For many recipes, Reddi Wip is a key ingredient.

I started prepping for the holiday season by looking through old cookbooks, and came across the 1978 Altar & Rosary Society cookbook that I keep for its pumpkin cookie recipe. I should copy it down on a card, but can’t make myself toss the book! I wondered if others had sentimental cookbooks, so I asked Twitter. Here are your responses:

@Piratealice as a matter of fact, I DO have a more recent church cookbook and YES there are a lot cream of mushroom soup recipes.

@MKinChiTown re: sentimental cookbooks:have 1 from each G’mother w/written recipes for same things but diff versions. Mom & I do bakeoffs.

@dfriedman16 I have one my Mom did as fundraiser in grammar school!

@johnpneedham Do you have sentimental cookbooks?//Yup, several. Juila Child’s comes immediately to mind. I know: LAME!

@osburnrenn Calling All Cooks – a cookbook published by South Central Bell where my father worked for 35 yrs

@ChefCDT My mom’s Betty crocker with the spine held together w/ duct tape and all the good pages stuck together.

@BleuCaldwell Definitely! My fave: a local one from NC (also from the ’70’s) that my mom must have given me. I love it and it’s staying!

@soozed I have my mom’s fav: Meta Givens from 1950s. won’t ever let it go. she used it all the time. many memories tied to it

@AdrienneMcGill Received a church cookbook for a wedding gift 25 years ago. Used to use it a lot. Not so much, now. Can’t toss it.

@misstiffie not a cookbook but my mom has been keeping a huge nbook/collage of recipes (all re-adjusted) since she learned how to cook ;D

@swimmerpoet I make only one recipe, easy whole wheat pancakes, from NYT’s Natural Foods Cookbook. The book falls open to the recipe.

@sellmoremeals No. But I have sentimental cooks Yeah. I’ve got some books like that too.

@geg5150 1970 Zion Lutheran Cookbook –NYC, the church grandparents & parents were married in & all the kids were christened in.

@NonnisBiscotti Only use 1 recipe out of 1979 cookbook, but I can’t throw away. Do you have sentimental cookbooks? – Have few of those!

@gingerlydc Mine is a Good Housekeeping Cookbook that has the most amazing and heart attack producing recipe for London Broil.

Thanks to our Twitter followers for sharing the memories!

The lentil soup special is a solid choice.

We met up with Chicago Foodies‘ Josh and Crystal early on a Monday night to check out Mana Food Bar. Like many neighborhood spots, Mana doesn’t take reservations, so we wanted to be sure to get a seat. We ordered a hefty portion of the completely vegetarian menu, chatting about food as it vanished from our plates. But did it hit the spot? Listen in and find out.

(17.5 M)

Show Notes:
00:00 – 01:15 On being beloved and vegetarian
01:16 – 03:07 A menu that’s all over the board
03:08 – 06:17 The cold dishes: pickles, salads, & Maki
06:18 – 09:07 Handling a lot of food in a tight space
09:08 – 10:19 Tastes hit ya with a hammer or gave ya nothing
10:20 – 11:26 Main dish hits and misses
11:27 – 12:55 On feeling like a virtuous veggie lover
12:56 – 14:28 The “White Castle” sliders & blue cheese tart
14:29 – 15:36 Bi bim Bop & mushrooms add texture & substance
15:37 – 17:02 Lemon tart. And you call that chocolate?
17:03 – 19:02 Ratings & sign-off

A sampler of pickles, red quinoa, and chickpeas.

Mana Food Bar
1742 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622-3229
(773) 342-1742
Get directions

Price per person: $50

Related reviews:
Blind Faith Cafe
Chicago Diner
Green Zebra
Karyn’s Cooked

Online buzz about Mana Food Bar:
Chicago Foodies
Yoga Chicago

What do you think of Mana Food Bar? Let us know on Twitter: @chicagobites.

The bi bim bop was fresh but not standout.

Tiger Fish with Israeli Couscous

It’s a good day when Michael Carlson returns your call.

