10 places to get Rosh Hashana dinner in Chicago

Plenty of Chicagoland restaurants are happy to help you greet Rosh Hashana 5771 on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 8–9.

Friday food porn: Beeting it at Gemini Bistro

Tuck into chunks of roasted baby beets, drizzled with white truffle vinaigrette and sprinkled with goat cheese, alongside lamb’s lettuce, $8 at Gemini Bistro in Lincoln Park.
The American restaurant celebrates its first anniversary Sept. 7–12 with a $29.09 three-course prix fixe.

Chicago chefs tackle rare Arctic char

Cambridge Bay wild Arctic char is a rare fish with a short season. The fish, related to salmon and trout, spend most of the year under the ice caps of the Arctic Circle. In mid-August, they instinctively return to the waters of Cambridge Bay in Nunavut, Canada, for about two weeks, just before the bay [...]

Don’t miss Chicago’s August summer festivals

Festival season continues in Chicago, with Taste of Little Italy, Northalsted Market Days and the Air and Water Show.

Bring on the Chicago barbecue bonanza!

I can see that, when even Mr. Zee’s, a Greek snack shop in Morton Grove has rebranded itself as Mr. Gee’s B.B.Q. on Demand, the barbecue trend might be getting a little ridiculous. But I think it’s fantastic — bring it on! All styles, all flavors, the more the merrier. Let’s have Kansas City-style, St. Louis-style, Texas-style, South Carolina-style, you-name-it-style … heck, we can even encompass Western Kentucky barbecued mutton.

Chicago’s Schmidt the real Mr. Footlong Hot Dog Inventor

Yes, we’re the home of the extra-long wiener. (Part 8 of a series in honor of National Hot Dog Month.)

Origins of neon relish and other Chicago hot dog conundrums

The Chicago hot dog — with the white of the onions, the red of the tomatoes, the brilliant green relish — “It’s like a work of art.” A look at the condiments. (Part 6 of a series in honor of National hot dog month.)

Chicago helps the Gulf

Help wildlife and families affected by the BP disaster and enjoy some of Chicago’s best eats. A $50 donation to Gulf Coast oil spill cleanup gets you into a benefit hosted by some of some of the city’s hottest eateries. The event takes place 5–7 p.m. Sunday, July 25, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum [...]

Eat this! The Chicago hot dog, born in the Great Depression

The “banquet on a bun” had its origins in a Maxwell Street vegetable cart. (Part 2 of a series in honor of National Hot Dog Month.)

Upscale Chicago eateries serving prisoners’ produce

Upscale restaurants such as Charlie Trotter’s in Lincoln Park andThe Publican in the West Loop are quietly benefitting from the labor of Cook County Jail inmates.