Little NOLA

I am an Army brat, sort-of. My dad was in the army for his duration, during which, I was born at Fort Rucker Army Hospital in Fort Rucker, Enterprise, Alabama.  It doesn't get much more southern that that.  My whole family is strung out through the southern United States, from Tennessee to Alabama to Florida to Texas, and sometimes, although I hate to admit it, we live up to the stereotype. My parents and I were the oddballs who decided to move to Colorado. However, we still make time to go back home to visit.  If there's one part of the Southern stereotype that I don't mind, it's the notion that the further south of the dixie-line you go, the better the cooking gets.  Yet, you can't get much further from the South, directionally, culturally and culinarily, than Chicago.  I don't get to visit my relatives as much as I would like.  I miss them, and I miss their cooking.

Imagine my surprise last week when I turned on Food Network to a show featuring the delicacies of southern cuisine here in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Food Network's Heat Seekers with Aaron Sanchez (Pronounced Air-Own for those of us who are hispanic-linguistically challenged) and Roger Mooking showcases the meanest, spiciest foods in the country. On the aptly named episode "Chicago," the two visit three restaurants in the Windy City: Hot Doug's, Bricks Chicago, and my southern blog inspiration, Heaven on Seven.

I first saw this restaurant on a trip to the movie theater a few years ago.  It's located on the upper floor of the Loews Movie Theaters on Ohio and Rush.  It was the mysterious restaurant at the top of the escalator. With a name like Heaven on Seven, I couldn't help but be intrigued. I have not eaten there yet, but Food Network generally doesn't feature places unless they've done something right culinarily.
Boasting "the best Louisiana cookin' outside of New Orleans," Heaven on Seven was founded in 1985 by Jimmy Bannos and his wife. The namesake branches from the restaurant's original location on the seventh floor of the Garland Building. Before Bannos discovered his passion for Cajun and Creole cooking, he and his brother owned a coffee shop as an ode to their grandparent's affinity for restauranteering. Bannos has expanded his restaurant to a chain of three, and still interacts personally with customers as a chef and culinary teacher.
The calendar shows many of the fun upcoming events such as Sunday brunch and live music on weeknights.