18th Annual Green City Market Chef BBQ: Brings 100+ Chicago Restaurants with Chefs & Mixologists to Lincoln Park

One of Chicago's greatest events is almost upon us- the Green City Market Chef BBQ will bring in over 100 of Chicago's best restaurants, showing off their Top Chefs and Mixologists to provide tastes of local, sustainable heirloom produce and heritage meats from Green City Market Farmers. This will take place tomorrow, July 19, from 5:30-8PM at the usual spot, south end of Lincoln Park (1817 N Clark St). Tickets for this event can be purchased for $125 each here. 

Some of the featured restaurants include Bad Hunter, bellyQ, Frontera Grill, Longman & Eagle, Parachute, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Big Jones, The Publican, while some of the beverage purveyors involved include Begyle Brewing, Half Acre, Koval, Revolution, Sparrow Coffee.

Proceeds from this event supports the Green City Market's year round market and community programs. 

Wine Bars in Review: Webster's & D.O.C.

This past weekend I was in the mood to hit a couple of Chicago wine bars, so my wife and I got dressed up for a night on the town.  Chicago is an amazing city, especially when you're out on a summer night- the city is so alive with people enjoying the weather, neighborhood festivals, restaurants and lakefront.  You can feel the energy of thousands of people out for food, drink and fun!

Our first stop brought us to the godfather of Chicago wine bars- Webster's.  Located on west Webster Avenue just east of Clybourn, this two-story building has been pouring wine since 1994.  The scene is candlelit with loud folksy music and customer banter.  We moved past the long bar and were seated by a hostess.  I took my time with the enormous wine list (40+ wines by the glass, 500+ by the bottle) and noticed many great selections from just about any wine region you'd like to try, including off the beat and path places like Switzerland, Finger Lakes NY, Sardinia, Slovenia, Greece, Lebanon, New Mexico and Virginia.  They have amazing French and Italian selections, which is essential to any wine list given those country's histories. 

After perusing the menu, I decided on a sparkling wine from Valle d'Aosta, a small region between Switzerland and Piedmont, while my wife went for a cava and a cheese plate.  I was a bit disappointed that the cheese came before the wines or the plates, but was able to get over it after tasting the Mont St. Francis and Wildspitz cheeses.  I also figured out that they gave us the wrong 3rd cheese and charged us for their most expensive cheese plate ($20) as well.  First off, I know my cheeses and their prices, and find it hard for any establishment to justify charging that much for 3 cheeses.  Secondly, they should try harder to get the order correct.  All of those factors led us to pay and out the door to try a different wine bar.

Our next stop brought us east to D.O.C. Wine Bar on Clark and Wrightwood.  It has a great open and cozy look with a fireplace and skylights.  They have open seating and we only had to wait a couple of minutes for a spot to free up.  I dove right into their wine list and noticed it a bit smaller (under 100 selections) and more value based with many bottles listed under $50.  My wife wanted to stick with the sparkling, so I suggested Graham Beck Rose, and I went with a red blend from Bolgheri in Tuscany.  We also took a look at the food menu which was small but nice as well with artisan cheeses, bruschetta, charcuterie and small apps.  They have a great deal with pick 4 for $16 and we tried a Manchego, Gruyere, mushroom/goat cheese bruschetta and porchetta.  We liked the whole experience and the staff was helpful and had great personality. 

I would go back to both places, though I would watch the servers and the bill at Webster's more closely.  Webster's is still an old favorite with both an outstanding wine list and small menu.  D.O.C. has a bit more personal touch and charm and I urge you to keep up on their monthly wine/food tastings- there's always something great going on!

Wine Enthusiast "Toast of the Town" Hits Chicago

Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town is on a five city tour across the country and will be stopping in Chicago on Friday, June 17th at the Field Museum!  Join with the rest of the city to enjoy 500 world class wines and gourmet dishes from Chicago's top restaurants.  Some of the wineries represented include Castello Banfi, Feudi di San Gregorio, Le Domaine de la Vougeraie, Hall Wines, Stag's Leap Winery, Schramsberg, Yalumba, Penfolds, Cloudy Bay and Casa Lapostolle, while the restaurants involved include Aria, The Purple Pig, Bistronomic, Chizakaya, The Florentine, Coco Pazzo, Sixteen and Rhapsody. 

