https://www.facebook.com/107699044478945/

AnthonyMartorina, Chicago, IL (2025)

10/23/2025

Prost! Let’s raise a glass to Cologne, Germany . This fantastic brewhouse is located directly in the shadow of the North side of the impressive Cologne cathedral . The locals recommended we go here for a fantastic experience & they did not steer us wrong.

The brewhouse was renovated & reopened in 2008. It celebrates Cologne’s rich heritage. They offer an authentic Rhenish brewery experience defined by a hearty & vibrant welcoming atmosphere. This dynamic space is full of energy as diners enjoy glasses .

Kölsch is a German pale ale known for its refreshing & balanced flavor. It has a delicate combination of soft malt sweetness along with a subtle hop bitterness followed by a dry, crisp finish. The color of the beer is gold with a fine white head & an aroma of light fruit. This is the official beer of Cologne, as it was created here.

For starters, we ordered beef goulash soup with half of a rye roll. It was deep & comforting. The kind of dish Mom would make on a cold winter night. We also had the hearty creamy potato soup with bacon & bread. I love how the bread thickens the soup base with each dip.

For entrees, we ordered the local pork schnitzel with a mushroom & onion gravy, fried onions & potatoes with a green salad. This dish was simply magical & made me fall in love with Germany. The gravy was the perfect topping over the crispy cutlet. The pork was super tender & tasty. The buttery potatoes with bacon were simply delicious.

I was searching all week for potato pancakes & luckily they had them. The dish included three freshly baked reibekachen with apple compote, black bread & butter. This totally made me happy.

I really fell in love with the oversized bratwurst with an onión gravy, fried potatoes with bacon & creamed savoy cabbage. This dish was impressive. The sausage had a fantastic seasoning & flavor. I really loved the warm creamed cabbage. I’ve never had that before & I need it again in my life very soon.

I end my visit with a toast, “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! To good times & a beer that’s worthy of them.”

📍Gaffel am Dom GmbH Bahnhofsvorplatz 1 50667 Cologne

10/14/2025

Today we celebrated the artistry of taste with an exclusive Wagyu Beef presentation featuring the world’s most coveted beef with the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago. We were incredibly honored to have this unique opportunity to learn so much about Wagyu. The setting for the afternoon was charming.

Are you a Wagyu expert? Hopefully you will be, after my post. The event featured a Wagyu presentation by Mr. Masato Yamashige .y_official, CEO of MTJ, Inc., along with a cooking demonstration & tasting with Chef Masuo Chiba, also known as Uncle Beef. Chef Akiko Nishimura created additional bites for us to enjoy. & .flight provide fantastic sake pairings to compliment the Wagyu, as well as the refreshing juice.

If you ask most people what is Wagyu, they will probably say one word, “Amazing!”! They are correct. One bite of Wagyu is truly magical but there’s so much more history. Did you know that there are over 100 varieties of beef cattle in the world. There are four main breeds of Wagyu in Japan. There’s the Black which makes up 95% of all Wagyu followed by the Shorthorn, No Horn & Red Hair. These four make up over 200 regional brands of Wagyu beef each with its own unique flavor profile, standards & raising methods. The genetic lineage of Wagyu dates back over 2,000 years, with cattle first introduced to Japan as plow animals. Each cut of Wagyu’s lineage can be tracked by the farmer. I always feel it’s important to know where your beef came from.

What’s the secret behind why Wagyu beef is so delicious! Japanese cattle do not move around because it’s an island. They must survive the winter with the fat that is in between the muscles. This is what creates the beautiful marbling we all love.

Chef Masuo Chiba’s presentation was wonderful. He shared with us Wagyu that was marinated in a dashi broth. The bite was a flavor explosion for my palette. This was even more special when I learned, he’s only made this for 100 customers. It’s moments like this when I feel like I’m in a dream.

I hope others feel inspired to try Wagyu beef based on my reel. It’s truly a special experience!

