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!”
Super Simplicity: Sandwiches of Summer Certain sandwiches are better suited for summer, whether due to the deck-friendliness of the cooking method or the lightness of the ingredients, the seasonality of the produce or the brightness of the flavors. Whatever the reason, there are some sandwiches that just seem right for summer.
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.
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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 .
Très Bon: Want French Food in Chicago? Visit Chef Michael Lachowicz Chef Lachowicz is still preparing astonishingly good French food. His trajectory traces his time spent at the Culinary Institute of America, Les Deux Gros restaurant in Glen Ellyn, and the internationally acclaimed Le Français in Wheeling. “I was at Le Français for three years, but the partnership didn’t work. I blame it on ego,” Lachowicz admits. “And clearly, naming my…
