Outside-time in the warmth and breezes is essential, soul-saving freedom during this strange Chicago summer. To help you enjoy that in the easiest-breeziest way, we asked Chef Tommy Van Lente of TVL Culinary what he’d put in his perfect picnic basket for two.
“First off,” Van Lente says, “with so many great restaurants switching to grab-and-go this summer, that’s all going to be elevated like never before, so check those options. But when you get the chance to play in the day outside, you want to keep it simple. So, if it were me, I’d go with good bread, cured meats, good wine, some nice soft cheeses and fruits. That’s simplicity at its finest.
“For the wine, I’m going rosé, all day, with something from Red & White Wines on Milwaukee, or Craig Perman from Perman Wine Selections. I’d get a baguette, or any bread they have available, from Floriole Café and Bakery. For some good, soft cheeses, I’d go to the French Market, or any of Chicago’s great farmers markets. When you’re walking through any one of those markets, pick up good pickles and a handful of fresh fruit. And for the cured meats, pâtés and charcuterie—anything from Salumi Chicago or whatever Rob Levitt’s doing at Publican Quality Meats. We are spoiled rotten with the offerings all of these people give the city every day!”
Summer Sipping: Warm Weather Wines from Barboursville, Virginia Barboursville Vermentino was selected as one of twelve 2020 and 2021 Virginia Governor’s Cup Case Wines. A panel of sixteen judges sample over five hundred wines and select the twelve best for the case.
Summer Sweetness: Make a Mile-High Strawberry Pie in any Season There’s a backstory behind Mile-High Strawberry Pie. Liberace (pianist Vladziu Valentino Liberace)—once the world’s highest-paid entertainer—loved this pie, ordering it by the dozen from the place it was born: the now-defunct Hess Bros. Department store, of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Everyday French: Chef Whitney McMorris Goes Global at Venteux Whitney McMorris, the new executive chef at the swanky, Michigan Avenue French brasserie Venteux, is shaking things up. McMorris is looking to North Africa, Germany and elsewhere to create a French-influenced menu .
A Little More Fun: Chef Don Young of Venteux, Les Nomades, Le Francais and…Culver’s The most recent restaurant to continue the Gallic tradition in Chicago is Venteux. Heading up the kitchen is Executive Chef/Partner Don Young. Young and his team turn out distinctly French-influenced dishes, like escargots, brie en croute, tuna Niçoise, coq au vin, and steak frites.
Knife Skills: Yes, Chef! Culinary Camp Supports Aspiring Chefs and the Food Industry On “Check, Please!” host Catherine De Orio teased out what citizen reviewers really thought about their dinners at popular Chicago restaurants. Now, with Yes, Chef! Culinary Camp for young students, she’s focusing on the “back of the house,” which diners rarely see, but which has been hurting for qualified candidates who can work their way up the kitchen food chain…
