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Upcoming Chicago Foodie event: The Social Media Potluck

Potluck!

The Chicago Foodie is excited to announce an upcoming event it’s hosting: The Social Media Potluck. Taking place July 16^th, it will give new meaning to “Food for Thought” with 40 top thought-leaders throughout Chicago, gathering for an afternoon of great conversation, ideas, questions and of course delicious food.

If you’re a food and wine vendor, we are in the midst of considering vendors for sponsorship opportunities. This is great exposure in front of some of the city’s most socially savvy and blogger-types. For information please email: thechicagofoodie@gmail.com

Here is more information about the event:

There’s something to be said about gathering 40 top thought leaders for an afternoon of ideas, questions, forward thinking and great food. This is the premise behind The Chicago Foodie and The Chicago PR and Marketing Network’s Social Media Potluck!

The Social Media Potluck is going to bring to life one of the greatest ways people have connected throughout history: around a table with delicious food. If we think technology is the only way to bring people together, then we’ve forgotten about the power of a hearty, tasty meal.

With that in mind, we’re taking the idea of ‘food for thought’ to a new level with the Social Media Potluck. Don’t worry, this is also open to PR and marketing folks as well. As some of Chicago’s top thought leaders, we will convene for an afternoon of robust conversation, discussion and ideas whilst enjoying amazing food and drinks!

There will be tweets, live blogging, podcasts and Tupperware. The cost of admission? A dish to share with about 25 people and a few ideas to discuss around the table.

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Categories Events

Chicago Restaurant Week 2011

4 Feb

Chicago Restaurant Week 2011 is from February 18-27, 2011

We’re getting close to that glorious time of the year… no, not pitchers and catchers reporting to training… Restaurant Week! Yes, the 2011 Chicago Restaurant week is just around the corner.

It’s an opportunity to try some of Chicago’s best restaurants with prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner at only $22 (lunch) and $33/$44 (dinner) a person. The menus include three courses and often highlight the restaurant’s show stopping entrees and items. Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax or gratuity.

Restaurant week is from February 18-27, 2011

It’s only one week and reservations fill up fast, so start booking. You can book through OpenTable.com or by calling the restaurant.

Enjoy!

Here is a complete listing of the 2011 Chicago Restaurant Week restaurants.

312 Chicago
505 Zest
676 Restaurant and Bar
Ai Japanese Restaurant and Lounge
Aja
Alhambra Palace Restaurant
Allgauer’s on the Riverfront
Aria
Atwood Café
Benny’s Chop House
Berghoff Restaurant
Bistro 110
Bistro Bordeaux
Bistro Campagne
bistronomic
Bistrot Margot
Bistrot Zinc
Blackbird
Blue 13
Boka
Branch 27
Café Ba-Ba-Reeba
Cafe Des Architectes/CDA
Cafe Spiaggia
Caliterra Bar & Grille – Chicago
The Cape Cod Room at The Drake Hotel
Capital Grille – Chicago
Capital Grille – Lombard
Capital Grille – Rosemont
Carlucci – Rosemont
Carmichaels Steakhouse
Carmine’s
Carnivale
Carson’s Ribs Steaks and Chops – Chicago
Catch 35
Catch 35 – Naperville
Chicago Curry House (Indian and Nepalese Restaurant)
Chicago Cut Steakhouse
Chicago Firehouse Restaurant
China Grill – Chicago
Chizakaya
C-House Restaurant
Coco Pazzo
Connie’s Pizza
David Burke’s Primehouse in the James Hotel
de cero
deca Restaurant + Bar located at The Ritz-Carlton, a Four Seasons hotel
Devon Seafood Grill – Chicago
Dick’s Last Resort – Chicago
Dine
Dos Diablos – Chicago
The Drawing Room
Duchamp
East Bank Club- Maxwell’s at the Club
Eatt
Elate
Epic Restaurant
Fiorentino’s
Fornetto Mei – a pan-italian restaurant
Fulton’s on The River
The Gage
Geja’s Café
Gemini Bistro
Gyu-Kaku – Chicago
Hard Rock Café – Chicago
Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse – Chicago
Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse – Rosemont
HUB 51
Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House
Il Mulino – Chicago
The Indian Garden – Chicago
IPO
Jack Binion’s Steakhouse
Japonais
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Keefer’s Restaurant
Kinzie Chop House
La Madia – A Contemporary Pizzeria
Landmark
Lawry’s The Prime Rib – Chicago
Le Colonial – Chicago
LM
The Lobby
Lockwood Restaurant and Bar
Market Restaurant & Sports Bar
May St. Cafe
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood – Chicago
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood – Chicago (Wacker Dr.)
Mercadito
Mercat a La Planxa
Merlo on Maple
Mexique
Mike Ditka’s – Chicago
Mirai Sushi
Mitchell’s Fish Market – Glenview
Mon Ami Gabi
Mon Ami Gabi – Oakbrook
Morton’s The Steakhouse – Chicago – The Original
Morton’s The Steakhouse – Chicago – Wacker Place
Morton’s The Steakhouse – Northbrook
Morton’s The Steakhouse – Schaumburg
N9NE Steakhouse
Nacional 27
Naha
Nick’s Fishmarket Grill
O’Briens Restaurant and Bar
Oceanique
one sixtyblue
Osteria Via Stato
Palm Restaurant – Chicago
Park Grill Chicago
Perennial
Petterino’s
Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush
Piccolo Sogno
Prairie Fire
Prosecco
Province
Quartino
RB Grille
The Red Canary
The Restaurant at Conrad
Rhapsody
Riccardo Trattoria
Riva Crabhouse on Navy Pier
The Rosebud
Rosebud on Rush
Rosebud Prime
Rosebud Steakhouse
Rosebud Theater District
Rosebud Trattoria (fka Ballo)
Roy’s – Chicago
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Chicago
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Northbrook
Sable Kitchen & Bar
Saloon Steakhouse
Salpicón
Scoozi
Seasons Restaurant at The Four Seasons
Shaw’s Crab House – Main Dining Room
Shula’s Steak House – Chicago
Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse – Chicago
South Water Kitchen
Sullivan’s Steakhouse – Chicago
SUSHISAMBA rio
Tapas Valencia
Tavern at the Park
Tavern on Rush
Terzo Piano
Topolobampo
Trattoria Isabella
Trattoria No. 10
Tuscany on Taylor
Veerasway Fresh Indian
Vermilion
Viand
Vie
Vivere
Vivo
Wave
Weber Grill – Chicago
Wildfire – Chicago
Wildfire – Glenview
Wildfire – Lincolnshire
Wildfire – Oakbrook
Wildfire – Schaumburg
Zapatista – Northbrook
Zapatista – South Loop
Zealous
Zocalo

