Great Suggestions for Celebrating St. Patrick's Day Around Chicagoland Tomorrow

While the parade is over and the Chicago river is no longer green, many Chicagoans will be enjoying St. Patrick's day on its official day, tomorrow. Here are a few suggestions on where you can enjoy a special St. Patrick's day meal.     share this Prairie Grass Cafe to serve traditional St. Patrick's Day fare This year, Prairie Grass Cafe, located at 601 N. Skokie Blvd. in Northbrook, IL (847-205-4433), keeps its delicious annual St. Patrick's Day tradition alive. On Tuesday, March 17, the Poached Eggs and Corned Beef Hash also will be served, along with expertly prepared traditional Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage, served with house-baked Soda Bread ($21). Don't forget to order your Guinness on tap to accompany the feast. The regular menu also will be available on these days. Prairie Grass Café also has some new specialty cocktails to enjoy this spring. The Blazing Cadillac Margarita ($11) features Reposado tequila, Grand Marnier, citrus habanero syrup, pink salt and sugar rim. The Lakeshore Martini ($13) is prepared with Grey Goose vodka, shaken and served extra cold with blue cheese olives, and the 1845 Martini ($13) is made with Ketel One vodka, orange, grapefruit, St. Germain and orange bitters.  About Prairie Grass Cafe Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd.; Northbrook, IL) supports Chicago's Green City Market and local sustainable farms, selecting the freshest ingredients to reflect the season. Prairie Grass Cafe currently serves lunch Monday - Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Prairie Grass Cafe also serves breakfast Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 9:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Light fare is available in the bar Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, please call (847) 205-4433 or visit prairiegrasscafe.com. Corned Beef and Cabbage Prairie Grass Cafe Photo courtesy of Northbrook Tower

share this Celebrate an Authentic Southern St. Patrick's Day Tuesday through Friday, March 17-20, at Luella's Southern Kitchen When most of us think of St. Patrick's Day, visions of traditional Irish food and drink are what come to mind. But leave your preconceived notions about St. Patrick's Day behind, because history tells us that a large number of Irish immigrants found their way to the Southern states, where they had significant influence over the culture and the food.   That's why Luella's Southern Kitchen (4609 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Square; 773-961-8196; www.luellassouthernkitchen.com), one of Chicago's hottest new restaurants, is going to celebrate St. Patrick's Day Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 20 with some delicious and authentic Irish-based Southern dishes. Dublin's Lawyer ($18) is an Irish lobster stew with Creole seasoned lobster, roasted mushrooms, Carolina Gold rice and whiskey cream that has become a traditional Southern favorite. Chef/Owner Darnell Reed also will prepare a savory Potato Leek Soup with Smoked Braised Ham Hock ($6). For dessert, you'll enjoy the luscious Calas, Southern rice beignet served with Irish oatmeal cookie ice cream ($5). The regular dinner menu also will be available. So on Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 20, bring your favorite Irish whiskey or craft beer to Luella's (Luella's is BYOB) and enjoy a spectacular Southern Irish celebration with outstanding and unique taste treats.   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 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.

share this     Maxwell's at the Club Serves Up the Luck of the Irish with a Delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage with all the Fixings on St. Patrick's Day   Maxwell's at the Club, located in the East Bank Club at 500 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago (telephone: 312-527-5800, ext. 301), is always open to the public. St. Patrick's Day is a great time to check out this highly praised contemporary American restaurant, which is one of River North's best neighborhood spots. Headed by Maxwell's Executive Sous Chef Richard Hall, on Tuesday, March 17 Maxwell's kitchen will serve delicious Corned Beef and Cabbage with steamed potatoes and carrots and creamy horseradish sauce ($18). Don't forget to enjoy the Guinness and Harp Beer ($5.75). Maxwell's, which is open for lunch weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., serves a wide menu of impeccably prepared dishes, from delicious appetizers and small plates to pizza, sandwiches, homemade soups and wonderfully presented entrees, produced with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Many dishes are heart healthy and/or gluten free. The adjacent bar and lounge, which opens at 11:30 a.m., is a high-spirited gathering place featuring live music Tuesday through Friday from 5:30-9:30 p.m. A bountiful Sunday Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. every Sunday. About Maxwell's at the Club Maxwell's at the Club, always open to the public, is located in Chicago's East Bank Club (500 N. Kingsbury St., 312-527-5800, Ext. 301). It is open weekdays for lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. for dinner. The bar/lounge area is open 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Maxwell's serves brunch every Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Valet parking is available across the street. For more information, please visit http://www.maxwellsattheclub.com.

