Chicago Chefs

It looks like we're going to see a whole lotta Chicago on "Top Chef: Texas. " In a qualifying round on last night's first episode, five of the six Chicago hopefuls were awarded a spot in the season's cast of 16 cheftestants. That included Sarah Grueneberg of Spiaggia , Heather Terhune of Sable , Chuy Valencia of Chilam Balam as well as Chris Jones and Richie Farina, both from Moto . The sixth Chicago hopeful, Beverly Kim of Aria , has yet to compete in her qualifying challenge and won't appear until the second episode next Wednesday.

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 when you really wanted a new toothbrush at the...

New reality show "Around the World in 80 Plates" has some serious eye candy in the form of co-hosts Cat Cora and Curtis Stone, but that's not the only reason you should tune in. You witness the egos and cooking chops of"Top Chef," the strategy and alliances of "Survivor," and the international travel and adrenaline of"The Amazing Race. " The show debuts at 9 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo and features a cast of 12 chefs - three with Chicago ties - traveling to different foreign cities and taking over local restaurants in an attempt to recreate the native cuisine.

Many restaurants claim to be Farm-to-Table, but two Chicago chefs recently took this connection a step further, by bringing their farm to your table. Chef Didier Durand of Cyrano's Farm Kitchen has long been a supporter of local farming, filling the tables at his River North restaurant with ingredients bought at farmers markets in Michigan City, Ind.  Because he dreamed of returning to his grandparent's farming roots and misses the “daily life of the farm,” he said, he purchased six acres of farmland in nearby Laporte, Ind. last year.

Many restaurants claim to be Farm-to-Table, but two Chicago chefs recently took this connection a step further, by bringing their farm to your table. Chef Didier Durand of Cyrano's Farm Kitchen has long been a supporter of local farming, filling the tables at his River North restaurant with ingredients bought at farmers markets in Michigan City, Ind.  Because he dreamed of returning to his grandparent's farming roots and misses the “daily life of the farm,” he said, he purchased six acres of farmland in nearby Laporte, Ind. last year.

Last night, the 16 cheftestants for "Top Chef: Texas" were finalized, and this season is 37.5 percent Chicago. That's right: All six of the Chicago-based chefs included in the group of 29 hopefuls made the final cast.   With five of the six Chicago chefs having completed their first round of competition in the first episode, our eyes were on remaining local chef Beverly Kim from Aria in last night's second episode. Each chef in her group was asked to choose an ingredient to cook with, and each was secretly matched with a preparation time ranging from...

The competition began in earnest last night on "Top Chef: Texas. " To keep things interesting this season, we're kicking off a point-based competition of our own for the six Chicago chefs in the cast. Challenge summary: In the opening quickfire challenge, the 16 cheftestants have one hour to cook rattlesnake, judged by Johnny Hernandez, chef/owner of La Gloria, who is known for cooking game at his Mexican street-food restaurant in San Antonio. For the elimination challenge, the chefs are split into two teams, each tasked with preparing an upscale Mexican dinner for a...

The final showdown on "Top Chef: Texas" pitted a Texan against a Chicagoan raised in Texas. And sorry to disappoint, y'all, but it was Austin-based chef Paul Qui who won the title on Wednesday's finale over Chicagoan chef Sarah Grueneberg of award-winning Gold Coast restaurantSpiaggia. "I think in nine seasons and 'All-Stars,' this was the best food we've seen in the finale," judge Tom Colicchio said. "In the end, this was about as close as it can get. " The chef's final challenge was to prepare a four-course meal for their dream restaurant, with not just judges but also their families in...

Chuy Valencia, one of six Chicago chefs to compete on Season 9 of the Bravo reality TV show"Top Chef," is taking a “sabbatical.” Valencia said he is selling his shares of Chilam Balam (3023 N. Broadway), the seasonal, small-plates Mexican restaurant where he's been co-owner and chef since 2009, to pursue other interests, which include a new restaurant and a book project. Valencia is teaming up with coffeehouse entrepreneur Philip Tadros (Dollop, Kickstand) on a new concept that he describes as “a really hearty, Midwest, but kind of modern-day Chicago...