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Categories Cheese, Chefs, Chicago Foodie, Cocktails, Events, Locally Grown, Restaurant Review

Chicago Blizzard 2011 Done Right

2 Feb

So you may have heard. We got a bit of snow last night. And by a bit, I mean 19+ inches. Luckily, knowing well in advance this was coming, I planned accordingly.

After getting off the train home yesterday, I made a quick detour to my beloved Provenance and stocked up on some wine, cheese, dates and beer. Shocking, I know. Just because we’re snowed in doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, right?

Chicago Blizzard Survival Package

I got some drunken goat, Manchego and the real star of the evening was the 2008 Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys Red. Wow. Ridge does it right, that’s for sure.

Wherever you are, I hope you’re warm and know that you have friends in Chicago who are toasting you despite the blizzard!

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Categories Cheese, Chicago Foodie, Chicago Gourmet

Pastoral’s Fall Tastings and Classes

11 Oct

Photo from Yelp

Working in a very high-paced office and industry, I rarely go out for lunch during the day. Most often, my lunches consist of tuper-ware versions of whatever I had the night before at dinner. But once in a while, when I’m really craving a ridiculously delicious sandwich with stinky, soft cheese and chutneys, I escape my desk and head to Pastoral. It’s always a treat and my only regret is I can’t spend the rest of my day sipping their wines and sampling cheeses; alas.

In addition to enjoying their culinary achievements between sliced bread, you can also take classes from one of their shops. I am hoping to make it to one this fall, but you should definitely check them out. In addition to how delicious and fun they sound, I think they’re pretty reasonable compared to many other wine and cheese-type classes and tastings out there.

PASTORAL’S TASTE OF ARTISAN ITALY:
CLASSES AND TASTINGS

Saturday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Loop / Lake Street)
Exploring Italy
From Dolomite Alps to Venice, from Lake Como to Sicily, Pastoral is featuring all of our finest Italian delights. Resident sommelier Jill Pienta will cover artisan cheeses, small batch wines, meat and olives—and highlight pairing ideas that would make Dean Martin swoon. $45 per person; purchase tickets in advance at www.pastoralartisan.com or by calling any Pastoral store location. Includes 15% shopping discount at Pastoral on the day of the class.

FALL CLASS SCHEDULE
Pastoral will host a variety of new classes in fall 2010 as part of its growing in-store class and event program. Classes highlighted below will last approximately 90 minutes and include time for Q&A; reserved with a credit card online at www.pastoralartisan.com or by calling any store location. Includes a 15% shopping discount at the store on the night of the class. Cancellations must be made 72 hours in advance.

