You are here:
Archive for April, 2010
Chef Lidia Bastianich Book Signing at Randolph Wine Cellars
Posted on April 30th, 2010 by Adam Marks
Even if you’re not into the Food Network, chances are you’ve seen the delicious work from the hands of Chef Lidia Bastianich on one of the morning shows—which is enough to make anyone hungry well before lunch!
Well if you’re looking for a little inspiration in the kitchen, Lidia will be at Randolph Wine Cellars on Wednesday, May 5, from 2pm-4pm, signing copies of her most recent cookbook, “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy.” As an added treat, you’ll get to sample wines from Lidia’s celebrated wineries Bastianich Azienda Agricola and La Mozza. And just in case you don’t already own a copy, Lidia’s book will be available for purchase at Randolph Wine Cellars.
This event is complimentary, however you must RSVP to Lauren at 312-942-1212.
Tags: Book Signing, cook books, Food Network, Lida Bastanich, Randolph Wine Cellars
Top Chef Masters Viewing Party at Terzo Piano
Posted on April 30th, 2010 by Adam Marks
If you’ve been following “Top Chef Master’s” on Bravo, then you’re well aware that Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia and Terzo Piano is in the Champions Round! In honor of this achievement—and to cheer Tony on—Terzo Piano (at the Art Institute of Chicago) is hosting a TCM viewing party this Wednesday, May 5, starting at 8:30 p.m.
As to not leave you salivating while watching the show, you’ll enjoy dessert selections paired with wines hand picked by Terzo’s wine director, Cathy Mantuano. Also in attendance? Tony himself, who will be on-hand throughout the night watching the show and mingling with the crowd.
A required donation of $20 benefiting Chef Mantuano’s “Top Chef Masters” charity of choice Feeding America, which will support local member The Greater Chicago Food Depository, will be accepted at the door.
The party starts at 8:30 p.m., with the show beginning promptly at 9:00 p.m. Come have fun, support a great cause and see Chef Tony Mantuano outside of your television set!
Tags: Art Institute of Chicago, Spiaggia, Terzo Piano, Tony Mantuano, Top Chef Masters
Farm to Table Breakfast in the Burbs
Posted on April 28th, 2010 by
Many of the great restaurants in the city have implemented use of local meats, produce, and dairy, but the craze is spreading. Suburbans want their locavore spots, too!
One such gem has opened up in downtown Wilmette, right near the Metra station. Fuel is run by Tim Lenon, a congenial fellow who will likely come to your table to chat. Their menu features all the standards of breakfast fare (eggs, sausage, pancakes) and isn’t cluttered by extravagant and unusual flavors. What the menu represents is freshness.
All breads come from Heavenly Hearth Bakery down the street. Meats and eggs come down from Wisconsin. It is clear that Tim has a relationship with his providers, and the quality is noticeable when you take a bite.
The decor is modern but comfortable, and Metropolis coffee is well brewed and served in enormous mugs. All in all, it was a great breakfast experience. Go check it out before the lines stretch around the corner! This place will become a Wilmette mainstay. It would be a particularly great stop on your way north to visit the Chicago Botanic Gardens or Ravinia.
As a final treat, Fuel offers cooking classes for kids. If you live in the area, you have to check out their programs. They range from special cupcake events (think birthday party!) to exploring flavors around the globe.
Fuel is open for breakfast and lunch, closing at 2 p.m. during the week, and 1 p.m. on the weekends.
Tags: Chicago Restaurants, locovore, suburban chicago restaurants, wilmette restaurants
Duking It Out
Posted on April 28th, 2010 by
Sick of the violence of the morning commute? Tired of being shoved around on the busy streets of downtown? Leave it to the pros.
Horseshoe Casino has the solutions to your problems. This Saturday at 8 p.m., go check out their telecast of the big Mayweather/Mosley fight. You may not be able to rush the ring, but you’ll see everything on their 60′ screen.
Horseshoe is sweetening the deal with 16 oz beers for only $3 and their convenient, free shuttles. How can you pass it up?
Tickets are available at the door for $10. Learn more at www.horseshoehammond.com.
Tags: Boxing, Chicago Entertainment & Attractions, Chicago Sports, Horseshoe Hammond Casino
It’s Greek to Me: Chicago Culture Tour
Posted on April 25th, 2010 by Adam Marks
It’s not just the restaurants in town that prove Chicago is a cultural melting pot and thanks to the Chicago Cultural Center, you can take one of their city neighborhood tours and dive deeper than breakfast, lunch and dinner.
