How Many Bloodys Can YOU Put Down?!

Morso's $30 all-you-can-drink brunch deal includes a signature Bloody Mary. (Photo: jamco new media)

I know how much everyone loves to indulge in brunch during spring/summer, but have you seen the menus at this fall's hottest new restaurants?!

From foie gras "Pop Tarts" at 2Sparrows to Morso's $30 all-you-can-drink deal of Mimosas, Bloodys and the signature Choo Choo Cable Car, I check out what's certain to be the season's best brunches in the monthly GRUB GUIDE To What's Hot in DiningChicago.com.

Latest Obsession: The Robata Grill

Roka Akor's steak made over the robata grill. (Photo: Roka Akor)

This year, four new restaurants popped up on the Chicago scene focusing on the robata grill—a traditional style of barbecuing that's been used in Japan for hundreds of years.

But what sets some of these spots apart from others is that few feature the binchotan Japanese white charcoal, which is only used on authentic robata grills. Others put prime slices of meats, seafood and veggies on specially made gas grills.

Want to know more about the robata grill trend and what sets it apart from what we've been used to as far as barbecue?! I checked out these new spots on The U's You & Me This Morning.

You'll certainly be hungry after you watch!

Vote For The Southern Mac & Cheese Truck!

(Photo: The Southern)

The Great Food Truck Race is currently in its second season on Food Network, but producers are already looking for participants for the third season.

No one's more excited about that news in Chicago than The Southern's chef Cary Taylor and owner James Lasky, who just might get a chance to compete.

Who's Hot This Fall . . .

Ryan Poli of Tavernita. (Photo: Tavernita)

GrubStreet Chicago's getting us ready for fall with this sweet slideshow preview of the city's most anticipated restaurant openings, including the likes of BAR TOMA, Balena and Tavernita.

The best part of this story? Interviews with several high-profile chefs on why they think these restaurants will succeed.

Great to see these guys supporting each other!

Exclusive Sneak Preview of Morso Lounge

Matthew "Choo" Lipsky behind the bar at the sleek, upper-level Morso Lounge. (Photos: jamco new media)

When I got a last-minute invite to be the first person to check out Matt Maroni's highly anticipated Morso's upstairs lounge for Saturday night, hell yeah I said yes.

I didn't know what to expect from the guy known as the poster boy for Chicago's food truck movement and the owner of Gaztro-wagon, which cranks out delicious street food sandwiches and such almost daily.

I guess I expected an extension of Gaztro-wagon—which was what we got—yet delivered with far more sophistication than could be done on a mobile vehicle. The cuisine and cocktails have phenomenal potential.

Morso's mixologist is Matthew "Choo" Lipsky, formerly of The Southern. What Choo loves about this opportunity is that he's allowed to go absolutely crazy behind the bar, allowing him to create concoctions behind his wildest dreams by using ingredients and spirits typically overlooked by other bartenders.

Mercadito Chef's Encounter With JHud

On his flight from Chicago to NYC Thursday, Mercadito chef/partner Patricio Sandoval snagged a first-class seat next to newly svelte star Jennifer Hudson.

He admitted that he was a tad bit star struck, but not so much that he didn't pay attention to her eating "habits:"

Best Customer Service Story EVER.

Peter Shankman (left) with tuxedoed server from Morton's Hackensack. (Photo: Peter Shankman)

I guess you can say there are benefits to having more than 100,000 Twitter followers. And it certainly helps if you're also a whiz when it comes to social media networking.

New York consultant Peter Shankman—who tweets @petershankman—received one of the best receptions ever Wednesday night when he arrived at Newark Airport to find a Morton's Steakhouse server waiting for him with a bag filled with "a 24 oz. Porterhouse steak, an order of Colossal Shrimp, a side of potatoes, one of Morton's famous round things of bread, two napkins and silverware."

How did this happen?!

Can He Bounce Back?!

Chef James Toland of The Black Sheep. (Photo: Lorenzo Tassone)

The troubles plaguing the The Black Sheep have been well documented by Eater Chicago.

The West Town restaurant has only been open for about a couple of months, but it quickly became known more for its drama behind the scenes than for the food. THAT is not a good thing.

But James Toland, chef/owner of TBS, insisted in a recent interview with Chicago magazine's Dish that all is good on the homefront: