Prairie Grass Cafe to Host Dinner Featuring Recipes from New Green City Market Cookbook July 20

Posted on June 25, 2014 by dinewise

Prairie Grass Cafe is hosting a special dinner featuring guest chefs and recipes from the new The Green City Market Cookbook, 6 p.m., Sunday, July 20, coinciding with the official cookbook launch. The cost for the Prairie Grass Cafe dinner is $65 plus tax and gratuity. Cookbooks will be available to purchase separately for $24.95 and all cookbook proceeds will go to Green City Market.

The delicious evening will feature many of the volunteers who have helped to make The Green City Market Cookbook possible.

Chef Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris, co-owners of Prairie Grass Cafe, will orchestrate the dinner. Stegner is Green City Market’s co-chair and a founding board member.

Joining Sarah and George are Sarah’s longtime friends chef/farmers Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal of Three Sisters Garden, whose cookbook recipe takes center stage at the dinner; Karen Levin, cookbook author; Amelia Levin, author/journalist, and Kathy Paddor, marketing consultant who oversaw the cookbook’s photography. The Chicago Tribune’s former food editor and longtime market enthusiast Carol Mighton Haddix’s cherry tart dessert recipe will provide the sweet finale of the evening.

Celebrating its 16th season, Green City Market (GCM) has become an institution and foodie haven since its inception in 1998.

“I am very excited and proud of The Green City Market Cookbook. It represents a community of chefs, farmers, and shoppers that believe in supporting the local food movement coming together,” said Stegner.

Karen Levin, cookbook author and award winning recipe developer and food consultant, volunteered to develop the cookbook with daughter Amelia, also an author and journalist. They were responsible for gleaning 88 recipes sent into the GCM website or given to her from the market’s farmers, chefs, customers and volunteers.

They reviewed the recipes, shopped at the Market weekly and tested 80 of the 88 recipes. A team of volunteers tested the remaining 8 recipes, as well as, proofed and edited the manuscript and final galleys.

The mission of the cookbook was to inspire readers to cook delicious seasonal food from local farmers markets and to share home cooked meals with family and friends. The culinary talent of the Green City community is what makes this book so unique. It’s like a giant recipe swap where professional chefs, customers, and farmers exchange their favorite things to cook with the best ingredients from each season.

The Green City Market Cookbook features 88 seasonal recipes based on ingredients from the Market; appetizers, entrees, soups and desserts for each season, and more than 100 delicious photos of the completed dishes and their key ingredient. Each recipe features a short story submitted by the recipe’s author about why the recipe is special to them.

Sixty percent of the recipes are focused on fruits and vegetables; 40% use meat, fish and eggs.

The Green City Market Cookbook is truly local. The publisher is Evanston-based Agate Publishing, publishers of books from local and regional authors. Chicago top food photographer Chris Cassidy Photography donated his time to bring The Green City Market Cookbook to life.

The cookbook, which sells for $24.95, is scheduled for release this July, can be pre-ordered at https://www.greencitymarket.org/cookbook/index.asp.

The July 20 meal will feature recipes from The Green City Market Cookbook summer section.

July 20 Menu at Prairie Grass Cafe

Salads:
(served family style)

Eggplant Caponata with Fennel and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Contributed by Amelia Levin, Volunteer for Green City Market

Summer Bean Salad with Sun Gold Tomatoes, Market Herbs, Smoked Trout,
and Goat Cheese Dressing
Contributed by Jason Hammel, Chef/Co-Owner, Lula Cafe and Nightwood

Peach and Tomato Panzanella Salad
Contributed by Melissa Graham, Volunteer

Dinner

Creamy Polenta with Braised Greens and Mushrooms
Contributed by Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal, Farmers of Three Sisters Garden

Grilled Skirt Steaks with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Pesto
Contributed by Harriet Rosenman, Customer

Dessert

Tart Cherry Pecan Crisp
Contributed by Carol Mighton Haddix, Customer and Author

About Sarah Stegner
Two-time James Beard Award winner Chef Sarah Stegner is co-chair and founding board member of

Stegner_Grant Kessler_34786 Green City Market, one of the country’s best known sustainable farmers markets. Her commitment to sustainable practices goes beyond the market and is an integral part of her life at Prairie Grass Cafe, the restaurant she owns with husband, restaurant managing partner Rohit Nambiar and chef/co-owner George Bumbaris.

“My approach to ingredients developed over a long, slow process,” Sarah says. “When I started out as a chef, I knew that the best, freshest flavors came from ingredients produced by local farmers. But I couldn’t find farm contacts easily, so my friends in the business helped introduce me to some of them. The idea to create a green market was a natural progression. What a joy! The farmers turned out to be passionate about what they were doing and very perceptive when it comes to what quality means. I began to establish wonderful working relationships with these producers and the momentum grew from there. Stegner continues to incorporate fresh, seasonal produce from small, regional family farms into her menus at Prairie Grass Cafe.

