Third time charm?
Trio (1625 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, (847)733-8746) owner Henry Adaniya has replaced Shawn McClain, who left to start the buzz-friendly Spring (2039 West North, (773)395-7100) with executive chef Grant Achatz. Achatz was most recently sous chef at the acclaimed French Laundry in Napa Valley. The changing of the guard coincides with a changing of the menu; the new menu features a choice of a four-course tasting menu ($65), or an eight-course tasting menu ($85), both changed daily.

"Good" vs. "evil"
The New York Times published an extensive appreciation of the contemporary Chicago food scene in its August 8 edition. Dubbing Chicago the mecca of "New American" cooking, author Regina Schrambling highlighted Blackbird, Mod, Aubriot, Lula, Spring, One Sixty Blue, Nomi and Rushmore. Paul Kahan of Blackbird was singled out for praise as the pioneer of this new form, and, as Schrambling saw it, for leading the "war for independents" against the likes of Rich Melman's Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. In fact, the author seems to be gunning for Lettuce, which, although certainly a leader in the theme and chain concept development, offers a more diverse portfolio. Long before any of the highlighted restaurants were born, Melman embraced a number of outstanding food auteurs, reflected by the current inclusion of Ambria, the Everest Room and Tru in Lettuce's holdings. Schrambling even gave the universally acclaimed Tru a negative turn (she wrote that its most memorable feature was its high price tag), without mentioning its Melman connection. For his part, Melman seems rather nonplused by the story, quick to mention a long history in working with top chefs, dating back to his sixth restaurant, when he brought Gabino Sotelino in to run the Pump Room. Kahan agrees: "I got my food imprints going to Lettuce restaurants with my dad as a kid."

Get out
312 Chicago (136 North LaSalle, (312)236-2420) is launching a Saturday Food and Wine Club on August 25 at noon, with a cooking demonstration, menu and wine tasting all drawn from the Italian region of Sardinia. $25 per person. o Scoozi (410 W. Huron, (312)943-5900) continues its Tomatofest through August 25. On August 23, they're offering a traditional family-style spaghetti dinner under the stars starting at 6:30pm. $30; $10 for children under 14. o Bin 36 (339 North Dearborn, (312)755-9463) is hosting a walk-around Australian wine and food tasting on August 29 from 6-10pm for $50. o A Taste of California, a Chicago-based wine-of-the-month club, is kicking off its seventh annual Ethnic Restaurant Wine Dinner Series on August 27th at Ben Jarong (2886 North Milwaukee, (773)235-9463 for reservations) for $57.

Tips, scuttlebutt, complaints? Email chow@newcity.com

Also by Brian Hieggelke

ROADFOOD ESSENTIALS
About ten years ago, I heard about the book "Roadfood." The husband and wife team of Jane and Michael Stern coined the word, or at least earned it, by logging millions of road miles and documenting the best eats in the various editions of the book, which they first published in 1977.
(2001-06-14)

TOONING JAPANESE
The costumes—boys with oversized weapons, girls as feline princesses or sailors in miniskirts—bring a delicious aroma of ambiguity to a crowd already wrestling with the awakening nuances of sexuality in twenty-first-century American culture.
(2001-05-24)