Friday food porn: Longman & Eagle’s funky funnel cake

More than fried dough: Longman & Eagle in Logan Square recently added this riff on summer carnival fare to its menu. The black pepper beef-fat funnel cake is topped with grilled foie gras, Spence Farm strawberries and wild chamomile, $15.

Pigging out at the peak with Chicago-made treat

When Rockford, Ill., climber Bob Peterson reached the base camp of Mount Everest, a 60-mile trek, 9,000 feet of it uphill, he celebrated with an unusual local trail mix made in Chicago.

Eat for James Beard, Charles the Great Dane

Check out these Chicago benefit dinners.

Six Chicago beer blasts to brighten your winter

Brighten your dull winter evenings at these upcoming winter brew-hahas.

Smoke Daddy Weekly Beer Tastings, Wicker Park, 7–9 p.m. Tuesdays, no cover.
The weekly tastings showcase new, rare and small-production brews with specials on pints of featured beers ($6) and beer flights ($10). Upcoming events: Jan. 26, Samuel Adams Imperial Series; Feb. 2, Two Brothers [...]

Hair of the dog: Chicago New Year’s Day brunch bunch

Feed your hangover and get a little of the hair of the dog that bit you at New Year’s Day brunch.

33 Club, Old Town, noon to 4 p.m.
A la carte brunch items include hand-sliced smoked salmon, whole wheat banana pancakes, challah french toast, eggs benedict and omelets.

Dunlays on the Square, Logan [...]

50 Chicagoland restaurants and bars open on Christmas Day

You don’t have to eat Chinese food on Christmas.

Dining Chicago picks the best new restaurants of 2009

In the middle of a recession, Chicago restaurants experienced an astonishing upswing. The Trib called Chicago in 2008 a “chef magnet.” Travel + Leisure listed L2O, Perennial, The Publican and UrbanBelly in their “50 Best New American Restaurants.”
Does this make up for Blagojevich’s shamefaced media stint? All told, not a bad year. Here is [...]

Ach du Lieber, it’s Oktoberfest in Chikago

 
Oktoberfest season continues, with a lot of Chicago places that aren’t remotely German the rest of the year going all oompah.

Prost! on Paulina, West Lakeview, 6 p.m. TONIGHT.
The restaurants and bars around the Brown Line’s Paulina L stop host an Oktoberfest pub crawl, beginng at The night begins at Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar [...]

Can you eat local for two weeks?

Green City Market challenges you to eat local. During the market’s challenge period, Wednesday, Sept. 9, through Sept. 23, participants sign a pledge to make a conscious effort to choose foods grown in Illinois, the adjoining states and Michigan. If you’re ever going to go the locavore route, now’s the time — the height of [...]

Mexican influence rising, one restaurant at a time

It’s a banner week for Chicago Mexican food lovers!

Chef Chuy Valencia and Soraya Rendon opened Chilam Balam Cocina Mexicana, named for the historic Mayan chronicles, on Friday in Lakeview. The 45-seat BYOB serves a mix of small plates and seasonal Mexican entrees, such as roasted leg of lamb in a sauce of mulato chilies, bitter [...]