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Thursday, May 31, 2012
New York: Five Reasons To Visit The Bronx
It's the only New York City borough connected to the US mainland and it's packed with things to do and see. Here's five of the best reasons to visit...
Don?t miss the Arizona Summer Spaaah Series
Without fail every summer, local resorts and spas offer ridiculous discounts on their various spa and pampering packages.� The cr�me-de-la-cr�me of beautification and relaxation hotspots are participating in a summer long event to not only ramp up business in their slow summer months, but also to raise money for the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. Though [...]
Source: http://www.rentcafe.com/blog/cities/phoenix-az/dont-miss-the-arizona-summer-spaaah-series/
A FREE Taste of Panera Bread
Panera Bread wants you to be its Valentine. To win your heart, all Chicagoland caf�s are offering a free taste of some of its new menu items, including coffee, bread and sweets. To get the goods, text BREAD to 46786 between today and Valentine?s Day, February 14. Don?t worry ? we absolutely won?t text additional [...]
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Style, substance happily co-exist in sweet 'Moonrise Kingdom'
The contradiction inherent to all Wes Anderson films — the juxtaposition of the meticulous artificiality of the settings and the passionately wistful emotions that are longing to burst free — is at its most effective in a while in "Moonrise Kingdom." The director and co-writer's tale of first love feels at once deeply personal and universally relatable.
Source: http://dailyherald.com/article/20120531/entlife/705319984/
Five New Places to Eat in Washington DC
Did someone say food? Head to Washington DC now and you'll be able to enjoy all these new restaurants AND soak up spring at the National Cherry Blossom Festival...
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St Lucia: A Family Travel Guide
St. Lucia is not just a magnet for weddings and honeymoons. If you're travelling as a family, St. Lucia will reward you with rainforest adventures and water-based fun...
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Express Your Love at Sam and Harry?s on Valentine?s Day
If you?re in the market for a memorable Valentine?s Day dinner, look no further than the warm, inviting atmosphere and superior dining experience at Sam & Harry?s. From Friday, February 12th until Sunday February 14th, Sam & Harry?s in Schaumburg will offer a creatively crafted three-course menu to stimulate the senses. With seasonal ingredients, the [...]
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Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/local-restaurants/seafood/sam-harrys-v-day
10 Commandments for freshmen renters
These tips for success have divine results for you college newbies. Take these tips to heart and advise your friends when looking for your first apartment. Thou shalt have no other priorities before me. As a student, look for housing that?s near campus and functional. Avoid aiming for costly party pads that will only be [...]
Source: http://www.rentcafe.com/blog/featured/10-commandments-for-freshmen-renters/
June theater guide
Weather this gorgeous and we're suggesting you spend part of your night inside? Actually, yes.
These seven theater companies aim to lure you indoors with new comedies, musicals and specialty shows, all of which kick off in June. And really, how can you pass up Power Rangers burlesque, Chicago-centric productions, asci-firock extravaganza, a revenge comedy, a five-program theater festival and a Shakespeare-Godfather mash-up?
Space Invasion: An Epic Rock Benefit
The Scooty & JoJo Show explodes onstage with scenes and songs from "Alien Queen," their campy original rock opera parody of "Alien" films set to songs by rock band Queen-featuring a live band and 35-member choir-interspersed with sci-fi-themed burlesque sets from Battlestar Fantastica. Doors open at 9 p.m. and extra- terrestrial costumes are encouraged. Proceeds benefit The Scooty & JoJo GoGo Legit Campaign.
Go: 10 p.m. Friday at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St.
Tickets: $20-$25 (18+); scootyjojo.com; metrochicago.com; 773-549-4140
"Corleone: The Shakespearean Godfather"
Here's an offer thou canst not refuse: The Bard meets "The Godfather" in Commedia Beauregard's witty original mob tale in which characters from the classic Mario Puzo novel and Francis Ford Coppola film-Michael as a prince, Fredo as a fool-create a poetic bloodbath of betrayal, vengeance and honor in iambic pentameter.
Go: 7:30 p.m. Friday through June 24 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Tickets: $25; 773-404-7336; greenhousetheater.org
"Immediate Family"
Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad-yes, that Phylicia Rashad, from "The Cosby Show"-directs local playwright Paul Oakley Stovall's dramedy in which secrets come to light when a South Side Chicago family reunites in their Hyde Park home for the first time in five years.
Go: 8 p.m. Saturday through Aug. 5 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.
