Category Archives: DneWise

FirstBites Bash Feb. 2 gives preview taste of Chicago Restaurant Week

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United Airlines presents First Bites Bash, the official kick-off event for Chicago Restaurant Week, produced by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. Inside the magnificent Great Hall of Chicago Union Station, enjoy savory and sweet tastings from over 50 of Chicago’s best chefs and restaurants.Chicago restaurateur and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard will host this event, from which 100% of net proceeds will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository.Create your own food pairings with Moet Hennessy wines, Belvedere cocktails and Blue Moon craft beers. And the Groupon Dessert Lounge is sure to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Tickets for FirstBites on February 2 are $125 per person or $1250 for a table of 10.

Chicago Restaurant Week runs for ten glorious days in February when restaurants you’ve been dying to try offer delicious deals. This year’s 5th annual event will take place from February 17-26. To purchase tickets go to FirstBitesBash2012.com.
FirstBites confirmed participating restaurants include:
 

 

Slow Food Chicago Celebrates Tomatoes with Chicago TomatoFest Potluck

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Do you love heirloom tomatoes as much as we do? Show off your heirloom harvest at the Slow Food Chicago TomatoFest Potluck. Saturday, September 24, at the Chicago Honey Co-op!

Chicago TomatoFest benefits the preSERVE garden, a partnership between Slow Food Chicago, the North Lawndale Greening Committee, Chicago Honey Co-op, and NeighborSpace.

Arrive at the potluck early and help the group harvest black eyed peas and crowder peas from the preSERVE garden! Don’t worry if you can’t come early, tours will be given of the preSERVE garden and the Chicago Honey Co-op, an urban apiary dedicated to beekeeping training and sustainable agricultural practices.

  • 4:00-5:00pm – Come early and help us harvest beans at the preSERVE garden! Located at 12th Place and Central Park Avenue (just a few blocks from the Honey Co-op)
  • 5:00-8:00pm – Chicago TomatoFest Potluck at the Chicago Honey Co-op

Bring your tomatoes, a potluck dish for sharing, and your chairs/picnic blankets.

Bee Etiquette: Please wear light colored clothing and a hat. Don’t wear perfumes, colognes, or scents.

Directions: 3740 W. Fillmore is 2 blocks North of Roosevelt Road between Independence Boulevard and Central Park. The apiary takes up the whole block on the north side of Fillmore and is easily visible from the street. There is plenty of street parking available.

Driving: Take I-290 West to Independence Boulevard. Exit and go South about 3 blocks just past the old railroad viaduct. Turn left on Fillmore Street. We are located in the middle of the block.

By Bike: http://www.ridethecity.com/chicago

By train: There is a Blue Line stop at Homan/Kedzie. Walk the ramp toward Homan Avenue, walk South on Homan approximately 5 blocks just past the 12-story 1905 original Sears Tower. Fillmore is the first street beyond the tower. Walk 2 blocks West to the apiary.

By Bus: Homan/Kimball bus to Fillmore Street and walk west 2 blocks.

$10 Slow Food Chicago and Chicago Honey Co-op members, $15 non-members. Kids are free!

NOTE: Rain date is Sunday, September 25th (Check Slow Food Chicago website www.slowfoodchicago.org day of event. Rain date will be called by noon on Saturday, September 24th)
Start Time: 4 p.m.
Date: 2011-09-24
End Time: 8 p.m.


James Beard Awards 2011 Winners Announced, Richard Melman Outstanding Restaurateur

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Winners were announced yesterday at the annual 2011 James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industries.

Richard Melman, founder and chairman of Chicago’s Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc., brought home the James Beard Foundation award for outstanding restaurateur in the nation. Melman, a well known Chicago-based restaurateur whose company owns more than 30 restaurants here and across the country, was the lone local restaurant-related winner out of 10 area nominees.

Michael Gebert and Julia Thiel of the Chicago Reader took home a James Beard Foundation Journalism award winning in the multimedia food feature category for their “Key Ingredient” blog. That category was announced Friday.