You don’t have to be Greek to appreciate the next tour on Saturday, May 1. Community experts Harold and Faye Peponis lead an excursion focusing on the history, customs and religion of Greek Chicagoans. You’ll visit the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum for a private tour and discussion to learn about its importance to early Greek immigrants and tour the National Hellenic Museum. Of course, the tour wouldn’t be complete without an authentic Greek meal, so you’ll make a stop for lunch at Pegasus Restaurant & Taverna in Greek Town before visiting Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral for an in-depth look at the Greek Orthodox religion.
Chicago Neighborhood Tours offers a wide selection of tours spanning over various neighborhoods and genres. Tours range from $30 to $50 and depart from the Chicago Cultural Center. To make reservations, visit chicagoneighborhoodtours.com or call 312-742-1190.
Tags: Chicago Cultural Center, Culture, Greek Town Chicago, Tours Chicago
Kentucky Derby Party at Arlington Park Racetrack
Posted on April 25th, 2010 by Adam Marks
If you’re looking for a Kentucky Derby party that’s a bit more authentic than a spot on your neighbor’s couch with a pizza, then gather the troops (including the kids) and head on over to Arlington Park Racetrack for “Chicago’s Largest Derby Party.”
Gates open at 9:30 a.m., as Arlington Park will simulcast the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby presented by YUM! Brands from Churchill Downs. The first live Arlington Park race breaks from the gate at 12:15 p.m., with 12 live races at the track. General admission for “Chicago’s Largest Derby Party” costs $8 on-line and $10 at the gate while value combination packages including reserved seats range in cost from $10-$20.
Other great Derby Day activities include:
Live music on the Miller Lite Band Stage by Bopology.
The first 2,500 people to purchase their ticket online will receive an official Kentucky Derby glass.
Traditional Kentucky Derby themed beverages such as the Mint Julep.
Entertainment, fun and games for the entire family in the Park area includes the chance for kids to make their own Derby Hat.
For more information on Arlington Park’s opening weekend, visit the track’s website at arlingtonpark.com.
Tags: Arlington Park Racetrack, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby Parties Chciago
Interview With Brian Dickie, General Manager of the Chicago Opera Theater
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 by Annie Kelly
Founded in 1974, Chicago Opera Theater really took off when Brian Dickie hit town in 1999. As general manager, he has sought out talent from around the work, mounted fresh, engaging productions of such works as Death in Venice, Nixon in China, and Peter Brook’s La Tragedie de Carmen, and orchestrated the company’s move to the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. With an exciting new season soon underway, Dickie paused to chat with Concierge Preferred.
How does Chicago Opera Theater differ from other opera companies?
We do not do the big, most popular operas that flourish so well at large opera companies. We do smaller scale works, Baroque or earlier, or 20th century. And every production we do is a new production.
What are you particularly looking forward to this season?
One of the most exciting things we’re doing Moses in Egypt, by Rossini, who wrote The Barber of Seville, one of the most popular of all operas. But this is one of his serious operas, which are far less often performed, although they are full of fantastic music. And this opera has had only one performance ever in Chicago, a single performance on July 2, 1863.
And Frederica von Stade appears this season, as well….
Yes, one of the great American singers of the last 40 years and who is retiring. She appears in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, which he wrote for her. It’s about an actress who has come to the end of her career. I’m not suggesting it’s any way autobiographical, but she’s the perfect person to play this character.
Your job keeps you awfully busy; what do you weekends?
My wife and I have a six year old, so that means Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, where the butterflies are particularly sought after.
Where do you take visitors when they come to town?
We usually take one of the architectural tours, or head out to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. If the weather is nice, we visit the Signature Room at the top of the Hancock.
Where do you like to eat?
I always think Coco Pazzo Café is really good value. And it’s lovely. And North Pond Café is a good place to take people, with a stunning view of the park and the city beyond.
This post was sponsored by the Navy Pier IMAX Theatre. http://www.imax.com/chicago/
Tags: Chicago Entertainment & Attractions, Chicago Theatre, Millennium Park, theatre
The Whiskey Bar & Grill Spices Things Up On Rush Street
Posted on April 23rd, 2010 by
Located in the Gold Coast’s boutique Sutton Place Hotel, on the corner of Bellevue and Rush, Whiskey Bar & Grill has hit a chord with visiting diners and locals alike with its revamped concept, after more than 10 years in business.
What differentiates the new and improved Whiskey Bar & Grill is the more modern aesthetic. You might remember its former Mexican flair, long gone and replaced by more of a rock and roll vibe.