“It’s all about the quality of the product-its freshness, its flavor and the care by which it has been handled,” she says. It isn’t surprising that Stegner puts the ingredients first. She will talk about her [exceptional] technique when prompted, but she truly believes that it is her attention to quality and local, fresh ingredients that has provided the springboard for her success.

She is doing what she truly loves to do and over the years she has transformed a childhood filled with loving cooking memories into a very personal culinary mission that is honest and pure, yet far from simplistic.

About George Bumbaris
George Bumbaris’s relationship as Chef/co-Owner of Prairie Grass Cafe with long-time friend and George Bumbaris PG05 wboarder colleague Sarah Stegner makes perfect sense. “We had worked together for so long, there are no surprises- and a lot of trust,” he says of the partnership. Prairie Grass Cafe came at a time when both he and Stegner had reached a level of culinary maturity that was important for what they want to accomplish. “We don’t carry the ego with us. We just wanted a good restaurant with good food.”

The rest is history. After 10 years, Prairie Grass Cafe has done what the duo set out to do — provide the area with outstanding, approachable food with a strong convection to locally grown, sustainable and delicious taste.

My vision was a restaurant packed with smiling faces, enjoying their experience with us and enjoying our food,” he adds. Bumbaris always teaches his staff to cook the way one would cook for oneself. With a rule of thumb like that, they continue to have a winning formula at Prairie Grass Cafe.

About Karen Levin
Karen Levin, cookbook author and award winning recipe developer and food consultant, has specialized in recipe development for the past thirty years. She has written numerous cookbooks for The American Heart Association, The American Medical Association and many major food companies. Karen is a frequent contributor to Cooking Club magazine and for five years wrote a syndicated weekly food column for Tribune Media Services entitled “The Seasoned Cook”. She is currently the recipe developer for the ChefMD website. Karen developed all the recipes for “ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine” by John LaPuma, M.D. (Crown Publishers 2008) as well as The RealAgeDiet and Cooking the RealAge Way by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and John LaPuma, M.D. She resides in Highland Park, Illinois with her husband of 35 years.
About Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal
Tracey Vowell (pictured right) and Kathe Roybal were employed in the restaurant industry until they grew tired of the hard work and decided on a career change. They bought their nine-acre farm in 2000, and named it after the Native American practice of growing corn, beans, and squash in the same mounds-a sophisticated, sustainable system that provided long-term soil fertility and a healthy diet then, and still does. The partners (that’s Tracey on left, Kathe at right) focus on specialty vegetables like microgreens (which they grow year round), pea shoots, heirloom tomatoes, summer and winter squashes, herbs, fresh beans (shelled at the Market) and huitlacoche, a mushroom particularly prized in Mexican cuisine. “I don’t know that we chose an easier line of work,” says Tracey, a former chef at Frontera Grill, “but at least we’re exercising different parts.”
(Tracey Vowell photo at right)
About Amelia Levin
Amelia Levin is an award-winning, Chicago-based freelance writer, editor, media consultant, certified chef (Kendall College), recipe developer and author of Chicago Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Windy City (Globe Pequot, 2012). A former hard news reporter and magazine editor, she is a regular contributor to Edible Chicago and a variety of restaurant industry trade magazines. Her writing and recipes have also appeared in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times newspapers, DiningOut and in cookbooks by Cooking Light, the American Heart Association and others. An active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), the International Food Editorial Council (IFEC) and the prestigious Les Dames D’Escoffier society for women, Amelia has also served as a member of the Green City Market Junior Board.

About Kathy Paddor
Kathy Paddor, president and founder of Paddor Marketing and Green City Market board member is a dedicated “consumer empathist,” Kathy Paddor’s strategic branding sensibility has made her a respected leader in the retail and advertising communities for over her 15+ year career.

Paddor set the vision and artistic style of the cookbook’s photography and led its social media and marketing efforts.

Growing up in a family of retailers, Paddor discovered her career passion early. She held senior positions with Bloomingdales and Marshall Field’s before joining Crate and Barrel. As C&B’s Director of Marketing, her intelligent, creative innovations helped them hold a singular spot in the marketplace.
Prior to joining Green City Market’s Board, Kathy led the development of GCM’s current brand identity and integrated communication strategy, helping to communicate its mission and values to the community in a significant, consistent way.
When Kathy’s not working, her great loves include her family, cooking, dancing, and a great cup of strong coffee.
Recipes: Summer

By mid-July, the Market is in full swing. From tomatoes and stone fruits as sweet as candy to peppers, zucchini and eggplant rich with the taste of the sun, the farm stands overflow with the bounty for which we’ve waited so long.