Chicago eateries and chefs shutout.
Hopeful Stephanie Izard’s Girl & The Goat, a finalist in the best new restaurant category, was beat out by Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen in New York which focuses on local, organic and seasonal foods.
Paul Kahan (Blackbird, Avec, & others), a 2004 James Beard winner for best chef in the Midwest, lost his bid for outstanding chef to Jose Andres of Minibar in Washington, D.C.
Colleague Patrick Fahy, also of Blackbird, and Mindy Segal of Mindy’s HotChocolate, who was also nominated in the same category in 2007, lost the outstanding pastry chef award to  Angela Pinkerton of New York’s Eleven Madison Park.
Multi award winner Rick Bayless’ Topolobampo lost the outstanding service award to Thomas Keller‘s Per Se in New York. Bayless won a James Beard award for best chef in the Midwest in 1991 and chef of the year in 1995. He was also named humanitarian of the year in 1998 by the James Beard Foundation.
Four of the five nominees for best chef in the Great Lakes region were from the Chicago area,  Michael Carlson of Schwa, Curtis Duffy of Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel, Bruce Sherman of North Pond and Paul Virant of Vie. The award went to Alex Young of Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Highlights from this year’s list of winners include:
Outstanding Chef: Jose Andres (minibar, Washington, D.C.)
Outstanding Restaurant: Eleven Madison Park (NYC, Owner: Danny Meyer)
Rising Star Chef: Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon, Portland, OR)
Best New Restaurant: ABC Kitchen (NYC, Chef/Owner: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Owner: Phil Suarez)
In addition, special achievement award honorees included:
Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America: Jonathan Gold (Writer, LA Weekly, Los Angeles); Lee Jones (Farmer/ Owner, Chef’s Garden, Huron, OH); Charles Phan (Chef/Owner, The Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA); Frank Stitt (Chef/Owner, Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, AL); Nick Valenti (CEO, Patina Restaurant Group, New York, NY)
America’s Classics: Chef Vola’s (Owners:  Louise Esposito, Michael Esposito, Michael Esposito, Jr., Louis Esposito, Atlantic City, NJ); Crook’s Corner (Owner:  Gene Hamer, Chapel Hill, NC); Noriega Restaurant and Hotel (Owners:  Linda Elizalde McCoy and Rochelle Ladd, Bakersfield, CA); Le Veau d’Or (Owner:  Robert Treboux, New York, NY); Watt’s Tea Shop (President and CEO:  Sam Watts, Milwaukee, WI)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Kevin Zraly (Wine Educator and Author, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course)
Humanitarian of the Year: FareStart (Founder:  David Lee)
Highlights from the Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards announced on Friday, May 6, 2011, at the Awards dinner at Espace included:
Cookbook of the Year: Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy by Diana Kennedy (University of Texas Press)
Cookbook Hall of Fame: On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee
Publication of the Year: Edible Communities
M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly, “A Movable Beast”
Audio Webcast or Radio Show: CBC Ideas: “Pasta: The Long and Short of It” Host: Megan Williams, Area: Canada and Online, Producers: Susan Mahoney and Megan Williams
Television Program, In Studio or Fixed Location: Top Chef: Season 7, Host: Padma Lakshmi, Network: Bravo, Producers: Tom Colicchio, Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, and Dave Serwatka
Television Program, On Location: Avec Eric, Host: Eric Ripert, Network: PBS, Online Producers: Justin Barocas, Heather Brown, and Geoffrey Drummond
TV Food Personality/Host: Alton Brown, Show: Good Eats, Network: Food Network
Food Section of a General Interest Publication: San Francisco Chronicle, Jon Bonne and Miriam Morgan
Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review: Patric Kuh, Los Angeles, “Animal Magnetism,” “Making Their Move,” “Time for a Redo?”
Group Food Blog: Grub Street New York, Newyork.grubstreet.com, Daniel Maurer, Jenny Miller, and Alan Sytsma
Individual Food Blog: Politics of the Plate, Politicsoftheplate.com, Barry Estabrook
Visit http://www.jamesbeard.org for more information.

Last Minute Mother’s Day Plans. Some great Chicago-area suggestions.

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reprinted with permission from Got Buzz by Kurman Communications, Inc.

BISTRO ONE WESTBistro One West
1 W. Illinois St., St. Charles, Ill. 60174
(630) 444-0600
www.Bistro1West.com

Starting May 1, Bistro One West will keep its doors open for the first Sunday ever, making Bistro One West the ideal west suburban spot to celebrate Mother’s Day! Celebrate the day overlooking the beautiful Fox River on the Bistro One West deck. Enjoy from a delicious menu blend of all things special at Bistro One West including appetizers, entrées and desserts. Appetizers include Fresh Italian Cow’s Milk Burrata with roasted tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt for $11; Baby Wedge Salad with blue cheese dressing, cherry tomatoes and fruitwood smoked bacon for $9; Proscuitto

Deviled Eggs di Parma with seasonal fresh melon for $9; Deviled Eggs filled with buttered Maine lobster for $12; and Mixed Greens tossed with tomatoes, cucumbers and mozzarella with a garlic-thyme dressing for $7. Entrées include Sautéed Tilapia with sugar snap peas, wild mushrooms and roasted garlic butte for $19; Hawaiian Swordfish with grilled shitakes mushrooms, green onion and their signature cole slaw for $12;Sautéed Shrimp with green beans, house greens and lemon olive oil dressing for $12; Fingerling Potatoes with fresh farm egg, roasted asparagus and house greens for $10 (add crumbled ahi tuna, grilled steak or grilled chicken for $6); Meyer’s Farm Naturally Raised Half-pound Beef Burger for $10 (extras: cherry-wood smoked bacon for $3, caramelized onions for $1, fried egg for $2, Swiss, blue or cheddar cheese for $2, and sautéed wild mushrooms for $2); Natural Fruit-wood Smoked Bacon with lettuce, tomatoes, maple-orange aioli on cibatta bread for $10; Caged Free Egg Sandwich with assorted peppers, honey and white cheddar cheese for $8; and Grilled Wagyu served with potatoes and topped with an avocado butter for $26. Extra sides include fingerling potatoes, wild mushrooms or asparagus for $6 each.

