Amy Cavanaugh

Some good drinks around Chicago lately ✨ 1. Negroni Tropicale (Bordiga Gin, sherry, Campari, tropical fruit) at @bartuttochicago 2. Edith (Sipsmith gin, vermut, Vago mezcal, caviar) at @petiteedith_chicago 3. Sanzaru (Rey Campero espadin mezcal, bianco vermouth, mango, amazake, lime) at @bambi_chicago 4. Gin Punch (Hendricks Gin, lemon, floral cherry, jasmine pearl green tea) at @punchhousechicago 5. Mezcal Negroni at @zarellachicago 6. Old Fashioned (Sushi-San single barrel rice whisky, Mars Iwai 45, cane sugar, bitters) at @therealsushisan 7. Vesper (Jin JiJi, Ketel One vodka, Cocchi Americano, lemon twist) at @maxwellstrading 8. Hotel Nacional at @culebrachicago 9. Mezcal margarita at @lonesomeroseforever 10. Brown Derby (Buffalo Trace bourbon, adjusted grapefruit, grapefruit cordial) at @gus_sipanddip 11. Vieux Carré (Worthy Park 10-year-old Jamaican rum, Distillerie du Peyrat Cognac, Frangelico, French red vermouth) at @kittyscosmopolitanclub 12. Here Comes the Sun (mango-infused Haitian rum, Blanc vermouth blend, Luxardo Bitter Bianco) at @sepiachicago 13. Bell’s Oberon at @holidayclubchicago 14. Malört Sour (rye whiskey, Malört, lemon, simple syrup, Benedictine, yellow chartreuse, Angostura) at @longroomchicago 15. Manhattan at @charlie_beinlichs 16. Gimlet at @thegetawaychicago 17. Attempted Escape (dark rum, mango, lime, Rabarbaro) at @belmonttavernchicago

I’ve been to Indianapolis many times over the last decade and a trip this spring has convinced me that the food and drink scene is better than ever. I keep finding Chicago folks who have never been before and this summer is the time to change that - it’s only a three-hour drive, which makes it an ideal weekend destination. My picks include Workingman’s Friend, a 100+-year-old tavern for smash burgers and pork tenderloin sandwiches and Magdalena, a new bar and restaurant that channels the spirit of New Orleans. Read more about them and get all my picks for baked goods, dive bars, beers, and much more in the latest issue of @americanweekender .

If you know my work, you know that I’ve made covering regional food a cornerstone of what I focus on. I love restaurants and dishes with a sense of place - local ingredients and traditions can tell us so much about a place and the people who live there. A couple years ago, Eater tapped me to write the Heartland and Midwest section of their second cookbook, “Eaterland: Recipes and Stories from Across the United States,” which will be released on Tuesday, April 28. Reading - and cooking from - this book will teach you a lot about what American food is today and how it is evolving. I learned so much from reading the other chapters about what is important to people in other parts of the country - but also by working on my own section about Midwestern food and what matters to those of us who live here. In today’s issue of @americanweekender , I talked with the book’s two editors, @bylinemjf and @srzeats , about the project and how it came together, as well as big picture thoughts on the state of American food right now. You can read it at americanweekender.substack.com and order a copy that way as well! There is also information there about the fun class I’m doing with the great folks at @zingermansbakehouse in Ann Arbor next month! I’d like to thank @bylinemjf for bringing me onboard, @srzeats for her brilliant edits, @paulfehribach for being my go-to Midwest food scholar, and all the restaurant owners and chefs who talked with me and shared their recipes. Most of all, thanks to all the folks who have made eating in the Midwest such a fascinating, fun, and delicious adventure. I hope this book makes you proud.

In our latest newsletter, we’re off to Lexington, home to horses, rolling bluegrass hills, and the University of Kentucky. It’s a must-stop for anyone exploring the Bourbon Trail. Our perfect visit includes old-school doughnuts, country ham and pimento cheese sandwiches, great pastas, and all the bourbon we can drink. You’ll find our full list of recommended places, along with our perfect order at each, at americanweekender.substack.com.

