gee, i guess since i'm not a man, and wont be able to appreciate the urinals in the men's room at skylark, it slipped my mind. jj

David Hammond wrote:• Some amazing BBQ device from stevez

It's actually a combo pack of sauces and rub from The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX. I'll also be bringing a bottle of limited release tequila from my recent trip to Jalisco to add to the beverage selection.

stevez wrote:

David Hammond wrote:• Some amazing BBQ device from stevez

It's actually a combo pack of sauces and rub from The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX. I'll also be bringing a bottle of limited release tequila from my recent trip to Jalisco to add to the beverage selection.

Thanks stevez, I've corrected the listing.

I am leaning towards a Finger Lakes Riesling as my gift offering... Of course since the gift exchange is after dinner, the recipient cannot count on this as their beverage with dinner.

dicksond wrote:I am leaning towards a Finger Lakes Riesling as my gift offering... Of course since the gift exchange is after dinner, the recipient cannot count on this as their beverage with dinner.

That sounds great, David.

To avoid confusion, and just to clarify, this is not actually a "gift exchange" -- it's a raffle (that's different, right?).

Look forward to seeing you,

Hammond

Should we wrap our raffle prizes or just bring them as is?

HI,

Bring them as-is perhaps with a ribbon for decorative effect.

Thanks for asking!

We still have two seats!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:
We still have two seats!

Down to one.

We are at capacity, event closed

I have a ticket to KWAANZA FEST that I would like to sell, since there's another event closer to home that will not tax my aging digestion quite as much.

If you would like to attend this and buy my ticket please contact me ASAP.[/b]

SGFoxe wrote:I have a ticket to KWAANZA FEST that I would like to sell, since there's another event closer to home that will not tax my aging digestion quite as much.

If you would like to attend this and buy my ticket please contact me ASAP.[/b]

SGFoxe, we have a buyer for your ticket. Please PM with address.

Thanks,

Hammond

I'm curious as to what the parking is like in that area. Also curious as to how far away it is from a red line station, and which stop.

I checked FedEx tracking to see why the gift I ordered hadn't been sent to my cubicle yet. Apparently someone in the building refused the box and sent it back, even though I had the address clearly specified. I am very upset about this... it was a $10 jar of truffle honey that technically fell within the monetary rules if you didn't count s/h but anyway...*sigh* I do have a backup plan.

Metered street parking on Halsted is usually not a problem.

The Halsted Orange Line stop is about 5 or 6 blocks north.

Best,
Michael

Hellodali wrote:Should we wrap our raffle prizes or just bring them as is?

LTH,

Made up batch of G Wiv's Soon to be Famous BBQ Rub yesterday. Going to bring a coupe of packs for the raffle. Skewed slightly more toward spicy than usual, this batch might not taste good on breakfast cereal.

Going to be a terrific evening!

Enjoy,
Gary

Filling up some jars of organic lard, for those who believe that pork fat rules.

Thank you LTHforum community for another brilliant occasion. When there is such a great group of friends to work and play with, life is certainly made better.

Thank you to David Hammond and Gary Wiviott who worked with me to get this show on the road. David did an especially fine job of locating musicians ... I hope he tells the story of where they came from!

Thank you to Pigmon for volunteering to select the liquor and enlisting Rene G to select a suitable beer ... I hope you will both share details on your choices for our future reference. Thanks to sdritz and her husband Randy for returning the beer keg.

Thank you to Josephine for collecting the cake from House of Fine Chocolates. She outran the meter maids to accomplish this effort!

Thank you to justjoan for professionally slicing the cake, because a 16 inch round cake is a rather daunting task to the novice. Thank you to Ellen Fiocchi, Giovanna and Jean for distributing the cake.

Thank you to MsWiv for bringing the dessert plates and napkins. Thank you to Carolyn Berg for the origami animal decorations. I thought the cow was a brilliant addition to the menagerie.

Thank you to Giovanna and Hellodali for helping conduct the raffle. Vanna White could not have done a better job. Thank you to Bruce and Mary for distributing the tickets.

