Out and About / FLAVOR
Get Fresh
I
7 Great Spots for House-Made Pasta T’S THE ETERNAL question for a carb lover: Which is
GIANT
It’s starting to feel a little like Logan Square is the epicenter of the very particular alchemy of flour and eggs combining to make magic. Consider Giant, chef/owner Jason Vincent’s stellar place on West Armitage, where they’re popping out plate after plate of the stuff. “I think the coolest thing about our pasta is that I started smashing eggs and flour together 10 years ago and I have only come up with one recipe,” shares Vincent. “Making pasta is such a fulfilling process and the last thing I would ever want to do is rush [it]. So, you let the pasta lead. New recipes will come, but I can only wait for it. No rush.” And trust me, it’s worth the wait. MUST-TRY PASTAS Cheese-filled “Sortallini” ($16) with guanciale, basil-tomato sauce and pine nuts; saffron
PHOTO CREDIT
A tray of prepped pasta at Daisies; a bird’s-eye view of Giant’s tempting twirls (opposite).
better, fresh pasta or dried? The answer, of course, is whichever one is in front of you. Ideally, each may serve as a delicious starchy conveyance of judiciously applied sauce. Dried pasta, which is built to last with flour and water, can stand up to a more substantial topping, while fresh pasta, made with flour and egg, is a bit more ethereal, requires less cooking time, and calls for a lighter sauce. A number of Chicago restaurants are making a name for themselves with their take on fresh pasta, often sourcing ingredients locally. So the next time you get a yen to carbo load — or just remember that it’s winter and no one is going to see you in a bathing suit for at least six months and you deserve something soul satisfying and unquestionably tasty — head to one of the following and get your pasta on.
88 JAN UARY/ F EB RUARY 2018 M A K E IT B E T T E R