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Contest #166: Guess the Dolinsky

Contest #166: Guess the Dolinsky
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  • Contest #166: Guess the Dolinsky

    Post #1 - September 20th, 2009, 5:08 pm
    Post #1 - September 20th, 2009, 5:08 pm Post #1 - September 20th, 2009, 5:08 pm
    The Hungry Hound in Chinatown

    Let's try something a little different. Guess the Chinatown restaurant from Steve Dolinsky's inscription on his portrait.

    Restaurant A: "Love that 3 course Peking duck. Hope to see you soon."
    Image

    Restaurant B: "What a delicious taste of Hong Kong! Thanks again."
    Image

    Restaurant C: "Thanks for everything. Love the ha gow, and the calamari, also the cake rolls . . . well, just about everything you make is delicious. I'll be back soon."
    Image

    Restaurant D: "Can't wait to get back for those soup dumplings!"
    Image

    Restaurant E: "Thanks for bringing a little bit of Hong Kong to Chinatown."
    Image
  • Post #2 - September 20th, 2009, 8:09 pm
    Post #2 - September 20th, 2009, 8:09 pm Post #2 - September 20th, 2009, 8:09 pm
    One of my very best friends and fellow musicians is the son of the former president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who frequented Lao Sze Chuan to the point where he was sharing recipes with Tony Hu and bringing global music superstars from Symphony Center to Chinatown on his own time. This relationship spanned scores of visits and helped to raise international awareness of the restaurant, from mentions of the legendary meals in the news to citations on the blogs of the musicians themselves.

    My friend wryly noted that "Chinatown window recognition" is virtually Warholian, a series of transient American images that last as long as the flash in the pan that got people together at the table, on a canvas addressed to the outsider pedestrian and not the insider community. A picture of this president and Tony was front and center in the Lao Sze Chuan window for several years after the restaurant opened. As soon as it was announced that there was to be a leadership transition at CSO, and long before the guy actually moved on, the picture came down.

    Miller's Pub and Ribs 'N Bibs still proudly display pictures of local arts, TV, and print personalities that have long moved on to other markets, been discredited in sex or drug scandals, or have bit the dust entirely. The well-washed windows of the New Chinese in Chinatown Square along Archer seem to contain only reflections, rather than memories. And in this case, it's the reflection of you, gringo, the sometime visitor looking to make dining choices based on the simpering grin of someone you vaguely know who has most likely visited each place once and used paid researchers to suss out the best dishes.

    One wonders when Dolinsky's Orwellian visage will be pulled down from behind the blinds, and whose cult of personality will replace it.
  • Post #3 - September 20th, 2009, 8:17 pm
    Post #3 - September 20th, 2009, 8:17 pm Post #3 - September 20th, 2009, 8:17 pm
    Image
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    New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
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  • Post #4 - September 20th, 2009, 8:24 pm
    Post #4 - September 20th, 2009, 8:24 pm Post #4 - September 20th, 2009, 8:24 pm
    (literal translation: "Forward to Victory, EVOO.")
  • Post #5 - September 29th, 2009, 8:19 pm
    Post #5 - September 29th, 2009, 8:19 pm Post #5 - September 29th, 2009, 8:19 pm
    How about a hint? All five restaurants have an Archer Avenue address (this would include Chinatown Square). You need not guess all five. A couple should be fairly easy, a couple might be harder.
  • Post #6 - September 29th, 2009, 8:24 pm
    Post #6 - September 29th, 2009, 8:24 pm Post #6 - September 29th, 2009, 8:24 pm
    A - Lao Beijing
    C - Phoenix
    D - Lao ShangHai

    Edited to sub Phoenix for Happy Chef
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #7 - September 29th, 2009, 8:40 pm
    Post #7 - September 29th, 2009, 8:40 pm Post #7 - September 29th, 2009, 8:40 pm
    G Wiv wrote:A - Lao Beijing

    Image

    G Wiv wrote:C - Phoenix

    Not Phoenix (not Happy Chef either).

    G Wiv wrote:D - Lao ShangHai

    Image
  • Post #8 - October 17th, 2009, 11:07 pm
    Post #8 - October 17th, 2009, 11:07 pm Post #8 - October 17th, 2009, 11:07 pm
    Sorry, I've neglected to post any clues recently. Restaurants A and D have been guessed. Here are some expanded views of the other three Dolinskys.