Desserts include Butter and Bread Pudding with poached berry compote and vanilla sauce for $6; Caramelized Roasted Banana baked with cinnamon wonton and nutella cream for $6;French Butter Cookies with lemon curd, wild berry compote and chocolate sauce for $7; Vanilla Gelato with balsamic and strawberries or lemon sorbet with vanilla scented berries for $6; and Flourless Chocolate Cake with butter-cream and more chocolate sauce for $6.
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CHICAGO FRENCH MARKET

Chicago French Market 131 N. Clinton St., Chicago, Ill. 60661

Celebrate your Mom this Mother’s Day with treats and delights from Chicago French Market. Choose from a variety of vendors and their exceptional specials to make your Mom feel like a queen.

Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine is happy to present their Mother’s Day gift box! Their gift for Mom features some of their most cherished products from local producers and a sparkling Rose from FPastoral Mother's Day Basketrance. Mom will be delighted with a Wabash Cannonball,a Farmstead Goat’s Milk Cheese from Capriole Farms in Greenville, Indiana; Quince and Apple brand fruit spread, a small batch preserved from Madison, Wisconsin; Potter’s Crackers, an artisan line of crackers from Madison, Wisconsin;Sweet Margy’s Handmade Toffee, made right here in Chicago; and abeautiful Veuve de Vernay Rose, a sparkling Tempranillo from Bordeaux, France. This Artisan Gift Box is $39.99 and will be available online for local delivery or shipping across the continental US, and can also be picked up at one of their three locations.

Pastoral Artisan is also offering a cross promotion with SpaSpace (161 N. Canal St., (312) 466-9585). Treat your Mother to something special. Let Pastoral cater your spa experience at SpaSpace and receive 10% off botSpa Spaceh your catering and your spa package. Must mention special when booking. Not valid with Spa Finder Certificates or any other offer. Not valid for gift certificate purchases. Offer valid 5/1/11 to 5/31/11. Call (312) 454-9644 or visit www.pastoralartisan.com for more information.

Sweet Miss Giving’s is offering specially decorated cupcakes to please any Mother. Call (312) 575-0212 or visit www.sweetmissgivings.com for more information.

Delightful Pastries will be featuring an array of natural, local and sustainable grown ingredients in a vast Mother’s Day Menu. Choose from gluten free desserts, mini pastries, beautiful mixed berry torte’s and savory quiches, Frittata’s, and Beet and Orange Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, just to name a few. Call (312) 234-9644 or visit www.delightfulpastries.com for more information.

Abbey Brown Soap Artisan’s Spring Special is running now through May 9. Step into spring with handmade products by WomanCraft, an organization providing employment for women regaining their independence. Special items include olive oil soaps wrapped in handmade paper in refreshing scents including Lavender, Jasmine Blossom and Rosebuds; recycled cards and note card sets, made from office paper and perished flowers, handmade and available in a variety of colors; and seed card packs, see your handwritten notes become wildflowers when buried, watered and cared for! Call (312) 738-2290 or visit www.abbeybrown.com for more information.

Have you orLes Fleurdered your Mother’s Day bouquets yet? Les Fleur offers truly original arrangements, gorgeous bouquets, beautiful gift items and more. This Mother’s Day treat your Mom to an array of flower specials; mini cymbidium orchid bouquets ($25), spray rose bouquets in assorted colors ($18), tulip bunches in assorted colors ($10) and pink oriental lily bouquets ($20) just to name a few! Call (312) 463-1111 or email les.fleurs@yahoo.com for more information.

Vanille Patisserie is offering a Mother’s Day limited edition,three-tiered boxes filled with 1/2 poundFrench Macaroons, 1/3 pound assorted shortbread cookies and 1/3 pound buttery caramels for $45. They are also featuring a Rose Vanille 8″ cake for $40 or a 6″ cake for $30, and a Vanilla Bean Mousseline, raspberry marmalade, rose cream center, and Vanille PatisserieVanilla financier cake witha raspberry Glaze for $40. Call (312) 575-9963 or visit www.vanillepatisserie.com for more information.

Canady Le Chocolatier is offering beautiful handmadeChocolate Truffles and Bon Bon’s. A 12 piece box of these specialties is $18. Call (312) 454-8700 for more information.

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RESTAURANT MICHAELRestaurant Michael
64 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, Ill. 60093
(847) 441-3100
www.restaurantmichael.com

Restaurant Michael is hosting a special three-course Mother’s Day brunch Sunday, May 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For $44 per adult and $19 per child (under 10 years of age), begin with choice of Tian of Pan-roasted scallop with baby spinach brie, tarragon-scented corn blini and truffle sauce; Duo of Sliced House-cured Smoked Salmon and Five-spice Seared Yellow Tail Tuna and a warm potato cake with chive and lemongrass crème frâiche; Caramelized Onion and Bacon “Tarte Flambé”; Early Spring Pea Soup with snow pea and fresh Maryland crab; Tossed Baby Greens dressed with choice of honey-truffle or champagne-herb vinaigrette.

