• We can add some more information to our David Tamarkin file (what, you didn’t think we had one?) as we learn that, as a child, his aspirations for the future included “something to do with street dancing and hosting a late-night talk show (at the same time, naturally).” This fact is actually relevant to his review of Tapas Las Ramblas, which is not so much his review as the review of Andrew, a 12-year-old aspiring restaurant critic who just got back from a trip to Spain. Mild jealousy of this preadolescent’s travel itinerary aside, we can’t fault his eerily jaded assessment: the food is good, not amazing, and it’s perfect for “after you’ve had a drink and need a snack.”
• Widely beloved chef Mindy Segal, of widely beloved naked-lady-adorned restaurant Hot Chocolate sits in the Hot Seat, listing off her favorites. Kitchen gadget? Apple peeler. Inspiration? The city of Chicago. Restaurant? Urban Belly (already!).
• When it comes to sandwiches, we have to admit, we have never swooned over the Cubano. But that didn’t stop Heather Shouse from counting down Chicago’s top nine, from the mysteriously absent pickle on El Rinconcito Cubano’s version, up through the mayo-heavy rendition at La Unica, all the way to the victor: newcomer Cafecito, whose “citrus-garlic-marinated, cumin-rubbed lechon asado” could plausibly make a convert of us yet.
Confidential to Tamarkin: When you list The Publican under “Just Opened,” and then lede it with “If everything goes as planned, the new restaurant from the Blackbird team will open on Mon 6,” you are LYING. Dirty dirty teasing lying. The only way you can make this up to us now is by doing some serious journalistically apologetic street dancing.
[photo: is this man David Tamarkin? via newfie bullet’s Flickr]
