Restaurants, Concerts, and Games at the Horseshoe Casino

Sunday, November 30, 2008

If you're looking for something different to do this holiday season and want a break from Chicago's hustle and bustle, then you might want to travel to Northwest Indiana. I recently visited Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond Indiana, and was pleasantly surprised to see a first class venue. I dined at their steak and seafood restaurant, Jack Binions, which offers select cuts of prime rib, steaks, veal and seafood. My Kobe beef steak was tantalizing along with a few appetizers and a couple of desserts. The restaurant overlooks Lake Michigan and attracts a lot of casino goers from Indiana and Chicago. The casino also has a few other dining options, including the Village Square Buffet, housing Italian, Mexican, American, Asian and Seafood cuisine.

Horseshoe Casino has 350,000 square-feet of gaming space and 97 tables with games such as Black Jack, Poker, Craps, Roulette, Mini-Baccarat and many more. The casino features approximately 3200 slot machines including the High-Limit Slot Room. There are a few exclusive private lounges for special guests and high rollers. The Horseshoe's gaming room rivals any casino on the Las Vegas strip.

The Venue, the casino's 90,000 square foot entertainment facility, hosts events and concerts. Famous musicians and comedians are showcased weekly. Past performers have included Seal, Liza Minelli, and Bette Midler. Upcoming events will feature Gladys Knight, Jeff Foxworthy and Cedric the Entertainer. The Venue also hosted the World Series of Poker this past October.

The Hammond Horseshoe Casino is about 30-minutes from downtown Chicago via I-90/94 and the Chicago Skyway. For more information log onto www.hammondhorseshoe.com or call 866-711-SHOE (7463).

Labels: chicago dining, chicago restaurants, concerts, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, gambling, horseshoe casino. hammond indiana, jack binions steak house, northwest indiana, the venue

To Dine For By Maddie: The Anticipation of Turkey

Sunday, November 23, 2008

This holiday starts pretty early for me - precisely the day during the first week of October that the Thanksgiving issue of Food and Wine magazine arrives in my mailbox. From this day up to the last Thursday in November, I am constantly planning, thinking about, and gearing up for my most favorite day of the year: Thanksgiving. Countless lists are made, discussions are had and eventually negotiations begin between my mother and I as to how I will be permitted to revamp her fabulous feast. Before I go on, I'd like to give her a little more of a shout out. This day is truly special to me because of the great lengths my Mama goes through to put out the most perfect Martha Stewart worthy meal and ambiance every single year. Be it the 25-50 family members we may be hosting, the three kinds of turkey (roasted, barbecued, and deep fried), the cornucopia centerpieces, or the no less than 5 different varieties of pies - it is one awesome event.

I am genuinely thankful for my family and as I have become involved in the culinary world, I feel that I owe it to them to add that extra wow factor to an already great meal. This is something I have learned to "tread lightly" around so as not to belittle all of the efforts that have always gone into our successful Thanksgivings. Eventually, a compromise is reached and this year our fete will include a turkey with black truffle butter and fragrant herbs rubbed underneath its skin and it will feature a somewhat traditional stuffing -with a homemade porcini paste mixed in for an earthy essence and studded with pancetta (no Turkey day of mine could EVER be pork free :).  The first of what I hope to be a yearly mashed potato "throwdown" will be had between my older cousin Chuck and I. I will be making Robuchon-style potatoes (fingerlings with a ton of butter and cream) and he will hopefully be making his famous Manchego mashers. I will concede that my Mother and her sisters vetoed my enthusiasm for a butternut squash bread pudding but hey, there's always next year! I'm thinking as an extra treat I will infuse my own vodka with macerated cranberries, orange peels, and tahitian vanilla beans - it was a big hit a few years ago. Stay tuned to hear about what other wacky last minute additions to the meal I come up with, and of course the results of the Throwdown!

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Fashion Forward by Renae: Changes on the Magnificent Mile

Thursday, November 20, 2008

This year as you venture out to do your holiday shopping or go to see the lights on Michigan Avenue, you may notice some changes. Some new stores have opened, others have moved locations and others have closed. The transformation will continue in 2009, as additional stores move in. Here's the scoop:

American Girl Place, which moved into the old Lord & Taylor store in Water Tower Place, has opened its doors to thousands of little girls looking for dolls and doll accessories.

Michael Kors has opened a lifestyle boutique at the 900 N. Michigan Shops. Another Kors store in the same location will open in 2009 and feature the designer's collection line.

Cusp, the hip boutique from Neiman Marcus, is now open in Water Tower Place.

