Citing this year’s disappointing Beard outcome and the fact that Food & Wine magazine didn’t include any Chicago names in their annual Best New Chef roundup, TOC’s David Tamarkin wonders whether Chicago’s moment in the culinary spotlight is over. Further damning evidence: Chicago was officially declared hip by the New York Times last month, and since the Times is perpetually at least six months (if not a year, in our opinion) behind the trend cycle, that means Chicago is at least so seven months ago.
Or whatever. Come on — since when do we care what the rest of the world thinks of us? Is our worth as a city really assessed by a New York-based newspaper, a New York-based magazine, and a New York-based black tie awards ceremony? Feh, we say. Let’s just keep making and serving and eating the best food we know how to, and if folks deign to visit our oh-so-untrendy little midwestern enclave, we’ll just knock their fucking socks off.
[Photo of bacon at The Publican, aka the best bacon we have ever had in our life, by Helen Rosner]
