World of wonder: I am excited to announce that I will be a judge at AIDS Foundation Chicago's World of Chocolate fundraiser!
Join me in sampling delicious chocolate from local chefs and help support a great cause on Friday, Feb. 9, 6-9 p.m., at Union Station.
Starting Jan. 1, you can use the code ANDREW during checkout to receive $15 off tickets. Tickets are available at https://action.aidschicago.org/chocolate24.
Restaurant recommendation: I forgot just how amazing the food is at the Jose Andres spot Jaleo, 500 N. Clark St.
The chicken fritters (with chicken and white béchamel sauce inside) were as delightful as I remembered—along with the eggplant (fried and drizzled with honey) and tortilla de patatas clasica (the classic Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions). However, the real revelation was something I hadn't tried: the Basque-style goat's-milk cheesecake with a creamy center. That item is worth the price of admission alone, as they say.
See www.jaleo.com/ .
Happy birthday: Cindy's at Chicago Athletic Association, 12 S. Michigan Ave., is celebrating its namesake's (Cindy Pritzker's) 100th birthday with a special cocktail.
Cindy's Centennial ($18) features Chopin Vodka, creme de cacao, passionfruit liqueur, combier and lemon. Also, $2 from each cocktail sold through New Year's Eve will benefit The Chicago Public Library Foundation. In 1986, Pritzker and a core group of civic leaders established the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
Restaurants revealed: Choose Chicago, the city's official destination marketing organization, announced the return of the annual Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW).
Produced annually by Choose Chicago, the popular event celebrates its 17th year on Jan. 19-Feb. 4, 2024.
Food lovers can reserve tables and view menus for more than 350 Chicagoland eateries at EatItUpChicago.com . Just a few of the restaurants involved in 2024 include Wood, CheSa's Bistro & Bar, Alpana, Brass Tack, Kama Bistro, The Rosebud, Daisies, Lexington Betty Smokehouse, Frontier, Bronzeville Winery, Chuck Lager, Piccolo Sogno and Fulton Market Kitchen.
A hot time: Want to warm up this winter?
Hulu will premiere all 10 episodes of the docuseries Superhot: The Spicy World of Pepper People on Jan. 22.
Take a look at various individuals, from the elite growers who strive to create new super-hot peppers to the chili eaters who chase the endorphin rush of consuming them, and one of the people profiled is Johnny Scoville—who draws on the same of Wilbur Scoville, who invented the scale that measures the heat of chili peppers.
NOTE: Much more news is available at the Substack SAVOR with Andrew, at future3733.substack.com .
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