Allan and I attended a media event the other night sponsored by Courvoisier.  It was held at this ornate bistro called the Crimson Lounge.  The folks at Courvoisier are all about brand and image. They scored by having the event at Crimson; it was a nice marriage of brand and atmosphere. The Crimson has Victorian era  heavy drapery, period piece chairs, chandeliers and lots of dimly lit candles. It’s kind of a seductive place and, that’s the point. Courvoisier wanted to seduce us with their brand.

There were very petite women in high heels and little black skirts strutting around with trays of Courvoisier cocktails, and short male servers quietly passing around tiny bites of shrimp, caprese salad on sticks, baby quiche, beef tenderloin with button mushrooms and a tuna wasable nibble.  The hostess gave us a number to be announced for our blind tasting.  When our number was called, like lemings to the Courvoisier, we gathered in a side room that looked rigged up for a seance. In front of us were two baby snifters of the liquid gold and a blindfold. (Is this getting kinky yet?).  Our leader asked us to put on the blindfold (to increase our sense of smell). We were then asked to hold the baby snifter up to our nose. As this was going on, one by one, someone went around the room spraying a particular scent:  orange, creme brulee, coffee, vanilla etc.  Each time the scent reached my nose it co-mingled perfect with the scent coming from the courvoisier.  It was quite a multi- scented experience!  Oh, and then we were able to drink the liquid gold. It sure makes your insides feel warm and comforted.

So, now I know that there is more than one way to skin the Courvoisier cat.  I don’t just have pour it for my guests to swill with their stogies.  We can serve tropical like pre-dinner cocktails, and we can all get blindfolded and catch the wave of the scent.

All in all it was a very nice representation of or extension of the brand. And I got to keep the blindfold!

COURVOISIER MOJITO

INGREDIENTS

1 part Courvoisier Exclusif Cognac

1 part club soda

2 parts Ginger Ale

Fresh, chopped lime

4 mint leaves for muddling

Mint leaves for garnish

Muddle lime and mint leaves with a splash of club soda. Fill glass with ice and add the Courvoisier Exclusif and Ginger Ale. Gently shake all ingredients together and pour over the ice filled glass. Top off with club soda and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

VeeV, the world’s first açaí spirit, is planting a tree for every VeeV “Treetini” cocktail ordered at participating bars and restaurants in Chicago through the month of April. VeeV is the world’s only carbon neutral spirits company, and it is distilled at the only wind-powered distillery in the U.S.

Packed with antioxidants from Oprah’s favorite superfruit (the Açai), VeeV is distilled from organic Idaho grains, before infusion with açaí fruit, an exotic-tasting Brazilian fruit that is widely considered to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. VeeV contains 30 times more heart-healthy anthocyanins than red wine, which means you can enjoy a cocktail while doing yourself and the environment some good at the same time! As always, VeeV is also donating $1 from every bottle sold to the Brazilian Rain Forest to ensure the safe harvest of açaí.

The ‘Treetini’ initiative for eco-enlightened drinkers, together with “Trees for the Future,” plants a new tree in deforested communities of India for every VeeV Treetini cocktail ordered at participating bars and restaurants nationwide.

For more information about the Treetini initiative, go to www.treetini.com. VeeV can be purchased locally at Sam’s Wine and Spirits.

·        Uncommon Ground – Wrigleyville;  3800 N Clark St Chicago, IL

·         Uncommon Ground – Devon;  1401 W Devon Ave Chicago, IL

·         Rustik;  2515 N California Ave Chicago, IL 60647

·         Intercontinental Hotel;  505 N Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60611

·         Bar Louie;  226 w Chicago Ave Chicago IL

·         Bar Louie;  5500 S Shore Drive Chicago, IL

·         Bar Louie;  3545 N Clark Ave Chicago, IL

·         Bar Louie;  47 W Polk St Chicago, IL

·         Bar Louie;  1321 W Taylor St Chicago, IL

·         Bar Louie;  741 W Randolph Chicago, IL 60661

·         Relax Lounge;  1450 W Chicago Ave Chicago, IL

You can also try one at home:

Treetini Recipe from Uncommon Ground

2 ounces Veev Açaí Spirit

2 ounces housemade honey-ginger liqueur

1 ounce orange juice

½ ounce blood orange bitters

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Orange twist, for garnish

Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with the orange twist.

