Foodievents

Tavernita’s Vegetarian Earth Day Dinner

Tavernita is celebrating Earth Day a little bit early, hosting an entirely vegetarian four-course menu next Wednesday, April 17. Executive chefs Ryan Poli and Greg Bastien will create a meatless menu featuring dishes like smoked sunchoke “risotto” with fiddlehead fern and morels ,and a terrine of bull’s blood beets paired with natural wines. If the sunchoke “risotto” is anything like Chef Ryan McCaskey’s yukon gold potato “risotto” at Acadia, we are way into this idea. Tickets are $55 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 312-274-1111. The complete menu, right this way.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS SALAD
werp farms baby lettuce, pickled ramps, popped amaranth
verdejo, hermanos del villar, oro de castilla, 2010

TERRINE OF BULLS BLOOD BEETS
arugula, poached shallot, chèvre, hazelnut
rosso del condadino no. 9, frank cornelissen, etna, sicily, italy, 2011

SMOKED SUNCHOKE “RISOTTO”
fiddle head fern, morel, pecorino
chardonnay, champ divin, jura, france, 2011

12 HOUR CARROT CAKE
pickled raisins, graham cracker pistachio streusel, cream cheese ice cream
riesling “sweet p,” brooks, oregon, 2010


Cru Kitchen & Bar is also hosting an Earth Day Midwest farm dinner on Monday, April 22 at 7 pm for $52 per person. Wine pairings are an additional $20. Executive chef Alex Shalev collaborates with Midwest farms like Nichols Farm & Orchard, Green Acres Farm, Seedling Orchard, Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, Werp Farms and Gunthorp Farms to source his ingredients. Dishes will include asparagus salad with slow-cooked farm egg and a parsley root cake with vanilla-miso ice cream. Reservations can be made at 312-337-4001.

Tavernita’s Vegetarian Earth Day Dinner