I will sorely miss Primehouse, a New York City restaurant which the history books will classify as a steakhouse but which meant incredibly more to me. It closed yesterday without warning, with no opportunity for its fans such as myself to enjoy a final meal. In its short but fun filled five years, I spent quite a few lazy Sunday afternoons, relaxing nights, and at least one meal during restaurant week each year there; soaking up its laid back ambiance and brilliant food. Now that it has gone, I feel that I must document my experiences at Primehouse so that in this way we can all understand how great it was, and what an ideal restaurant should be. Please understand: I do not mean for this piece to be a complaint or to be overly negative. Even though I feel sad about the closing of Primehouse, I intend for the following to reflect its greatness.

Ambiance:

How can I deconstruct this abstract element into words? The first thing which crosses my mind regarding Primehouse’s ambiance is how comfortable the seating was there. When I picture myself eating a perfect meal, I simply imagine sitting in one of their plush armchairs or soft roomy banquettes. The service was impeccable; I remember a hostess knew me on a first name basis which made it feel a bit like the TV show Cheers. Furthermore, the staff answered All of my foodie questions with ease and without a hint of attitude. Finally, I recall the music at Primehouse suited the environment perfectly; it was played at just the right level so that you could hear it without the sounds being intrusive. Please take note of the proceeding description future restauranteurs!

The food:

It is my hope that the following will properly convey the food aspect of the dining experience at Primehouse:

1. 1. The bread: Yes, even this factor made Primehouse special. During lunch and dinner, you were presented before the meal with something akin to warm crunchy bagels. During brunch, there were two outstanding options: banana or zucchini bread. It was simply fantastic.
2. 2. Hamburgers: Taking one bite into their succulent, well charred hamburger would prove to anyone why the closing of Primehouse leaves a gaping hole in my

   top ten hamburgers in New York City

   Regarding these burgers, I will particularly miss the thick crisp slab bacon or mushrooms and onions sautéed to perfection on the steakhouse hamburger, along with some of the best steak fries I have ever tasted.

3. 3. The steak: It was simply tender, well seasoned, and always cooked to the exact doneness which I requested. This might sound like the usual description of a high quality steak, but the slight addition of their secret seasoning and exterior char on the steak qualified it as one of my

   top five steakhouses in New York City

   Whether on a salad, sandwich, or by itself, I feel upset that I will never be able to try this steak again.

4. 4. Brunch: In my mind, Primehouse offered one of the best brunches because of the wide variety of dishes offered, all of which were excellent. I tried their omelet, egg sandwich, I could even order my favorite, hamburgers! Given the ambiance and food, it is evident why brunch was great here.
5. 5. Desserts: I won’t forget unique selections such as the Bananas Foster Sundae which consisted of vanilla & banana-caramel ice cream, bourbon bananas, and a superb brown sugar almond crunch. I’ll also miss their “slice of prime”: 5 layers of chocolate & fudge cake with malt crunch ice cream. It was nice to dine at a restaurant which offered desserts which were far from the standard both in creativity and in quality.

I hope that B.R. Guest, as well as other restaurant owners, can learn from all of the things Primehouse did right in terms of food, which was just about everything.

Conclusion:

Above all else, I feel happy to have had such wonderful times at this restaurant. It meant a great deal to me in the many ways which I have spoken about earlier, and it seems almost impossible to find another establishment which can potentially take its place. Once again, I don’t mean to sound so sad, I am simply thankful for the opportunity to enjoy such great experiences at Primehouse. R I P

Dan

Exorbitant steakhouses are the name of the game here in New York City: that’s the bottom line. It seems as if every Zagat rated establishment in this category is obliged to charge north of $30 and as much as $60 for a piece of meat; even if it is a transporting slice of filet mignon. Regardless to the state of the economy and high rate of unemployment, it is essential to figure out which steakhouses are worth your time and hard earned money and which ones deserve a pass. That’s where I come in: through my years of dining experience in this great town, finally I have painstakingly assembled a list of the top five “must try” steakhouses in this city. It should be noted that this list only reflects restaurants where I have personally dined, so if your favorite is not mentioned then it is possible that I have not tried it yet. Furthermore, this does not take into consideration those restaurants which serve steak but which are not known as steakhouses. Are you ready for some high quality red meat?

My list of the top five steakhouses in New York City is organized as follows: rank, name, Zagat rating for food, decor, and service, why I like it.

The List!

