Visit Chicago's May Street Market for new menus and events

New Pre-Theater Prix Fixe Menu
Heading into the theater? Stop by May Street Market (1132 W. Grand Ave., Chicago; 312-421-5547) for its three course, prix fixe dinner for only $25, offered daily from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Upcoming Cooking Demonstrations with Chef Alex Cheswick
Join May Street Market chef/owner Alex Cheswick for early fall cooking demonstrations at various locations in Chicago. Catch him 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 at Green City Market, when he prepares organic Eggplant Wrapped Tofu. Watch him prepare the same recipe on the south side at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 at the 61st Street Market’s Experimental Station. Finally, Cheswick demonstrates at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23 at Bloomingdales at 600 N. Wabash St.

Localvore Challenge Menu from Sept. 18 – 25
May Street Market is participating in the Localvore Challenge from Saturday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 25, featuring a $36 three course, prixe fixe menu using 100% ingredients from Chicago’s Green City Market. The menu is BYOB, and starts with an appetizer of Yellow Corn Soup (Genesis Growers), smoked chicken breast (TJ’s Free Range Poultry) and cilantro pesto (Smits Farms), or Fried Green Tomato (Growing Power), heirloom tomato salad (Iron Creek), lemon and olive oil vinaigrette and zucchini chutney (Genesis Growers).

For the entrée, try Osso Bucco from Elk (Hawks Hill Elk Ranch), heirloom carrot salad (Green Acres), chive spaetzle (Smits Farm) and poached pear sauce (Seedling Farms); Grilled Tilapia (Growing Power), roasted plums (Mick Klug Farms), roasted eggplant puree (Green Acres) and Brunkow Cheese and grilled lamb sausage (Mint Creek); or Organic Vegan Tofu (Tiny Greens Farms), wrapped in Japanese eggplant (Green Acres Farms), on Jerusalem artichoke puree (Nichols Farms), with Asian pear gastrique (Oriana). Follow the entrée with dessert: Bartlett Pear Soup with Bosc Pear Sorbet (Seedling Farms), steel oats crumble (King’s Hill) and Burton’s Maple Ice Cream; or Capriola Goat Cheese Crème Brulee with plum compote (Mick Klug).

New Fall Menu at May Street Market
May Street Market’s new fall menu launches October 15, featuring dishes with seasonal, local ingredients. New items include Lemongrass Butternut Squash, ($5/$7); Pig’s Head with black garlic aioli and salad bouquet ($8); Seared Scallops with Bari’s Barese Sausage, goat cheese and red wine roasted pear ($24); and Hangar Steak ($21). For dessert, try the new Chocolate Fondant Cake with The Poet by New Holland ice cream, with Orange Blossom Terry’s Toffee ($7).

Don’t miss May Street Market’s three-course, prix fixe menu, offered daily for just $29.

About May Street Market
May Street Market is a contemporary American restaurant, located at 1132 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago. Chef Alex Cheswick delivers fresh food, hand-selected from local farmers and markets in Chicago to serve in May Street Market’s warm and friendly atmosphere at affordable prices. The restaurant is open for dinner 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closed Sunday. May Street Market welcomes parties and banquets, and also offers its complete menu for carry out. For more information or to make a reservation, contact general manager Hamid Benna at (312) 421-5547 or visit http://www.maystreetmarket.com/.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry August 20 with Academy for Global Citizenship and Chicago's Top Chefs

The Academy for Global Citizenship is hosting a benefit this Friday, August 20 featuring signature dishes from Chicago's best chefs, drinks from an award winning mixologist and a wine tasting. The event takes place 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at  2023 West Carroll, Fourth Floor, a private loft space in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, featuring an outdoor roof deck with unbeatable downtown Chicago views. Tickets are $60 and available at www.agcchicago.org

Signature dishes are being provided by: Alex Cheswick, owner and chef of May Street Market, Allie Levitt, owner and chef of Mado, Cleetus Friedman, owner and chef of City Provisions, and Hugh Amanom, head chef of The Chopping Block. John Kinder, lead mixologist for Death's Door Spirits will be creating signature cocktails.

