Chicago Foodies

1st Annual Pastoral Artisan Producer Festival @ French Market Saturday

On Saturday, April 30, between 11 and 3 at the French Market on Clinton Street (and under the Chicago & Northwestern railroad tracks by what is now called Ogilvie Station), there will be over thirty-five artisanal producers showcasing their wares, from preserves to honey, cheese, beer, and confectioneries.    Some of my favorites include Half Acre Beer Company from the North Center neighborhood; L. Mawby, which makes an excellent blanc de blanc sparkling wine from Michigan; Brunkow Cheese, maker of the lovely brun-uusto baked cheese; and Bennison's Bakery, baker of what is probably my favorite bread in the city (well, okay, if you include Evanston).

The event is organized by Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, and Wine, where I go to buy probably eighty percent of my cheese.   Check out their video:  

 

Avec: Twice in two weeks

Last month I wound up eating at the same restaurant two Saturdays in a row. It’s not hard to do when you’re in the same neighborhood twice and see a favorite restaurant staring you in the face. That place happens to be Avec on Randolph. Not the type of place to go if you want privacy (you share tables with strangers), but in my book that’s a good thing, especially if the strangers next to you offer to share their food.

Green Zebra

It's tough to get a table at Green Zebra. I was able to swing a day-of reservation but at 5:30. I happened to have my camera that day and, lucky me, I was able to get into the kitchen and snap some pix.

Zebra serves mostly vegetarian dishes. Some meat exceptions and plenty of dairy/egg dishes are also on the menu. The plates are small and broken up into three sections:  light, semi-light and main course-ish though all are small plates. They're priced roughly between $9 and $15 and the menu changes often. The restaurant is stark, seating about 40 (guessing). The tables aren't too close together and the service is attentive, well informed, and helpful.

It's the type of place that serves dishes so specific and unusual it's very hard to describe them with any success and impossible to figure out every component or ingredient. I was surprised that the flavors and ingredients were so unusual and that most of the dishes were quite challenging.

Chef de cuisine - Christine Kim is pictured.