—All that jazz: Chicago Line Cruises, in partnership with the Jazz Institute of Chicago, announced their Sunday Jazz Cruise series. Taking place on the last Sundays of July, August and September, the 90-minute evening cruise pairs performances by acclaimed local jazz musicians with scenic views of the Chicago River and downtown skyline.
Departing from the Ogden Slip at 5:30 p.m., the cruise offers live jazz while cruising through the heart of Chicago aboard the Ft. Dearborn, one of Chicago Line Cruises’ signature vessels. Tickets start at $65 for adults and $35 for children, and are available at www.ChicagoLine.com.
And now, on to culinary items…
SPOTLIGHT: A small spot you might want to check out is Queen Yemeni Coffee, in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood at Lawrence Avenue and Broadway (once the longtime location of a Starbucks).
—Sour power: Sour-candy lovers made history as Chicagoland’s Candycopia, officially earning a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for hosting the “World’s Largest Sour Candy Tasting.”
A total of 625 participants puckered up simultaneously to achieve the title in celebration of National Sour Candy Day on July 18, as candy enthusiasts took part in a guided candy tasting hosted on the athletic fields of Ridgeland Commons in the Explore Oak Park and Beyond region of Illinois. Participants braved three increasingly sour candies: a Cry Baby® Sour Wax Bottle Mini Drink, a BUBS® Sour Tutti Frutti Rhombus and a Barnetts™ Mega Sour—considered one of the world’s most sour candies.
—”Dance” fever: Details have been confirmed for this year’s Chicago Gourmet, powered by Invesco QQQ—a series of events over Sept. 23-27 that has the theme “Let Your Tastebuds Dance.” For more information, be sure to visit SAVOR with Andrew.
—All mixed up: There seems to be some confusion about the cause of the gastrointestinal illness cyclosporiasis.
According to Axios, Taylor Farms—which voluntarily recalled shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico—said that the FDA had “made a mistake” with a “false positive” on a sample of its lettuce. However, the FDA said on X the false positive “DOES NOT change the basis for FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data” linking Taylor Farms to the outbreak.
The CDC is still urging people to avoid recalled products—including at Taco Bell, which says it has removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants. But, as one can imagine, that business and other chains that use/sell lettuce have taken financial hits recently.
—Moving on: The foundation behind the James Beard Awards is looking for a new host city after its Chicago run.
According to a press release, “Through a formal Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the Foundation will select the U.S. destination that will host the annual James Beard Awards® from 2029 through 2033, giving cities across the country the rare opportunity to welcome America’s foremost celebration of culinary excellence. The RFI is the first step in the process; after the RFI process has concluded, destinations selected to move on to the RFP stage will be notified in mid-August.”
People can access information about the RFI/RFP process at jamesbeard.org/awards/awards-host-city. The decision of the next host city will be made early next year and Portland (Oregon, not Maine) has already entered the fray.
—Of note: Lollapalooza is coming to Chicago’s Grant Park on July 30 through Aug. 2—and there are some restaurants that are offering specials:
- Sweetwater Tavern & Grille—not too far from Grant Park, at 225 N. Michigan Ave.—is offering cocktails such as Bulleit With Butterfly Wings (Bulleit Bourbon, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, lemonade and soda) and Man I Need (Sazerac rye, Cointreau, charred syrup and orange bitters).
- On July 30-Aug. 3, the River North spot I|O Godfrey will have The Lolla Pop Fizz—a cocktail crafted with Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru, Martini & Rossi Fiero, Coastal Rosé Spritz, raspberry sorbetto and Pop Rocks.
- Available now through Aug. 3, LondonHouse Chicago (85 E. Wacker Dr.) will be serving a refreshing Watermelon Red Bull Margarita, crafted with Don Julio Blanco, watermelon Red Bull, Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar.
—On the flip side…: Lincoln Park’s The Dime bar, 2263 N. Lincoln Ave., has been shut down after a fatal shooting took place there, ABC 7 Chicago noted. Officials said that Malik McCorkle, 30, died at Illinois Masonic Hospital.
“I am grateful to Superintendent Waller for understanding the ongoing public safety threat of this bar, and taking the rare step of a summary closure order,” 43rd Ward Ald. Timmy Knudsen said. The closure will last up to six months.
—Ace of ‘Race’: Food Channel’s The Great Food Truck Race will kick off its new season on Sunday, July 26 (streaming the next day on HBO Max).
Host Tyler Florencewill lead the route starting in Nashville and through the Great Smoky Mountains, with the season culminating in an action-packed finale on Sunday, Sept. 6, from the legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, where only one truck will be awarded a $50,000 grand prize. Among the eight competitors is Waffadilla, from Hampshire, Illinois; the business consists of Shawn Peterson, Madison Peterson andGavin Mari.
—The wing’s the thing: National Chicken Wing Day is Wed., July 29, and Cesar’s Killer Margaritas has a killer deal on its alitas (wings).
The spot is offering half off its wings (dine-in only), which include five styles: birria, mole, tamarindo and tomatillo sauce, tamarindo chipotle cheese, and chile de arbol and mango sauce.
- Also, National Chicken Wing Day also falls on Bandit‘s Wing Wednesday, meaning guests can enjoy $1 wings all day long. Also, the casual spot offers The Trifecta—three wings, a Miller High Life and a shot—for just $10 during happy hour (4–6 p.m. daily).
—A piece of (cheese)cake: In honor of National Cheesecake Day, Eli’s will be handing out free slices at Seneca Park on Thursday, July 30, starting at 12:30 p.m. while supplies last.
—Bird members: Rosemont restaurant CIMA and Chicago’s Honey Butter Fried Chicken have teamed for a limited-edition collaboration—the Honey Butter CIMAwich—that will start Aug. 1.
The sandwich (at CIMA) contains fried chicken strips, classic honey butter, harissa hot honey, house-made pickled veggies and candied Fresnos. Past and current CIMA collaborations include Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Publican Quality Bread and Molly’s Cupcakes as well as Chef Collaboration dinners with acclaimed talent such as Kevin Hickey, Paul Virant, Paul Kahan and Bill Kim.
—The Odd squad: Odd Produce, headed by professional forager Dave Odd, holds tours throughout the year—and all over Illinois.
On Aug. 1-2 and 8—there will be, respectively, the Forage & Feast mushroom-focused survival camp at The Land of Odd in Beaverville (about 80 miles south of Chicago) and Eat the Parks: Dawes Park, in Evanston. (In the latter, attendees are guaranteed to learn about at least 50 edible plants and mushrooms.) Call or text Dave at 847-409-8623 if there are questions, etc.
Remember that you can get a lot more news, interviews, etc., at SAVOR with Andrew.
Until next time…