Saturday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. (Loop / Lake Street)
Exploring Italy

Tuesday, October 26, 7:30 p.m. (Lakeview)
Beyond Kraft Singles: Exploring American Cheese
Food culture in the United States has changed so significantly in the last 20 years that we have quality cheeses and wines being made by hand all over the country. Join resident fromager Cesar Olivares as we venture out of California and Wisconsin to discover some of the artisan gems of the great U.S.A. $45 per person.

Monday, November 1, 7:30 p.m. (Chicago French Market)
Pairing 101
Cheese + Wine = Flavor Utopia. With so many cheese styles and a myriad of wine choices available, pairing can seem like a shot in the dark. At Pastoral, the combination of wine and cheese is a lifestyle: we’ve studied the nuance, tested the theories and created philosophies on the subject of pairing that we’d love to share with you! Visit and taste with resident sommelier Jill Pienta as she introduces the classic combos, new-age ideas and avant-garde anomalies with cheese, wine and good company! $40 per person.

Tuesday, November 16, 7:30 p.m. (Lakeview)
Bubbles, Cheese & Chocolate
Who doesn’t love sparkling wine, cheese and chocolate?? Explore some of the most coveted foods in the world and learn why these foods are so well-known and well-loved. Resident fromager Cesar Olivares takes you on a world tour of some of the best producers of these sinful indulgences. Just in time for holiday party planning ideas. $45 per person.

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Categories Cheese, Chefs, Chicago Foodie, Events, Flavor, Food glorious food, Locally Grown, Organic, Review, Sandwich

Sinfully Simple Lasagna

9 Oct

Lasagna from Women's Day

Growing up, my mom was known throughout my family, immediate and extended, for her signature lasagna. I have memories of her making pan after pan for large family parties out in eastern Long Island; she even catered my uncle’s wedding with lasagna. So needless to say, the term lasagna was always one associated with much labor and ferocity. But my God was it delicious.

As I started to dabble in the kitchen, lasagna remained one of those culinary entities that intimidated the hell out of me. Visions of bubbling sauce, boiling noodles, messy aprons danced through my head. But it was the New Years eve of my sophomore year in college that I decided to embark on the quest to serve lasagna at a party with friends.

I called my mom, got her recipe and set forth. It wasn’t pretty. But, it wasn’t that bad. Once I was able to wrap my brain around it (sauce, noodle, ricotta, cheese, sauce and repeat) I realized this could be a really fun dish to improvise and play around with.

Fast forward 10 years and I still enjoy making lasagna. I love to add veggies, flavor aspects, etc… And just recently, I discovered the most amazing tool out there to even further simplify this no-longer-as-scary-as-I-thought dish: no-boil noodles. I thought they were a myth. I thought they would taste like leather (and maybe to more refined pasta pallets, they do, but not to me). Turns out, the no-boil noodles just got lasagna back into our monthly meal rotation. This is also a great meal because you get a ton of leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

So in honor of my mother, who I love, and her famous lasagna, here is my, ridiculousy easy version of her acclaimed favorite:

Sinfully Simple Lasagna

*Please note- I don’t, ever, follow recipes to a T, so you’ll have to forgive that when I share my recipes, they’ll look like I how I prepare them- lots of guesstimates.*

Box of no-boil lasagna noodles
2 jars of tomato sauce
Veggies (I like carrots, spinach, and mushrooms- but add whatever you want here)
1.5-2 cups of Ricotta cheese
1 large log of fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh Parmesan cheese

First things first: turn on the oven to 350.
In a large lasagna-like dish, wipe a bit of olive oil on the pan and then put a layer of sauce on the bottom.
Add noodles so they don’t overlap but cover the pan
Add more sauce
Add dollops of ricotta throughout, on top of the sauce
Add a thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese
Add veggies (here I would add spinach and mushrooms)
Add another layer of sauce
Add noodles again
Add more sauce
(Do you see the pattern here?!)
Add ricotta
Add veggies (here I’d add the carrots)
Add a little more sauce
Layer the top with mozzarella cheese and fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour (the top should be browning, melted and bubbling).

VOILA!

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Categories Cheese, Cookbook, Flavor, Food glorious food, Veggies

Chicago Gourmet Roundup

27 Sep

Photo credit: Chicagoist

As much as I was looking forward to attending and reporting on this year’s Chicago Gourmet festival, a few things with family popped up this weekend and I wasn’t able to make it to Millenium Park. One of those times when life gets in the way of plans.