Tickets: $20-$54; 312-443-3800; goodmantheatre.org
Sketchbook: Reincarnate
For its 12th annual play festival, Collaboraction changes up the format-in addition to one program of signature short-short plays, there's a program of three mid-length shorts plus three full-length pieces: "Honeybuns," a physical comedy-performance art show; "[f�r] women," a movement, song and poetry work inspired by Nina Simone's "Four Women" song; and "A Day in the Unweeded Garden," a dance-theater piece which explores Shakespearean characters Hamlet and Ophelia. Bonus: See all five programs June 9-10.
Go: June 6 (various times) through July 15 at Collaboraction, 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave., third floor
Tickets: $20; $10 for students; $65 for five-program pass ($35 for students); 312-226-9633; collaboraction.org
"Eastland: A New Musical"
The world premiere of Lookingglass artistic director Andrew White's musical saga, which re-imagines the 1915 Chicago ship disaster in which hundreds of passengers lose their lives-and unexpected heroes emerge. The production, based in part on events from Jay Bonansinga's book, "The Sinking of the Eastland: America's Forgotten Tragedy," also features an early American folk music-inspired score by Ben Sussman and artistic associate Andre Pluess.
Go: 7:30 p.m. June 6 through July 29 at Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave.
Tickets: $24-$68; 312-337-0665; lookingglasstheatre.org
"Exit, Pursued by a Bear"
Theatre Seven of Chicago mounts the Chicago premiere of a revenge comedy by Lauren Gunderson ("The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog") in which a mistreated wife ties up her jerk of a husband, surrounds him with venison and lures in a neighborhood bear for a snack-with help from her two best pals, a female stripper and a sassy gay friend.
Go: 7:30 p.m. June 7-July 15 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.
Tickets: $20-$30; $15 for students; 773-404-7336; theatreseven.org
"Go-Go Power Rangers: A Mighty Morphin Burlesque"
Devious monster, giant robots-and of course, skintight spandex-star in Gorilla Tango Burlesque's newest sexy geek show. And just in case it occurs to you to ask if there's a plot: yes, there is. Villainess Rita Repulsa hatches a devious plan to set the town of Angel Grove against the Power Rangers, but they unite to kick her butt-while shaking their own, of course.
Go: 11:59 p.m. June 8tktk through June 27 at Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Tickets: $20; 773-598-4549; gorillatango.com
Virgin Atlantic?s Perfect Pout
Virgin Atlantic and bareMinerals are giving passengers a taste of the high life this summer with the creation of a bespoke lip product - the first collaboration ever for both brands...
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Express Your Love at Sam and Harry?s on Valentine?s Day
If you?re in the market for a memorable Valentine?s Day dinner, look no further than the warm, inviting atmosphere and superior dining experience at Sam & Harry?s. From Friday, February 12th until Sunday February 14th, Sam & Harry?s in Schaumburg will offer a creatively crafted three-course menu to stimulate the senses. With seasonal ingredients, the [...]
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Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/local-restaurants/seafood/sam-harrys-v-day
Virgin Atlantic?s Perfect Pout
Virgin Atlantic and bareMinerals are giving passengers a taste of the high life this summer with the creation of a bespoke lip product - the first collaboration ever for both brands...
If you liked this, you might also like...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vtravelledblog/~3/OZBvWml3iLc/
Spectacular Night at The Big Easy
We would like to invite you to join us for a spectacular night of great food and spirits at The Big Easy. Located in the heart of Chicago?s Hyde Park neighborhood, The Big Easy delights guests with delicious Creole, Cajun and barbecue favorites with unique twists and lots of southern hospitality. Known for their bright [...]
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Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/chicago-bars/spectacular-night-at-the-big-easy
'Cliff Walk' is chilling murder mystery
In his Edgar Award-winning first novel, "Rogue Island," Bruce DeSilva introduced readers to the affable Liam Mulligan, a crime-solving Rhode Island metro reporter for the fictional Providence Dispatch. Mulligan, an old-school newspaperman with a taste for whiskey, cigars and irreverent humor, returns in the chilling murder mystery "Cliff Walk," whose sometimes violent plot...
Source: http://dailyherald.com/article/20120530/entlife/705309981/
The Winner of the best burger this year, ?The Oscar?
