Josh Noel – Page 48 –

Ramen Takeya devotes an entire section of its menu to "otsumami" or drinking foods — nestled among them the Japanese street snack takoyaki. The ball-shaped snacks are made with a batter that crisps up into a golden shell while remaining creamy and soft inside. Hidden away are Chiclet-size pieces of octopus, tiny surprises in the center of each ball. Six balls are served in a red and white paper boats and drizzled with sweet and salty Japanese barbecue sauce, creamy mayo, aonori (dried seaweed) and fishy-but-in-a-good-way bonito flakes (cured fish shavings). Between the crispy-meets-creamy texture and the sweet-meets-salty flavors, it's easy to see how a refreshing beer (or soda, for non-drinkers) would pair nicely. $6. 819 W. Fulton Market, 312-666-7710, <a href="http://www.ramentakeya.com/">ramentakeya.com</a> — Grace Wong

Chicago breweries Hailstorm and On Tour score gold at Great American Beer Fest

May 31, 2019 at 4:01 p.m.

An impressive day for Chicago breweries at the Great American Beer Festival included two particularly impressive wins. Tinley Park's Hailstorm Brewing scored a gold medal in the single most competitive...

New Metropolitan taproom easily one of Chicago’s prettiest

May 31, 2019 at 4:03 p.m.

Don't be deterred by the plywood and gravel in all directions, the heavy machinery or the trudge through a literal construction site. Keep walking and you'll find the new Metropolitan...

Tart n’ Juicy IPA nails both halves of the equation

May 31, 2019 at 4:02 p.m.

The beer: Tart n' Juicy Sour IPA by Epic Brewing What it is: A gimmick? Visionary? The future? I'm not sure. But Tart n' Juicy combines two of craft beer's...

Andrew Oltmanns, 29, writes on a beer sign at the taproom inside New Oberpfalz Brewing in Griffith, Ind.

Beyond Three Floyds: 5 northwest Indiana breweries worth your time

August 23, 2019 at 3:41 p.m.

There’s a brewery in northwest Indiana that you really should know about. It makes creative, boundary-pushing beer. Its irreverent, eye-catching art features skeletons and monsters and the occasional reference to...

Why Goose Island is shut out of Great American Beer Fest after 29 years

May 31, 2019 at 4:02 p.m.

More than 800 breweries from coast to coast will pour beer for tens of thousands of people at the Great American Beer Festival beginning Thursday, but at least one iconic...

The Chicago Cubs celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Indians on Nov. 2, 2016, in Game 7 to win the World Series 8-7 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

‘The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse’ weaves history, memoir as only a fan could

May 9, 2019 at 6:41 p.m.

Back in 2000, Rich Cohen went on a mission. The magazine writer, put on the literary map two years earlier with the book "Tough Jews," flew to Chicago to chronicle...

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

Goose Island Beer names new president

May 2, 2019 at 2:09 p.m.

Goose Island is getting a new boss, and it's a homecoming. Todd Ahsmann, a friend of former Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall's since childhood, has been tapped to take over...

Chicago welcomes its newest mega hotel, Marriott Marquis, opening Sunday

August 23, 2019 at 3:36 p.m.

There's an operative word for the Marriott Marquis Chicago. Big. Big, tall, powerful and gleaming, the 40-floor, 1,205-room Marquis will be Chicago's sixth-largest hotel when it opens on Sunday. After...

Stacked cans of beer go back as far as the eye can see.

Half Acre goes sleek with Balmoral taproom, opening Saturday

May 2, 2019 at 2:09 p.m.

The new Half Acre taproom, which opens Saturday, sits a mere 1.6 miles north of the other Half Acre taproom, which opened five years ago. That's about a 10-minute drive...

Filling cider jugs at Dexter Cider Mill in Dexter, Mich.

Among Midwest college towns, Ann Arbor in autumn out charms them all

August 23, 2019 at 3:26 p.m.

There's no better place to be in fall than a college town. Not a biggish city that happens to have a college. Not a tiny town with a tiny private...

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