1. JUNIPERO’S DARLING

“Cariño might be the best dining experience in Chicago right now” might be the key phrase in Maggie Hennessy’s review in terms of whether or not you go straight to Tock and book a table, but she’s got plenty more to entice you, like:

It’s his gift for zhuzhing the stuff of everyday nourishment that stopped me in my tracks over and over at Cariño, though most memorably in the taco trio, highlighting the house masa program. A little golden-fried taco dorado took flautas to France with its gently smoky and sweet chicken liver mousse and adobo filling. A tostada reimagined tacos al pastor as lush, marinated lamb tartare with freeze-dried pineapple atop a thick fried tortilla.

“His” meaning chef Norman Fenton’s, ex of Schwa and Brass Heart (which is what the space was). She did both the tasting menu and the late evening taco omakase, which is about half the price. And by the way, congrats to Fenton and partner Karen Young, whose restaurant in Tulum, Wild, got a very good review in Michelin’s first Mexico guide. Will that translate to a star in Chicago? We shall see.

2. CHICKEN LARRY

A decade ago, I wrote a piece for the Reader about Chef Larry Tucker starting a chicken place. Now Michael Nagrant does the same—for a new chicken place from Tucker. But even that is barely scratching the surface of cooking history—a couple of decades before that, long before Smoque and Honey 1, Tucker was the best barbecue man on the north side with N.N. Smokehouse, on Irving Park. Anyway, here’s what he’s up to now, per Nagrant; a dual-concept place called Sun Rey Cafe at breakfast and lunch, and a Filipino spot at night called Pinoy Soul, reflecting his marriage to his second Filipina wife in a row:

At first I thought based on the design and colors it was like a recruiting sign for a new-concept church, the kind with rock bands and peace, love, and Jesus mantras, that meets in alternative storefronts. I’m still recovering from my childhood religious trauma so I accelerated faster, despite being near a city speed camera. City ticket fines don’t scare me as much as Catholicism does.

On a second viewing, I realized it was a maybe a food pop-up held in the space in the café’s off hours. It turned out, that Tucker and his family were just running a different concept to generate revenue at night.

3. YE OLDE STEAK

A new steakhouse is old news to me, but British import Hawksmoor has credentials. Anthony Todd in Dish:

The U.K.-based Hawksmoor has been named “Best Steakhouse in the World” by World’s Best Steaks and won Best International Restaurant Bar at Tales of the Cocktail. The New York location has also garnered rave reviews. Now Hawksmoor is coming to Chicago…

[Co-founder Will] Beckett has quite literally traveled the world to find the best tasting, most sustainably raised beef. Hawksmoor is a certified B Corp and a purpose-driven business. “I think about farming the way my 10-year-old does; if you ask him about how cows live, he tells you their names, and how they are eating grass and live life with their families, and then … sometimes they become steaks,” laughs Beckett. “He doesn’t describe a massive corporate feedlot operation that goes on for miles. That’s not what we’re into.”

4. CZECH IT OUT

Speaking of things I wrote for the Reader, a very early one was on the last Czech restaurant in town, Operetta. Operetta is long gone, but apparently the position of last Czech restaurant in Chicago remains open, as Dennis Lee eats a meaty dinner at Cafe Prague, not far from Operetta’s one-time west side location:

The unexpected star of the show that day was the roast pork shank ($21.99), which comes served with rye bread, mustard, and horseradish cream with a sweet potato in it.

That’s because the meat came served in the most hilariously dramatic meat contraption I’ve ever seen. It’s a vertical vice clamp that holds up the large bone-in cut, and the presentation was both awe-inspiring, visceral, and mildly menacing. I don’t think I’ve ever described a restaurant dish as menacing, but here we are today, and I’m giddy to have experienced this.

5. KAZAKH STAN

We may be down to one last Czech restaurant, but Central Asian food—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, etc.—seems to be growing rapidly here. Tary Coffee House is actually the first American outpost of a Central Asian chain, built on a local taste for cooking with millet:

“That product is very important,” [chef Ratbek Sadvakasov] says. “It saved our nation several times in war. People were surviving by eating this product. They had nothing. It’s very rich in nutrients.”

In various forms, this toasty, nutty tasting ancient grain finds its way in dishes all over the menu, but most notably in three signature breakfast porridges served reverently atop carved wooden serving pieces. There’s the signature tary porridge itself, distinct grains of millet settling on the bottom of a bowl of warm, whole organic milk, its placid, creamy surface bejeweled with pomegranate seeds.

6. FOOD GUY NOODLES

Steve Dolinsky does another classic: Scott Harris’ Mia Francesca:

There was a time, not that long ago, when regional Italian restaurants in Chicago were rare.

But one restaurant helped usher in a new era of regional Italian cooking, and its legacy is felt all over Chicagoland.

In the early 90s, French was the dominant cuisine in Chicago’s better restaurants. But Mia Francesca changed that, by cooking new dishes every day, based on whatever was available; always looking to Rome for inspiration. More than 30 years later, the restaurant has spawned a dozen offspring.