Patty Burger knows this sandwich will make you famous! What makes a burger the best of the year? What makes it Oscar-worthy? How about taking an all beef patty and putting Swiss, provolone, and cheddar cheeses, saut�ed onions and mushrooms, avocado slices, bacon and Patty sauce? That is what makes up Patty Burger?s The Oscar. [...]
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Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/local-restaurants/hamburgers/best-burger-this-year-chicago
Vancouver: Five Unmissable Summer Events 2012
With just over a month to go until our inaugural flight to Vancouver, we've been taking a look at what's coming up on the city's calendar this summer...
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Get Social with Chicago Food Blog
The Chicago Food Blog is growing online and we would like you to join us! Our Twitter account is booming with nearly 6,500 followers and growing. If you would like to visit our Twitter account click here > http://twitter.com/chicagofoodblog. To join Twitter click here The Chicago Food Blog is also on Facebook with a Facebook [...]
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- A Few Tools to get any Food Blogger Rolling on the Web There are many tools of the trade that have helped...
Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/my-food-blog/info/chicago-food-on-facebook-and-twitter
Stanley?s Kitchen ? Staying True to the Neighborhood Bar
I dare you to find something on this menu — and especially the specials menu — to where you don’t lick your plate clean. Even though our portions are HUGE the majority of our food gets finished and there is a reason why everyone takes home the rest if their stomachs prove smaller than their [...]
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Source: http://www.chicagofoodblog.net/chicago-bars/stanleys-kitchen-menu-specials
Los Angeles: Great Activities for Kids
If you're planning a family trip to the City of Angels this summer, here's our guide to the best kid-focused activities on offer in LA and the surrounding area...
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Child's play
Red and yellow rubber balls whiz back and forth across the gymnasium at Blaine Elementary School in Lakeview, smacking against the polished cinder-block walls and stinging exposed arms and legs.
No, this is not an afternoon gym class full of third-graders. These are grown men and women chucking balls at one another-and paying for the privilege as part of the Chicago Sport and Social Club's adult dodge ball league.
Steve Healy, 28, of Noble Square has been playing for the past five years.
"It was almost a joke at first," he said, "but now actually a lot of my friends have come from playing dodge ball."
Teammate Mike Vertucci, 32, of Evanston, said nostalgia initially drew him to the league, but it's become more than that.
�"I've been playing for so long now that I don't think about it like that," he said. "I definitely play more now than I did in grade school, but that's because I'm no good at real sports."
Count them both among the growing ranks of young professionals in Chicago and across the country who are eager to relive their childhood through organizations, events and other activities that tap into the fond memories they have of the '80s and '90s.
Organizers at Chicago Sport and Social Club have registered six times as many dodge ball teams this year as they did in 2009, but they're not the only ones offering up a slice of childhood to the hungry masses. Grown-up proms, like the ones hosted by Chicago nonprofit 826Chi, regularly sell out and feature wacky themes such as "Prom Hanks" or "Keep Promme and Carry On." There are even adult summer camps, such as the ones hosted by Singles Travel Service in Connecticut, which offer Millennials another swing at mastering balloon toss and arts and crafts.
It's easy to dismiss all this as one generation's desperate attempt to hold on to the last shreds of childhood, but experts say the tendency toward all things throwback is actually part of a broader trend of global economic uncertainty that has young professionals jonesing for a time when their lives were much simpler.
"People in their late 20s and early 30s are experiencing many life transitions," said Clay Routledge, psychology professor at North Dakota State University. Routledge has spent the last seven years studying the function of nostalgia in the brain, and he says people are most prone to nostalgia during periods of high stress and uncertainty.
"Our research shows that these sort of uncertainties trigger nostalgia because nostalgia restores a sense of security and a sense of comfort," Routledge said.
Chicago Sport and Social Club president Jason Erkes has witnessed this phenomenon firsthand. Childhood sports have proven so popular in recent years that Erkes is considering expanding the options he offers.
"There's a huge interest in what we call flashback sports," he said. "We've contemplated adding Wiffle ball and bombardment onto the list, but right now kickball and dodge ball are really popular with young professionals as a way to kind of go out and relive that childhood memory."
Mark Braunstein has known about the power of fond memories for a while. To him, it just makes sense. That's why he created a summer camp for adults 11 years ago.
"It's everything you did as a kid just now doing it as an adult," Braunstein said. "It's sort of an obvious connection to cast it as a time capsule."
