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Things To Do This Weekend in Chicago

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:01:58 +0000

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve Editor

Looking for something to do this weekend? Something where you can have good food and drinks? Want to have the added bonus of doing some good?

Well, I have the event for you!

Via Facebook:

Please join us at the James Hotel, on 11/22/09 from 4-7:30 to help show our love and support for our good friend Jeffrey Hemmings. As our dear friend continues his healing battle with Germ Cell Cancer, we want Jeff to know how much we all love him and that he only needs to focus on getting better. To that end, we are getting together to raise money for Jeff to cover his expenses until he can get back to the normal business of life.

We’ll gather for a late afternoon of joy to celebrate and laugh in his honor. There will be a cash bar and appetizers, as well as a raffle. We’re asking for a $20 donation to attend the event, and ask that you bring your hearts and your checkbooks! Our friend needs our help.

The specifics:
When: Sunday, November 22nd 4:30 – 7:00pm
Where: The James Hotel (Great Room) 55 E. Ontario, Chicago, IL 60611
Cost: Door Donation $20 includes buffet.

Purchase tickets and/or donate here:

http://helpinghemmings.eventbrite.com

You have the option of donating and/or buying tickets at the EventBrite page. If you would like to donate, you decide the amount you would like to contribute. The system will then tack on an EventBrite service fee to cover the cost of credit card processing.

If you’re buying tickets, you need to simply choose how many you want.

You do not need a paypal account to buy tickets or to donate. Please let us know if you have questions.

We’re also offering raffle tickets for purchase at the event as well as a cash bar. All proceeds will go directly to Jeff.

Please RSVP so that we know how many to expect!

Thanks,
Mark, Rachael, and Jeff

If you have dined with Kevin and I at David Burke’s Primehouse, chances are you have met Jeff. He is a great guy and deserves our support. Kevin, Rory and I will be there… Hope to see you too!

Dead Soldiers

MTB — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Gretchen Neuman
VinoVerve, Editor

Here are some of the wines that we consumed with our Christmas feast. Before you get too judgemental, there were five adults at dinner and it was a leisurely dinner. Most of the wines that we had were red, including a Tablas Creek Syrah, a Warm Lake Estate Pinot Noir (which didn’t get photographed) but also a Riesling from Luxembourg. These wines were drunk with my homemade Turducken (a chicken stuffed into a duck and then stuffed into a turkey), salad, scalloped potatoes, Cajun dressing and creamed spinach.

After dinner, it was coffee, a cranberry and orange trifle (made with pannetone) and my homemade liqueur, Fiori di Sicilia…

I hope that your holiday feasts turned out as well!

Happy Holidays!

Taking a Flight for Lunch

admin — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:02:00 +0000

Kevin and I love to eat out.

Stop snickering those of us who know us… yes, it is obvious.

Usually though, we have trouble getting out of the neighborhood for lunch. As my daughters are getting older and able to stay in the house for a couple of hours without burning the place down or practicing their knife skills on each other. (knock on wood) We decided to take a chance.

July 12th we stopped for lunch at David Burke’s Primehouse. This restaurant has been the site of many a family dinner. Dinner that have been blog worthy (see Maman) because of both the food and the hospitality.

That week we enjoyed a special that they ran at the restaurant. They called it the 777 Luncheons. 7 Wines from 7 regions for $7. I was there for Spain day and loved it!

We started out with a Llopart Rose Brut Reserva Cava. It was light and full at the same time, rich with fruit. Then we moved on to a Do Ferreiro Albarino Rias Baixas, a white from Galicia that was dry and tasty but a trifle light for me during a meal. But I can imagine drinking it at a summer party.

Then came our favorite. The Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos “Roble” Ribera del Duero, it was full bodied and smooth and so tasty that we were very sorry to see the end of it. To balance this out was a fuller tempranillo in the more typical and macho style, the Rotllan Torra “Reserva” Priorat. The Vinas del Cenit was wonderful and tasty… a complete delight.

Finally was the Jorge Ordonez Malaga wine. This wine I loved as much for the taste as the story behind how it is created. Apparently this section of Spain is so dry that the grapes are allowed to dry. Don Ordonez has 5 different levels. The wine that we drank was a level one! Unlike other wines of this type there is no botrytis to sweeten/dry the grapes because the Malaga region where it is produced is too dry to develop the mold. The wine was wonderful. It was sweet and delicious without being cloying.

Over all the wine flight to Spain was amazing and better yet? All the proceeds went to charity, Common Threads. Their mission is is to educate children on the importance of nutrition, physical well-being and to to teach them to appreciate the world’s culture by experiencing their food.

The rumour is that David Burke will host another week of 777 lunches sometime in December. I can’t wait to see what they have planned then!