Meanwhile, Dolinsky says he’s a food reporter, not a critic, but his Instagram post about a new restaurant, Minyoli, sure reads like a rave review to me:

After seemingly months of seeing variations of “Italian” and “Prime” and “Steak,” how refreshing to see and taste something as original and dynamic as @minyoli.chicago… Minyoli makes two types of wheat noodles – had a dry bowl with an earthy-nutty sesame sauce, as well as a soupy wider noodle, swimming among chunks of beef as soft as a Neapolitan crust with flecks of pickled greens. But here’s the thing (and if you’ve read this far, you’re going to get the real reason I’m going back asap): the fried chicken.

I suspect you’re going to hear a lot more about it. For now, read Dolinsky’s post here, then read my review (inspired by Dolinsky’s visit) below.

7. LOYALIST OATH

The Infatuation says there’s a reason the burger at The Loyalist is famous:

While the mood at The Loyalist is that of a lively neighborhood hang, a little bit of upstairs formality creeps into the downstairs menu. The food is pretty and meticulously plated, but generally nicer to look at than to eat. The saving grace are the outstanding cocktails and the famous burger—it’s the best dish here, and the reason we keep coming back (again and again).

8. TAMARAMA

Titus Ruscitti checks out Tama, the newest spot in the Scylla-Takashi-Claudia-many others location on Damen:

[Chef Avgeria] Stapaki originally moved to Chicago from Greece to run the kitchen at Nisos, a West Loop fine dining destination that was later scrapped and replaced with a steakhouse. While Nisos was reflective of the River North area, Tama is geared towards Bucktown. It has less flair and more substance. It just might be what was needed as far as a lasting relationship between restaurant and space. With the recent success of Pompette and the ever lasting success of Le Bouchon, Bucktown can be a good ‘hood to open up a restaurant but you have to have the right mix there as much as anywhere. I think that mix needs to be a step above typical but a step below extravagant and that’s Tama.

9. MEAD TOO

At NewCity, Tom Keith on the fermented honey beverage that might be the beginning of human experimentation with alcohol:

So, what is mead, really? Basically, it’s diluted, fermented honey, sometimes flavored with other stuff. It may be the oldest fermented beverage in existence.

One story suggests that some honey once dripped into a tree stump, then rain filled the stump with water. Airborne yeasts got ahold of it. (You know we’re all surrounded by airborne yeasts, right? The Belgians have made an industry out of it, with some of their ales.) Someone then decided to drink the result, and, shall we say, got happy.

10. CICADA MADE YA

Years ago, when my wife graduated law school, Clarence Page, then of the Trib, gave the speech and said he was glad it was a cicada year because that meant in 17 more years, he could give the same speech again. Much the same could be said for David Hammond, who was baking cicadas into cookies and eating them on local TV and radio shows… exactly 17 years ago. Here he is in the Tribune; if you miss it, look for it in 2041.

My wife and I whipped up tempura cicada nori rolls, which were rather pleasant. We dipped the boiled bugs in batter, fried them and lined them up lengthwise in a seaweed-rice roll with green onion, wasabi, lightly steamed carrot and soy sauce. To pair, our recommendation is a cup of sake.

11. LISTEN UP

David Manilow talks to the chef and partners in Diego, to ponder the question: does Chicago have the best taco scene in the country? Could be—though when you go to the first country straight south you are reminded of the variety of tacos that are hard to find here. Still, we can say “taco omakase” with a straight face, so that’s something.

Joiners Podcast hits 100 episodes with a guest of some note: Stephanie Izard.

12. WE’VE GOT EVENTS

The Evolved Network, “a nonprofit that provides experiential culinary arts and gardening programming which equips underserved youth in oppressed communities with skills, support and healing,” will cohost and be the beneficiary organization of Bang Bang Pie’s Backyard Bash, on Saturday June 1:

This delicious BYOB and BYOYG (Bring Your Own Yard Games) event includes elevated BBQ fare (grilled meat and veggies and abundant sides) from celebrated chef Sebastian White [of The Evolved Network] and mouthwatering desserts from Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits. Hang out, enjoy delicious food, and groove to live music from the Carroll Trio. Enjoy the start of Chicago’s best season and make memories while making a difference for this incredible organization.

Get tickets and more info here.

IN MEMORIAM

Jason Pickleman, who died at 59, was an artist, poet, and a prominent graphic designer in Chicago. Among the many organizations he worked wth was One Off Hospitality; I just ran across Paul Kahan, in my interview with him for my book, referencing him in the early stages of concepting Avec. Anyway, there’s not much out there about him working with restaurants but here’s his obituary at the Tribune and here’s an affecting piece from last month ar NewCity, written as he was dealing with his affairs following a brain cancer diagnosis:

For One Off Hospitality Group, the restaurant empire of Donnie Madia, Pickleman’s fingerprints are on virtually every marquee and menu. When Madia puzzled over the concept for what would become the mainstay West Loop eatery avec more than twenty years ago, Pickleman zeroed in on its essence as surely as scraping marrow out of a bone. The restaurant’s dishes emphasized pairings; its narrow interior and closely spaced seating promoted chance meetings. The throughline, Pickleman offered, was “with”: this with that, we with them. The name “avec” stuck.