The camp in southern Connecticut hosts singles in their 20s and 30s during various weeks throughout the summer. Campers sleep in cabins outfitted with bunks, eat in a dining hall, play volleyball and make arts and crafts. Braunstein has seen a steady increase in campers during the past decade, and the camp has spawned imitators in the Midwest.
"Essentially it's exactly what you would imagine it to be if you'd been to camp as a child," Braunstein said.
The 'Nick' effect
Marketing research professionals are no strangers to the allure of nostalgia. Re-envisioning retro cartoons such as "Transformers" as blockbuster movies preys on the wallets of young professionals who are prone to nostalgia. Nickelodeon jumped on the bandwagon last summer, when it launched the "90s Are All That" programming block featuring shows from the '90s like "Kenan and Kel," "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Doug."
"It was really in response to the audience," Teen Nick General Manager Keith Dawkins said. "I think we here at Nickelodeon started to recognize that this group of 20-somethings were kind of galvanizing the digital space by talking about the Nickelodeon that they grew up with."
Since the block took over from midnight to 2 a.m. in June, ratings have skyrocketed. The viewership in that time slot has doubled in the past year, and the total daily average of Nickelodeon viewers ages 18-34 jumped �75 percent, according to data provided by the network.
"Nickelodeon was one place completely committed to the idea of where kids rule, Dawkins said. "That was a really powerful idea for kids at that time."�
Source: http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-red-nostalgia-surge-20120731,0,3123828.story?track=rss
Seeking a room with a view
As if the real estate battle in San Francisco wasn?t already ugly enough, our hosting obligations for the America?s Cup sailing competition next year just made it even uglier. Turns out that the people coming to town to watch the race, most of whom happen to be quite well-heeled, have a distinct desire not to [...]
Source: http://www.rentcafe.com/blog/cities/san-francisco-ca/seeking-a-room-with-a-view/
Worst Phoenix first date spots
Dating is seriously hard enough.� I don?t even think it?s fair to say that getting to and going on the first date is the most difficult part; I?ve had enough long-term relationships to know better than that.� What I can say for sure that the first date is pretty crucial in deciding whether or not [...]
Source: http://www.rentcafe.com/blog/cities/phoenix-az/worst-phoenix-first-date-spots/
Monday, May 28, 2012
Celebrate Mother?s Day in Chicago and its Suburbs
Tweet Celebrate mom this year by taking your pick of amazing Chicago Mother?s Day specials and events from brunch and dinner as well as some good old fashioned family time fun.� See what is available to help you lavish mom … Continue reading
Wise words from Barbie
My name is Barbara Millicent Roberts, but you can call me Barbie. My hair hasn't changed in more than half a century; my breasts are now perkier than ever. I am 53 years old.
You could say I'm a cultural icon. Andy Warhol once painted me, and I've been in a couple of movies with Tom Hanks. I married someone I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with, but he wasn't who I thought he was and took off in my pink convertible, never to be seen again.
I lived in Malibu with my friend Stacy for a while in something I can only call a dream house. But the hot sun was making my skin melt, so I moved to Chicago. I heard the improv scene was really good here, and I do have some acting experience, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Turns out, they want more than just a "pretty face," so I've been keeping a relatively low profile these days-living in a penthouse in the Gold Coast and doing a lot of yoga. I'm also working on my memoir-it's called "I No Longer Love Shopping and Pizza"-and dating a much younger man. I haven't told him my real age-what's the point? He wouldn't believe me anyway.
My life had been going pretty smoothly, until I saw HER: Valeria Lukyanova, some sad 21-year-old Ukrainian girl who is going around telling everyone that she's me.
I get it. Some people think of me as a role model-practically every woman (and some men) I've met says she loved me when she was growing up. But to actually become me? Now that's something I wouldn't recommend.
First, it's impossible. Have you seen me? Do you know my proportions? I know I talk about pizza all the time, but do you think I've ever actually eaten it? I haven't eaten anything in 10 years. I don't even have to wear a bra; it's like my body is impervious to the laws of gravity.
Second, my life is not as glamorous as it seems. In fact, there's been a lot of pain in my past. Somewhere along my career, I just started to feel like I was an object to people. Sure, I worked as a flight attendant, a doctor and, one year, as an African princess, but it always felt like the focus was on my looks and less on my ability as a person.
I am more than a pretty face whose measurements are forever 36-18-33. I am an avid rock climber, a voracious reader (I just finished "The Art of War") and recently became a Buddhist. And I have to say, doing these things in the twilight of my life is so much more rewarding than my "perfect" youth in Malibu. If I could do it all over again, I would never have chosen the celebrity path.
