Sweet Mandy B’s Opens in Streeterville + More Chicago Dining News
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Sweet Mandy B’s has opened a second Chicago location in Streeterville. The beloved bakery with theeee best and fluffiest cupcakes, sweets and more is adding a new space for Chicagoans to get their sugar fix. Sweet Mandy B’s, owned by restaurateur Tommy Wang and his wife Julie Wang, first location in Lincoln Park has been a well-known Chicago staple since 2002. About the the new location the owners said, “we picked Streeterville for the new bakery because we wanted to bring our old fashioned desserts to a totally different neighborhood.” The 2,800 sq. ft. Streeterville shop mimics the look and feel of the Lincoln Park location with its bright pastel tones and white accents is and open space where guests can watch as the sweet treats are prepared, baked, decorated. The new location offers seating for 20 to 25 guests, will offer a menu similar to that of the original location featuring freshly made treats including cupcakes, cookies, small cakes, bars, brownies, and breakfast items like cinnamon rolls, muffins, scones and more. PLUS a coffee program with local Chicago coffee roaster, Big Shoulders Coffee.
–POSTPONED —
This event has been postponed until this fall due to recent global events. We will keep you posted when a confirmed rescheduled date has been announced.
Award-Winning Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park is making his return “home” to Zürich’s Baur au Lac Pavillon Restaurant. The THREE Michellin starred Chef Daniel Humm who recently opened Claridge’s Davies & Brooks restaurant in London will return to the Baur au Lac in Zürich for a special pop-up dinner series from March 17 to the March 21. Humm will host 9-course lunches and dinners with his former colleague Laurent Eperon at the hotel’s Pavillon Restaurant, where both Humm and Eperon spent formative years as chefs. While Eperon stayed and led Pavillon to world-class success – the restaurant was last year awarded its second Michelin star – Humm ventured across the pond and achieved celebrity status with the launch of several award-winning restaurants. This event marks a culinary reunion at the home of two of the world’s greatest chefs, inviting guests to experience Humm’s innovative and refined cooking using locally sourced ingredients. Dinner guests will dine on nine courses plus mignardises, and a wine pairing selected by Marc Almert, the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) Best Sommelier of the World 2019, will be available for an additional charge.
To honor the long-lasting connection between the Baur au Lac and the Children’s Hospital Zurich, at noon on March 18th outside the Baur au Lac, Humm will serve his signature Humm Dogs in collaboration with Zürich’s BÜRKLI Beiz + Kiosk in Bürkli square, donating all earnings from the event to the Children’s Hospital Zürich and the Kinder-Spitex of canton Zurich, a children’s medical care program. Visit Baur au Lac’s website to make your reservation or get more information on Chef Daniel Humm’s Baur au Lac pop-up dinner series.
George Trois & Temporis Team Up For Collaborative Dinner Series
The chefs of critically acclaimed Winnetka’s George Trois and Michelin-starred West Town Temporis, two of the Chicagoland area’s fine-dining restaurants are teaming up this spring on a dinner series that will bring each into the other’s kitchen for the night. For loyal guests of the restaurants, the dinners will be an opportunity to experience an outstanding combination of talent on a micro-level. Chef Michael Lachowicz of George Trois (64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka) will host the first dinner on Tuesday, March 17, welcoming Chef Troy Jorge of Temporis (933 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago). On Tuesday, April 21, Jorge will return the gesture with Lachowicz joining him in the Temporis kitchen in West Town.Each dinner will feature a tasting menu comprised of dishes from each chef highlighting their individual styles, with optional wine pairings. Reservations for both dinners can be made here for George Trois and here for Temporis. The 10-course George Trois dinner will be $215. The 12-course Temporis dinner will be $200.
