After a long day of moving couches with my brother, we were up for a big meal. I’ve been meaning to try Honky Tonk BBQ in Pilsen, and since I live closeby, we were on our way. Being on 18th Street, there was ample parking, and their entrance is definitely an eye catcher- a single door ensconced in red and yellow paint, flames, and bright light. I had a feeling we were in for a meaty experience! Read more »
For all of you who love a good giveaway, I’m sure you’re gonna love this: I will be teaming up with Kerasotes Theatres to give away movie passes to some of my lucky Twitter followers! This afternoon, at around 2pm CST, @WCWineGuy will be tweeting out a giveaway message. The first 30 people to retweet it will be given a pass for two people, good for a free movie, popcorn, and soda pop this Thursday evening at the grand opening of the Kerasotes 16 Theatre at the Roosevelt Collection. If you don’t follow me, hop to it. If you already do, stay tuned for the tweet- more details to follow for the winners!
‘Twas about 2 weeks before Christmas, and all through Black Rock Bar, not a creature was stirring, but there sure were alot of ugly Christmas sweaters! Last night was the first official (I sure hope there’s a second!) Chicago Ugly Christmas Sweater Party thrown by yours truly, Windy Citizen, and some other great Chicago websites. There were not only a bunch of Chicago bloggers, but there friends and readers as well. With so many people donning such festive garb, how could this not be a blast?! Read more »
As my tour at the grand opening of the Chicago French Market continued, I couldn’t help but notice how many baked goods were available. Breads, cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, tarts, and candies were all ready to be eaten by hungry shoppers. The best news is there will always be more, as local bakeries, patisseries, and chocolatiers will be there with fresh goods daily. Some of them were even able to take some time out and give some video info about themselves and their goods: Read more »
So as I continued through the Chicago French Market on opening day, I ran into two vendors who were not about food or beverage. The first was Abbey Brown Soap Artisan. They not only create handcrafted natural olive oil soaps and body oils, but also feature works such as pottery, jewelry, and paintings from local artists. Here is an interview with Abbey Brown proprietor, Deborah Kraemer:
You can also find their home storefront at 1162 W. Grand Avenue.
I also ran into the Market’s local florist, Les Fleurs. They feature fresh flowers from all over the globe, in all sorts of forms: fresh cut, potted plants, and European style flower arrangements. So not only can you freshen yourself up with soap and oils, but you can freshen up your place with flower arrangements!
The Chicago Christkindlmarket is in full swing at the Daley Plaza! The market is going on it’s 14th year and celebrates a tradition almost 500 years old, started in Germany. It commemorates the season of Advent, as well as the growing season. Each market includes fun, festivities, and goods, food, and beverages from local artisans and vendors. Every region in Germany displays their own local specialties, making them unique. Now, there are Christkindlmarkets around the globe, and we have our very own! Here’s a bit more about our market and vendors: Read more »
At the grand opening of the Chicago French Market I had the chance to meet Sebastien Bensidoun, President of Bensidoun USA, a fourth generation French Market Developer firm. The Bensidoun family expanded their operations from France to the United States, and now operate more than 95 open-air and indoor markets. I was immediately impressed with their efforts to bring something back that has been lost in American culture- the local market. As said by Sebastien:
“The bustling, one-stop market with individual artisans and purveyors has been a staple of life and culture for centuries in cities and towns across Europe, and was also a central feature of American communities leading up until World War II when modern supermarkets and big-box stores replaced them in most U.S. cities and towns. As a result, the vitality, choice and entrepreneurial spirit offered by these markets nearly vanished here. The new movement in America to support local farmers and artisans gives us an opportunity to bring this European-inspired marketplace back to life, and provide Chicago consumers and tourists with year-round, permanent access to their local bounty.”
With the opening of the Chicago French Market in the MetraMarket, the Bensidoun family now operates 14 permanent and seasonal markets in Chicagoland: Geneva, Glencoe, Glen Ellyn, Lisle, Lombard, Mokena, Niles, Villa Park, Western Springs, Wilmette, and Wheaton. Here is a bit more from Sebastien on the new Chicago French Market:
Join us for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party next Thursday evening to celebrate the holidays! About twenty local sites are teaming up to pull this off in style. Read more »
Little did I know that when I signed up for a tasting of St. Supery wines at Binny’s south loop, that I would run into the Sopranos. The place was, excuse the pun, a mob scene! When I first entered, I practically ran into Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) and Steven Schirripa (Bobby Baccalieri), who were there to sign bottles of Sopranos wines. There was a line that travelled all the way to the back of the store! People were just waiting for a chance to meet the Italian duo, and get an autograph on their Sopranos wine. I decided to grab some pictures and look for some St. Supery. Read more »
It’s finally here! The French Market has opened in the Metra Market- as of 7:30 this morning. The market will be open every Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 7:30pm, and also on Saturdays from 8:30am to 6:00pm. The vendor opening times vary, but all are open by 10:00am. All 30 vendors were hand selected to bring organic produce and artisinal product directly to the consumer. There is also special emphasis on the selected vendor’s identity: entrepreneurs, family-owned businesses, and accomplished purveyors.
You can look forward to picture updates and video from the grand opening, highlighting the produce and vendor interviews. See you soon!
After a long day of moving couches with my brother, we were up for a big meal. I’ve been meaning to try Honky Tonk BBQ in Pilsen, and since I live closeby, we were on our way. Being on 18th Street, there was ample parking, and their entrance is definitely an eye catcher- a single door ensconced in red and yellow paint, flames, and bright light. I had a feeling we were in for a meaty experience! Read more »
