Solstice Communications

Chicago Craft Beer Week is Thursday, May 16-Sunday, May 26!

Below are some amazing events hosted by Bar on Buena, Fountainhead & SmallBar Division–celebrate in style!

CHICAGO CRAFT BEER WEEK

AT BAR ON BUENA

Bar on Buena, a neighborhood bar with a great beer selection, fun food and an inviting atmosphere, is excited to celebrate CCBW with awesome beer events featuring some amazing breweries.

All of the following events take place at: Bar on Buena

910 W. Buena

Chicago, IL

Thursday, May 16^th

Hinterland Meet the Brewer/Firkin Tapping

Tied to the Hinterland Brewery of the month, Bar on Buena will be hosting a Hinterland Meet the Brewer/Firkin tapping. Brewer Mike Motousek will be there & tappings include Cheer Wheat, IPA and a special Firkin for the occasion. Tapping occurs at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, May 17^th

Founders Tapping

At 7:00 p.m., Bar on Buena will be cracking open a case of Founders Brewery Kentucky Breakfast Stout, some 2011 Breakfast Stout bottles and tapping a keg of Double Trouble.

Thursday, May 23rd

CCBW Medieval Night with Sixpoint Gruitbeer

BOB & Sixpoint Brewery are proud to be offering a special tapping of the Sixpoint Mad Scientist Series #13: Gruitbeer. This ancient, medieval-era ale has been resurrected and perfected by Sixpoint’s Mad Scientists in Brooklyn. In keeping with the Medieval theme of this lost style beer, there will be a screen of Monty Python & the Holy Grail for viewing pleasure. For eating pleasure, enjoy a huge smoked turkey leg prepared by Sir Johnny Van of Ye Olde Johnny Van Smokehouse. For more information, visit the Facebook page. Extra points if you dress up in armor. Or with a sword.

Friday, May 24^th

Allagasm with Allagash Brewing

Join Bar on Buena and Allagash Brewing Company as they honor Chicago Craft Beer Week with ALLAGASM. Extra special Allagash offerings will be on tap, including a few things never seen here before. The exact line-up is to be determined so check back on the Facebook page frequently for updates.

CHICAGO CRAFT BEER WEEK

AT FOUNTAINHEAD

Fountainhead, a well-known craft beer and whisk(e)y bar in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, will be celebrating Chicago Craft Beer Week with delicious craft beer from local breweries, including a cask day, bar crawl & more!

All of the following events take place at:

Fountainhead

1970 W. Montrose Ave.
Chicago, IL
(773) 697-8204

Thursday, May 16^th

Beer Under Glass at Garfield Park Conservatory

Kick-off event for the week.  Chef Cleetus will be cooking at the event & representing Fountainhead.

Saturday, May 18^th

Local Cask Day!

This will be Fountainhead’s 4^th annual Local Cask Day with casks from favorite local breweries lined up across the bar. Guests order a beer & it is poured directly from the cask. This year, Fountainhead will be offering  a special VIP session for $20. VIP guests can attend starting at 11:00 a.m. and have their pick of the freshest, just tapped kegs in the city. VIP tickets include two free pours and are limited to the first 40 buyers. Featured breweries include Brickstone, Brewery Vivant, Greenbush, Half Acre, Metropolitan & more. Casks will be poured downstairs, but the rooftop will be open and guests are free to wander up & enjoy the drinks in the sunshine. Purchase VIP tickets here. At noon, the doors will open to the public—no tickets required.

Sunday, May 19^th

Chicago version of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail

Fountainhead is taking part in the Chicago version of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Participants will travel by trolly to five different bars (including Fountainhead) where each will be featuring at least one bourbon & a barrel aged beer.  Fountainhead will have 10 Bourbon Flights available including Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project and RARE Bourbons, Nips and Pints plus a special Bourbon Barrel Aged Beer Tapping. Purchase tickets here.

Tuesday, May 21^st

Old School Hip Hop Night with Victory Brewing

Featuring NATO IPA, Ranch Double IPA, Golden Monkey, Hip Czech Lager, Nitro Uncle Teddy’s Bitter & more.

Wednesday, May 22^nd

Beer Dinner with Begyle Brewery

Join Fountainhead & Begyle Brewing for the launch of a new collaboration beer with Chef Cleetus, as well as a delicious Chicago Craft Beer Week dinner. Chef Cleetus has created a fantastic 3+ course menu paired with amazing Begyle Beers, including the new Cleetus Collab, Crash Landed, Flannel Pajamas and Farmers Hand. Dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. & tickets are $54.26. Secure your seat here! For specific pairings and the menu, click here.

