World-class kitchen store opens in Northwest suburbs
Not that I mind the occasional excursion to Naperville or into Chicago, but it sure will be nice to have Sur La Table closer to home.
Sur La Table, the Seattle-based kitchenware and entertaining retailer, opens its fourth Illinois store Friday at The Arboretum of South Barrington, 100 W. Higgins Road.
The 5,000-square-foot store will be stocked with an eclectic collection of kitchen basics and hard-to-find premium culinary tools such as bakesheets and brioche molds, silicone rolling pins and santuko knives.
The stores also feature exquisite linens and service pieces, cookbooks and top-shelf ingredients including Academia Barilla products (pictured).
The new store is easy to get to: Just exit I-90 at Route 59 and head north a bit to Higgins. You can't miss the new retail center at the northeast corner. I'm sure I'll run into you there. Happy shopping!
America vs. Italy: Learn the ins and outs of pairing wines with food during a special evening Saturday, Sept. 13, at Two Kitchens in Naperville.
Italian-trained chef Josh Knight will prepare a five-course dinner and sommelier Grant Newport will select American and Italian wines to match. Newport will talk about each wine's characteristics and allow diners to pick which wine pairs best with each dish. Points will be tallied and the winning country announced at the end of the evening.
The dinner costs $88 per person ($165 per couple) and begins at 5 p.m. Two Kitchens is at 2305 S. Washington St. Call (630) 717-9630 or e-mail pparties@twokitchens.com for reservations.
Ranch hands: Taste six wines from Hendry Ranch in Carneros, Calif., at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Meet Gibby's Wine Den, 1772 S. Randall Road, Geneva.
Susan Ridley, a partner who manages the sales and marketing for Hendry Ranch, will talk about the history, geography and people that contribute to the wines. The events costs $20; reservations are required. Call (630) 208-6424 or visit www.gibbys-wine.com.
Road trip: Here's a bit of Midwest trivia for you. Cashew chicken was invented in Springfield, Mo.
That's right. The dish that has become a staple on Chinese menus got its start 45 years ago in the Show-me State.
To celebrate its culinary contribution, the city holds a cashew chicken challenge during its Taste of Springfield festival. The dish garnered national attention after chef David Leong came up with the fried chicken, oyster sauce, cashew nut and green onion dish in 1963. Chef Wing Leong, David Leong's son and executive chef at Fire & Ice Restaurant in Springfield, will serve as judge as local chefs create their own versions of the iconic dish.
You can join the festivities and enjoy eats from dozens of restaurants on Saturday, Oct. 4. Taste of Springfield also features cooking demonstrations, cake decorating, ice sculpting, beer gardens, a sandwich-building contest, art, a children's area and music on Park Central Square and South Avenue in downtown Springfield. Food is served from noon to 4 p.m.; live music continues until 6 p.m. Get more details from Kathryn Vicat-Dlabach at Urban Districts Alliance at (417) 831-6200.
Competition heats up: Two of Chicago's reality TV chefs will face off in what's being billed as the Ultimate Kitchen Competition - and you can be there to catch all the action.
Rock Harper of "Hell's Kitchen" and Stephanie Izard, winner of "Top Chef," will create dishes from a mystery basket of ingredients at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at the Chopping Block at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. One lucky guest will win the chance to join Chopping Block founder Shelley Young in judging the competition and crowning the winner of this culinary competition.
Appetizers from Izard's new restaurant and Harper's forthcoming book will be served while these two culinary titans chop, dice and saute their way to the title of Ultimate Reality TV Chef. The event costs $125 (appetizers and cocktails included) and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Call (312) 644-6360 to save your spot.
- Deborah Pankey
• Contact Food editor Deborah Pankey at food@dailyherald.com, (847) 427-4524 or c/o Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.