It’s a busy time of the year for farmers, who work hard each day to keep pace with the harvest. We, too, strive to keep up, visiting the Market regularly, with ambitious plans for making pickles, pesto, salsas and preserves we know we’ll crave come winter.

Creamy Polenta with Braised Greens and Mushrooms

After we started producing cornmeal at Three Sisters, we discovered the magic of a bowl of slightly sweet Polenta polenta with a quick mix of whatever we have in the fridge. Short on time, we are always looking for a good way to get an appealing meal on the table as quickly as possible. I particularly like the earthy flavors of mushrooms and greens, so this dish is an easy choice after a day in the field. Paired with grilled chicken or pork, it makes a wonderfully rich and satisfying dinner, but can be ready to eat in under an hour. –Tracey Vowell and Kathe Roybal, Farmers, Three Sisters Garden

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1 whole head garlic
1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or lamb’s-quarters
1 pound fresh oyster and/or shiitake mushrooms
1 small white onion, chopped
1 fresh hot pepper, such as serrano or habanero, seeded, minced
4 cups milk
1 cup fine white cornmeal
Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock or broth
1 (2-ounce) piece firm grating cheese such as Brunkow Cheeese’s Little Darling

Heat oven to 350°F. Separate garlic head into cloves; do not peel cloves. Roast garlic cloves in a large dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown and garlic feels soft when squeezed, 8 to 10 minutes. Peel and finely chop garlic; set aside.

Wash chard; shake off excess water. Holding onto leaves, pull off and discard thick stems. Coarsely chop chard; set aside. Clean mushrooms discarding tough stems; cut mushrooms into bite-sized pieces; set aside.

In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring milk just to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; pour in cornmeal slowly, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt. When mixture is slightly thickened, cover saucepan and place in oven. Whisk after 10 minutes.

Continue to bake 10 minutes; whisk again. If polenta is too thick, stir in additional milk or water. If it is too thin, cover and return to oven for 5 minutes. Stir in pepper; keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and reserved garlic; sauté until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion, hot pepper and thyme sprigs; continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Add chard and 1/2 cup broth; cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender. If dry, add remaining 1/4 cup broth. Season to taste with salt.

Spoon polenta into 4 shallow bowls; top with vegetable mixture. Grate cheese over each serving.
Tart Cherry Pecan Crisp

Tart cherry pie is one of my favorite desserts, but making and rolling out the crust is time consuming, so this easy crisp is a good substitute. The Michigan tart cherry season is very short; sometimes they are at the Market for only two weeks. When that happens, I like to buy them in bulk, pit them and freeze them in gallon-size freezer bags. For this recipe, I first soak the cherries in ice water for three hours in the refrigerator, which helps firm them up, making pitting easier. The versatile crumble topping can be used for any lightly sweetened fruit mixture, including peaches, pears or a mixture of berries.
–Carol Mighton Haddix, Customer

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

1 quart (4 cups) tart cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix cherries and granulated sugar in a bowl; mix well.

Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; mix with a pastry blender or quickly with fingers until small pea-sized pieces form. Stir in pecans.

Place cherry mixture in an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Place the topping mixture on top of the cheeries. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Celebrating Thanksgiving Throughout Chicagoland

Posted on October 30, 2013 by dinewise

There are countless ways to enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving in Chicago. Whether dining in or out, these restaurants and businesses are offering specials that will make it easy to entertain.

Delightful Pastries. Bring home delicious, homemade pies from Delightful Pastries for all to

Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Pie
from Delightful Pastries

enjoy this Thanksgiving. Whatever is your fancy, Delightful Pastries’ new expanded pie menu will have something to suit your taste. Included are traditional selections like Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie and the not so traditional Apple Caramel, Cranberry Fudge, Coconut Chocolate, and Bourbon Chocolate Pecan. All pies ($25) serve 8-10 people; are made from scratch and use no artificial flavors or preservatives.

For those entertaining for the weekend, pick up a breakfast/brunch savory pie such as the Spinach Lamb ($58), Veggie Quiche ($42), or Ham Quiche ($42). Other items on Delightful Pastries’ to go catering menu include: winter and grain salads, mini-pastry trays, international cookie trays and brownie trays. Pre-orders are recommended and package pricing is available. Orders may be placed at all three Delightful Pastries locations: 5927 W. Lawrence Avenue, in the Jefferson Park neighborhood (phone: 773-545-7215); the Old Town Chicago location at 1710 N. Wells St., just north of North Avenue (phone: 312-255-0724) and the Chicago French Market location at 131 N. Clinton Ave. (phone: 312-234-9644).