Thursday, May 23^rd

Beer Dinner with Solemn Oath Brewery

Join Fountainhead & Solemn Oath Brewery for a delicious Chicago Craft Beer Week dinner. Chef Cleetus has created an amazing five-course meal that have been carefully paired with special Solemn Oath beers. A brewer will also be on hand to discuss what makes their beers so unique. Dinner starts at 7:00 p.m. & tickets are $73.62. Secure your seat here. For a complete menu and pairings, click here.

CHICAGO CRAFT BEER WEEK:

SMALLBAR DIVISION STYLE

All week long, SmallBar Division will be hosting fun tap events with delicious craft beer from local breweries, as well as a new Beer Brunch with Half Acre! The details for the CCBW events are below.

All of the following events take place at:

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division
773-772-2727

Thursday, May 16

Chicago Doet Belgie

Tapping at 6:00 p.m.

Kick off Chicago Craft Beer Week in style! Chicago’s best breweries take on classic Belgian styles, often adding their own twist. Enjoy some recent favorites along with Belgian food specials like steamed mussels, pomme frittes and more!

Featured brews include

Half Acre Bones & All

Solemn Oath Famine collab with Lost Abbey

Two Brothers 16th Anniversary

Goose Island Lake Effect

5 Rabbit Missionario

Revolution A Little Crazy

Tuesday, May 21

Cross the Lake Classic: Solemn Oath vs. Greenbush

SmallBar Division is dedicating 12 taps to a 6-shooter showdown with local favorites Solemn Oath representing the East side and Greenbush Brewing from the West side of the lake. Which side is the best? You decide!

Beers include Doom Slayer and Templeton Rye Barrel-aged Mr. Hyde from Greenbush & Famine collab with Lost Abbey, Ultrahighfrequency, Mr. Inappropriate, Snaggletooth Bandana and Heavy Metal Parking Lot from Solemn Oath.

Wednesday, May 22

Division Street I.P.A. Crawl
Starting at 6:00 p.m.

West Coast!

Featuring draft and cask I.P.A.’s from the west coast’s best breweries like Green Flash Black I.P.A., Lagunitas I.P.A., Ballast Point Sculpin and Sierra Nevada Blindfold Black I.P.A. & more!

Also, visit Jerry’s for Midwestern I.P.A.’s and Bangers and Lace for East Coast I.P.A.’s as part of the collaborative West Division Chicago Craft Beer Week I.P.A. Crawl!

$2 off with full tour of all three spots.
Sunday, May 26

Half Acre Beer Brunch
10:00 am.m-2:00 p.m.

Close out Chicago Craft Beer Week with SmallBar Division’s third annual Half Acre Beer Brunch. Enjoy a “food flight” of four Half Acre beers paired with four small plates for one low price of $30 ($7 flight, $23 food).

Beers include…

Half Acre Baume

Half Acre Galactic Double Daisy Cutter

Half Acre Iron Brass

…and more!

Reservations are encouraged via the website open table access, www.smallbardivision.com

Groups of five or more must call 773-772-2727 to reserve a table.

I know we talk a lot about beer…so whisk(e)y lovers: this one is for you!

Fountainhead, a well-known craft beer and whisk(e)y bar in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, is excited to welcome the English Whisky Company and the libations from its St. George’s Distillery, the first new distillery in England in over a century, as it launches its award-winning English Whisky Company Single Malts in Chicago!

Guests will get the chance to meet Andrew Nelstrop, the managing director of the English Whisky Company, who will be in-house pouring samples of this unique whisky for all to try! Executive Chef Cleetus Friedman, a new and exciting addition to the Fountainhead team, will be making fish & chips (what else?) while English beer is poured on draft and Fountainhead’s British Invasion Playlist will be rounding out the event.

More about the English Whisky Company…

At the 2013 San Francisco Spirits Competition, English Whisky Company Peated Single Malt was awarded Double Gold and named Best Whisky in the “Other Whisky Category” beating out 22 other world whiskies. English Whisky Company Classic Single Malt was awarded a silver medal.

Thursday, April 18

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Fountainhead Chicago

1970 W. Montrose

Chicago, IL

There are some AMAZING things happening in food this week…just in time for spring (or so we hope)! One of the favorites in Ravenswood, Fountainhead, launches a new menu created by another Ravenswood favorite, Chef Cleetus Friedman, while Wrigleyville gains a delicious BBQ joint featuring the award-winning Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, craft beer, specialty cocktails & a carefully curated bourbon list.

Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah, ours is, too. We’re going to continue anyway…

Hey Ravenswood…

FOUNTAINHEAD LAUNCHES

NEW MENU APRIL 19

Chef Cleetus Friedman revamps Fountainhead menu 

Fountainhead, a well-known craft beer and whisk(e)y bar in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood, is excited to celebrate spring with a new seasonal food menu created by executive chef Cleetus Friedman, a recent addition to the Fountainhead team. The new menu will be launching Friday, April 19.

The menu will focus on seasonality and places emphasis on local, sustainable food. Each menu item has been specifically designed to complement the stellar craft beer, wine, whiskey and spirits selection at Fountainhead. Having collaborated with local brewers, wine and whiskey makers in the past, Chef Friedman has a wide knowledge of pairing food and beverage perfectly. His knowledge shines through in the new food menu which highlights the extensive beverage menu. Most items on the menu come in multiple sizes to encourage sharing and pairing. Most dishes are priced at less than $20.

Menu standouts include:

Slow Cooked Pork Chili

Smoked Hummus with Homemade Everything Bagel Chips

Belly Fire Chicken Wings

Pan Roasted Salmon

Creating an almost entirely new food menu hasn’t put a stop to Friedman’s beer collaborations: Look for a beer created with Ravenswood’s Begyle Brewing that will make its debut on May 22 at Fountainhead. Chef Friedman’s future plans for Fountainhead include growing herbs on the roof deck, hosting the popular seasonal dinners and of course, continuing collaborations with local brewers. In addition, Fountainhead will continue to host its successful whisky pairing dinners and unique whisky events, such as the launch of the English Whisky Company on April 18 and a whole host of cool events for Whiskey Week.

Click here for the full new food menu. The new menu will be launching on Friday, April 19^th

Fountainhead Chicago

1970 W. Montrose Ave.

Chicago, IL

Hey Wrigleyville…

SWEET BABY RAY’S SMOKEHOUSE, BOURBON & BEER

TO OPEN IN WRIGLEYVILLE APRIL 19

Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer, a unique smokehouse barbecue restaurant centered around  the award-winning Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, is opening in Wrigleyville (3478 N. Clark St.) on April 19.  David Raymond (Sweet Baby Ray), Brian Reynolds (Prost!, The Gramercy, Lodge Management Group) and Dylan Lipe (executive chef) will bring award-winning pit master recipes and flavors to this new venture. Some menu standouts include Sweet Baby Ray’s Award Winning Ribs, Alabama Chicken, Smokehouse BLT, Green Chile Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Corn Maque Choux, Bruleed Banana Pudding and the faux “pulled pork” designed to entice BBQ-loving vegetarian palates. All recipes have been developed specifically for this restaurant.

Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer in Wrigleyville will pay homage to the delicious heritage of barbecue by highlighting some favorite items from barbecue regions all across the country. As barbecue enthusiasts, the SBR Wrigleyville crew will share their love of the craft one plate at a time.

Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer in Wrigleyville will be a BBQ joint whose workhorse will be a Southern Pride 850 Smoker, able to smoke 850 pounds of meat at full capacity. The Southern Pride is a rotisserie style smoker with a wood firebox. The restaurant will also offer a stellar selection of spirits, including a curated list of over 100 bourbons and ryes, 14 craft beers, including great BBQ brews such as Shiner Beers and Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale to great Chicago brews from Revolution Brewing, Goose Island Beer Co. and more. Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer also has specialty craft cocktails on draft.

In addition to a few beers everybody knows, Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer is proud to offer some exceptional craft beers. From light and citrusy to dark and smoky, Sweet Baby Ray’s Smokehouse, Bourbon & Beer has something for everyone and every meal.

Alright, now that we gave you the scoop, clear your calendars for Friday! You’ve got some eating to do!

It may not feel like it, but spring is on its way—we hope! Katherine Anne Confections, Sandwich Me In, Cage + Aquarium and the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance have some great events planned this month to get you into the spring spirit! Ring in the new season with everything from tasty truffles to a wedding event.

Celebrate April with the fun events listed below!

Themed Public Nights with C+A Publik

Every Thursday in April

starting at 10:00 p.m.

C+A Publik, a division of Cage + Aquarium, the premier event deejay, photography and live music service in Chicago, is excited to host a month of events! For the month of April, Cage & Aquarium’s staff will be hosting music events at Jerry’s every Thursday to showcase some great free music nights!

The full April schedule is….

Thursday, April 4 - Tighten Up! – An ode to funk and soul with DJs Tyler Huffman and Limbs

Thursday, April 11 - Guilty Pleasures – A mix of C+A’s favorite “cheese” (often from the 80s and 90s) with DJs Demchuk and Lecks

Thursday, April 18 - 1UP – 80s jams popular and obscure selected by DJs Tyler Huffman and Bloodshot Scott
Thursday, April 25 – ’93 Til – Golden Era of hiphop with DJs ShAde and Limbs

For more information, visit the Facebook event page!