For a second-course, choose from Filet of “Loup de Mer” in crispy potato scales with morels, fava beans and asparagus tips; Roast Breast of Duck and Foie Grass Strudel with door county cherries and natural jus; Roast Chateaubriand of Beef Tenderloin with potato gratin and sauce perigord; Duo of Baby Lamb Chops and “Karabuta” Pork Tenderloin Medallions with rosemary jus and baby French green beans; and Soft-shelled Crab Beignet over exotic mushroom risotto with crispy fried leeks and grilled asparagus. For a final dessert course, choose from Fallen Chocolate Soufflé and caramel gelato; Duo of warm bananas foster crepe and Tahitian vanilla panna cotta; Seasonal Sorbet and gelatowith toasted almond biscotti; Warm Berry Charlotte with brown sugar crème frâiche and cinnamon-nutmeg gelato;or Grand Marnier Chocolate Truffles.

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FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR Flemings
25 E. Ohio St., Chicago, Ill. 60611
(312) 329-9463

960 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, Ill. 60069
(847) 793-0333
www.FlemingsSteakhouse.com

Mother’s Day Brunch May 8 –Fleming’s will open early at 11:30 am on Mother’s Day and offer a 3-course Brunch Menu until 3 pm, in addition to their regular menu. The Brunch Menu will be offered for $32.95 per person, and a Children’s Brunch Menu will also be available for $15.95. A specialty 99 calorie cocktail, the Tickled Pink, will also be available all day for $6.95. And to make the day even more special, every mother who celebrates at Fleming’s on Mother’s Day will receive a $25 Fleming’s Dining Card* to use for a future evening out. Reservations are now available and can be made online.

*$25 Fleming’s Dining Card valid from 5/9/11 – 6/12/11

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Prairie Grass & Prairie Fire

PRAIRIE FIRE
215 N. Clinton St., Chicago, Ill. 60661|
(312) 382-8300  www.prairiefirechicago.com

Prairie Fire is offering a special Mother’s Day three-course brunch menu for both adults and children 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8. For $42 per adult and $15 per child (under 10), begin the experience with Mini-croissants served warm to the table followed by selection from a three-course prix fixe menu. First-course items include Crispy Shrimp Roll with spicy dipping sauce; “Three Sister’s Garden” Pea Shoot Tendril Salad with arugula, asparagus, Dijon mustard vinaigrette and shaved aged cheddar;Prairie Fire Caesar Salad with romaine lettuce, homemade dressing, toasted croutons and shaved parmesan; and White Bean and Homemade Sausage Soup. Second-course items include Peeky Toe Crab Benedict with asparagus and citrus hollandaise Chicken Roulade with grilled vegetables; Parmesan Crusted Tilapia over creamed spinach and“Three Sister’s Garden” Micro Greens; Ancho Marinated Skirt Steak with mushroom ragout and potato wedges. Third-course dessert items include Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Icing; Double Chocolate Cake; Strawberry Cream Pie; Chocolate Cookie and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

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PRAIRIE GRASS CAFE 601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, Ill. 60062 847-205-4433 www.prairiegrasscafe.com

Prairie Grass Cafe is offering a special Mother’s Day prix fix brunch menu 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 8 for bother adult and children. Select from the buffet and dessert buffet for $42 per adult and $15 per child (10 and under); tax, gratuity and beverage are not included. Buffet items include “Made to order” Omelet Station including choice of river valley ranch mushrooms, springonions, crumbled feta and spinach, and chopped fresh herbs; Fresh “Peekytoe” Crab with grated lemon and herbs for omelets; Hot Fresh Waffle Station with maple syrup; Applewood Smoked Maple Creek Farm Bacon; Roasted New York Grass Fed Beef Strip Loin with mushroom sauce and carved to order; Herb Roasted Little Red Potatoes; Spicy Braised Pulled Pork with Three Sisters Garden black beans, cilantro and avocado relish; Mint Creek Farm Homemade Lamb Sausage with chunky vegetable relish; Prairie Grass Cafe Signature Grass Fed Beef Shepard’s Pie; Parmesan Crusted Tilapia over creamed spinach;Platter of Asparagus with basil remoulade and sliced radished; Chopped Veggie Salad with crumbled Amish blue cheese, red wine vinaigrette (romaine, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and tomato); Caesar Salad with romaine, homemade dressing, croutons and shaved parmesean;Fresh Housemade Farmer’s Cheese served savory with chives and fresh black pepper; Crusty Multi-grain Artisan Breads; Mini Chocolate Croissants; Cheese Danish; Raspberry Jam Danish and Sticky Pecan Rolls.

The desserts includes Crepe Station with valrhona and hazelnut spread, raspberry jam and whipped cream; Fresh Sliced Ripe Fruit; Platter of Berries; Double Chocolate Cup Cakes with butter cream icing; and Mom’s Fruit Cream Pie.

 

Cookbook Signing with Patricia Wells

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Sunday, April 17, 3-5 pm at The Spice House on Wells St.

