Solstice Communications

It’s June…which means summer is not far away and the weather is starting to get warm! Bread & Wine, Katherine Anne Confections, Vinejoy and Purple Asparagus all have great food, chocolate, wine or kid events planned to help you get in the summer mood. From a kids’ healthy cooking class to the launch of a delicious brunch menu, these events will definitely get you into the right spirit!

Celebrate the new season with these delicious June events listed below!

Kids’ Cooking Class with Purple Asparagus

Sunday, June 10

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Melissa Graham, Head Spear of Purple Asparagus, the non-profit that educates children, families and the community about eating that’s good for the body and the planet, will teach a class for kids in the Lifestyle Center of Whole Foods South Loop. Children who attend will leave with a new found love of a healthy food and hands-on cooking experience. This event is for children ages 6-12.

Cost is $5 for children ages 6-12. Space is limited. Register here or at Customer Service at Whole Foods South Loop in advance.

Whole Foods South Loop
1101 South Canal Street #107

Chicago, IL 60607

June Truffle Making Parking with Katherine Anne Confections

Friday, June 15

6:30 p.m.

Summer is here! Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting a June Truffle Making Party—perfect timing for delicious, summer-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 to celebrate the arrival of the new season in the most delicious way possible! Those who attend will create, design, melt, chill, scoop and roll truffles to completion.

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

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

Bread & Wine Launches Brunch

Saturday, June 16 & Sunday, June 17

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

(and every Saturday and Sunday that follows)

Bread & Wine, the new neighborhood American bistro, wine bar and market on Chicago’s Northwest Side, is launching brunch on June 16 & 17—just in time for Father’s Day weekend! Guests will choose from many delicious brunch dishes courtesy of Chef Curtis Gamble. In addition to the classic brunch cocktails—Bloody Mary and Mimosa—the mixologists at Bread & Wine created two new cocktails to pair with the brunch dishes.

Brunch goers can enjoy their meal outside at Bread & Wine’s recently opened patio. Brunch will take place every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Bread & Wine will close at 2:00 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 p.m. for dinner service). Reservations are recommended.

Bread & Wine

3732 W. Irving Park Rd.

Chicago, IL 60618

Potluck with Vinejoy and FIG

Monday, June 18

6:00 p.m.

The crews at Vinejoy and FIG decided to host a potluck during the week for those who can’t make it to Vinejoy’s typical Saturday night potlucks. They have teamed up and are excited to host an Industry Potluck with the theme JuneTeenth, a holiday commemorating the day that the slaves found out they were free. Attendees will bring African American food—both traditional and reinvented.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

FIG Catering

1850 S. Blue Island Ave.

Chicago, IL 60608

Tuesday Tasting Menu at Bread & Wine

Every Tuesday

5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

Last but not least, don’t forget to stop into Bread & Wine on Tuesday’s for their Tuesday Tasting Menu! Check out their Facebook page for more details.

Bread & Wine

3732 W. Irving Park Rd.

Chicago, IL 60618

It’s your lucky month! Katherine Anne Confections, SmallBar, Vinejoy and Trinity Irish Dancers have great events all month that will be sure to get you into the spirit of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. The luck of the Irish is on your side with everything from tasty Irish truffles to performances by the world renowned Trinity Irish Dancers.

Celebrate March with the fun events listed below!

Trinity Irish Dancers Perform Around Chicago

March 9^th-March 24^th

It’s hard to believe, but St. Patrick’s Day is almost here! To celebrate the month of the Irish, the Trinity Irish Dancers, the Illinois-based, world-renowned children’s Irish dance company, celebrating its 30^th anniversary this St. Patrick’s Day, is performing public shows throughout Chicagoland. The Trinity Irish Dancers will be getting the city into the spirit of its favorite holiday—St. Patrick’s Day! The full schedule is below.

Trinity Irish Dancers St. Patrick’s Day Performances

March 9

11:00 a.m. Chicago Loop Alliance Lightscape Performances on State St.