Wine Enthusiast has been providing readers with valuable wine information and reviews for 23 years and Toast of the Town is on it's 11th tour.  Come out to one of Chicago's greatest venues to enjoy the food, drink and fun!  Click here to purchase your tickets today.

Windy City Wine Guy Offer on Gilt City

Wine tasting is fun and when you accompany it with knowledge, that's powerful.  For a limited time, I have an offer up on Gilt City Chicago where you'll have two options:

1. Attend one of three Wine & Cheese Tasting Tours I will be conducting at the Tasting Room on Randolph.  The tours are scheduled on three Thursdays next month- June 9, 16 or 23- your choice!  We'll be going through four different wines paired with four different cheeses from 7-9pm.  After that, you're welcome to stay at the Tasting Room and enjoy 50% off all glasspours!  Quite a deal at $35/person.

2. Purchase an In-Home Wine Tasting conducted by the Windy City Wine Guy.  I will be suggesting which wine to have at the event along with any food pairing recommendations for you to purchase.  Then you'll get wine knowledge for yourself and up to 13 additional guests- all in the comfort of your own home!  This is a 40% savings priced at $240.

Jump on this great opportunity- quantities limited!

Michelin Stars Wheel into Chicago

Chicago is about to receive it's first ever Michelin Guide ratings and I'd be hard pressed to find anything more overdue.  This city has long been a culinary and eating mecca, not to mention having great spots for wine, beer and beverages.  The Michelin Guide has been around for about 100 years and highlights top restaurants and chefs.  Now that we've taken a bite into the coastal bias, let's get into our award winners:

3 star: Alinea, L2O

2 star: Avenues, Charlie Trotter's, Ria

1 star: Blackbird, BOKA, Bonsoirée, Crofton on Wells, Everest, Graham Elliot, Longman & Eagle, NAHA, NoMI, Schwa, Seasons, Sepia, Sixteen, Spiaggia, Takashi, Topolobampo, TRU, Vie

While the Michelin Guide has yet to be released, these results were made available through a Yelp poster leak which is currently under investigation.  In addition to the awards above, 46 other restaurants have received the Bib Gourmand Award, given to those establishments which offers good value (two courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for under $40, not including tax or gratuity).  Some of these include: Belly Shack, De Cero, Gilt Bar, Girl & The Goat, Hopleaf, La Creperie, Lula Café, Mado, Nightwood, The Purple Pig, Riccardo Trattoria and Taste of Peru, to name a few.

All of these establishments represent fine food, great beverage, excellent service and years of hard work which have become known and respected.  Congrats to our Michelin Stars and Bib Gourmand winners!

Chicago Semifinalists for James Beard Awards

The Semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards 2010 have been announced and the list is littered with Chicago establishments and professionals.  It's always exciting to see how well Chicago does with these awards and to bask in the fame that is given to our culinary scene. 

Now for those of you who don't know, the James Beard Awards are a BIG deal.  They've been called "The Oscars of the food world," by Time magazine.  They are named after one of the biggest names in American culinary history, Mr. James Beard.  Mr. Beard was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1903.  His mother ran a boarding house and began an 81 year culinary journey into American food.  He was dubbed "dean of American cookery," by the New York Times.

Now let's get to our Chicago nominees:

• Outstanding Restauranteur: Donald J. Madia (Avec, Big Star, Blackbird, The Publican, The Violet Hour) and Richard Melman (LEYE).


• Outstanding Chef: Jean Joho (Everest) and Paul Kahan (Blackbird)


• Outstanding Restaurant: Les Nomades and Spiaggia


• Best New Restaurant: Cibo Matto at the Wit and Pelago at Raffaello Hotel


• Outstanding Pastry Chef: Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate)


• Outstanding Wine Service: Alinea and NoMI at Park Hyatt


• Outstanding Wine and Spirit Professional: Brian Duncan (BIN36) and Alpana Singh (LEYE)


• Outstanding Service: Alinea and Spiaggia


• Best Chef, Great Lakes: Michael Carlson (Schwa), Curtis Duffy (Avenues at Peninsula), Koren Grieveson (Avec), Bill Kim (Urbanbelly), Chris Nugent (Les Nomades), Arun Sampanthavivat (Arun's), Bruce Sherman (North Pond) and Giuseppe Tentori (Boka)

The finalists will be announced on March 22nd at the Palace Cafe in New Orleans leading up to the Media Awards presented May 2nd and the James Beard Foundation Awards given out on May 3rd.  Good luck to all Chicago Semifinalists!

