Welcome to Five on Five, RedEye’s weekly roundup of Chicago movers, shakers and tastemakers and their snarkiest thoughts. This week, some of the finest culinary minds in the city riff on pancakes, Star Wars and winter-warmups. Aaaand now we’re hungry.
This week’s guests are Girl and the Goat’s Stephanie Izard, RPM Italian’s Doug Psaltis, The Betty’s Rachel Dow, Lettuce Entertain You’s R.J. Melman and GreenRiver’s Julia Momose.
If there’s one thing the Chicago food scene needs more of, it’s …
Stephanie Izard, Girl and the Goat: … the ramen-doughnut combo spot. Fried doughnut-shaped noodle cakes topped with bacon icing served in tasty beer broth.
Doug Psaltis, RPM Italian: … attention. It’s so dynamic and incredible.
Rachel Dow, The Betty: … NACHOS.
R.J. Melman, Lettuce Entertain You: … fun.
Julia Momose, GreenRiver: … really good late-night dining opportunities.
IHOP is having a pancake art competition. Tell us what would carry you to victory.
Izard: Can I just enter the pancake eating contest?
Psaltis: The characters from “Frozen.” If my niece is judging, I’ll win for sure.
Dow: Ziggy Stardust and Lemmy tribute cakes and ALL of the squeeze bottles.
Melman: Leaning Tower of Pisa—tall stack.
Momose: Life-size Jenga pancake stack.
What’s the perfect meal to celebrate a certain hockey coach’s three-year contract extension?
Izard: Quail egg quiche and quince pie (my mind went to the “Jeopardy” scene in “White Men Can’t Jump,” circa 1992).
Psaltis: The old Hat Trick as a liquid meal.
Dow: Anything as long as it doesn’t stain that sweet, sweet mustache.
Melman: An ice-cold Molson.
Momose: Ramen at Takeya with an icy cold Asahi and latticed gyoza.
When John Boyega says the next “Star Wars” film will be “much darker,” what does he mean?
Izard: Not sure. I’m still mad at Luke for hiding on a beautiful island while the rest of the galaxy is fighting over him.
Psaltis: I’ll be falling asleep earlier in the movie.
Dow: In the same vein as “Game of Thrones”; everybody dies and don’t trust your family.
Melman: It probably means they are changing the color of the Stormtroopers’ armor.
Momose: More sinister.
Surviving Chicago winters is all about …
Izard: I’ve just been eating more ice cream. Reminds me that the cold has a happy side.
Psaltis: … the right coat, the right scarf, the right libation and of course the right vacation.
Dow: … not being a soft-bodied [bleep] about the cold. It’s Chicago. Boots, wool socks, base layers and booze.
Melman: … parking in a heated garage.
Momose: … warm company, good food and a bar that gets you out of the house.
