The multi-course meal featured mini-chicken Milanese; Brussels-and-kale sale, fried green tomatoes, Smith’s signature fried chicken with mac ’n cheese, seafood gumbo (served in a martini glass), and TWO desserts: hummingbird cake and peach-cobbler egg rolls with brown butter ice cream. All of it was incredibly delicious—and I urge you to stop by the market to try these items yourself at 916 W. Fulton Market.
—Seeing stars: Former Bulls player Jimmy Butler and former Bears player Roquan Smith appear poised to join forces to help bring the new multipurpose music venue, restaurant and bar Welcome to the Farm to Chicago (or WTF), per NBC Chicago.
WTF is a music and food venture from country singer and songwriter Chase Rice, and it already has locations in Cleveland and St. Petersburg, Florida. According to Eater Chicago, Drinking Pig BBQ—a Miami export—will provide food at the venue. Butler now lives in Miami as a top player for the Heat.
—An Epic non-profit: Epic Burger CEO David Grossman announced the creation of Hallie225—a non-profit named for his late daughter, Hallie Grossman, who passed away in 2023 from a rare cancer. The organization will hold its kick-off fundraiser, “Sliders and Sliders” on Sunday, July 14, 4-7:30 p.m., in Deerfield’s Jewett Park.
“My daughter was an amazing human being,” said Grossman in a statement. “She’d just applied to medical school and was working her dream job in the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.”
At the event, Epic Burger will be on-site selling food. Guests will have the chance to dance along with a live DJ and watch a youth baseball game. More information about Hallie225 is here and people can RSVP to the event here.
—Deep impact: Through July 21, it’s Plastic-Free Restaurant Week.
Several Chicagoland Lettuce Entertain You restaurants are showing their commitment to the global movement toward cleaner oceans as part of Lettuce’s ongoing partnership with the Shedd Aquarium‘s “Let’s Shedd Plastic” initiative and the international campaign Plastic Free July. Responsibly sourced dishes that are being served include RPM Steak’s burrata with Michigan cherries, RPM Seafood’s warm prawns in olive oil, RPM Italian’s chicken parmesan, Pizzeria Portofino’s sun-dried local tomatoes and The Oakville Grill & Cellar’s burrata. Find out more here.
On a related note, the group Chicago Environmentalists has a list of the city’s most sustainable restaurants. Some of them include Antique Taco, Brightwok Kitchen, The Little Pickle, JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, and Necessary & Sufficient Coffee. There’s also a link about how restaurants can become sustainable—and there’s a list of polystyrene-free restaurants (by neighborhood).
—Sweet relief: Since 1984, July has been National Ice Cream Month.
To celebrate, Beatrix is teaming with local Asian-inspired ice cream shop Kurimu. There are now limited-edition, Beatrix-inspired soft serve parfaits topped with signature Beatrix cookie crumbles as well as syrups and sauces, available exclusively at your nearest Kurimu location. Varieties include Oh My! Caramel, Butterscotch Chocolate, Sakura Strawberry and Beatrix Magic parfaits. Find out more here.
—Roe with the flow: There are at least a couple restaurants celebrating National Caviar Day on July 18.
Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar, 2700 W. Chicago Ave., will actually hold a week (July 15-22)—called “Caviar-a-Palooza”—to celebrate the day. Throughout July, the place will celebrate Uruguayan Constitution Day and honor Polanco Farm and Uruguay’s journey to freedom. Highlights include our “7 Year Anniversary Flight” in celebration of Heritage’s seventh year. See the special menus for July 18 here and RSVP here.
And at Brindille, 534 N. Clark St., people can indulge in a caviar menu paired with Champagne (with half off for the second glass). There will also be a service of 30 grams sturgeon caviar, sustainably raised crumpets and brioche, quail eggs, crème fraiche and chives. Sounds delish, no?
—Tap sheet: The 7th Annual Ravenswood on Tap returns July 20-21, and the craft-beer festival will celebrate Malt Row.
Participating breweries and distilleries this year will include Begyle Brewing, Cultivate by Forbidden Root, Demo Brewing, Dovetail Brewery, Half Acre Beer Company, Hop Butcher for the World, KOVAL Distillery, Is/Was Brewing and Spiteful Brewing. There will also be activities ranging from self-defense demos (from Titan Gym) to axe-throwing (hopefully, not while someone’s drunk). And the many musical acts will include She’s Crafty (Chicago’s all-female Beastie Boys tribute band), The Microphone Misfitz, La Rosa Noir and Lydia Cash.
Located along Ravenswood Avenue between Berteau and Belle Plaine, the festival includes a suggested donation of $10 to benefit small business support and community programming from the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and public art and placemaking projects from the Ravenswood Community Council.
Drop me a line (hot news, tips, etc.) at future3733@yahoo.com.
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