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

A Little Taste of Italian in Lakeview

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Chicago has some great neighborhoods with excellent restaurants. The major "hoods" that I frequent are Bucktown, Wicker Park, Gold Coast, River West, River North and the South Loop. My neighborhood in Lakeview has some pretty darn good restaurants as well. Recently I had the pleasure of dining at another Lakeview standout on North Broadway, Angelina Ristorante.

Arguably one of the best Italian meals that I had in the city, Angelina Ristorante has an intimate vibe with a small authentic Italian restaurant feel. What most surprised me most about the restaurant was their small kitchen, after Executive Chef Fred Ramos gave me a quick peek inside. However, the tight space allows the former Gioco and Room 21 Chef to create tasty dishes from the fall menu that will leave you salivating.

I was fortunate to have Chef Ramos provide a tasting for us, as we started with antipasti dishes like "Antipasti Freddo", a selection of assorted cured meats, pates and cheese, and "Ripieno di Funghi", consisting of jumbo mushroom caps stuffed with baby spinach and crabmeat. Our insalte choices were "Carpaccio di Barbaietole" and "Caprese Autunno". My favorite pasta dish was their "Garganelli con Piselli & Pancetta", a hand rolled penne, crispy pancetta, peas and parmesan cream sauce. You would think that I had enough, but I had to try their signature dish "Brasati di Carne", braised short ribs on creamy polenta. All of my dishes were delectable and provided me flashbacks of my trip to Italy.

Their wine list is extensive and the tiramasu was a treat. The house made limoncello is a guest favorite and and a must try. Ristorante Angelina also has a $20 champagne brunch and a few special dinner specials during the week, which are:

Monday - Half of Bottle of Wine Night

Tuesday - Prixe Fixe (any three courses for $27)

Wednesday - Neighborhood Night (20% off Lakeview Residents)

The restaurant is also available for private parties from 10 - 100 guests.

The next time you're in my "hood" (Lakeview), you might want to stop by Angelina Ristorante to get a little taste of Italy.

Angelina Ristorante, 3561 N. Broadway Chicago, (773) 935-5933. www.angelinaristorante.com

As always, check out Fete Select TV to get an inside look at the newest and best restaurants around the globe.

Labels: angelina ristorante, chicago dining, chicago restaurants, dc crenshaw, fete select tv, fred ramos, italian food, lakeview, nbc 5 chicago