Offering two bar areas, each with their own distinct energy, and an outdoor patio (prime real estate for people watching), everybody is sure to be pleased with their options. The main dining room is an inviting space with reclaimed wood walls and an eclectic mix of photographs and mirrors to create a hip, welcoming atmosphere. Guests can enjoy the company of others at the oversized communal table located in the center of the space or visit the second room that features a long wooden bar, a variety of enticing lounge seats and cork walls lined with candid photographs of classic musicians from Rande Gerber’s personal collection.
The food and drinks are nothing to be ignored. Straightforward dishes with a twist highlight the juxtaposition of flavors within the masterful creations of Executive Chef Vince Zhanay, formerly of Sola and Park Grill. You will find a bit of everything, a melting pot of a menu, with Asian, Mexican and American dishes sitting comfortably next to each other. Enjoy exceptionally fresh seasonal specials and the all-day Sunday brunch with an infused Bloody Mary bar coming in May.
Feel like a medley of small plates? Be sure to try the exquisitely tender grilled Skirt Steak Skewers accompanied by a hoisin glaze, the Fish Tacos with a jalapeno tartar sauce or the melt-in-your-mouth 3-Cheese Mac & Cheese.
Health nut? Don’t pass up the Chop’t Salad – definitely a crowd pleaser. Feel like something a bit more substantial? Try the Kobe Burger with Chef Vince’s specially grilled Whiskey onions and blue cheese.
Enjoy the perfect night of rocker-chic style and original dishes at Whiskey Bar & Grill.
High-Wire “Hephaestus” is edge-of-your-seat satisfying
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 by Annie Kelly
You may have snoozed through classics classes in college, and with all the spectacle that comprises the Lookingglass Theatre/Silverguy Entertainment production, “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale”, you might walk away from this show and still not be ready for a pop quiz. But you won’t leave the theater anything less than wowed. Running at the Goodman Theatre (through June 20) with a cast that includes members of the Wallenda Family and Ringling Bros., this dazzler is an inventive, gasp-inducing display, with aerial work, high-wire daring, and eye-popping tumbling.
Created by Lookingglass member Tony Hernandez (who handles the title role), the show tells the tale of the less-than-perfect son of Zeus and Hera, pitched from Mount Olympus for his physical infirmity. The idea of conveying the story through the almost other-worldly talents of circus artists is a smart conceit–even if, at times, the myth plays second fiddle to the jaw-dropping theatrics. For tickets, visit goodmantheatre.org or call 312.443.3800.
This post was sponsored by the Navy Pier IMAX Theatre. http://www.imax.com/chicago/
Lincoln Park Tapas
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 by
Nestled into charming Lincoln Park, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! is a fantastic choice for dinner any night of the week, and recently added Sunday brunch to their repertoire.
As wonderful as small, cozy restaurants are, it’s a relief that Ba-Ba-Reeba! has tons of space. It means they can easily accommodate large parties and you can plan a last minute outing without waiting until 10 p.m. for a seat. Luckily, the space is divided into many rooms so you don’t feel as though you are eating in a warehouse.
Start off with any of their lip-smacking sangrias. I’m partial to the classic white or red (with tart apple chunks), but they offer sweeter drinks, too. For those who don’t tend to drink wine, the passion fruit, black raspberry, and white peach sangrias will go down just like fruit punch.
New to the Ba-Ba-Reeba! menu is the pintxos (pronounced peen-chos), or two-bite appetizers. They’ve got the usual croquettes, but the standout is the poached shrimp and egg salad on toast. Sounds strange, I know, but the texture and flavor is refreshing and savory.
From the general tapas menu, the bacon-wrapped dates and beef tenderloin with blue cheese are the winners. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was as juicy and tender as could be. The accompanying homemade potato chips were even better with a little douse of the beef jus. The dates were sweet and salty, and the bacon was perfectly crispy. I was well and truly sad to leave any on the plate, but the portions were larger than I had anticipated, and I grew full fast!
The most surprising aspect of the evening was dessert. I don’t often associate great desserts with a tapas dinner, but in this case, you absolutely must save room. The caramel and marcona almond tart tastes like a fresh-baked snickers, and the caramelized bananas melt in your mouth.
For those with special dietary needs, they have an ample gluten-free menu, and their staff was knowledgeable and friendly, able to handle your specific needs.
Any way you cut it, Ba-Ba-Reeba! is a great place to eat, and is an easy jaunt from downtown.
Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! is located at 2024 N. Halsted, just north of Armitage. Take the Halsted bus, the purple line, or the brown line to Armitage.
Tags: Chicago Restaurants, gluten-free, Lincoln Park, Restaurants, tapas
Follow
