—Pop life: Please don’t forget that I have another column, Pop-Eds, in which I air my thoughts on various hot-button issues. The latest column covers Vice President Kamala Harris, Beyonce’s snub and much more. Please check it out at Andrew449.substack.com.
And now on to culinary items…
—Food for thought: BE SURE to visit the Substack SAVOR with Andrew (future3733.substack.com) to read reviews of Medi Kitchen & Cocktails and ROOH’s tasting menu—and find out why one of those experiences was one of the best of the year (so far).
—Paying tribute: Restaurateur Alpana Singh (who owns the Gold Coast spot Alpana) paid tribute to Chicago performance legend and Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame member Chilli Pepper, who recently passed away.
On Instagram, Singh posted, in part, “She was a fantasy of her own creation and to enter her world was a privilege and an experience one never forgets. I could fill volumes about the gift of her friendship but she would mostly want me to remind you that our next breath is never a given and that we must take advantage of this one precious life that we have been gifted and to live it to the fullest. Her last words to me were, ‘Mary, don’t be sad. I love you, I love you, I love you. Now go have a drink for me.’”
Singh added, “Chilli would also want me to tell everyone to please schedule your health and cancer screenings. Never take your health for granted and please look after yourself and one another.”
According to Windy City Times, Pepper compared her stage persona to Dynasty’s Joan Collins and frequently did numbers by R&B legend Millie Jackson, who complimented Pepper.
—Bunches of burgers: Tatas Kitchen + Social, 5700 W. Irving Park Rd., now has a line of burgers from the now-shuttered VPT Grill, as Tatas now has VPT’s Chef Ivan Resendiz.
VPT Grill actually closed in 2022; it opened in 1968, Block Club Chicago noted.
Among the many items Resendiz is bringing are the Firecracker Burger (Angus beef patty blended with bacon bits, roasted corn and chopped jalapeno, topped with pepper jack cheese, pickled habanero, pickled red onions and cilantro lime mayo); the Blackhawk Burger (beer-battered patty stuffed with cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, beer-battered pickles and avocado aioli), the Birria Burger (Angus beef patty topped with beef birria queso, avocado, pickled red onion and chipotle mayo) and the Mucho Macho Burger (with steak sauce, pepper jack cheese, onion rings, guacamole and grilled jalapenos). Of course, Tatas will still have its tacos, fajitas, empanadas and other menu items.
—You’re an All-Star: Demera will hold its fourth annual fundraising event, “An Evening of Hope: Music & Food for Humanity,” on Monday, Sept. 16, at 6-9 p.m. at Bronzeville Winery, 4420 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
Hosted by Chef Tigist Reda, An Evening of Hope celebrates culture and cuisine mixed with music and food from some of Chicago’s top chefs and industry giants while raising money for a great cause—and there will be an all-star line-up of local chefs. Participants will include Ken Polk (Batter & Berries), Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Arshiya Farheen (Verzenay Patisserie), Diana Davila (Mi Tocaya Antojeria) and Rick Bayless (Frontera/Bar Sotano), among others.
Tickets for An Evening of Hope are $125 each. Proceeds will be donated to Health Professionals Network for Tigray (HPN4Tigray), a non-profit dedicated to helping those affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan and Tigray, Ethiopia. Purchase tickets at this link.
—Celebrate: National Cheeseburger Day is Wed., Sept. 18.
Several restaurants have specials to mark the occasion. Expat will offer its cheeseburger made with angus beef, special sauce, lettuce and onion for $10 (normally $16) during all opening hours; Coquette will offer its “Le Burger” made with Slagel Farms beef, tommy de savoie, onion confiture and house chips for $10 (normally $17); Medi will offer its first related special, with The Kafta Smash” (double lamb patties, sumac onions, pickles on a brioche bun with housemade feta cheese sauce and za’atar fries); and Beatnik West Town (not Beatnik on the River) will offer its double cheeseburger made with angus beef, onion aioli and pickles for $10 (normally $18).
In addition, Dearly Beloved is offering a “Juicy Lucy”-Style Prairie Breeze Cheddar Stuffed Burger Patty that’s topped with bone marrow aioli, short rib marmalade, house pickles and served with salt-and-vinegar potato chips or sub triple-cooked fries, for $21. And if that’s not rich enough for you, Golden Kaluga caviar can be added—for $50 more.
—Green streets: QForce—an LGBTQ+ get-out-the-vote effort focused on Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan—will hold a rally at Bronzeville Winery on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2-3 p.m.
According to Politico, headliners will include Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Alds. Maria Hadden and Jessie Fuentes, Pride in the Pews founder Rev. Don Abram, and radio commentator and Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame member Anna DeShawn. The QForce leadership committee is headed by Jin-Soo Huh, Mary Morten and Greg O’Neill.
—Shake it up: And in another sign of fall, JoJo’s ShakeBAR will launch its annual Pumpkin Patch on Sept. 27.
JoJo’s Pumpkin Patch boasts over-the-top decor complete with plentiful pumpkins of all shapes and sizes surrounding Adirondack chairs. Menu highlights include mini-pot pies made with a creamy bechamel sauce and flaky puff pastry, hearty chili mac ‘n’ cheese, boozy hot chocolates, spiked warm apple cider and the frozen espresso martini—as well as the famous Pumpkin Patch Shake. There will also be activities such as pumpkin painting, Basic Witch Mixology (Oct. 7 and 21), a Milkshake Masterclass (Oct. 13) and a kids Halloween party (Oct. 27).Gulab jamun
Interested people can RSVP at this link.
Drop me a line (hot news, tips, etc.) at future3733@yahoo.com.
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