Top 5 Places We Will Miss Baume & Brix Great Lake Pizza Moderno Socca West Town Tavern —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Surprising Chef Moves Rene De Leon leaving Next for Dawson, then leaving Dawson shortly after its opening Dale Levitski leaving Sprout and Frog & Snail to travel and enjoy life Bryan Moscatello leaving Storefront Company to return to The Little Nell in Aspen Ryan Poli leaving Tavernita and Little Market Brasserie to stage around the world Mike Sheerin leaving Trenchermen for Cicchetti —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Chefs Taking Chicago by Storm Aaron Cuschieri, Slurping Turtle Tim Havidic, iNG Ali Ratcliffe-Bauer, Brindille Thomas Van Lente, TWO Lee Wolen, leaving The Lobby for exec chef position at Boka —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Pastry Chefs Making Chicago a Sweeter Place Craig Harzewski, NAHA/Brindille Jennifer Jones, Topolobampo Leigh Omilinsky, Cafe des Architectes/Sofitel Thomas Raquel, Acadia Bobby Schaffer, Grace —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Food Parties Spiaggia’s Ferragosto beach party Meals on Wheels Celebrity Chef Ball Taste of the Nation Chicago Gourmet “Spinning Plates” premiere party at the Aviary —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Farmers Market Eats Atomic pork tamale by Dia De Los Tamales Southport grilled cheese by Gayle’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese Empanadas by Pecking Order Honey apple goat cheese cream puff from Puffs of Doom Beef heart with duck fat potatoes and spiced parsley sauce on pita by Spice —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Food Trends That Need to Die Cronuts Bacon in desserts / pork belly everywhere Foam Kale and Brussels sprouts “Local” and “seasonal” as dish descriptors —Amber Gibson
Top 5 Cookbooks with Chicago Ties in 2013 Taste Memories: Recipes for Life and Breakfast by Ina Pinkney (self-published) The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat-free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner by Jo A. Kaucher with Kat Barry & The Chicago Diner Crew (Agate Midway) The Hoosier Mama Book of Pie: Recipes, Techniques, and Wisdom from the Hoosier Mama Pie Company by Paula Haney (Author), Allison Scott (Contributor) (Agate Midway) Hot Doug’s: The Book by Doug Sohn (Author), Graham Elliot (Introduction) , Kate DeVivo (Contributor) (Agate Midway) The Craft of Beer Pairing: The American Craft Beer Cookbook by John Holl (Storey Publishing, LLC) —Veronica Hinke
Top 5 Main Meal Salads Garbage Salad – Rosebud Kale and Green Papaya Salad – BellyQ Caesar Salad with Meatballs (tableside) – David Burke’s Primehouse Cobb – Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Crab-stuffed Avocado Salad – Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf —Veronica Hinke
Top 5 Theme Menus Seven-Course Chef’s Tasting Menu – Storefront Company Omakase – Takashi Fauna – Grace Flora – Grace Salvador Dali – iNG —Veronica Hinke
Top 5 Talked About Resto Changes in 2013 Ina’s to shutter on New Year’s Eve after thirty-three years Gale Gand to join the Hearty Boys with Spritz Burger (Anticipated opening: February 2014) Spiaggia’s relaxed revamp Lee Wolen to join Boka Original Graham Elliot to shutter on New Year’s Eve with plans to re-open with new concept in spring 2014 —Veronica Hinke
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