Thank you to everyone who baked, cooked or bought an interesting food gift for the raffle.

Thank you Ed's Potsticker House and House of Fine Chocolates for doing your best on our behalf.

If I forgot anyone, then my sincere apologies as well as my thanks!

Again, thank you LTH friends for coming out to play tonight! There would be nothing to talk and dream about if you didn't choose to participate. Your support perpetuates this community and gives it meaning.

All the best,

Hmm..where to begin..Thanks to Cathy, Hammond (AKA Mr. Rogers) and Gary for planning this great fun. Cathy the cake was orgazmic. I'm always delighted when I get home from an LTH function thinking of what a great group of people this truly is...down to earth and interesting. Good food, good booze, good company....and let us not forget...I got Gary's sausage.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

When we left Skylark around 3:00 AM, there was talk of going for sliders (mlh) or Korean (m'th'su), but I had to whisk The Wife home. Would be interested in hearing what became of every one after a quite excellent evening.

Both The Chow Poodle and I had a wonderful time at the party last night. Thanks to everyone who even remotely had anything to do with setting this up. It was a stellar job all around!

Amazing, simply an amazing LTHForum Holiday Party on all counts.

People, conversation, food, music, cake, wine, beer, liquor, raffle, every aspect, every detail, not only well thought out, but spot-on.

You know it's a hell of a party when you get Mary Cook, The Lovely Dining Companion and the ChowPoodle in the same room as duck tongue and chicken feet with oyster sauce.

Cath2 and Hammond did the lion's share of the work, thank you. Ed's was amazing, not a bobble, wine the perfect choice, thanks Pigmon, as was the Flossmoor beer, thanks ReneG and Pigmon. Carolyn's origami table decorations were perfect, lovely, whimsical, thanks Carolyn.

Every one was not only generous in spirit, but spirits as well, bringing terrific tequila, bourbon, wine, beer, incredible raffle prizes, contributions to the Food Pantry and, most importantly, generous with good cheer.

Skylark was a good time as well, been a while since I closed a 3am bar.

I put a boatload of pictures up, which may be found here. I have not organized or captioned them as of yet, but thought they might still be fun to see.

Ellen and I had a truly wonderful evening, thanks LTHForum.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:Amazing, simply an amazing LTHForum Holiday Party on all counts.

People, conversation, food, music, cake, wine, beer, liquor, raffle, every aspect, every detail, not only well thought out, but spot-on.

Couldn'a said it any better. Many thanks to Cathy and David for working so hard to put this party together. It really was a most enjoyable evening. As a matter of fact, I had such a great time, I was wondering: can we do this again next week?

Truly, a wonderful evening. As always, I enjoyed meeting some new folks and chatting and seeing old friends as well. I only wish I had the stamina to last later into the evening.

A very special thanks to those individuals--we didn't find out who they were--who donated the gifts we won: an astonishingly amazing chocolate ganache (doesn't everyone have a bit on toast to start their day?) and a terribly handy professional creme brulee maker (coincidentally the Lovely Dining Companion's most favoritest dessert!). Indeed, thanks to everyone who so generously donated the items "raffled off." They were all most generous, extraordinary, fascinating, amazing, and fanciful in precisely the right way.

Really, thanks to everyone who attended. Next to the posts, this is what makes this community so special and we wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Gypsy Boy wrote:A very special thanks to those individuals--we didn't find out who they were--who donated the gifts we won: an astonishingly amazing chocolate ganache (doesn't everyone have a bit on toast to start their day?) and a terribly handy professional creme brulee maker (coincidentally the Lovely Dining Companion's most favoritest dessert!).

I believe the chocolate granache was from Rosie and the creme brulee maker from Cathy2. The gifts this year were outstandingly generous and creative.

Yes, enormous thanks to our organizational dynamic duo, Cathy2 and David1, for a well thought out, well-planned, well-run, ton-o-fun event.

