Whiskey Dinner at Vie Restaurant - September 30

Hi all,

The folks at Vie have kindly invited me to be a part of this very cool-looking event, which I would certainly be attending, even if they hadn't invited me to participate . . .

Vie Restaurant wrote:Bourbon Baby! - A Tribute to Americas Finest Spirits

Thursday September 30 - 6:30 reception, 7:00 Dinner

In attendance will be 7 of Chicagoland's top chefs and their mixologists. Each will be designing a course and a cocktail.

Here's the list of attending chefs and mixologists:

Mike Sheerin - Blackbird, with Lynn House

Andrew Zimmerman - Sepia, with Joshua Pearson

Chris Pandel - The Bristol, with Debbie Peek

Cary Taylor - The Southern, with Matthew Lipsky

Pat Sheerin - Signature Room, with James Kuehner

Paul Virant- Vie, with Mike Page

Rochelle DuBridge - Vie, with Mike Page

Vie also will be welcoming Ron Kaplan from LTH Forum who will be making your opening cocktail.

$150 per person, includes 7 courses and matching cocktails

This really looks like it'll be a great event . . . 7 out of 8 ain't bad.

=R=

Vie Restaurant
4471 Lawn Avenue
Western Springs, IL 60558-1765
(708) 246-2082

Why did they put you at the bottom of the list?

Dave148 wrote:Why did they put you at the bottom of the list?

I know. Can you believe that?

=R=

I just learned from my friends at Vie that a few seats still remain for this dinner, which is coming up on Thursday night. So, if you're interested in attending, please give them a call to make a reservation.

Late last week I finalized my cocktail, which will be served with the passed appetizers during the reception:

The Moderator
Bulleit Bourbon
Ginger Liqueur (probably Vie's house-made version from Mike Page)
Cynar
Bitters
Basil

I'm really looking forward to seeing what the real mixologists and chefs come up with. It should be a very nice evening.

=R=

This was one helluva fun event, with great food and drinks. It was very cool getting to participate by making a cocktail and even more fun enjoying all the dishes and beverage pairings. I planned to arrive very early but thanks to unspeakably annoying traffic on I-294, I ended up at Vie just as the chefs' pre-meal meeting was taking place . . .


Paul Virant briefs all the chefs and mixologists

At about 6:30, the doors opened and the pre-meal reception began. Vie was serving up all sorts of their delectable charcuterie and accoutrements, buffet-style, on the bar. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to shoot these because I was busy making cockails but I did have a quick taste of several items right before we sat down for the first course. Highlights were bresaola, prosciutto, beer and red wine salami, ramp mostarda and roasted chestnuts. While the guests grazed, Vie's mixologist Mike Page and I cranked out Moderators, my cocktail for the evening . . .


Mike Page (right) and I making Moderators



The Moderator: Bulleit bourbon, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, Cynar, Angostura bitters, fresh basil

At the end of the reception, chef Paul made a brief announcement and welcomed everyone to the event . . .


Chefs, mixologists and guests applaud each other, as Paul Virant welcomes everyone

Course 1 - The Southern - Chef Cary Taylor, Mixologist Matthew Lipsky...

Shellfish Trio: Raw oyster, poached shrimp and cold-smoked marinated scallop
Fantastic combination of items, especially the scallop, which had a sweet and pleasant smoky note to it. The shrimp was meaty and delicious.



Beverage Pairing: Peach-infused Bulleit bourbon, maple syrup, lemon and peach bitters
I thought the peach paired very nicely with several elements of the dish.


Course 2 - Vie Restaurant - Chef Paul Virant, Mixologist Mike Page...

Au Bon Canard combination: smoked duck breast and foie gras sabayon, M&M Ranch pomegranate, watercress, grilled candy onions
The crispy duck skin was almost bacon-like and the foie sabayon -- made from just egg yolk, bourbon, brown sugar and roasted foie gras -- was insanely complex-tasting and delicious.



Beverage Pairing: Prichard's Double Barrel bourbon, Seedling Farm apple cider, house-made pomegranate syrup, ginger liquor, foie gras mousse
The foie/foie pairing worked even better than I expected, as the foie gras mousse (seen on the spoons in the background) was delicious dipped in the apple-y cocktail. The candied rim was a great treat, too.


Course 3 - Sepia - Chef Andrew Zimmerman, Mixologist Joshua Pearson...

Chicken-fried sweetbreads, green tomato jam, piccalilli
Crispy, tasty and perfectly cooked.



Beverage Pairing: Magnolia & Oolong tea infused Rittenhouse 100, Sepia canned white peaches, Angostura bitters
This cocktail, with its pronounced tea notes, really grew on me as I worked through the course.


Course 4 - The Bristol - Chef Chris Pandel, Mixologist Debbi Peek...

Polish ramen, roast pork broth, preserved mustard greens, pickled watermelon rind
A really fun and delicious take on ramen. Noodles, broth and 'cake' were all in harmony here.



Beverage Pairing: Templeton rye, ginger liqueur, pickled watermelon, lemon
I liked the way the Templeton picked up the notes in the pickled watermelon rind.


Course 5 - Blackbird - Chef Mike Sheerin, Mixologist Lynn House...

Lamb tenderloin and bacon with celery, raisin braised shallots and sauerkraut-dusted tater tots
Phenomenal dish but a lousy picture because you cannot see the tremendous lamb bacon behind the perfectly cooked tenderloin. Everything on this plate was amazing, including the aromatic celery puree (made from leaves) and the crispy tater tot, which was dead solid perfect.



Beverage Pairing: Basil Hayden, white grape consomme, lemon, black pepper syrup
In addition to black pepper, cayenne pepper was also part of this drink, so there was heat and fruit from the peppers which, along with the grape, went especially well with the dish.


Course 6 - Signature Room - Chef Pat Sheerin, Mixologist James Kuehner...

Triple S Farm slow roasted pork loin and breast, bbq baked peanuts, brussels sprouts, Mutsu apple
Loved the tender and moist loin and breast and thought the raw, shaved brussels sprouts and apples were a great addition. The bbq baked peanuts were a tasty innovation.



Beverage Pairing: Peanut infused Buffalo Trace, Mutsu apple cider
This was truly inspired because I never would have thought of infusing bourbon with roasted peanuts but once I tasted it, I was like "oh yeah, of course." The beverage went very well with the dish, which was actually conceived by chef Sheerin after James Kuehner had come up the cocktail. A lot of fun.


Dessert - Vie Restaurant - Chef Rochelle DuBridge...

Whiskey Baba cake, fig bourbon jam, butterscotch
Delectable and delicate baba with well-matched accompaniments, which showcased the cake and the single malt whiskey with which it was paired.



Beverage Pairing: Hudson Single Malt Whiskey

After the meal, I snuck into the kitchen and snapped a few shots . . .


(left to right) Mike Sheerin, Paul Virant, Pat Sheerin and Nathan Sears, with Kenord Clarke (aka D.J. King) (front)



Debbie Peek, Matthew Lipsky and Mike Page



The chefs unwind with a few of the featured cocktails



Cary Taylor (left) and Chris Pandel (right) commend each other's dishes

Vie hosts a lot of theme dinners (this is the 4th one I've attended in the past year) and they're always excellent and fun. In this case, in addition to all the wonderful food, it was great to have my favorite spirit showcased and be present to see all these great chefs and mixologists collaborating on a fantastic meal. As much as I love Vie on any night, these events are equally special and show off different aspects of the restaurant that might not be as apparent on a non-event night.

=R=