8:30 p.m. Young Irish Fellowship Club’s Forever Green Party

March 10

7:30 p.m. St. Ignatius St. Pat’s Party

March 11

12:00 p.m. Northwest Side Irish Parade

March 12

7:30 p.m. Simsa na nGael

March 16

12:00 p.m. Daley Civic Center-Under the Picasso Program

4:30 p.m. Chicago Loop Alliance-Lightscape Performances on State St.

5:00 p.m. Durty Nellie’s

6:30 p.m.  The Irish Legend

8:30 p.m. Chief O’Neill’s

March 17

11:00 p.m. Tommy Nevins

11:15 a.m. The Kerry Piper

12:00 p.m. Downtown Chicago St. Patrick’s Parade

2:00-4:00 p.m. Navy Pier Family Pavilion

2:30 p.m. Tommy Nevins

4:00 p.m. Mercy Home Shamrocks for Kids Party-Chicago Hilton

4:30 p.m. The Irish Legend

5:00 p.m. Chicago Irish American Heritage Center St. Pat’s Party

5:00 p.m. Mickey Finn’s St. Baldrick’s Party

6:00 p.m. Bourbon Street

6:00 p.m. Wild Goose Bar and Grill

6:30 p.m. Chief O’Neill’s

7:30 p.m. John Barleycorn-Schaumburg

9:00 p.m. Chief O’Neill’s

March 18

4:30 p.m. The Irish Legend

7:00 p.m. Chief O’Neill’s

St. Patrick’s Day Truffle Making Party with at Katherine Anne Confections

Wednesday, March 14

6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting a March Truffle Making Party—just in time to make delicious treats for St. Patrick’s Day! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Katherine will be incorporating traditional Irish flavors into the truffles, such as Guinness, Baileys and corned beef (okay, maybe not corned beef!). This is the perfect (and delicious) opportunity to get into the Irish frame of mind and create Irish treats to share with your family and friends!

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

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage Ave.

Chicago, IL 60647

March Beer Brunch at SmallBar

Sunday, March 18

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

The Beer Brunch is back at SmallBar! In partnership with 5 Rabbit Brewery, SmallBar is excited to celebrate the month of March with a delicious menu paired with tasty beers from 5 Rabbit. SmallBar will offer a special menu designed by Chef Justin White to pair with unique brews from 5 Rabbit Brewery (see descriptions of the tasty beers here).

The pairings for March (available only March 18 at SmallBar Division) are listed below, the prices are for the entrees only:

Schnitzel Tinga Chilaquiles   12

thin, crispy Gunthorp chicken thighs and caper, honey, tomatillo salsa over fried corn chips, topped with house chorizo simmered in chipotle tinga sauce

Suggested Pairing: 5 Rabbit

An Influenced Goulash   13

slow roasted Gunthorp pork shoulder and cascabel pepper stew over coriander, lard braised cabbage and poached yucca with shaved jalapeno and breakfast radish

Suggested Pairing: 5 Lizards

Roast Poblano Pepper and Potato   14

stuffed with grilled brown gulf shrimp and munsterkase over golden potato latke with jicama, hibiscus and cane sugar salad

Suggested Pairing: Huitzi

Hoja Santa and Balsamic Grilled Quail    15

over tarragon perogi with chipolini onion beignet, poached quail egg and maple caramel jus

Suggested Pairing: Viday Muerte

Due to the popularity, reservations are strongly recommended. Contact SmallBar at smallbar.chicago@gmail.com to save your seat today!

SmallBar Division

2049 W. Division St.

Chicago, IL

Free Irish Dance Classes with Trinity Irish Dancers

March 10th-March 18th

Trinity Irish Dancers, a staple in the Chicago Irish dance community and beyond, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary by giving away 30 FREE dance classes (throughout Illinois and Wisconsin)! To Mark this milestone and in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Trinity Irish Dancers invites children to sample an Irish dance class at one of their many locations. Dancers will be with the award-winning teaching staff for an hour-long introductory class. Trinity parents and teachers will be on hand during classes to answer questions about the program.

Trinity invites boys and girls ages 3 ½ -12 to discover the basics of Irish dance, learning a few skills and steps set to Irish music—for FREE. No previous dance experience is necessary.

To register, visit http://www.trinityirishdancers.com/try-free-irish-dance-class and click on the location you are interested in to reserve your spot. For more information, call 877-326-2328 or email info@trinitydance.com.