Jerry’s

1938 W. Division St.

Chicago, IL

Springtime Truffle Making Parties with Katherine Anne Confections

Friday, April 5

6:30 p.m.                                

-Or-

Saturday, April 27

4 p.m.

Spring is in the air—well, maybe not yet, but we can pretend! Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting two Truffle Making Parties in April—perfect timing to make delicious treats for Spring! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles. To celebrate the changing season, Katherine will be incorporating traditional spring-time flavors into the truffles.

$50, includes wine, light appetizers and truffles! Reservations are required and space is limited, so sign up today! http://www.katherine-anne.com/parties

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

Earth Day Event at Sandwich Me In

Sunday, April 21

11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Sandwich Me In, a sustainable sandwich-focused restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood, is excited to host an Earth Day event! For an entire day, Sandwich Me In will be hosting educational discussions with farmers, chefs and green folks, as well as fun activities for kids!

This event is focused on sustainability and educating the community. It is a great opportunity for Chicagoans to snack on delicious food while learning how to reduce their carbon footprint.

Food and beverage samples, live music and face painting will take place all day. For the complete schedule, click here.

Sandwich Me In

3037 N Clark St.

Chicago, IL

773-250-0286

The Green Wedding Recyclery

Brought To You By The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance

Sunday, April 28, 2013

11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance, a group of wedding vendors dedicated to sustainability and building green events, is excited to host a Wedding Recyclery for brides and vendors to recycle and sell wedding goods at Loft on Lake!

The Green Wedding Recyclery is a collection of wedding items from recently-wed couples and wedding vendors. Slightly used and vintage wedding items—from Mason jars, to vases, to dresses, to jewelry and more—will be available for brides, grooms and vendors to peruse and buy. This is a great opportunity to save money, reuse stuff and save the world (or at least create a little less waste!)

Chicago Green Wedding Alliance members will also be on hand to give tips about building a green wedding & how to create the wedding of your dreams while maintaining a dedication to sustainability. There will be a concession stand, a DJ & more wedding fun!

$5 suggested donation to benefit the Resource Center

Loft on Lake

1366 W. Lake St

Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 738-2437

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Katherine Anne Confections, The Big O and Bread & Wine have some great gift ideas, events & date nights planned to make the holiday easy for you! These events (including the perfect way to give your Valentine The Big O!) are a sure way to have a fun-filled February!

February is definitely the month of love, so fall in love with everything from mouth-watering truffles to dynamic dishes for dinner at the tasty events listed below!

Give Your Valentine What They Really Want for Valentine’s Day:

The Big O…Truffle!

at Katherine Anne Confections

Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, has teamed up with The Big O, a hand-crafted ginger liqueur made in the Midwest, to create an amazing Valentine’s Day truffle, The Big O! These delightfully rich and complex truffles combine the complex flavors present in The Big O with honey, fresh ginger, Illinois Sparkling champagne and then bathing the ganache in bittersweet chocolate and capped with a miniature white chocolate heart. The Big O truffle has a tangy, toasty nuance that will be sure to give any Valentine the satisfaction of The Big O. Available starting today for $3 each.

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

A Week Of Love & Chocolate 

At Katherine Anne Confections

Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with several events starting on Saturday, February 9 through Thursday, February 14! Join Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista, and other Chicago vendors for “A Week of Love and Chocolate” at the Katherine Anne Confections Confiserie. This is the perfect opportunity to support local artisans on this special holiday!                         

The Schedule:

February 9^th from 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Handmade cards from Fixin’ It Up Handmade Card Creations will available for purchase at the Confiserie plus a calligrapher will be on hand to write complimentary love notes for that special someone!

February 10^th from 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

Illinois Sparkling, Co. will be pouring up complimentary bubbly samples. Stop in & sip on champagne while picking out the perfect truffles, caramels & marshmallows for your loved one!

February 13^th Valentine’s Day Truffle Making Party with Champagne from 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a bubbly truffle-making party! As part of the week of celebrations, Katherine Anne Confections’ Confiserie will be hosting an evening of chocolate—perfect timing for delicious, love-infused treats! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles. This is the perfect opportunity to create delicious treats to share with your significant other (or not!).

The party starts off with appetizers, champagne and socializing. Attendees sample the chocolates, discuss pairings and taste ingredients before moving on to designing flavors and creating ganache. Participants will create classic hand-rolled truffles with Katherine’s guidance—in addition, she will share tips and tricks for designing the perfect truffle. Those who attend will create, design, melt, chill, scoop and roll truffles to completion. Each participant will leave with a sampling of the truffles created that day.