1. 1. The Palm: 25, 19, 23. My highest praise goes to the Palm where I continually discover, taste, and savor the Texture and flavor galore found in their transporting steaks. My ideal steak is a hearty but extremely tender filet mignon, which has been well charred with just enough seasoning to compliment its natural flavors. The Palm always delivers on this concept with no frills or any type of pretension. The service is generally outstanding, and as rarely as I dine there it feels like Cheers when I enter because all of the hosts act as if they know me. In addition, they make some mean hash browns (which you should always order extra crispy) and don’t forget the heart attack inducing half and half: a plate divided between fried potato chips and long thin fried onions. (Moderation is the key folks!) If I am on a health kick as I have been of late, I can order some fish and a side of excellent green beans in garlic. However, if you are going to The Palm, you would be doing a great disservice not ordering some of their top notch cuts of beef.

   840 second Avenue (between 44th and 45th street)

2. 2. Peter Luger’s: 28, 16, 20. (A.K.A. your favorite foodie’s favorite steakhouse) Many foodies and food critics alike praise this restaurant and place it at the top of their list, and with good reason. It is a New York City establishment; rated number one in Zagat’s restaurant guide for the last 28 years. I choose to disagree, however I am still ranking it at number two so therefore I do hold this classic establishment in high esteem. Ladies and gentlemen here is the Peter Luger experience: you call them one or two months in advance in order to secure your reservation, otherwise you either won’t get in or you will be forced to eat steak at 10 pm. Upon arriving to their location in Williamsburg (a few minutes from Manhattan on the subway), you will find a crowded restaurant with a possible wait time for your table. Despite the traveling and the delay in the seating process, there’s something beyond words reflected in the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant. (It just feels like an ancient restaurant with so much history of this city that one can soak up even while mingling in the front or while waiting for your meal to arrive.) When it is time to select your steak, here are the options: steak for 1, 2, 3, or 4. That’s it: no filet mignon, no sirloin, just their traditional porterhouse in the size of your choice. The sizzling sound from afar will alert you that your order is on its way, and they have mastered the art of cooking steak to absolute perfection. The million dollar question is: is this the best steak in New York City? For my money, (insert awkward pause and possibly a drum roll!) no it is not! As outstanding as this meat and restaurant is, I firmly believe that a better piece of filet or sirloin can be found elsewhere. However, there is definitely no shame in being what I consider the number 2 steakhouse in all of New York City. By the way, remember to order a side of their famous German potatoes (extra crispy), and all of their desserts come with a delicious whipped cream called Schlag!

   178 Broadway, (at driggs avenue) Brooklyn.

3. 3. Primehouse: 24, 23, 23. In the immortal words of a 1990′s Burger King commercial “I love this place!” If you thought that my last pick was controversial, then prepare for the following shock: After several excellent meals at Primehouse, including lunch, brunch, and dinner, I assert that it is definitely the third best steakhouse in New York City. This restaurant represents the ideal dining experience for me: From the moment you walk in, you are treated with respect, and this high level of service continues throughout your meal. Arriving at your table, you will discover that Primehouse has some of the most comfortable seating in any restaurant: hands down! (Check out their extremely cushioned chairs and banquettes which are nearly impossible to get out of, they are just that nice and add great depth to your dining experience.) In terms of food, Primehouse makes what might be
   the best hamburger
   always well charred and seasoned with French fries that are beyond outstanding. (Think thick, crispy steak fries with just enough salt that could never be frozen.) Their selection of steaks are all terrific; allegedly Primehouse has its own Black Angus bull, named
   Prime
   who lives on a farm in Kentucky, where he works tirelessly to sire choice beef cattle on the restaurant’s behalf. I find their meat, especially the filet mignon, to be especially tender and seasoned in an understated manner but with slightly more of a kick than the previously mentioned steakhouses. (By kick, I am not referring to spice; they use a combination of herbs and Himalayan sea salt that is simply outstanding). I have never been disappointed by any of their side dishes and the desserts at Primehouse are always special.

   381 park avenue (at 27th street)

4. 4. Keen’s: 25, 24, 24. This century old establishment makes some of the best steaks in this city and is well worth your money.
   They call it “the old boy’s club” but don’t be turned off by this notion.
   In my previous review of Keen’s,
   two friends and I went there and found that essentially everything we tried met our expectations as our ideal of steakhouse fair: from the flavorful crab cakes to the huge jumbo shrimp, the three outstanding kinds of beef I sampled (sirloin, prime rib, and filet mignon) were all excellently prepared. It is very difficult for me to admit this, but Keen’s cooks up an even better version of a prime rib than my beloved filet mignon; that is a true statement of their talent! As Zagat’s restaurant guide likes to say about many steakhouses, everything at Keen’s is “cooked to perfection”!

