(Chicago, IL) — It has been a long time coming, but we are finally headed back to Bruce Sherman’s North Pond. With a long weekend in Chicago, we are able to corral two friends—we shall call them the Hoodies—for dinner. The drive to the North Pond Nature Sanctuary, just up the way from Lincoln Park, is a beautiful, glimmery parade past well-appointed homes and windswept treescapes. A valet takes our car and we stroll the short way through the park to see what’s for supper...
(Chicago, IL) — Free for lunch in Chicago on a Friday afternoon, we quickly weigh our options. Sable is on the ground floor of our hotel (the chef is currently competing on Top Chef season 9). We could go out for a food truck. Many other local restaurants beckon, but only a few blocks away is a place called The Purple Pig, which has been getting some good press lately. They don’t take reservations, but we are ever-hopeful. We head out with intent of snagging a table...
(Grand Rapids, MI) — What to do when Grand Rapids Magazine contacts you, requesting an interview about your culinary adventures? You say yes! And that's just what we did; you'll find us on page 12 of the November 2011 issue...
(Grand Rapids, MI) — Not long after we moved to downtown Grand Rapids, we began exploring local restaurants with more enthusiasm. Before Brewery Vivant and Green Well moved onto Cherry Street, there was a mysterious wine bar called Corez. We tried to pop in one afternoon about a year ago, but they weren’t quite open yet and we were turned away. As it happened, Corez closed their doors soon thereafter. Surely a primo building like that wouldn’t go to waste? It didn’t. The fine folks at Essence had a plan: Grove Restaurant. Early rumblings said it would focus on “local seafood” (whatever that might mean in mid-Michigan). Grove opened without a liquor license, so we patiently awaited a time when their complete culinary vision would unfold. What better time for that to happen than Grand Rapids Restaurant Week...
Jeremy here...for those who know me, it's no surprise that Halloween is my favorite time of year. I love all things "horror"—including movies, books, music—so it's great fun to see the rest of the world participating in my genre, if only for a few weeks. Of course, growing up watching old horror flicks, you're bound to bump into a particular actor on more than one occasion: Mr. Vincent Price. Most of you know him as the creepy character in many a scary movie, but did you know he was also a highly regarded collector of art? Would it also surprise you to learn that he dabbled in culinary adventures, together with his wife, Mary? And that they actually authored cookbooks, once upon a time? When I discovered this little tidbit of information, I was eager to obtain one, just to see if the dishes would include baby's brains, curdled eyeball of newt, or any number of myriad other spooky recipes. All copies were long out of print, but thanks to eBay I managed to snag a hefty tome entitled A TREASURY OF GREAT RECIPES. It assembled concoctions from around the world, culled from famous chefs and restaurants, and then given a "modern" spin (if you can call 1965 modern). As I read these very straightforward dishes, an idea formed: a private dinner party, featuring the recipes from this book. And what better time than Halloween! And, so, with Juliet's cooking skills at the forefront, we set about planning...