Liz Crokin's MALICE BOOK Launch Party Tonight

Hollywood and Vine Books is excited to celebrate the debut of Liz Crokin's political romantic thriller,

Malice, this March in paperback. In Malice, tabloid journalist Lana Burke had a scoop so explosive involving the Republican presidential nominee's tawdry affair with a prostitute; it could've altered the outcome of the election.

The Lifelong conservative Republican finds herself extremely conflicted covering a sex scandal involving potentially the nation's first Mormon President. The juicy assignment takes Lana on a wild and dangerous adventure from a desert town filled with sleazy brothels to quiet, Mormon-filled Salt Lake City. Lana's millionaire boyfriend's love and support gives her strength during her roller coaster assignment - until her entire world suddenly collapses. Ironically, Lana's life becomes a worse nightmare than any story she had covered in her ten-year career in the crazy, upside down world of tabloid journalism. The novel will be available worldwide on Amazon.com and other book retailers.

Malice author Liz Crokin will be available for interviews before and during the event. Liz has worked as an investigative journalist, columnist and senior editor for various publications for over a decade. Her work has been featured in the RedEye Edition of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times: Splash, US In Touch Weekly, Star, National Enquirer, Life & Style Radar, OK!, Closer and Elite Daily. Malice was inspired by true events.

The event takes place at Vertigo Sky Lounge at the Dana Hotel, 2 W. Erie St., Chicago from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Malice book trailer premiere is at 7 p.m.

For more information visit:

http://www.hollywoodvinebooks.com/press/lizcrokin

The DuSable Museum of African American History “A NIGHT OF 100 STARS 2015” March 28

20th Anniversary Celebration Honorees Named

The DuSable Museum of African American History will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of one of  Chicago’s most popular social events, the “A Night Of 100 Stars” Gala, Saturday, March 28. This black-tie event, which is known for its lavish food and drink buffets, world-class entertainment, and impressive awards presentation, will take place from 6 PM until the stroke of Midnight, at the South Shore Cultural Center, located at 7059 South Shore Drive in Chicago. Once again proceeds from “the party with a purpose,” will benefit the Museum’s educational programs and exhibition schedule.

During the event, for the past twenty years, dozens of individuals have received the DuSable Museum History Makers Award. These highly coveted awards honor African American Chicagoans (current or former) who have made outstanding contributions to society through their careers and civic engagement. Educators, medical professionals, performers, politicians, actors, business leaders, members of the clergy, and civil rights leaders make up the stellar group of those who have been honored. Among this elite group are: Reverend Jesse L. Jackson (1999), Grammy Award-winner Mavis Staples (2003), the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval L. Patrick (2012), fashion model and television personality Janet Langhart Cohen (2006), radio icon Tom Joyner (2011), basketball legend Michael Jordan ( 2000), award-winning author Lerone Bennett, Jr. (2003), and poet Gwendolyn Brooks (2001), just to name a few.

During the event, for the past twenty years, dozens of individuals have received the DuSable Museum History Makers Award. These highly coveted awards honor African American Chicagoans (current or former) who have made outstanding contributions to society through their careers and civic engagement. Educators, medical professionals, performers, politicians, actors, business leaders, members of the clergy, and civil rights leaders make up the stellar group of those who have been honored. Among this elite group are: Reverend Jesse L. Jackson (1999), Grammy Award-winner Mavis Staples (2003), the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval L. Patrick (2012), fashion model and television personality Janet Langhart Cohen (2006), radio icon Tom Joyner (2011), basketball legend Michael Jordan ( 2000), award-winning author Lerone Bennett, Jr. (2003), and poet Gwendolyn Brooks (2001), just to name a few.

The 2015 Honorees are as follows:

Dewayne Collins – Senior, Wendell Phillips Career Academy High School
Quarterback/Captain, Phillips Wildcats Football Team
Chicago Sun Times “Player of the Year”

Walter E. Massey, Ph.D. – President, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago
Dr. Massey is currently the President of the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, a post he assumed in the fall of 2010. He is also the President Emeritus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, having served as President there from 1995 to 2007. Immediately prior to that post, Dr. Massey was Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of California system. In that role he oversaw three national Department of Energy laboratories. Additional credentials include serving as Professor of Physics and Dean of the College at Brown University, a Professorship at the University of Chicago and serving as faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The Honorable Toni Preckwinkle –President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
President Preckwinkle has been a dedicated community leader for over two decades and before being elected to her current position, she served 19 years as Alderman of the 4th Ward of the City of Chicago. During her tenure she successfully fought for greater funding for education and affordable housing in her Ward, in addition to sponsoring the Living Wage and Affordable Housing Ordinances. Her independent and progressive leadership earned her the IVO-IPO “Best Alderman Award” six times.