But it’s okay, I made up for it by drinking delicious wine at home and making an outstanding butternut squash and sweet potato bisque risotto (recipe coming soon). But, here’s a roundup from other site’s coverage of Chicago Gourmet.

Cheers to what sounds like a good event (despite long lines) and looking forward to watching this event continue to grow.

Grub Street Chicago:

“…it was hard to discount the incredible number of big name chefs that made it out to this year’s Chicago Gourmet. That included home town chefs like Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, and Graham Elliot along with food personalities like Art Smith, Ted Allen, and even Marcus Samuelsson. All told, there were over a hundred chefs on the premises, not counting the sous chefs and the many culinary students that helped staff the event.”

Chicagoist:

“…With the addition of Bon Appétit magazine as presenting sponsor, the increase in the number of larger sponsor branded tents was obvious. The difference is that this year’s festival had so many tents shoehorned into Pritzker Pavilion, there was little room for walkways or ways to make the queues more manageable.”

GapersBlock:

“With the addition of Bon Appétit magazine as presenting sponsor, the increase in the number of larger sponsor branded tents was obvious. The difference is that this year’s festival had so many tents shoehorned into Pritzker Pavilion, there was little room for walkways or ways to make the queues more manageable.”

Lazy Cook Crazy Cook

“…There were dozens of pavilion tents of food and wine tastings and there were also food demonstrations, book signings and seminars by noted chefs and foodies including Bon Appetit magazine’s Andrew Knowlton and Barbara Fairchild, Cat Cora, Table 52′s Art Smith, Marcus Samuelsson, Tony Mantuano and many more. We attended one food demo by Sunda’s Rodelio Aglibot and Todd Stein, formerly of Cibo Matto and now of the soon-to-open The Florentine. ”

South Beach Wine and Food Festival Blog

“After a successful judging of the Hamptons Burger Bloodbath this summer, I decided to take my hamburger judging skills to Chicago for the Hamburger Hop competition. 15 different entrants from all over the country competed for the title.”

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Categories Chefs, Chicago Foodie, Chicago Gourmet, Cocktails, Events, Organic, Outdoor Dining, Wine

Sit At The Table With Morton’s The Steakhouse And The Mondavi Family

20 Sep

I used to work for Morton’s managing their P.R. and social media. This is a class-act company, and not just because they serve amazing steaks. No, Morton’s is a company that strives to pioneer all things fine dining and wine and they are putting on a very exciting event this October.

Morton's The Steakhouse

On October 7, 2010 at Charles Krug winery, this gathering, the first of its kind in Mondavi family history, will celebrate the Mondavi family’s more than 90 years in growing and crafting wine and will be broadcast simultaneously to 54 Morton’s private dining rooms. This will also be a fundraiser benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a wonderful and worthy recipient.

Mondavi Family Blending

The evening’s esteemed hosts will include Michael Mondavi of Folio Fine Wine Partners, Tim Mondavi and Marcia Mondavi Borger of Continuum Estate, and Peter Mondavi, Sr., Peter Mondavi, Jr. and Marc Mondavi of Charles Krug Winery.

The event will kick off an online auction of the first-ever red wine produced by the extended Mondavi family – Siamo Insieme, which means “We are Together” in Italian. The Mondavi family has collaborated to produce a 27-liter bottle (called a primat); a unique blend of Napa Valley grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, produced and blended by the second and third generation of the Mondavi family especially for this event. This bottle will be auctioned online on Hart Davis Hart Wine Co.’s website October 7, 2010 through October 30, 2010,with 100 percent of the winning auction bid benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For more information about this historic and exciting event, visit Morton’s Prime Events. Tickets are $175 per person and the event will begin at the following times in each time zone:

EDT: 8 P.M.

CDT: 7 P.M.

MDT: 6 P.M.

PDT: 5 P.M.

On a personal note- I will say that I had the opportunity to work on this event before I changed careers and I was honored to have been somewhat part of the early process. Morton’s The Steakhouse and the esteemed Mondavi family are two staples among their industry and I couldn’t think of a better pairing. Is this thing on?

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Categories Charity, Chefs, Chicago Foodie, Cocktails, Events, Food glorious food, Wine

Bad Apple is no Kuma’s Corner

18 Sep

Photo from The Bad Apple

I had high hopes for Bad Apple. Despite their terrible logo (what can I say? I’m married to a former designer, I take these things into account), a co-worker told me about their Wednesday Kobe burgers and said their other burgers were on par with Kuma’s Corner. In my recent dining experience it was all fine, but it was no Kuma’s Corner.