Delightful Pastries’ International Cookies Are Perfect for Holiday Entertaining

Macaron’s from Delightful Pastries

November starts the holiday season and entertaining is on everyone’s mind. Delightful Pastries makes it easy, with an array of international cookies, all holiday favorites from around the globe. Available are Cucidati (Sicilian Fig Cookies), Viennese Almond Crescents, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Polish Kolaczki (Raspberry, Apricot, Cheese), Christmas Mice, Rugula, Linzer and Italian Rainbow Cookies ($19/lb. or by platter, $20-$30). French Macarons ($30 lb.) and Chanukah Macaroons ($1.75 each) also are available.

Maxwell’s at the Club Thanksgiving

The East Bank Club is hosting Thanksgiving dinner at its place this year and you’re invited. The East Bank Club’s signature restaurant, Maxwell’s at the Club (500 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago), is offering a traditional turkey dinner buffet with all the trimmings, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., November 28.

Executive chef Mike Lodes is featuring a variety of appetizer and salad , a carving station with Roast Turkey served with gravy and natural jus, Roast Prime Rib of Beef with horseradish sauce, and Roast Leg of Lamb with mint jelly, and an abundance of side options. To finish off, guests will be treated to an impressive spread of seasonal fruits, assorted cakes, tortes, cookies, and cupcakes, and pies. The price is $45 for adults, $15 for children 10 and under. Reservations can be placed online at maxwellsattheclub.com or by calling (312)527-5800 ext. 301.

East Bank Club’s Food Shop’s Thanksgiving To-go

If you plan to entertain at home this Thanksgiving, East Bank’s Food Shop will be delighted to do the cooking. The Chefs at the Food Shop have put together a complete Thanksgiving menu to suit a variety of tastes. You have the choice of ordering a la carte from their entire menu or selecting the Thanksgiving Package. With the latter option the Food Shop chefs have curated their version of an ideal holiday meal. For the complete Thanksgiving menu visit eastbankclub.com, and to place your order call (312) 527 5800 ext. 318.

Prairie Grass Cafe

Northbrook’s Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd.; 847-205-4433) chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris want to make your Thanksgiving dinner perfect and easy. The two award winning chefs have announced their “Thanksgiving To Go 2013” menu available for pre-order now. All orders must be received no later than Sunday, November 24 for pickup at the restaurant on Thursday, November 28 between noon and 3 p.m.

The à la carte menu includes everything you would want for the perfect Thanksgiving celebration. Start with a whole Roasted Turkey and Gravy, serving between 10 and 14 people for $110 or half a turkey to serve between 5 and 7 people for $60.

Homemade Apple Sage Stuffing ($14/quart) and Homemade Sausage and Giblet Stuffing ($24/quart) are available by the quart, serving between 4 and 6 people.

A variety of homemade appetizers include Butternut Squash Soup (Serves 4/$20/quart), Organic Mixed Green Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Pumpkin Seeds and Pomegranate (Serves 6-8/$45); Jumbo Cocktail Shrimp with Homemade Horseradish Sauce ($42/dozen); cut vegetable assortment with Amish blue cheese dip (Serves 6-8/$35); or Smoked Salmon Platter with Cream Cheese, Cucumbers, Capers and Red Onions with Pumpernickel and Whole Grain Baguettes (serves 6-8/$65).

Prairie Grass Cafe Pumpkin Pie

Side dishes include Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes (pint/2-3 servings/$7; quart/4-6 servings/$14); Sweet Potato Puree (pint/2-3 servings/$8; quart/4-6 servings/$16); Sautéed Green Beans (pint/2-3 servings/$8; quart/4-6 servings/$16); Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts (pint/2-3 servings/$12; quart/4-6 servings/$24); and Local Cranberry Sauce (pint/2-5 servings/$8; quart/6-10 servings/$16).

A Prairie Grass Cafe Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without Mom’s Homemade Heirloom Pumpkin Pie ($24/pie/6 slices); Mom’s Pecan Pie ($24/pie/6 slices) or Double Chocolate Cake ($50/cake/10-12 servings).

Not in the mood to entertain at home? Bring your family and friends to Prairie Grass Cafe this Thanksgiving

Prairie Grass Cafe will be serving a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, November 28. The cost of $49 per person includes a choice of Butternut Squash Soup or Organic Mixed Green Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Parmesan, Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing; Oven Roasted Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Gravy; Apple Chestnut Stuffing; Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash with Homemade Marshmallow Topping; fresh vegetable; local cranberry sauce, and choice of Mom’s Heirloom Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie or Double Chocolate Cake. Reservations are required.

Chicago French Market provides one-stop shopping for the Thanksgiving Holidays

Whether it’s a hostess gift, cooking supplies or a meal to go, the Chicago French Market provides opportunities for Thanksgiving shopping under one roof.

