LATEST TASTINGS ~ HITHER & YON ~ PART TWO

(Image from www.artofeating.com)

In today’s edition, I’m sharing with you recent tasting experiences at “Riva on Navy Pier” and the Hilton Chicago.  The “Riva” experience was for a media and travel operator event sponsored by Boise Centre.  The “Hilton” experience was for a media event and sponsored by Historic Hotels of America.  An individual taste experience included a Sunday Brunch at The Drake Oak Brook (IL), and a hands-on cooking experience at Pirch Chicago (Oak Brook, IL).  Lastly, in my “Worthy Mention” segment, I’m including information about Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates, and some advance information on Kohler’s popular event, “In Celebration of Chocolate”.  Enjoy!

~ The Drake Oak Brook ~

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing this hotel’s popular Sunday Brunch.  Every aspect about it was impressive…quality service and staff, quality food, exceptional variety of items available, and great views.  There’s nothing like starting out a brunch experience with a delicious Mimosa, fresh squeezed orange juice, and wonderfully strong coffee.  When I brunch, I prefer dining on breakfast-focused foods (Eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs, French toast, cheese blintzes, bacon, and sausage links, with hits of shrimp, calamari, hash browns, fresh fruit, and freshmade pastries).  I really wanted to try the other foods, but didn’t have the capacity to even try a nibble.  This is the perfect venue for showers, anniversaries, reunions, and any cause for celebration.  Make your reservations early, because it gets fairly crowded throughout its four hour window service of 10:00am to 2:00pm; the current cost is only $40.00 per person, but often, the Front Desk has special twenty-five percent discount cards, so be sure to ask for one Special holiday brunches will be offered throughout the year, such as Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  For more information on The Drake Oak Brook, visit  http://www.thedrakeoakbrookhotel.com

~ Hilton Chicago ~

(Chicago Hilton Grand Ballroom)

A special media luncheon, hosted by Historic Hotels of America, and held in the gorgeous Grand Ballroom of Historic Hotels Member property, the Hilton Chicago, was an extravagant and memorable event that was perfectly orchestrated to transport attendees back in time to the 1920s, 1950s, and present day.  Background music, tablescapes, and iconic cuisine were served by impressively choreographed attending staff.  Each course was served with distinctive libations and wines that included Sazerac, Tattinger Champagne, La Rochas Rosé 2012, Fonseca Porto, King Estates Pinot Gris 2012, and David Bruce Sonoma Pinot Noir 2013.  The menu was inventive and included the hotel’s rooftop greens and vegetables, plus locally sourced ingredients, which supports the hotel’s sustainability mission.

On the Menu

~ Amuse ~

Beef Tartare, Pickled Egg, Himalayan Salt, Lavosh, Baguette

My Take: Superior quality of beef and accompaniments made this a perfect tasting to set the palette.

~ Soup ~

Velouté, Apples, Sunchokes, Coffee, Fennel

My Take: A delightful sweet and savory silken pureed soup; one of the best I’ve had in a long time.

~ Sorbet ~

Cucumber, Sake, Silver Leaf, Rooftop Greens

My Take: Artfully presented in a backlit ice form of a genie’s lamp, was magically delicious.

~ Main Course ~

Smoked Filet, Artichokes, Velvety Roof Vegetables, Heirloom Carrot Rosti, Balsamic Pearls

My Take: A mind-boggling delight of textures and flavors artfully plated.

~ Salad & Cheese ~

Arugula, Rooftop Lettuces, Mache, Camembert, Ten-Year-Old WI Cheddar, Marconas, Mostarda

My Take: A great way to end the meal with an elegant digestif.

~ Dessert ~

Chocolate, Popcorn Pana Cotta, Salted Caramel, Candied Peaches

My Take: Almost too gorgeous to eat, but it was dessert, after all and a phenomenally inventive and delicious way to close this gastronomic tour de force.

