This Week’s Episode: La Sirena Clandestina, County BBQ, and Wakamono

By Catherine De Orio

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! While preparing for this show I kept referring to it as my neighborhood show as County BBQ and La Sirena Clandestina are both roughly four blocks from my home, just in opposite directions. But this show also had a special connection for me because I took cooking classes from John Manion, the executive chef/partner of La Sirena Clandestina, over a decade ago (while he was at Mas) and I was trying decide if I should enroll in culinary school. And he did a good job as I ended up at Kendall a year later for my culinary degree. Two weeks ago I was a presenter at the Jean Banchet culinary awards ceremony for the “Best Neighborhood Restaurant” category and was happy to announce my friend John Manion’s restaurant La Sirena Clandestina as the winner. You will have to tune in and see what the guest reviewers have to say about it.

County BBQ: Smoked Chicken Wings

I unfortunately close this post on a somber note. Our lovely guest, Eric Eatherly, who recommended his neighborhood spot Wakamono, died tragically in an auto accident over the holidays. I knew him a bit professionally. Eric was a publicist and sometimes our email paths would cross depending on what we were working on. Full of life, a passion for dining, and a genuinely kind man, Eric was a wonderful person. We spoke to Eric's partner Jay and colleagues, and they were in agreement that we air the show so everyone can remember him as the enthusiastic, wonderful person that he was. This episode is in memory of him.