—Hurricane relief: On Oct. 6, the Gold Coast barbecue restaurant Chicago q was the site of an extraordinary example of efficiency and generosity.
Over just a few days, Chicago Chefs Cook organized a fundraiser to help those affected by Hurricane Helene in Florida and, specifically, the city of Jasper, which is Chef Art Smith’s hometown. Smith noted that his husband, Jesus Salgueiro, is in Florida feeding victims—and Smith took time to thank not only the chefs/restaurants with stations at the fundraiser but also Prairie Grass Cafe Chef Sarah Stegner, who spearheaded the fundraiser.
Besides the extraordinary food and drinks, a highlight had people not only donating money on the spot (from $10 to $500) but also bidding for dinner with an unnamed A-lister (although Smith said she’s an Oscar-winning actress who went to Yale and is from Florida). Two people ended up bidding $1,300 each—and Smith awarded them with two dinners, with one dining with the A-lister and the other dining with a “sexy leading man,” per Smith.
To make a donation, visit this link.
—Mac attack: On Oct. 9, I was part of a media/influencer contingent invited to McDonald’s headquarters to try the Chicken Big Mac.
The sandwich—available for a limited time only (and I was informed that, in the UK, the sandwiches lasted 10 days)—comes with chicken patties that are par-fried and then fully cooked in restaurants. McDonald’s U.S. Menu Senior Manager (R&D, Beef and Chicken) Wayne Kuhl and U.S. Menu Manager Yue Ji talked about the new sandwich and took the group step by step through the Chicken Big Mac’s preparation. Also, McDonald’s archivist Mike Bullington showed us just a few of the items he’s collected over the years, telling me that the most expensive item he’s been connected with is founder Ray Kroc’s diamond ring.
And how is the new Big Mac? It’s absolutely delicious—but messy (because, in part, there’s more Mac sauce than in the original Big Mac). (If I were home alone eating it, I’d feel a lot more comfortable.) And people asked if it’s a Big Mac. In my opinion, as long as the fixings and formation are there, it’s a Big Mac; in theory, you could have brisket, bison, turkey and even vegetarian versions of Big Macs. (By the way, if McDonald’s proceeds with any of these ideas, I claim 5% of the profits.)
BTW, did you know that before there were Chicken McNuggets, they were … Onion McNuggets?
—VIG Time: The Legacy Hospitality team announced the opening of a new location of their flagship concept, The VIG, in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
The VIG West Loop is now open at 312 N. Carpenter St. The new venue is the second location for the 1950s-themed sports parlor, joining the original The VIG Old Town; it is the fourth location for the Legacy Hospitality portfolio. Dinner offerings include elote deviled eggs; roasted oysters with bacon, spinach spread, yuzu butter and parmesan bread crumbs; watermelon salad; The Vig Burger (with American cheese, tomato, pickle and horseradish dijonnaise); bone-marrow ribeye; fried miso-glazed whitefish; salt-and-pepper pork; Sicilian crab cakes; and many other options.
—Here’s to awareness: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—and many spots are offering specials to mark the occasion and/or raise funds for research.
Select Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants are donating a portion of proceeds from signature menu items to two charities fighting to end breast cancer: The Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation’s Chicago’s In Good Taste and The Pink Agenda, an organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer research and care. For example, $1 from every order of Bub City’s Strawberry Milkshake will be donated to The Pink Agenda; $1 from every purchase of Mon Ami Gabi’s almond raspberry macaron sold benefits Chicago’s In Good Taste; $1 from every order of RPM Steak’s 14K Chocolate Cake will be donated to The Pink Agenda; and $1 from each of Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!’s Sangria del Día sold benefits Chicago’s In Good Taste.
The Goddess and Grocer (various locations) has brought back its Boobies For A Cause Cupcakes, and a portion of the sales will go to The Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation.
Guests of Four Entertainment Group bars in Chicago can sip for a cause and support Breast Cancer Awareness Month through Oct. 31. The bars include aliveOne in Lincoln Park, Central Park Bar in Avondale, Easy Bar and Estelle’s in Wicker Park, Remedy in Bucktown, The Owl in Logan Square and the recently opened Lincoln Square spot The Getaway. One dollar from every “Karen’s Pink Cake” cocktail sold during the month of October will be donated to the Karen Wellington Foundation. The drink ($14) features citrus vodka, Frangelico, lemon juice, simple syrup and a splash of grenadine in a coupe glass rimmed with pink sugar and garnished with a lemon.
Tatas Tacos (various locations) and a sister concept, Tatas Kitchen + Social, have set up Tatas Foundation, an established 501(c) non-profit, with a goal of fundraising to help provide testing kits, and further help with removal and reconstruction, with a focus on helping the uninsured. In October, all Tatas Tacos locations will be donating a portion of proceeds from the horchata drink and the Frida Taco—made with grilled garlic chicken, guacamole, pickled cabbage and pico de gallo—to the foundation.
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Sweet Mandy B’s in Lincoln Park and Streeterville will feature a special pink vanilla iced brownie ($6) for the month of October. One dollar from every brownie sold will be donated to Lynn Sage Foundation Chicago’s In Good Taste Campaign.
—The “Eat” is on: The annual event “Eat and Evolve”—which benefits The Evolved Network—will take place Monday, Oct. 21, 6-9 p.m., at eden, 2734 W. Roscoe St.
If it’s anything like last year’s event (which I was fortunate enough to attend), it will be a night of fun. The evening will feature incredible food and drink, a program on the impact of The Evolved Network’s work, the introduction of two inaugural awards, a tribute video celebrating the life of Chef Felipe Hernandez and a live auction.
Chef Sebastian White, founder of The Evolved Network, will be joined by such contemporaries as Chefs Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Arshiya Farheen (Verzenay), Tigist Reda (Demera), Lamar Moore (Bronzeville Winery), Paul Virant (Gajin; Visto Prime; Petite Vie), Christian Hunter (Atelier), Darnell Reed (Luella’s Southern Kitchen) and many others. Tickets can be purchased at this link.
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—Run house: Congrats to everyone who completed the Chicago Marathon, no matter how you did it. And thank you to all the volunteers.
—GIVEAWAY!: The deadline for the Friends: The Complete Series giveaway is nearing.
I’m giving away one copy of Friends: The Complete Series, which is on 4K Ultra HD. This ultimate collector’s set includes more than 110 hours of content—including all 236 original broadcast episodes released for the first time in 4K Ultra HD, plus more than 20 hours of extra features (including all-new bonus content)!
All you have to do to qualify is to be a paying subscriber (for less than $5/month) to either SAVOR for Andrew (future3733.substack.com) or Pop-Eds (Andrew449.substack.com). The deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 15. Good luck!