Pop-Up Dinner Pairs Food, Art And Rhône Wines
By Erika Kubick in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 9, 2014 4:00PM
James Collier Photography
On Tuesday July 15, Rhône Valley Wines and Underground Eats hosts Makin’ It: Chicago, the second event in a five-part pop-up dinner series that pairs local chefs with artists. The art-meets-food series launched on May 14 in Miami and featured former Top Chef contestant Micah Edlestein with artist Peter Hosfeld. Upcoming events include a dinner in LA in August and again in New York this Fall. The Chicago installment takes place in a private West Town rooftop loft and pairs Chef Phil Foss of EL Ideas with Jason Brammer.
Phil Foss is the chef-owner of EL Ideas, the high-concept fine-dining establishment located in Douglas Park. The micro restaurant serves experimental but refined cuisine in an atmosphere so laid-back that the boundary between dining room and kitchen is entirely erased and interaction between guests and staff is encouraged. His lively cuisine will pair alongside Jason Brammer’s dimension-defying artwork. Brammer is a visual artist and object-maker whose pieces are primarily composed of objects, painted and transformed into pieces resembling found artifacts and antiqued time machines. He is known for his inventive use of mixed-media and startlingly realistic attention to detail.
The night will feature nine wines from the Rhône Valley to accompany the eight-course menu. The first course is entitled "Twix," an intriguing play on the candy bar featuring chicken liver mousse, brioche and chocolate. More conventional courses include Steak Frites, with marrow, potato, garlic, and parsley. But the wine list is reason to attend in it of itself, beginning with the Tavel Prieuré de Montézargues 2013, a dry rosé from Provence. The lists also mentions the Côtes du Rhône Villages, Gabriel Meffre Louis Bernard 2011, made with grapes from a single vineyard.
The night will feature performances from an ensemble of artists in addition to Brammer, including DJ Vourteque and surprise guests. Admission is $125, an all-inclusive of dinner, wine, service and performances. The event remains intimate, with 60 guests in attendance. While tickets are currently sold out, there is still a waiting list.
Makin’ It Chicago will take place 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15th 1640 W. Hubbard St.