Abby Brown Artisan Soaps is featuring its ever popular Pumpkin Bars this month. A

Abbey Brown Pumpkin Soap

perfect hostess gift for Thanksgiving and the holidays at only $8.50 per bar, Abbey Brown Soap Artisan creates handmade natural Olive Oil soaps, soothing body oils and relaxing bathing essentials. They make all of their fine products in house, infusing homegrown herbs and botanicals with pure essential oils.

Picking out the perfect wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner or to bring as a gift is difficult if you’re not wine knowledgeable. When seeking expert advice, look no further than Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine at Chicago French Market. Pastoral is the perfect shop to learn more and receive expert help in choosing the perfect wine. Staff is trained to know wine and how to pair to complement foods. Stop by Pastoral for advice throughout November.

Stop at Oh Olive! at the French Market and sample its delicious Wild Mushroom and Sage extra virgin olive oil. It’s a perfect enhancement for drizzling over turkey before roasting or for using it to make delicious and unique rye bread turkey dressing.

Not everyone serves a traditional turkey for Thanksgiving, according to the folks at Sam’s

Sam’s Gourmet Lasagna

Gourmet Lasagna. Sam’s offers a delicious ground turkey lasagna and has introduced a Steak & Potato Lasagna just in time for the holidays. They have upped their to go pre-packaged offerings for holiday gift, entertaining and corporate events.

Celebrate National Cheeseburger Day in Chicago September 18

Posted on September 17, 2012 by prcindy

National Cheeseburger Day is upon us yet again and several Chicagoland restaurants are honoring it by featuring juicy and delicious cheeseburger options for everyone’s taste.

Frietkoten Cheese Burger, Photo by Cindy Kurman

CHICAGO FRENCH MARKET Frietkoten 131 N. Clinton St. Chicago, IL (312)575-0306 ; www.chicagofrenchmarket.com Chicago French Market’s, Frietkoten, is primarily known for its authentic Belgian fries and hearty selection of Belgian beers, both on tap and bottled. However the recently added menu of gourmet Belgian cheeseburgers, made from beef that is freshly ground daily, is proving that the Belgians know what makes up a great burger. It’s offering of cheeseburgers include a combination of choice toppings like smoked Gouda and blue cheeses, maple bacon, cheddar cheese, sweet grilled onions, apples, and fried egg. All cheeseburgers come with Frietkoten’s signature crispy Belgian fries and a dipping sauce for $8.75, plus tax. Add a seasonal beer to make it a meal from one of its selections on tap including Avril Biere de Table and Debuisson Cuvee des Trolls, Blond Ale for only $11.

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR 25 E. Ohio, Chicago, IL (312) 329-9463 ; www.flemingssteakhouse.com

960 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, IL (847) 793-0333 ; www.flemingssteakhouse.com

Fleming’s Prime Burger

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar not only serves prime steaks cooked to perfection, but its extensive new Bar la Carte menu offers Fleming’s guests six all-new satisfying dishes available any time, any evening. More substantial than appetizers or the typical “bar bites” found at many restaurants, the addition of this Bar la Carte menu makes Fleming’s bar as much a destination for food as it is for wine and cocktails. Included in the new Bar la Carte menu is the Fleming’s Prime Burger, served with Wisconsin cheddar cheese, peppered bacon, and Fleming’s Signature Onion Rings. Stop in to enjoy the prime burger on National Cheeseburger Day for $14, or enjoy it for only $6 between 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. during Fleming’s daily 5-6-7 promotion – in which you get a choice of 5 premium cocktails, 5 distinctive wines by the glass and 5 generous appetizers or the Prime Burger, each for only $6. Beverage specials are good all evening in Illinois.

Maxwell’s at the Club Steakburger

MAXWELL’S AT THE CLUB East Bank Club 500 North Kingsbury, Chicago, IL (312) 527-5800 ; www.eastbankclub.com/dining/maxwells-at-the-club River North and Fulton River District’s Maxwell’s at the Club, is open to the public despite its location in the private confines of East Bank Club. The restaurant serves some of the best food in the neighborhood, with many menu items customizable to please anyone’s particular tastes and desires.

One of the most popular selections at Maxwell’s is Max’s Minis, a trio of sliders that includes a mini prime steakburger, a mini Santé Fe chicken burger and a mini Yellowfin Tuna Steak burger, all topped with crispy onion strings for $10. For customized minis, ask for any combination of the three. Steak lovers will enjoy the very popular Mini Tenderloin Sliders for $14, a trio of seared mini filet mignon sliders finished with lemon and basil. For a larger appetite, Maxwell’s Prime Steakburger is available for $11, made from ten ounces of prime beef, topped with lettuce tomato, onion and pickle and your choice of cheese, served with sweet potato fries, fresh-cut fries or seasonal fresh fruit.

