveils New Gourmet Sandwich Menu

In March, 312DD told you exclusively about Efrain Cuevas' quest to open a gourmet sandwich shop in the downtown area.

As you can see, the chef/owner of Clandestino Supper Club is well on his way to something quite spectacular with items made from all-natural ingredients as well as sauces and flatbreads made from scratch. In addition to gourmet paninis and gluten-free wraps, he's planning a menu of focaccia pizzas, smoothies and fresh salads.

No word still on a name or location, but he promises to reveal all soon . . .

April 6 Is National Caramel Popcorn Day

Salted Caramel's signature Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn. (Photo: Salted Caramel)

This is one "holiday" you don't wanna pass up, so we're glad our friends at Foodimentary were on top of it.

One of the best spots to indulge in this favorite food is at the brand-new Salted Caramel shop, which just opened in Andersonville.

West Town Getting Exciting New Restaurant?!

(Photo: 312 Dining Diva)

The venue formerly occupied by Natalino's at 1523 W. Chicago Ave. is getting a new tenant this spring.

Eater Chicago had a few more details a couple weeks back, but not much else either.

We'll let you know more as soon as there's an update, but we're certainly going to miss their risotto . . .

A Recipe For . . .

. . . Crab Fondue.

Attempted to get into Old Town Pour House last weekend, but with the line down the street, there was no way we were waiting 35 to 45 minutes.

Soooo, we hit up chef Paul Katz (who works for parent company Bottleneck Management), who gave us a recipe for one of the more popular appetizers on the menu, the Crab Fondue.

This will suffice for now, but we still need to get in there to see what all the fuss is all about!

Here's the recipe:

Bottomless Mimosa Brunches Will Have You Bouncing Around Like The Easter Bunny

Mimosas photo via lianasbananas.com.

Remember when Easter used to be all about you, with the Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets and new Easter dress clothes?!

You can somewhat return to the good ole days with this roundup of bottomless mimosa brunches happening on Easter Sunday:

Cheers To A Collection of Cocktails Paired With Cuisine

Carol Donovan's "French Citrus" cocktail is meant to complement Hearty's shrimp 'n' grits dish. (Photo: Hearty)

We're deep into spring mode . . . which is supposed to mean lighter cocktails and cuisine. But that's not always the case as I found when I interviewed several of the city's top 'tenders for my latest spirits story.

As they go about creating their menus, they're more concerned with what's in season, with rhubarb and sage leading the way, and what pairs well with their chefs' dishes. And gin, surprisingly, appears to be big as the weather heats up at spots like Balena, Three Aces and Yusho.

Find out what these guys are shaking up—and stirring—at DiningChicago.com.

This Is What A Carnivore's Dream Looks Like

Tavern on Rush's 'Tavern Kobe Club' via Krebs' Foodspotting page.

Tavern on Rush just introduced a bunch of new items for its spring menu, and it's quite impressive.

Especially of note is the massive Tavern Kobe Club of two Kobe patties, three decks of white Sourdough, bacon, lettuce, tomato and horseradish mayo. For some reason, that little ditty from the spot with the Golden Arches is playing in my head, but you'll pay $19.95 for this burger.

Peep the new items below:

It's A Wrap, For Paul Virant . . .

(Photos: Jamco Creative)

Award-winning chef Paul Virant (Perennial Virant, Vie) teams up with Falafill for his very own signature wrap.

With proceeds benefiting the Frontera Farmer Foundation, the wrap consists of organic black bean falafel (his own recipe), spicy mayo, pickled peppers, pea shoots, cilantro, and lemon-garlic vinaigrette.

In keeping with an organic theme, the black beans and pea shoots come from Three Sisters Garden, a small farm located in Kankakee. The peppers are made in Virant's kitchen at Perennial Virant.

It's available only in April for $6.50.