Fest-ed interest: Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts announced The 3rd Annual Summer Mela will take place Saturday, July 12, 12-8 p.m., at the Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens, 1801 S. Indiana Ave.
There will be live music (headlined by local funk-fusion band Funkadesi) and dance, along with South Asian cuisine, retail vendors, independent artisans, and hands-on arts and craft activities for kids and adults. The 3rd Annual Mela is free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $15 per person.
And now on to culinary items…
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SPOTLIGHT: A new monthly column is debuting on SAVOR: Foodie Fast Facts, courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer. Below are a few items that may blow your mind:
- Sugar cane wasn’t known to this continent until the 15th century, when Christopher Columbus brought it to the Caribbean. Before that, early Native Americans with a sweet tooth used maple syrup, corn products they processed, and fruits and berries as treats.
- Aerosol cans like those used for whipped topping and oil spray were not around 100 years ago. Aerosol cans first appeared in 1927.
- Your basic average cup of dirt contains zero calories.
- In medieval times, the object we now know as a “pie” was known as a “coffin.”
- The sandwich was not invented by the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The making of a sandwich was known in the first century B.C., and it likely goes back much further than that, since the invention of bread happened some 30,000 years ago. The Earl of Sandwich only lent his name to the object.
—Bar none: The Rogers Park spot The Glenwood Bar was ordered to close recently when Chicago police officers conducted a “premises check” and discovered the bar’s state liquor license had expired, Block Club Chicago noted. The officers also issued a citation during the visit.
The Glenwood’s closure also happened as owner Colm Treacy failed to secure city permits to hold the Pride North festival, a Pride Month street party that takes place annually outside the bar. Ald. Maria Hadden emphasized that she was not responsible for the denial of permits, adding that “CPD and the City did because the organizer failed to complete his application,” she stated on social media. The only initial statement Pride North organizers made was a Facebook post saying, “Pride is on. Inside Glenwood Bar we will survive.” The post was met with backlash from people upset the street festival was cancelled.
—Radicle idea: The Daisies Chicago team—Owner/Executive Chef Joe Frillman and Partner/Pastry Chef Leigh Omilinsky—announced its second official concept, The Radicle, which will open in the original Daisies space at 2523 N. Milwaukee Ave. in the fall.
The Radicle (which is named after the first root that emerges from a seed) is a new drinking spot bringing together everything the team loves about coastal Italian drinking culture and good ol’ fashioned Midwestern hospitality. This spot will bring back $10 apertivo-style cocktails by two-time Tales of the Cocktail/Top 10 regional nominee Nicole Yarovinsky and late-night vibes.
However, food will also play a prominent role. The menu includes items such as deviled eggs with trout roe, crispy lake perch with whitefish tonnato, and artisanal pizzas topped with everything from fennel sausage to chèvre and summer peaches. There’s a tight selection of fried snacks as well as vegetable-driven dishes that acknowledge Daisies’ roots, like golden raisin-dressed pepper carpaccio and heirloom tomatoes paired with olive oil-poached albacore.
—Kama’s family: The Indian restaurant Kama, which I recently spotlighted, is expanding by bringing its vibrant cuisine and atmosphere to—where else?—the West Loop.
This will be the third location, following the initial one in LaGrange (which has been around for 16 years) and the restaurant in Wicker Park. Founder Vikram Singh said in a statement that being in the West Loop has always been part of the vision, adding, “I still remember saving $10,000 to open a restaurant 20 years ago, and now we’re talking prime West Loop. Welcome to the American Dream.”
The new spot is slated to open later this summer.
—Down on the farm: Farm Bar now has happy-hour specials.
Happy Hour runs Monday through Thursday at 4-6 p.m. at both the Lake View and Ravenswood locations. Specials include half-priced cocktails (like the Blueberry Hill, crafted with blueberry lavender shrub, rum, Brown Dog Farm honey syrup and basil), beer and wine; and half off appetizers such as roasted sakura pork belly, with onion purée, chow chow, apple cider-Brown Dog Farm honey glaze and cilantro. In addition, kids younger than 12 eat for free with the purchase of an adult entree.
In addition, Farm Bar is debuting The JohnnyMac—a crisp, semi-dry, gluten-free cider made from a unique blend of 17 apple varietals. The mix includes renowned European cider apples like Dabinett and Tremlett’s Bitter, paired with American favorites such as Liberty and Redfield, all grown at owner-owned Brown Dog Farm.
The JohnnyMac is considered a heartfelt tribute to Farm Bar’s very first investor: John McEneany, a proud South Sider, City of Chicago plumbing inspector and dear friend to the Farm Bar family who helped plant the very apple trees that now yield this cider. In honor of his legacy, 100% of The JohnnyMac cider sales through July 8 will be donated to Mobile Care Chicago, a nonprofit near and dear to McEneany that provides free, high-quality medical care to low-income children through mobile clinics.
—Pop(-up) life: On Sunday, July 13, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., stop by The Goddess and Grocer in Bucktown (1649 N. Damen Ave.) for a limited-edition pop-up in partnership with locally owned Verdant Place in celebration of the Bucktown Garden Walk.
A limited number of walk-up bouquets will be available for $45, but pre-sale orders are strongly encouraged. Save $5 by ordering in advance at www.verdantplace.co/croissant and use the coupon code GARDEN at checkout. The pre-sale lasts through July 10.
—Hour town: Avondale restaurant eden has launched a happy hour, available Wednesday through Friday at 5-6 p.m.
The menu channels the restaurant’s signature seasonal, greenhouse-forward ethos, featuring garden-inspired cocktails and bites made for sharing (or not). Feel free to sip a Blackberry Mule or Lavender Fizz while partaking of chips and dip (a choice of French onion or pickled spring onion hummus), shrimp lumpia (similar to egg rolls) and mozzarella sticks.
—Outside the box: The next chef to take over Michelin-recognized TenGoku Aburiya‘s Bento & Co. series is Julius Tacadena, who’s chef of the Filipino-Hawaiian bodega concept Kanin.
Tacadena is joining the all-star lineup of bento box collaborators, who have included Chef Chris Jung (Maxwells Trading), Chef Lee Wolen (Boka) and Chef CJ Jacobson (Aba).
Expect Almeda kalbi ribs, purple sweet potato mac salad, assorted tempura and a sweet potato-avocado maki roll topped with crunchy garlic and spicy tuna. It’s all rounded out with tamago, a ginger and seaweed salad, steamed rice and miso soup—all for just $20. This will be available for dine-in or takeout during weekday lunch hours (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) at TenGoku on July 15-25.
—Phorm and function: Here’s a recommendation: Phorm Energy Drink.
This drink—which features natural flavors, green tea extract for caffeine and electrolytes for hydration—is the result of a collaboration between St. Louis companies Anheuser-Busch and 1st Phorm. Adding to the momentum, UFC CEO Dana White has also invested in the brand.
Phorm is available in four flavors: Blue Blitz, Orange Fury, Grape Smash and Screamin’ Freedom. Phorm Energy is available for consumers aged 18+ on its website and will soon be hitting retailers nationwide.
That’s the news for this week. Be sure to come back next week for more tasty treats!