Chicago Restaurant Week: Table Fifty-Two

Unfortunately I only was able to venture out to one restaurant for this year's Chicago Restaurant Week, and it was Table Fifty-Two. Their Restaurant Week menu really featured some great dishes and highlighted some of their most popular - except for their Southern Fried Chicken, which is only available on Sundays and Mondays.

One thing that I did not take a picture of were their biscuits. They might of been the best biscuits I've ever had, and we devoured them before I was able to snap a shot #foodieproblems.

Deviled Eggs

Beet Salad:
Pickled Red Beets, Dijon Goat Cheese, Red Wine Reduction

Tea Braised Short Rib:
Cider Glazed Carrots, Cabbage, Horseradish

Chocolate Whoopie Pie:
Cheese-Mallow fluff, Cherry Bourbon sauce

Check out Table Fifty-Two's menu here

Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Anthony Bourdain

A very in-depth and captivating interview on Anthony Bourdain's new CNN show and thoughts on certain topics by this generation's most famous astrophysicist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Two of my favorites.

2013 Academy Award Nominations

And the 2013 Academy Award nominations were announced today by this year's host Seth McFarland (who I believe will do a great job and bring something to the Oscars, host-wise, that producers have been searching for the past couple of years) and Emma Stone.

While we saw some expected and deserved nominations, as Hugh Jackman's performance in 'Les Miserables' or Daniel Day-Lewis' on-point representation of Honest Abe, there were a few Oscar surprises that I was excited to see.

Notably for Best Actress,  Quvenzhane Wallis, 9,  was nominated for her amazing performance in "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and is the youngest-ever oscar nominee.

Check out the full nomination listings:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/oscar-nominations-2013-full-list/story?id=18174507

Spot On!

The app is called Foodspotting... and if you are an avid eater, you really are going to enjoy this. It has a couple of  components that make it the must-have foodie app. 

The first is 'Explore' tab. This works using GPS to determine your location and allows you to see the restaurants/dishes closest to you.When you are hungry and can't decide what to eat, this is great for checking out what is near and what looks appealing.

The second portion of the app works similar to Instagram, but only contains food (hell ya!). You an follow friends, places, and other foodies to watch what they are eating. Besides commenting on food photos, you can  'want', 'tried', or 'loved' somebody's dish. 

While this is not all the app does, it is definitely what separates if from other food applications that might be comparable, and stands out to me.

Foodspotting really fashions the explosion of mobile photography with food. It incorporates GPS capabilities to search and see what is closest to you while adding a social media component to eating.

If you don't have the app already, I suggest downloading it -- and give me a follow! (John Thompson /Chicago, IL) 

SPOT ON!

Antique Taco

I ventured to Wicker Park to a taco joint that I had heard a lot about. Antique Taco is it's name, and amazing mexican cooking is it's game.
The cool thing about the Antique Taco is that is is run by husband & wife team Ricky and Ashley Ortiz. Rick is the head chef and takes care of creating an authentic Mexican menu, reflecting his Mexican Heritage, while Ashley is the creative director of the restaurant. The result is the seamless incorporation of a "home-y"atmosphere and great Mexican Comfort food.

The Chili Cheese Curds caught my attention, and they lived up to my curious expectations. These Beer-Battered Cheese Curds are lightly fried - almost like a tempura. They top a bowl of Chorizo Chili and then are drizzled with a Crema Fresca, Scallions, and tortilla chip strips. These little balls of gooey cheese with spicy Chorizo Chili really were fantastic, I highly recommended for any cheese lover.

Chili Cheese Curds

I love a good fish taco, and usually hesitant when ordering them at a restaurant  I have never had them at before.  The Crispy Fish Tempura tacos came with an interesting Siracha Tartar Sauce - which actually worked quite well - Smoked Cabbage and were topped with chives and sesame seeds. The fish itself was battered very lightly and had a perfect amount of crunch. The taco was good, but was quite plain. I would of loved  some sliced avocado or pickled onions to give the taco just a little more.

Crispy Fish Tempura

Overall, the restaurant was great, definitely a spot I'd recommend and somewhere I'll be visiting again.   The cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, along with the  the good service, and great Mexican comfort food gets this taco joint 4/5 ★★★★☆ stars!
Antique Taco Menu

The Butcher & The Burger

This is a neighborhood burger joint "like nothing you've seen before... at least under one roof."

The Butcher & The Burger specializes in creating customizable craft burgers, but has an upper-hand when it comes to the quality and specialty of their ingredients.

Their menu is broken down so that you create your burger step-by-step. And believe me, there are too many choices (not that that's a bad thing!)

Patty. With standard Natural & Local House Blend Beef and the Grass-Fed Beef options serving as a staples, the other patty choices consist of some a little more unusual for a neighborhood burger shop. Locally Raised pork,  Naturally Raised Turkey, Grass-Fed Bison, and even Elk.

What really stood out was The Butcher & The Burger's spices. After choosing your choice of meat , there are a handful of different spice blends that you can add to be mixed into your protein. Simple (kosher salt & cracked pepper), Chicago Steakhouse, Cameron Parish Cajun Blend, Grandma's Onion Soup and Curry-Coconut - the list goes on. I have never heard or been to a burger joint that has products so fresh that they wait for you to order your burger to mix in the seasoning.

The extras to add onto your burger are nearly endless, but some honorable mentions include a fried egg, black truffle mayo, and sautéed Foie Gras...

A little overloaded with the endless possibilities my burger could potentially go, I went with a specialty burger suggested on their chalkboard, the 'Home On The Range' burger.

The burger was amazing. It consisted of a Bison patty with "Bottom Game" spices added into the bison. It was topped with Cheddar Cheese, Tennessee-smoked Bacon, and BBQ sauce. I added some Black Truffle May and grilled onions to scene, just to make sure it was extra tasty - and it was. The Bison was so tender, and cooked a perfect medium. The bacon was crispy, but not overcooked. The Black Truffle Mayo and BBQ sauce went surprisingly well together, and made for a messy meal - but all the better. 

It was honestly one of the top 5 burgers I had ever had. I already can't wait to go back and build mine from scratch.

I'm going to give The Butcher & the Burger 4.5/5: ★★★★✬

P.S. you HAVE to get the Beignets, they are warm, moist and covered in a snowstorm of powder sugar, which just melts in your mouth.