With Hanukkah around the corner and frost on the windshield, our thoughts naturally turn to hot, chewy kreplach. It’s hard to conjure up something more comforting on a Chicago winter day than these doughy packets of seasoned shredded beef floating in a bowl of hot chicken broth. That’s why we recently scooted over to the bustling, no-nonsense Manny’s Coffee Shop and Deli on South Jefferson Street. There we found heavenly chicken soup that comes with light, fluffy matzo balls or rich, heavy kreplach that taste a lot better than their outer shells may lead you to believe. We’re also fond of the frozen kreplach (pictured at right) from Kaufman’s Bagel and Delicatessen in Skokie, where they sell for $8.99 a dozen. And we’ve heard terrific things about the giant bowls of kreplach, matzo ball and noodle soup (yes, all in one) at the Garden Terrace restaurant in the Hyatt O’Hare ($5 to $6.75). Happy Hanukkah, and stay warm.
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Have a favorite kreplach of your own? Please write to us at one of the addresses in the announcement below.
Dumpling Zone has some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Dumpling Zone as you know it will cease to be a weekly item in the Friday section starting Jan. 2. The good news is that regular dumpling updates will be incorporated into a new weekly feature called World Eats, which will expand our snack search for ethnic tasties. And what’s more, we will devote one World Eats item a month to reader responses on their favorite ethnic goodies and dumplings. So look for the debut of World Eats on Jan. 2 and start sending your favorite dumpling or ethnic food suggestions to: World Eats, baiduhai, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago Il. 60611; e-mail MEng@(greater than)tribune.com; or fill in the reader response portion of the DZ Web site at chicago.tribune.com/go/dumpling.
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