Pastoral’s Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine will be hosting the third annual Pastoral Artisan Producer Festival. The event will include talented and award-winning culinary artisans from around the world. Those who attend will experience these products through small portions of food, beer, spirits and wine from more than eighty culinary producers. Held on April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chicago French Market (131 N. Clinton St., Chicago, IL 60661), the festival is recognized on a national and international level for being entirely free and open to the public.
The festival features more than double the amount of artisans from when the event started in 2011. The list of those participating include award-winning cheesemakers from coast to coast and even a few being represented from Switzerland, Germany and Italy through Columbia Cheese in New York. Cypress Grove Chevre in California, Dutch Girl Cremery in Nebraska and twenty other companies will all be showing off their best cheeses in Chicago.
Sweet and savory will be represented in many forms through Pastoral’s distinctive food and beverage selection. There will be artisanal imports in small batches of beer from Germany, Belgium, England and the Netherlands. Meanwhile local breweries such as Uncle Jon’s Cider and 5 Rabbit will represent the Chicagoland area. Vodka distillers, such as Pinot from Oregon, and whiskey distillers in Illinois will example spirits. France will show off their mustard making skills while Wisconsin artists will demonstrate hand crafted jam. Together the festival will illustrate the hard work of culinary artists on both a national and international level.
Aside from the food and drink offerings, events will take place throughout the day to entertain all. There will be book signings with the distinguished author and food enthusiast Ari Weinzweig, who also is the co-founder of Zingerman. There will be the “Best of the Fest” competition, where food industry celebrities will be voting for their favorite featured artisans and products. The competition will offer a VIP ticket to Cochon 555, the one and only heritage pig and chef competition held in the United States. Cochon 555, taking place in Chicago on Sunday, April 28, has been working in collaboration with the Pastoral festival.
Other festival events include a BBQ butchering demonstration with Butcher & Larder’s Rob Levitt, Lillie’s Q’s Charlie McKenna, and Cochon 555’s founder Brady Lowe. The three will show the audience how to butcher and prepare an entire breed pig from in “Butchering for a Better BBQ.” Vendors at the Chicago French Market will also feature items such as wines and burek from City Fresh Market, rich chocolates from Delightful Pastries, Pastrami from Furmare Meats, and more.
The Pastoral’s Artisan Producer Festival brings Pastoral and Chicago French Market together to host the third annual festival. Sponsors include national media Culture Magazine and local media Edible Chicago along with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB).
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary
If you are looking for something fun to do during your lunch break, Annalee Hooson can provide a great option. Hooson will be performing cover songs along with her own original songs. Join her for a mid-day pick me up during lunch. For more information about her, visit http://www.facebook.com/annaleehooson.
Whether it is a vase bouquet needed for Administrative Professionals Week or a hand tied bouquet, Les Fleurs has prepared themselves for this workplace event. Celebrated worldwide, Administrative Professionals Week is the perfect opportunity to show assistants they are appreciated. The week, beginning April 21 through April 27, is an event worth celebrating at any office. To hear more about what Les Fleurs has to offer call 312-463-1111.
Pastoral Bites is the newest facet of Pastoral Catering options. Each bite is carefully designed to be pleasing to the eye and to the palate alike. Customers can choose classic combinations such as Crostini Italiano with Prosciutto and oven-roasted tomatoes, comfort foods such as the “Pimento” Cheese and Salumi Crostini, or fresh flavors such as the Chevre and Fennel Blood Orange Canape and more! Each tray begin with 25 ready-to serve bites on the Pastoral signature wooden tray with the option of adding more.e bites on our signature wooden tray with the option of adding more! All trays must be ordered 72 hours in advance.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Complimentary
Performing for the second time during April, Annalee Hooson is back for another rush hour. Grab some food from Chicago French Market’s vendors and listen to Hooson’s rendition of popular cover songs as the day winds down. For more information about her, visit http://www.facebook.com/annaleehooson.
Benny’s Chop House (444 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611; 312-626-2444) will be bringing in the bacon, literally. This year, Benny’s executive pastry chef, Aaron Lindgren, will be participating in Baconfest Chicago on April 20.
Lindgren’s Baconfest menu (served during the lunch session beginning at 11:30 a.m.) includes the sweet and savory Strawberry Rhubarb “Pie” with Applewood Smoked Bacon Streusel and a very unique Applewood Smoked Bacon Doughnut with Green Apple Jelly and Apple Butter. Benny’s Mixologist Extraordinaire, Natalie Converse has been doing some recipe writing on her own and will feature the B-Cubed, B3 (Benny’s Bacon, Bitters); a cocktail using Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Bourbon infused with smoked bacon, add a touch of cream for elegance and topped with a delicate splash of Benny’s house-made bacon bitters….never served – and once consumed, never forgotten.
If you didn’t secure Baconfest tickets, fear not. Benny’s will be offering this very special dessert April 11 to April 30 during lunch and dinner hours, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. As always, guests at Benny's are also able to enjoy house-cured Maple Glazed Bacon, a Benny’s menu favorite (photo below).