Kareem Roberts was a chef for things ranging from the Union League Club to the 90s club Slick’s Lounge; he also had a catering company and was a deacon in his church. Friend of Fooditor Howard Bailey, owner of Slick’s, has a Gofundme for Roberts’ family after his passing at 52 in early May; go here to contribute:

In one way or another, we all find ourselves in the pursuit of love in its many forms, whether it be family, friendship, or spousal. Few of us, though, are granted the gift of love as an actual attribute that helps to define our character and speaks to the very fabric of who we are as a person. Our brother, Kareem Roberts, was such a person. So much so that not only was he an absolute joy to be around, but he was also able to share that love energy with the world through skillful and talented execution in the culinary arts. As sure as being in his presence would lift your spirit, tasting his food would certainly guarantee taking your palate to a blissful place.

WHAT MIKE ATE

I had not been able to go out for breakfast or lunch all week, because of things happening at my house that I had to be there for (see Instagram post about my neighbor’s fire that melted the siding on my garage). I planned to go to a place that Friend of Fooditor Peter Klein (Seedling) urged me to go check out—but they turned out to be closed on Thursday. I also woke up early, so I could spend a little morning time, traveling to a different part of the city. But where? What new thing had I read about that I could check out?

My pick was Swadesi Cafe, that Indian-flavored breakfast and chai place in partnership with Sujan Sarjar of Indienne. (Though I must admit that Lou Mitchell’s smelled awfully tempting as I trod the distance between the Quincy stop and Jefferson and Jackson.) I took The Infatuation’s advice and stuck to savory pastries, so I ordered their breakfast sandwich and a samosa chaat croissant, while for caffeine I ordered a salted caramel jaggery latte—not entirely sure what the words all meant, but it sounded poetic.

So how was everything? Breakfast sandwich, which given its placement on the menu is probably their best seller at breakfast, was the dud: a “crispy potato tikka” (aka a giant flat tater tot) on egg and American cheese, on a white bread bun, with a barely detectable schmear of garlic mayo—plus a single packet of Heinz ketchup; it came off like Indians parodying Americans’ idea of food. Far better, and obviously more Indian, was the samosa croissant, which turned out to mean the insides of a samosa were piled on top of a laminated pastry. Not that samosas needed improving, in my book, but flavor and texture were both nice. I would have that again happily. The caramel latte tasted like a lot of sugar and less caffeine that I wanted—you can actually order straight up coffee, but I felt that would be lame; instead I drank coffee in the afternoon. The space is pleasant and sunny, though diminished by construction next door, which sounded like someone intermittently drilling into your skull—presumably not a permanent feature.

In all, it was interesting, but (setting the travel time aside) would I go back? I’ve sometimes said that I’m a radical at dinner but a conservative at breakfast, and I just don’t think Indian flavors, which I like a lot, say “breakfast” to me, and that’s where I wound up on Swadesi Cafe. You may like it better, or be more open-minded. It is something new and different, for sure.

After Dolinsky’s rave topped off the rapidly growing reputation of Minyoli, I met a friend there—the there being the former Passerotto, Premise, In Fine Spirits, many other things space on Clark in Andersonville—fully expecting it to already be too busy to get into, and having a backup in mind. Surprisingly, at 6 pm we just had a few minutes’ wait. The plan was to try both kinds of noodles, the fried chicken, and whatever else struck our fancy.

The wide, chewy noodles were the most satisfying thing; they come a couple of different ways, but a hearty beef soup with these thick noodles was a very happy dish. The spaghetti-like noodles were less novel, but I liked them fine with little cubes of braised beef and tofu. The fried chicken that Dolinsky raved about struck me as being very much like the Taiwanese popcorn chicken that is quite common in Chinatown these days—but Minyoli’s was dusted with plum powder which made it oddly sweet. The same stuff turned up on a boozy-tasting ice cream, where it seemed to fit better, but we tried two of the housemade ice creams and, well, Jeni’s is just down the street. I also ordered a “savory cocktail”—which I took only two sips of; it tasted like drinking soy sauce straight from the bottle.

Okay, that sounds like I’m slamming it by the end, but really, I’m just steering you to the things they already do really well, and are most likely to have you leaving happy. Although given the short menu, I hope it will expand to more excellent things fairly quickly. It’s funny, all through the meal I kept having to remind myself that it was Taiwanese and not Korean—I think because the rustic, earthy dishes reminded me of Hanbun, the suburban mall Korean spot that Jeong grew out of, and that I miss (even as I like Jeong a lot). I think few things in Chicago are more satisfying than authentic dishes from another place, executed better than usual (chef Rich Wang worked at Boka and Fat Rice, before working in China, where he got a certification in noodlemaking, and Macau). One more note: for being so early in its life and dealing so quickly with crowds, the service was unusually good, informed and unstressed. I went to the men’s at the end, and when I came out, my friend and the (busy) hostess were chatting, trying to think of all the places that had been in the space over the years (which is when I finally remembered Premise’s name).