Zara, Spanish clothing retailer with numerous international locations, will give H&M some competition with its new outpost at 700 N. Michigan Ave. Zara is rehabbing Chicago Place, and the upper floors will feature a hotel.

Talbot's is closing (Zara takes its place in the same location).

Columbia Sportswear will open a retail space at 830 N. Michigan Ave. in late spring of 2009.

As Michigan Avenue continues to transform over the years, Chicagoans can always count on the Magnificent Mile as one of the hottest spots to find new shopping destinations--it's even worth fighting a little tourist traffic to get there.

Labels: chicago, fashion, shopping

An Evening of Fine Wines From Around the World

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The best wine event of the year, an evening of wines and eclectic hors d'oeuvres to please your palate.

Featuring 4 tasting stations and open bar

LUSH will pour12 wines, including champagne, whites, and reds that span the globe.

New this year isGoose Island's boutique beer station. Come learn about the sophistication of beer and food pairing.

You and your guests will enjoy a beautiful display of food and passedhors d'oeuvres.

An evening to participate in live and silent auctions to support children's education. A relaxing evening after work to support a resource that has helped kids and their parents for over 45 years.

Join the Sue Duncan Children's Center Foundation Board and Auxiliary Board at The University Club of Chicago for our annual fundraiser.

Thursday November 13th, 2008.

6:30 pm Wine & Hors D'oeuvres

8:00 pm Live Auction

It's all for the kids!

log onto www.sueducanchildrenscenter.org for tickets.

Labels: charity event, chicago events, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select tv, goose island brewery, LUSH wines, sue duncan childrens center, wine event

Fashion Forward by Renae: Holiday Parties

The first couple weeks of November are like the calm before the storm. Sooner than we expect, we'll be in the middle of Thanksgiving meal preparation, shopping for holiday gifts, traveling to visit our family and friends and making the rounds to all of those holiday parties. Even if your office has chosen to forego the holiday party due to the economy, there's sure to be plenty of get-togethers that will need your RSVP ASAP. There are two essentials that you'll need to ensure you're prepped for this year's round of soirees: good host/hostess gifts (for house parties) and a few fabulous dresses to wear (or suits for the guys).

Instead of bringing the typical bottle of wine to a party, why not stand out with a fabulous foodie gift? My suggestion is to visit The Spice House (1512 N. Wells) in Old Town for a themed spice gift box. For about $20 you can get a box that contains four full jars of unique spice blends. (Hint: If you buy 10 or more gift boxes you'll get 15 percent off during the month of November.)Walk down the street to Old Town Oil (1520 N. Wells) for oils and aged balsamic vinegars from around the world. Rumor has it they're going to carry smaller gift size bottles for the holidays. Perfect!

Now that the hostess gift is figured out, what are you going to wear? Guys, now is the time to sport your finest attire. Put away the jeans and go for a suit! Why not? Just be sure it fits properly. If you're short on time, pay a visit to Halo for Men (21 W. Elm St., 3324 N. Clark St., 1655 N. Damen Ave.) to get your hair trimmed plus custom tailoring right in the salon from Halo's partner, Custom Suits You.

Ladies, still searching for that fabulous dress? Head to Wicker Park and visit Le Dress (1741 W. Division St.). Hate it when you go into a store to find a dress and there are only a few to choose from? Not at Le Dress...it's a clever dress-only boutique. If you can't find "the" dress here, well, you're just out of luck.

To get a jump start on your holiday outfit, come meet the owners of Le Dress this Thursday, Nov. 13, at the weekly Diva Series at Madame Tartine (22 E. Hubbard St.) from 7-11 p.m. Sip on kir royales as you get complimentary holiday style consultations and enter to win Le Dress giveaways!

Renae Placinski is the managing partner of Maven LLC, a hybrid publicity and promotions company featuring clients in the lifestyle industry. From fashion to restaurants to nightlife, Maven is on the cutting edge of what's going on in Chicago and beyond. Visit www.maven-chicago.com for more information.

Labels: chicago, fashion

20 Regions of Italy in River North's Ristorante Prosecco

A trip to Italy may not be on your travel agenda in the near future, especially with the state of the economy. However, thanks to a new River North Italian hot spot, you can experience Venice, Italy right here in Chicago. Ristorante Prosecco is a chic yet unpretentious white table cloth restaurant in the heart of the River North gallery district. Prosecco offers sophisticated, regional comfort foods from Italy's 20 regions, as well as the largest selection of Italian sparkling wine in Chicago. The interior of the restaurant was designed based on the beauty of Venice and the and the soft color of a glass of Proseco.