Good stuff I ate in Chicago lately ✨ 1. Spicy vodka tavern style pizza at @zarellachicago 2. W.R.’s Chicago cut, fries, and creamed spinach at @gibsonssteakhouse 3. Baby beets with fermented mushrooms and mojama at @radiclechicago 4. Hamburguesa aplastada with dry-aged beef, chorizo, chihuahua, and curtido at @cerditomuertochicago 5. Carnitas enchiladas with tomatillo sauce, jack, queso fresco, onions, and cilantro at @xocochicago 6. Catfish with comeback sauce and grits at @cleos_southerncuisine 7. Oysters with hot sauce and strawberry mignonette granita at @atelier.chicago 8. Turkish Doner (chicken, white sauce, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, tomato sauce) at @turkish_doner_chicago 9. Reuben from @uptowndelichicago 10. Duck lasagna at @delriorestaurant 11. BEC on an everything bagel at Upper Crust Bagels 12. Turkey sandwich with bacon, avocado, tomato, sprouts, and Duke’s mayo at @fatbackbutcher 13. Sticky date cake at @seedos_bakery 14. Naughty eggs with calabrian chili, caramelized onion, confit garlic, and dilly chips at @bambi_chicago 15. Turkey club on a garlic bagel from @onceuponabagel 16. Fried Korean-style cobia collar at @mariscossanpedro 17. Hummus with green garbanzo beans, green almond, jalapeno tatbila at @susu.chicago 18. Fish and “chips” (with a side of smoked potatoes) at @petiteedith_chicago 19. Grilled pork jowl rice with Thai spicy dipping sauce at @noodles.party.chicago 20. Japanese eggplant tempura with yuzu mayo at @therealsushisan

A few years back, we stopped in Knoxville, Tennessee on our way to Asheville, North Carolina. We had such a great time that we mentally bookmarked it as a place that demanded a return visit. So this spring, we hit the road to Knoxville in search of warmer weather and arrived armed with a growing list of bars and restaurants we wanted to check out. Wrote it all up for @americanweekender - our guide includes our picks for where to go and what to eat and drink, including country ham salads, spicy falafel sandwiches, and espresso martinis á la mode.

Our Best New Restaurants list is here! Our estimable @chicagomag dining critic @jdkess ate and ate and ate all over town to find the best newcomers, and named his 13 new favorites. It’s no surprise to me that Creepies tops the list - as John wrote: “What’s for dinner? Mussels hiding under a cumulus of giardiniera froth, a bubbly gratin of celery root dotted with tender escargot, and a super-crisp sweetbread schnitzel with bright, pickley sauce ravigote. The way meals come together here makes perfect sense while also being totally bonkers… More than anything, Creepies is a pure original, a restaurant that taps into the soul of Chicago.” The whole list is comprised of bangers - it’s been a great year in dining, with openings like Atsumeru (#2), which serves a Nordic-Japanese tasting menu, Mahari (#7), which delves into cooking of the African diaspora, and Noodles Party (#8), a Thai eatery that’s a nightly party. Find the full list at chicagomag.com!

Good drinks I had in Chicago lately ✨ 1. Pinky Gonzalez (Siete Leguas blanco tequila, orange liqueur, almond orgeat) at @gus_sipanddip 2. Mezcal Negroni at @longroomchicago 3. Weeknight Giuseppe (non-alcoholic Amaro Lucano, cherry, lemon, Angostura) at @radiclechicago 4. Old fashioned at @graceandleavitt 5. Black Manhattan (Small Batch 101 Proof Bourbon, DeGroff New World Amaro, Fancy Cherry) at @edandjeans 6. Piña Colada Güera (Palomo Mezcal, Gran Dovejo Blanco) at @cerditomuertochicago 7. Don’t Call Me Shirley (Letherbee gin, Misoo Aperitivo, grenadine, soda) at @atelier.chicago 8. Manhattan (Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Carpano Antica, Angostura) at @gibsonssteakhouse 9. Whiskey sour (bourbon, lemon, egg white, cherry bitters) at @doublefunchicago 10. Aloha Felicia #4 (Aged Panama Rum, Aged Saint Lucia Rum, coconut, cacao nib, pineapple, lime) at @threedotsandadash 11. Topolo 2.0 Margarita (Espolón blanco tequila, Del Amigo mezcal, Nocheluna sotol, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, fresh lime) at @topolochicago 12. Pandan-mint iced latte at @firstsipcafe

Good stuff I ate in Chicago lately ✨ 1. Caramelized onion miso labneh and butternut baba at @cafeyaya_chi 2. Fritto misto at @allavitachicago 3. Gjetost and onion choux at @atsumerurestaurant 4. Half sausage and giardiniera, half sausage and green pepper pizza from @ferentinospizza 5. Lox bagel at Upper Crust Bagels 6. Pepperoni, onion, and garlic pizza from @jimmyspizzacafe 7. Falafel ka’ak at @ragadanrestaurant 8. Crab Rangoon dip at @gus_sipanddip 9. Jerk chicken and doro wat arancini at @amici_chicago 10. Huli Huli chicken at @dalocalboy 11. Branzino and gnocchi at @delriorestaurant 12. Plain pie from @badjohnnysgoodtimes at @longroomchicago 13. Ludlow burger at @ludlowliquors 14. Katsu sando @akiro.us 15. Savory biscuit with pimento cheese and pepper jelly @bangbangpie 16. Paczki from @doritedonuts 17. Winter citrus and endive salad with Gouda soubise, braised fennel, and smoked almonds at @bouchonchicago

