Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Maxwell’s Featuring Tapas, Spanish Wine Specials at Dinner through May 31


Maxwell’s at the Club, located in the East Bank Club at 500 N. Kingsbury St. (telephone: 312-527-5800, ext. 301), is hosting “Taste Around Town,” dinner special featuring wines from the Rías Baixas region of Spain and a variety of special tapas now through May 31. Rías Baixas is renowned for its white wine, made from the Albariño grape variety. “Let Maxwell’s take you on an adventure to Spain, all without leaving Chicago. The tapas menu is designed to complement the selected wines,” said Mike Romano, Food and Beverage Director for the East Bank Club. To make reservations, please call (312) 527-5800, extension 301, or schedule your table online at maxwellsattheclub.com 

Taste Around Town
Through May 31

Wines

 Pazo de Señorans, Albariño, $11 / $30
  RÍas Baixas, Spain, 2013

Bodegas Castro Martin, A20, Albariño, $12 / $32
 RÍas Baixas, Spain, 2013

Martín Códax, Albariño, $9 / $24
 RÍas Baixas, Spain, 2013

 Wine flight of all three, $11


Tapas Menu

Purple Asparagus Salad, $5
 Jerez sherry vinaigrette, breakfast radishes, Manchego cheese
 Mick Klug Farms, Green Acre Farms

Patatas Bravas, $5

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Medallion, $8
 Oyster mushrooms

Roasted Saffron Cauliflower, $5
 Shallots

Manila Clams, $7
 Spanish chorizo, peppers, toasted bread crumbs

Hazard Free Farm Blood Butcher Polenta, $8
 Pan-roasted prawn with shrimp butter
                       
Menu subject to change

Purple Asparagus Salad 5 300
Purple Asparagus Salad $5 

Manila Clams 7 300
Manila Clams $7
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Medallion 300
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Medallion $8
photos by Cindy Kurman, Kurman Communications, Inc.



Share: ShareThis

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Night Out in River North - The Baton Show Lounge


null

Name: Night Out in River North - The Baton Show Lounge
Date: May 14, 2015
Time: 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM CDT
Registration: REGISTER NOW
Event Description:
This summer, take the opportunity to enjoy all that River North has to offer with RNBA's Night Out in River North series. RNBA will make the arrangements - all you need to do is come and have fun!. These events are open to members and non-members alike so bring your friends. These events are casual, social gatherings at River North Business Association members so you can show your support and have fun, too!
 
Join your friends for a casual night out at one of our long time members - 
The Baton Show Lounge!
 
Meet other RNBA members and enjoy the world's most professional female impersonators. You will not believe your eyes as the entertainers take the stage in their one-of-a-kind solo numbers and extravagant group productions. The Baton is the longest running revue of its kind in North America. Who needs Vegas with the Baton Show Lounge right here in River North.
 
 
 
 
Location:
Baton Show Lounge
436 N. Clark
Date/Time Information:
Thursday, May 14
 7:30 PM Check in at the Lounge so you can enjoy a drink before the show
Show starts promptly at 8:30
Contact Information:
Fees/Admission:
$12 - includes a $10 drink credit

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Luella's Southern Kitchen: Authentic Southern Mother's Day Brunch that's as Good as "Great-Grandmother Used to Make"

Luellas ET Header 600 pixels
ShareThis share
 
Luella's Southern Kitchen, one of Chicago's hottest new restaurants (4609 N. 
pralines-2 Lincoln Ave.; 773-961-8196), is going to be a fabulous place to bring the whole family and enjoy a delicious, down home Southern Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All moms will receive complimentary house-made praline candy.Chef/Owner Darnell Reed will cook up some of his highly-praised Southern specialties, all inspired by his great-grandmother, Luella, for whom he named the restaurant. 

Among the delicious dishes on the spring brunch menu are Cream Cheese and Praline Pancakes ($10), Southern Benedict  11 v2 copy buttermilk pancakes served with fresh blueberry compote; Chicory Coffee French Toast ($11) made with coffee crème brulee batter and served with fresh berries; Southern Benedict ($11), prepared with braised Slagel Farms pork, poached farm eggs, Crystal hollandaise, and served over a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit; Andouille Sausage Quiche ($12), an Andouille sausage quiche made with Romano cheese, caramelized leeks, and farm eggs. By popular demand, Reed has added his popular Bourbon Chicken and Waffles ($12) to the brunch menu, made with a Liege waffle and served with bourbon maple syrup. Another favorite is the Shrimp and Grits ($15), New Orleans BBQ shrimp served with cream cheese grits.

To add a light touch to your brunch feast, enjoy two exquisite salad creations: the Kale Ambrosia ($11) Watermelon Salad 11 prepared with citrus segments, pineapple, goat cheese, candied pecans, toasted coconut, fresh basil and lime vinaigrette; and a new spring creation, Watermelon Salad ($11), with benne seeds, arugula, and sorghum vinaigrette.

Burger lovers will enjoy the Pimento Cheeseburger ($11), a Slagel Farms burger with pimento cheese, topped with an egg sunny side up, on a brioche bun, and served with Creole seasoned fries.

Luella's hasn't forgotten the kids: They will love theMickey Mouse Pancake copy  Mickey Mouse Pancakes ($3), fresh buttermilk pancakes with Mickey's face!
  
Complete your Mother's Day celebration with some tempting Southern desserts, including Milk Chocolate Bread Pudding ($6), served with strawberry jam Anglaise and praline ice cream; Beignets ($5), 
fried dough pillows with a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar; or a new spring item, Blackberry Hand Pie ($6), served with salted caramel ice cream.

