Green City Market Chef BBQ Restaurant List Continues to Grow; Secure your tickets now.

Green City Market’s 15^th annual Chef BBQ benefit, taking place this Thursday, July 16 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (VIP entry at 4:30 p.m.) in Lincoln Park, continues to add high-profile restaurants to their ever-growing list of participants. Complementing the BBQ’s 100+ chefs and restaurants are more than 30 of the Midwest’s best brewers, distilleries, wineries, and mixologists will feature locally made craft beer, wine, hand-crafted cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.

Green City Market Chef BBQ Attendees.
Photo credit: Cindy Kurman, Kurman Communications, Inc.

With the BBQ only days away and Thursday’s forecast looking bright, now is the time to secure your ticket to Chicago’s most exciting food fest of the summer. Tickets to the benefit go a long way in helping Green City Market cover operating costs year-round. Green City Market Chef BBQ tickets can be bought online here. For more information on the BBQ including pictures from last summer’s benefit, visit the Green City Market Newsroom.

New additions to the fabulous roster include chefs from hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria Chicago to Girl & the Goat Executive Chef Stephanie Izard’s upcoming Chinese restaurant Duck Duck Goat. Hospitality groups such as Element Collective (Nellcote, Old Town Social, Leghorn Chicken, RM Champagne Salon, Owen + Alchemy, Kinmont ) and One Off Hospitality Group (Blackbird, Nico Osteria, The Publican, Ladies of Pastry) also will be taking part in the highly-anticipated benefit.

Below is a complete list of the restaurants and beverage providers partaking in the 2015 Green City Market Chef BBQ:

Restaurants

312Chicago

676 Restaurant and Bar                

Ada St.

Arbor

Armour & Swift

Atwood Restaurant

Balena   

Bar Takito / Takito Kitchen          

BellyQ

Big Jones            

Bistronomic                       

Boka

Boltwood           

Bottlefork / The Duck Inn            

Cafe des Architectes     

ceres' table        

CH Distillery

Chilam Balam / Shaman by Chilam Balam              

Cochon Volant 

Cookies & Carnitas

Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop

DMK Burger Bar / Fish Bar / MK

Element Collective: Nellcote / Old Town Social / Leghorn Chicken / RM Champagne Salon / Owen + Alchemy / Kinmont

Eli’s Cheesecake              

Embeya

Farmhouse Chicago       

Feast / Goddess & Grocer

Fork       

Formento's

FOUND                

Frontera Grill / Topolobampo / XOCO    

Frontier

Gather  

Girl & the Goat / Little Goat / Duck Duck Goat    

Prairie Grass Cafe's George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner.
Photo credit: Cindy Kurman, Kurman Communications, Inc.

Goose Island Beer Company

GT Fish and Oyster         

HaiSous

Haymarket Pub & Brewery

Heartland Meats Inc.

Highflier Provisions        

Homestead on the Roof              

Japonais by Morimoto                  

Knife & Tine

La Sirena Clandestina  and the upcoming El Che Bar

Lillie's Q / LQ Chicken Shack

Limelight             

Lockwood Restaurant & Bar

Lula

Maddy's Dumpling House

Madison & Rayne           

Maple & Ash                     

Momotaro

North Pond Restaurant

One Off Hospitality Group: Blackbird / Nico Osteria / The Publican

One Off Hospitality Group: Ladies of Pastry

Osteria Via Stato             

Park Grill at Millennium Park      

Perennial Virant

Piece Brewery

Prairie Grass Cafe           

Red Door

River Roast

Sable Kitchen & Bar        

Salero Restaurant           

Seedling              

Sepia

Seven Lions       

Shaw's Crab House         

Smoque and Ina              

Sofitel Chicago Water Tower

Sunday Dinner Club / Honey Butter Fried Chicken

Table, Donkey and Stick               

Taus Authentic                 

Terzo Piano       

tesori trattoria and bar

TÊTE Charcuterie             

The Betty           

The Bristol          

The Chopping Block

The Dawson

The Gage / Acanto

The Glunz Tavern            

The Kitchen

The Nomad Food Co.                    

The Peninsula Chicago

The Radler

The Signature Room at the 95th®

The Terrace at The Conrad

Three Floyds Brewpub 

Trenchermen / Pub Royale

Uncommon Ground & Greenstar Brewing

Uncommon Ground on Devon  

Vie Restaurant 

Villains Chicago

Waldorf Astoria Chicago               

White Oak Tavern & Inn               

Wood Restaurant

Beverages

Bell’s Brewery

Blaum Bros. Distilling Co.

Candid Wines

CH Distillery

Columbia Street Roastery

Dablon Vineyards Winery & Tasting Room

Forbidden Root Brewery

Fresh Coast

Goose Island Beer Company

Grand River Spirits

Half Acre Beer Co.