Executive Chef Mark Sparacino created Prosecco's menu to be seasonal and offer the finest foods from Italy. Their appetizer, salad and entree selections are plentiful and done very well. An appetizer menu favorite is the Capesanto con Brasato, a diver scallop stuffed with braised short rib of beef served on a bed of saffron risotto, shitake mushrooms and carrots. Their house made pasta and risotto are remarkably savory and popular. A couple of their notable pasta dishes are the Orecchiette Tartufate, served with wild mushroom, artichoke heart, sun-dried tomato, and black truffle cream and their Roasted Duck and Goat Cheese-Filled Ravioli. Proseco's meat and fish dishes such as the Full Rack of Lamb and Pistachio Crusted Halibut keep customers returning for more. The Tiramasu and Torta di Mele, a baked apple layered pastry tart, are two of at least six house made desserts that Prosecco offers.

Prosecco's extensive wine list is divided into two categories, sparkling and still. They offer some of the best and finest Italian wines in the country. They are Chicago's first proseccheria, a wine bar devoted to the enjoyment of Italian sparkling wine. Prosecco is planning to host several Italian sparkling wine dinners to showcase their flavor and versatility.

Ristorante Prosecco is located at 710 N. Wells St. in the River North gallery district. They are open for lunch and dinner. Check out Ristorante Prosecco at www.ristoranteprosecco.com. As always, watch Fete Select TV to check out the newest and best restaurants in Chicago.

Labels: chicago dining, chicago gallery district, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, fete chicago, fete select tv, italian food, new restaurants, ristorante proseco, river north chicago

To Dine For By Maddie: Pork Belly Pride

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

As anyone who has read my blog knows, I have found serious pleasure in the delicacy of pork products. This penchant for pork has only increased over time - until this week. While in the kitchen of the restaurant I work at the Sous Chef disposed of a pig's head right in front of me. Seeing the obvious horror in my face he looked me straight in the eye and said "What? You can eat it's belly but you can't look at his face?" Visibly shaken, I spent the rest of the evening pondering his very poignant comment regarding my recent elevation to pork fiend, and I decided it was time that I give a pig my respect. It was time I cooked me some pork belly.

After calling every grocery store and butcher (apparently there are only Kosher ones) on the North Shore, I finally had my old friend at Poeta's Food Market (520 Greenbay Road, Highwood) on the case. Being that a butcher must buy the entire belly, approximately 10-12 lbs, he needed to find someone who wanted the 8-10 lbs of excess. To his surprise, that same day a woman called looking for some pork belly - and suddenly, I was in business!

Now, I have had pork belly just about every single way this month alone making the second hardest part of this whole project deciding how I would cook it. Should I turn it into a corned pork belly Reuben as Mindy Segal does at Hot Chocolate? (1747 N. Damen, Chicago) Should I brine it and use it for sandwiches as they do at C-House and on Alton Brown's pork belly episode of Good Eats on the Food Network? No. I will marinate and braise it as Chef Giuseppe Tentori (Boka and Perennial) did for last night's March of Dimes event, and hopefully make the most out of the two lbs of pork belly I now have in my possession. This slab of belly complete with the pink skin of the piggy I have repeatedly forgotten was always attached to that luscious belly.

I will admit, I got teary handling the belly on my own. Ok fine, really teary. As it sits in the basement refrigerator of my parent's home marinating in an Asian influenced concoction I still can't shake the guilt. The question is, when I see it all tender and crispy skinned and lacquered with sauce -will I even remember this moment? I'm not sure because its still marinating, but a very wise Chef told me the following: "It's just pork. If you think about it rationally, it was a pig rolling around in its own (insert favorite synonym for feces) a few days ago". How appetizing.

**Above, is a delectable piece of crispy pork belly topped with Corn Nuts (yes, like from White Hen Pantry) and served with a tasty plum compote from the new menu at Graham Elliot (217 West Huron)

The Impossible Made Possible!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It happened! I'm speechless, amazed, excited, elated, shocked and emotional. It's surreal that Barack Obama is our new President. Let me put this in perspective on how personal this is to me and many others who were there from the beginning over four years a go.