The Spice House shop in Old Town Chicago is proud to host one of their favorite authors,the renowned Patricia Wells. Her new cookbook, Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season, is a wonderful collection of healthy meals perfect for those who want to add more vegetables to our diets. Books will be available for sale and signing, and The Spice House staff will provide some samples from the book. These books make lovely Mothers’ Day Gifts! This event is free but please RSVP to spices@thespicehouse.com or by calling 312-274-0378 so that they know how much food to prepare.

From among the many wonderful recipes in the book, The Spice House staff will prepare samples including:

–Australian Coronation Chicken Salad – Created in 1953 to be served to the heads of the British commonwealth to honor the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.

–Bar de la Croix Rouge Assiette Saint-Germain (fancy rare roast beef sandwiches)

–Seared Pork Tenderloin Salad

-A lovely assortment of cheese accompanied by spiced grapes and olives along with curried pumpkin seeds and spicy Basque nuts

The Spice House is known for offering exquisite spices, herbs and seasoning. It is located at 1512 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL – (312) 274-0378 – Direction . Visit their website at: http://www.thespicehouse.com

Treat: A spot that lights up the neighborhood

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Treat
1616 N. Kedzie, Chicago
(773) 772-1201, www.treatrestaurant.com

Hours: 5-9 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.; 5-10 p.m., Friday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat.; 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday.
Entrée prices: $12-$19.

Editors Note: Since writing and publishing this story in the print version of StreetWise, we’ve learned that Treat will close on April 3. Owners are looking for a new location, so hurry over and have a fabulous meal and if you know of any great spots for this gem of a restaurant, give them a call!

Anyone who has lived in Chicago for awhile becomes familiar with the restaurant hot spots—those neighborhoods that are teeming with good, interesting places to eat. River North, Bucktown and Lincoln Square come to mind, but there are many others. It’s great to have these destinations but often the out-of-the-way places get overlooked.

Lately we’ve come across a restaurant whose presence is a beacon of light in its neighborhood. You wouldn’t expect to find such a good spot in the vicinity, but when you do, you are thrilled there are still restaurateurs willing to go out on a limb to pioneer a neighborhood that is sorely in need of a worthwhile gathering spot.

Where North Kedzie meets North Avenue you’ll find Treat, a small but creatively designed contemporary American BYOB restaurant with a strong South Asian influence. The warm colors, local art display and casually warm atmosphere are perfect for enjoying quite tasty food, a bottle of your favorite wine or beer and good conversation. We went there recently with a group to celebrate a friend’s birthday and we had a wonderful time. Treat is an oasis of dinner and weekend brunch.

The menu is intriguing from top to bottom—well thought out and creative yet accessible, with a more than ample selection of vegetarian dishes if you’re so inclined. Because the food is creative, take time to enjoy at least one first course—if not a first and second course—before the entrée is served.

First courses include meat and fish creations such as an interesting Beef Kabob with smoked spices, baby spinach in a yogurt dressing and Daisy’s Fried Calamari served with a carrot, parsley salad and harissa aioli. Other seafood starters include Scallops served with a yogurt crème, potatoes and leeks and Goan Crab Cakes with a panko bread crumb crust and creamed peas. Among the vegetarian starters are tasty Samosas, flaky pastry dough filled with potatoes, peas and served with a cilantro, mint and tamarind chutney, and the delicious Mushroom Paneer Purse: leeks and goat cheese in phyllo dough served with mixed greens and balsamic reduction.

A second course will provide a soup or salad. There is a daily soup and there are three salads, all are nicely conceived and shareable. The Mixed Green Salad includes tomatoes, cilantro and mint in pomegranate vinaigrette. You can enhance the salad with chicken salad or marinated flank steak for an up charge. The yummy beet salad is accompanied by herb crusted baked goat cheese, pickled onions, greens and walnuts in a citrus vinaigrette. Another nice choice is the Paneer and Spinach Salad, with cucumbers, paneer (soft white cheese), spiced corn, Israeli cous cous and shredded carrots in a cumin vinaigrette.

The entrées showcase Treat’s penchant for creative interpretations of South Asian specialties. Non-vegetarian entrées include Chicken Tikka Masala in a yogurt tomato sauce with Indian spices, basmati rice and curried seasonal vegetables. Meat lovers can select the Marinated Flank Steak served with mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus and korma (yogurt, nuts, spices) sauce or the Mint Creek Farm Lamb Shank with saffron cholay (curried chick peas), potatoes and rice. If you’re in a fish or seafood mood, you can select a perfectly prepared Seared Salmon with Israeli cous cous, fennel, tear drop tomatoes, edamame and almond cream or Scallops in a yogurt crème sauce, potatoes and leeks.

Vegetarian selections include Daai Tadka with Indian spices, clarified vegetable butter, basmati rice, and curried vegetables as well as a very delicious, albeit somewhat spicy Curried Gnocchi in a garam (ground spices) masala crème, with spinach gingered raisons, roasted fennel and mint. If pasta is in your future, you can go for the Garlic Paneer Linguini with roasted garlic, mushrooms, fennel, edamame, paneer, asparagus and herbs.

