Consumed with Discretion: September 2011

9.27.2011

Deluxe vittles @CarmonsBistro in @dtChampaign. Pics from soft opening!

Carmon's Bistro is about to open their doors to the public. Tonight was day two of their soft opening — and we had a preview of what's to come. We ordered: pumpkin soup with wild mushroom + caramelized onions and a crostini, $8; charcuterie plate with pork terrine, chicken liver mousse, pork rillettes, mostarda and pickles, $9; 1/2 dozen Malpeque oysters with horseradish, orange and Tabasco caviar, $15; steak frites, Drew's mustard truffle fries, caramelized shallots + blue cheese butter, $21; blanquette de veau with peal onions, wild mushrooms + potatoes, $22; creme fraiche ice cream with profiteroles and chocolate sauce, $6; vanilla and buttermilk Bavarian cream with grape sauce + peanut brittle, $6; and finally, creme brulee made from blueberry compote, $6.

A round of applause to the sensational staff and many thanks to Thad and Josh for the honest-to-goodness, delectable feast!

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9.26.2011

The menu + more at Spence Farm Dinner Harvest Feast!

This is only a teaser of the other photos to come from the dinner at Spence Farm in Fairbury, Illinois. So, if you're looking to take a peek at what we ate, click here to link to my blog and see more photos. I even made an animated GIF of Old Town Social's Jared Van Camp slicing up salumi and you know you wanna see that action.

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9.23.2011

Polaroid of @cutcopy. @pygmusicfest #pyg2011

Mitchell, Dan, Tim and Ben.

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Posole by Don. #pyg2011

Green room chow by the greatest bartender around!

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9.22.2011

Post-Pyg dinner at 2am. #pyg2011

Had enough energy in us to stay up another hour after we drove Explosions to their hotel. Salmon ($14 per lb) and onions ($2) and poblano peppers (from the garden) in white vinegar.

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9.19.2011

@pygmusicfest tote bag stuffing party!

Giveaways for the first 500 full festival pass holders! Free medium drink Espresso Royale, buy one get one at Chipotle, Under the Radar magazine, and more!

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EAT @longmanandeagle. (PICS)

At Longman & Eagle: 1+2 their menu, 3 rabbit paté, giardinière, sourdough tartines, $9; 4 roasted marrow bones, red onion jam, sea salt, and sourdough crostinis, $10; 5 Nichols Farm pot of pickles, summer vegetables, La Boulangerie marble rye, Wüthrich butter, and sea salt, $8; 6 salad of compressed melon & fig, Werp Farm greens, Humbolt Fog chevre, toasted pine nuts, honey-chili vinaigrette, $11; 7 pastrami cured sweetbreads, Gruyere, pumpernickel, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing $13; 8 Slagel Family Farm goat sausage, eggplant baba, compressed apricot basil, and black olive caramel, $13; 9 seared Hudson Valley duck testicles, peas, bacon, romaine, pickled cherries, and mushroom puree, $14; 10 Slagel Family Farms burger, aged Widmer’s cheddar, Neuske’s bacon, beef fat fries, and brioche, $12.

I probably wouldn't recommend the duck testicles — not because of WHAT they are, but simply because they felt like and tasted similar to cannellini beans. I wish they had more flavor + oomph. The must order items on the menu? My vote goes to the roasted bone marrows — they were quite unctuous and succulent in the best possible way. The rabbit paté is the other "yes, please" on the menu. The lightness in this dish is created by the additional fat — making it seem ALMOST healthy enough for one to devour the entire order on their own.

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9.17.2011

Irazu with @bralts!

Gallo pinto with plantains, $6.

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9.15.2011

Obligatory post on Chicago.

Back in the city again. Taken from my car window...

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9.14.2011

Mere sides make a meal.

I'm not writing a description for this one. Seth already managed to do it last night on his Facebook page: "Jack Daniels fired crimini mushrooms ($5.29 lb) with Laurence Mate guanaciale ($7) and Blue Moon Farms shallots on top of creamy polenta from Common Ground Food Co-op with Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery chevre, backyard jalapenos, and homemade butter. I have no picture. Justine B does that. It's fucking delish though."

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9.13.2011

Makin' posters for @PygMusicFest at the @LivinLettrPress.

Today, Molly and I completed the second layer of the Pygmalion Music Festival posters and we finished the backs of the "Midwest is Best" postcards. They turned out really well! The Pygmalion 2011 posters will go up around town on Thursday evening + will also be available for sale at the festival. Full festival passholders will receive one Midwest postcard in their gift tote bag.

I'd like to thank Molly and John for their time and effort to make this happen. Printing on a real letterpress was a dream come true! Check out their Facebook page for The Living Letter Press and please follow them on Twitter! And if you own an iPad, you should spend the $6 to try out their LetterMpress app.