Additionally, organic, locally brewed beers from Two Brothers,  Half Acre, Bell’s, and Metropolitan; organic and locally distilled spirits from Death’s Door and North Shore Distillery, and organic and sustainably produced wines will be served.

The event is sponsored by Green Grocer Chicago and friends!

The Academy for Global Citizenship is a unique Chicago Public Contract School, located on the Southwest side of Chicago. Our mission is to empower all students to positively impact the community and world beyond. In pursuit of this mission, AGC is committed to:

• serving the whole child
• modeling academic excellence
• developing inquirers
• cultivating international awareness
• fostering environmental stewardship
• facilitating collaboration within the community

Rigorous academic expectations lie at the heart of achieving our mission. As an International Baccalaureate candidate school, AGC employs an inquiry-based philosophy that challenges each learner to construct personal meaning from concept-driven units of study. Moreover, AGC’s innovative curriculum prepares students to be environmentally and internationally minded by examining how their choices impact their community and the world.

An AGC education extends beyond a solid academic foundation. Organic, nutritionally balanced meals, daily yoga, gardening, wellness instruction and ecologically sustainable practices throughout the school encourage learners to develop healthy and sustainable lifestyles for themselves. Ultimately, the Academy for Global Citizenship engages the whole child in an enriching educational community focused on fostering academic excellence, international awareness and environmental stewardship.

Their larger goal is to inspire the way society educates the lifeblood of our future by fostering systemic change. Their children will be the environmental, social, and political stewards of tomorrow. Let's equip them with the advantages and opportunities afforded by unsurpassed education and the dream of potential.

Free Release Tuesdays at Kurman
This story is part of Kurman Communications' Free Release Tuesdays series. It's a free service that we provide to not-for-profits to help them tell their story.

Are you a non-profit or charity with an upcoming event? Let us help promote it with our service, FRT- Free Release Tuesdays.

What is it? All you have to do is send us news on your upcoming event, including the details-- date/time, location, images, a link to a website, etc. We'll pick our top selections and post them on our highly-read blog! Got Buzz receives thousands of page views monthly by consumers and journalists who are looking for things to do and content to feature.

KCI is pleased to help you spread the news! Send all materials to kurmanstaff@kurman.com, and remember to follow us on Twitter @kurmanstaff. Thanks.

July Events and Specials from Chef Alex Cheswick at Chicago's May Street Market

MAY STREET MARKET
1132 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, Ill.
(312) 421-5547
http://www.maystreetmarket.com/

Summer Menu Starters from May Street Market
Enjoy fresh, new summer menu selections from chef Alex Cheswick at May Street Market. Try Grilled Watermelon Salad, yellow watermelon shooter, mixed baby greens, avocado jalapeño Key Lime vinaigrette, candied cashews and local aged cheddar ($6/$12); Pork Belly, Caramel Corn, 12-hour braised pork belly, corn polenta, caramel popcorn and cherry cola reduction ($8); and Stuffed Dates and Chorizo, wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon, smoked onion purée and roasted marinated peppers ($5/$10).

New summer entrées include May Street Market’s signature Duck Burger, local cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, port wine figs, truffle aioli and French fries or salad ($14; $19 with foie gras); Barbecue Smoked Pork Shoulder, 12-hour bourbon braised, ginger, coconut milk, Korean barbecue, artichoke heart purée and purple sticky rice ($16); Grilled Tilapia, Blue Corn Calamari, braised hearts of Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, artichoke purée and olive spread ($16); Sous Vide Hanger Steak, 45-minute poached at 141 degrees F, with summer carrot salad, French fries and chipotle sauce ($19/$11); and Vegan Organic Silken Tofu, Eggplant Jacket, purple sticky rice, organic white miso hearts of palm purée, cilantro, salad, wasabi peas and tamarind candy glaze ($15).

