March 11, 2007
October 2006
October 2006
includes: Chicago trip and my work trip to Phoenix.
Chicago
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17538748/site/newsweek/
Spacca Napoli: Chicagoans take pride in deep-dish, but recently, they've discovered the crispy goodness of thinner-crust Neapolitan pies. At Spacca Napoli, people queue up for the chance to order funghi (mushroom) and quattro formaggi (four cheese) pizzas that are cooked to perfection in an Italian-made, oak-burning oven. 1769 W. Sunnyside Ave., Ravenswood, 773/878-2420, closed Mon. and Tues., pizzas from $8
Hopleaf: Leaving deep-fried fare to every other corner bar, Hopleaf takes beer and food pairings seriously. Its mighty collection of Belgian beers—around 100—complements a menu of moules frites (a bucket of steamed mussels and fries accompanied by aioli dipping sauce), salt-cod croquettes, and veal sweetbreads. 5148 N. Clark St., Andersonville, 773/334-9851, entrées from $15
Avec: Next to his marquee restaurant, Blackbird, celebrated chef Paul Kahan runs a more casual spin-off that serves the kind of small-plate Mediterranean fare he seeks when he punches out: mixed olives, homemade salami, blood-sausage pizza, braised octopus. The first-come, first-served communal tables mean strategic diners snag seats before 6 p.m. 615 W. Randolph St., West Loop, 312/377-2002, plates from $5
West Town Tavern: Good-time Charlies past their beer-pounding prime dream of a tavern like West Town: exposed brick walls, a vintage oak bar, a well-priced wine list, and a chef who knows how to do gussied-up comfort food—from a cheese ball flavored with, among other things, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and cumin, to a satisfying zinfandel-braised pot roast. 1329 W. Chicago Ave., West Town, 312/666-6175, closed Sun., entrées from $18