Champagne and small bites will also be served. The cost is $60 per person & reservations are required. For tickets & more information, click here http://www.katherine-anne.com/parties.

February 14^th from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Free samples of champagne will be available all day for customers! Last-minute gift-buyers can peruse the delicious treats for the perfect gift while sipping on some complimentary bubbly. Your honey will forgive you if it takes a bit longer!

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

Valentine’s Day Made Easy

With Bread & Wine

Bread & Wine, the neighborhood American bistro, wine bar and market on Chicago’s

Northwest Side, is excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day! Chef Curtis will bring in a

whole lamb from Catalpa Grove Farm to create some amazing specials for this

Valentine’s Day celebration. Some of the Valentine’s Day specials include:

Lamb shoulder rillet, pickled turnip, yogurt. 14

Lamb loin wrapped in lamb belly, white bean puree, ash cracker, braised leeks, romesco. 25

Each couple will be able to choose from three specials (the third TBA) or order from the regular menu and receive a shared amuse bouche at the beginning of the meal. There is no cover charge for this evening and all regular menu items will be available. Reservations are recommended! 

Thursday, February 14 (kitchen will close at 9:30, the bar will stay open)

Bread & Wine

3732 W. Irving Park Rd

Chicago, IL

It may be a new year, but great food & beer events have certainly not gone out of style! The Green Wedding Alliance, SmallBar Division & The Scrumptious Pantry have new events in store for the month of February!

Let’s face it, February is thought of as the month of love, but there is more to celebrate by enjoying great events, great beer & delicious food! See below for the full details of the events…

Canning for Newbies at The Scrumptious Pantry

Thursday, February 7

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

The Scrumptious Pantry, the heirloom-focused gourmet food company, continues the “Heirloom 2.0” event series, designed to teach traditional food values and skills to urban dwellers and beyond. Canning for Newbies will be Thursday, February 7 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.—Requests for the Heirloom 2.0 intro class are granted! The class will be taught by Lee Greene, owner of The Scrumptious Pantry. She will discuss what to look for in product, the basic steps in the canning process and how to ensure food safety, plus some of Lee’s favorite heirloom recipes! Purchase tickets here.

The Scrumptious Pantry

3230 W Fullerton

Chicago, IL 60647

One Wild Night at SmallBar Division

Friday, February 22

6:00 p.m. (after the V.I.P. session)

Join SmallBar Division for an annual tradition in the short, cold month of February—the third annual Sour Night! This event will be featuring wild fermented ales and traditional lambics and this year’s lineup includes more domestic offerings than ever before…a sure sign of the surging popularity of the style.

Attend the event VIP Style…

SmallBar Division will also be offering 30 tickets to start things off with a VIP Session from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. For $30, each guest receives a flight of featured ales, a complimentary scratch food spread and a wild ale production discussion presented by Perennial Artisan Ales head brewer Cory King. To purchase VIP tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/320503.

For the full beer list, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/110278125816115/

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division

Chicago, IL

Chicago Green Wedding Alliance Presents Committed

Sunday, February 24

12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance is excited to host Committed, an avant-garde, green wedding event housed at the amazing eco-venue in Chicago, Greenhouse Loft. This isn’t your typical wedding show, as it will be geared towards committed couples—couples of any description—men + women, women + women, men + men. This wedding show will be dedicated to couples who are committed to each other, committed to the environment and committed to throwing the best party Chicago has ever seen.

The show consists exclusively of members of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance, a thoughtful group of local Chicago vendors that make “being green” an important part of their business models. The Committed show will feature sustainable and organic food tastings, local beer, wine and cocktail demonstrations, wedding dress and tux models, DJs and bands, photographers, venues, invitation makers, salon nail and make-up demonstrations, sustainable and organic confections and cake samplings and much more.

A new addition to Committed this year is the DIY Rumpus Room. This room will feature some activities set up by vendors for attendees to dive in and get creative! See below for some of the confirmed activities…

• Make Your Own Pinwheel Boutonnieres or Pins: Naturally Yours Events will      host this station with cute pre-cut papers and attendees are able to      choose the fastener and assemble it together. Easy as one, two, three!
• Hot Chocolate Bar: Katherine Anne Confections will      host a hot chocolate bar with different infusions (like Mexican spice and      caramel flavor) available to mix into the drinking chocolate. Guests can      top off their chocolate delight with a homemade marshmallow and a garnish including      homemade toffee, candied hazelnuts, crushed pretzels & more.
• Make Your Own Customized Thank You Notes: Spilled Ink Press and Tweedle Press are      combining efforts to have cards and stamps available for customized thank      you notes.
• Craft Bar: Mignonette will      be hosting a version of the very popular “craft bar” that they      have regularly in their retail location.