TRADEMARK TAVERN 777 E. Butterfield Rd. Lombard IL (630) 472-0777 ; www.trademarketavern.com Trademark Tavern offers customers a way to truly indulge in the burger holiday; with its “Add a Patty” promotion. Running through September 22, customers can order 1/3 pound cheeseburgers for $3 and stack on as many extra patties as they wish for an additional $1 each. The burgers come with American cheese, lettuce, and pickle. Trademark also has a range of tempting cheeseburgers including its signature Trademark Burger for $10, made with a Pat LaFrieda™ ground chuck and ground short rib combination; topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. They also provide an enticing selection of cheese options including aged cheddar, Gruyére, provolone, Gouda, habanero jack, and blue cheese for an extra $1.

Z Burger at Zealous

ZEALOUS 419 West Superior Street Chicago, IL 60654 (312) 475-9112 ; www.zealousrestaurant.com Zealous is celebrating 19 years in business this month, and as Michael Taus, chef/owner, continues to offer an award winning fine-dining experience to his patrons, he has proven he still knows how to produce a great cheeseburger. Voted Chicago Magazine’s “Best Burger Ever” and Travel & Leisure’s “Top 10 Burgers in America” Zealous’ Z’ Burger is the pinnacle of a fine dining take on the all-around classic. Served with Havarti cheese and tomato Remoulade on a house-made dill roll and served with fries, the highly coveted burger is available a la carte for $15.

The Michelin Guide to Chicago Restaurants: It’s A Simple Yes or No Question: "Was it good?

Posted on December 28, 2010 by prcindy

by Lee Barrie and Cindy Kurman

reprint from StreetWise Magazine

When word got out on November 16 that Michelin (yes, the tire company) was about to launch the first ever Michelin Guide to Chicago Restaurants, there was a feeding frenzy of speculation in Chicago’s culinary circles as to which restaurants would be included and with how many stars. During the next 24 hours the media, bloggers, as well as the social media mavens were abuzz, nonstop, with commentary about who was included, who was left out and who deserved its designated number of stars.

Michelin is considered by many to be the most influential and credible restaurant rating source in the world. The fact that there is now a Michelin Guide Chicago is proof that the Windy City has taken its place among the preeminent culinary centers of the world.

Three stars is Michelin’s top rating, and any restaurant that earns three stars works very hard to keep them. Three star restaurants represent the best of the best—the finest food in the world. In Chicago, there are now two three-star restaurants: Alinea and L2O.

Throughout all of the buzz, there were two overarching questions: How do the restaurants get rated and were Chicago restaurants rated according to the same standard as European restaurants? We were invited to sit down for a one-on-one interview with Jean-Luc Naret, the director of the Michelin Guides, which we eagerly accepted. Our meeting with Mr. Naret and other Michelin representatives was very cordial and informative. One lasting impression stood out: people simply don’t understand how Michelin goes about rating restaurants and this is one reason there tends to be so much controversy surrounding them. But as the Michelin folks admitted, controversy goes with the territory.

Rather than discussing the why’s and wherefores of who was included in the Michelin Guide Chicago, we’ve decided to do our best to explain how the Michelin ratings work.

The Inspectors
The individuals who have the enviable task of eating their way through Chicago’s culinary spots are called “inspectors.” They are not journalists or food critics. They are, in fact, full-time employees of Michelin who anonymously travel from restaurant to restaurant and hotel to hotel. Their job is to determine the quality of the food and dining experience offered to the ordinary diner. Inspectors pay their own bills and make no mention of who they are or why they are there. According to Naret, they have been in the hotel or restaurant business for at least ten years or have formal training in the hotel or culinary field. “They have to be passionate about food, have an eye for talent, and know what they’re talking about.”

There are ten American inspectors—there were 3,500 applicants for the job. Inspectors go through a rigorous training period before they are allowed to visit restaurants on their own. They spend months in Europe and Japan and must accompany existing inspectors on many restaurant visits before they are set loose to do their own thing.

Some of the American inspectors come from Chicago. Three of the ten American inspectors live in Chicago, where they are responsible for staying informed about new restaurants and, in general, monitoring the local culinary scene. They were involved in rating restaurants for the first American Michelin Guide (New York) and also spent time in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, rating restaurants in those cities.

Naret commented on the inspectors: “We invest a lot in these people. They are passionate about revealing the talent of the chef. We call them ‘revealers of talents.’ We’re not looking at the reputation of the chef. We’re looking at the personality of the chef on the plate. They [the inspectors] go to restaurants for lunch and dinner every day and they have to fill out a report.”

Independent Choice
Michelin makes this point clearly: Restaurants do not pay to be included in the Guide. If they are in the Michelin Guide Chicago, they were chosen independently by the inspectors. The restaurants are visited by both the American-based inspectors and inspectors from Europe, to insure consistency in ratings on a global level. For the most important selections, specific inspectors from around the globe are brought in to dine at the restaurant and provide their opinion. The starred restaurants may have, in fact, been visited ten times. The choices represent, in the opinion of the Michelin staff, the best restaurants in their respective categories.

