This Week’s Episode: Pozoleria San Juan, Crosby’s Kitchen, and Embeya

Hello there!

On tonight’s episode, we are featuring Embeya, which is a restaurant I frequent a lot – and not just because it’s a few blocks from my home. Whether I just want a glass of wine at the bar, am having a weeknight meal with a friend, or celebrating something special (I dined there for my anniversary this year), it fits the bill for me. I find that Embeya presents wonderful juxtapositions: food that is simultaneously innovative, yet familiar; a buzzy, spacious dining room that still retains its coziness; and a staff that is always warm and inviting. Chef Thai Dang has been on the rise for some time now – coming from L20 (which shuttered its doors this year) to open Embeya a couple years ago. Keep an eye on him as he is definitely one to watch. Although his Vietnamese background influences some of his dishes, one would be remiss to put him in such a defined box. Be sure to watch tonight to hear what our guest reviewers have to say about this modern take on Asian cuisine. And here’s a little fun fact, the chic restaurant was designed by Karen Herold, the doyenne of the restaurant design scene and also the designer of our very own Check, Please! set.

One of the other restaurants featured this week falls on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Embeya, but is just as unique. As the name suggests, Pozoleria San Juan serves huge, steaming bowls of pozole, a Mexican soup. I think of it like a Mexican version of chicken noodle soup – comforting and restorative. Pozole means hominy (a type of corn that has been treated in a mineral lime bath causing it to puff to about two times its size) which is one of the main ingredients in this soup. The soup can vary quite a bit from region to region and there are red, white, and green versions with varying levels of spiciness, types of meat, and accoutrements. This winter hasn’t been as brutal as the last, but should you find yourself hankering for a hot comfortable bowl of sustenance, check out Pozoleria San Juan and let us know what you think!

Be sure to tune in to join us as we explore Embeya in the West Loop, Pozoleria San Juan in Humboldt Park, and Crosby’s Kitchen – known for its impressive rotisserie in Lakeview. I’ll see you then!

Cheers,
Catherine