- Anjali Pinto
- Nootka Sound oyster, green apple, Noilly Prat, celery, from L2O.
Dining with a few bottles of grand cru Burgundy on your table is one of those things that doesn’t seem to happen much on our scene anymore, so if you recently sold a Bitcoin or two, check out an upcoming dinner at L2O (where chef Matt Kirkley was recently nominated for Food & Wine‘s “People’s Best New Chef Award: Great Lakes” Best Chef Great Lakes James Beard award). It’s a wine dinner with winemaker Henri Boillot, who produces many of the better known premier crus and grand crus in the region, and about ten of his wines will be paired with Kirkley’s dinner on April 22. The price is $275 (plus tax and gratuity), which is actually a pretty good price considering what L2O normally costs and the level of the included pairing, not to mention a rare chance to talk with a leading producer of Burgundy over his wines in the U.S. Call 773-868-0002, ext. 233 to make a reservation.
Closer to reality for most of us, here are some other things happening on the scene:
• 2013 Food & Wine best new chef, Jason Vincent, is leaving Nightwood, which was announced shortly before 5 PM on Friday, as if it were a set of bad unemployment numbers from the White House. The reason seems to include having a more normal life with a new baby on the way, though as rumors fly, he had to deny that he’s going on Top Chef. Meanwhile, though, the initial announcement from the restaurant said no one else was leaving, executive sous chef Benjamin Lustbader said on Facebook that he will be leaving too; sous chef Shae Daher is taking over.
• Punch House, the bar and dance spot beneath Dusek’s in Pilsen, announces an event that I would only garble if I attempted to translate the press release: “Punch House is calling all gender deviants/allies/movers and shakers to come dance the night away for the first incarnation of their new night, Potencia. Host Chyna Gonzalez invites all to enjoy some booty swaying jams compliments of Erin Jackson, aka Audio Jack.” Well there you have it. Starts at 9 PM tonight, runs till 2 AM, and will happen every first Monday of the month.
• David Burke’s Primehouse celebrates its eighth anniversary today through Friday with an 80-day-dry-aged ribeye for $80 or, if that seems a little out of your range, 40-day-dry-aged prime steak burgers (or Burkers as they call them) for $8. There are some $8 beverages as well.
• Also today: the latest batch of Crafthouse Cocktails, Aviary bartender Charles Joly and industry vet Matt Lindner’s line of bottled cocktails made with Chicago-based CH Distillery’s gin and vodka, hits stores. They’re a Crafthouse Moscow Mule and a Crafthouse Southside.
• Big Jones will hold its second annual Piggy Bank Dinner benefiting the Southern Foodways Alliance on June 11. Isn’t that a long way off? Yeah, but I’d bet on this selling out early because the guest of honor is the maker of a whiskey that people go gaga for: one Julian Van Winkle III, descendant of Pappy. Chef Paul Fehribach will dish up a dinner inspired by vintage cookbooks The Kentucky Housewife and The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery while five whiskeys will be paired with the dinner; Southern Foodways Alliance short films will be shown, and The Poker Night String Band will provide music. It’s $150 with half the proceeds going to the Alliance; call 773-275-5725.