Mariano’s Launches Tastemaker Kitchen
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like making Fried Rice with Chef Bill Kim? Or hoped that you could take your wine knowledge up a bit if you had a wine tasting session with top sommelier’s Belinda Chang or Spiaggia’s Rachael Lowe? Enjoyed the delicious pasta dishes at Piccolo Sogno and would like to make the Perfect Pasta with Tony Priolo? Wonder and dream no more because your favorite Chicago area grocer destination Mariano’s is brining our fave Chicago area food and bev personalities to their new ‘Tastemaker Kitchen.’ Mariano’s is launching a Tastemaker Kitchen at their West Loop location with interactive classes and demos from Chefs and Tastemakers like Belinda Chang, Carolina Diaz, Cedric Harden, Brian Jupiter, Bill Kim, Rachael Lowe, Lamar Moore, Tony Priolo, Todd Stein and more. The first session will be on Thursday, March 19 and they have sessions lined up through May. Tickets are now available on Opentable.
Mariano’s Tastemaker Kitchen Schedule:
Thursday, March 19, 6 to 7:30 PM, $30
Sicilian Arancini with Chef Tony Priolo from Piccolo Sogno, Nonnina and Maillard Tavern: Learn to make the perfect arancini (aka Rice Ball) with Chef Tony in this hands-on class, which includes wine. Chef Tony will take you through all the steps, provide the perfect recipe and prepare your arancini to enjoy at the class or take home!
Monday, March 23, 6 to 7:30 PM, $30
Celebrate National Women’s Month with Wine 101 with Rachael Lowe, Spiaggia: Taste through six wines with 2020 James Beard Nominated Sommelier and Wine Expert Rachael Lowe from Spiaggia. Rachael will explain various growing regions and varietals. The class will be accompanied by cheese and charcuterie from Mariano’s Specialty Cheese Department.
Thursday, March 26, 4 to 5:30 pm, $30
Celebrate International Women’s Month with Veuve Clicquot: Join Veuve Clicquot Winemaker Marie Charlemagne for a tasting not to be missed! Winemaker Marie Charlemagne will take guests through the history of Veuve Clicquot and legendary Madame Clicquot, as well as sample Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label, Veuve Clicquot Rosé, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2008 and Veuve Clicquot Demi-Dec.
Saturday, April 4, 12 to 2 PM, $30
Fried Rice with Chef Bill Kim of Urban Belly and Table at Crate: Chef Bill Kim will show you how you how to make Fried Rice, a family favorite! This class will be hands on and paired with wines during the class.
Saturday, May 9, 12 to 1:30, $30
Shrimp Toast with Sommelier Belinda Chang and her mom Ardys: Just in time for Mother’s Day weekend, celebrate with Belinda and her mother, Ardys Chang, as they make one of Belinda’s childhood favorites, Crispy Shrimp Toast, at a Cook and Drink with Mom class. And it won’t stop there! They will make their traditional version, as well as air fryer and vegetarian versions along with a few other Taiwanese treats that formed Belinda’s young palate. Tastes of all of the canapes will be paired with wine selections from Belinda, of course.
Maison Louis Roederer to Acquire Fabled Diamond Creek Vineyards
Maison Louis Roederer’s passion for unique terroirs of Cabernet Sauvignon dates back to the early 1990s with the purchase of Château de Pez in 1995 in the renowned Bordeaux appellation of Saint-Estèphe. Now that passion has continued to a new generation in the Maison Louis Roederer family with the acquisition of California’s first exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard Napa’s Diamond Creek Vineyards founded in 1968. “The acquisition of Diamond Creek is the continuation of our journey into the greatest appellations in the world and our relentless quest to produce great wines with strong identity. Reflective of their pioneering characters, Al and Boots Brounstein built Diamond Creek from the ground up, producing some of the most celebrated and singular wines of the region. I am delighted that, once again, we have the opportunity to carry on the opus of an iconic family and embody its values and savoir-faire,” said Frédéric Rouzaud, President & CEO of Maison Louis Roederer. Diamond Creek Vineyards managing partner and son of co-founders Al and Adelle ‘Boots’ Brounstein Phil Ross has agreed to stay at the winery for a period of time. Winemaker Phil Steinschriber, who has been with Diamond Creek since 1991, has also agreed to stay. The majority of the employees, many of whom have worked at Diamond Creek for decades, will also continue there.
