I just got off the phone with a friend I hadn't seen in ages. She's really funny, and we talk so easily, but I never see her. I used to see her all the time. When I met her in my dorm in college, we became fast friends over Whiskey Sours, which soon morphed into Rum and Cokes, and then Long Island Iced Teas. When I stopped drinking my senior year, my social life changed dramatically, but the two of us still had food.
We ate a big breakfast together every weekend. A real pig out. After college, we kept up the breakfasts. But then I gave up big breakfasts.
I know—how much of a drag I am can be the subject of another column. But, since giving up pancakes and French toast and big three-egg cheesy omelettes, our social life has soured. Sure, we've gone to a couple of plays, and movies, but you don't really talk, since you're in the dark watching the show.
Let's face it; eating in America has become more of a social event than it's ever been. It's the prime reason to get together with friends, whether you're eating out or cooking at home. It's so easy, even with strangers. If there's nothing else to talk about, you can always talk about the food.
These days, more and more folks are employing personal chefs to help get the party started. But, really, there doesn't have to be a party. You could hire the chef for a special romantic Valentine's Day dinner, or, as many people do, hire the chef to cook for you every day. It's easy, the food's good, and, assuming you've got lots of extra cash, well worth it.
A friend of mine works at a post-production house in the city, editing TV commercials. All day, clients visit to check out the latest cuts of their spots. Along with the bowls of candy, the stacks and stacks of every recent magazine published, and a wide assortment of beverages, the company's hired chef brings treats to the various offices.
Make your own mini strawberry shortcakes are a current favorite. But, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies are always welcome, and for the crazies like me, there's always freshly cut vegetables.
If you are looking for your own personal chef, expect to pay a premium amount for this luxury service. Word of mouth is a great way to find your chef, but that's not the only way. If you're just looking on your own, at various Web sites, investigate the background and training that the chef has listed.
Just like hiring a contractor for your home, you should ask for references, and check them out. Remember, just because the person you're talking to on the phone loved the chef's mac and cheese, doesn't mean you will. That's why it's imperative to perform a taste test. Or two. If you have special dietary or nutritional needs, it's best to make those needs known right up front.
If you want to save (a little) money, you might want to contact one of Chicago's cooking schools, like Kendall College, CHIC, or even Robert Morris. Recent grads, as in any field, are looking for experience, are ready, willing, and able, and, probably willing to work for a bit less. Again, taste testing is important.
Goodbye: After a long run, and a move from its smaller location on Chicago Avenue, which currently houses A Tavola, Soul Kitchen has finally closed its doors. This prime space is at the big and busy North, Damen, and Milwaukee intersection. Soul Food's Southern comfort food with a modern flair offered a rotating menu, along with a few standard favorites, as well as a popular Sunday brunch.
Hello: Another Vietnamese restaurant has opened on the 4300 N. Broadway block, just up from Thai Pastry. Vietnamese Food Court looks almost Disneylandesque, with its slick Adventureland appearance, but when you go in you'll find just another good Vietnamese restaurant, which really is a pretty good thing. The food court moniker is misleading. This is a regular restaurant, though you can stand outside the front picture windows, and observe some of the cooks in action.
Hello Again: Another Potbelly. What began as a simple, crowded storefront sub shop on Lincoln Avenue, near Armitage, has become a steadily expanding nationwide chain, much like Corner Bakery. Its latest incarnation is just north of that same big Soul Food intersection, on Damen Avenue, in an old firehouse. While Potbelly does offer a tasty sandwich, let's hope it doesn't squeeze out the independents in the neighborhood.