The owner and renowned chef at Schwa is notoriously elusive, even when it comes to taking reservations, and his restaurant’s voicemail system  is regularly maxed out.

But Carlson will eventually return your call himself, and that’s when he asks you to swing by his place for dinner.

It’s a personal invitation — not a reservation confirmation.  That’s because Schwa doesn’t seem to put the  business side of its operation first. Instead,  the primary focus is the realization of Carlson’s passion for flavor, color, and art — all of the things that make you want to eat just for the love of eating.

Sure, countless Chicago chefs have a passion for food that, no doubt, got them into the restaurant business in the first place.  But business concepts refine their restaurants, and as a result, places like Moto, Tru, and L2o are polished to a gleam, and sell you an entire package.

Schwa is what you get when the art and artist come first, when pretense drops, and rough edges aren’t as carefully sanded.

Cauliflower Tortellini

Tammy and I found ourselves called to Schwa a few weeks ago with fellow foodie and pastry chef, Nick, in tow — all three of us rubbing our hands together gleefully at the thought of being at Carlson’s mercy for a few hours.

Enter Carlson’s world:

There’s a handful of tables in the dining room, a loyal, talented, tattooed, skeleton crew in the kitchen, and you, the honored dinner guest. The setting is so intimate it’s easy to imagine you’re dining in Carlson’s home. In fact, we recommend bringing him and the staff a “hosting gift” along with your BYOB selections — they like Belgian beer. Then, sit back, relax to the musical stylings of the Butthole Surfers, and enjoy the main event… the food!

The dizzying list of ingredients for each course we had was lost on me for most of the meal because of their collective impact.  Every taste on the plate, every garnish, every color added a little something to the whole, creating a full-frontal assault on my taste buds in the best sort of way.  The combinations, like curry and rootbeer, and Hendricks gin bubble tea, were fresh, creative, hard to describe, and impossible to forget.  Whether you like what you’re eating or not, nothing is half-assed at Schwa, and even subtle flavors shine.

Cheese with mustard skin & Chimay beer foam

Carlson craves affirmation for his work that he shouldn’t need.

“How am I doin’?” he asked me, as I tasted some tiger fish, one of his new favorites. “Do you like it?”

My eyes practically rolled back in my head. Did I like it? No. I loved it!  And the dishes I didn’t love, which were few and far between, I appreciated because I’d never tasted anything like them before.

“You’re gushing,” Tammy mumbled to me repeatedly, as inarticulate “wows” escaped my lips in between bites.

So what? It was well deserved.

Here are the facts as they stand.  We went to Schwa for the first time a little over a year ago, and since then, I’ve looked back on it as one of the most fun, challenging, and simply spectacular dinners I’ve ever had.  I have to admit that I was a tad worried that our return visit wouldn’t live up to those high expectations.

And It didn’t. It exceeded them.

For those who already know Schwa, this review is nothing new. I can only say that sitting at Carlson’s table, I was once again inspired by his creativity, his generosity, and his love for what he does.  As I ate, I could feel my own pretenses (which every reviewer has) slipping, and our dinner table talk turning in interesting new directions. You can’t put a price on evenings like that.

Schwa is hands down one of the city’s best dining experiences and is still worthy of its Chicago Bites perfect 10. Come prepared to pay $110 for nine courses. It’s money well spent. So much so that I’ll take Carlson up on his invitation to dine anytime.

Peeky Toe Crab

Schwa Restaurant
1466 Ashland
Chicago, IL
Get directions

Our first visit to Schwa:
Chicago Bites Podcast #115

Online Buzz about Michael Carlson and Schwa:
GQ
The Local Beet
Time Out Chicago

Everywhere you go, they're pushin' pumpkin somethin'. But what's the best?

Halloween is upon us, which means it’s the season for all things pumpkin!  In fact, we discovered that Golden Nugget Pancake House is now serving pumpkin pancakes. Yea!

