Another Chef Showdown Coming Soon!

Yet another chef competition is coming, this time benefiting the Special Olympics.

A number of the downtown area's culinary kings and queens are set to go head to head in the fourth annual Chefs on the Grill event at the Plaza on the Grill from 6-9pm Sept. 14. Each chef will whip up a signature dish, then guests vote on their favorites. The winning chef gets bragging rights to the Chefs on the Grill trophy until next year's event.

Vote For Me, The 312DD!!

Sooooo honored to be nominated as a finalist for CBS Chicago's Most Valuable Blogger Awards 2011 in the dining/entertainment category.

To vote for 312DD, please go here.

Thanks so much in advance!

The Most Annoying Part of 'Top Chef Just Desserts' Premiere

Amanda Rockman of The Bristol. (Photo: Stronghold Photography)

Excuse me for the early rant, but I'm a little miffed about Wednesday's premiere of Top Chef Just Desserts.

Of course it's partly due to the fact that we haven't had a Chicago girl chef on the popular Bravo franchise since Girl & The Goat's Stephanie Izard won in Top Chef season four.

But it mostly has to do with how the only Chicago contestant, The Bristol's Amanda Rockman, was introduced to viewers during this premiere.

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.