Move over Ferran Adrià?
May 22, 2006 12:02 AM   Subscribe

Chicago: The New Barcelona? When it comes to cuisine, GQ seems to think so.
posted by KevinSkomsvold (22 comments total)
 
Apologies in advance for the long read. I've never eaten at any of the mentioned places in Chicago however; I find this type of food fascinating.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:02 AM on May 22, 2006


when comes the apology for misspelling cuisine?
posted by pruner at 12:25 AM on May 22, 2006


Isn't that how they spell it in Barcelona? I kid.

The proper authorities have been alerted to my gaff.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 12:27 AM on May 22, 2006


This is just a publicity stunt, to try to make up for the fact that Chicago just banned foie gras.
posted by ruelle at 2:18 AM on May 22, 2006


I assumed "cusine" was just the Catalan version of the German "Kusine". Unfortunately, the article was all about food, and not about Chicagans getting up to mischief with their female cousins.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:27 AM on May 22, 2006


Sorry, but when a food writer lists Wolfgang Puck among the great chefs of the day (at the top of the article, no less), he's automatically lost credibility.

At any rate, these three guys might be making a huge PR effort (can't vouch for their restaurants yet), but Chicago has been a great destination for terrific food for a while now. From Charlie Trotter to Rick Bayless, there's no shortage of quality or innovation there.
posted by psmealey at 4:33 AM on May 22, 2006


psmealey, the author is speaking about a new generation of "post-Wolfgang trendsetters." That indicates that he's not a "great chef of the day," but rather a trendsetter of yesterday. Which is true.
posted by rxrfrx at 7:48 AM on May 22, 2006


Heheheh

(Reads ruelle's post)

HARHARHARHARHAR!!!

No matter how good Barcelona's (or for that matter the Vasques' or for that matter Spain's) new chefs are, they are only good as part of a long established tradition. *A tradition they necessarily need to co-exist with*. That is what makes them so special - they have to excel in a place where "regular stuff" means a very wide variety of fantastic food.

Think I am wrong? Then think Barcelona but without the possibility of - for example - eating paella. Or butifarra. Or fuet. Or even the humble pantumaca.

Un poquito de por favor.
posted by magullo at 8:33 AM on May 22, 2006


¡Butifarra!
posted by sic at 8:38 AM on May 22, 2006


Wow, when did GQ fall so far behind the curve?
posted by puddnhead at 8:58 AM on May 22, 2006


My current goal in life is to see that Joe Moore, 49th Ward Alderman and originator or the foie gras ban, is removed from office with extreme prejudice. I live in the 49th Ward. It's a shithole. You can buy a lot of things in the 49th Ward — crack, guns, hookers — but you have not, in recent memory, been able to buy foie gras anywhere in the ward. Yet our fucking buffoon of an alderman spends his time saving the fucking ducks in a deranged half-witted attempt to court the hippie vegan vote.. Meanwhile East Rogers Park remains a desolate collection of strip malls, purveyors of payday loans, and dollar stores. But not to worry, folks, the ducks are safe! Fuck the ducks, and fuck Joe Moore.
posted by IshmaelGraves at 9:02 AM on May 22, 2006


I hear you Ishmael, but Joe's pretty well entrenched (machine). Move on down to West Wicker park for cheaper digs and better food.
posted by puddnhead at 9:10 AM on May 22, 2006


West Wicker Park? You mean Humboldt Park? Bucktown? Ukrainian Village? "West Wicker Park" is not a neighboorhood. It was invented by real estate agents.
/pedantic, don't-try-to-raise-my-rent rant

And, I really wish I could afford any of these places. And I wish they were vegetarian-friendly. We need more Green Zebra and Lula, just for me. Then add lasers. Because those sound awesome.
posted by ruby.aftermath at 9:21 AM on May 22, 2006


West Wicker Park?

The first time I hear the Cabrini Green area described as "East Wicker Park", I'll die laughing.
posted by psmealey at 9:34 AM on May 22, 2006


I mean the West side of Wicker Park. Wicker Park is a neighborhood. The East half and the West half are pretty different. The East side (say a block or two West of Milwaukee) is pretty gentrified ala Bucktown. The West side (closer to Western) is still pretty affordable and a more interesting mix of section 8 housing and giant greystones. The invented real estate term is to refer to everything between Sacremento and Ashland as Bucktown.
posted by puddnhead at 9:47 AM on May 22, 2006


wake me when the Spanish know how to make a proper burrito.
posted by tsarfan at 10:24 AM on May 22, 2006


wake me when the [...] know how to make a proper burrito

That should be on the California flag.
posted by rxrfrx at 10:29 AM on May 22, 2006


Que?

posted by Smedleyman at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2006


I’ve eaten in a few of those places and yeah, Chicago is great for developing a gut, man. But you can’t find a parking spot with a GPS and a team of Sherpas.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:05 PM on May 22, 2006


I'm with puddnhead—these guys have been getting press for at least one and a half years now.

The East half and the West half are pretty different. The East side (say a block or two West of Milwaukee) is pretty gentrified ala Bucktown. The West side (closer to Western) is still pretty affordable and a more interesting mix of section 8 housing and giant greystones.

Man, I used to live just on the west side of Western (on Artesian), half a block north of Division. It was pretty great. I miss Chicago.
posted by kenko at 12:53 PM on May 22, 2006


I'm kinda testy, I've been looking for apartments. Nearly EVERYTHING advertised as "West Wicker Park" on Craigslist sits firmly in Humboldt Park. Which is fine, I like Humboldt Park. But a "view of the park" from an apartment on Kedzie in "West Wicker Park" (can you guess which park it looks over? Not the one implied...) is just ridiculous.

So, about that truffle vapor...
posted by ruby.aftermath at 2:20 PM on May 22, 2006


Yeah, this piece does seem rather late in the day - I mean, I'm by no means hardcore foodie person, but I'd heard of these guys years ago and a lot of this style has filtered down to, if not the high street, then just a notch or two above - foams have been everywhere for yonks now, as have deliberately 'shocking' combinations of ingredients.

Still, not having been to a full-blown molecular gastronomy place, the experience sounds fascinating - and it does look more like an 'experience', a performance art event involving senses not usually targeted at those events, than, you know, a good solid meal. And I was rather under the impression that the good solid meal was the current hip thing, though as I say, I don't follow these trends too closely - St. John is still cool, isn't it? Regardless, if I'm hungry, bone marrow on toast and a plate of devilled kidneys will always beat bacon ice cream served in a shot glass carved from compressed sage leaf mousse perched on a tower of dessicated turnip shards!
posted by jack_mo at 8:13 AM on May 23, 2006


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