"The best compliment you can give us is that our food is as good as Mom (or in our case, Grandma) used to make," said Reed. "That's not just a cliché here at Luella's Southern Kitchen. Everything we do was inspired by the amazing Southern home cooking prepared by my great-grandmother, Luella, who originally was from Mississippi. She moved to Chicago many years ago and the rest of the family followed. She inspired me to become a chef and she is the matriarch of our family."

About Chef Reed
Darnell Reed 2 330 pixels w border.jpgDarnell Reed is a graduate of Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago. He began his professional career in 1997 at the Palmer House Hilton where he served as Restaurant Chef at the French Quarter and the Big Downtown. In 2005, he was promoted to Executive Sous Chef at the Embassy Suites Chicago Lakefront where he handled banquet functions for up to 700 people. In April 2007, Reed was promoted to the dual Executive Chef position at the Hilton of Oakbrook and Hilton Garden Inn of Oakbrook. In May of 2010, he accepted the Executive Sous Chef position at the Conrad Chicago Hotel and was promoted to Executive Chef in 2011.

About Luella's Southern Kitchen

Luella's Southern Kitchen, located at 4609 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago's Lincoln Square, is a casual independent restaurant owned by Chef Darnell Reed. The restaurant opened February 3, 2015. Luella's serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Weekend brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; dinner is served until 10 p.m. on Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday. All major cards are accepted. Luella's is a BYOB establishment; no corkage fee is charged. Takeout and delivery service are available. For more information, call the restaurant at (773) 961-8196 or visit the website at www.luellassouthernkitchen.com.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Plan a Green City Market Mother's Day Weekend Outing Saturday, May 9

gcmlogo copy
    Share: ShareThis  

Looking for the perfect Mother's Day weekend outing? Look no further than Green City Market. Spend a beautiful morning and afternoon strolling through Lincoln Park and enjoy purchasing delicious, 
 sustainable foods from Green City Market farmers and vendors (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday in Lincoln Park between Clark and Stockton Drive at approximately 1817 N. Clark. 

Start your Saturday at 9 a.m. listening to mbria Dan and Steve - Hearty Boys music by Matthew Shelton, then catch Food Network stars The Hardy Boy's Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh cooking demo at 10:30 a.m., have lunch and checkout the Edible Garden. 

Don't forget to pick up goods for your Mother's Day meal. 

Looking for the perfect gift? No kitchen should be without the Green City Market Cookbook. Grab a copy and some flowers. Mom will be thrilled.

The Green City Market Cookbook is a collection of recipes gathered from our entire community of customers, volunteers, farmers and Chicago chefs. Each recipe was carefully selected by a team of culinary professionals and features the main crops of each season, and the story behind the recipe from each contributor.

Cookbook cover 300The culinary talent of The Green City community is what makes our book unique. It's like a giant recipe swap where professional chefs, customers, and farmers exchange their favorite things to cook with the best ingredients from each season.

GCM Cookbook is available at the market as well as on the Green City Market websitehttp://www.greencitymarket.org. The cost is $24.95.

Books also will be available for purchase at the Green City Market annual barbecue event, Thursday, July 16. 
 
What's in it?
• Over 90 seasonal recipes based on ingredients from the market.
• Appetizers, entrees, soups and desserts for each season.
• Over 100 delicious photos of the completed dishes and their key ingredient so you know what to look for at the market.
• Each recipe features a short story submitted by the recipe's author about why the recipe is special to them.

Roast Leg of Lamb in Garlic-Mint Marinade with Pea Shoot Salad
from The Green City Market Cookbook

 

My mother, Helen, roasted a leg of lamb some Sundays for supper following church. She always put so much care and attention into her cooking that she didn't even realize how detailed her effort was. For example, she would squeeze a lemon over the lamb and then make small incisions in the meat and insert slivers of garlic. Under the leg of lamb, she would place small new potatoes, onions, and more garlic for added flavor. Finally, she made a great pan jus with the delicious lamb drippings. Our family is Armenian, so lamb is a major part of our culture, heritage, and life! -Carrie Nahabedian, chef/owner, Naha and Brindille; Green City Market board member


Prep time: 25 minutes
Standing time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Makes 8 servings

For the Lamb:
1 (4-5-lb) whole bone-in leg of lamb
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
24 medium-sized firm new red potatoes, halved (if the potatoes are small, use more and leave them whole)
¼  cup olive oil, divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
1 head garlic, separated into cloves
⅓ cup white or red wine

For the Pea Shoot Salad:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
3 ounces (about 4 cups) fresh pea shoots
Shaved radishes (optional)

To make the Lamb:
1. Butterfly the lamb and remove the bone, excess fat, heavy silverskin, and tendons. Sprinkle the inside and outside of the lamb generously with salt and black pepper. Rub the mint and garlic over the inside and outside of the lamb. Roll the lamb up and tie with kitchen string. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
3. In a large, shallow roasting pan, place the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss well. Place the thyme sprigs (if using) over the potatoes. Add the garlic to the pan. Place the lamb over the potatoes and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over lamb. Roast until nicely browned, about 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on the size of the lamb), until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat registers 130°F. Remove from the oven.
5. While the lamb is roasting, test the potatoes by piercing them with a fork. When they are tender, transfer them to a bowl and keep warm.
6. Transfer the lamb to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
7. Place the pan full of drippings over 1 or 2 burners on the stovetop. Add the wine and cook over medium-high heat, scraping the drippings from bottom of pan. Add a splash of water, if needed, and bring to a boil. Stir in any juices from the lamb platter. Remove from the heat but keep warm for serving.

To make the Pea Shoot Salad:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar. Add the pea shoots and radishes (if using) and toss well.

To serve:
1. Carve the lamb into slices and serve with the warm potatoes and pan juices. Garnish with the salad.

Reprinted with permission from The Green City Market Cookbook, Agate Publishing, 2014.