    Restaurant B: "What a delicious taste of Hong Kong! Thanks again."
    Image

    Restaurant C: "Thanks for everything. Love the ha gow, and the calamari, also the cake rolls . . . well, just about everything you make is delicious. I'll be back soon."
    Image

    Restaurant E: "Thanks for bringing a little bit of Hong Kong to Chinatown."
    Image
  • Post #9 - October 19th, 2009, 6:05 pm
    Post #9 - October 19th, 2009, 6:05 pm Post #9 - October 19th, 2009, 6:05 pm
    I didn't think this would be so difficult. I guess many of us just make a beeline for the table and don't pay attention to the restaurant's exterior. I wish I had pictures of the food at each of the three unguessed restaurants. I'm sure that would put a quick end to this contest. Lacking food photos, here's the next best thing—pieces of the menus.

    Restaurant B: "What a delicious taste of Hong Kong! Thanks again."

    Image


    Restaurant C: "Thanks for everything. Love the ha gow, and the calamari, also the cake rolls . . . well, just about everything you make is delicious. I'll be back soon."

    Image


    Restaurant E: "Thanks for bringing a little bit of Hong Kong to Chinatown."

    Image
  • Post #10 - October 19th, 2009, 9:45 pm
    Post #10 - October 19th, 2009, 9:45 pm Post #10 - October 19th, 2009, 9:45 pm
    Restaurant C: Shui Wah?
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #11 - October 19th, 2009, 9:59 pm
    Post #11 - October 19th, 2009, 9:59 pm Post #11 - October 19th, 2009, 9:59 pm
    Yes, Restaurant C is Shui Wah. That leaves Restaurants B and E.

    Image
  • Post #12 - October 20th, 2009, 5:15 pm
    Post #12 - October 20th, 2009, 5:15 pm Post #12 - October 20th, 2009, 5:15 pm
    is E Saint's Alp Teahouse?
  • Post #13 - October 20th, 2009, 11:46 pm
    Post #13 - October 20th, 2009, 11:46 pm Post #13 - October 20th, 2009, 11:46 pm
    Yes indeed, Restaurant E is Saint's Alp Teahouse. Not too many other places in Chinatown with a hot red and orange color scheme that serve toast with butter and condensed milk as well as eel-seaweed salad.

    That leaves only Restaurant B. I had a feeling that would be a tough one.
  • Post #14 - October 21st, 2009, 6:30 am
    Post #14 - October 21st, 2009, 6:30 am Post #14 - October 21st, 2009, 6:30 am
    Rene G wrote:That leaves only Restaurant B. I had a feeling that would be a tough one.


    Not really Hong Kong style, but similar menu items. Moon Palace?
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #15 - October 21st, 2009, 9:07 am
    Post #15 - October 21st, 2009, 9:07 am Post #15 - October 21st, 2009, 9:07 am
    Not Moon Palace. Remember the hint: "All five restaurants have an Archer Avenue address (this would include Chinatown Square)." Here's another hint.

    Image
  • Post #16 - October 22nd, 2009, 2:00 pm
    Post #16 - October 22nd, 2009, 2:00 pm Post #16 - October 22nd, 2009, 2:00 pm
    Chi Cafe, for the win.
  • Post #17 - October 22nd, 2009, 3:43 pm
    Post #17 - October 22nd, 2009, 3:43 pm Post #17 - October 22nd, 2009, 3:43 pm
    Yes, Restaurant B is Chi Café. Thank you for identifying it; I'd run out of clues. That concludes this installment of Guess the Dolinsky.
  • Post #18 - November 18th, 2010, 3:55 pm
    Post #18 - November 18th, 2010, 3:55 pm Post #18 - November 18th, 2010, 3:55 pm
    This seemed like the best place to post this photo. Graham Elliot in his new shirt.
    Image
    http://plixi.com/p/57707743

    (from twitter)
  • Post #19 - April 23rd, 2011, 10:13 am
    Post #19 - April 23rd, 2011, 10:13 am Post #19 - April 23rd, 2011, 10:13 am
    I was a little surprised to see this one.

    Image
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #20 - April 23rd, 2011, 11:01 am
    Post #20 - April 23rd, 2011, 11:01 am Post #20 - April 23rd, 2011, 11:01 am
    stevez wrote:I was a little surprised to see this one.

    Image

    Another GTD? Lotus of Siam, not exactly a Chicago restaurant.
  • Post #21 - April 23rd, 2011, 12:38 pm
    Post #21 - April 23rd, 2011, 12:38 pm Post #21 - April 23rd, 2011, 12:38 pm
    Rene G wrote:Another GTD? Lotus of Siam, not exactly a Chicago restaurant.


    You are correct. There is no escaping the ever watchful Dolinsky!
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven

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