For more information on the historic Hilton Chicago, visit

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/illinois/hilton-chicago-CHICHHH/index.html  For more information on Historic Hotels of America and their impressive portfolio of exquisite hotels, visit http://www.historichotels.org

~ Pirch Chicago ~

One of my favorite experiences is going to Pirch Chicago for their popular “Sourcing Saturday” hands-on cooking experience; these experiences are guided by Pirch Chefs who plan the menu and watch attendees throughout the process; the chefs acquire produce and protein from local sources, which guarantees fresh-tasting quality products.  Chefs Liz and Brian, developed the incredibly delicious menu for this particular session, and assisted attendees with their capable guidance in instruction.  Each menu preparation was done in teams.  Attendees all enjoyed being able to prepare menu items on high-end equipment, which the store offers for sale.  Pirch Chicago offers the finest in kitchen, bath, laundry, and outdoor lifestyle equipment, as well as design services; there are multiple Pirch locations throughout the U.S.  Our delicious menu included Balsamic Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad with Arugula, Mixed Greens, Sliced Apples, and Goat Cheese (the salad was dressed with the balsamic roasted beet juices, fresh lemon, and EVOO); Grilled Marinated Filet Mignon Medallions; Grilled Side of Salmon Medallions (which were cooked on a block of pink Himalayan salt); Pureed Roasted Mélange of Seasonal Squash (Butternut, Acorn and Kuri) with Savory Seasonings; Fire Roasted Potato Mélange (Heirloom, Fingerling, and Sweet); Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, and Roasted Sweet Onions; and, Spiced Apple Compote served over Danish Pastry Puffs with BliS Gourmet Bourbon Maple Syrup, and Whipped Cream.  For more information on Pirch Chicago, visit http://www.pirch.com/location/chicago/

~ Riva on Navy Pier ~

I recently went to a special luncheon at this popular restaurant at Chicago’s Navy Pier, a major attraction for locals and visitors alike; The Pier is situated on Lake Michigan, and our private dining room had the perfect view of both Lake Michigan and the beautiful Chicago skyline.  The Boise Centre, Boise CVB, and its partners hosted the special event luncheon.  The restaurant service, staff, and quality of food were outstanding.  The menu was delicious and presentations from the host and partners were informative, they were also minimal, which added to the overall enjoyment of the event.  There was also a wine tasting prior to the lunch, which was a pleasant surprise, and enjoyable.  Wines presented were delicious and came from two Idaho wineries, Indian Creek and Sawtooth.  While the reds and whites were delicious, my favorite was the Indian Creek White Pinot Noir, which was a beautiful Rosé that was light on the palate, with fruity and slightly sweet tasting notes, which I prefer.  Each menu item was delicious and cooked to perfection; using Idaho potatoes in the items was a nice touch, and added a wonderful taste component to the flavor profile of each dish.  The wine tasting was a pleasant surprise and greatly enjoyed.  Our menu included delicious New England Clam Chowder with Idaho Potatoes; perfectly Grilled Atlantic Salmon with Haricot Verts and Idaho Red Potatoes; and, refreshing Lemon Sorbet.  For more information on this restaurant, visit http://www.rivanavypier.com For more information on the host organizations, visit http://boisecentre.com http://www.boise.org

~ Worth Mentioning ~

 

Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates by Chocolatier Annette Righi DeFendi ~ Recent media events had me on the receiving end of tasting some of these chocolates; I also had an opportunity to briefly chat with the culinary brains behind these tasty morsels, which included the Original Buttery Terrapins, Holiday Caramels, and Limited Edition Strawberry Balsamic Rare Facets.  A huge "brava" to this chocolatier maestro for creating these scrumptious treasures!  Truth be told, I was ecstatic savoring the exquisite Original Buttery Terrapins, which are a dark chocolate, caramel, and pecan treat that puts to shame the beloved “chocolate turtle”; hands down, these are superior in texture and taste to the “other” type I’ve ever tasted…downright addictive and a real taste splurge that’s a necessity!  For more tempting information, visit http://www.kohlerchocolates.com

In Celebration of Chocolate Event, February 19-21, 2016 ~ If you’re a chocoholic, then this event is perfect for you.  The fourth annual weekend celebration will be jam-packed with numerous chefs showing off their culinary wizardry of the humble cocoa bean; there’ll also be food pairings, tastings, demonstrations, special dinners, and other events to enjoy.  You won’t want to miss this sweet to savory love fest of all-things chocolate.  https://www.americanclubresort.com/calendar/2016/02/in-celebration-of-chocolate

~ In Closing ~

Take the time to explore your surrounding area…you just might discover some new taste experiences that will keep you going back for more.

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, “Terry’s Second Helpings”.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

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