   72 W. 36th Street (between fifth and Sixth Avenue)

5. 5. Spark’s: 26, 20, 23. When I talk to people about Spark’s, I find four different types of reactions emerge:
   • 1. They have never been there.
   • 2. They tried it and didn’t think it was particularly great.
   • 3. It is their absolute favorite steakhouse.
   • 4. “Isn’t that the place where John Gotti shot someone?”

   (For your information, yes it was, but let’s focus on the food.)
   For my money, Spark’s is certainly a solid steakhouse and I was not disappointed with my visit there.
   I do not fall into the four categories mentioned above, but with so many other great steakhouses here in New York City I must admit that I do not visit Spark’s very often. However, I had absolutely no complaints about my experience at Spark’s, and as mentioned in my review it passed my “leftover test” with flying colors. The next time you go out to one of these establishments, consider taking a portion of your steak home and trying it the next day. Are you as blown away as you were at the time? I sincerely hope so!

   210 E. 46th Street (between second and third avenue).

Conclusion: what is the perfect steak:

As I was selecting and ranking these various steakhouses in the process of writing this article, an interesting question occurred to me: How do we classify the perfect steak? (I’m sure it is subjective for many of us, but surely there must be some universal guidelines by which to judge all contenders in this category.) In my experience, the perfect steak represents that magical combination of the ideal texture and flavor. By texture, I mean that

1. 1. The perfect steak should be tender to the point where you should be able to cut through it easily.
2. 2. It must be cooked to the level of doneness specified by the customer because it directly affects the texture of the steak. (and it’s the right thing to do!)
3. 3. I prefer a steak devoid of fat, especially when it comes to the filet and sirloin, unless you are ordering a rib eye which is supposed to be naturally fatty.

These three rules of texture might sound simple on paper, but I have dined on my fair share of rubbery, tough, and/or fatty steaks; any of which is a definite problem. (Honestly my favorite type of steak is filet mignon, but these concepts apply to all types of steak.) In addition, I am personally an advocate of charring, when the outside of a steak becomes slightly crispy while the inside remains moist and tender. The level of seasoning also plays an important role; the ideal steak needs a little seasoning but just enough to heighten the flavor in a subtle manner. To summarize: texture, charring, seasoning, perfection! Steak is a real treat as long as we remember that everything should be used in moderation. (cliché but true) As always, thanks for reading and I hope that you have learned something today.

Dan

One of the most common Chicago debates is about steakhouses.  It seems that almost everyone you ask will have a different favorite in the city, and that any given spot can inspire high praise or serious disdain depending on who you ask.  I’ve heard plenty of people say that Gene and Georgetti’s is the best steakhouse of all time (“unique and homey”), and just as many say that it’s the worst (“if you’re not a regular, they couldn’t care less about you”).  Because the steakhouses are fairly diverse in their approaches to cooking and (a little less so) their ambiance, this isn’t a big surprise.  Given all of this, it’s important to weigh your own preferences when considering steakhouses.

For instance, I do not like particularly salty food, so Tavern on Rush does not quite do it for me.  It can appeal to those who like a heavy-handed approach to salt.  Also, I have had many colleagues over the years that sing the praises of The Capital Grille.  However, my steaks there have tended to be ok, but seemed to ride on what I would consider to be fairly gimmicky sauces and rubs.  I’m more interested in top-flight steak quality that doesn’t need the extra fluff to be delicious.  However, I don’t mind having the option of adding a little flavor to a steak if needed.  Some places that take good care in how they handle their steaks (like n9ne) do not give any extra flavor options.  Others will specialize in seriously charring the steak (Morton’s) and others pretty much stick to prime rib (Lawry’s).  Of course, none of this even takes into account the differences in atmosphere at these places.  Plenty of steakhouses have the old dark wood look, while some of the newer ones have an ultra-modern style (n9ne).

So, those last two paragraphs were just a really long-winded way to help explain why Primehouse is my go-to steakhouse in Chicago.  Is the preparation of the steaks top-notch?  Yes, in fact it’s probably the most thoughtful and unique aging process anywhere.  The cuts are dry-aged (difficult and expensive) in a dedicated Himalayan aging salt room, and the aging process can go for a very long time.  Steaks that are aged longer take on quite a bit of extra flavor and complexity.  They even track the steaks from the actual animal to your plate and they all come from a particular genetic line.  Is the seasoning appropriate?  Yes, but in a roundabout way.  The steaks are flavorful enough on their own (thanks to the aging process) and don’t require much seasoning at all.  However, if you want some sort of a sauce to go with your steak, that’s not a problem, too.  For a truly over-the-top experience, get a blue cheese sauce.

