Sex, drugs, rock and roll...and fireworks?! Guess so. Eater hears that Michael Carlson, the brillant chef behind Schwa, was arrested for disturbing the peace with none other than fireworks. Essentially, the alley behind Schwa was like Lake Michigan on the fourth of July; it was said that he was setting off "not a small amount of fireworks" in succession. Inevitably, the police were called and Carlson was hauled off in the back of a police car. A court date hasn't been set. [Eater Chicago]
The now shuttered China Grill space will soon have a new tenant in Chuck's Manufacturing, a sandwich spot for Loop workers. According to a release from the company, the shop gets its name from the owner's father, Chuck, whose background was in — wait for it — manufacturing (so you can bet that the interior will have a rather industrial background as well). The resto will employ a team of "engineers" who will "re-engineer" classic sandwich and lunch dishes such as the PBLT (BLT with pork belly), and the double cut pork chop cooked in a brown sugar brine, with spinach, golden raisins and truffle mac and cheese. The team is aiming to open in a couple of weeks — hopefully Chuck's will, ahem, fare better than China Grill did.
To follow up on this morning's Cheetos rap, here's a hilarious video about Five Guys' bacon cheeseburger and fries. Musical group the Gregory Brothers did an Auto-Tuned songify version of Internet sensation Daym Drops's original review, and let's just say that Daym really likes his food: "This is how bacon is supposed to be / the fries, they blend so perfectly / the cheese up in here is goin H.A.M. / dayum, dayum, DAYUM!" Watch for yourself below.
Swanky.Photo: J'nai Gaither
Last week we told you that RM Champagne Salon, the year's most highly anticipated spot, finally opened its doors. We've been waiting with bated breath since the Champagne lounge-cum-secret hideout, occupying the alcove behind Nellcote, announced its imminent arrival. An intimate French-infused place all about the bubbly — what?! There was nothing we could do to contain our excitement. So we were wondering...since we've been waiting such a long time for this place, does it live up to the hype? Has it been inundated with foot traffic? We sat down with Jason Wagner, RM's somm, to discuss. Below, RM by the numbers...
We hear king of Bizarre Foods Andrew Zimmern will roll out a food truck on August 25 at the mobile-food utopia that is the Minnesota State Fair. While the eatery won't peddle any pig's blood or frog hearts, its offerings might seem adventurous to non-offal snobs: goat burgers and cabrito sausage (from Pat LaFrieda, naturally), plus veal tongue sliders, and — for the wimps — pork belly. This is reportedly the first of several trucks Zimmern will roll out in different countries. Wonder what he'll serve if he hits Southeast Asia — practically nothing's exotic there.
Trotter has given up on shaving.
As the Charlie Trotter era nears its end, it seems as though everyone wants a piece of the revered chef. Especially journalists. On the heels of Town & Country's huge Trotter profile, here comes Andrew Friedman of Toqueland, who met Charlie Trotter at his home for an in-depth interview on the closing of the restaurant. The two of them discuss high emotions, future prospects, and the accusations that Trotter is a total asshole in the kitchen. "I’m very intense and I will do what I have to do to get it done," Trotter tells Friedman, "...but the reports of my brutalness are greatly exaggerated.[Toqueland, Earlier]
When the Meatloaf Bakery first opened, we were left scratching our heads about the concept, but still rather intrigued. However confused we were, Cynthia Kallile's meatloaf and comfort food-in-the-shape-of-desserts idea proved to be a successful one. The concept has been such a hit that Kallile's taking it to the shelf. The book shelf in fact, in the form of an imminent book release this fall.
As we told you yesterday, City Winery is now open. We already got a look at the massive space, but now we also got our hands on their final menu. Expect fresh, seasonal veggies and fruits, top grade meats and an assortment of cheeses from chef John Fuente. Because City Winery also has a music venue attached, the menu is divided into sections reminiscent of a concert layout: Green Room, Opening Acts, Main Acts, with a Flatbread section as well. Peep the menu below.
"The canyon air imbues our dishes with love and magic!"Photo: Nicole Wilder/Bravo
Last week, the cheftestants were stuck indoors slaving over the teppanyaki, trying to entertain the judges while throwing food in the air and not burning their faces off. This week, they were released into the wild to broaden their horizons a bit. But before they can do that, it’s time to chat about personal matters. Curtis wonders if Mark’s dismissal “settles any household arguments about who’s the better chef.” Clark isn’t “going there,” but nice try anyway, Curtis. Time for the Quickfire: Make an amazing salad using any ingredients from the ultra-amazing 52-ingredient Top Chef Masters salad bar. “It’s as big as a whale, and you’ve got eight minutes to make it sail,” Curtis says, as if he's tsome sort of Aussie leprechaun. Sadly, he won’t be speaking in rhyme for the rest of the episode.
Forget shouting out Champagne brands, it's clear from adorable music video "Hot Cheetos and Takis" that "snack rap" ought to be its own sub-genre. Some schoolkids at a Minneapolis YMCA after-school program called Beats and Rhymes had the chance to make a professional-caliber music video about the main thing on every kid's mind — favorite snacks — and the resulting clip is pretty amazing, as our friends at Vulture also noticed. See for yourself below.
“I love TBK”
Open super late and great food especially for the intoxicated!
“Try the Steak & Potato Pizza!”
Can you say philly sandwich on a pizza?
“Good Overall, just that greasy smell”
The problem is that my clothes smell like grease after every visit. They need to do something about that.