The mutual respect and admiration between Roederer and Diamond Creek run deep — in 1997, Al and Boots Brounstein were among a small group of wine luminaries invited to Paris by Jean-Claude Rouzaud, Frédéric’s father, to celebrate the 30 greatest wines in the world on his 30-year anniversary at the helm of Louis Roederer.
Could Chicago Brauhaus make a comeback, to Lincoln Square? German restaurant Chicago Brauhaus that called Lincoln Square home for over 50 years shuttered in 2017 and now thanks for a new GoFundme initiative, it could be making its way back, right around the corner from its former N. Lincoln Ave location. DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, who dedicates themselves to promoting German American culture, has taken on this project because it wants to preserve the legacy of Harry and Guenther Kempf, former owners of Brauhaus. The group has acquired treasured artifacts from the Chicago Brauhaus and has launched a GoFundMe Charity campaign to raise $50,000 for the remodel of their second floor into a place for the beer and pretzels that have been sorely missed since the restaurant’s closing in 2017. Donate to the GoFundMe by visiting the GoFundme page.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken Co-owners and Chefs, Josh Kulp and Christine Cikowski are back with another clucking partnership with the team behind Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits to bring guests a signature sandwich as well as slices of pie to celebrate National Pi Day 3/14. The Chickie Chickie Bang! Bang! signature sandwich, priced at $13 with $1 from each sandwich to benefit Kitchen Possible, features Honey Butter Fried Chicken’s signature fried chicken strips on a Bang! Bang! biscuit, topped with pot pie gravy, Bang! Bang! hot sauce, and pie crust crumbles. The National Pie Day collab pie is the Honey Butter Pie with both specials available from Tuesday, March 10 through Sunday, March 15 at Honey Butter Fried Chicken in store or online.
Dinner With A View Chicago Pop-Up
A unique pop-up experience is coming to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile this spring. Dinner With A View invites guests to enjoy a three-course blind tasting menu while seated in beautiful, intimate clear frameless geodesic domes that have been transformed into terrariums, each highlighting unique terrains found across the world. The event will run from April 1 – May 10, 2020 at Pioneer Court will together amazing views of the city’s stunning architecture and an delicious meal prepared by Chef Dan Smith and Chef Gale Gand. Dome reservations accommodate four to six guests and begin at $79.99 (regularly $199) when guests sign up for the Chicago mailing list and dinner reservations begin at $109.99 per guest. Seating times will be held Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
The Godfrey Hotel Chicago (127 W. Huron Street) will host its 2nd ‘All Day Happy Hour’ to usher in Spring on Friday, March 20 at the hotel’s all-seasons rooftop lounge, I|O Godfrey. In addition to happy hour prices on bites and beverages, with a portion of proceeds benefitting Action for Happiness, I|O will offer raffle prizes, day games, and more.
Special pricing on snacks and sips includes:
· $3 Cotton Candy
· $4 Sweet Potato Fries & Smiley Cake Pops
· $5 House-made Hummus, House-made Pretzels, & I|O Hot Dog
· $6 Truffle Fries, La Marca Prosecco (glass), & Absolut Cocktails
· $7 Blistered Shishito Peppers, Hess Cabernet (glass), & Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc (glass)
· $8 Avocado Toast, Shrimp Tacos, Fried Twinkies, Fried Oreos
· $9 Wagyu Beef Sliders, Rainbow Roll, & Ice Cream Taco
· $10 Margarita Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, I|O Pizza
Latino Food Industry Association, the largest national association representing Latinos, appoints grocery industry veteran Lupillo Ramirez ho head the organization. Lupillo Ramirez, Sr. Director of Innovation and Product Development at Northgate Gonzalez Markets will now lead the nation’s first national association representing Latinos involved in every aspect of the food industry.
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