Chef

One of three chefs with Chicago ties on Bravo's"Around the World in 80 Plates"reached the end of the road Wednesday night. On a show of big personalities, travel agent-turned-chef Gary Walker proved himself a reliable supplier of one-liners and a steady source of entertainment for fans. The ladies of the Kappa Phi Delta sorority house at Illinois Institute of Technology, where Walker worked as a chef before filming the show, even got a shout-out when he chugged beer during a pub crawl challenge on the show's first episode filmed in London.

The Taste of Chicago is bringing back its Celebrity Chef du Jour series with a fresh line-up of big-name local chefs. Featured chefs for the fine-dining experience include Rick Bayless , Carrie Nahabedian, Giuseppe Tentori, Gale Gand, The Hearty Boys and Paul Kahan. A chef is scheduled to prepare a three-course meal for every day of the festival, which will run from July 10 to 14. Rick Bayless, Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" Season 1 winner and the mastermind behind Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and Xoco, will prepare the opening dinner July 10. The following day will...

When two-time James Beard semi-finalist Kendal Duque joined Mainstay Hospitality in 2010 to reinvigorate the restaurant group's South Loop spot Chicago Firehouse, there was talk the former Sepia chef would eventually open his own concept with Mainstay. A year and a half later, Duque is doing just that, working with proprietor Matthew O'Malley to launch City Tavern later this month just down the street at 1416 S. Michigan Ave. in the space that used to house Grace O'Malley's. “We just feel that now is the right time, being that the Firehouse is successful and...

Review: Kabocha Japanese Brasserie 952 W. Lake St. 312-666-6214 Rating:  !!! 1/2 (out of four) Heating up Chef Shin Thompson's former restaurant, Bonsoiree in Logan Square, was a darling of the foodie crowd. It also demanded a commitment, both in time and price, to sit down for a multi-course, multi-hour meal. When he teamed up with Ryan O'Donnell (Gemini Bistro, Rustic House) to open Kabocha in the West Loop, they decided to loosen up a bit. "I wanted to make it more fun for people," Thompson said.

UPDATE: An eviction notice was spotted on Alain's door the week of Sept. 24 and calls to the restaurant have not been answered.  Review: Alain's 1355 S. Michigan Ave. 312-922-1186 Rating: 2 (out of 4) Give it some time What happens when a Cameroon-born chef meets a Chicago Bear? In the case of chef Alain Njike and Bears defensive end Israel Idonije, they become friends and eventually open a restaurant together. The restaurant subsequently announced plans to reopen, but "for rent" signs on the space indicate otherwise.

A local chef with a memorable name and a talent for making equally memorable doughnuts is opening his own restaurant. Enoch Simpson, most known for creating those addictive butterscotch-bacon doughnuts served during brunch at Nightwood, will soon open Endgrain in the space formerly housing Terragusto (1851 W. Addison St.). "We're featuring the doughnuts here every morning and as part of the daily brunch," said Simpson, who is running the business with the help of his brother Caleb.

Review: Grace 652 W. Randolph St. 312-234-9494 Rating:  !!! 1/2 (out of 4) Heating up Some chefs spend their careers working in the upper echelon of fine-dining restaurants, only to throw their hands up and open a burger joint. Curtis Duffy is not one of those chefs. After working at Charlie Trotter's, serving as Grant Achatz's chef de cuisine at Alinea and then garnering awards at The Peninsula Hotel's restaurant, Avenues, Duffy was ready to open his own place.

Review: Trenchermen 2039 W. North Ave. 773-661-1540 Rating:  !!!! (out of 4) Already hot   ------- What's in a name? trench•er•man (noun) A person who enjoys food. "It refers to a hearty eater; that's the actual definition, and we want people to eat and drink a lot," Mike Sheerin said. "It also translates to the fact that the space used to be an old bath house where politicians and gangsters used to meet.

Ready to put your summer standbys to rest and try something new? Mark your calendars for these coming-soon bars and restaurants due to open in September, listed in order of estimated time of arrival. SEPT. 5 Jellyfish 1009 N. Rush St. Pan-Asian restaurant with a hidden entrance in the Gold Coast. WEEK OF SEPT. 10 Embeya 564 W. Randolph St. Contemporary Asian fare in the West Loop from chef Thai Dang, who's worked at Ria and L2O. MID-SEPTEMBER Chuck's Manufacturing 224 N. Michigan...

Spooked by the sight of blood, let alone the thought of eating it? Ingredients like blood, bones, organ meats and insects may seem more trick than treat to some Chicagoans, but in many parts of the world (and many parts of the U.S.), they're common -- even celebrated. Mexican chef Manuel Bañuelos, who opened Oaxacan restaurant Mezcalina in the Loop in August, said that grasshoppers -- a high-protein, nutritious snack -- are considered a delicacy in Oaxacan cuisine. And Thomas Elliott Bowman, partner and co-executive chef at Baume &...

