province restaurant, chicago il

Lots going on…

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:39:24 +0000

Lots going on this week at the restaurant. I am very excited that health and wellness expert David Romanelli is here on Monday and Tuesday for the event, Yoga for foodies. His yoga session is followed by some passed appetizers and a sparkling Acai and Blood Orange cocktail, and then a seated five course dinner with paired wines. I am excited to do the event with David and to hear his views on the food. I am also looking forward to hearing what the yoga enthusiasts, who are attending, think of David’s concept. He is travelling around the country and doing this at a number of restaurants. We are sold out for the event for both nights.

Last Wednesday we started our Beer and a Burger night at the bar. Its ten dollars for a Burger and a pint of Three Floyds Beer. We had a nice turnout last week and I look forward to seeing some new faces on Wednesday.

Today made me feel like the wait for spring is not that long away. It is so nice to see the sun and have an almost balmy fifty degree day. I know that we are only two weeks away on the calendar but this is Chicago after all. I am making plans to get the patio ready the first week of April though. I’m feeling optimistic!

Restaurant Week…

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:28:42 +0000

So Valentines week is over and now things are back to normal. I think. Friday begins Restaurant week in Chicago and we have a $22 three course lunch and $32 three course dinner, which we will be offering in addition to our regular menu all week. It’s a great time to get out and try some restaurants around the city that you have been waiting to check out.

So David Romanelli who is a wellness expert, is doing a tour around the country called yoga for foodies. He is pairing up with chefs to do a yoga class that is followed by a multi course meal with beverage pairings. We have two events with David at Province on Monday and Tuesday March eighth and ninth. The Monday event is now sold out and we have some spots open for the Tuesday event. David’s tour was in the New York Times recently.

I always like doing things with food that are a bit out of the box and this event is one of them. I am excited to talk to the guests and find out their take on the combination of the two experiences together.

And this week the catchers and pitchers reported to spring training. Patio season is not too far away. Just another three months!

February is upon us.

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:18:43 +0000

It is nice to look out the window at 5 pm and it’s not dark yet. Not that it has been sunny mind you, it’s just not dark.
I do like the foods of this time of year a lot though. I love the slow braised meats, root vegetables, pears and apples, and beautiful citrus. The blood oranges have been superb this season and we have them on a salad with some beets and goat cheese. Cara Cara oranges are so delicious too and we are using them on a special menu next week. Pink Grapefruits have been so nice and have shown up on the menu in a few places. Meyer Lemons are one of my favorites and that is what we have been using to make our preserved lemons.
So yesterday was National Carrot Cake Day. Yes it was!! You can’t even make things up like that. It is amazing since I have never had a Carrot Cake on the menu until a few weeks ago, and low and behold. I was really enjoying telling people about “the special day” yesterday. I can’t wait to find out what tomorrow is!!!

Bubbles……

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:12:40 +0000

Where did the month of January go? It doesn’t feel like it’s almost over. Not that I am complaining that it’s almost over since it was pretty much cold, gray and dark here most of the month. Did I say it was cold? It is funny how winters in the Midwest sort of make you think spring is not that far away, until the realization sets in, that spring doesn’t really, really, happen until sometime in May. And that’s if, the big if, we are lucky.

I’m excited about our dinner on Thursday the 11^th right before Valentines weekend. We are teaming up with Vranken-Pommery and our good friend Annisa, to do a reception and four course dinner with some fantastic bubbly. I have to say that champagne is definitely one of my favorite drinks and I have always loved to cook foods to pair with champagne. It’s not really that hard since I don’t think that too many things don’t go with sparkling. Cereal comes to mind immediately while I ponder that. I’m at a loss now.

Up and coming…

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:14:45 +0000

Tomorrow night we are hosting a cocktail fundraiser from 5:30 to 8 pm, for the victims of the Haitian Earthquake that will benefit Doctors without Borders. It’s such an amazing organization and 100% of the proceeds will go to them. If you’re around we would love to see you!!

Our weekly market menu started this evening and we have a really fun savory dessert. It’s a Spanish Blue Cheese Flan with some Spiced and Candied Marcona Almonds, and Brioche-Quince Toasts. We get a young Covadonga Blue from Spain that is creamy and fairly mild that works really well for this. It’s made from Cow and Sheep’s milk and aged for about 2-3 months.

I am looking forward to some of the events we have coming up in the month of February both at the restaurant and outside of the house. We have a few wine dinners, some great fundraising events and a dinner with Dietzler Farms. Keeping busy in February brings me one step closer to the realization that baseball season is around the corner, and that means the weather is supposed to be nice. Not really here in Chicago, but somewhere it is.