A nice feature about Treat as a neighborhood spot is that if you’re more inclined to eat light, there are several interesting sandwiches to choose from. Among the creations are a Lamb Burger with roasted red pepper, red onions, herb aioli, cilantro chutney on a toasted bun. There are two panini selections: the Jake’s Farm Ham and Cheese Panini comes with smoked ham, swiss cheese, mustard relish aioli, caramelized onions, all served on a light rye bread. The Turkey Panini is served with an apple tarragon cole slaw and swiss cheese on a light rye. You might also want to try the Beer Battered Cod Sandwich with capers, herb aioli, pickled onions and mesculin greens. Each sandwich comes with choice of side dish: French fries, basmati rice with chutney, apple tarragon cole slaw, wilted spinach or curried seasonal vegetables.

Treat doesn’t skimp on the desserts; we were delighted with our Spiced Apple Tart topped with Black Pepper ice cream—not your typical, run of the mill tart by any means.

Treat is BYOB but if you’re not drinking alcohol, you might want to try their homemade Ginger Limeade or choose from a wide range of teas.

Don’t forget the weekend brunch; visit the website, www.treatrestaurant.com, for menu information.

About DineWise
DineWise Chicago is written by Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie, the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. The DineWise column appears weekly in Streetwise magazine. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.com.

Glencoe’s Everest Burger – Organic, Sustainable, Hormone-Free – Delicious

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by Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman Barrie
Everest Burger
91 Green Bay Rd., Glencoe, IL
(847) 242-0909; www.everestburger.com

The organic sustainable food movement has pretty well gone mainstream, reaching most corners of the culinary world. We figured that burger joints would be the holdouts – after all, if burgers aren’t broken why fix them? Americans, in droves, continue to eat burgers of all shapes and sizes without, it would seem, apparent concern for their healthfulness. But perhaps we were mistaken.

According to Mark and Margarita Challenger, there are many people who would jump at the chance to eat a good healthy burger. And parents, they say, long for a healthy alternative to Mickey D’s to satisfy their kids’ burger crave. So the Challengers opened the new Everest Burger and Bakery in Glencoe, which serves only hormone-free, steroid-free and antibiotic-free burgers and other good stuff. The Challengers are parents and part of their reason for launching the restaurant is to help other families feed their kids with good food they’ll enjoy.

So our hats go off to this husband and wife team, which has already brought healthy, authentic Mexican food to the Glencoe area with their Guanajuato, a contemporary Mexican eatery a few doors away from Everest Burger.

Everest Burger

Everest Burger is “the peak of better burger joints,” says Mark. It’s somewhat kitschy but not over the top, with a Himalayan/Mt. Everest theme. There is a huge stone wall at the entrance and the mountain theme continues inside, including a ceiling-to-floor, larger than life mural replica of a painting of the Himalyas by artist Nicholas Roeich.

The restaurant is a casual, come as you are place. One side has an open kitchen where you can watch your food being prepared. The other side has a bakery display case which showcases the day’s fresh baked goods which can be purchased to take home.

Freshness and quality are the mantras here. After months of searching for healthy, great tasting beef products, the Challengers chose the 100 percent hormone-free, steroid-free and antibiotic-free beef from Montana Brand Ranch. Other ingredients, including the chicken used for chicken burgers, are sourced locally. Fresh wild Alaskan salmon is flown in every week.

It gets really interesting once you choose your burger and enjoy the experience. The menu offers many original burger creations or you can build your own burger from the long list of toppings and ingredients.

Diners choose their burger recipe and their choice of protein: beef, turkey, chicken or wild Alaskan salmon. There are also vegan versions using portabella mushroom, black beans or walnuts. Burgers are served on fresh, baked-on-premises buns: whole wheat, whole wheat white or gluten free.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a traditionalist or a food adventurer or a burger lovin’ kid; Everest Burger has something that will “peak” your interest.

Aloha Burger

On the traditional side, you can order a straight-ahead Base Camp Burger, served with lettuce, tomato and onion, or you can get more sophisticated with choices such as the Everest Burger, with lettuce, tomato, onions, avocado and kalamata olives, topped with organic blue cheese. Odysseus’ Feast includes lettuce, tomato, onion, kalamata olives and feta cheese grilled with olive oil. The Aloha Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pineapple and Swiss cheese; the BLT Burger is served with lettuce, tomato, and onion topped with home-made turkey bacon; and the Texas BBQ, lettuce, tomato and onion topped with home-made regular or spicy BBQ sauce.

If you’re in the mood for adventure your expedition can choose from such unique options such as The Australian, pineapple, beet, lettuce and tomato topped with a fried egg and grilled onions in a tangy blend of mayonnaise and chilies; The Fez, a secret Turkish burger recipe combining spices and grains to create a spicy, nutty flavored burger; Fiesta Burger,

Fiesta Burger

a spicy Mexican burger cooked with chipotle peppers and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapenos and cheese; and the Chimichurri Burger, onion, cloves, cilantro, oregano and some special sauces for a spicy South American taste.

For vegetarians and vegans, the Black Bean Burger, Mushroom Burger and the Walnut Burger are all delicious and healthy options.

Chimichurri Burger

Hot dogs haven’t been forgotten: Everest Dogs are prepared in-house using Everest’s own high-quality beef.