Oh, you thought Lollapalooza was a strange festival name? Prepare for Great GoogaMooga. The hybrid food and music festival, which debuted last year in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, is in talks with the City of Chicago to bring a version of its weekend-long festival to Montrose Beach. While Superfly, the entertainment company that produces Brooklyn's GoogaMooga, "cannot confirm" a Chicago offshoot, the Park District said it is in talks with organizers. Chicago Park District permit records show that Jam Entertainment, the company that orchestrates Beer Hoptacular, has applied...

Review: Siena Tavern 51 W. Kinzie St. 312-595-1322 Rating: 3 (out of four) Off to a good start Fabio Viviani was a fan favorite on the fifth season of "Top Chef," but since then, I've seen his charming grin and Italian accent all over the place. There he was on a commercial for Domino's, touting a line of artisan pizzas. Or promoting oatmeal as a healthy breakfast (in red satin pajamas, of course) in an online video for Quaker Oats. And in between, he's teaching his fans Italian one word at a time on Twitter.

Ever wondered what celebrity chef in Chicago has the best smile? No? Well, someone did, because the Chicago Dental Society was surveyed about just such a question in "preparation" for its 148th Midwinter Meeting, and more than 200 dentists weighed in on who has the best set of pearly whites. The winner, garnering 60 percent of the vote, was Stephanie Izard, the Girl and the Goat chef and former "Top Chef" winner. Grant Achatz and Rick Bayless took second and third, respectively, but they were distant runners-up, kind of like only getting floss...

"Top Chef" Season 4 winner Stephanie Izard has been pretty busy lately, what with the opening of Little Goat and an appearance on the show's latest season based in Seattle -- not to mention sporting the best smile among Chicago's celeb chefs ( more on that here ). When the Bravo crew comes to Chicago on Feb. 24 to host a casting call for the show's 11th season, it will be held at Izard's West Loop restaurant, Girl & the Goat . Other restaurants affiliated with past cheftestants are also serving as host...

Review: Sumi Robata Bar 702 N. Wells St. 312-988-7864 Rating: 3 (out of 4) Off to a good start Ten years ago, all eyes were on chef Gene Kato when he and his business partners opened a massive, opulent riverfront restaurant on the edge of River North. You might have heard of it: It's called Japonais. Kato remembers serving 700 to 900 people on weekend nights. “To do that kind of volume is unreal,” he said. While the restaurant became known for celeb-spotting, Kato was praised for his prowess preparing both impeccable sushi and contemporary cooked...

Jared Rouben seems to spend just as much time at the farmers market as he does at Goose Island 's Clybourn brewpub, where he has been a brewer for four years. So it's not much of a surprise that the new brewery he plans to launch will focus on what he calls "culinary-driven beer. " "These are beers that have layers of flavor," Rouben said. "Food is what brings these beers to life. Without food, I don't think you'd have beer. " Rouben's made a name for himself in the Chicago beer scene with this style of beer,...

Scott Weiner and Greg Mohr, the owners of Wicker Park sports bar The Fifty/50, are opening an indoor-outdoor rooftop restaurant called Homestead in mid-July on West Chicago Avenue. Here's the lowdown on what to expect. How to find it: You'll enter through Roots at 1924 W. Chicago Ave. There are no plans for exterior signage, but if you ask for Homestead and Roots' host stand, you'll be directed up to the rooftop, which is above Bleeding Heart. It'll look like: You're eating dinner in a garden.

If you only find yourself in Bridgeport for a Sox game, beers at Maria's Community Bar or the occasional meatball sub at Ricobene's, it's time to return. Three new restaurants have opened in the past month alone, which boosts dining options in this mostly residential neighborhood. Oliver's Cafe 451 W. 31st St. 312-791-1230 Opened: Oct. 1 A long-time private club chef is going public at this Bridgeport restaurant. "I wanted to do something cozy, intimate, where you could really enjoy dinner, and there was not really a restaurant like that [in]

Review: Grace 652 W. Randolph St. 312-234-9494 Rating:  !!! 1/2 (out of 4) Heating up Some chefs spend their careers working in the upper echelon of fine-dining restaurants, only to throw their hands up and open a burger joint. Curtis Duffy is not one of those chefs. After working at Charlie Trotter's, serving as Grant Achatz's chef de cuisine at Alinea and then garnering awards at The Peninsula Hotel's restaurant, Avenues, Duffy was ready to open his own place.

Although “Top Chef All-Stars” alumus Spike Mendelsohn recently mentioned plans to open a Chicago restaurant on Bravo's “Life after Top Chef,” it looks like it won't be happening anytime soon. Rumors about a Chicago-based restaurant from Mendelsohn date back to early 2011. The eatery was first said to be an outpost of Mendelsohn's We, the Pizza, the New York-style pizzeria he opened in summer 2010 in Washington, D.C. In December 2011, director of marketing and communications Micheline Mendelsohn (who is also Spike's sister)