Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Chicago just jumped up a few spots on my 'Places to Visit' list, based on these photos alone.

As stated above many times, it totally depends. For example:

One of my family's favorite restaurants is a Vietnamese place. My parents have known the owner since she started 20 years ago. Her daughter (the waitress) practically orders for us... You know, "oh we have this tonight, and this would go good with that, and mom made a special dish that's not on the menu you should try....", etc. Needless to say we always share. First come, first serve. Take what you like, skip what you don't. Like someone said above, its "interactive."

Alternately, tonight we are going to "Pirate's Table", one my favorite local surf-n-turf places. In this scenario, everyone orders what they want. If you want a taste (fyi: a 'taste' = 1 (one) bite), ask and ye shall receive. If you get full, you may offer the rest to someone else. But personally, I never, ever, give away more than one 'taste' of steak. And surf? Don't bother asking.... it's mine, all mine, yarr.

Does it work with noodle or soup cups? How about mugs of water for tea? I don't know why anyone would need a microwave that only works for beans...

My dad's buckwheat pancakes based on a recipe by his father.... after you eat one you feel about 15 lbs. heavier and ready to move a mountain (in more ways than one, if you know what I mean)!

I just started making this regularly a few weeks ago, when I realized that not only is talapia cheap, but also it's supposedly one of the more sustainable seafoods you can buy. This has got to be one of the easiest, cheapest, and tastiest dishes out there.

Sheesh, some people are paranoid! You'd rather consume all the resources it takes to make new products and have them shipped to your town, than to buy a perfectly good item at a fraction of the cost from your neighbor down the street?

Most people are not going to sell you something that hasn't been well washed. There are always methods for getting things clean that make a lot more sense than buying something new.

i liked that

DEEP FRIED PICKLES

When I lived in Germany in high school, the Doener was one of my very favorite foods (and that's saying a lot - I was in Thueringen, home of the bratwurst). 5 Marks back then (about $2.50) bought a giant, gut busting, insanely delicious meal. The doener guy and I were two of the only 'Ausslaender' in the village where I lived, so we shared a special connection based on limited vocabulary, terrible pronunciation, and mouth-watering meat roasting on a giant stick.

Here's to a great man with a great idea! Prost!!

Personally, I'm glad he asked.

Isn't that kind of his job anyway? I mean asking questions and getting answers for THE PEOPLE....

I wouldn't have known that something called a 'half-smoke' existed, if it weren't for his curiosity and his desire to get an answer from a PERSON, not a piece of technology.