Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

11 Apr 2012

Margie’s Candies – Chicago

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I wish I could take all the credit for following up lunch at Hot Doug’s with dessert at Margie’s Candies. But alas, that brilliant idea was all Roy Choi‘s. He’s a self-proclaimed hot fudge sundae fiend and sent me to Margie’s for a pitch perfect specimen. Hot dogs + Hot fudge sundaes = Hot damn.

Peter George Poulos opened the ice cream parlor and confection shop in 1921 in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Originally named Security Sweet Shop, the place was renamed Margie’s Candies in 1933 to honor Peter’s wife. A second outpost was opened by Margie and Peter’s son Peter Jr. in 2005 in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. Margie’s Candies continues to be a family-owned restaurant.

Stepping inside Margie’s Candies, it doesn’t seem like much has changed since the shop first opened eighty years ago. The space has an antique chic way about it, while the service is quick and friendly. Sliding into our brown pleather booth, The Astronomer and I admired the table side jukebox. Nifty.

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Restaurant Review

09 Apr 2012

Hot Doug’s – Chicago

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One of the most highly anticipated meals on my recent jaunt to Chicago was at Hot Doug’s, a “Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium.” Here, Doug Sohn serves a bevy of traditional and exotic wieners topped every which way. The path to Doug’s is a well-beaten one due to loyal locals and tenacious tourists. The wait was well over an hour on this chilly Friday afternoon in March.

Joining The Astronomer and me for lunch was one of my oldest and bestest friends Kellie, a Chicago resident. While The Astronomer and I are accustomed to waiting in tortuously long lines for food [see: here, here, and here], such absurdity wasn’t a part of our companion’s day to day. I prayed that Doug’s dogs would be well worth the wait.

The primary reason for the line moving at a snail’s pace was the limited seating available inside the restaurant. To ensure that everyone had a proper place to sit, orders were only taken when a table was vacated.

Fortunately, the time between placing an order and food arriving was impressively fast. We were seated and eating within five minutes.

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Restaurant Review

05 Apr 2012

Alinea, March 2012 – Chicago

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I must admit that a part of me was relieved when I failed to get a reservation at Alinea initially. Not only would my bank account be more robust for it, but the awesome memories that I had of the restaurant from my first meal there would remain intact.

Less than 24 hours before boarding our flight to Chicago, I received a phone call from Alinea’s reservationist offering a table for two the following evening. It’s not every day that the opportunity to dine at one of the world’s best restaurants presents itself, so I took a deep breath and went for gold.

Just as soon as we arrived in the city, The Astronomer and I jammed it to our hotel, changed into prettier clothes, and headed off to Alinea. Upon walking through the restaurant’s fuschia-lit entrance, we were greeted by the hostess, who freed us from our winter coats and led us upstairs to our table.

Before I go on any further about the food and fun we had this evening, it must be said that the service at Alinea isn’t the warmest. Not every front-of-the-house team can strike the perfect balance between polished and inviting a la Eleven Madison Park, but Alinea’s all-male waitstaff left a lot to be desired. As these black suited gents presented each course, it felt like they had grown tired of and jaded by the theatrics Alinea is known for. As a result, our interactions were often awkward and sometimes humorless. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, on to the food and fun…

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Centerpiece I

Even though the service left me wanting, the food mostly dazzled. This intriguing ice block was the first of three centerpieces to grace the table. I knew from previous experience that it would play a role in a future course, but in what capacity remained to be seen. I was hoping for an ice luge of some sort

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