Tickets for the show are $15 for singles and $20 for couples. For more information and to buy your tickets, visit: http://committedlove.brownpapertickets.com/

Greenhouse Loft

2545 W. Diversey

Chicago, IL

3732 W. Irving Park Rd

Chicago, IL

www.breadandwinechicago.com

Sunday Brunch:

During the month of December, children under 10 eat free off the children’s menu during brunch with their parents!

Available Sundays 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

New for Mondays:

Every Monday, Chef Curtis Gamble will be selecting six pieces of the highly-lauded housemade charcuterie and cheese for only $20! (normally priced at $28)

Market Specials:

10% off cases of wine in December!

10% off our hand-made “Eat Local” Gift Baskets!

New Year’s Eve Celebration:

Bread & Wine, the neighborhood American bistro, wine bar and market on Chicago’s Northwest Side, is excited to ring in the New Year! Chef Curtis will bring in a side of veal from Catalpa Grove Farm to create some amazing specials for our New Year’s Eve Celebration. Some of the fantastic Catalpa Grove Farm veal specials include:

Veal strip loin, green olive, tangerine, new potato, arugala 24

Veal liver, braised cipolini onions 14

Veal shank ragu, watercress cavatelli, pickled mushrooms 20

Join us for a champagne toast at midnight!  There is no cover charge for this evening and all regular menu items will be available. Reservations are recommended! 

Monday, December 31

Kitchen will close at 9:30, the bar will stay open until…

It’s that time of year again…holiday lights, frost on the windows…oh, and don’t forget great food, beer & chocolate events! It’s a busy season, but there are a few things you definitely won’t want to miss!

Here are a few December events with SmallBar Division, Katherine Anne Confections, Oskar Blues Brewery, Bread & Wine and The Scrumptious Pantry that are sure to get anyone (even the Grinch!) into the holiday spirit.

MONDAYS AT BREAD & WINE

Every Monday

Every Monday, Chef Curtis Gamble will be selecting six pieces of the highly-lauded housemade charcuterie and cheese for only $20! (normally priced at $28)

Bread & Wine

3732 W. Irving Park Rd

Chicago, IL

December Chef Collaboration at Katherine Anne Confections

December 3^rd-the month of December

The recently-opened Katherine Anne Confections confiserie is excited to continue its monthly chef collaborations! Katherine is creating a limited-edition collaboration truffle with a different Chicago chef every month with proceeds benefitting a charity of the chef’s choice.

For the month of December, Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista, has partnered with Heather Terhune of Sable to create the Buttered Rum truffle. The truffle has been created using bittersweet and milk chocolate, brown butter, dark rum, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and orange bathed in delicious, rich Katherine Anne Confections’ ganache.

Proceeds will benefit Common Threads. This truffle will be available beginning December 3^rd through the month of December or while supplies last!

Upcoming collaborations include Leonard Hollander from Marion Street Cheese Market and more to come…

Make Your Own Truffles at Katherine Anne Confections!

Wednesday, December 5

6:30 p.m.

Get into the holiday spirit with an evening of chocolate! Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting a December Truffle Making Party—perfect timing for delicious, holiday-flavored treats! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles. Come into Katherine’s kitchen and warm up in the most delicious way possible!

The party starts off with appetizers, wine and socializing. Attendees sample the chocolates, discuss pairings and taste ingredients before moving on to designing flavors and creating ganache. Teams of 3-5 people will create classic hand-rolled truffles with Katherine’s guidance—in addition, she will share tips and tricks for designing the perfect truffle. Those who attend will create, design, melt, chill, scoop and roll truffles to completion. Each attendee will leave with a sampling of the four truffles created that day.

The price is $50 and includes wine, light appetizers and truffles! Reservations are required and space is limited, so sign up today! http://www.katherine-anne.com/parties

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

HEIRLOOM CLASS AT THE SCRUMPTIOUS PANTRY

Thursday, December 6

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

The Scrumptious Pantry, the heirloom-focused gourmet food company, continues the “Heirloom 2.0” event series, designed to teach traditional food values and skills to urban dwellers and beyond. The Scrumptious Pantry founder Lee Greene will discuss what to look for in produce, the basic steps in the canning process, how to ensure food safety, plus some of Lee’s favorite heirloom recipes that are perfect for the holidays. Home canned foods are great stocking stuffers and hostess gifts for the upcoming holiday season, so this intro will focus on the basics. To sign up for this class, click here. The class costs $20 each, feature a specialized professional teacher and include refreshments and light snacks.

