July’s Chef’s Table was a very special event. Chef Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions delighted us with his creative locally-sourced cuisine. The bites were accompanied by delicious cocktails from North Shore Distillery, and the entire evening was spent on the serene rooftop of Chicago Specialty Gardens. We had a perfect, clear evening to truly savor this spectacular experience.
We started with blueberry basil lemonade that was perfect for the heat, and after everyone arrived we tried the smoked cherry soup with mint yogurt. This was a surprising blend of flavors, more smoky than sweet, that left everyone wanting giant bowls of the chilled soup. Cleetus’ deviled eggs are always a hit and his sriracha deviled eggs with smoked ham were no exception. The garlic scape pesto crostini was a powerful dose of savory flavors, and the grilled portabella sopes boasted colorful layers of red and green. The pulled pork and rhubarb chutney on pita chips and the seared duck, cornbread and blueberry bbq sauce were outstanding.
The big hit of the evening, besides the atmosphere and the company, was the “Cleetus Heatus Aquavit Bloody Mary”. Cleetus’ bloody mary mix has just the right amount of kick and the jumbo shrimp “garnish” (that’s quite a generous word for that oxymoron) seasoned with Old Bay had us all oooh-ing and aaaah-ing. A real treat was that it was made with Aquavit. This is a Scandinavian spirit whose main flavor profile is caraway, and North Shore is the only producer in the United States. Our other cocktails from the small batch producer included a raspberry rhubarb fizz and a gimlet made with their new Sol, a vodka infused with chamomile, citrus, and spices.
Thank you to Chef Cleetus Friedman for creating such amazing and inventive cuisine, Jonathan for serving us graciously, and Leanne from North Shore for offering those delicious drinks. It was a night to remember!
Our menu:
- smoked cherry soup with mint yogurt
- sriracha deviled eggs with smoked ham
- garlic scape pesto crostini with parmesan
- grilled portabella sopes, cumin crema, roasted tomato, Roth Käse gran queso & micro cilantro
- pulled pork, rhubarb chutney on pita chips
- seared duck, cornbread & blueberry bbq sauce
Our drinks:
- blueberry basil lemonade with North Shore Vodka, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, water, blueberries, and basil
- raspberry rhubarb fizz with North Shore Distiller’s No. 6, rhubarb-infused simple syrup, citrus juice, raspberries and club soda
- sol gimlet with North Shore Sol, fresh lime juice, and honey syrup
- cleetus heatus made with North Shore Aquavit Private Reserve, Cleetus Heatus Bloody Mary Mix, Jumbo shrimp seasoned with Old Bay
Featured providers:
- Seedling Fruites – South Haven, MI
- River Valley Ranch – Burlington, WI
- Nichols Farm – Marengo, IL
- La Pryor Farms – Ottawa, IL
- Gunthorp Farms – La Grange, IN
- Three Sisters – Kankakee, IL
For more information on Chef’s Table Events, visit thelocaltourist.com/chefstable
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