Last Sunday, the family took a reconnaissance  mission to a new place in the Aboretum mall in South Barrington: Pinstripes.  Their tag line is: Bowling, Bocce and Bistro. And they have named this properly!  There is another Pinstripes in Northbrook.
The place is really expansive. When you walk in there is a view of the restaurants, bar, bowling alley and bocce courts.  It’s definitely one of those places you can spend the entire afternoon engaged in some sort of activity.
We started off with an hour’s worth of bocce. The tendency is to think you are bowling so it takes some getting used to.  It is fun to play and challenging to win.
We ate lunch in one of their casual dining rooms.  The cuisine skews toward Italian, and they occasionally throw in some lobster or tamales for some reason.
We tasted the Italian meatball sliders – They were healthy size meatballs sectioned between a brioche soft bun and ladled with marinara.   The meatballs had reached that dense like feel, and it was clear to me they had used a soft binder like bread to create their texture.  I felt that the recipe had some authenticity.
Most of the other offerings I tasted ran into more of a normal, this is a “not outstanding” place. I said to my brother, “it’s a notch up from a Marriott Hotel lunch.  I ordered the grilled skirt steak Panini – and they actually cooked the meat to order. They claim that it was topped with a peroni fontina cheese sauce that I think got lost.  The sirloin burger appeared fine (no need to taste that one).  I did taste and like their stuffed pepper soup.  It had a thicker texture, included ground beef, and most certainly had a kick to it – I am thinking the kick was chili powder. I could not draw any correlation between the name and how the soup tasted.  The pasta fagioli soup was hearty and full of flavor.
They also serve a variety of pizzas and flat breads – directly from a wood burning oven. A few standard pastas dishes are available as well as ribs, halibut, lamb and salmon to name a few other offerings. Appetizer, soups and entrée dishes are priced reasonably.
Although this is a place to have a party or gather for recreation and celebration, the menu offers a variety of selections and a few really decent dishes. Because the menu skews Italian, I would recommend following that path.
Pinstripes
100 W Higgins Rd. (in the Arboretum of South Barrington)
South Barrington  847-844-9300
1150 Willow Road (in the Willow Festival Shopping Center)
Northbrook 847-480-2323

 

In my foodie research, I found Tyler Colman (a.k.a. Dr. Vino).  Tyler’s an expert on all things wine.  He has compiled a list (and map) of all the BYOB restuarants in Chicago.  So, for all you BYOB fans, give Dr. Vino a visit if you have a hankering to bring your favorite wine along to sip on your culinary journey:

http://www.drvino.com/chicagobyob.php

1 Cabaret
Rent the club (about $100 a head for groups up to 200) and flaunt your message on the megawatt marquee. 15 W. Hubbard St.

2 Lottie’s
BYO music for the private basement, featuring a full-service bar; 40-person minimum, $15 to $35 each. 1925 W. Cortland St.

3 Ghostbar
Cocktail events start at $30 a person, dinner at $54, in this chic 4,500-square-foot space for 50 to 200. 440 W. Randolph St.

4 Sugarcane Lounge
SushiSamba Rio’s enclosed roof deck holds 100; parties start at $1,000 and top out at $15,000. 504 N. Wells St.

5 Avenue M
Packages run $40 to $150 a guest; options include private balconies with plasmas overlooking the bar. 695 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Courtesy: Chicago Magazine

Inspired by the autumnal change in the weather, Executive Chef Andre Christopher announces a new fall menu at Pops For Champagne, Chicago’s landmark nightlife destination.

In addition to offering one of the largest selections of Champagne and sparkling wine in the country, guests can enjoy a broad range of seasonal shared plates, artisinal cheeses and desserts that literally melt in your mouth.

Highlights from the shared plates menu, which is available until 1 a.m. seven days a week, includes:

Pumpkin Ravioli with sage beurre blanc, cranberries and pecans (pictured left)

Scallop Risotto with parsley, roasted garlic and truffle pesto

Steak and Frites with ribeye, hollandaise and truffle aioli

Diners can also enjoy cheeses accompanied by toasted bread, apples, grapes, fig jam and toasted walnuts. For those diners who need something sweet, Pops is also offering desserts that are perfect to share, including Apple Bread Pudding with cinnamon gelato, caramel and cherries (pictured left).

See more special offers and events from Pops for Champagne.

Visit Pops for Champagne’s Web site for more information

 

A “pizza wine” is shop talk for easy-sipping plonk of no particular distinction. It’s relatively cheap, tastes good and works well with casual foods and informal settings. It’s a wine “you wouldn’t feel guilty opening on a Tuesday night,” said Mike Baker, manager of Wine Discount Center in Chicago.Wine for pizza can be deliciously different.

 By: Laura Hansen LHansen99@comcast.net

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”
Dom Perignon, at the moment he discovered champagne

It was a day to celebrate love.  Allan, Brenna and I had attended our friend Qadree’s wedding.  After the touching ceremony, there was time for a little something before the suburban reception.  On Brenna’s recommendation, we popped into Pops for Champagne. www.popsforchampagne.com/).

