Blutopia at Travelle courtesy of Priscilla Young, Beverage Director

Hello!

I spoke with the team at Travelle Kitchen + Bar, featured in this week’s episode about everything from the well-curated art collection in the dining room to where executive chef Tim Graham finds inspiration for new dishes. 

The staff of Parachute

Hello everyone! I’m so excited to start our 15th season of Check, Please! This is an exciting season with so many fantastic restaurants on the roster! I decided that this year I want to change up my blog a bit and chat some more with the chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage directors from our recommended spots. So for each post I will do a short interview highlighting one of the places we visited that week. 

Tonight, for the last episode of the 14th season (!), we take you on a tour of some of our city’s South Side gems. The South Side is so rich in Chicago history and there are some fantastic meals to be enjoyed. In fact, in the past couple of years, the restaurant scene has exploded as South Side chefs open additional restaurants and North Side chefs realize what they have been missing.

Hello there.

I can’t believe we are already at the end of the Check, Please! season – this is the last episode with guest reviewers. Next week we will be airing a South Side compilation show before going on hiatus to begin shooting the Season 15! 

This episode had me running from one side of the city to the next to check out the recommendations of this week’s guest reviewers. It was a fun episode for me since I had not already been to any of the recommended spots – something that has never happened before this episode! Norman’s Bistro took me to the south side and introduced me this neighborhood gem in Kenwood that’s known for its gumbo. Tune in tonight to learn how they put their signature stamp on this hearty stew.