I feel sorry for you, Valeria. You are so young. You have your whole life ahead of you-a life that doesn't have to be pumped full of collagen and silicon. Be anything else-a flight attendant, a doctor, an African princess. If you don't, like me, you'll soon realize that a life of plastic is anything but fantastic.
JEN KIM IS A REDEYE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR.
(Photo from www.facebook.com/ValeriaLukyanova)
Source: http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/ct-red-0525-barbie-20120524,0,3614431.story?track=rss
Caribbean Holidays: Where To Stay in Barbados
Planning on grabbing some sun in Barbados? We don't blame you. Check out our guide to six very different beach hotels from the 'platinum' west, to the wild, wild east...
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vtravelledblog/~3/y1TruYfgLVI/
Sunday, May 27, 2012
A FREE Taste of Panera Bread
Panera Bread wants you to be its Valentine. To win your heart, all Chicagoland caf�s are offering a free taste of some of its new menu items, including coffee, bread and sweets. To get the goods, text BREAD to 46786 between today and Valentine?s Day, February 14. Don?t worry ? we absolutely won?t text additional [...]
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Five New Places to Eat in Washington DC
Did someone say food? Head to Washington DC now and you'll be able to enjoy all these new restaurants AND soak up spring at the National Cherry Blossom Festival...
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vtravelledblog/~3/sCq1u268iII/
Improving the deadliest streets in Dallas
These intersections top the ITO World Map fatality stats for the state. I was shocked by a recent article that I read in D Magazine featuring the compromises that engineers make when considering speed over safety. Traffic and transportation articles rarely catch my attention, but the graphic of the grim reaper at the crosswalk reeled [...]
Source: http://www.rentcafe.com/blog/cities/dallas-tx/deadliest-streets-in-dallas/
Foodies go whole hog
Chances are the grocery store bargain burgers you'll be slapping down on the grill this Memorial Day weekend were probably raised on a concrete factory farm floor and likely never had a name. That won't be the case for 25-year-old Lincoln Park Web Developer Melissa McEwen, though.
McEwen is the founder of Chicago Meatshare, a small group of Chicagoans concerned with locally raised naturally fed meat, but according to McEwen buying healthy, pasture-raised meat is expensive. Her group's solution: buy in bulk.
McEwen and a handful of other health-conscious collaborators buy an entire sheep, cow or pig about once a month directly from a local farmer and then get together to carve it up and divide out the parts--which means not everyone gets the most desirable cuts of meat.
A buyer could end up coming home with liver or neck meat, yet many foodies and health buffs are more than willing to sacrifice quality cuts in order to ensure their meat has been raised locally and naturally.
"There's two kinds of people that are interested in getting their meat this way," McEwen said. "There's the foodies who are really into cooking with the whole animal nose to tail, and there's the super fit people looking for an all-natural diet."
Kent Cowgill, a 40-year-old software engineer, falls into the latter category. Two years ago, Cowgill began experimenting with the fad diet known as the paleo diet or caveman diet, which is meant to mimic the diet of stone age hunter-gatherers by emphasizing grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit and excluding grains and processed foods. It was through the website paleohacks.com that Cowgill and became acquainted with McEwen.
Cowgill said his health improved so dramatically after switching to the diet, that he decided to pursue his long standing goal of competing in a triathlon.
"I never really seriously considered that I could be a triathlete until I started eating this way. My health
got a lot better in just a year," Cowgill said. "Eating real food--not stuff that comes in a bag--makes a huge difference."
The key component that separates the kind of meat that McEwen and her pals at Chicago Meatshare are
interested in from the average package of ground beef at a big box grocery store is how the animals are raised and fed. Cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock are naturally grazing animals that feed on grass and other grains.
According to McEwen, most large scale farms in the United States feed their livestock corn and other processed grains that the animals are not used to eating. Their unusual diet causes the animals get sick,
and they have to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to stay healthy. The result is an animal that is
much less healthy than a naturally raised one. Those large scale farms end up supplying meat, eggs and
dairy to grocery chains, and eventually end up on the plates of many Americans.
McEwen says the trend towards grass-fed meat is growing, but until supermarkets catch on, she wants
to be sure she knows where her meat is coming from. The best way to do that, she said, is to speak the
farmers themselves.
