More props for Alinea

Grant Achatz's Alinea continues to collect accolades. (Photo: Alinea)


S. Pellegrino's World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2008 list includes Alinea (1723 N. Halsted St., 312-867-0110) ranking in the 21st position—a 15 position jump from 2007’s list. The highest-seeded Chicago restaurant, Alinea debuted on the list last year as the Highest New Entry at 36. The entire list is here.

The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, now in its seventh year, has established itself internationally as the most credible guide to the best places to eat on earth. A restaurant’s ranking is decided purely on the votes of a large panel of well-respected international judges collectively called The Nespresso World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The Academy comprises of 700 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and restaurant critics.

Get out . . .

. . . tonight and enjoy the amazing weather at:

Bistrot Margot (1437 N. Wells St., 312-587-3660) on the relaxing sidewalk cafe for half price on all bottles of wine. The unassuming French bistro is a favorite for chilled-out evenings with a sig other or friends.

Chaise Lounge (1840 W. North Ave., 773-342-1840) for industry night. Grab seats in the outdoor cafe or on the rooftop for cabana action. It's $4 for most premium cocktails on the menu.

La Vita (1359 W. Taylor St., 312-491-1414) for half-price wine bottles. On Monday and Tuesday, any wine this family-style Italian eatery sells by the glass you'll also get by the bottle. Their rooftop deck, which seats about 30 guests, should be open tonight.

Sheffield's Wine & Beer (3258 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-281-4989), in Lakeview, for $3.50 pint specials and $2 cans of "bad beer" of the month. The sprawling beer garden attracts a healthy number of the area's young professionals.

Mole master on next mission

Got a message in the mailbag over the weekend that Geno Bahena—the "king of mole"—is planning to open yet another haute cuisine Mexican eatery in Lincoln Park at Halsted and Webster.

I'm still trying to track down the name, but if it's any indication of his previous projects like Tepatulco Restaurante (2558 N. Halsted St., 773-472-7419) in Lincoln Park as well as the now shuttered Ixcapuzalco, Chilpancingo and Mi Sueno Su Realidad, it's gonna be a tongue twister.

Stay tuned . . .

New look, menu unveiled by 312 Chicago

Dean Zanella, executive chef of 312 Chicago, returns with a new menu and look for the restaurant on Wednesday. (Photo: 312 Chicago)


312 Chicago (136 N. LaSalle St., 312-696-2420), which closed for a week for a complete overhaul, reopens Wednesday. The changes are part of a major renovation of Hotel Allegro, and includes a new menu from Executive Chef Dean Zanella.

Highlights of the new contemporary Italian menu include grilled boar sausage with dandelion, white bean and radish salad as a starter, as well as a lobster panini and a grilled filet of beef on Sicilian potato cake, with gorgonzola and barolo wine sauce.

Bob Puccini Design is behind 312 Chicago's new look, which includes a wine wall that becomes a focal point of the space, while the upstairs library has been transformed into a private wine-tasting room cleverly encased in wine displays. The newly refreshed bar is updated with charcoal-granite countertops, a black back bar with alabaster inlays and a focus on displaying wine through a new cruvinet system.

How did we overlook her?!

While all the Chicago foodies and dining writers are going absolutely rabid over Stephanie Izard's performance on Bravo's "Top Chef," there's another local culinary cutie competing on a similar show.

Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Gavin, who's in the running to become executive chef of Gordon Ramsey's new LA restaurant on his "Hell's Kitchen" reality series on FOX, is originally from Chicago and a line cook for a five-star country club.

She's a little buck wild and may not have as much experience as Stephanie or some of the chefs she's competing against on "Hell's Kitchen," but let's show her some love too, ok?!

"Hell's Kitchen 4" airs on FOX every Tuesday at 8pm CST. Miss an episode? See them all here.

What the critics are saying . . .

. . . about:

Cape Cod Room (140 E. Walton Pl., 312-787-2200): "The mid-twentieth century seafood-house menu has a few of 21st-century additions, but the famous Bookbinder’s soup with the little vial of sherry is still there (it tastes exactly the same), along with Dover sole, lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller, creamed spinach, etc."--Emily Nunn (Chicago Tribune) Read it all here.

The Drawing Room (937 N. Rush St., 312-266-2694): D.C. Crenshaw's video blog at Fete Select TV.

Gene & Georgetti (500 N. Franklin St., 312-527-3718): "Steaks and chops, the heart of the menu, are right on the money, but barren plates need a splash of color, if only a sprig of parsley. Lightly charred, the petite strip ($23.75) is well-marbled, robustly flavored and tender. For beef en brochette ($24.75), two substantial filet medallions are capped with thick bacon slices and flanked by whole mushrooms, finished with white wine, garlic and herb sauce. The meat is irreproachable, but a few red peppers or tomatoes would add color and variety."--Laura Bianchi (Crain's Chicago Business) Read it all here.

Miss Asia (434 W. Diversey Pkwy., 773-248-3999): "You could play it safe with Thai standards (Sticky Rice’s legendary sausage and other interesting favorites are noticeably absent), but for a more memorable meal, try hopping around the map. The Cambodian lotus root and banana blossom salads both pack bracing tart-spicy-sweet flavors; soft Vietnamese crêpes bulge with ground pork, bits of shrimp and mushroom; and Bambu Bali catfish gets a subtle (maybe too subtle) jerklike dusting."--Heather Shouse (Time Out Chicago) Read it all here.

The 'Hot Chef' challenge

Just got this in the mailbag about the first-ever "Hot Chef" Challenge for the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show 2008:

Aspiring top chefs are encouraged to create a two-minute video to win a chance to demonstrate at NRA. Professional chefs and home cooks alike can submit entries of themselves preparing their favorite recipes using trendy food and alcohol ingredients.

The winner, as selected by fellow YouTube users and the National Restaurant Association, will showcase his/her culinary creations among a lineup of leading chefs and tens of thousands of attendees at the restaurant industry's biggest event of the year – the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at McCormick Place in Chicago (Saturday May 17- Tuesday, May 20).

Those interested should submit an original video of themselves doing a cooking demonstration by May 7. Each video should be no longer than two minutes and must include one food item and one alcohol item (as an ingredient or as a pairing with a dish) from the Association's “What's Hot & What's Not” Chef Survey, available here.

YouTube users will vote for the top three videos, and the winning entry will then be selected by an Association panel. Viewers can vote by selecting “Thumbs Up” or “Thumbs Down” through May 7.

The winner will be given a live 60-minute demonstration spot in the Culinary Scene area at the NRA Show on Saturday, May 17, at 1pm, as well as have his/her video featured on the show web site. Additionally, the winner will also receive a three day/two night trip to Chicago (total approximate retail value $850) to be scheduled around the demonstration spot. Trip package includes one single/double occupancy hotel room for two nights at a select hotel and a round trip coach airline ticket (from the nearest major airport to the winner’s home). The Culinary Scene features custom-built demonstration kitchens in which trend-setter chefs, such as Rick Bayless, Grady Spears and Charlie Ayers, will perform culinary showcases throughout the four NRA Show days.

Duchamp takes over old Meritage space

The guys behind Lumen (839 W. Fulton Market, 312-733-2222) and Zealous (419 W. Superior St., 312-475-9112) owner/chef Michael Taus are working on a May/June opening for the French-focused Duchamp (2118 N. Damen Ave.) in the old Meritage home, reports Time Out Chicago.