Restaurants Archives

Ever wonder where your food comes from? Well, if you're not ready to be scared into vegetarian-ism for life, skip Food Inc. and look local. The first place to look if you're interested in eating a local, sustainable diet is your local farmers market. Markets are often convenient and accessible and in Chicago, available in most neighborhoods during summer months.

If for some reason, you can't make it to your market, your next best option is to head to your neighborhing farms for a visit. But take my advice, wait until you're invited.

On Saturday, August 7, one sixtyblue will team up with Dietzler Farms in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. to offer a five-course, all-inclusive dinner. Using both fresh ingredients from the one sixtyblue urban garden and meats from Dietzler farms, the two will join forces to create a natural and unique dining experience.

The event will begin at one sixtyblue at 2 p.m. and include a bus ride to Elkhorn that will feature beer pairings and appetizers fresh from the one sixtyblue garden. Upon arrival at the farm, guests can expect a tour followed by a five-course meal with beer and wine pairings.

And as for the most important part? The meal will open with an heirloom tomato red onion panzanella salad with ingredients from the one sixtyblue garden, followed by summer vegetables and rushing waters smoked trout. The third course is a pulled pork ravioli that will be followed by short ribs and ribeye straight from Dietzler farms.

To top off the meal, a sweet and savory peach cobbler will be served. There will also be post-dinner fun with a bonfire, s'mores, beer and wine where attendees will get a chance to mix and mingle with the Dietzler Farm team, and one sixtyblue Chefs. The bus will depart back to one sixtyblue at 9 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.onesixtyblue.com.

Photo Credit: Dietzler Farms.

Photos: David Ditzler Photography

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a wine and tequila pairing dinner at Blackbird hosted by Michael Mondavi of Mondavi Family Wines and Gary Shansby of Partida Tequila.

I knew as soon as I received the invitation that it was an event I couldn't miss. To clarify what I mean by "couldn't miss," I mean that if Satan himself had invited me to dinner, I probably would have accepted. Wine? Tequila? Dinner at Blackbird? Really, who would say no?

I better shut up now or I'll never be invited anywhere again.

At first, when I heard that tequila and wine were being served together, I thought I must have mistakenly received an invitation to a college party. Then, I thought, I'd better take the next day off work. Well, neither of those turned out to be true but I did learn quite a bit about food pairings.  While fine wine has long since been acknowledged as an integral part of any fine dining experience, tequila is treated as a recreational drink or an accompaniment to a Mexican-inspired meal.

The evening began with introductions from Gary and Michael, while we drank delicious agave margaritas  (How delicious? I chatted with another attendee by the bar and I think he drank four while we were standing there. They were just that good). The dinner explored the surprising relationship between tequila and wine.

With dinner, our hosts served a flight of tequila that included Partida's Blanco, Reposado and Anejo varieties to sip throughout the meal and pair with the various courses as desired. As each course was presented, dutiful servers filled our glasses a carefully selected varietal from the Mondavi Family Winery.

The only real way to tell you about this menu is to let it speak for itself.

There is no shortage of brunch options here in the Windy City. Sometimes it seems as though wherever you go on the weekend, you can find a short stack of pancakes or an omelet however you like it.

Sometimes the average diner breakfast will hit the spot, but other times, you want something more than the cafe on your corner. Wave Restaurant at the W Hotel is the perfect place for Chicago natives who are looking to brunch outside the box this weekend.

Wave touts an exotic, new brunch menu featuring traditional dishes with culinary influence from around the world. Executive Chef Kristine Subido holds down the fort in the back of the house, lending her culinary expertise and inspiration to every plate that passes through the kitchen. Last week I had the honor of chatting with Chef Subido and sampling some of her delicious brunch dishes in Wave's bright, contemporary dining room.   

Photo Credit: Zest

You may have heard an expression that goes "behind every good man is a better woman." Well, I think that's a little outdated. Behind every good restaurant is an even better chef.

In May I attended a media dinner at Zest in the Intercontinental Hotel on North Michigan Avenue, where Executive Chef Kurt Mittelberger will gladly stand behind the seasonal menu he recently debuted that celebrates summer's finest seasonal flavors.

I love to eat at great restaurants. I love eating in places where the waiters know everything about the food, because they want to. I love reading menus and choosing the dish I'd be least likely to make for myself at home. I love restaurants where the wine list is friendly and the silverware is always clean. I love it when your water glass is refilled before you have to ask for it and I love exposed brick walls, skylights, outdoor patios.

Dining out is about more than just the food, it's about the whole experience. The truth is, though, that often, it can be hard to afford a great restaurant tab on my twenty-something salary. Luckily, Chicago is full of great deals for delicious fare and these are a few of my favorite restaurants that offer wallet-friendly options without losing their aspirational appeal.

On the border of Roscoe Village and Lakeview, nestled underneath the Paulina brown line station, is a wonderful neighborhood pizzeria & wine bar that is just the kind of place that everyone should have on their block.

At Frasca Pizzeria, you'll find all of the essentials: pizza, pasta, salads and an extensive beer and wine list. The prosciutto pizza and the caponata pizza are easily my two favorites but being new to Chicago, I wouldn't dare sit here and tell you what kind of pizza you should be ordering.