Potluck with Vinejoy

Saturday, March 31

7:00 p.m.

Vinejoy, a wine company which provides Chicago with unique hand-crafted, story-filled wines, is excited to launch their 2012 Potluck Dinner Series with a potluck in March! Vinejoy’s Potluck Dinners are the ultimate party which invites diners to be part of the fun—and contribute to the menu!

The only way to receive an invitation to this and other Vinejoy events is by signing up for the Vinejoy newsletter (http://www.vinejoy.net/). Attendees are asked to bring a dish of their own design using the featured ingredient garlic.

Cost is $10 per person, space is limited to 20 people.

Located at the art studio of JC Steinbrunner in Ravenswood.

Valentine’s Day might be geared toward couples—but they aren’t the only ones who should enjoy the month of February! Katherine Anne Confections, Logan Square Kitchen and Vinejoy are making sure everyone—singles and couples of every description—have a fun-filled February with great food, chocolate, beer and wine events.

February is definitely the month of love, so fall in love with everything from mouth-watering truffles to unique, hand-crafted wines at the tasty events listed below!

12 Perfect Pairs at Katherine Anne Confections

Friday, February 10

5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, is excited to host the unique tasting event, “12 Perfect Pairs”! Enjoy an evening of perfect pairings featuring six different Vinejoy wines, cheese-focused savory bites by FIG Catering, three awesome brews by Half Acre Beer and brand new truffles, caramels and marshmallows from Katherine Anne herself. There will be 12 carefully paired combinations for attendees to try…and try some more! All products will be available for purchase, so those delicious, flavorful experiences can be recreated at home.

Check the event Facebook page for a list of the mouth-watering creations: https://www.facebook.com/events/293950260653139/?notif_t=event_invite

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Buy your ticket online at http://www.katherine-anne.com/parties.

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage Ave.

Chicago, IL 60647

Valentine’s Day Pastry Market at Logan Square Kitchen

Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12

10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Logan Square Kitchen presents its 3^rd Annual Valentine’s Day Pastry Market—a delicious event that gives attendees a taste of some the best sustainable, small-batch, pastry, cake, ice cream, handmade confections and culinary gift items available in Chicago. Many of the artisans found here are not widely available outside the LSK and local Markets.

Attendees at this delectable event will discover amazing handmade pastries, candy, chocolate and more. This is the perfect chance to shop for your Valentine or linger around the kitchen and enjoy your own savory creation over a great coffee, warm cider or hand-crafted cocktail.

Among the artisans, you will see emerging talent next to the familiar faces that make Chicago a great food town. Vendors make unique creations for each Market.

For an up-to-date list of vendors, visit http://www.logansquarekitchen.com/events/lsk-presents

Tickets are $1 for adults and kids are free.

Logan Square Kitchen

2333 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, IL 60647

Valentine’s Day Truffle Making Party at Katherine Anne Confections

Sunday, February 12

2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Katherine Duncan, founder and confectionista of Katherine Anne Confections, a locally-focused chocolatier, will be hosting a February Truffle Making Party—just in time for Valentine’s Day! Katherine opens her kitchen and recipe book to the public as she demystifies the art of making truffles. Instead of buying your Valentine another box of chocolates, make this year something special by creating your own unique, delicious truffles!

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

Katherine Anne Confections

2745 W. Armitage

Chicago, IL 60647

 

Already have a special someone? Celebrate at a unique wedding event presented by the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. Details are below.

Wedding Event Presented by Chicago Green Wedding Alliance

 Sunday, February 26, 2012

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

Want to create a zero waste event? Committed but don’t fit into conventional molds? Looking for the fairy tale wedding with a twist? Don’t want to wear a dress? You both want to wear a dress? Want an amazing dress? LGBT? Straight? We have you covered…

The Chicago Green Wedding Alliance is excited to host Committed, an avant-garde, green wedding show housed at the newest 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.

For more information and a list of vendors, visit http://www.committedlovechicago.com/

Tickets for the show are $10 for singles and $15 for couples. To buy your tickets, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/217073

Greenhouse Loft

2545 W. Diversey

Chicago, IL