But that made us wonder where else we could go to feed our pumpkin cravings. So we asked Twitter:

@jillierose 7/11 pumpkin spice latte…beats out Starbucks in taste and price

@misac Milk & Honey Cafe! Pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin bars and pumpkin muffins this week.

@RichChocolates We’ll have pumpkin pie truffles starting this weekend!

@dulcita518 starbucks – pumpkin spice latte.

@ccguinto Pumpkin chai from argo tea by far best pumpkin beverage!

What Chicago pizza makes the best leftovers?

Then, things got a little heated (or not) when we asked which Chicago pizza re-heats best the next day.  We like Pizano’s ourselves. But apparently, there are some die-hard cold pizza eaters out there who contend that reheating is entirely unnecessary. No matter if you prefer it hot or not, these leftovers don’t disappoint:

@imadedinner petes on montrose

@BurgerDogBoy I think JJ Twigs in Lake Zurich is excellent after sitting on the counter all nite, that’s the real test!!

@ForrestRead Pizanos is the best Pizza in Chicago hands down.

@ChiFoodPlanet Lou Malnatti’s

@mikethebig1 Reheats? why would you reheat left over pizza. Everybody knows it’s best cold!!

@chanthana @mikethebig1 @ChicagoBites Noooo! I reheat my ‘zza!

@richardmalone Calo pan pizza in Avlle

@ChicagoShares We second the Malnati’s vote

@lacuisineparis always been a fan of Medici on 57th

@swimdixie lou malnatis for sure

Happy Halloween! We look forward to hearing more from you on Twitter.

Interesting seafood presentations like this salt cod are one of the reasons L20 tops the wishlist of many Chicago diners.

What Chicago restaurant tops your wishlist right now? From the sublime to common, Twitter answers ran the gamut of Chicago’s dining experience:

@DancingDavidE two restaurants, Xoco and Schwa.

@brewhouse Xoco and The Publican

@fegabi Alinea, I guess. Just like everyone else. Just wait till I have nothing better to do 800 bucks..

@tageborkoff I’d love to go to Bon Soiree.

@StefaniaElise sushi samba!

@allaboutkelli I STILL haven’t been to Sunda…so that’s what tops my wishlist right now!

@Urraca Spring and Frontera

@richardmalone Chilam Bilam

@Tannaninator I want to try Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Needless to say, I like Rick Bayless!

@shawnaatteberry Rick Bayless and Frontera Grill top my wishlist.

@EEPR_17 Have you had a Chicago dog from Fat Johnny’s? Best cheese dog in Chgo

@fianco_chicago old town social…gotta get there soon.

@MKinChiTown “the” Chicago restaurant on my wishlist = Alinea. I think Grant is so cool.

@tripleA325 Xoco…waiting for the line to die down

@desireekoh13 The Gage and Belly Shack.

@mktgmediamaven The Bad Apple

@chefstevejudd L2O + Whatever else Paul Kahan decides to open!

@sundevilpeg Prolly Stephanie Izard’s joint, whenever it opens.C-House, too, though I’d have to take Mr. I-Hate-Fish with me. PB&J, maybe?

@melmel930 Nightwood! Passed by it yesterday and am determined to try it!

@BrookeBeckner Giordano’s deep dish or Volare on Grand.

@harold_smith L20 and Bonsoiree

@leefromMARS Urban Belly or Nightwood…oh geezz..only one? no can do

@stresscake Schwa. Do they answer the phone? or do I just pick the worst times to call?

@SmallBarDst Talkin about Arun a lot lately

@jariyac The publican tops my list. but its my own fault. need to get my act together and make that reservation!

@zoetcetera L2O! I love my seafood.

@johnpneedham Still haven’t been to Bayless’ places.

@djheather Bristol. Have ya been?

@Featherbrained & @chanthana Alinea

@jalant Italian Village mmmmmm

@mnicolet Nightwood.

@alijarvis22 Schwa.

@kerigiordano frontera and xoco!