Brenna and I had a glass of light effervescent Ruinard Rose.  The sun was streaming in and hitting those dancing bubbles. I did not envision how entertaining it would be to watch those bubbles. It was a cirque du soleil performance! Allan ordered a full bodied glass of red “Chateau Jura-Plaisance 2000 Montagne St Emilion.”  I actually did not remember that, but wrote it down on the menu I took with me!  But a sip told me that it’s definitely okay to be a wine drinker at Pops.  If you are in the mood for beer, champagne cocktails (Bellini anyone?), Sake or Cognac – Pops can accommodate.

QUOTE ON THE POPS NAPKIN

“I only drink Champagne…when I’m happy and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.  When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it…unless I’m thirsty.”  Lily Bollinger “Quotation from Daily Mail” 17^th of October 1961

Executive chef Andre Christopher has gone to great lengths to create a tantalizing menu of light fare to accompany any flute of the bubbly. We reviewed the chef’s summer menu.  Savory choices include something from the raw bar (Kobe style Beef Carpaccio, Kumamoto Oysters or Tuna Ceviche with avocado, mango and cilantro to name a few.)  On the recommendation of our “very personable” bartender, we tried the Spicy Tuna Roll with cucumber, shallot and wasabi mayo.  This was a party for my mouth!   I am sure they had a live tuna in the kitchen carved up and pared with fresh wasabi.  I am not a fan of chopsticks (I don’t want to have to work to eat), so I ignored that option.  The tuna plate was nicely presented and was just enough food to balance our drinks.

At Pops, you can also choose from a selection of bar plates (edamame, marcona almonds, or marinated olives.)  Their small plates selection includes King Crab Roll, Scallop Risotto, Asparagus Tempura or Baked Goat Cheese to name a few.  Move on and add a few cheese selections – some more than a little eclectic.  Choices include Bucherolle goat’s milk cheese from France, Blueberry Stilton from the UK, or Chatham Hudson Valley Camembert from New York, actually.

If your sweet tooth has been activated – try Strawberries and Chocolate, Vanilla-Sour Cream Cheese Cake or a Turtle Brownie Torte with candied orange, caramel sauce and pineapple.

As with Nomi – I think Pops is a great place to embark on or kindle romance.  If you and your date like Jazz – they offer live jazz five nights a week starting at 9 pm.  There is a modest cover and no reservations are taken for the jazz club.

So pop in for a little bubbly, tap your foot and have a nibble.

BELINI

The Bellini cocktail is as refreshing as it is simple. And while a Bellini cocktail takes longer than the average cocktail to create, the results of a carefully followed frozen Bellini recipe far outweigh the work involved.

As a mixed drink, the Bellini is one of the more docile you’ll find. Yet docility and blandness should not be confused, as the flavor and aroma of fresh peaches in a Bellini cocktail put the senses into overdrive.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)

1 oz simple syrup

4 white peaches

SERVING INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and puree the white peaches; mix nectar with simple syrup. Strain through coarse cheesecloth; refrigerate until chilled. Pour 1 ounce of puree into a frosted champagne flute; top with prosecco. Serve the Bellini cocktail in a flute glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.bartv.com/

Are you a Chicago Sake lover?  Here’s a special meet up group for you:

 http://sake.meetup.com/11/?gj=sj5

Sake [sah-kay]
WHAT? For goodness, sake. Considered Japan’s national drink, sake is made by inoculating white rice with a special mould (Aspergillus oryzae), mixing it with pure water, and allowing it to ferment. It’s a process more similar to beer-making than to wine-making, but sake is nevertheless usually translated as “rice wine.” Also like beer, sake is best drunk young; according to Shizuo Tsuji, author of Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art (Kodansha), experts recommend drinking sake at three months of age. The best sakes are almost always served cold and they’re categorized by the degree to which the rice is polished before it’s fermented, from a delicate and complex Daiginjo to a pure, full-bodied Junmai. A sure sign of sake’s growing popularity outside of Japan? Esteemed wine glass company Riedel now sells a special stemless glass specifically created for serving premium sake.

Courtesy: Beard Bites….James Beard Foundation

Always keep in mind, the restaurant is still providing you a service. They usually open the wine for you and some will chill the wine in a bucket at your table. It is proper etiquette to calculate extra for the tip, since they have provided you with extra service. Some restaurants may also charge a small corkage fee.

There is a great book (and site) out called BYOB CHICAGO, by Jean Iversen, which covers about 150 Chicago establishments. Some that I know of…..