The atmosphere at Primehouse is like a modernized version of the classic steakhouse and the unique menu items and steak preparations fit along with the profile.  For me, it is a very comfortable dining experience.  They also do a very good job with the sides and desserts.  The selections are more interesting than in most traditional steakhouses.  In short, there is a lot to like about Primehouse given my preferences for steak dining.

So, what’s the kicker?  I’m a huge fan of value (maybe a cheapskate), and the Primehouse SHAKENSteak lunch is the best steak deal I have ever been privy to.   Given my history of daily special tracking and coupon clipping, that’s pretty remarkable.  So, if you are a fan of truly excellent meat and an innovative (by steakhouse standards, which tend to be a bit stodgy) menu, Primehouse is the way to go in Chicago.

Top Ten Hamburgers in New York City:

Not only have I ranked the hamburgers, but I have divided the list into categories so it is easier to locate the best burger.

Definitely try these out, no matter where you live (seriously):

1. 1. Little Owl, What to order: Gus’s bacon cheddar burger. This hamburger is simply awesome and wins my award for the best in NYC. Here is their equation: short rib and brisket patty + house made maple cured bacon + aged cheddar plus homemade bun + twice cooked fries = the best burger in New York City.
2. 2. Primehouse, what to order: the steakhouse burger (although all of the hamburgers are great). While this is a fancy steakhouse at night, try out one of their three great hamburgers for lunch or brunch. Each is made of ground chuck with some ribeye for flavor, and it is a huge 10 ounce patty. My pick: the steakhouse burger, topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions and served with some of the best steak fries I have ever had.
3. 3. Shake Shack, what to order: Shake stack or double stack. Quality, value, and taste, what more can I say? I am a fan of their double stack (the hamburgers are relatively small so two is plenty for me but maybe more than enough for others). There are few things better in life than their shake stack: a hamburger topped with a Portobello burger. Now with several locations in Manhattan and even one in Brooklyn, you are no longer subjected to their extremely long lines. While many hamburgers on this list cost $10 and over, just try the Shake Shack closest to you if you are looking for an outstanding value.
4. 4. Rub BBQ, what to order: Come here only on Monday nights between 6-9 PM to try some incredible hamburgers. They are cooked in a skillet at 600 degrees and smashed to ensure maximum charring. Every week there is a burger special from a different part of the country, some are a little strange but no matter what the special, this place is excellent. For your first time, I would encourage you to try the regular hamburger and then go for the special on your next visit.
5. 5. Minetta Tavern, What to order: the black label hamburger. I still recommend their Black Label hamburger, but you should be warned: it is very expensive. This is the highest quality blend of ground beef available, made from four different types of dry aged steak including ribeye which normally costs $100 for two people. Biting into one of these is like tasting a delicious grilled steak in a hamburger form; topped with caramelized onions and served with crispy pommes frites (shoestring French Fries), hopefully you won’t regret the price tag.

The following restaurants are worth traveling to, but not necessarily from a great distance:

1. 6. Burger Joint: These hamburgers are reminiscent of those at summer time barbecues. I always enjoy my experience here and the ambiance is special (you would never expect an affordable burger joint in the back of a fancy Manhattan hotel). While I am a fan, I believe that there are far better selections.
2. 7. Rare bar and grill, what to order: T-bone burger. I only recommend one selection: the T-Bone hamburger, which features a patty containing a combination of ground sirloin and strip steak. It is pricy but well worth the money.
3. 8. Union Square Cafe: Despite being a destination for many tourists, their hamburger features a deep char and a succulent grilled smoky flavor.

Go to these restaurants if you are in the neighborhood:

1. 9. Ottomaneli’s: A personal favorite of mine, their grilled sirloin burger always hits the spot. If you are on the upper east side, then I recommend that you try it out.
2. 10. Rue 57: Some people are not aware that this popular French restaurant makes a very good hamburger. I enjoy that it is charred and crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and served with excellent pommes frites.

Thanks for reading my updated list of the top ten hamburgers in New York City. Until next time, here’s my new foodie mantra:

You only live once, if you have the opportunity to try out a new food or restaurant, go for it!

