First there was Heaven on Seven, now comes another Chicago eatery that promises to eviscerate your tastebuds in a way that only a chilehead could truly appreciate. No doubt there are others in the Windy City as well, but at least add this place to your must-stop-to-eat place when you go there. Check out this article in the Redeye section of the Chicago Tribune:

Heat seekers

Local restaurants, bars cater to foodies who love fiery fare so much it hurts

By Ryan Smith
For RedEye
Published March 8 2008

Barzin Emami looks deathly ill. His face is drenched with sweat, his eyes wet with tears, and his nose nearly dripping, yet he continues to gnaw on hot wings covered with Red Savina, a pepper considered 65 times hotter than a jalapeno.

“I was kind of done after, like, five of these, but it’s a testosterone thing now. I have to prove I can eat this whole basket,” said Emami, 26.

The wings, called “The Seriously. Ridiculously. Over the Top H-O-T Wings” have become something of a sensation at Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap, where brave souls must sign a waiver before being allowed to eat them.

The insanely hot dish is the brainchild of Chef d’Cuisine Robin Rosenberg, who introduced it during football season last year as a way for bar patrons to compete with one another over who can eat the most.

“We were selling 400 pounds of wings a week, but now it’s 1,400,” said Rosenberg. “People love them.”

Jalapenos and habaneros may not have quite replaced hot dogs and apple pie in the hearts and stomachs of many Americans, but spicy food officially has hit the mainstream. This is especially true in Chicago, where local foodies and chefs alike point to the growing popularity of Thai, Indian, Mexican and other traditionally spicy ethnic cuisine as evidence of the trend.

Click here to read the rest of the source article from the Chicago Tribune

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