Hickory Creek Winery

Illinois Sparkling Co.

Intelligentsia Coffee / Kilogram Tea

KOVAL Distillery

Lakeshore Beverage

Lehmans Orchard

Lush Wine & Spirits featuring Chateau Nomad

Metropolitan Brewing

Midwest Wine Selections

Moody Tongue Brewing Company

New Holland Brewing and Artisan Spirits

North Shore Distillery

Off Color Brewing

Oppidan Spirits

Quincy Street Distillery

Three Floyds Brewpub

Two Brothers Brewing Co.

Vitani Spirits

Wirtz Beverage Group

Twenty-One New Restaurants Featured at Green City Market’s 15th Annual Chef BBQ Benefit July 16

CHICAGO, IL, July 2015 — Twenty-one new restaurants will join Green City Market’s 15th annual Chef BBQ Benefit 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 16 in Lincoln Park. The BBQ will showcase the who’s who of Chicago’s culinary scene, including this year’s new comers: Acanto, Arbor, Bar Takikto, Bohemian House, Bottlefork, Fork, Formento's, Frontier, HaiSous, Japonais by Mormioto, Lillie’s Q, Maddy’s Dumpling House, River Roast, Salero, Seven Lions, Taus Authentic Food, The Duck Inn, The Gage, The Kitchen, The Nomad Food Company and Villains Chicago. The list of new restaurants continues to grow, so be sure check the Green City Market website often to see what restaurants have been added.

All dishes served at the BBQ feature items offered from the bounty of the market with over 100 chefs and restaurants creating culinary magic. In addition to food, more than 30 of the Midwest’s best brewers, distilleries, wineries, and mixologists will feature locally made craft beer, wine, hand-crafted cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. 

For the 5th consecutive year, the Green City Market BBQ lead sponsor is Wirtz Beverage Group. Their featured brands this year are: 

• Craft Beer/Cider: BuckleDown Brewery, Une Annee, 4 Hands Brewing, and Citizen Cider
• Craft Spirits: Death’s Door Spirits, Suerte Tequila, Templeton Rye Whiskey

For additional information, visit the Wirtz Beverage website at http://www.wirtzbev.com/drinks@chefbbq. 

Advance tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets and at the Green City Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Check the Green City Market website at http://gcmchefbbq.brownpapertickets.com/. General admission tickets are $125; individual VIP tickets are $250. 

For the first time this year, VIP tickets may be purchased in various quantities, making it easy for companies and families to enjoy the special treatment in groups of whatever table configuration they want. VIP experience will feature elegant décor, with optional seating styles for tables of 2, 4, 6 or more. Large corporate cabanas seat 16 for $10,000 and include a dedicated server for food and beverage service. Logo recognition is available at the gold level as well as placement on cabana, step & repeat, and program. Private lounge grouping seats 10 guests for $5,000, including a small cabana, a dedicated server for food and beverage service and logo recognition at the silver level in program and on cabana. VIP ticket holders are treated to a special early VIP reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early, as this event has sold out in past years.

Visit the Green City Market Website for a complete list of participants.

