—And I quote—“The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.”—Soccer/football great Pele
—Buy design: Fulton Market Design Days will return June 8-10, bringing together more than 80 leading brands, immersive pop-ups and a neighborhood-wide celebration.
Design Days will run throughout Fulton Market from Halsted Street to May Street, with the main welcome center at Morgan Street and Fulton. Among the activations will be The Beaudega, which features seven companies showcasing innovative products and services from fabrics to furniture.
—Drag doll: To mark Pride Month, there will be a public program at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in collaboration with Venezuelan drag artist Dahlia, also known as The Caribbean Diva, taking place on June 9.
As part of the exhibition Dancing the Revolution, the MCA hosts a public karaoke series every Tuesday at 5-9 p.m. In addition to this event, Dahlia performs monthly at Roscoe’s Tavern and Scarlet Bar in Northalsted (formerly Boystown), and appears regularly at Sidetrack during its “Let’s Go! LATIN” nights.
And now on to culinary items…
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RESTAURANT PICKS: With June being Pride Month, I turned to NAACP Image Award-winning queer comedian Tee Sanders for her restaurant choice—and she provided two.
“I’ve been a vegan since 2016 and I like Kale My Name, which is in Albany Park,” Sanders stated. “It just has damn good food. The other spot I really like is Soul Veg City. That was the first real representation of vegan culture in Chicago, and they’ve been around for about 40 years.”
BTW, the Chicago White Sox’s Pride Night will feature, among other things, a very special item. The first 700 ticket purchasers will also receive an official White Sox Pride at the Park Freedom Hat with their purchase specially designed by Sanders.
—Sommar time: The 60th annual Andersonville Midsommarfest is taking place June 12-14along Andersonville’s Clark Street corridor.
This year’s festival will feature more than 40 music and entertainment acts on four stages. Food and beverage vendors will include Avrom Farm, Bad Johnny’s, Baked Cheese Haus, Beard & Belly, Blackhawk BBQ & Seafood, Bust Outs, Byron’s Hot Dogs, Cafe Tola, Chills Italian Ice, Daboul Avenue, Genoa Italian Concessions, Home Bakery & Dumpling House, Ice Cream Social, Kin Sushi & Thai, La Cebollita, Lee Concessions, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Onigiri Kororin, Quang Noodle, Sfera, Snowie, Sweet Crunch Tanghulu, Tasting India, Uvae & Aura and Yum Dum Truck.
Admission to Midsommarfest is a $10 suggested donation. Admission packages and VIP tickets are on sale in advance at andersonville.org/midsommarfest.
—Open secret: Hannah’s Bretzel is teaming with Chef David Posey and the team at West Loop’s Danish fine-dining concept, Elske, to craft the latest addition to Hannah’s “Chef Series” sandwiches: the Pølser.
Pølserwas a “secret menu” item available only for in-person orders at Hannah’s Bretzel locations but it has now officially launched in-person and for online ordering. Named after the Danish word for “hot dog,” the Pølser plays on the classic staple, offering an elevated, European-inspired twist to the dish; the new sandwich is made with shaved rosemary ham and roast beef, sourced from Illinois’ very own Slagel Farms in partnership with Publican Quality Meats.
Also, 10% of the Pølser’s proceeds will go toward First Tee, an organization that aims to empower Chicago children through golf.
—Along for the Pride : Throughout June, Cesar’s Killer Margaritas will be featuring its Pride-Rita—a blend of strawberry, lime, mango and blue curacao.
One dollar from every Pride-Rita sold will be donated to Howard Brown Health, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit providing affirming healthcare and mobilizing for social justice as agents of change for individual well-being and community empowerment.
Also, Cesar’s Killer Margaritas is along the Pride Parade route, and will be opening at 9 a.m. on the day of the Pride Parade (Sunday, June 28), offering margaritas to go.
—Along for the Pride, part two : Alma at Hotel Zachary, is celebrating Pride Month with its featured cocktail, the Brick & Ivy—a blend of gin, blueberry, lime and matcha foam. In support of the queer community, a portion of proceeds from every cocktail sold will benefit Center on Halsted.
—What’s at steak: RPM Steak is hosting its 10th Annual Beefsteak: The Invitational on Saturday, June 13, at noon-2 p.m.
In honor of its 10th year, RPM Executive Chef Partner Bob Broskey has invited a roster of guest chefs from around the country to bring their own interpretations to Beefsteak. Chefs Zach Midgett (Omaha’s Casa Bovina), Javier Bardauil (Vegas’ BARDA), Josh Smith (D.C.’s Bourbon Steak) and Anthony DiRienzo (Chicago’s Bazaar Meat) will join Broskey to offer guests tastings of world-class steaks, signature tableside service and curated cocktail pairings.
Tickets are available for $175 per person, plus tax (gratuity not included).
—Summer camp: BridgeTogether Foundation, the central social initiative of Buona Companies—parent organization to Chicago dining icons Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone—announced the launch of its inaugural summer camp for children with autism, presented in partnership with the Riley Center.
The camp will run from Monday, June 15 through Friday, July 24, at 2500 Cabot Dr., in Lisle, offering afternoon sessions at 1:30-5 p.m. for campers ages 5 through 13. The weekly tuition is $150. For more information visit www.bridgewithus.org or complete the registration form here.
Until next time, remember that so much more dining news and specials are at SAVOR with Andrew.
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