There are a few ways to acquire healthy meat, but they are usually pricey or involve a large commitment
McEwen says. Many farmers sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets for as much as four times as
much as what McEwen currently pays.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs like Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm's meat sharing
program delivers meat to several drop off locations in Chicago from a farm in Ottawa, Illinois about 90miles Southwest of Chicago.
The CSA model often involves a large time commitment and a relatively large financial investment of a several hundred dollars upfront in order to be supplied with meat and vegetables throughout the summer.
Although McEwen finds her practice easier than some of the other current models for acquiring sustainable meat, she warns that buying direct from the farmer still may not be the best option for the causal grocery store shopper.
"Buying meat the way I do is only for a certain type of consumer, " McEwen said. "If you're just a normal person, it might be a pain in the ass, but it is a growing market and there are all kinds of different models for doing it."
McEwen is the founder of Chicago Meatshare, a small group of Chicagoans concerned with locally raised naturally fed meat, but according to McEwen buying healthy, pasture-raised meat is expensive. Her group's solution: buy in bulk.
McEwen and a handful of other health-conscious collaborators buy an entire sheep, cow or pig about once a month directly from a local farmer and then get together to carve it up and divide out the parts--which means not everyone gets the most desirable cuts of meat.
A buyer could end up coming home with liver or neck meat, yet many foodies and health buffs are more than willing to sacrifice quality cuts in order to ensure their meat has been raised locally and naturally.
"There's two kinds of people that are interested in getting their meat this way," McEwen said. "There's the foodies who are really into cooking with the whole animal nose to tail, and there's the super fit people looking for an all-natural diet."
Kent Cowgill, a 40-year-old software engineer, falls into the latter category. Two years ago, Cowgill began experimenting with the fad diet known as the paleo diet or caveman diet, which is meant to mimic the diet of stone age hunter-gatherers by emphasizing grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit and excluding grains and processed foods. It was through the website paleohacks.com that Cowgill and became acquainted with McEwen.
Cowgill said his health improved so dramatically after switching to the diet, that he decided to pursue his long standing goal of competing in a triathlon.
"I never really seriously considered that I could be a triathlete until I started eating this way. My health
got a lot better in just a year," Cowgill said. "Eating real food--not stuff that comes in a bag--makes a huge difference."
The key component that separates the kind of meat that McEwen and her pals at Chicago Meatshare are
interested in from the average package of ground beef at a big box grocery store is how the animals are raised and fed. Cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock are naturally grazing animals that feed on grass and other grains.
According to McEwen, most large scale farms in the United States feed their livestock corn and other processed grains that the animals are not used to eating. Their unusual diet causes the animals get sick,
and they have to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to stay healthy. The result is an animal that is
much less healthy than a naturally raised one. Those large scale farms end up supplying meat, eggs and
dairy to grocery chains, and eventually end up on the plates of many Americans.
McEwen says the trend towards grass-fed meat is growing, but until supermarkets catch on, she wants
to be sure she knows where her meat is coming from. The best way to do that, she said, is to speak the
farmers themselves.
There are a few ways to acquire healthy meat, but they are usually pricey or involve a large commitment
McEwen says. Many farmers sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets for as much as four times as
much as what McEwen currently pays.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs like Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm's meat sharing
program delivers meat to several drop off locations in Chicago from a farm in Ottawa, Illinois about 90miles Southwest of Chicago.
The CSA model often involves a large time commitment and a relatively large financial investment of a several hundred dollars upfront in order to be supplied with meat and vegetables throughout the summer.
Although McEwen finds her practice easier than some of the other current models for acquiring sustainable meat, she warns that buying direct from the farmer still may not be the best option for the causal grocery store shopper.
"Buying meat the way I do is only for a certain type of consumer, " McEwen said. "If you're just a normal person, it might be a pain in the ass, but it is a growing market and there are all kinds of different models for doing it."
Winemakers Everywhere! Wente, Gott, and More at Local Restaurants
Joel Gott will be at Paris Club June 11.
So apparently once you get things started for the spring in your vineyard, you've got a couple of months to go out and participate in wine dinners at your customers' restaurants before you have to get out there and start picking and crushing grapes. That, at least, is our conclusion from the plethora (a plethora, we tell you! a dad-blamed plethora) of wine dinners in our mailbox. Here are a few of them, offering different flavors of the same thing— a chance to meet some winemakers, taste and compare some fine wines, and eat some good stuff at some place you'd be happy to go to even without the wine. See our listings on the next page.