One of the best ideas was the one of putting signs on the tables encouraging-- nay, demanding-- that people get up and move around. You feel a certain obligation to sit all evening with the people you first sit down with, but I did notice a lot more people (myself including) moving around this time, and I'm very glad I did-- I talked to a lot of folks I wouldn't have had the chance to, otherwise. Once again I am simply struck by how interesting, diverse, charitable and friendly LTHers are, especially for a group of random strangers on the Internet. It was a swell crowd and I look forward to every occasion that brings us together.

I came home with one slice of cake and one Octodog, and was the hero of my family this morning. I've only been asked if we can go buy some hot dogs ten times already.

Mike G wrote:I came home with one slice of cake and one Octodog, and was the hero of my family this morning. I've only been asked if we can go buy some hot dogs ten times already.

Mike,

Aside from the good fortune of Ellen winning Petit Pois Chocolate sour-cream bundt the most perfect raffle prize winner has to be Mike G and the Octodog. Let the merriment ensue.

Enjoy,
Gary

Mary and I had a wonderful time. The holiday merriment was stumilating to the holiday curmudgen. Socializing and eating with such a wonderful variety of people is one of the highlights in life.

Today is going to be a wonderful eating day. I just had an Al's Italian Beef I bought before the party, and will be eating the Dal Santo's sausage my wife won at the raffle, which was brought be sdritz.

Thanks to the LTH community for bringing their wonderful personalities, as well as the donations of food for the hungry.

Happy Holidays

HI,

The dessert from The House of Fine Chocolates was chocolate cake with chocolate mousse and fudge fillings. The exterior was chocolate ganache with fudge and chocolate decorations.

When I ordered this, the counter girl felt I had gone overboard on chocolate. She was encouraging me to add contrasting flavor choices either in fillings or cake. I stuck to the original plan of an all-Chocolate cake.

I had the distinct impression people really liked the all-chocolate cake, which was what I fully expected.

Thanks again for all your contributions and high spirits for a very lovely evening.

Best wishes,

I thought it was a great cake, Cathy-- I've had the all chocolate fudge one and it was too heavy, but the combo of lighter mousse and fudge was perfect. They do such pretty work, too. I'm sure pictures will follow...

Nothing says post-party bliss like a big warm bowl of leftover spicy Sichuan beef maw over rice for breakfast. My brother William and I had an enormously enjoyable time and add our heartfelt thanks to all - especially Cathy, David, and Gary. In the gift swap, my bro actually got the box of chocolates from THOFC. Their cake was delicious - and I don't understand what going overboard on chocolate means. Through culinary coincidence, I won the dried porcini from Giovanna while she received the absinthe from me. I went for my first mushroom forage this fall - a profound experience - so it was especially meaningful to me. Thanks to all again - see you again soon!

David Hammond wrote:When we left Skylark around 3:00 AM, there was talk of going for sliders (mlh) or Korean (m'th'su), but I had to whisk The Wife home. Would be interested in hearing what became of every one after a quite excellent evening.

Me, too! It was a great night. I believe that I was part of the crew that headed out for Korean food. I must've fallen asleep in the dolsot bibim bop because I woke up with a mung bean sprout stuck on my head

In all seriousness, it was a ton of fun! You guys were all great. Now, I'm going to cure this hangover with some asprin, lots of water and a little Juicy Erotica. WOO-HOO!

Lots o' love,

Juanna Rumbel, a.k.a. Elizabeth & The Freakin' Korican

This really is a remarkable community. Chicago is blessed not just by its culinary knowledge and enthusiasm, but by the willingness to share it. To have come to know so many interesting people is remarkable. And this contrasts with other cities in which there may be such intriguing restaurants, but not such intriguing company.

Thanksgiving has passed, but there is much thanks giving to go around.

The dinner revealed the remarkable strengths - and some of the gaps - of Ed's, but the strengths overwhelmed the gaps. And there was always that beer and cake.

I must rest myself for next year to be fit to visit the Skylark for the post-prandial events.