The Scrumptious Pantry

3230 W. Fullerton

Chicago, IL 60647

OSKAR BLUES CASK TAPPING

Friday, December 7

7:00 p.m.

SmallBar Division is celebrating the holiday season with a special Oskar Blues Cask Tapping event! Smiddy, a stout made from the second running of the grain used to make the Oskar Blues Imperial Stout, Ten FIDY, will be on cask. A keg of Ten FIDY will also be tapped for a side-by-side comparison.

In addition, Chef Justin White has created a special Shepherds Pie with Stout Gravy to feature at the event. The stout gravy is made from Ten FIDY, last seen at the 3Floyds Beer Brunch over a year ago!

For more information, visit the Facebook invite page: https://www.facebook.com/events/393253687421016/

There is no cover charge for this event and the beer is available for purchase and consumption at SmallBar.

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division St.

Chicago, IL

773-772-2727

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SMALLBAR DIVISION

Monday, December 31

8:00 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Sit Down: SmallBar Division is offering 30 seats for New Year’s Eve reservations. $100 a person gets guests a guarenteed seat for SIT DOWN at 8:00 p.m. for a celebratory three-course dinner with full drink pairings & one bottle of complimentary bubbly per couple. Reservations are required. Email smallbar.chicago@gmail.com or call 773-772-2727. Tickets can also be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/300441

New Year’s Even Git Down: At 10:00 p.m., SmallBar Division will open the doors wide open for the annual no cover, no reservations GIT DOWN with DJ Intel and DJ Pickel of The Comeups. First come, first served!

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division

Chicago, IL

NEW YEAR’S DAY AT SMALLBAR DIVISION

Tuesday, January 1

12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

New Year’s Day Hangover Brunch: Cure what ails you! SmallBar Division will be open at noon with the full brunch menu served until 4:00 p.m. Plus: bloody marys and mimosas will be available to help you get back on your feet for 2013.

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division

Chicago, IL

The snow flurries in the air are a sign that the holiday season is almost in full swing! SmallBar Division and Purple Asparagus have great beer & food events planned to get you in the holiday mood!

With a night of delicious chocolate stout beers and a class on what to do with your leftovers from Thanksgiving, these events are sure to warm you up & prepare you for the holiday season that is quickly approaching!

See below for more details.

Stout Blowout at SmallBar Division

Tuesday, November 20

6:00 p.m.

Brace for the cold months ahead with Stout Blowout at SmallBar Division! This special tapping event features some of the biggest, best stouts available in Chicago–some SmallBar has been saving for months just to bring it all together on this one night!

Stout List:

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Coffee Stout

Three Floyds Hell’s Black Intelligencer

Firestone Walker Parabola

Firestone Walker Merkin

Mikkeller Soft DK

Greenbush & SmallBar Templeton Rye Barrel-aged Mr. Hyde

Greenbush & SmallBar Mr. Hyde

Founders Breakfast Stout

Greenbush Bush Cabra Perdida

Against the Grain Bo & Luc

Bell’s Cherry Stout

New Belgium’s Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout

Solemn Oath Grumpess

Southern Tier Crème Brulee

Stillwater Perfect Crime Hollow Point

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division St.

Chicago, IL

773-772-2727

Purple Asparagus Hosts From Trash to Table: Thanksgiving Style!

Friday, November 23

1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. 

Purple Asparagus, the Chicago-based non-profit that educates children and their families about good eating, is kicking off the eating season with a fun, nutritious event the day after Thanksgiving! This From Trash to Table event tells you what to do with the leftovers from your delicious Thanksgiving meal! Watch and learn as chefs from Purple Asparagus demonstrate how to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into delicious meals. This event is free with museum admission.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

2430 N. Cannon Dr.

Chicago, IL

The weather is getting chilly as the winter months roll in—but don’t worry! Katherine Anne Confections, SmallBar Division, Oskar Blues & The Scrumptious Pantry have great chocolate, beer & food events planned (what better way to warm up?) to get you through the cold months ahead.

From a night of delicious chocolatey stout beers to a class on what to do with your leftovers from Thanksgiving, these events are sure to warm you up & prepare you for the holiday season that approaches!

See below for more details.

At Hallow’s Eve Tapping at SmallBar Division

Wednesday, October 31

6:00 p.m.

SmallBar Division is celebrating All Hallow’s Eve the only way they know how—with a tap event! Some of the season’s best pumpkin beers will be available on draft—including one named after a vampire!

