NoMI Chef Takes on New York!

Jealous I'm not in the Big Apple today because New Yorkers are getting a treat from some of our very own.

NoMI Executive Chef Christophe David, award-winning Master Sommelier Fernando Beteta and their amazing team are currently prepping for an amazing dinner tonight at the prestigious James Beard House—known best for the most coveted culinary awards in the United States.

Peep the menu. It's a good one:

Reception

Ponzu Marinated Yellowfin Tuna

Gruyère Cheese Gougere

Cured Salmon Bon Bon

Chausson with Bacon and Spinach

Truffled Chestnut Soup with Duck Confit

Champagne Philipponnat | Royale Réserve | Brut NV Mareuil sur Aÿ


Dinner

Watercress Soup

golden osetra caviar | crème fraîche

Sancerre | Domaine Eric Montintin | Loire Valley 2007

Rougié Foie Gras Crème Brûlée

brioche | hazelnut | petite herbs

Pinot Gris | Cuvée St. Catherine | Domaine Weinbach | Alsace 2007

Alba White Truffle Risotto

carnaroli rice | celery root | parmigiano reggiano

Mâcon-Chardonnay | Clos de la Crochette | Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon 2006

Brittany Turbot

artichoke barigoule | sauce bonne femme

Pinot Noir | Walter Hansel Winery | Russian River Valley 2007

Jamison Farms Rack of Lamb

lamb neck | black truffle | salsify | natural jus

Cheval des Andes | Château Cheval Blanc & Terrazas de los Andes | Mendoza 2005

Namelaka

sable | white chocolate crème | mango passion sorbet

Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese | Weingut Rosenfeld | Burgenland Austria 2004

Macarons, Chocolate and Nougat

A Decade of Decadent Dishes . . .

River North's Naha is one of several notable restaurants celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2010. (Photo: Naha)


A milestone in meals. An era of exotic entrees. A decade of decadent dishes.

Any way you look at it, in these tough economic times when people's tastes change at the drop of a fork, a restaurant surviving 10 years is quite a feat.

So let's take a moment to give props to 10 Chicago restaurants celebrating 10 years in 2010:

437 Rush: Phil Stefani's old-school Italian gem offers classic dishes and live entertainment, attracting a mature, well-heeled crowd.

Adobo Grill: The moles. The margaritas. The music! The original location in Old Town still packs 'em in for lunch and dinner daily.

Bob San: The Wicker Park sushi spot has managed to hold its own even though its a stone's throw from one of the city's best, Mirai Sushi (which celebrates its 10th year this month!).

Chicago Firehouse: The former South Loop firehouse serves up decent classic American fare. Nothing fancy here, but we love it for the firehouse novelty alone.

The Grill on the Alley: The Chicago offshoot of the upscale Beverly Hills steakhouse is located on the first level of the Westin Hotel.

Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab: A tourist favorite in River North, this just may be the best seafood spot in the city.

Naha: The highly acclaimed executive chef/owner Carrie Nahabedian skillfully fuses her own rich Armenian heritage into New American cuisine, creating something very special.

N9NE Steakhouse: The tony West Loop steakhouse chose to celebrate its milestone for its ninth anniversary, but we suspect they'll still have something in the works for 2010. The contemporary steakhouse continues to draw the business traveler despite the decline of the corporate card.

NoMI: Only one of two restos with an amazing view of the Mag Mile, the award-winning Asian-French inspired NoMI still has one of the best terraces in the city.

Ringo Japanese Restaurant: When it comes to sushi, this Lincoln Park standby gets it right. So right that they've repeated their formula of success in Tsuki and Ai.

Local Winos Get Props on Top Chef

Bill Terlato (from left), Anthony Terlato and John Terlato of Terlato Wines International. (Photo: Terlato Wines)


It sucks Chicago didn't rep on Top Chef: Las Vegas this season, but some local guys appearing on the two-part series finale (airing 9pm CST Dec. 2 and 9th) should make up for it.

NBCChicago.com reports that Terlato Wines International owners Bill and Anthony Terlato will appear on both episodes. The owners will host a wine-tasting party for the finalists and serve as guest judge respectively.