Guests can add a side of Organic fries to any burger or hot dog order, with a choice of regular, parmesan, Cajun or cheesy varieties. The fries are made from organic potatoes freshly cut and fried in rice bran oil to give the cleanest and best taste possible.

The children’s menu includes Children’s Burgers, beef, turkey, chicken or black bean, with or without cheese;

Meatball Slider

Meatball Sliders, three meatballs with marinara sauce on a child-sized bun; Chicken Tenders and an Everest Beef Dog.

Guests can top off the meal with Everest Organic Frozen Yogurt, prepared in-house using fresh and organic ingredients.

The bakery features croissants, breads and churros as well as fast breakfast items such as quiche, breakfast burrito, croissant egg sandwiches, scones, muffins, and Danishes all made using organic flours, fresh ground coffee and herbal teas.

The best news is that a trip to this Everest doesn’t require months of training. So hop in the car and treat yourself to something delicious and healthy. You’ll be as proud of yourself as those brave souls who have conquered the mountain. Well, maybe not, but…

Everest Burger & Bakery soon will be open for breakfast and bakery orders. Here’s a sample of their offerings:


DineWise Chicago is written by Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie, the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. The DineWise column appears weekly in Streetwise magazine. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.com.

Terry Walters’ new book “Clean Start” is a Mitzvah

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Reprinted with permission from Got Buzz

I think my life is about to change. At least, I hope so.

Lee and I have been talking about changing our diet for years. My chance meeting with Clean Start author Terry Walters today at the Chicago French Market may just been the ticket we needed to start anew.

For those of you who don’t know Terry, she authored the highly regarded Clean Food book last year and is currently on a book tour espousing the virtues of  “eating clean and living well.”

Her new 165 page book is inspirational. Terry makes cooking with seasonal, locally grown ingredients simple and satisfying. The two dishes that she sampled at the market today (Shallot Fig Spread; and Red Lentil Soup w/ Turnips & Parsley & Hot Spiced Coconut Milk) were simply delicious.

Clean Start

I was struck by how simple the “clean” book recipes are. I can’t wait to start cooking.

The preface of the book really struck home.

“Clean Start is about enjoying healthy, delicious, clean food everyday. It’s about having a relationship with food that’s not based on living up to somebody else’s ideal, or following a strict regime. It’s simply about making healthy choices, one at a time, and doing the best that you can do, empowered with knowledge and motivated by intention. It’s about maximizing nutritional value and taste, and minimizing waste and imbalance. It’s about true nourishment. The kind that makes you feel good about yourself.  The kind that you want to share with others.”

The Clean Start book is as much a guide as it is a cookbook. Whether you’re starting again or starting anew, eating clean is about being nourished by your food and by your journey,” she says.

If you missed the book signing. Terry’s enthusiasm and commitment is contagious.

“START HERE. It doesn’t matter where you are starting. Eating clean is about what we can do now to make healthy choices.”

I love her advice from the get go:

Eat the colors of the rainbow.
Eat dark leafy greens every day.
Eat all five tastes.
Eat foods that are grown, not manufactured
Skip the package
Buy clean food and leave the rest behind.
Buy and try one new clean food each time you shop.
Know the source of your food.
Buy local and organic when you can.
Be nourished by your food and make peace with your choices.

The book is packed with information and 100 tasty, healthy recipes. I am so happy that I went to the book signing today. If you missed it, don’t miss out on buying Terry’s book Clean Start. I believe that it will be, perhaps, the most used book in your collection. It will certainly be the best $25 investment I’ve made this year.

To learn more about Terry, visit her website, follow her on Twitter @TerryWalters and subscribe to her blog.

Thanks Terry. What a mitzvah!

About DineWise

DineWise Chicago is written by Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie, the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. The DineWise column appears weekly in Streetwise magazine. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.com.

2011 James Beard Foundation Awards Restaurant + Chef Award Semifinalists from Chicago

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James Beard Medal

It’s that time of year again—the countdown to May and the annual James Beard Foundation Awards. The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees on their blog today. The semifinalists for their Restaurant and Chef Awards include a number of Chicago-area chefs and restaurants.

Judges from across the country will take a look at the list and vote to narrow it down to a final list of nominees. The Foundation will be live tweeting the nominee announcement on March 21, but in the meantime you can check to see if your favorite Chicago chefs and restaurants are listed and visit the JBF Blog for the full list from around the country.

Here’s the Chicago roundup:

BEST NEW RESTAURANT
Girl & the Goat

OUTSTANDING CHEF
Paul Kahan, Blackbird
Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF
Patrick Fahy, Blackbird
Mindy Segal, Mindy’s HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT
Spiaggia
Tru

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR
Scott Harris (Davanti Enoteca, DiSotto Enoteca,
Dough Boys, Fat Rosie’s, Francesca’s, Osteria Ottimo, Purple
Pig, and Salatino’s)
Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises,
(Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!, Eiffel Tower, Everest, L2O, Mon
Ami Gabi, Shaw’s Crab House, Tru, Wow Bao, and others)

OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Les Nomades
Topolobampo

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE
Avenues at the Peninsula, Michael Muser

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL
Charles Joly, The Drawing Room

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR
Anthony Martin, Tru

BEST CHEFS IN AMERICA
Michael Carlson, Schwa
Curtis Duffy, Avenues at the Peninsula
Dirk Flanigan, Henri
Dale Levitski, Sprout
Chris Nugent, Les Nomades
Paul Virant, Vie, Western Springs

About DineWise
DineWise Chicago is written by Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie, the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. The DineWise column appears weekly in Streetwise magazine. Please visit their blog at www.gotbuzzatkurman.com and check out all DineWise articles at www.dinewisechicago.com.

Essence of India offers refined, superbly interpreted South Asian cuisine

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Essence of India
4601 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 506-0002
http://www.essenceofindiachicago.com/

Hours:
Lunch: noon-2:30 p.m., Friday-Sunday
Dinner: 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Mon., Wed., Thurs., Sun.; 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m., Fri., Sat.
Closed on Tuesday.
Entrée Prices: $8.95 – $15.95

By Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman
Story originally appeared in StreetWise

Chicago’s storefront Indian restaurants are numerous. Although many are concentrated in the Rogers Park neighborhood, there are some gems to be found in other areas. One of our favorites is Essence of India, a three-year old neighborhood spot in Lincoln Square that has been consistently popular since it opened.

We consider Essence of India to be a particularly well thought-out and proud establishment. The décor is simple and warm, with silk tablecloths and interesting artifacts. The service is humble, gracious and attentive. The food is traditional but is prepared in a refined way that brings out the best in the dishes. The recipes may be familiar but the quality and tastiness of the final product is well above the norm. At Essence of India it is always a satisfying and fun dining experience.

First, a word about the Naan bread: it’s as good as you’ll find anywhere—tender and hot, fresh from the oven. So enjoy it plain or in such varieties as garlic, lamb or onion.

The appetizers are perfect for sharing and provide a great opening for the adventure to follow. Our favorite is the Vegetable Samosas, an appetizer consisting of two deep fried crispy stuffed pastries with potatoes and green peas, is delicious and creates a perfect opener. Another appetizer that we love is Jhinga Karahi, deep fried marinated shrimp.
If you would like to share more appetizers, order the Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian Samplers, each with a variety from the appetizer menu.

The entrée choices showcase Essence of India’s exacting, balanced sauces in a variety of textures, flavors and levels of heat. Our entrée favorites include the Chicken Malai Kabob, the house specialty of boneless marinated chicken on a skewer and prepared in the tandoori clay oven. We also like the Lamb Palak, lamb and fresh spinach leaves cooked in a pungent spicy sauce of ginger, coriander, garlic and garam masala.

Vegetarians will delight in the menu; there are fourteen vegetarian entrées to choose from. Our favorite is the Mutter Paneer, a combination of cheese and peas cooked in a creamy sauce. Often, we’ll spoon this dish on top of some yummy basmati rice and enjoy the hearty combination.

If you’re a tandoori oven fan, you have seven items to choose from, including the Chicken Malai Kabob mentioned earlier, plus Tandoori Shrimp, Chicken Tandoori, Lamb Chops and Murg Tikka, a yogurt marinated boneless chicken barbecued in the tandoori oven.

Among the chicken dishes, the Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani), tandoori chicken simmered in a tomato sauce with butter and spices, and The Murg Lajwab, a chicken curry, are excellent. We also enjoy the spicy Bhuna Chicken, simmered in a masala sauce with onions, garlic, tomato, ginger and green chilies. An interesting twist is found with the Achari Murgh, chicken cooked with ground spices such as cumin, rye, fennel and fenugreek.

If you’re a lamb aficionado, you will have six choices. Our favorite is the Gosht Korma, cubes of lamb cooked in a sweet saffron sauce with raisins and almonds.

In the fish section, we fancy the Goan Fish Curry, a spicy dish of catfish cooked in a coconut curry sauce and the Jhinga Masala, shrimp cooked with onions, ginger and spices.

Don’t underestimate the value of the rice dishes: the entrée sauces are so delicious you’ll find yourself spooning them onto a bed of rice so you can continue to delight in them even after the meat or vegetables are devoured. There are several rice choices, so you’ll have a great time, and you’ll be satiated, without a doubt.

We can’t even talk about dessert, because we’ve always been too full to try it. Our suggestion would be to go for something on the refreshing, palate cleansing side.

After a meal at Essence of India, you’ll understand why it has become a place we return to when we want a food experience that leaves us smiling and glad we came, each and every time. If you think you don’t like Indian food, I would reserve judgment until you’ve been here. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised.

Note: DineWise is a weekly column appearing in StreetWise magazine. Lee Barrie is on the StreetWise board of directors and he and his wife Cindy own Kurman Communications, a Chicago-based public relations agency specializing in lifestyle, restaurant and hospitality strategic branding, marketing promotions, media relations and social networking. If you’d like your restaurant to be featured on the DineWise blog and in StreetWise magazine, please contact DineWise@kurman.com.