Monday, June 16, 2008

River North Celebrates SummerFest this Sunday, June 22

River North celebrates SummerFest 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Sunday, June 22 at Erie Park (Erie and Kingsbury streets). The day-long event celebrates life in River North and features restaurants, art, retail, and entertainment for young and old alike. The event is organized by the River North Residents Association and the River North Association. The suggested donation is $5 at the door.

Fifty area business will showcase their wares including Ai Japanese, Buca DiBeppo, Citizen, Kitsch'n, LaMadia, Melting Pot, Rocket, The Redhead Piano Bar, and Zocalo restaurants. " This provides the perfect opportunity to experience River North ,"says Art Bryan, an event sponsor and First Vice President of the River North Association. Entertainment includes Jesse White Tumbling Team, Pipe Dream, Sancocho, Jon Wade Ouartet, Impressionist Portraits, Personal Massages, Kayak Rides, Prize Drawings, and the new Erie Park Farmer's Market. There are special sections for children's activities and for pets, including pet adoptions.

Come prepared to explore, have fun and relax. There will be opportunities for massages, psychic readings, and portraiture.

Presenting sponsor of SummerFest are the East Bank Club and Erie-LaSalle Body Shop & Car Care. Supporting sponsors include Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant, Peak Organic Brewing Company, Harris Bank, and Green Heart. Other sponsors include Caribou Coffee, Dance Chicago, East Bank Storage, Erie Cafe, Juvenesse, Kozy Cyclery, Safegard, Park Kingsbury, 7-Eleven, Redhead Piano Bar, and Alderman Reilly.For information, contact River North Residents Association at http://www.rivernorthresidents.com/ or River North Association at http://www.rivernorthassociation.com/ or call 312-645-1047.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Another win for Chicago as Stephanie Izard takes the Top Chef crown!

I'm obsessed with Bravo's Top Chef! (Ok I'll admit it, I'm obsessed with every show on Bravo). But I first became a Top Chef fan during Season 3 when Kurman did an event last fall with "chef"testant, Sara Mair who ended up finishing fourth. Naturally I was pretty excited when Season 4 was being filmed in Chicago, and that two stellar chefs were representing the Windy City. Right from the first episode, Stephanie Izard became my favorite. (I was probably a bit partial to the name). Last night Steph pulled through for Chicagoans to beat out the mohawked Richard Blais and eternally frowning Lisa Fernandes to become the first female to be named Top Chef! Word is, she's already been scouting locations for a new restaurant in the city!

This comes less than a week after Grant Achatz of Alinea, and Carrie Nahabedian of Naha earned huge props at the James Beard Foundation Awards in NYC. If anyone every doubted Chicago's ability to be on top of the culinary scene, they better be thinking twice!

Congratulations Chefs!

Want to learn more about our stellar gal? Check out this interview with Izard in the Chicago Tribune.

(Photo Credit: Bravo)

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The 2008 James Beard Awards

Congratulations to Alinea's Grant Achatz for winning the 2008 James Beard Foundation awards for Outstanding Chef and to Naha's Carrie Nahabedian for winning the Best Chef: Great Lakes award. The three-hour awards ceremony held on Sunday, June 8, at NYC's Lincoln Center, is often referred to as the Academy Awards of the restaurant industry. More than 1000 people attend the posh affair that rewards and highlights the best of the best in the culinary world. The three-hour awards ceremony was followed by a walk-around tasting with an "artisanal America" theme and featured several Chicago chefs including JBF winner Sarah Stegner, her partner at Prairie Grass Cafe, George Bumbaris; North Pond's Bruce Sherman;


The American Classic Award went to Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap, 1073 Vernon Park Place, Chicago, owner Joseph DiBuono. One of the few remnants of Chicago’s Little Italy, Tufano’s Vernon Park Tap has been owned and operated by the same family since it opened as a bar in the early 1930s. The small table in the bar’s kitchen has since expanded to include two dining rooms that are regularly packed with businessmen, police officers, families, and pre-game sports fans. The restaurant’s chalkboard menu offers diners Italian-American classics like lemon chicken, eggplant Parmesan, and fettuccini Alfredo at prices that make just about everyone a regular.

Wish you were there? Visit the various coverage on YouTube.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Showing Off Shochu on Wayne's Weekend

NBC-5’s Wayne Johnson was kind enough to invite Shochu Executive Chef/Partner Josh Hansen to NBC this morning to demonstrate how to make grilled small plate dishes featured at Shochu. Wayne’s recent visits to Shochu inspired him to host a dinner party featuring grilled small plates, and he enlisted Josh to share his knowledge on Wayne's Weekend. Chef Josh demonstrated two yakitori, or grilled, skewers: bacon wrapped quail and shrimp with Asian pear. A thunderstorm may have ravaged Chicago last night, but this morning it was nice enough to have the segment outside on the Plaza!

In case you missed the segment, you can read more about it here.

This was Chef Josh’s second TV segment of the week! Shochu’s television star also appeared on WGN-TV’s noon news Lunchbreak segment on Monday, June 2, to demonstrate grilled skirt steak lettuce wraps and the shrimp with Asian pear yakitori.

Shochu is located at 3313 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657. Reservations can be made by calling (773) 348-3313. Please visit the Shochu Web site at http://www.shochuchicago.com/.