But it doesn't end there. The Lake Bluff-based company has had a relationship with Top Chef for at least a few years, and even produced two new Napa Valley wines as a tribute to the show: Quickfire Napa Valley Chardonnay and Quickfire Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, named for the show’s exciting Quickfire Challenge where contestants compete in fast-paced culinary trials.

BOKA Chef's Dish a Favorite of Food Network

Giuseppe Tentori, partner/executive chef at BOKA. (Photo: BOKA)

Just watched the season two opener of Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, where celebrity chefs like Tyler Florence and Giada De Laurentiis reminisced over their favorite holiday dishes.

Art Smith of Table Fifty-Two headed over to Chicago's very own BOKA, where exec chef Giuseppe Tentori hooked him up with Bigoli Pasta, an ultra-rich dish made of duck eggs, duck ragout, fresh basil, parmesan, tomato sauce . . . and sprinkled with saffron.

It's on the menu now for $26, but after that Food Network hit, it's certain to sell out every night!

Christmas Cupcake Craze Gone Wrong?!

One of my wackiest 312DD fans, who goes by the handle of The Phantom Diner, sent me his Top 10 List—David Letterman style—of possibly the grossest holiday cupcake flavors EVER.

This guy knows his way around Chicago's restaurant scene, but he has a serious bone to pick when it comes to cupcakes. He HATES them, so for everyone else annoyed with the over-the-top cupcake trend of 2009, this list is for you:

10. Burnt Christmas tree topped with melted candy cane.

9. Roasted Partridge covered in truffled Pear Tree sap.

8. Leftover Thanksgiving turkey sprinkled with moldy cranberries and cracked road salt.

7. Eggnog-infused French Hen, bathed in chocolate and dusted with cinnamon.

6. Granny’s homemade gingerbread with a crust of frozen carrot, topped with a ribbon of snow and ice.

5. The "almost" white cupcake: yellow snow covered in gooey marshmallow.

4. Grilled reindeer tongue touched with a delicate wisp of the Ghost of Christmas past.

3. Cookie medley mash drizzled with spoiled milk reduction sauce.

2. Reindeer shit on a shingle.

And the number one holiday cupcake flavor . . .

1. Tender elf loins laced with crispy Santa belly-button lint!

Someone is twisted!

The 12 Beers of Xmas Returns!

You know, I was never really quite clear on when to start celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, but while you ponder that, Beer Bistro is launching an event that you can check out right now.

The West Loop bar's annual 12 Beers of Xmas runs through Dec. 31, giving you an opportunity to sip through a superb selection of seasonal suds.

The list:

Anchor Christmas
Bells Christmas Ale
Delerium Noel
Goose Island Christmas Ale
Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Harpoon Winter Warmer
LaChouffe N'ice Chouffe
Samuel Smith Winter Warmer
Shiner Cheer
Sierra Nevada Celebration
New Holland Cabin Fever
Three Floyd's Alpha Claus

Drink all 12, and you'll be rewarded with a free Beer Bistro tee shirt with logos of all the beers. Just don't do it all in one night!

Who Came Out On Top in 2009?!

New York's Mercadito opened an outpost in River North in the fall. (Photo: Mercadito)


Which new restaurant blew you away in 2009?

Was it one of the Mexican-focused spots Mercadito, Xoco or Big Star?

Or were you all about the burgers at Nightwood or DMK Burger Bar?

Maybe the exotic call of Asian-inspired fare at Sunda or delicious Greek dishes at Taxim had your mouth watering.

Whatever the case, it's time for you to decide in the third-annual 312 Dining Diva Year-End Poll.

You know what to do. Scroll to the bottom of the page and vote. You've got until noon Dec. 21.

iPhone App Hooks You Up with Local Dining Deals

Soooo, what if you could have Chicago Restaurant Week all year long?! You know, daily deals on meals, cocktail specials and the 411 on the hottest restos sent directly to your phone?

You can now get the serious hookup with the new foodie iPhone application, which gets you significant discounts on more than 35 local restaurants and bars. The app launched quietly last week, offering exclusive deals on some pretty sweet, chef-driven spots such as Bluebird, Boka, MK, Province and Spring.

Created by food journo Ari Bendersky and digital strategist Matt Marcus, foodie costs $.99 per reservation and integrates Twitter and Facebook to encourage users to post about their experiences.

How perfect was the timing to launch this thing right in the heat of the holiday dining season!