10/12/2025

Forget delivery! What if you could make a better restaurant quality pizza at home? I’m getting fired up with my dual fuel countertop pizza oven. It’s so beautiful & compact. I love the stainless steel quality plus it can use either propane gas or wood. The oven can reach 900°F in 15 mins. There’s even an adjustable temperature control which allows cooking beyond just pizza. These temps can be monitored with the bluetooth digital thermometer along with two digital probes to monitor precise cooking control. There’s even an app where I can monitor the temp.

This reel is our first time cooking in the pizza oven. It was super easy to use & fun to learn on the fly. We decided to have some fun & create a seasonal artisan pizza with ingredients like rosemary, pears & figs right from our garden. The end result was fantastic.

When making pizza, there are a bunch of options for dough. You can make it from scratch. I highly recommend using a “00” flour from Italy. My favorite is . If you’re not ready for that, you can simply buy rawdough or . It’s easy to work with & great for the beginner Pizzaiolo. When you watch the reel, you’ll see me even toss the dough in the air. Hopefully, I’ll be going through the legs one day.

When making a pizza it’s all about building layers of flavor. We started by brushing an infused garlic olive oil directly on the dough. Next we added some caramelized shallots & sautéed mushrooms with fresh rosemary. For our meat, we went with fresh chunked prosciutto. Since the pizza was feeling like fall, I picked & sliced some fresh figs from our tree. They added color & a nice sweetness to each bite. I used blue cheese for some funk & mozzarella cheese.

I slide this beauty into the Bull Pizza Oven where it cooked at around 500°F for approximately 5 minutes. I rotated the pizza a few times, noticing my hot spot was in the back of the oven. Once I pulled the pizza, I finished it with arugula, fresh grated Asiago & a home made pear reduction with fresh pears from our tree. It was literally the best slice of pizza ever.

What should I make next in our oven?

10/11/2025

It’s time to get fired up at home! I’m about to unbox my new dual fuel countertop pizza oven. It’s compact and stainless steel plus it can use either propane gas or wood but not at the same time. The oven can reach a temperature of up to 900°F in approximately 15 minutes. There’s even an adjustable temperature control which allows cooking beyond just pizza including roasting and baking. These temps can be monitored with the bluetooth digital thermometer along with two digital probes to monitor precise cooking control. I’m so excited to get cooking. What should I make first?

10/10/2025

Discover the essence of Japan Nomonomo-Japanese in Logan Square. This incredible family owned restaurant delivers a fabulous Omakase with 12 courses for $79. I was impressed with the freshness of the seafood along with the affordable price. This experience should not be missed. They also have an incredible happy hour, as well as an impressive regular menu to choose from. The bar program is amazing with fantastic cocktails, whiskeys & sake.

Omakase means chefs choice which I love because I get to try new creative pieces of sushi I may not necessarily order. I enjoy getting to sit at the sushi bar, while watching the chefs hand craft each piece. It’s a beautiful show. We started our journey with amberjack which was a nice subtle start. I added on a sake pairing for $45. Our next courses included golden eye snapper, fuke with sour plum & shiso leaf, torched hokkaido sea scallop, faroe island salmon with pickled garlic, sweet shrimp with yuzu truffle, striped jack, lean bluefin with foie gras, medium fatty bluefin, grand fatty bluefin with pickled wasabi, sea urchin & marinated salmon, and eel. I loved every moment. I really enjoyed all the bluefins, as well as the scallop & shrimp.

After our wonderful Omakase, we wanted to explore the menu. I fell in love with the carbonara udon made with bacon, onion, parmesan cheese & egg yolk. I was impressed with this dish. It was better than some Italian restaurants I’ve eaten at. I fell in love with the surf + turf roll made with lobster, wagyu, fried onion, house tartare sauce & truffle sauce. It was the perfect bite!

Other great dishes we tried included the US wagyu ribeye steak with a sweet onion ponzu & wasabi. The beef was tender & flavorful. The house made pork & shrimp shumai with water chestnut, yuzu ponzu & chili oil is a must order. It’s a flavor explosion for the palette.