To answer one key question: Chicago restaurants are rated according to the same criteria and by the same standards as restaurants anywhere in the world. Three stars in the U.S. is equivalent to three stars in Europe, Japan or elsewhere.

Comfort Classifications Are Separate from Food Ratings
Michelin distinguishes comfort (service, décor, ambiance, style) from the quality of the food. Restaurants that are notable for their charming décor or ambiance are noted with a red-colored comfort rating rather than a black-colored rating.

A restaurant can have a high comfort rating without having a high food rating and vice versa. This is arguably why Michelin ratings are so often misunderstood by both culinary professionals and the public. Theoretically, a restaurant can have a high star-rating for food and yet be only moderate in comfort and service. Restaurants with a high food rating but a more moderate comfort rating are often casual restaurants which offer excellent food, yet they tone down the service or comfort a bit to stay within a certain restaurant genre, style or price point.

Rating the Food
When someone talks about “how many stars” a restaurant has received from Michelin, he or she is talking strictly about how the inspectors have rated the food, period. “We believe when you go to a restaurant, it’s really to eat food,” says Naret. Inspectors must answer two simple questions: “is it good or not good?” and “will I recommend this restaurant to a friend of mine?” He points out that the inspectors are, most importantly, rating restaurants for their readers, not for the benefit of the chef or the industry.

What do the inspectors pay attention to when it comes to the food? According to Naret, inspectors note “how the restaurants choose produce [ingredients] and how are the flavors kept? Is there personality on the plate? Is there consistency across the menu and across visits?” He noted that generally the difference between a two-star and three-star rating is consistency.

Most of the restaurants in the Michelin Guide Chicago do not have a star rating. This doesn’t mean they have mediocre food. It simply means that the food doesn’t meet the global standard needed to earn a star. Each of the 342 restaurants listed in the Guide has proven it has good food. As Naret explained, “We recommend a restaurant because we know the food is good. If you have a beautiful restaurant and the food is not good, it isn’t in the Guide.”

Ratings for Less Expensive Restaurants: Bib Gourmand
In today’s economic times, in which diners are more frugal, it has been fairly common for upscale restaurants to have re-thought their menu, opting for less expensive ingredients (but not necessarily lowering the quality) in order to lower the price of the food. For example, we know of one restaurant that developed a simply delicious appetizer using pork belly instead of foie gras. There are also many restaurants which have always been lower priced but offer great food in a casual environment. To ensure that these restaurants are given proper recognition, Michelin has given the special “Bib Gourmand” designation to restaurants the inspectors feel are a particularly good value—and less than $40. “Bib Gourmand restaurants are the inspectors’ favorites,” says Naret. “They are the ‘little secret black list.’”

Naret explained that people recognize Bib Gourmand as equivalent to a Michelin star. He also noted that during the past two years, American chefs were much more receptive than their European counterparts to the fact that the recession was coming and they were more creative in putting menus together at a price point that would attract more customers.

Drilling Down to the Details
Although some people reading the Michelin Guide Chicago may focus their attention on the star ratings almost exclusively, Michelin understands that, when it comes to choosing a restaurant, the deciding factor may be a specific characteristic that makes it preferable. For example, a wine aficionado would most likely prefer a restaurant with an excellent wine program over one that has a limited wine program, even if the food quality and the comfort classification were approximately the same. Similarly, a diner may need valet parking or wheelchair accessibility and won’t visit a restaurant without these features.

Michelin makes note of important details using a variety of special designations (i.e. symbols): price category, notable wine list, notable cocktail list, notable sake list, valet parking, wheelchair accessibility, outdoor dining, cash only, late night dining offered, small plates offered, brunch offered.

Where Does Chicago Stand as a Culinary Center?
According to Naret, what makes Chicago unique as a food center is that “it has some very avant garde and creative chefs…and on the other side of the scale you have very good restaurants where you eat incredible [food]. You will never find a pizza place in a French Guide or any other Guide. You will find them in the Michelin Guide Chicago because there is great pizza. You will find great hot dogs and great breakfasts. This is the only place in the world where you actually have a list of breakfast places. People go for big breakfasts here [Chicago]. We don’t do that in any other place.”

Where Does the Michelin Guide Chicago Go From Here?
Nothing in the Michelin Guide Chicago is cast in stone. “Every restaurant in the Guide will be revisited by the inspectors, perhaps even tomorrow,” says Naret. “Any restaurant that was close but didn’t make it into the Guide, will be revisited. Any new restaurant that has the potential to be in the Guide will be visited next year.”