Twenty-One New Restaurants Featured at Green City Market’s 15th Annual Chef BBQ Benefit July 16 CHICAGO, IL, June, 2015 — Twenty-one new restaurants will join Green City Market’s 15th annual Chef BBQ Benefit 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 16 in Lincoln Park. The BBQ will showcase the who’s who of Chicago’s culinary scene, including this year’s new comers: Acanto, Arbor, Bar Takikto, Bohemian House, Bottlefork, Fork, Formento's, Frontier, HaiSous, Japonais by Mormioto, Lillie’s Q, Maddy’s Dumpling House, River Roast, Salero, Seven Lions, Taus Authentic Food, The Duck Inn, The Gage, The Kitchen, The Nomad Food Company and Villains Chicago. The list of new restaurants continues to grow, so be sure check the Green City Market website often to see what restaurants have been added. All dishes served at the BBQ feature items offered from the bounty of the market with over 100 chefs and restaurants creating culinary magic. In addition to food, more than 30 of the Midwest’s best brewers, distilleries, wineries, and mixologists will feature locally made craft beer, wine, hand-crafted cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.  For the 5th consecutive year, the Green City Market BBQ lead sponsor is Wirtz Beverage Group. Their featured brands this year are:  Craft Beer/Cider: BuckleDown Brewery, Une Annee, 4 Hands Brewing, and Citizen Cider Craft Spirits: Death’s Door Spirits, Suerte Tequila, Templeton Rye Whiskey For additional information, visit the Wirtz Beverage website at http://www.wirtzbev.com/drinks@chefbbq.  Advance tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets and at the Green City Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Check the Green City Market website at http://gcmchefbbq.brownpapertickets.com/. General admission tickets are $125; individual VIP tickets are $250.  For the first time this year, VIP tickets may be purchased in various quantities, making it easy for companies and families to enjoy the special treatment in groups of whatever table configuration they want. VIP experience will feature elegant décor, with optional seating styles for tables of 2, 4, 6 or more. Large corporate cabanas seat 16 for $10,000 and include a dedicated server for food and beverage service. Logo recognition is available at the gold level as well as placement on cabana, step & repeat, and program. Private lounge grouping seats 10 guests for $5,000, including a small cabana, a dedicated server for food and beverage service and logo recognition at the silver level in program and on cabana. VIP ticket holders are treated to a special early VIP reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets early, as this event has sold out in past years. “The Chef BBQ is one of the most anticipated events of the summer and a great time to celebrate all of the amazing food and talent this city has to offer,” said Sarah Stegner, co-president of the Green City Market board and chef/partner of Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook. “The Chef BBQ is very important to the operations of the market. It raises much needed money to support our operations. The market is funded by such donations and grants. We are thankful that it has grown to be one of Chicago’s most popular summer events. Our guests get to experience what truly ‘local farm to table’ is while helping to make it all possible.”  "The Green City Market BBQ is one of the best events of the summer and a great time for all involved. The market is like a seasonal candy store for chefs, so it’s awesome to be able to support our farm community,” said Tony Quartaro, chef and co-owner of Formento’s and Nonna’s. See below for a full list of Chicago’s top restaurants and breweries that will have a presence at the BBQ: Share

Restaurant Participants 312Chicago Girl & The Goat Salero 676 Restaurant and Bar The Glunz Tavern Seedling Acanto Goose Island Brewery Sepia Arbor GT Fish & Oyster and GT Prime Seven Lions Armour & Swift HaiSous Shaw's Crab House Atwood Haymarket Pub & Brewery Smoque BBQ Bar Takito Highflier Provisions Sola Restaurant BellyQ / Urban Belly Homestead Southport & Irving Big Jones  Honey Butter Fried Chicken /Sunday Dinner Club Table, Donkey and Stick Bistronomic Japonais by Morimoto Taus Authentic Food & Drink Bohemian House     Knife & Tine Terrace Rooftop @ Conrad Chicago Boka   La Sirena Clandestina Terzo Piano at the Art Institute of Chicago Boltwood Lillie's Q Tesori Trattoria and Bar Bottlefork and The Duck Inn Limelight Tete Cafe des Architectes Lockwood Restaurant & Bar at the Palmer House Hilton The Betty Ceres' Table  Maddy's Dumpling House The Bristol CH Distillery Madison & Rayne The Chopping Block Chilam Balam / Shaman by Chilam Balam Maple & Ash The Dawson Cochon Volant  MK & DMK The Kitchen Cookies & Carnitas Momotaro The Nomad Food Company Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop  Nico Osteria The Publican Eli's Cheesecake  North Pond Restaurant The Radler Embeya Old Town Social The Ritz Carlton Chicago Farmhouse Chicago  Osteria Via Stato The River Valley Farmer's Table Fat Rice Park Grill at Millennium Park The Signature Room at the 95th® Feast, Neighborhood Eats and Drinks  Perennial Virant Three Floyds Brewing Co. Fork Piece Trenchermen Formento's & Nonna's Pierrot Gourmet at ThePeninsula Chicago Uncommon Ground Found Kitchen Prairie Grass Cafe Vie Restaurant Frontera Grill / Topolobampo / XOCO   Quince at the Homestead Villains Chicago Frontier  Red Door White Oak The Gage Revel Wood Gather  River Roast  Beverage    Bell’s Brewery Half Acre Beer Company New Holland Brewing and Artisan Spirits Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. Hickory Creek Lush Wine & Spirits Candid Wines Illinois Sparkling North Shore Distillery CH Distillery Intelligentsia Coffee / Kilogram Tea Off Color Brewing Columbia Street Roastery Oppidan Spirits Quincy Street Distillery Dablon Vineyards & Winery Koval Distillery Seasons Soda Forbidden Root Lakeshore Beverage Three Floyds Brewing Co. Fresh Coast Wine Lehmans Orchard Two Brothers Brewing Company Goose Island Brewery Metropolitan Brewing, LLC Vitani Grand River Spirits Midwest Wine Selections Wirtz Greenstar Brewing Moody Tongue Brewing Co.