For those of you who have been a part of eFete for sometime, you know that we started on an improbable journey a while back. Many of you didn't know his name. In-fact, most couldn't pronounce his name. When Barack announced his run for the U.S. Senate no one gave him a chance. A State Senator with no name and no money. Friends that were connected politically told me that he wouldn't have a chance to win. Since I hadn't been involved in politics before, I didn't know what to expect. But I remember sitting down with Barack for lunch eight years a go discussing politics and our backgrounds and thinking that this guy was no ordinary politician. Therefore, I wasn't sold on what the experts had to say. In his headquarters downtown Chicago, with about 15 other folks, we discussed and planned his first fundraiser. His strategy and vision at that time was very clear and precise. He wanted to have a snowball effect on his campaign where folks would start to get excited about who he was and what he stood for. That momentum and excitement would then spill over to others, and so on, and so on. It worked and proved all of the naysayers wrong. He catapulted onto the national scene at the 2004 DNC and captivated a nation with that speech. I saw him the next week at the gym and said "Barack, that speech!". He said with a grin and a smile, "D.C. did you like that?" He inspired a nation and started something special. Many of you were there. It's personal!

Barack announced that he was running for President of the United States of America. Again, naysayers were asking, "What is he thinking?" Okay, he won the U.S. Illinois Senate, but President? Is America ready for a black President? Most folks didn't think so, but those of you that were there from the beginning knew better. His campaign strategy was no different from his run for the U.S. Senate. He inspired folks and got the snowball effect rolling. Americans understood who he was and what he stood for. Young folks got involved and people wanted a change. It wasn't about race it was about results. Everyone started to believe that "Yes We Can" and it made a difference. Barack was never about politics but about people. He is a man that cares about people that happens to be a politician. It was evident from my personal one-on-one interactions with him and during his campaign tour. It's personal!

We respect all Obama non-supporters and their differences on political views. But, whether you are an Obama supporter or not, you have to acknowledge his road and arrival to the White House was historic and unprecedented. The journey that started in homes like mine in Chicago that moved to large crowds in Missouri, North Carolina and Florida, inspired many and prompted a change. His message hit home with the majority and gave hope to the minority. It's personal!

Last night I stood in the middle of Grant Park with my arms folded reflecting on what this means. People were in the streets chanting "Yes We Can", "Yes We Can". It was surreal and the tears started to flow. So great for our country and the rest of the world. I can now tell my 3 month old son that the impossible is truly possible. I saw his vision from the beginning and many of you did also. My friend, Barack Obama, the next President of the United States of America. Yes, it's personal!

Labels: african americans, barack obama, bon v chicago, chicago politics, dc crenshaw, election 2008, fete select tv, first black president, president of the united states, presidential election

Fashion Forward by Renae: A Visit to Evanston

Looking for a different neighborhood where you can spend an afternoon shopping? Take a look at our northside neighbor Evanston. Accessible by El or Metra, Evanston's downtown area is a melange of brand name shops (Gap, Urban Outfitters, World Market, North Face, Ann Taylor, etc.) and independent boutiques. Throw in several dining options, and you've got the perfect destination to shop, browse, eat and enjoy a leisurely walk in a nice community.

I recently visited Evanston and found some spots that you should check out--especially as you're looking for holiday gifts for friends and family. One of my favorite boutiques is Asinamali (yep, strange name), located at 1722 Sherman Ave. Women's clothing, accessories and shoes are available, including many well-known labels such as Tulle, Free People, Michael Stars and Frye. Offering a fun, casual atmosphere, Asinamali's prices can be moderate to a bit high, but you're sure to get unique items and enjoy your time shopping here.

Fashion Tomato (1631 Sherman Ave.) may be just down the street, but offers something completely different. Check out this boutique if you're looking for trendy items but not any particular label. Reasonable prices make this shop a place to check out for an impulse purchase--maybe a cute top for a girls' night out?

If you're on the hunt for the perfect accessory, check out the Evanston outpost of Francesca's Collections (1706 Maple Ave.) While Francesca's has a few locations in downtown Chicago, every store has a different layout. Make this your last stop--you're bound to find the finishing touches to complete that new outfit you bought earlier.

Perhaps you're seeking unique gifts or just something different for yourself. Check out Ethical Planet, an all-vegan shop that's sure to carry any "green" item you may seek. Located at 111o W. Davis St, Ethical Planet has been around for just two years, but has amazing, eco-friendly options that should keep it open for a long, long time.

To complete your indie shopping trip, visit Vintage Vinyl Records. There are still a few of these hidden gems out there! Stop by Vintage (925 Davis St.) to pick up hard-to-find records and other music-related stuff you thought may have been lost for good because of those pesky big box retailers.

These are just a few of the options Evanston has to offer. Why not make a day trip out of it and check it out for yourself?

Renae Placinski is the managing partner of Maven LLC, a hybrid publicity and promotions company featuring clients in the lifestyle industry. From fashion to restaurants to nightlife, Maven is on the cutting edge of what's going on in Chicago and beyond. Visit www.maven-chicago.com for more information.

Labels: chicago, fashion