C Sharknado

Glitzy expense-account seafood spot was hit with a Sharknado of a bad review: back in June the Reader’s Mike Sula was fairly mild-tempered about them butchering expensive tableside fish, but it turns out Jeff Ruby was shoved off to Siberia next to Sula the very same night— and in Chicago mag he unleashed seven sins on their heads like the Four Shark-Men of the Apocalypse, or something like that.

Voila, The Blanchard

It took four openings in the last few years to find his restaurant, but The Blanchard finally makes Jason Paskewitz a star—starting with Phil Vettel’s three-star rave (Tribune)

Black is BBQ-itiful

The ongoing discussion of lack of media attention to black pitmasters continues; Southern Living sets the record straight with an excellent list of the 15 Most Influential People in Barbecue History (#1: “Unknown Barbecue Cooks”), while Cochon 555 comes under Twitter heat for its all-white heritage BBQ event.

So-so of a Butcher

Mike Sula finds this Logan Square pork pub a mixed bag— “the hog Wellington, pastry stuffed with pulled pork, is so heavy you could bowl a strike with it,” but “lapses are surprising in light of the facility [chef Frank] Valdez displays elsewhere, accenting heavy, challenging meats with bright, sweet, or sour accents, very much in the mode of Stephanie Izard.” (Reader)

Bar Sien-hawt

Even after the reviews came in last week, Fabio Viviani’s new joint continued to draw fizzy opening hype from Chicago magazine (“not only is it one of the buzziest restaurants to open all season, its bar program can hang with the best of them”) and the Trib (“Which dish will be personified into Bar Siena’s social media rock star?”)

Myron and Phil In the Woods

Been missing chicken liver and Roumanian skirt steak? The staples of Myron & Phil’s, the Lincolnwood steakhouse-slash-meat market for Jewish singles of a certain age, will return at the same family’s Wildwood Tavern in Niles. (Chicago Magazine)

Hot Buzz

The Lou Malnati’s people and the Kamehachi people are opening a seafood taco stand. And the Tribune wants you to know it! Really, really know it!

Mexi-GMO

Rick Bayless says GMO corn being allowed is a threat to Mexico’s diversity of food traditions— and Chicago’s diversity of tacos. (Chicagoist)

BAO-WOWSER

When Chicagoist’s headline says that the food at new Logan Square spot Baoco is going to be ranked “from bad to worse”… you know somebody at corporate is going to have a bad day.