Cool off with sweet summer desserts from May Street Market, including Dragon’s Milk Ale Ice Cream, New Holland Brewery and crumbled Terry’s Toffee ($5); Flight of Cupcakes, chocolate five spice with peanut icing, carrot with orange ginger icing and lavender with Earl Grey icing ($6); or Local Berry Short Cake, sweet English biscuit, strawberry salad, Chantilly cream, poached rhubarb and balsamic ice cream ($7).

Seedling Farms and May Street Market’s Very Berry Dinner in July
Peter Klein of Seedling Farms and May Street Market chef/owner Alex Cheswick host a Very Berry Dinner, a four-course prix fixe meal for just $29 per person, offered 6 p.m. Thursday, July 22, with an encore menu 6 p.m. Thursday, July 29.

The evening begins with a Cocktail Reception, sparkling wine with wild strawberry purée. For the first course, enjoy Glazed Seared Scallops, with smoked raspberry chipotle brown butter, water chestnut purée and wasabi pea. The next course is Summer Salad with Blackberry Ice Popsicle, Greek yogurt balsamic dressing, blackberry preserve and Grape Nut granola. Entrée choices include Sous Vide Hanger Steak, with risotto from blueberries and Tellagio cheese and berry basil pesto, or Grilled Tilapia with Black Olive Crust, gooseberry emulsion, braised summer squash and pistachio polenta. For dessert, enjoy Berry Gazpacho with rhubarb sorbet, organic steel oats crumble and wild honey ice cream.

Three Course Prix Fixe Menu at May Street Market Six Nights Each Week
Enjoy May Street Market’s affordable three-course, $25 prix fixe menu, offered Monday through Saturday evening, and with BYOB Monday through Wednesday. Chef/owner Alex Cheswick hand selects each ingredient for the meal.

For appetizer, choose between Summer Salad, mixed baby greens, local mesclun, avocado jalapeño lime vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes and candied cashews; Local Vegetable Gazpacho; Pork Belly, Caramel Corn, 12-hour braised pork belly, corn polenta, caramel pop corn, cherry cola reduction and pickled cabbage; or Blue Corn Calamari, cilantro vinaigrette and banana chipotle aioli.

Main course choices include Barbecue, Smoked Pork Shoulder, 12-hour bourbon braised, ginger, coconut milk, Korean barbecue, artichoke heart purée, purple sticky rice, scallion and cilantro salad; Grilled Tilapia, braised romaine lettuce, tomatoes, artichoke purée and olive spread; Grilled Half Chicken with Moroccan spices, cilantro buttered corn on the cob and couscous salad; or Vegan Organic Silken Tofu, Eggplant Jacket, purple sticky rice, red curry hearts of palm purée, carrot and chili salad.

End the meal with a choice of dessert, including Dragon’s Milk Ale Ice Cream, New Holland Brewery and crumbled Terry’s Toffee; Flight of Cupcakes, chocolate five spice with peanut icing, carrot with orange ginger icing and lavender with Earl Grey icing; or Strawberry Short Cake, sweet English biscuit, Strawberry Salad, Chantilly cream, poached rhubarb and balsamic ice cream.

Thursday Deals
Every Thursday evening, join May Street Market to kick-off the weekend early with Half Price Bottles on its complete wine list.

About May Street Market
May Street Market is a contemporary American restaurant, located at 1132 W. Grand Ave. in Chicago. Chef Alex Cheswick delivers fresh food, hand-selected from local farmers and markets in Chicago to serve in May Street Market’s warm and friendly atmosphere at affordable prices. The restaurant is open for dinner 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closed Sunday. May Street Market welcomes parties and banquets, and also offers its complete menu for carry out. For more information or to make a reservation, contact general manager Hamid Benna at (312) 421-5547 or visit http://www.maystreetmarket.com/.