@mbhoffman Schwa!!! still can’t get a reservation that’s works when I’m in town

@GloveBoxGourmet Charlie Trotter’s on West Armitage.

@lukevmundo Belly Shack ’cause it’s new, close and I’m lazy.

@superdaniela Alinea! I’ve been and want to go again and again!

Thanks to our Twitter followers for revealing their restaurant desires! If you have a question for Chicago’s food community, leave us a comment or send us a question on Twitter.

Savory vegetable caldo with hidden potato dumplings in its depths.

We met up with Mike and his friend Nick around 5pm. It was a good thing we arrived early because it gets very busy, there’s a lack of low tables, and people (including us) like to linger. Xoco may be a fast food concept, but the folks who enjoy Rick’s cuisine aren’t in that mode, which translates into crazy lines at the front of the house.

Here’s how I think it works: if you have a number, then you can order and keep going back to order more food as long as you have it. However, if you don’t have a number, then you have to stand in line for a table. Once you get a table, then you’re given a number. If you’re there for to-go food, I guess you mix between the two lines because there doesn’t appear to be room for a third. It’s a little confusing so there’s a dedicated line wrangler who tells you where to stand and when to sit. Truly, I haven’t had that much line drama since my last visit to Disneyland.

This shortrib sandwich was served swimming in sauce.

The flow could be forgiven if the food was as awesome as Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Though it’s good, I don’t think it’s near Rick’s other efforts. Some things were as expected — the guacamole is incredible and Bayless does something to salsa that elevates it to va-va-voom. Others at our table raved over the shortrib torta (sandwich) with its pickled jalapenos and the varieties of hot chocolate.

Unfortunately, most things were just okay. The woodland-mushroom torta I had was heavily crusted, laden with goat cheese, and sank in my stomach. The caldos (soups) were a tad salty for my taste and didn’t satisfy my notion of to-die-for soup — and at these prices they should. The churros that we ordered for dessert were served cold and there weren’t any waiters around to check on the quality of what was delivered. Tsk, tsk.

We requested our caldo without pepper, but it could've really used some.

To get the full experience, you can expect to pay around $20 a person at minimum. That marginally qualifies as a cheap eat and certainly doesn’t meet my notion of what fast food, street food, or snacks should cost. I know it’s Rick Bayless, but c’mon.

Looking over the breakfast menu, the prices and options seem to be in line with what I’d expect to pay for breakfast downtown. I’m interested enough to try a morning run to Xoco, but plan to skip the long lines and over-priced food in the evening.

Xoco
449 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654

Online buzz about Xoco:
Chicago Gluttons
Chicago Trib
Metromix

You don't have to go south to get a Rainbow Cone. Just make your way to State and Lake.

It was a gorgeous day in the city today, and tomorrow’s supposed to be more of the same!  So make the most of the fine weather, and head over to the Halstead Street Deli (177 N. State Street) to grab a Rainbow Cone for lunch.

The sandwiches there are tasty too, but why not have dessert first? Just think of it… chocolate, pistachio, strawberry and Palmer House (a cherry-nut blend) ice creams, along with a layer of orange sherbet all in one cone.

I know it’s old news that this five-layer thing of beauty, which has been a south side tradition since 1923, is now available downtown.  But I thought you’d appreciate the reminder. I splurged on Rainbow Cone myself recently, and it made my afternoon. I had to share the joy.

You know you want one! I’ll meet you there.

Mirassou is the oldest winemaking family in the country.

David Mirassou has been in the wine business for as long as he can remember. His family was the first to bring French vines to California, and he grew up in the vineyards. It’s no wonder that pairing wine with food comes easy to him.

That’s why I was excited to have a chance to chat with him a few weeks ago when Tammy and I joined fellow bloggers at Tru for a media dinner hosted by Mirassou, celebrating the 155th anniversary of his winery.

This dinner also came on the coat tails of the meal we had with Ted Allen at Moto sponsored by Robert Mondavi Wines, Mirassou’s direct competitor. Both brands offer affordable selections (from roughly nine to 13 dollars a bottle) that are easy to find at the grocery store or at wine retailers.  It turns out, the two families are longtime friends too.  So, I was curious to see how the two tasting dinners would compare.