Dan

Every place in the States has its shtick, and here it’s the barrel ageing of cocktails. Small barrels cured with port for 8 weeks, then refilled with cocktails – the Cosmopolitan and Negroni were both tops. 

The restaurant has a few trendy tricks too, mostly effective.

The steaks are all air dried in a special room underneath. The menu is steak -orientated, but not exclusively so.  The steaks are top notch, similar to those at Rockpool Grill, Sydney. They’ll even toss a pretty decent Caesar Salad at the table.

The final trick is cheesy. The bake a red velvet (artificially coloured sponge cake with cream cheese icing) in a tim, which they bring to that table, baked to order. You get to lick the beaters as the cake bakes. An admirable way to make dessert sales, but a lousy finale to a classy joint. http://www.davidburke.com/restaurant_primehouse.html

via atelier turner

Dear readers, Thank you for reading my blog: The Blind Taste Test! This week, I was preparing to be interviewed by the founder of a great website called
Vision Aware
Her name is Maureen, and besides running the VisionAWARE website, she also edits an excellent academic journal of which I am a particular fan. (I was not aware of this before our lunch this week.) For your information, she is one of the associate editors of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness: “the premier international, interdisciplinary journal of record on blindness and visual impairment that publishes scholarship and information and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, airing of controversies, and discussion of issues”. I have not only read this journal in the past but I also have referred to it for several papers in college and graduate school. To learn more, please click here

Introduction:

I attempted to locate a restaurant where we could meet; it needed to be somewhat quiet, centrally located, and of course, it needed to make great food. She suggested an interesting new restaurant called Stellina; however, after looking up its menu on
Menupages
I felt doubtful about it due to its limited selection especially considering my picky nature. I ended up suggesting Primehouse. This should come as no surprise to my regular readers; if it sounds familiar then you can look at my:

top 10 hamburger list

She agreed with my idea so we set up a day and time to meet for lunch and an interview.

The Restaurant Experience:

From the moment I entered Primehouse, I could already tell what type of experience awaited me: all of the staff were very nice, (they seemed to remember me which is strange because I don’t eat there very often), and they were accommodating (which can be a great thing especially if you are a person living with a disability). In addition, I began recognizing positive elements of the atmosphere: the music was low but just high enough to be heard, the tables were spread out which was very helpful, and despite the conversations around us, the room felt hushed and laid back.
This was my first time meeting Maureen and my first time being interviewed so I was feeling a little nervous. However, our conversation felt remarkably easy and the time just flew by. I had no problem opening up to her about my life, which as some of you might know, has had many twists and turns. She is a great person to talk to and it seemed like more of a chat then an interview, although I’m sure she will have enough information from me to write it up. I was shocked when we stood up to leave: I checked the time on my talking cell phone and realized that we had been talking for almost three hours!
And then there’s the food: both of our meals were excellent and we had no complaints. I started with the Primehouse hamburger: topped with melted Swiss cheese and cooked medium well (I can already hear the negative comments but it was so delicious). As usual, the seasoning and crisp char of the hamburger were outstanding and I was extremely satisfied. In addition, this burger was served with some of the best thickly cut steak fries which definitely increased my enjoyment of this meal: they were very crisp on the outside but soft and full of real potatoes on the inside. If there was an award for “best French fries served with a hamburger”, then Primehouse would be the easy winner by far. Maureen ordered the lobster roll and she was impressed by not only the quality of the ingredients but also by the massive quantity (apparently it is quite a creation with the roll itself being stuffed with lobster almost until it is beyond capacity). Specifically, she described to me that the roll was filled with expertly prepared lobster salad, cucumber, avocado, tomato, and bacon, and was served with great potato chips.
Our meal was great, but my experience extended beyond the food and it was a true pleasure to have lunch with Maureen at Primehouse. I would encourage all of you to read
her version of our lunch meeting

Her website, VisionAWARE, contains a great deal of excellent information about a range of topics regarding “Information For Adults Experiencing Low Vision, Vision Loss, and Blindness”:
http://www.visionaware.org
Once again, I highly recommend Primehouse, and I thank you for your time.
Dan

