Bill Daley – Page 17 –

Thomas Aurelio slices a thin crust pizza after baking inside a double-deck Montague Hearthbake Pizza Oven at Aurelio's Pizza.

Baby, it’s hot in here: Perfectly crispy crusts require serious pizza ovens

May 2, 2019 at 1:03 p.m.

Pizza is an art, yes, but so is the oven in which it cooks. While the pizza-maker or restaurateur gets much attention and deservedly so, creating great pizza also requires...

19th-century Viennese chef Franz Sacher would be pleased, I think, by the version of his eponymous chocolate cake served at Café Selmarie in Lincoln Square. First, the top of each slice of Sacher torte is decorated with his name, elegantly written in chocolate script. Second, the cake is a real looker: Layers of chocolate cake are mortared with raspberry preserve and chocolate buttercream; the whole thing is then frosted with more buttercream and wrapped in a smooth sheet of bittersweet chocolate — firm enough to be eaten on its own, if you like, with a fork. Third, every bite is delicious. The devil's food cake is firm and pleasant, while the raspberry offers a deep berry counterpoint to all the chocolate. $4.20. 4729 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-989-5595, <a href="http://cafeselmarie.com/" target="_blank">www.cafeselmarie.com</a>. — Bill Daley

Beyond sushi, relishing Japan’s cuisine

June 12, 2018 at 6:55 a.m.

Sushi is what comes to mind when you think of Japanese food, right? Makes sense, as sushi has long captured the American imagination, is fun to eat and generates billions...

Every table was taken on a Monday night at this tiny, no-nonsense Lincoln Square storefront. One look at the white garlic pizza ($3.65), and I understood. This pie, festooned with rounds of baked-in ricotta, was a subtle slice with the garlic cooked to a fine mellow richness. The crust is outstanding, with lots of texture and a bottom so crisp the feeble plastic cutlery bends in submission. (A goat cheese special with slivered basil and red pepper strips, $4.50, is another good choice, if available.)
5159 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-293-6992.

10 of our favorite slices at Chicago pizzerias

May 2, 2019 at 1:06 p.m.

New York is a city of slices, a place where pizza often must be grabbed on the go. Here in Chicago, the pace is a bit slower — some might...

Soviet-era high jinks in Amor Towles’ new novel

May 9, 2019 at 6:18 p.m.

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov should have been shot by the Bolsheviks in 1922 but, thanks to a certain pre-revolutionary poem, is condemned to life imprisonment inside Moscow's Hotel Metropol —...

Long-distance grandpa gives tips (with adorable video) for staying in touch

June 12, 2018 at 6:46 a.m.

My daily routine on the way to work has a brand-new step that I enjoy very much but wish I didn't have to do: I hold my iPhone up to...

How to buy a knife

May 23, 2019 at 8:54 a.m.

Knives — there seem to be a gazillion of them out there for the home and professional cook: chef's knives, paring knives, boning knives, cleavers, serrated knives, santoku knives and...

Restaurant openings: Loop gets new Goddess, Mama’s Boy coming to former Joe Fish space

June 9, 2018 at 10:09 a.m.

Here's your guide to what just opened, what's coming soon and what's no longer. Mama's Boy, a new Italian restaurant from Rosebud Restaurant Group, is slated to open Sept. 6...

Six wild Burgundian snails are the star of the wood-grilled escargot ($12) at Le Sud. The Roscoe Village restaurant's version of this dish is not hiding in a pool of garlic butter or served in a scalding hot dish. Presented on a skewer, the mollusks are brushed with olive oil infused with herbs de provence before they're grilled, absorbing a delicate smoky flavor that lingers in your mouth. Tender and buttery, the snails are served with a few generous pats of herb butter that melt, adding another layer of fragrance and lusciousness. A side of green salad dressed with olive oil, lemon and salt provides a bright contrast to the skewer and a hearty country bread serves as a foundation for assembling a makeshift toast point. The portion is small, so make your dining companions order their own. $12. 2301 W. Roscoe St., 773-857-1985, <a href="https://lesudchicago.com/">lesudchicago.com</a> — Grace Wong

5 ice creams to try before summer is over

May 2, 2019 at 1:05 p.m.

Vanilla and chocolate are go-to ice cream flavors, but this is the time of year to break the norm and order something new. Why? We're at peak season for so...

Restaurant openings: Eight Bar joins Maple & Ash, Lincoln Square steakhouse Knife coming soon

June 10, 2018 at 9:42 a.m.

Here's your guide to what just opened, what's coming soon and what's no longer: Eight Bar and Patio is the new name for the formerly no-name "downstairs" bar at Maple...

Eggplants are sliced at regular intervals (but not all the way through), then tomato slices are sandwiched in. The finished dish can be served hot, cold or at room temperature, making it flexible for summer entertaining.

Eggplant and tomatoes pair in easy make-ahead summer casserole

May 2, 2019 at 1:05 p.m.

Visuals count, especially when appetites wilted by summer heat need a pick-me-up. The look of this eggplant and tomato casserole is just the thing, the glossy purple of the eggplant...

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