—Pop life: Please don’t forget that I have another column: Pop-Eds, in which I air my thoughts on various hot-button issues. My latest Substack has my take on Blake Lively, the DNC, the gay GOP and the movie Alien: Romulus. Please check it out at Andrew449.substack.com.
And now on to culinary items…
—Applause, applause: My latest recommendation is the Gold Coast spot Alpana.
Owned by the one and only Alpana Singh (the former host of the WTTW show Check, Please!), this restaurant offers “wine-inspired cuisine,” which aims to calibrate dishes according to a sommelier’s palate—which makes sense, since Singh is a master sommelier.
A recent visit featured such tasty dishes as hamachi crudo and truffled mac ’n cheese—and this was at the bar. Also, the patrons and staff there have to be the friendliest I’ve encountered in some time. As soon as people seated next to me departed, other people materialized—and, at the time, the place was far from being packed. Current dishes include smoked bacon-and-corn tagliatelle, New Zealand venison loin, and watermelon-and-arugula salad, among many other offerings.
BTW, Alpana now offers weekend brunch at 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Then, you’ll find offerings like blueberry “cheesecake” French toast, crab cake Benedict, avocado toast and a chicken pesto melt.
—Mix ’n mingle: Also on Sept. 5, the Chef BBQ 2024 returns for its 22nd year in Lincoln Park itself, at 1817 N. Clark St., at 6:30-9 p.m.
More than 100 of Chicago’s top restaurants, brewers, winemakers and mixologists provide tasting portions of locally-inspired dishes and craft beverages highlighting ingredients from Green City Market’s local, sustainable farmers. (The market currently takes place there on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.)
By the way, Chef BBQ’s not just about barbecue; there will be fresh, peak season flavors and vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Just a few of the businesses participating are Duck Sel, Antique Taco, Carnivale, KOVAL Distillery, Sunda New Asian, Prairie Grass Cafe, eden, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Tubers Donuts, Off Color Brewing, Big Jones, Galit, The Dearborn, Luella’s Southern Kitchen and Mon Ami Gabi.
General-admission tickets start at $159 each; visit this link.
—Port authorities: The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) welcomed five new concessions to Terminal 5 (T5) at O’Hare International Airport during a series of grand opening events: Publican Quality Bread, Six Points Market, Metropolis Coffee Company, InMotion, and BLVD & Branch.
Publican Quality Bread is operated by HMSHost and a part of the Chicago-based One Off Hospitality Group that specializes in whole-grain, long-fermented baked goods. Six Points Market is a Chicago-themed store (that sells such items as snacks, souvenirs, books and more) named after the six points on each of the four stars appearing on the City’s official flag. Metropolis Coffee Company operates four Chicago locations, including its 18,000 square foot headquarters along the North Branch of the Chicago River. InMotion is the world’s largest airport retailer of electronic products, while BLVD & Branch features locally-themed accessories from brands such as Frango Mint Chocolates and ChiBoys.
The new concessions join recent T5 additions Bar Siena and The Hampton Social, with new locations for controversial franchise Chick-fil-A as well as Protein Bar & Kitchen set to open later this summer. Currently, O’Hare has 230 concessions locations, including 38 inside T5.
—School daze: Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario St., invites everyone for a fun-filled afternoon with the Museum of Ice Cream on Sunday, Aug. 25, 12-4 p.m. to celebrate going back to school.
The event is FREE to attend and features ice cream scoops from the Museum of Ice Cream, games and surprises while at Hard Rock. There are also two specials—10% off for full-price tickets to go to the Museum of Ice Cream (by using the code 964306FC before Aug. 31) and kids can eat free with the purchase of an entree at Hard Rock.
Reservations can be made here.
—Dog day afternoon: On Aug. 26, 4-6 p.m., The Patio at Cafe Brauer will host a special Happy Hour event in honor of National Dog Day.
This celebratory gathering aims to support PAWS Chicago and offers an afternoon of fun, refreshments and canine camaraderie. Attendees can sip on refreshing cocktails (or mocktails) and enjoy stunning views of Lincoln Park, while their fury friends can will enjoy complimentary dog treats and have the chance to choose a free toy to take home.*
This event is free and open to the public, although donations to PAWS Chicago are encouraged.
—Chop to it: Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille (which has various suburban locations) will celebrate National Pork Chop Day (Aug. 27).
The menu includes Perry’s pork favorites and the new bacon brittle-and-cream dessert. Other choices during the four-course-for-$44 dinner include smoked salmon crostini, broiled seafood-stuffed mushrooms, white bean pork chili, the Lunch-cut Perry’s Famous Pork Chop, chicken Oscar, vegan skillet chopped steak, orange vanilla cheesecake and lemon bars, among other items.
—Stoned love: Brownie Mary Day takes place annually on Aug. 25, per a press release for Swifts Edibles (based in Washington and California). At the forefront of the edibles movement was Mary Jane Rathbun, also known as “Brownie Mary.” At one point, Rathbun worked at the AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital, where she made nearly 600 brownies a day for those who needed them. HIV/AIDS patients found that cannabis increased appetite, eased suffering and slowed their high-speed weight loss. Her work helped set the precedent that cannabis-infused edibles can be used in tandem with modern medicine to help ease the symptoms of certain health ailments.
Drop me a line (hot news, tips, etc.) at future3733@yahoo.com.
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