The manager highly recommended we try the Ichiros Malt Chichibu whiskey. It was truly a heavenly sip. I also loved the golden dagger cocktail made with Suntory Toki whisky, drambuie, gran classico, honey & lemon. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic dinner.

10/10/2025

Discover the essence of Japan in Logan Square. This incredible family owned restaurant delivers a fabulous Omakase with 12 courses for $79. I was impressed with the freshness of the seafood along with the affordable price. This experience should not be missed. They also have an incredible happy hour, as well as an impressive regular menu to choose from. The bar program is amazing with fantastic cocktails, whiskeys & sake.

Omakase means chefs choice which I love because I get to try new creative pieces of sushi I may not necessarily order. I enjoy getting to sit at the sushi bar, while watching the chefs hand craft each piece. It’s a beautiful show. We started our journey with amberjack which was a nice subtle start. I added on a sake pairing for $45. Our next courses included golden eye snapper, fuke with sour plum & shiso leaf, torched hokkaido sea scallop, faroe island salmon with pickled garlic, sweet shrimp with yuzu truffle, striped jack, lean bluefin with foie gras, medium fatty bluefin, grand fatty bluefin with pickled wasabi, sea urchin & marinated salmon, and eel. I loved every moment. I really enjoyed all the bluefins, as well as the scallop & shrimp.

After our wonderful Omakase, we wanted to explore the menu. I fell in love with the carbonara udon made with bacon, onion, parmesan cheese & egg yolk. I was impressed with this dish. It was better than some Italian restaurants I’ve eaten at. I fell in love with the surf + turf roll made with lobster, wagyu, fried onion, house tartare sauce & truffle sauce. It was the perfect bite!

Other great dishes we tried included the US wagyu ribeye steak with a sweet onion ponzu & wasabi. The beef was tender & flavorful. The house made pork & shrimp shumai with water chestnut, yuzu ponzu & chili oil is a must order. It’s a flavor explosion for the palette.

The manager highly recommended we try the Ichiros Malt Chichibu whiskey. It was truly a heavenly sip. I also loved the golden dagger cocktail made with Suntory Toki whisky, drambuie, gran classico, honey & lemon. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic dinner.

10/07/2025

The heat is on in Cologne, Germany! I am honored to be the official emcee / host for the Flavor Fusion Culinary Showdown 2025 inside the USA Pavilion, at the world’s largest food & beverage trade show!

Attendees were thrilled with the excitement of food sport on the show floor The talented chefs competed to win the ultimate prize, a golden ticket 2026.

Chefs had 45 minutes to cook in front of a live audience using various US products in their dishes. We had so many unique ingredients which included almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, lentils, beef, pork, blueberries, cranberries, cheese & seasonings.

The chefs were really impressed with the marbling of the Winter Frost Wagyu Ribeye . It was a thing of beauty! I really loved the chef’s creativity when using California almonds . The tasty lentils from created great flavor along with . shared their award winning rubs & sauces elevating the dishes. allowed the chefs to bring a nice texture to every bite. Thanks to
for all the support with many great ingredients.

I loved the passion of the chefs in Europe, especially their help in keeping our stage kitchen clean in between competitions. The chefs worked well under pressure creating dishes for the judges along with creating samples for the audience to taste. Some of the WFC golden ticket winners during the show included ,
& & the 2018 WFC BBQ Champ to name a few.

Judging was done using WFC’s E.A.T.™ Methodology based off the criteria of ex*****on, appearance, & taste. The chefs delivered big bold & beautiful flavors. The judges had to make some tough decisions when scoring the dishes. Thanks to & a big thank you to for the kitchens. It was a beautiful space for the chefs to make magical dishes. I’m always humbled being in the kitchen with all of this incredible talent. I’m always inspired to get in the kitchen & create some new dishes with all I learn.