Another day in the life…

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:25:14 +0000

It’s really great to see so many people and businesses that are taking part in raising money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. We are participating in the Heartland Alliance Emergency Fund for Helping in the Wake of the Quake by collecting a $1 from guests that want to contribute, along with many other restaurants in the Chicago land area. Next Thursday we are hosting a fundraiser to benefit Doctors Without Borders, on Thursday January 28^th from 5:30-8pm with cocktails, wine and passed appetizers. Deaths Door Spirits, Signature Wines and Seafood Merchants have been kind enough to sponsor us with some great products. We are asking for a $40 donation with 100% of the proceeds going to the cause.

I can’t even begin to believe that it’s already January 20^th. Time is just flying by and that’s actually a good thing at this time of year. Last week was the first indoor Green City Market which I didn’t get a chance to make it to, so I am looking forward to getting up there this week. Our new weekly Market Menu started tonight with some fun ingredients like, Yellow Foot Mushrooms, Petrale Sole and a Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese and Molasses and Honey Ice Cream for dessert. And Thursdays are Three Floyds Brewery Tasting Nights at the bar. Now I can’t believe it’s almost Thursday!

Tuesday Night Wine paired Dinners

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:54:14 +0000

Tomorrow night starts our new Tuesday nights with a four course dinner paired with four wines for $44. I am excited to get started. This week we have some a Chanterelle and Serrano Ham Salad with a Slow Cooked Egg followed by some Butter Poached Bay Scallops, a Chimichurri Skirt Steak and a Pear Cobbler with Cinnamon Ice Cream. I am looking forward to seeing what Jeff will pair with these items. We are also starting out with a House Smoked Salmon amuse. I have to say it is nice to be still getting some great items from our farmers this time of year. We received some great onions, squashes, beets, carrots, potatoes and some other root vegetables on Saturday. We are still waiting on getting our second shipment of acorn fed pork from Becker Lane Farms. The first batch was amazing!

It was a lovely four degrees out yesterday, which made it perfect to watch some football and no doubt the Phoenix-Green Bay game was just one of the best second halves of football ever. And it was nice to see people in shorts and shirtsleeves at a January football game. I wonder what that’s like.

week one…

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:30:19 +0000

So 2010 is upon us (sounds like some sci-fi movie), and we look as though we will get our first major snow fall of the year starting tonight. I’m actually glad to see the holidays gone. I always think when we get to the first of the year that we are looking towards spring and it somehow feels closer once we cross over into January. I know, I know, I know… wish full thinking. So anyway starting Friday, we are participating in the Local Tourists Restaurant week. We will have a three course lunch at twenty five dollars per person and a three course dinner at thirty five dollars per person. Ten percent of the proceeds go to a great cause, Endure To Cure, which raises money for pediatric cancer research. The week runs from this Friday the eight through next Friday the fifteenth. Justin and I have been planning a bunch of menu changes and we will start some of those this weekend.

I had a good laugh last night when I saw that the Orange Bowl in Miami was the coldest for the start of any Bowl game there ever. It was forty nine degrees at kickoff. When we get that kind of night, I will be thinking of possibly opening the patio. And no I don’t miss Miami. Well, maybe just a little.

2010 and counting…

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:22:38 +0000

Just a few more days to go until we ring in 2010. It’s quite unbelievable to even say that. For many reasons this last year just seemed to have flown by. I have worked so many New Years Eves I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have one off. And I am sure I won’t find that out for quite a long time either. I think all of us in the hospitality industry have some nightmare remembrances of working New Years Eve. I certainly have had a few of those and very happy they are not in the very recent past.
I do enjoy making food for holidays like New Years, and this year we are going to be open on New Year’s Day which I am really enjoying preparing for. We have some great Iberico Pork Belly that we are curing and smoking that is going on a Cheddar sandwich. We are making some Home Made Chorizo and Goat Cheese Mac N Cheese. And one of my favorite comfort foods to make is chili and I am making one with Dietzler Farms Short Ribs and Black Beans. I haven’t cooked chili in a restaurant since I was working with Norman Van Aken in the early 90’s on South Beach. It’s amazing how long ago that was now, even though it doesn’t feel like it.
Soon as we get past the first, Justin and I are going to give the menu a facelift and that’s always fun. We have been working on a lot of new dishes and we are both excited at what we have going. I think that the sun peeked out for about 5 minutes this afternoon and the forecast is that it will be sunny the next few days. That would be an awesome way to welcome in the New Year!!!
Here’s hoping that 2010 is a great, happy and healthy year for all of us!

Merry Christmas.

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:45:03 +0000

It is nice when you look outside and can’t tell if its day or night since it’s just gray. It is almost Christmas and we will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I am so looking forward to two days off in a row.
There were lots of people out for lunch today. I sent out some email holiday cards yesterday and I can’t believe how many automatic responses I got from people that said they would be returning to work on January 4th. I wonder what it would be like to have the holidays off. Actually no, I don’t.
So next week we get our specials ready for New Years Eve and New Years day. I have to say even though the weather doesn’t excite me the winter food does. It is a bit hard to get a lot of local produce now but what we do get is still great. The best part about putting winter dishes on the menu is that I can start thinking about spring dishes next. Wishful thinking….