Architecture student creates jigsaw puzzle of new Chicago wards http://bit.ly/ws0Dlr Taco Bell is serving breakfast now. Would you eat burritos for breakfast? http://usat.ly/zsvjiH The maker of breast implants that have been used across the world was arrested in France after deaths resulted from the use of the implants. http://usat.ly/yOl1YT People is reporting that Demi Moore was hospitalized after having seizures. TMZ says Demi Moore was abusing nitrous.  http://bit.ly/zgqKzJ There's a Sh*t Chicagoans Say video on you...

Review: Argent 660 N. State St. 312-202-6050 Rating:  !! (out of four) Give it some time Is it just me, or have Chicago chefs caught the nostalgia bug lately? Grant Achatz took us back to Paris in 1906 when he opened Next last spring. Then, Au Cheval modernized the classic American diner for the new millennium, and Big Jones revamped its menu to focus on Southern dishes from specific eras. This summer, River North's Argent doles out your next culinary history lesson with a menu inspired by Chicago in the late 1800s, when the city rose from the ashes of the Great Fire to host the World's...

New reality show "Around the World in 80 Plates" has some serious eye candy in the form of co-hosts Cat Cora and Curtis Stone, but that's not the only reason you should tune in. You witness the egos and cooking chops of"Top Chef," the strategy and alliances of "Survivor," and the international travel and adrenaline of"The Amazing Race. " The show debuts at 9 p.m. Wednesday on Bravo and features a cast of 12 chefs - three with Chicago ties - traveling to different foreign cities and taking over local restaurants in an attempt to recreate the native...

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...

Chuy Valencia, one of six Chicago chefs to compete on Season 9 of the Bravo reality TV show"Top Chef," is taking a “sabbatical.” Valencia said he is selling his shares of Chilam Balam (3023 N. Broadway), the seasonal, small-plates Mexican restaurant where he's been co-owner and chef since 2009, to pursue other interests, which include a new restaurant and a book project. Valencia is teaming up with coffeehouse entrepreneur Philip Tadros (Dollop, Kickstand) on a new concept that he describes as “a really hearty, Midwest, but kind of modern-day Chicago take on...

Episodes 1 and 2: All hail Chicago! Because everything's bigger in Texas, the season kicks off with 29 hopefuls vying for 16 spots in the cast. It's impressive that there are more hopefuls from Chicago than any other city, and even more impressive when all six of them make it onto the show. Episode 4: Richie's ouster Tasked with the late-night challenge creating a new dish out of his team's failed chili, Richie Farina from West Loop restaurant Moto is sent packing, spurring the season's most emotional goodbye between him and colleague...

The final showdown on "Top Chef: Texas" pitted a Texan against a Chicagoan raised in Texas. And sorry to disappoint, y'all, but it was Austin-based chef Paul Qui who won the title on Wednesday's finale over Chicagoan chef Sarah Grueneberg of award-winning Gold Coast restaurantSpiaggia. "I think in nine seasons and 'All-Stars,' this was the best food we've seen in the finale," judge Tom Colicchio said. "In the end, this was about as close as it can get. " The chef's final challenge was to prepare a four-course meal for their dream restaurant, with not just judges but also their...

Review: Argent 660 N. State St. 312-202-6050 Rating:  !! (out of four) Give it some time Is it just me, or have Chicago chefs caught the nostalgia bug lately? Grant Achatz took us back to Paris in 1906 when he opened Next last spring. Then, Au Cheval modernized the classic American diner for the new millennium, and Big Jones revamped its menu to focus on Southern dishes from specific eras. This summer, River North's Argent doles out your next culinary history lesson with a menu inspired by Chicago in the late 1800s, when the city rose from the ashes of the Great Fire to host the World's...

For the showdown before the finale, the chefs head to Whistler, the site of the 2012 Olympic winter games to compete in their very own culinary games. The winner of each of three event wins $10,000 and secures a spot in next week's finale. And of course, Padma's wearing a big fur hat! The trio of challenges are as follows: First: Cook a dish on a moving gondola, making a stop to choose an additional ingredient. Lindsay wins and secures her spot in the finale. Second: Free frozen ingredients from blocks of ice and cook a dish with them in one hour.