10/03/2025

Experience the best of Japan in Chicago. serves creative traditional dishes in Lincoln Park. The chefs are true masters of their craft delivering dishes that not only taste phenomenal but are artistically stunning to the eye. Everything is created with the freshest ingredients delivering fabulous flavors with every bite.

We started with the scallop yuzu made with asparagus, pickle radish, & yuzu sauce. It’s simply stunning to look at. My eyes can not stop admiring the dish. I loved everything about this dish, after my first bite. My family loved the crispy Japanese eggplant tempura & teriyaki. The tropical salmon with mango, avocado, & radish was one of the freshest bites ever. I welcomed the brightness of the sauce which made the fish pop with flavor.

The signature maki rolls are fabulous. The black garlic albacore with black rice, spicy shrimp, seared yuzu albacore, garlic mayo, & furikake was so delicious. We also enjoyed the seared salmon, shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo, & masago roll. I appreciate all the detail that goes into hand crafting these rolls. The chefs are true artists.

If you’re looking for a truly special presentation, then order the omakase nigiri set with 8 pcs of nigiri served with salad & miso soup. It’s truly a wonderful dish. If you want to get fired up, then order the robata sampler. It’s a great way to enjoy a taste of the grilled beef short rib, yakitori, salmon, escolar & eggplant.

We had to try some classic dishes. The spicy tonkotsu ramen was the perfect slurp. The broth was rich with tasty noodles. I’m a sucker for kara-age chicken. The fried bites were crispy on the outside & tender on the inside plus the spicy mayo had a nice kick. The gyoza was made with chicken which was super moist. It’s definitely one of the best chicken dumplings ever. My wife loved the spicy edamame.

For dessert, I recommend the green tea cheesecake served with green tea ice cream & fresh fruits. It’s a sweet ending to a memorable meal. Green Tea Japanese has been serving happiness since 2000. I love their gorgeous new space, they recently moved in. The room is bright & inviting like their edible works of art!

01/01/2025

Happy New Year! That’s a wrap for 2024! We had many amazing culinary experiences and everyone keeps asking me for a year end wrap up. So here you go! These were some of our favorites. Thanks to everyone for enjoying this culinary journey with us! Cheers to more great finds in 2025!

Enjoy the “Best of 2024”…

Best New Restaurant-
This is a must in River North!

Best Bread - is a master baker. We are blessed with his bread.

Best Happy Hour -
Enjoy half-priced oysters & bottles of wine in the bar area from 3-6PM, Sun-Thurs!

Best Brunch -
Delicious options and beautiful sun on the all season bar patio.

Best Comeback -
Welcome back to this icon!

Best Steak -
The 16 oz dry-aged bone-in NY strip is magical.

Best Event - Live with
Wing #8 “Da Bomb” was the hottest thing I ever ate plus I got to meet &

Best Burger -
$10 special on Monday’s at WestTown!

Best Asian Steak -
One of the best steak experiences ever.

Best Noodles -
Made in house fresh in their noodle factory!

Best Spicy Asian -
Love the mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorns! Can you handle it?

Best Pizza -
IYKYK

Best Hot Chicken -
“I like spicy!” Really? Order the Insanity spice, then we can be friends!

Best Tasting Menu -
One of the most unique dining experiences ever.

Best Cheese Pull -
The cheese sticks rock!

Best Cocktails -
Creativity in every glass!

Best Oysters -
You’ll never look at oysters the same way again.

Best Old School Italian -
Support this local family gem!

Best Grocery Store - .chicago
From all the great products to the food court this is a destination!

Cheers to 2025!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! 🎄 Happy Holidays! 🎁 Wishing everyone a beautiful day with friends and family rocking around the Christmas tree, while eating some amazing food! ❤️ Cheers from our family to yours! 🥂

AnthonyMartorina

10/23/2025

10/14/2025

10/12/2025

10/11/2025

10/10/2025

10/10/2025

10/07/2025

10/03/2025

01/01/2025

12/25/2024

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category