I went with some girl friends for one of those semi-spontaneous week-night gatherings and this was a good spot in the middle for everyone.

I was coming from a stressful day at work, so I immediately reached for the drink and beer list, and I was impressed. They have a lot, like a lot, of beers on draft, bottles, etc… I got an Alagash White on draft. It was delicious.

As a table, we ordered the goat cheese fondue to share. It was…fine. Not bad, I mean, with goat cheese it’s hard to royally screw it up, but it wasn’t memorable.

For my entrée, I got the veggie burger served as their El Dorado (chili cumin burger, spicy corn & black bean salsa, avocado, shredded lettuce). It came with fries which I upgraded to Truffle status.

The burger was made in-house and it was good. Sometimes when restaurants venture to make their own veggie burgers it can go very wrong. That wasn’t the case here. It was filling, robust and had good flavor, if a bit messy. The fries were good, but that’s because they had truffle oil on top. My friends’ got plain fries and there weren’t great. Also, I’m pretty sure they make their own ketchup, which kudos for trying, but it was gritty, acidic and not good.

All in all, this wasn’t a bad meal, after all I was with wonderful company, but I wasn’t going to write home about it. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it: Chicago’s Lincoln Square and North Center are over saturated with gastro-bars and too often they all fall short. If someone opens up another cookie-cutter bar joint, let’s try to make it spectacular.

The Bad Apple

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Categories Chefs, Chicago Foodie, Cocktails, Food glorious food, Lincoln Square, Restaurant Review, Review

Gourmet lunch in the Loop? Pastoral it is

11 Sep

Photo credit: In Good Taste Blog

I work downtown and while in theory there are a lot of lunch places to grab a good bite, in actuality, it’s mostly made up of Au Bon Pains, Jimmy Johns, Panda Expresses and the likes. Which is good for me because it encourages me to bring lunch to work (my insanely busy days and constant lunches at my desk also help with this!). However, once in a while I’m reminded that among the soup-in-a-bread-bowl chains, Chicago has delicious gems sprinkled throughout the mundane Loop.

Yesterday my friend Carrie Becker and I decided to grab a quick bit. Carrie works for another company in my same building and it’s always fun catching up with her over lunch. She suggested we go to Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine after my initial recommendation fell flat (they didn’t serve sandwiches, oops). I had never been to Pastoral despite hearing about it forever, so I was game. I also didn’t realize just *how* close it is to my office. This could get dangerous.

When we arrived, the line was decent but not outrageous. We each took a look at the menu and shortly thereafter someone came to us in line to take down our order. Right off the bat I was impressed with how friendly everyone was especially considering at most high-brow wine and cheese shops, they usually aren’t. I also appreciated the fact that the guy taking our order had a Vermont hat. What can I say, I married good stock.

I ordered the Sinfully Healthy (roasted turkey on cracked wheat spread with tangy mango chutney, dijon mustard, field greens and fromage d’affinois) and a side order of the fromager’s salad (field greens, tomatoes, goat cheese, spiced almonds and balsamic vinaigrette). It was also very reasonable; only $11 even for both.

The sandwich was amazing. The mustard with the mango chutney paired amazingly with the fromage d’affinois (heaven) and the turkey was well flavored and light. The salad was a little over-done with the goat’s cheese, but better more than too little. I did have to restrain myself from browsing the cheese selection, though I will be back (soon!) and will give it a whirl then.

It’s exciting to find a really good spot that I can go to now when I want to take a little walk and break from the office. For the same price I’d spend on some mediocre sub and chips, I can get a delicious artisan sandwich and pairing.

Thanks, Carrie, for this great suggestion. What about lunch on Monday?

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Categories Cheese, Chicago Foodie, Flavor, Food glorious food, Locally Grown, Restaurant Review, Review, Sandwich, Veggies, Wine

Saturday Night in the Kitchen

6 Sep

Since having our son in March, my husband and I have had a chance to go out on a decent amount of dinner dates (perks of living in the same city as my parents) but it dawned on me this past Saturday afternoon that I hadn’t done what I love to do as often: cook an amazing meal at home.

While suffering through Eat Pray Love (sorry, Julia), I plotted through our Saturday night feast at home. After much back and forth, I decided to make an Italian dinner. So, with those main objectives in mind, I decided to do a truffle-infused mushroom and pea rigatoni with an heirloom tomato salad and a cheese plate dessert. And of course wine was on the menu (but when isn’t it?).

In exchange for the meal I was set to prepare, I asked my husband, an amazing photographer, to do a simple task and document the preparation, execution, and consumption of the meal. Below are his photos of our wonderful Saturday evening.