The Winemaker: Distributor Leo Ciminio of Rodinia Wines and winemaker Carmelo Camara Santos of Spain's Vintae wine group will present an evening of Spanish wines.
The Restaurant: Quince in Evanston
The Details: May 30, 7 p.m.; $75 including dinner and pairings. Call (847) 570-8419 for reservations.
The Winemaker: Argyle Winery in Oregon; a representative of the winery (TBD) will be present.
The Restaurant: Geja's Cafe
The Details: June 4, 7 p.m.; $55 prix-fixe menu with bottomless pours. Call 773-281-9101 for reservations.
The Winemaker: Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy; there will be samples of their premiere cru chablis and other fine wines at this farm dinner.
The Restaurant: Mon Ami Gabi in Oakbrook
The Details: June 5, 6 p.m.; $65 per person, reservations recommended at 630-472-1900.
The Winemaker: Karl D. Wente, fifth-generation California winemaker (and guitarist) at the winery named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast; makes chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah
The Restaurant: Bin 36
The Details: June 6, 5 to 9 p.m.; just show up for dinner and you can meet the winemaker. A flight of Wente wines will be available all month, four half glasses for $25.
The Winemaker: Wine writer and educator Tom Hyland, talking about Brunello di Montalcino
The Restaurant: Via Carducci
The Details: June 6, 6:30 p.m.; four courses paired with four Brunellos.
The Winemaker: Joel Gott, another fifth-generation California winemaker, and owner of Gott's Roadside, a Napa hamburger stand; makes chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, zinfandel, and cabernet sauvignon.
The Restaurant: Paris Club
The Details: June 11, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; the tasting is free.
Read more posts by Michael Gebert
Filed Under: wine, bin 36, geja's cafe, joel gott, karl wente, paris club, via carducci
Source: http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2012/05/winemaker-dinners-wente-gott-drouhin.html
Foodies go whole hog
Chances are the grocery store bargain burgers you'll be slapping down on the grill this Memorial Day weekend were probably raised on a concrete factory farm floor and likely never had a name. That won't be the case for 25-year-old Lincoln Park Web Developer Melissa McEwen, though.
McEwen is the founder of Chicago Meatshare, a small group of Chicagoans concerned with locally raised naturally fed meat, but according to McEwen buying healthy, pasture-raised meat is expensive. Her group's solution: buy in bulk.
McEwen and a handful of other health-conscious collaborators buy an entire sheep, cow or pig about once a month directly from a local farmer and then get together to carve it up and divide out the parts--which means not everyone gets the most desirable cuts of meat.
A buyer could end up coming home with liver or neck meat, yet many foodies and health buffs are more than willing to sacrifice quality cuts in order to ensure their meat has been raised locally and naturally.
"There's two kinds of people that are interested in getting their meat this way," McEwen said. "There's the foodies who are really into cooking with the whole animal nose to tail, and there's the super fit people looking for an all-natural diet."
Kent Cowgill, a 40-year-old software engineer, falls into the latter category. Two years ago, Cowgill began experimenting with the fad diet known as the paleo diet or caveman diet, which is meant to mimic the diet of stone age hunter-gatherers by emphasizing grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit and excluding grains and processed foods. It was through the website paleohacks.com that Cowgill and became acquainted with McEwen.
Cowgill said his health improved so dramatically after switching to the diet, that he decided to pursue his long standing goal of competing in a triathlon.
"I never really seriously considered that I could be a triathlete until I started eating this way. My health
got a lot better in just a year," Cowgill said. "Eating real food--not stuff that comes in a bag--makes a huge difference."
The key component that separates the kind of meat that McEwen and her pals at Chicago Meatshare are
interested in from the average package of ground beef at a big box grocery store is how the animals are raised and fed. Cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock are naturally grazing animals that feed on grass and other grains.
According to McEwen, most large scale farms in the United States feed their livestock corn and other processed grains that the animals are not used to eating. Their unusual diet causes the animals get sick,
and they have to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to stay healthy. The result is an animal that is
much less healthy than a naturally raised one. Those large scale farms end up supplying meat, eggs and
dairy to grocery chains, and eventually end up on the plates of many Americans.
McEwen says the trend towards grass-fed meat is growing, but until supermarkets catch on, she wants
to be sure she knows where her meat is coming from. The best way to do that, she said, is to speak the
farmers themselves.