About Baconfest
Baconfest Chicago is a festival that pulls together the best chefs in the Chicagoland area. It provides a place for bacon lovers to try different dishes while providing liquor, beer and wine to complement the meal. The event donates a portion of the proceeds to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Along with this, Baconfest hosts a raffle, food drive and holds a volunteer day at the repacking warehouse at the Depository. Not only are people provided the chance to eat incredible bacon, but they are able to help a great cause.
Lindgren will be joining more than 100 chefs who will compete in one of two sessions each. Participants include Hub 51’s R.J. and Jerrod Melman and last year’s 2012 Golden Rasher Award Winner, Daven Wardynski from 676 Restaurant and Bar. The Gold Rasher Award is Baconfest’s top prize for chefs’ “bacon arts,” awarded by a panel of judges.
Benny’s Aaron Lindgren has an extensive culinary resume, with a pedigree that spans over decades and speaks of prodigal talent, starting with “gourmet ghetto” cooking lessons from his mother while growing up in Berkeley, California. Later the chef was trained professionally through the French techniques of Kendall College Culinary School in Evanston. Lindgren was the Executive Pastry Chef at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills Four Seasons in Los Angeles and Charlie Trotter’s famous restaurant. He also oversaw the pastry program for five Smith Brothers businesses.
In 2004 Lindgren was named Chocolate Pastry Master by Gayot.com. In 2009, the pastry chef was named one of the Top 100 Up and Coming chefs by Angelino Magazine and Modern Luxury Magazine and was also named Rising Star Pastry Chef for Las Vegas by Starchefs.com. He headed operations for Zelda’s Sweet Shoppe, a retail food manufacturer in the Chicagoland area, where he was provided the opportunity to develop pastry products and recipes for Whole Foods, Ross and TJ Maxx. At Benny’s Chop House, Lindgren uses ingredients with Americana flavors and techniques to create amazing, highly praised desserts that are fitting finales to Benny’s exceptional food.
The Baconfest takes place Saturday, April 20, at the UIC Forum (725 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60608) with lunch and dinner sessions. The VIP Hour for the Lunch Session will be between 11:30am and 12:30pm. General Admission is from 12:30pm-3pm. The VIP Hour for the Dinner Session will be between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. General Admission is from 6:30pm-9pm.
Although the event has been sold out, Baconfest encourages everyone to join the email list at http://baconfestchicago.com in order to learn more about this event, one of Chicago’s most popular food festivals. To keep up to date on all the Baconfest Chicago news, follow them on Twitter, @baconfestchi, or Like them at Facebook, http://facebook.com/baconfest.
Wisma is featuring an expanded salad menu with ingredients that are sourced from sustainable and local products. The appetizing Arugula Salad features Roasted Tomato’s and grilled Olives and Feta Cheese ($9) or the Quinoa Salad with Romaine Lettuce, Feta Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts ($7). Also offered is Wisma’s Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries, Walnuts and Blue Cheese ($8).
Oh Olive! offers many great tea choices for those looking for incredible teas with no sugar or caffeine. Served hot or iced, the teas feature an offer of buy four, receive one free. For a better deal, purchase five teas and receive a free teapot.
Also during the month of April, Oh Olive! will give customers a free bottle of extra virgin olive oil with any fifty dollar purchase. It’s a perfect time to stock up your pantry.
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary
Chris Goranson, a 25 year old musician from Libertyville, will be performing jazz music for the lunch hour at the Chicago French Market. Goranson graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in jazz performance and currently is a guitar teacher along with performing in a rock band called OurGlass.
In honor of Earth Day, customers who bring in an Espression Travel Mug can receive a free hot or iced ¡Tierra! and coffee every Monday throughout the month of April. This offer will be at the Chicago French Market’s Lavazza Espression. Not only are you participating in Earth Day, but ¡Tierra! Blend coffee is a Rainforest Alliance Certified blend, allowing you to celebrate Earth Day in a sustainable way.
Looking for great gluten-free items? City Fresh Market offers many choices in their expanded grocery section. Items such as instant oatmeal and scone mix from Simpli are now available along with items like Mary’s Crackers, CFB bars, gluten free pasta, and more. Other new gluten-free items include Jimmybars and cookies from Simply Sharis.
In order to make grocery shopping simpler and offer more fresh choices, the meat department has expanded its freshly prepared items. Instead of picking up an endless amount of groceries, City Fresh makes it as easy as picking out a Stuffed Zucchini Boat, taking it home, and baking it, just in time for supper. The expanded grab and go section offers Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and Beef Pinwheels, along with warm weather favorite like kabobs, hamburgers, steaks, and more.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Complimentary
End the day with a performance from Annalee Hooson. Known for her easy listening cover songs, Hooson helps the Chicago French Market kick off the month of performances. For more information about her, visit http://www.facebook.com/annaleehooson.