Grilled Sweet Corn with Calabrian Chile Jam  by Tony Quartaro, Formento's and Nonna's Ingredients: 2/3C Calabrian Chiles, pureed into a paste 1Qt Honey 2C Lemon Juice 1C Water 1T Pectin 1T Sugar 1.5T Salt For serving immediately: Use fresh, in season corn, bi-color or yellow. Remove the husks and use a dry towel to remove excess corn silk. Cut the corn into 2" round segments. Blanch in salted water for 1 minute, do not shock. Strain water, and transfer corn to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.   Prepare a charcoal grill, allowing coals to ignite, then burn off. We want to grill these over hot glowing coals with little to no flame. Lightly oil the corn segments in a mixing bowl, toss with kosher salt to taste. Place on grill, allowing to blister and char the corn. Take directly from the grill and toss in a mixing bowl with Calabrian Chile Jam. Serve with grated ricotta salata, torn basil and mint.     For storing: Place a small plate in a freezer. Combine chile paste, lemon juice, honey and water in a stainless steel saucepan.  Bring up to a simmer and reduce by 1/5 of the original volume.   In a separate container, mix together pectin and sugar. Using a whisk, slowly distribute pectin into the chile and honey mixture, whisking aggressively.   Turn heat up to high, and allowing to boil and thicken rapidly.   The chile jam should reduce by another 1/5.   Turn the heat off, and test a small spoonful of the jam on your very cold plate.   If the jam sticks to the plate and does not run, it has reached a proper setting point.  If it is still runny, you may have to reduce it a bit further and test it again. Cool the jam in individual mason jars or plastic deli containers for future use.    Share

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 values farmers who take care of the land; the preservation of sustainably farmed land; a vibrant thriving community of local farms; and consumption of locally grown foods. Green City Market’s incredible momentum comes from its broad base of support including conscientious and caring farmers and producers, consumers, chefs, restaurateurs, and other culinary professionals. It also reflects Chicagoans' increasing concern for a more sustainable food system by improving the quality of food on the table, produced by local farmers using organic and sustainable practices that preserve the environment for future generations. GCM's support of these local artisan farmers and producers increases the density of fresh, high-quality, locally produced food in Chicago, and provides the basis for a regional cuisine. Green City Market has been a destination for locals and visitors to Chicago since its inception in 1998. It has consistently been named in the top 10 of the nation’s best farmers markets by national publications such as USA Today, Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure, Forbes, Shape, CNN, Huffington Post and US News, among others. Visit greencitymarket.org for more information About Wirtz Beverage Illinois Wirtz Beverage Illinois is a statewide leader in the distribution of fine wine, spirits and beer brands. The company combines its time-honored tradition of execution excellence with a reputation for best-in-class service and brand building throughout Illinois.  The company is a member of Wirtz Beverage Group, a leading wholesaler and broker with interests in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada and throughout Canada. To learn more, visit www.WirtzBev.com or engage with us on Facebook or Twitter.    Green City Market Chef BBQ photos: Cindy Kurman, Kurman Communications, Inc.; Chef Tony Quartaro photo: Anjali Pinto, Photography by Anjali Pinto; Wirtz Beverage logo courtesy of Wirtz Beverage; Green City Market Chef BBQ 2015 invitation courtesy of Green City Market.

Luella’s Southern Kitchen Puts a Southern Twist on a Classic Treat This National Strawberry Sundae Day Today

Most of us know Strawberry Sundaes as a delightful combination of vanilla ice cream, strawberry
sauce, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. While delicious, why not change it up this National Strawberry Sundae Day, July 7, with a Strawberry Shortcake Sundae ($5) from Luella’s Southern Kitchen (4609 N. Lincoln Ave.; 773-961-8196).

Luella’s Owner/Chef Darnell Reed is putting a southern twist on the summertime favorite by adding vanilla ice cream to his already delectable Strawberry Shortcake. For one day only, the Strawberry Shortcake, made with a fresh, homemade buttermilk biscuit, fresh strawberry compote and Chantilly cream, will be complimented by Reed’s homemade vanilla ice cream.

While the origins of National Strawberry Sundae Day are unknown, the sundae itself has a long history. Created in the 1890s, the ice cream sundae served as a tasty alternative to the ice cream soda after multiple states, including our very own Illinois, outlawed the drinking of soda on Sundays. So to not offend anyone by naming the dish after a day considered by some to be the Sabbath, the spelling was changed from “Sunday” to “Sundae.” Ice cream sodas may be yummy, but nothing hits the spot on a hot summer day like an ice cream sundae.

Whether you love strawberries or you’re an ice cream fanatic, Luella’s Southern Kitchen is the place for you on National Strawberry Sundae Day. Stop by Luella’s on July 7 and pick up a Strawberry Shortcake Sundae that will have your friends melting with jealousy.