5 Paul Kahan, Donald Madia, Eduard Seitan, Terry Alexander Chef/Owners/Managers of most of the edible things that are remotely cool in Chicago We could separate each of these guys out on their own, but by now they’re the culinary equivalent of Bogie and Bacall, Han Solo and Chewbacca, or as the music-loving Kahan might appreciate, Marr and Morrissey. They make sweet music together. They’re not involved in every single one of these projects together, but collectively they are responsible for Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, Big Star, the Violet Hour and Mia Francesca. If they felt like opening a coffee shop/organ-meat emporium in a fully operating bathhouse, it would literally and figuratively be the hottest spot in town.
After Blackbird: Restaurateur Donnie Madia says “We Are In a Different World” (Fall Arts Preview 2021) Donny Madia of One Off Hospitality Group and I met in the dining room of avec River North. I wanted to hear what transformations—aside from closures—have been wrought upon One Off Hospitality by the recent health catastrophe. Throughout this conversation, common themes emerged around the communication and newfound sense of community spirit that has been established.
Childhood Memories: A Beautiful Bologna Sandwich from Big Kids, Logan Square It was a beautiful November day, with the temps in the mid-seventies, blue sky and bright autumn sunlight rendering everyone and everything gleaming golden. What could possibly make this beautiful day better? Why, a beautiful bologna sandwich, of course!
The Big Cheese: Veal Sausage and Stinky Cheese in Monroe, Wisconsin Wisconsin means dairy. It’s called “The Dairy State,” with a wheel of cheese and a cow on the state’s twenty-five cent piece. Monroe, the county seat of Green County, is the “Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA,” and cheese, along with Swiss culture, permeates the town.
