Taste the future: Student chefs now serving up lunch at Spartan Terrace
Here is a look at what's new at some suburban and Chicago restaurants.
Student chefs
Spartan Terrace, a restaurant operated by students of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Institute of Elgin at Elgin Community College, is now open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The Culinary Arts Center is on the ECC campus at 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Student chefs are graded on their entrees by associate professor and certified executive chef Mark Bosanac.
Some of the fine dishes offered include paella Cubana, seafood stew, vegetable and cheese fondue, and sea scallops and grapefruit butter.
Prices range from $8-$10. Half-orders are available for $5-$7.
Spartan Terrace will close for the fall semester on Nov. 29. Call (847) 214-7382 for reservations or visit www.elgin.edu/spartanterrace.
'Swine and Dine' dinner
Osteria Via Stato at 620 N. State St., Chicago, will host a special "Swine and Wine" dinner featuring pork dishes and plenty of wine Monday.
The event begins with a reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by a five-course meal at 7 p.m.
Pork dishes to be served include a pork confit crostini, homemade Italian pork sausage, house-cured bacon and wild boar bolognese.
The cost is $69 per person. Reservations can be made by calling (312) 642-8450.
Wine festival
Pops for Champagne, 601 N. State St., Chicago, hosts its "EfferFest World Sparkling Wine Festival" from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13.
Along with sampling wines from local wineries, guests can sample sparkling wines from locations including Australia and France.
Executive chef Andre Christopher will provide some tasty bites including roasted lamb chops, paella with shrimp, lamb sausage and grilled beef tenderloin.
Tickets cost $50 per person. No reservations are necessary. (312) 266-7677.
Cheese, please
Cheese lovers will find they have hit the cheese jackpot with the Midwestern cheese course offered at the Kendall College Dining Room at 900 N. North Branch, Chicago.
Midwestern cheese will be featured Tuesday through Saturday evenings and will be served between the entree and the dessert. A cart will feature 11 varieties of cheeses from Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Fresh-baked bread, dried fruits and nuts will accompany the cheeses.
Three cheeses can be sampled for $9; five cheeses for $14 and eight cheeses for $20.
Dining hours are from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Lunch is available from noon to 1:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Call (312) 752-2328 or visit www.kendall.edu.
Welcome aboard
Gabriel's Restaurant, at 310 Green Bay Road, Highwood, is welcoming award-winning sommelier Bob Bansberg to its crew.
Bansberg began his career in 1976 as a captain, wine buyer and maitre d' at the Pump Room in Chicago.
He became a sommelier at Ambria in 1980 and has been named "The Best Sommelier in Chicago" by Food & Wine Magazine.
Bansberg and Gabriel's chef Gabriel Viti offer a five-course meal, often speaking directly with guests to design their menus.
Reservations are recommended for Gabriel's. Call (847) 433-0031 or visit www.egabriels.com.