13th Annual Grand Chefs Gala

So every year in Chicago, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) gathers the city's best chefs together to create their signature dishes at the Fairmont Hotel's Grand Chefs Gala.  The chefs are also honored with the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence- the only Chicago-based awards for culinary arts and expertise.  For a charitable donation you can enjoy not only the awards, but also cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a three course meal, dessert buffet and dancing.  The 2010 event was held on Friday, January 29, and though I was unable to attend, Windy City Wine Guy was able to send it's first guest writer!

J'nai Gaither is a food and wine afficionado who experiences new and fabulous restaurants and wine tastings on a frequent basis.  Her goal within 2 years is to own land in Argentina and make wine on her own personal vineyard.  She aspires to be able to play golf and drink wine all day!  This past year she has served of the Gala Committee of the Grand Chefs Gala for Cystic Fibrosis and continues to involve herself in the exhilarating realm of Chicago's culinary landscape. 

Here is a bit about her experience at the Gala in her words:

The Fairmont Chicago and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held the 13^th annual Grand Chefs Gala  on January 29, 2010. The black tie Grand Chefs Gala is a fabulous event which also simultaneously holds the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence. The event began with a cocktail hour in an upstairs ballroom of the beautiful Fairmont Hotel. Over 30 chefs set up tables and cooking stations to offer guests hors d'ouevres to introduce them to the tastes of their respective restaurants, and to whet their appetite for the three course dinner to follow. Food at the cooking stations ranged from the relatively simple (i.e. “sushi” roll made up of all fruit from Bistro Dragon), to the downright exotic (i.e. veal heart with frisee and truffle oil). But it's obvious you'd get that depth of range at a prestigious culinary event!

 The bars, of course, served glasses of some of the best wine around, and because the theme of this year's event was Green for Life, they served signature “Greentinis”--yummy green drinks made of Agave nectar, lime juice, limeade, and club soda. The drinks were festive and apropos for the occasion. Also apropos for the occasion was the décor. Again, because the theme was Green for Life, each table's centerpiece was a floral/foliage piece of twisted branches and recycled paper flowers which seemed to grow organically from the table. The stage that the emcees shared also reflected the green theme  of  tree branches and flowers. Green foliage danced along the walls, ceiling and tables thanks to a projector which helped to set the scene. It was a truly a beautiful setting for this event to take place.

 ***Cystic Fibrosis mainly affects the respiratory system, and clean, or “green” air would help make those affected with CF breathe easier. This is one of the reasons why the theme was “Green for Life.” In other ways, we tried to make the event as “green” as possible. All programs and menus were printed on recycled paper; we cut down on the use of paper used for the event by sending out electronic invites to the “chef's social” and save-the-dates. An environmentalist would've been proud.

 Since the Gala was all about the food, check out the three course menu. The soup course was very interesting. It was a creamy porcini mushroom and smoked barley soup. Yes, it was slightly “creamy” but I would also say it was almost paste-like. It wasn't a turn off, however. The color and texture both fit in with the green theme. One might say its look was akin to a mud paste, but it was very good, nonetheless. The salad course was even better than the soup! Had some of my favorite elements in a salad—fresh, green leaves and sweet, delicious fruits. The salad was comprised of arugula, fennel, apples and pomegranates with mandarin orange and vanilla vinaigrette. Now, the entree was the best of all—garlic and parsley crusted filet mignon with cassoulet stew, and baby carrots and leaks poached with olive oil and mustard demi-glace. When you're at a food event to honor culinary creativity, you're going to experience some of the best food around! What a yummy food adventure—and just in three short courses!

 So, what were the categories, and who won the Jean Banchet awards?

Best Catering Co: Blue Plate

Best Sommelier: Scott Tyree of Sepia

Rising Chef: Michael Sheerin of Blackbird

Rising Pastry Chef: Stephanie Prida of Blackbird

Best Neighborhood Restaurant: Piccolo Sogno

Best Fine Dining: Paul Virant of Vie

Celebrity Pastry Chef: Cindy Schuman of Sepia

Celebrity Chef: Rick Bayless

People's Choice Award: Curtis Duffy of Avenues

It was an honor to have Jean Banchet himself, who often doesn't make it to the Gala, introduce the distribution of the awards.

