ENTERTAINMENT
May 24, 2012 | By Jessica Reid Johnson and For RedEye
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.
ENTERTAINMENT
October 1, 2013 | By Lisa Arnett, @redeyeeatdrink and RedEye
There's more to come from the New Orleans-based 11th season of "Top Chef" than host Padma Lakshmi tossing the cheftestants Mardi Gras beads instead of making them draw knives. This year's cast features a rockabilly chick, a proud recipient of the title of Philly's Hottest Chef and Stephanie Cmar, whom fans will recognize as the roommate of Season 10 winner Kristen Kish. It also features two Chicago chefs who met for the first time on the show: Carlos Gaytan of Mexique in West Town and Aaron Cuschieri of Slurping Turtle in River North.
ENTERTAINMENT
November 10, 2011 | By Lisa Arnett and RedEye
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...
ENTERTAINMENT
November 17, 2011 | By Lisa Arnett
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...
NEWS
February 29, 2012 | By Lisa Arnett, RedEye
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...
ENTERTAINMENT
April 2, 2012 | By Erin Gibbons and For RedEye
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...