The food at both Moto and Tru is fantastic, and after doing some personal taste tests of my own, I’ve concluded that the wine brands are comparable for the price point.

Tru quinoa crusted scallops paired perfectly with the Mirassou chadonnay.

From the very first bite at Tru, it was obvious that with all parts being equal, attentive pairing still makes an incredible difference. Chef Gale Gand and staff worked for months on the pairing menu we had, tweaking or creating recipes to highlight just the right flavors that would complement the Mirassou varietals we sipped. Their effort shined.

The Robert Mondavi pairings we had at Moto were not as well done — with the wine distributors simply picking wines from their line to pair with what was already on Moto’s menu.  We had been lucky enough to have wine pairings selected by Moto at past meals there, which were in a word — spectacular. So in comparison, the Robert Mondavi pairings were particularly disappointing.

So where does that leave us… the average wine buyers… who peruse grocery store aisles and select a bottle of wine just hoping it will pair with dinner? I mean none of us have the folks from Tru waiting in our kitchens at home to tweak the recipes in our cookbooks so they’ll pair just right.  We’re left to pair more sloppily, matching up what’s in the wine rack with what’s on the takeout menu.

Tru's peeky toe crab salad served with sauvignon blac.

I turned to Mirassou, the resident expert, for advice.  He said that pairing correctly comes with experience. Sure, certain wines uniformly pair better with certain foods, but recognizing and pairing the nuisances takes practice.

Often I’m inclined to leave that to the experts myself and to capitalize on their know-how when I can afford to. I said as much to Mirassou, admitting that I’m known as the “microwave queen” or a “crock pot cook” among my friends and that my kitchen is best employed as a podcasting studio.

He laughed. “Well, I had a dinner party last week and made pot roast in our crock pot,” he said with a conspiratorial smile. “Pair it with the Merlot. It really works!”

Who knows? There may be hope for me yet. And practice makes perfect.

Tru's salt-crusted cervena venison paired with merlot.

Other takes on dinner:
Chicago Foodies
Gaper’s Block
What’s Cookin’ Chicago?

This was a media dinner. All food and drink were provided gratis.

Pad Thai is definitely a cheap eat.

We relaunched Chicago Bites this week with a new hosting service and Wordpress installation & started to clean-up categories for our entries. We thought it would be nice to note podcasts of “cheap eats”, but decided to get your input before we did.

What’s the upper dollar amount for a dinner experience in Chicago? Here are your answers:

@lishlovesyou $20

@VanessaHayes Cheap eat for me is $15 inclusive of beverage and tax.

@bsniz I think it depends on the meal: Han 202 @$20 is cheap. Weiner Circle @$7 is not!

@stresscake doesn’t seem so cheap when it’s over 10.

@theartistdegree $10 for 1 person (and that’s pushing it), $15 for 2.

@Honeycoop $12

@sarahhong Cheap Eat = under $10 before tax and tip.

@sonnytime cheap depending on the quality usually means $10 or less

@BarCards $20 per person at Han202 in Bridgeport is an outstanding option for a 5 Course BYOB.

@lundah upper limit = $15 + drinks

@allaboutkelli $20 or under for a cheap meal!

@rrinaldi I would consider 20 bucks cheap if that included everything (tax, tip, no adult beverages).

@photovox anything under $20 for 2 people is a “cheap eat”

@readinggirl1984 Cheap eats=GOOD dive food. I’d say $20 & under. I’ve been to some fabulous hole-in-the walls-pad thai for $5,tacos for $3,etc.

@notfortourists We think cheap eats means $3.50 like this place. But we work in Chinatown NYC, so we’re lucky.

@kafein $10 for a meal.

Thanks to all our Twitter followers for their input! If you have a question for Chicago’s food community, leave us a comment or send us a question on Twitter.