This is the first edition of the Michelin Guide Chicago and, as Naret predicts, “It’s definitely going to grow. As we expand to the other suburbs and the more we go deeper into the selection, I’m sure the numbers will grow. No doubt, in three to five years we’ll have more than 500 restaurants in the Guide.”

As Chicagoans, we wondered about the steakhouses. It’s a Chicago staple and the list keeps growing. There are many steakhouses in the Chicago Guide, but none with stars. Naret was quick to point out that there is only one starred steakhouse in the U.S.: Peter Luger in New York. “It’s something to shoot for in Chicago,” we all agreed.

Our advice: Do yourself a favor and purchase the Michelin Guide Chicago. We’re impressed with the level of detail and objectivity that goes into it and we also know that, to keep any publication alive, one must support it. It’s worth the investment. You’ll love the way it is organized by neighborhoods and you’ll like the special section on breakfast specialists. We love breakfast, and Chicago is our kind of town. Bon appetit—or we should say, “Thanks for the grub, Bub!”

Chicago French Markets sponsors the Good Food Project, October 2

Posted on September 28, 2010 by prcindy

Chicago French Market is proud to be among the first Chicago-area businesses to support the outstanding work of The Good Food Project, a not-for-profit organization that brings fun and interactive food tastings to schools to teach kids to become young food critics and help them develop a lifelong love of good food.

Join Chicago French Market as it welcomes the Good Food Project from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. With help from Susan Taylor, a Chicago Tribune food critic, children will learn how to taste like a pro. Each child will be among the first in Chicago to taste the new SweeTango apple along with three other varieties of apples. Upon selecting their favorite apple, the children make an apple slinky to bring home to show friends and family. $5 donation to the Good Food Project per child ages 5-10 (includes one guardian) and tickets can be purchased at the door.

The Good Food Project’s mission is to introduce different flavors of produce to children in order to develop a lifelong love of good food and healthy living. Visit http://www.thegoodfoodproject.org/ for more information.

Chicago French Market’s support has already provided apple tastings to children at Cleveland Elementary School, Saint Ann Catholic School, CICS Longwood and CICS Washington Park with more to come. Chicago French Market vendors City Fresh Market, Produce Express and Chicago Organics provide produce for the event.

For information about The Good Food Project or to arrange an apple tasting in your child’s school, visit http://www.thegoodfoodproject.org/ and contact Susan Taylor at goodfoodchicago@gmail.com or 773-648-0068. The Chicago French Market is a proud sponsor of The Good Food Project. For more information, visit http://www.chicagofrenchmarket.com/.

Green City Market’s 12th Outdoor Season Opened Today

Posted on May 12, 2010 by prcindy

Reprinted from Got Buzz

Opening Grand Celebration May 15

Chicago‘s Green City Market (GCM) opened for its 12th outdoor season today (May 12) and is set for a lively grand opening celebration this Saturday (May 15). In addition to the wealth of farmers and producers, there will be a number of special activities during the opening celebration.

n 7:30 a.m. – Guided tour

n 8:00 a.m. – “Container Gardening” workshop taught by Edible

Gardens manager and organic gardener Jeanne Pinsof-Nolan

n 8:30 a.m. – Guided tour of Edible Gardens in Farm-in-the-Zoo led by

Jeanne Pinsof-Nolan

n 9:30 a.m. – Savor the Seasons Lettuce Fest

§ Featuring chefs from Mon Ami Gabi, Big Bowl, Foodlife, Frankie’s and Café Ba Ba Reeba

n 10:30 a.m. – Chef demos with James Beard award winning chefs Carrie

Nahabedian of NAHA and Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Café and

Prairie Fire.

§ NAHA chefs Carrie Nahabedian and Craig Harzewski will collaborate with Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris (Prairie Grass Café and Prairie Fire) on demos featuring local goat cheese, rhubarb, duck eggs, bacon and bread from Bennison’s Bakery. Pastry chef Harzewski will demo making Goat Cheese Ice Cream topped with Rhubarb Compote made by Prairie Grass. The collaborative demos also will feature a grilled cheese, bacon and duck egg sandwich and a salad of spring greens, asparagus and herbs – all ingredients are available at GCM.

New this year:

Green City Market boasts an impressive list of 55 vendors for its 2010 outdoor season with two new vendors: Dietzler Farm and Becker Lane Organic Farm.

A family-run beef operation, Dietzler Farm is located in Elkhorn, WI. They raise a mixture of Angus and Hereford cows that are custom slaughtered and dry-aged for 28-days. They are awaiting confirmation of their Food Alliance certification.

Becker Lane Organic Farms is Green City Market’s first Iowa farm, located in Dyersville, just north of Dubuque. Jude Becker’s farm has been in his family since 1850. He raises Heritage Breeds Cheshire White and Berkshire pigs. The animals graze on 100 percent Certified Organic pastures and are supplemented with acorns, corn, and hay in the winter.

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