Dr. Ian Smith – Media Personality and Author
Ian Smith is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling books, SHRED: THE REVOLUTIONARY DIET and SUPER SHRED: The Big Results Diet. He is the former co-host of the Emmy award-winning daytime talk show, The Doctors, and has served as the medical/diet expert for six seasons on VH1’s highly-rated Celebrity Fit Club. Dr. Smith is the host of his own nationally syndicated radio show “Health Watch” and has appeared extensively on numerous television and radio broadcasts. He was recently appointed by President Barack Obama to a second term on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Salli Richardson Whitfield – Actress/Producer/Director
Salli is an industry veteran of over thirty years who has been featured in more than 25 major films and countless television programs. She has co-starred with some of the most powerful leading actors in Hollywood: Denzel Washington in Antwone Fisher; Samuel L. Jackson in The Great White Hype, Mario Van Peebles in Posse, and Will Smith in I Am Legend. She has further cemented her own “legend” with a featured arc in Aaron Sorkin’s HBO hit, The Newsroom and currently can be seen appearing on the hit show Being Mary Jane opposite Gabrielle Union. Ms. Whitfield has even lent her sultry voice to the cult classic cartoon Gargoyles. In addition, she is currently starring in and producing A Lady Must Live, a biographical play on the life of the legendary entertainer Lena Horne.

Serving as Chairmen of the A Night of 100 Stars: 20th Anniversary Gala are:
Maria C. Green, Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, Illinois Tool Works, Inc., and Thurman “Tony” Smith, Senior Vice President, Community Development Banking - Market Manager, PNC Bank.

Tickets for the “A Night of 100 Stars: 20th Anniversary Gala” are $400.00 per person and available at the DuSable Museum of African American History and/or thedusablemuseum.eventbrite.com.  More details regarding the “A Night of 100 Stars: 20th Anniversary Gala” will be announced in the coming weeks. For additional information on this event please visit www.dusablemuseum.org, or telephone 773-947-0600.

About The DuSable Museum of African American History
 The DuSable Museum of African American History is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the country. Our mission is to collect, preserve and display artifacts and objects that promote understanding and inspire appreciation of the achievements, contributions and experiences of African Americans through exhibits, programs and activities that illustrate African and African American history, culture and art. For more information on the Museum and its programs, please call (773) 947-0600 or visit us at www.dusablemuseum.org

Chicago’s most popular social events, the “A Night Of 100 Stars” Gala, Saturday, March 28. This black-tie event, which is known for its lavish food and drink buffets, world-class entertainment, and impressive awards presentation, will take place from 6:00 PM until the stroke of Midnight, at the South Shore Cultural Center, located at 7059 South Shore Drive in Chicago. Once again proceeds from “the party with a purpose,” will benefit the Museum’s educational programs and exhibition schedule.

Green City Market Names New Executive Director - Melissa Flynn

Chicago -- Melissa Flynn has been named executive director of Green City Market  one of the nation’s preeminent sustainable farmers markets, located in Chicago. Flynn comes to Green City Market with   extensive leadership experience including eight years as executive director of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.  “We are thrilled to have Melissa Flynn as our new Executive Director,” said Vi Daley, co-president of the Green City Market board. “Melissa has a very impressive background which will be beneficial to our market,” she said.  Sarah Stegner, co-president of the Green City Market board said: “Melissa’s passion for sustainability is the perfect fit for the market.” “This is a very exciting time to be working in the field of sustainability and urban agriculture and I cannot think of a better place to do so than the Green City Market,” said Melissa Flynn.   Flynn is a skilled and experienced executive with a proven track record for creating a successful business climate balanced by strong values of sustainability and community.   Most recently, Flynn was managing partner of MJF Partners LLC, focusing on helping small businesses and non-profits in strategic planning, internal restructuring and identifying key collaboration and marketing opportunities. Flynn has a Masters Degree in Human Resources from Loyola University and is a graduate of the Institute of Organization Management from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  About Green City Market Green City Market is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization celebrating its 17th anniversary. The mission of Green City Market is to provide a marketplace for purchasing sustainably grown food and to educate, promote and connect farmers and local producers directly to chefs, restaurateurs and the greater Chicago community. Green City Market values education about quality food and its source. Green City Market is funded by individual donations, corporation sponsorships, grants and fund raising events. Learn more about Green City Market at http://www.greencitymarket.org and follow it on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/greencitymarket and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/greencitymarket. Post photos on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/GreenCityMarket.

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