 ***Some of the live auction highlights included a trip to the Canadian Rockies with stays at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Fairmont Banff Springs; shopping and cooking with Chef Brad Parsons of the Fairmont Chicago. Since we're in a recession, many of the auction items unfortunately didn't receive the price at which they were valued, so the auctioneer switched to Dutch auction, in which the asking price is thrown out first, but instead of increasing in price, if no one wants to pay asking, the auctioneer asks for lower pricing.

 The night ended on a sweet note.  Dessert stations were set up outside of the ballroom by acclaimed pastry chefs such as Sarah's Pastries & Candies; blood orange/champagne gelato from Via Gelato; homemade caramels from Katherine Anne's pastries, etc. The food was abundant at the Grand Chefs Gala and some of our culinary favorites were on display at this food museum, so to speak. All in all, a successful night which helped to raise approximately $300,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Windy City Wine Guy and readers, thank J'nai for her insight into one of Chicago's greatest culinary events.  She seems to be on her way to reaching great heights in the culinary and wine scene.  I would encourage anyone else who would like to share their views to contact me (windycitywineguy@gmail.com) as a fresh enthusiastic outlook to the wine scene is always welcome!

GrubHub and WCWG Team-Up for Valentine's Day Food/Wine Pairings

Here's an opportunity to take advantage of the cold weather, recent snow and a loving holiday: I've teamed up with GrubHub to bring you some excellent delivery food for two people, wine pairing recommendations, with each choice priced around $100 or less!  You can avoid the drive, parking or valet, and tipping by staying in the comfort of your own home with your significant other.  Just choose one of the meals, run out to your local wine shop or order the recommendation online, light the fireplace and enjoy!  Three cities: Chicago, Boston and Washington D.C. are involved.  If you come from one of these three cities, click on your city and you're set.  If not, use some of the wines I've recommended with the different cuisines and you'll be set as well.  Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the food and drink!

Wine Markup Taking Bite out of Diners

I am sure many of us have gone to a restaurant and, after recently browsing wine shop prices, were shocked after seeing the wine list.  I can hear it now- "Hey, I just saw that at Jewel for $8.99!".  Armed with that knowledge I am sure it not only turns off wine fans but also those willing to give it a try.  Well, there is nothing the WCWG can do to change it, but I can give you some tips (highlighted in red) on how to make wise choices, get the most bang for your buck, and even get around some of the rules.

Moving around a wine list is just like shopping in the grocery- get to know the products and the market.  I can tell anyone how much a can of beans or dozen eggs usually costs me.  Just a casual walk through wine aisles every time you shop can get you familiar with wines and producers.  Once you get to know the market you will notice many Chicago restaurants charge 250-400 percent of retail, though they pay wholesale.  That means a bottle which costs you $10 in the store will cost you $25-40 in a restaurant.  Wine lists are constructed to get the most money out of lower-end wines and a lower markup from higher-end ones.  Even then you may be paying $225 for a wine which retails at $100.  Plus by the glass prices are the biggest ripoff- most restaurants try to get close to retail price out of each glass! 

Now I'm not saying restaurants should'nt make money vending wine.  After all, they do provide all equipment, storage, training, glassware, etc. as well as some great food to go along with it.  But the prices are excessive and their biggest source of revenue and profit.  It is OK to pay the price but better (and more fun) to find deals.

Some restaurants will be offering wines at lower prices than usual markup.  This could be due to the restaurant wanting to eliminate inventory in order to sell a slow moving product or wanting to replace it for another.  When you know the market and find one of these you will enjoy it twice as much!

Look over the entire list.  You may find a varietal from an unusual place such as Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or an unusual varietal from a well known area, ie. Pinot Meunier from Carneros.  These wines could be the bargains.  Also check out restaurants which allow outside wine for a corkage fee but watch out- if they are charging $25 or more it is too much!  You can take that same $25 or more and apply it to one of their wines.  Also get a list of great BYOBs near your home.  You can enjoy their great food with your wine.  Some great BYOBs in the South Loop include Ma & I, Trattoria Caterina, and South Coast.

Have a great meal and good shopping!

(Image courtesy of Flickr)