Went to New York last month to attend @travmedia and talk all about @americanweekender . The conference and meetings to follow were fun (and productive!) and I managed to squeeze in a lot of fun meals (and even more fun cocktails). All spots are tagged. Thanks so much to @travmedia for having me out - already looking forward to next year!

Some good cocktails I had in Chicago lately ✨ 1. Ruby Manhattan (Old Forester rye, Nardini, Cynar, Gran Bassano Rosso) at @dimmidimmichicago 2. Maiz Y Agave (Abasolo whiskey, Dobel Diamanté, blue corn masa syrup, mole bitters) at @matilda.chicago 3. Morning Blossom freezer martini (Scofflaw Old Tom, Koval gin, smoked mango brandy, blanc and Dey vermouths) at @bisouschicago 4. Vesper (vodka, gin, Lillet Blanc, Cap Corse Blanc, lemon oil) at @creepieschicago 5. Classic Gin Martini (Broker’s gin, Dey vermouth, house orange bitters) at @queenmarytavern 6. Mont Blanc (French gin, crème de menthe, yellow chartreuse, absinthe) at @bistromonadnock 7. Tanjiro (lychee, sake, pineapple, pandan, sesame) at @sho.chicago 8. Albariño Lavender Martini (Galician gin, vermouth, lemon oil) at @lemistral.chicago 9. Lower East Side (George Dickel rye, Campari, Averna, chile de ancho, Peychaud’s) at @ludlowliquors 10. Manhattan (Pinhook Flagship Rye, Carpano Antica, Angostura) at @thealston_chicago 11. Freezer Martini (betel leaf Old Raj gin, lemongrass-scented vermouth blend, Thai herb oil) at @cryingtigerchicago 12. Freezer Door Vesper (Stray Dog and Tanqueray gins, citrus vodka, Lillet Blanc, Kina L’Aero D’Or) + Stinger (Cognac, Branca Menta, crème de menthe) at @doublefunchicago 13. El Che Old Fashioned (Judson & Moore applewood smoked malt rye whiskey) at @elchechicago 14. Tech Noir (St. George single malt whiskey, Kina L’aero, smoked pear, fino sherry) at @sepiachicago 15. Pepperoni Negroni (pepperoni-infused Letherbee, Misoo Aperitivo, sweet vermouth) at @pizz.amici 16. Buttercup (Meletti, gin, strawberry, passionfruit, lemon, buttermilk) at @sipbuttercup 17. Oaxaca Old Fashioned (Los Vecinos House Mezcal, La Gritona Reposado, Nixta Elote, demerara, mole bitters, grapefruit) at @bigstarchicago 18. Manhattan (Sazerac rye, Carpano Antica, Angostura) at @adalinaprime 19. Coquito (cream-cheese washed Bacardi 8, Santa Teresa coffee cask, cinnamon, pomarosa, apple, coconut, vanilla, condensed milk) at @lalicorchicago 20. Longman Manhattan (Wild Turkey 101, Punt e Mes, aromatic bitters) at @longmanandeagle

Good stuff I ate in Chicago lately: 1. Steak frites at @elchechicago 2. All the pastries at @daejidoughco 3. Fried chicken sandwich at @lemistral.chicago 4. Tuna crudo at @sho.chicago 5. Lasagna by @_butchershop at @longroomchicago 6. Cheesesteak at @ludlowliquors 7. Sticky toffee pudding at @sepiachicago 8. Chili crisp chicken at @cryingtigerchicago 9. Ceviche at @gus_sipanddip 10. Profiterole at @brasstackchicago 11. Whole bird chicken Parm at @monteverdechi 12. Pizza at @pizz.amici (loved the pepperoni, garlic, and onion combo) 13. Cheese fries at @wienerscircle 14. Roast turkey sandwich at @jtsgenuine 15. Vodka roni slice at @pizzadadachi 16. Pistachio cake at @sipbuttercup 17. Empanadas at @lalicorchicago 18. Brussels sprouts at @longmanandeagle 19. Raclette with prosciutto from @bakedcheesehaus at @thechristkindlmarket 20. Carrots a l’orange at @adalinaprime