Download: audio-post-2010-09-18-19-05-32.mp3|titles=Audio%20Post

(This list is in random order, not number 1 through 7 from best to worst, and please forgive me for any misspelled words.)
1. Primehouse: They make a great hamburger for lunch or brunch composed of rib eye steak and ground chuck. The beef is very high quality, seasoned properly, with excellent homemade thick cut steak fries. (I particularly recommend the steakhouse burger with sauteed mushrooms and onions).
2. Rare bar and grill: I like this restaurant, and they make an incredible, incredibly expensive, t-bone burger which is out of this world: a hamburger consisting of a blend of sirloin & strip steak, flambéed in tequila, wrapped in apple smoked bacon, topped with cheddar & crispy onions, can you ask for anything more than that?
3. Shake shack: What can I say; I went from the expensive to the affordable. I prefer the newest location on Columbus Avenue where there is much less of a line (near my old internship, hint hint). My favorite is the double burger, which is seasoned just enough to enhance the flavor of the beef, and cooked the way I like. On another note, how about those shakes: they are to die for (literally?).
4. Minetta tavern: When I think about this restaurant, it’s all about their black label hamburger ($26 for a hamburger, really? You have to taste it to believe it!) It starts with a patty created from a combination of four cuts of dry aged beef, (the guesses so far are brisket, short rib, strip steak, and rib eye), topped with sweet caramelized onions and placed on a homemade soft bun from their bakery. The charred outside, excellent seasoning and collection of flavors is top notch!
5. Rue 57: This place is very touristy, but their burger is one of the best. I am not sure how they season it but it is served with a mouth watering crispy outside, delicate inside, and just a hint of some mysterious and excellent flavor. Oh yeah, and the fries (crispy pommes frites, shoe string fries from France) aren’t bad either.
6. Ottomanelli’s: This restaurant might not receive any national attention but it is a local favorite of mine. I consider it to be the best burger in the immediate area (no, not J.G. Melon’s, this is far superior). This restaurant is quality through and through; you can’t go wrong with any dish here, although I am not telling you to travel from outside of Manhattan to eat there.
7. Rub bbq: Warning: this restaurant only serves hamburgers three hours a week, Mondays from 6-9 pm, so if interested please arrive as early as possible. This extremely delicious hamburger is smashed then cooked in a skillet at 600 degrees until it is beautifully charred, it is only five ounces and comes with no fries but the taste is exceptional. (By the way, each week there is a special burger of the week which is chosen to highlight the taste from a particular region or a style of preparation, my first time at Rub the flavor was “bacon egg and cheese”)
8. Union square cafe: I can already anticipate the negative comments about this one, and some of you will undoubtedly disagree with this pick. However, it is always rated as one of the top restaurants in the city, and their burger does not disappoint. As usual, I order mine medium well, and I find that especially the smoky crisp outer layer represents a fantastic taste. (Their fried calamari is quite excellent as well.)
9. Peter Luger’s: My opinion is biased here, and I haven’t tried this burger yet, but everyone puts it on their top ten lists. In addition, if the beef used for the burger is anything like their steak, then we have nothing to worry about.
10. McDonalds: The legendary quarter pounder combined with an order of crispy salted fries is… (Just kidding, but did I fool you?) (Actually their fries are kind of tasty, but I would avoid fast food at all costs after having personally tried 7 out of 8 of these hamburgers before).

A few popular places didn’t make my list, and I am still anxious to try out other fine hamburger establishments (Little owl, Spotted Pig, and coming soon: a shake shack in my neighborhood!). Please leave your comments below so that I know what you think about my first list, I have a feeling that it will be very controversial.
Take care
Dan

I have a massive itinerary of food, food, architecture, food and men’s clothing stores (for my bf).  We are an odd bunch of tourists if you ask me.  Who goes to a city and completely bypasses the tourist stuff, the monuments, the things the city is well-known for and instead compiles a list of restaurants, coffee/tea shops, bakeries, and grocery stores as a way to tour a destination?  I figure, it is via food that we will experience the city, its neighbourhoods and what the rave reviews are all about when people talk about Chicago pizza, chicken and waffles, hotdogs and a long list of other “chicago” style items I have read about while doing my city research.

In honour of the trip, I put together a selection of event ideas from three Chicago blogs: Chicagoist.com, Itsajaimething, and Chicago Style Unveiled

Items mentioned below:

David Burke’s Primehouse

Flirty Cupcakes (aka the cupcake van)

Looking forward to reporting back on my experiences this weekend.

via chicagoist (david burke's pastry kitchen at Primehouse)

via it's a jaime thing "cupcake on wheels"

via Chicago Style Unveiled

In other news, out of the blue, this song by NYC underrated-core band The Walkmen is stuck in my head. I welcome it with open arms:

With my band had live gigs. I think our live show would be a lot like this, but in outer space.

T-MINUS ONE HOUR AND 43 MINUTES!! AAAHH!!!