In addition to my usual theater, arts, and culture events, the next few weeks will also bring several interesting, significant, food-related events, many of which I will probably be excitedly blogging about. On Thursday, March 27, BFF Linda and I are going to the joint 10th year anniversary celebration of One SixtyBlue and Green City Market. I still remember those early days in 1998 when One SixtyBlue first opened in a desolate stretch of Randolph Street and was better known as Michael Jordan’s “fancy restaurant” (I’m not sure if Jordan is still involved, but he was a co-owner back in the days). Has it been ten years already? (Well, looking at my closet bulging with pants that I remember wearing in 1998 but which now serve as, uhmm, lovely lining for the closet’s shelves…yeah, it’s been ten years, and a dozen-gulp, at least-or more pounds, already!). One SixtyBlue over the years has gotten over this initial association it was known for (although being associated with Jordan is not a bad thing for anyone) and strengthened its reputation as one of the exceptional fine dining restaurants in the city (and a much lower profiled one than, say, its peer Blackbird, which opened the year after) thanks to the solid, creative cooking of Martial Noguier. With Green City Market as part of the mix, this cocktail party is turning out to be a promising one, with fresh, organic, sustainable produce from the Market being used both in the food Noguier is serving during the event (I heard there is going to be a Capriole cheese sandwich, yumm) as well as in an “interactive” cocktail station (well, does interactive mean I can pour myself a tumbler, or two, or six, of organic pomegranate sidecar? Gawd, I’ll be channeling AbFab’s Edina and Patsy once again!). In addition, there will be organic, biodynamic wines served as well as a roving fashion show by eco-friendly boutique, Pivot (bamboo palazzo pants anyone?). Watch out for my recap of the event, which will benefit Growing Home, which provides homeless people with employment opportunities in urban agriculture.
I’ve missed the past couple of Sunday Dinner Club events due to various travel and work commitments. As my devoted blog readers know, I am a passionate and tireless advocate of this underground (well, I prefer to call it ephemeral) restaurant run by the talented chef trio of Christine, Josh, and Jason. Organic, seasonal, sustainable, and small producer food is the focus and they always put together exciting, fantastic menus and a guest list of some of the more interesting people walking the streets of Chicago for these dinners. Next week, blog mentor Tom and I are going to Fried Chicken Night, a first for the Sunday Dinner Club, which will showcase organic chicken and homemade sausages. It should be quite a memorable night yet again.
Last week I received one of the strangest, most cryptic, most maddeningly obtuse invitations I have ever gotten. Thanks to a particular foodie blog I frequent, I received an email invitation from Homaro Cantu (yes, that Homaru Cantu, who has, together with Alinea’s Grant Achatz, put Chicago on the global map for cutting-edge gastronomy; and yes, that Homaru Cantu who mercilessly beat Iron Chef Morimoto in the Battle: Beet on Iron Chef America…obviously, it’s one message I am going to archive!) to attend an event at Otom, Moto’s sister restaurant, sometime in late April. I can’t divulge anything else (since I barely know anything about it anyway) but it’s supposed to be quite a rockin’, surprise-filled event. If the invitation, which contained a sentence written backwards and a mysterious time slot, is any indication, this event should be as exhilarating as a moon walk, a bungee jump, and escaping from a forest fire wearing Jimmy Choos combined! Oooohhhh….it’s so DaVinci Code, I love it!
Thanks to my friends Dulce and Greg in San Francisco (Greg works for Gourmet magazine), BFF Debra and I will be attending the Gourmet Wine Cellar Chicago at the Field Museum on May 15. It’s quite the showcase for the best of Chicago dining (Alinea, Moto/Otom, Sepia, One Sixtyblue, Tru, Vie, Naha, MK, Nomi, and Blackbird/Avec are all participating - I might just levitate with excitement!). I am sure there will be foodies galore chowing down and boozing up and social wannabees galore inhaling the scene and boozing up, but more importantly, the event benefits the American Institute of Wine and Food which advances food education in the country. I’ll be wearing my skinny jeans to make sure I don’t overeat and get stuck in one of Sue the Dinosaur’s vertebraes!
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