Featured drafts:
Timmermans Pumpkin Lambic
Southern Tier Pumking
Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin
Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela
Great Lakes Nosferatu

SmallBar Division
2049 West Division

Chicago, IL

The Scrumptious Pantry Heirloom 2.0 Class

Thursday, November 1

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 

The Scrumptious Pantry, the heirloom-focused gourmet food company, continues the “Heirloom 2.0” event series, designed to teach traditional food values and skills to urban dwellers and beyond.

Heirloom 2.0—50s Favorite Party Dishes Revisited –the best meals are those that warm us from the inside. Chef Kasey Passen will be teaching students how to re-create those obscenely unhealthy classic party dishes from the ’40s and ’50s in a healthy and delicious way! Cost is $35 and includes food, drinks & recipes. To sign up for this class, click here.

Chef Collaboration at Katherine Anne Confections

November 8^th-the month of November

The recently-opened Katherine Anne Confections confiserie is excited to continue its monthly chef collaborations! Katherine is debuting a new, limited-edition collaboration truffle every month with proceeds benefitting a charity of the chef’s choice.

For the month of November, Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista, has partnered with Gary Wiviott of Barn & Co to create the Smoked Pumpkin Lime Truffle. The truffle has been created using bittersweet chocolate, Gary’s smoked local pumpkin, lime juice & zest, notes of bourbon, brown sugar, smoked sugar, ginger and pumpkin pie spices bathed in delicious, rich Katherine Anne Confections’ ganache.

Proceeds will benefit the Illinois BBQ Alliance. This truffle will be available beginning November 8^th through the month of November or while supplies last!

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

www.katherine-anne.com

773-245-1630

Truffle Making Party at at Katherine Anne Confections

Thursday, November 8^th

6:30 p.m.

Escape the coldness of fall for an evening of chocolate! Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting a November Truffle Making Party—perfect timing for delicious, fall-flavored treats! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles.

The party starts off with appetizers, wine and socializing. Teams of 3-5 people will create classic hand-rolled truffles with Katherine’s guidance—in addition, she will share tips and tricks for designing the perfect truffle. Those who attend will create, design, melt, chill, scoop and roll truffles to completion. Each attendee will leave with a sampling of the four truffles created that day.

$50, includes wine, light appetizers and truffles! Reservations are required and space is limited, so sign up today! http://www.katherine-anne.com/parties

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

Cocktail Dinner at SmallBar Division with Journeyman Distillery

Wednesday, November 14

7:00 p.m. 

SmallBar Division is excited to team up with Journeyman Distillery, an organic distillery supporting locally made products, for an amazing cocktail dinner! A reception with amuse bouche will kick off the party followed by a four-course meal designed and specially tailored to each cocktail by Chef Justin White. Each course will be paired with a different Journeyman spirit crafted by SmallBar Division’s resident mixologist, Craig Hiljus. This event brings talented people and delicious ingredients together to create the best meal experience possible. Click here for the menu.

$50 food + $25 beverage pairings + tax & gratuity. Purchase tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/279384

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division

Chicago, IL

Barley’s Angels Meeting with Katherine Anne Confections & Oskar Blues

Wednesday, November 14

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

The Chicago chapter of Barley’s Angels will hold its second meeting at Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier. Attendees will enjoy five 4oz pours paired with chocolate truffles, pastries from Beurrage and an informal discussion led by Local Option bartender and Barley’s Angels Chicago chapter leader, Lorna Juett. Beers will primarily be provided by Oskar Blues brewery, including Ten FIDY, which recently debuted in the Chicago market. This titanic, immensely viscous stout is 10.5% ABV, loaded with inimitable flavors of chocolate-covered caramel and coffee that hide a hefty 98 IBUs underneath the smooth blanket of malt—a perfect match for one of Katherine’s decedent treats.

Admission is $30. Buy tickets here.

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

And last but certainly not least…..

November Oskar Blues Events

Oskar Blues, the first craft brewery in the country to put craft beer in a can, is kicking off November in Chicago with an onslaught of events!

Tuesday, November 6

6:30 p.m.
Beer Dinner featuring Oskar Blues beers at Gammon Coach House, Batavia

Thursday, November 8

12:00 p.m.
Oskar Blues 10 Year CANniversary beer dinner and tap take-over at Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. All Oskar Blues beers will be available during the tap takeover in the afternoon followed by a 5-course beer & quality cuisine dinner.

Friday, November 9 & Saturday, November 10
Beer Hoptacular at the Riverfront Theater

Join Oskar Blues and other delicious craft breweries for a weekend of sampling.