There are a few ways to acquire healthy meat, but they are usually pricey or involve a large commitment
McEwen says. Many farmers sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets for as much as four times as
much as what McEwen currently pays.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs like Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm's meat sharing
program delivers meat to several drop off locations in Chicago from a farm in Ottawa, Illinois about 90miles Southwest of Chicago.
The CSA model often involves a large time commitment and a relatively large financial investment of a several hundred dollars upfront in order to be supplied with meat and vegetables throughout the summer.
Although McEwen finds her practice easier than some of the other current models for acquiring sustainable meat, she warns that buying direct from the farmer still may not be the best option for the causal grocery store shopper.
"Buying meat the way I do is only for a certain type of consumer, " McEwen said. "If you're just a normal person, it might be a pain in the ass, but it is a growing market and there are all kinds of different models for doing it."
McEwen is the founder of Chicago Meatshare, a small group of Chicagoans concerned with locally raised naturally fed meat, but according to McEwen buying healthy, pasture-raised meat is expensive. Her group's solution: buy in bulk.
McEwen and a handful of other health-conscious collaborators buy an entire sheep, cow or pig about once a month directly from a local farmer and then get together to carve it up and divide out the parts--which means not everyone gets the most desirable cuts of meat.
A buyer could end up coming home with liver or neck meat, yet many foodies and health buffs are more than willing to sacrifice quality cuts in order to ensure their meat has been raised locally and naturally.
"There's two kinds of people that are interested in getting their meat this way," McEwen said. "There's the foodies who are really into cooking with the whole animal nose to tail, and there's the super fit people looking for an all-natural diet."
Kent Cowgill, a 40-year-old software engineer, falls into the latter category. Two years ago, Cowgill began experimenting with the fad diet known as the paleo diet or caveman diet, which is meant to mimic the diet of stone age hunter-gatherers by emphasizing grass-fed pasture raised meats, vegetables, fruit and excluding grains and processed foods. It was through the website paleohacks.com that Cowgill and became acquainted with McEwen.
Cowgill said his health improved so dramatically after switching to the diet, that he decided to pursue his long standing goal of competing in a triathlon.
"I never really seriously considered that I could be a triathlete until I started eating this way. My health
got a lot better in just a year," Cowgill said. "Eating real food--not stuff that comes in a bag--makes a huge difference."
The key component that separates the kind of meat that McEwen and her pals at Chicago Meatshare are
interested in from the average package of ground beef at a big box grocery store is how the animals are raised and fed. Cows, pigs, chickens and other livestock are naturally grazing animals that feed on grass and other grains.
According to McEwen, most large scale farms in the United States feed their livestock corn and other processed grains that the animals are not used to eating. Their unusual diet causes the animals get sick,
and they have to be pumped full of antibiotics in order to stay healthy. The result is an animal that is
much less healthy than a naturally raised one. Those large scale farms end up supplying meat, eggs and
dairy to grocery chains, and eventually end up on the plates of many Americans.
McEwen says the trend towards grass-fed meat is growing, but until supermarkets catch on, she wants
to be sure she knows where her meat is coming from. The best way to do that, she said, is to speak the
farmers themselves.
There are a few ways to acquire healthy meat, but they are usually pricey or involve a large commitment
McEwen says. Many farmers sell meat and eggs at local farmers markets for as much as four times as
much as what McEwen currently pays.
Community supported agriculture (CSA) programs like Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm's meat sharing
program delivers meat to several drop off locations in Chicago from a farm in Ottawa, Illinois about 90miles Southwest of Chicago.
The CSA model often involves a large time commitment and a relatively large financial investment of a several hundred dollars upfront in order to be supplied with meat and vegetables throughout the summer.
Although McEwen finds her practice easier than some of the other current models for acquiring sustainable meat, she warns that buying direct from the farmer still may not be the best option for the causal grocery store shopper.
"Buying meat the way I do is only for a certain type of consumer, " McEwen said. "If you're just a normal person, it might be a pain in the ass, but it is a growing market and there are all kinds of different models for doing it."
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Treats to Get You in the Mood this Valentine?s Day
Truffle Truffle Introduces Aphrodisiac Truffles and Caramels Collections: Chocolate has long been seen as the quintessential aphrodisiac and the sung secret to a woman?s heart. Chicago artisanal chocolate and confections company, truffle truffle, is amping up the heat this Valentine?s Day with the Valentine?s Collection of Aphrodisiac Truffles and Caramels. Whether or not these ingredients [...]
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